Don't be a Coward!

It was already afternoon, with barely an hour left before the sun would dip below the horizon and swallow the land in darkness. Luis and his small companion sat heavily on the dry, cracked earth, their bodies screaming with exhaustion after wandering and scavenging for hours on end.

Spread out on a flat rock in front of them lay the total spoils of their entire day's labor.

"Three, just three tuber-like plants," Luis muttered, poking one of the dirty, reddish objects with his finger before letting out a long, heavy sigh filled with frustration.

"And I dug these out using my so-called magical weapon! The one and only! The mighty and legendary, Rock!"

He held up the sharp stone he had carried all day. It was now worn down, dull, and covered in dust, barely resembling the useful tool he imagined it to be.

He knew very well that if not for the All-Knowing Eyes ability granted by his rare summon, he never would have found these things at all. To anyone else, these tubers looked exactly like hard roots or weird rocks buried slightly under the soil, blending perfectly into the environment.

It was only because text boxes popped up clearly in his vision highlighting them that he was able to spot and dig them out.

He picked up one of the tubers, turning it over in his hand as a semi-transparent panel instantly appeared.

RED TURNIP
Class: Normal
Quality: Low
Description: A hardy root vegetable that grows in arid environments. Contains minimal moisture and nutrients.

"Red Turnip? More like a shriveled red root if you ask me," Luis complained.

It was barely bigger than his palm, wrinkled, dry, and looking incredibly malnourished. It was so small and light that he doubted eating all three combined would even fill a corner of his empty stomach.

"This thing looks like it's been starving for years too. I honestly don't know if we can get full or even enough energy from eating this sad excuse of a vegetable."

He looked over at his partner. The World Tree sapling stood nearby, branches drooping low from fatigue. Seeing the sorry state of their harvest, it shook its branches slowly up and down, then side to side, rustling its dry leaves as if saying,

(What can we do? It's not like there's a supermarket around here. This is already the best we could find.)

"Sigh" Luis slumped his shoulders.

"We searched everywhere within walking distance. We walked until our feet hurt and I thought I was going to collapse from heatstroke. This is literally the only edible thing we found. There wasn't even a single puddle, a damp patch, or a hint of water source anywhere. This wasteland really lives up to its name."

He wiped sweat and dust from his forehead, his throat feeling like sandpaper.

"Hopefully, there is at least a little bit of juice or moisture inside this thing. Otherwise, we really are done for."

Without further hesitation, they prepared to eat. To be precise, Luis prepared to eat. He bit down hard onto the rough skin of the red turnip. It was hard, gritty with dirt, and tasted bitter, sour, and faintly sweet all at once.

It wasn't good, it wasn't delicious, but the moment the juices hit his tongue, it felt like the sweetest nectar in the world. It was wet. It was something.

Meanwhile, the World Tree took the remaining two tubers with its root-feet. It didn't bite or chew. Instead, it pressed its roots firmly against the surface of the vegetable. Hundreds of microscopic, hair-like roots shot out, piercing inside, and began to draw out every drop of liquid and nutrient within.

"Is that your Absorption skill in action?" Luis asked, watching curiously as the turnip slowly shrank and shriveled even more under the sapling's grip until it turned into nothing but dry husk and dust that crumbled away.

"Well it wasn't the cool, flashy power I imagined, but I guess it's normal for you to just absorb things directly like that. Efficient, I suppose."

It didn't take long for the two of them to finish their meager dinner. Three small red turnips were gone in minutes.

The result? They definitely weren't full. Luis's stomach was still growling softly, demanding more food. The thirst was slightly better, but the dryness in his throat was still there.

However, compared to the empty, desperate feeling before, they now had a tiny bit of energy returning to their bodies. It was barely enough to keep going, but it was certainly better than nothing at all.

The sky was rapidly changing color, turning from bright gold to deep orange, then to fiery red. The sun was touching the horizon, and darkness was creeping in fast.

"We should head back," Luis stood up and dusted off his pants. "It's going to be night soon. Who knows what comes out when the sun goes down. It's safer inside the walls."

Just as they turned around, ready to march back toward the faint outline of their territory in the distance…

ROOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!

