Rimelion: The Exploiter

5. First exploit

Our pitiful stamina forced us to slow from a jog to a walk, and after what felt like an endless trek, we finally left the cover of the forest. A vast plateau stretched out before us, rolling on as far as the eye could see.

"I know an exploit here that should still work," I whispered, leaning close to Lucas. "But be careful—the monsters are around level four." I stepped lightly to the edge of the forest, feeling the thrill of stepping into unknown danger. The last rays of the setting sun glinted off the treetops, but soon even that faint light faded, and an eerie, drawn-out whistle broke the silence.

The night came alive with the brutal sounds of red foxes tearing into their prey. These nocturnal monsters dominated the plateau after dark, ripping apart the poor gray wolves that roamed the area by day. Nodding to Lucas, I motioned him to move, as the wolves' pained whimpers echoed all around us.

"Let's go!" I urged, giving his arm a tug, and we crept forward, tiptoeing. The chilling sounds of carnage echoed in every direction. "Faster! If we linger too long, the foxes will eat us alive!" It felt nothing like QA testing; back then, dying was inconsequential. Here, every sound, every danger, felt real. Was this the true draw of a live game?

The air was icy, biting through our flimsy gear, but finally, I spotted our goal—a small clearing, familiar from my test runs. I gestured to Lucas to lie low, and we dropped to the ground just in time. A colossal red fox, easily twice our size, prowled close, sniffing the air. It was terrifyingly close, its fur a deep crimson in the moonlight, its powerful frame moving with predatory grace.

[Frexie Lv.5]

Type: 5-epic Boss | HP: 600/600

Lucas crept closer than I would've liked, his side pressed against mine as he whispered in my ear, "Charlie, you're insane. My spark spell maxes out at 6 damage—it'd take me two hours to kill that thing, and I'd be out of mana way before that."

A triumphant grin spread across my face. "True, my dear mage. You'd need a full party with decent gear for this boss. But with my exploit, you can take it down, even if it takes a couple of days. Frexie drops some valuable loot, like crafting materials. And most importantly, there's a special beer recipe. Whoever scores the first kill has a guaranteed chance to get it, and we could make hundreds of gold brewing that beer."

Lucas blinked, then gave me a side hug, chuckling. "Damn, Charlie, when there's booze involved, you're first in line." Before I could push him off, our whispered scheming was interrupted by intense cries of battle piercing the still night.

We broke apart quickly, ducking low and creeping back from Frexie's territory, hiding in the cover of nearby bushes. My heart pounded as I felt a surge of instinctive fear. The night air was thick with tension, and my hands shook a bit. I used to be a fearless champion of Izatiel...

"Ah, two lovebirds at level one, sneaking around the dark forest! How romantic!" A high-pitched female voice rang out from behind us. "But there's no time for romance, sweethearts. Frexie is ours, and don't even think about sabotaging us."

How had I missed her approach? Me, a former warrior known for vigilance. Oh, right. Level-one priestess. Anger flared up, hot and fast, and I gripped my pitiful staff so hard it bent.

The girl wasn't alone—she had a full team with her. From a quick scan, I counted two tanks, a paladin, two mages — including her —, and two healers. A solid setup for taking down a high-level boss. It was impressive; the game had only been live for a few hours, so they were likely a well-prepared guild. I remembered Ian's advice: Never mess with a guild. Wait... wasn't he also playing the live game?

I nodded silently, retreating. But not Lucas. He glared at her, his face twisted in stubborn defiance. I shot him a warning glance, but he'd already started, his voice low and challenging. "Who do you think you are? We were here first!"