PLAYER SYSTEM C27 FLYBEAST

Jack stepped into the Shallow Fen — the outermost edge of the Mistwing Fen — where the air was thick, the ground treacherous, and even the weakest monsters could spell death for the careless.

Each step squelched beneath his boots. The murky water first lapped at his ankles, then rose steadily to his knees. The ground felt like walking on soaked sponges — occasionally firm, only to betray him with a slow, sinking give.

Low-hanging mist drifted through the fen like wandering spirits, clouding his vision to less than ten meters ahead.

The stench hit him like a punch — the acrid bite of rotting leather mixed with the sweet, sickly tang of old meat and fermented algae. Jack gagged. “Goddamn, this place is hell,” he muttered, pinching his nose. A sulfuric film coated his lips, and biting insects feasted on his arms through his sleeves like his blood was on sale.

‘I really should’ve thought this through…’ Jack winced, stomach churning with regret. ‘This isn’t just a gloomy swamp. It’s a nightmare. And I jumped into it with a grin.’

Then it hit — the buzz.

A low, grating hum, like rusted saws spinning in reverse. He turned toward the sound, eyes narrowing.

His breath caught.

A massive fly, the size of a cat, hovered above the swamp, its elongated wings slicing the air in rapid motion. Its chitin shimmered oil-like hues — blue, green, and violet — and its long body pulsed with strange energy. But the most horrifying were its eyes — massive, shimmering with unstable magic, nearly half the size of its head.

“Crap… a Flybeast,” Jack whispered, recognizing it instantly from Selene’s sketches.

The creature didn’t hesitate. Its thorax pulsed with light, and a glob of glowing alchemic fluid launched from its mandibles straight toward him.

“Shit!” Jack dove to the side — or tried to. His foot sank into the muck, throwing off his balance. The acidic goo splashed nearby, sizzling as it hit the wet ground, releasing a toxic steam.

Then came the flash.

The Flybeast’s eyes lit up, blinding white. Jack flinched just in time, shielding his eyes with a grunt — but that single second of blindness was enough.

The buzz grew louder, vibrating through his ribs.

He opened his eyes.

Too late.

The creature was already right in front of him, wings slicing the air with terrifying speed. One of them clipped his stomach mid-leap.

“Gah!” Jack grunted as pain exploded through his gut, his body launched backwards. He crashed into a shallow pool, coughing violently, flecks of spit flying from his mouth.

‘That… thing hits like a truck…’ he thought, struggling to push himself back to his feet. The Flybeast hovered above, wings blurring, its glowing eyes locked onto him like a predator sizing up the final strike.

He barely had a moment to catch his breath when the shrill buzz of wings returned—fast and furious.

“Shit!” Jack hissed, forcing himself to his feet and launching backward.

But the Flybeast was already at his flank. Its wings, blurred into glowing arcs, slashed toward him again with terrifying speed.

Whap!

One wing struck him cleanly across the ribs.

It wasn’t flimsy like it looked—no, it felt like thick leather reinforced with steel. The impact tore through his tunic, slashed his skin, and sent him tumbling again.

“Gah—!” He crashed into the muck, coughing as blood streaked from the corner of his mouth.

“Not fucking ordinary…” he muttered, breath ragged.

The Flybeast hovered above, its wings buzzing like a taunt. It flickered in the mist, almost smug.

“This thing’s way stronger than Blob Alpha…” he whispered, clutching his side. The irony? It was just a regular Flybeast—not even the Queen.

Grimacing, Jack pushed himself up. His knees trembled, but his eyes were burning.

“Alright,” he growled, wiping the blood from his lip. “It’s either you or me.”

With a sharp step forward, he raised his hand and chanted:

“Grieve… and detonate!”

Dark energy spiraled from his palm, twisting into a cursed sigil that latched onto the Flybeast’s thorax. The creature flinched, wings fluttering erratically as if sensing something wrong.

BOOM!

The sigil ruptured—exploding in a burst of mournful dark force. The Flybeast let out a distorted screech as it spiraled to the ground, twitching mid-air from the shock.

Jack’s eyes lit up. “Got you.”

But before he could celebrate—

The Flybeast began to rise, shakily stabilizing itself midair, wings buzzing weakly.

Jack didn’t hesitate.

He dashed forward and called out another skill: “Gracepierce!”

Light magic surged through his blade as he drove it forward. The strike connected, the Flybeast reeled—but it still clung to life.

“Then let’s finish it properly.”

He raised his hand again, chaining his skills together:

“Piercing Dawn!”

A radiant thrust exploded from his blade.

“Lumen Fang!”

Another surge of piercing light slammed into the weakened creature.

And one final whisper, “Gracepierce.”

With that last blow, the Flybeast’s body convulsed, then fell to the ground with a wet thud—lifeless.

[You defeated a Lv. 18 Flybeast.]

[You leveled up! Level 12 → 13.]

Jack let out a deep breath, his arms sagging.

“One down…” he murmured. “Queen’s gonna be a nightmare.”

He didn’t have to wait long.

The buzzing came again—sharper, layered. Jack stiffened. Without even looking, he already knew.

More Flybeasts.

He turned his head—and just as expected, three of them darted through the fog, wings slicing the air like razor fans.

Sweat trickled down his temple as he gripped his dagger tighter. His breath slowed, body tensed.

“Bring it on,” he muttered.

His HP was already down by 150 from the last fight—he couldn’t afford to be reckless now.

The swarm closed in fast. Two rushed him head-on while the third spat a glowing glob of acidic fluid.

Jack tried to dodge—but the glob hit his thigh, burning straight through cloth and biting into skin. He flinched, and in that moment, one of the Flybeasts struck him with its wings.

He staggered back, blood smearing across his arm where the edge had cut him.

“Damn it—!” He countered with a swift [Gracepierce], but the Flybeast zipped to the side, evading with inhuman speed.

Too fast.

“Shit,” Jack hissed as another one came crashing into him, sending him flying backward.

His HP dropped again—just 100 left.

He grit his teeth, yanked a potion from his inventory, and downed it in one desperate gulp. The sweet burn of the liquid surged through his body, and his wounds began to close.

He forced himself back to his feet.

“Grieve… and detonate!”

Dark energy spiraled from his palm as he cast [Mournburst], aiming at the nearest Flybeast. But the creature veered away just before the tendrils reached it, slipping clean out of range.

“It dodged again…” Jack growled. His frustration mounting.

Another slash came from his flank—he barely blocked it in time, the impact still sending him sliding across the waterlogged ground.

‘These bastards are tougher than I thought,’ he thought, breath ragged. ‘Even with Selene’s notes, knowing their weak points means nothing if I can’t hit them.’

They circled him like vultures now. Buzzing. Watching.

Jack’s mind raced as he kept dodging, weaving between attacks.

‘I need to catch one off-guard... somehow break their rhythm. Just one opening—that’s all I need.’

He steadied his breath again, eyes narrowing, waiting for the right moment.