Tyler's grip remained firm on the branch as the pumpkin-headed creature shrieked in agony. He withdrew the staff, and immediately, a system notification appeared before him: Level Up. Tyler thought, a bemused expression on his face, *"Wow, at first I literally thought this thing was just a cabbage. I knew it was a trick, though. Why the hell would a cabbage be on top of a tree, anyway?"*

The system panel vanished. Another system prompt materialized above the fallen creature, displaying: EXTRACT. Tyler then thought, *"Oh, so I can extract something from it."* He muttered, "EXTRACT."

The leaves that comprised the monster's body shimmered with a blue hue, then vanished in a puff of light. Tyler released his grip on the branch, dropping silently to the forest floor. He quickly glanced towards the direction of the other projectiles' origin, a sense of renewed vigilance hardening his gaze. *Right, there was another one,* he thought.

High in the branches, he spotted movement. A vine shot out from the tree, latching onto a nearby branch. The creature then swung across to another tree, its movements eerily smooth. He saw it clearly now: the cabbage-like leaves hanging beneath it, and its rows of wicked teeth visible in a maniacal grin. Tyler thought, *"That's one hell of an ugly monster... kind of reminds me of those pumpkins during Halloween."*

The monster launched its second vine, preparing to swing away. It looked like it was trying to flee from Tyler. Tyler, his hand already holding his staff, released it. The weapon flew true, a streak of white against the green canopy, and pierced the creature mid-swing. A pathetic, squeaky groan escaped the monster before it plummeted to the forest floor.

Tyler sprinted forward, arriving at the creature's location. The monster's vines twitched weakly. Tyler stepped onto its pumpkin-shaped head, and it groaned again as he removed the staff. With a sharp tug, dark green blood gushed from the wound, and the creature stilled, finally dead. He uttered the word, "Extract," and the remaining leaves shimmered and vanished into his inventory.

He surveyed his surroundings. *"Right, now that that's done,"* he thought, his gaze hardening. *"I need to find those Gushrooms."* He continued walking, his senses on high alert. He knew, with the unsettling new knowledge of the Vicus Plants, that danger could now lurk anywhere. They could come from the ground, from behind, from the trees above. The monster zone was indeed a diverse and unpredictable place.

He paused, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. *Maybe I should change direction. I've been walking straight since I entered this forest, but I'm afraid if I start twisting and turning, I might get lost.* He rubbed his chin, then made a decision. *I'll just climb a tree.*

He scanned his surroundings, seeking the tallest tree. As he did, a system panel materialized near a towering specimen, displaying: "Adas Tree." Tyler's eyes widened, and a smile spread across his face. *An Adas tree!*

He ran towards the tree, stopping before its immense trunk. "This is an Adas tree... I haven't seen one this big," he thought, a feeling of satisfaction washing over him. He'd finally found a fully grown one. He had one more ingredient for his goal.

He placed his hand on the tree, then considered, *I wonder if I can fit the whole thing in my inventory?* He pulled his hand away, and without hesitation, struck the trunk with his fist. The blow tore through the wood, and the tree let out a groan as it began to fall. However, it was caught by other trees before hitting the ground. Tyler then thought, and the whole tree shimmered, then vanished into his inventory.

"Wow" he said aloud, a mixture of surprise and satisfaction in his voice. *It's actually gone. The whole thing totally disappeared. I wasn't sure what was going to happen.* He smiled, resting the staff on his shoulder. "This is more than enough for me to do what I want to."

He vaulted over the remaining stump, and he stopped. He was in the clearing. He saw them: three Gushrooms. A chuckle escaped him as he began to run toward them. He closed the distance. A familiar dance began as he got closer, stretching up and down. He skidded to a halt.

The Gushrooms surged from the earth, erupting from the ground all at once, revealing their full forms. Two of them were level 21, but the third, looming over the others, was a formidable level 28.

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Tyler smiled, hidden behind his white mask. *Stronger opponents,* he thought, a glint of excitement in his eyes. He settled into a fighting stance, staff held ready. *That's alright. I'll fight as A-Rank.*

The level 21 Gushrooms began to emit their noxious flatulence once more, releasing the cloud of green gas. "Oh no you don't," he said, and he sprinted forward, throwing his staff with deadly accuracy. The staff pierced through one of the monsters, striking the level 21 Gushroom on the left. It exploded instantly, sending its partner tumbling to the forest floor. The level 28, however, remained steadfast, the green gas erupting and covering the area, and the strong smell of decay again filled the air. *"Ugh, this thing smells disgusting,"* he muttered, wrinkling his nose.

He saw the level 28 Gushroom charging towards him, its short legs blurring into a comical, yet deadly, display of motion. *This humanoid... fungus monster,* he thought, focusing on the oncoming threat. *I want to test its strength.*

Tyler stood his ground, not even flinching. The monster closed the distance rapidly. It struck Tyler in the abdomen with its arm. A resounding *BOOM* echoed through the clearing as the impact connected, causing the green gas to momentarily disperse.