A deafening, earth-shaking cry exploded from the north, the direction north from them. It was so loud and powerful that the ground beneath their feet actually trembled slightly. The sound was filled with rage, pain, and ferocity, echoing across the entire empty plain.

"What was that!?"

Both Luis and the sapling instantly snapped into high alert. All traces of exhaustion vanished in a split second. They turned sharply toward the source of the sound, eyes wide and bodies tense.

Luis stared hard into the distance, his mind racing as he faced a difficult choice.

If we go there, whatever made that noise is definitely huge and dangerous. We are weak, unarmed, and tired. If we go, there is a 99% chance we die.

But if we go back now, we are safe. We hide behind our flimsy wooden wall, sleep on dry straw, and survive another day. But tomorrow? And the day after? We go back to searching for pathetic turnips and suffering from thirst forever?

He slapped himself hard on the thigh. PAH! The stinging pain woke him up completely, driving away the cowardice and hesitation.

"This is survival!" Luis gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with fierce resolve.

"And remember! We only have ten days at most before the newbie protection shield vanishes! After that, no matter where I hide, no matter how safe I think I am, death will come knocking on my door! I can't run forever! I can't hide forever!"

He took a deep breath of the hot, dusty air and made his decision.

"Might as well be brave for once and face reality head on! I need to get strong! I need resources! I need to find out what this world is really made of! No matter what happens, I'm not going to keep living like a scared rat!"

He turned to the World Tree and pointed confidently toward the direction of the roar.

"Let's go! We will face every danger that comes in our way! Whatever is happening there, we are going to see it, and we are going to take advantage of it if we can!"

With that declaration, Luis didn't wait. He marched forward with heavy but determined steps, heading straight toward the unknown danger.

The World Tree sapling stood there for a second, looking at its master's back. Its leaves rustled excitedly. It immediately cheered up, raised both of its thin branches high in the air like a warrior raising swords, and hurried after Luis, its root-feet pattering quickly on the dirt.

(Where you go, I go! If you are brave, I am brave too!)

As they got closer, moving carefully behind cover and staying low to the ground, the sounds became clearer. Grunts, snarls, heavy thuds of impact, and the splashing sound of liquid hitting the soil, blood.

They arrived at the edge of a wide clearing. Hiding behind the trunk of a massive, ancient tree, Luis peeked out and saw the scene in the center.

Right there in the open flat ground, two massive beasts were engaged in a brutal, life-and-death battle.

The first one Luis recognized immediately. It was the giant bull he had seen earlier! The one twice the size of a normal animal, with terrifying red skin and three sharp, deadly horns. It was pawing at the ground, snorting steam, its head lowered and ready to charge.

The second beast was equally terrifying and huge. It was a massive wild boar, just as large and heavy as the bull. It had two tusks growing from its lower jaw, curving upward and forward, sharp as polished swords, gleaming wickedly.

Its skin was the exact color of dry earth, acting as perfect camouflage, and a thick, coarse black mane ran from the top of its head all the way down its spine to its rear, making it look even bigger and more ferocious.

Thanks to his All-Knowing Eyes, the detailed status of both combatants floated clearly before Luis's eyes:

RAMPAGE BULL (Phase 2)

Level: 22

Class: Normal

Type: Beast
Status: Injured, Enraged

SAND BOAR (Phase 2)
Level: 25
Class: Normal

Type: Beast
Status: Injured, Aggressive

Luis's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He clamped his hands over his mouth to stop himself from shouting in shock.

"Level 22?! Level 25?! Both of them are way above level 20! That's terrifying!" He whispered shakily. Then, realization hit him.

"Wait, they aren't here to fight us. They are fighting each other!"

He watched closely as the two giants clashed again. The Bull charged, horns lowered, aiming to impale the enemy. The Boar didn't retreat; instead, it met the charge head-on, shielding its vulnerable head with its thick mane and swinging its sharp tusks sideways.

CLANG!

A sound like metal hitting metal rang out. The Bull was pushed back slightly. Luis noticed fresh wounds covering the Bull's body, deep gashes, cuts, and bleeding scratches all over its red skin.