Tyler stood his ground, not even flinching. He felt no pain, only a slight pressure. He knew the scales likely played a part in that, but he had also prevented more scales from gathering to the place where he was about to get attacked. He looked at the monster and said, "Wow. I'm kinda disappointed."

He then grabbed the monster's head with his right hand and, with a swift, brutal movement, ripped it clean off. The monster's body exploded in a burst of green gas. Tyler coughed a little, then said, *I wanted to know if these things were at least a little strong. But they're so weak, and their gas doesn't affect me at all. It's just a bad smell, and I can handle it.*

The Gushroom head disappeared into his inventory. Tyler then walked through the swirling green fog, his gaze sweeping across the clearing. He saw the remaining level 21 Gushroom, legs kicking uselessly in the air like an overturned beetle. He also saw the second head, a few feet away. He went and took the head, and it too disappeared into his inventory. He now had six in total. He retrieved his staff from the forest floor.

He approached the monster, still struggling to right itself. *If you just kick these things onto the ground,* he thought, *they can't even stand up. If anything, the only thing that's kinda dangerous with this monster is the gas attack... or maybe it's just because I'm too strong for its physical attacks? I mean, I do have achievement points added to my current stats. Plus, I'm an A-Rank.*

He then stabbed the struggling creature, and it exploded in a cloud of green gas, leaving its mushroom head. Tyler took the head, and it vanished into his inventory. *Done,* he thought, a sigh escaping him. *Honestly, I just took this mission because I wanted to see the kind of place this was.*

He looked around, the green grass and the dense forest stretching out before him. *"And now that I think about it,"* he said, shaking his head, *"It's bad. It's so bad. I know the Crossroads Monster Zone was uncomfortable, but this feels way worse. I need to go back."*

Tyler turned and muttered, *I didn't go in too deep, and I haven't really taken many turns. I don't even remember turning anywhere at all. So if I just go back the way I came, I won't get lost.*

He retraced his steps, heading back towards Lyria. But as he walked, his thoughts kept drifting to what Serena had told him about the Pale Reapers. He was now in a big dilemma. He was forced to leave the region, just like Grone. It was either he would choose to leave the region, which meant leaving Hector and everyone he knew behind, and leaving the shop where his craftsmanship was starting to get popular. It was the only place he was truly familiar with. He had said he wanted a shop of his own, a house of his own, but he didn't want to have it this way, being forced to leave and start over again. He wanted to start over in Veridia, or maybe even here in Lyria. But if he had to move... the other option, he would choose to stay and risk it all.

Serena had said that a single Pale Reaper was capable of killing a dragon, and that their levels were close to, or even exceeded, 350. Tyler couldn't even fathom the sheer power, the raw strength, behind such a level. He was level 121. Though he always considered himself to be, in a way, thirty levels above his current level, due to his achievement points increasing stats: if he was a level 25, he'd be a level 55; if he was a level 60, he'd be an 90. But even that didn't matter. The way Serena had described them... they were simply too strong.

He decided he needed to sit down, to really think this through. This wasn't something he could simply ponder while walking. This was a monumental decision. A tough one. To leave everything and everyone behind, and start over somewhere else. He exhaled slowly, frustration welling within him. *If I ever run into one of those Pale Reapers,* he thought, *they will most definitely kill me.*

He knew he was not a fool. He had faced some tough monsters. *Serena's description of them was brutal. Even if I tried to fight, I don't think I can win.*

*Unless...*

Tyler's memories of the void armor suddenly flashed back, vivid and clear. Memories of using it, the feeling of emptiness, the horror of no feeling, something that made no sense. Something he could not put into words. He shuddered, then muttered, "No. I can't use that armor again. I will never use that thing again. It... it will forever be in my inventory." He knew it was a dangerous weapon. He also knew it would be his death. *Plus if I keep using it, I might die or worse, it might take over me.*

Tyler continued retracing his steps, pushing through the forest until he reached its edge. He had successfully escaped the monster zone, and was now staring into the distance. He gazed at the houses of Lyria, which lay only a kilometer away. He sighed in relief, *Thank goodness, I was starting to think I was getting lost in there.*

With a burst of speed, Tyler propelled himself forward, disappearing from his previous position. Almost instantaneously, he passed by a group of three hunters heading towards the monster zones, and he arrived right in front of the hunter base. He took a deep breath and muttered, *"I'm back."*

He glanced at the sun, assessing its position. It was either late morning or early afternoon. He thought, *I can never get used to these long days. Funny how the nights kinda feel the same, though. Feels like the nights are just... your normal eleven hours. But the day... it feels longer.*

He entered the building. Serena was behind the counter, talking and laughing with another hunter, a female with brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. Serena's hand was slightly covering her mouth as the sound of genuine joy escaped her. The hunter then straightened up, turned, and waved a farewell to Serena. Serena returned the wave with a warm smile. Then she saw Tyler, and her face brightened even more.

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