In comparison, the Sand Boar also had injuries, but they were fewer and shallower.

"It's exactly like the status says," Luis analyzed quickly. "The Bull has more injuries and looks more tired. The Boar is a bit higher level, tougher skin, and better defense. That's why it has the upper hand right now."

Beside him, the World Tree sapling was trembling slightly. It looked up at Luis, then looked out at the two monsters crashing into each other, kicking up clouds of dust and shaking the ground.

(Hey! Where did all that big courage go? Who was it that said "we will face every danger" and "fight everything on our way" just a few minutes ago? Have you taken a good look at the size of those things?! We are barely taller than their knees!)

But despite its silent complaints, the World Tree didn't make a sound. It didn't run away. It obediently pressed its small body flat against the tree trunk, hiding perfectly behind Luis, trembling but staying right there with its master.

They kept their distance, staying well out of sight. Luis knew very well that if either of those monsters noticed them, the fight would be over instantly, and they would become the appetizer course before the main meal.

The battle in the clearing raged on, becoming more violent and desperate with every second.

The Rampage Bull was clearly losing. It was faster and more aggressive, but its attacks were less effective against the Boar's tough hide. Every time it charged, it got scratched or cut by the Boar's tusks. Blood was flowing freely now, soaking the red fur dark. It was breathing heavily, staggering slightly, its movements slowing down.

On the other side, the Sand Boar was bleeding too, mostly from wounds on its thick shoulders and sides caused by the Bull's horns, but it was standing firm. Its small, beady eyes glinted with cruel intelligence. It knew it was winning. It was just waiting for the Bull to run out of strength.

"Perfect, absolutely perfect," Luis muttered, his eyes narrowing as an idea began to form in his mind. He watched the scene like a hawk, calculating every possible angle.

"They are both strong, way too strong for us. But they are both hurt. They are both tired. They are both bleeding out. And they are busy killing each other."

He looked down at his own hands, then at the small World Tree beside him.

"Usually, we wouldn't even be qualified to stand in the same field as these monsters. We are ants compared to them. But!" A sharp, greedy smile slowly spread across Luis's face.

"But when two giants fight, the ants can feast on the leftovers. Or maybe! If we are smart and brave enough, the ants can take everything."

He turned to the sapling and pointed toward the battlefield.

"Look at them! That Bull has three horns that look like daggers! That Boar has tusks that are basically swords! Their skin is thick enough to make armor! Their meat, gods, there is enough meat there to feed a hundred people for months! And maybe even materials or cores inside them!" Luis whispered excitedly.

"Do you realize what this means? This isn't just a fight between monsters. This is a mountain of resources just waiting for us! Everything we need, weapons, food, materials, defense, it's all right there! We just have to wait for the right moment!"

The World Tree shook its branches frantically, rustling loudly.

(Are you crazy?! They are still alive and dangerous! Even if they are hurt, one stomp and we are gone! One swing of the head and we are turned into paste!)

Luis gripped his worn-down stone tightly. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was all he had.

"Remember what I said? I need to get strong. This is the way! This is the opportunity sent straight from heaven! Or maybe from hell, but who cares! If we pull this off, our survival is guaranteed! We won't have to eat shriveled turnips anymore!"

He leaned forward, eyes locked onto the bleeding, struggling beasts in the clearing.

"Come on, fight harder, hurt each other more, bleed faster!" Luis murmured under his breath like a mantra.

The sun dipped lower, casting the battlefield in deep shadows. The temperature dropped rapidly, but Luis felt hotter than ever. His blood was pumping fast, adrenaline flooding his system. Fear was still there, cold and sharp in his stomach, but it was completely overshadowed by greed and ambition.

He had come out here with nothing, looking for a way to survive.
He had found three sad tubers and thought it was a lucky day.
But now, looking at the two massive monsters tearing each other apart just a short distance away, Luis realized that luck hadn't just smiled at him. It had slapped him right in the face with a jackpot.

He looked at the World Tree again. The little sapling was peeking out nervously, its leaves trembling, but it was ready. It trusted him.

"Get ready partner," Luis said softly, his voice hard and determined.