Three bright glowing arrows struck the twenty feet tree. It knocked back a few steps as the sheer force of the arrows were powerful.

 

“Get inside the car and leave,” said Jason.

 

“Can you handle it?” Hakeem asked.

 

“Of course,” he glanced with a grin.

 

Hakeem rode in his car while Esther sat on the driver’s seat of the minivan. She turned down the side window.

 

“Don’t die,” she said while glancing at the sight of her brother’s back.

 

“Wait for me at the bridge,” he said.

 

The two people left, leaving Jason to face the big tree all on his own.

 

“Scan,” he said.

 

Oaken Haunted Elder Tree(Misty Abyss Forest)(Mini-Boss) A long-living tree from the forest of Misty Abyss. Any man or beast that faces this tree will only end up turning into its nutrition. Its harden bark strong and durable and only the sharpest axe can cut them down. The longer it lives the higher its possibility of inheriting the Djinn Commander’s abilities. Species: Plant Level : 15 Elemental Weakness : Fire S.Ability : Inc.Defense

 

The red lights coming from behind the vehicles attracted the attention of the Elder Tree. Its root sprawling through the ground cracking the asphalt road as it carried the huge trunk of the Elder Tree. It was gaining speed as it tried to chase over the fleeing vehicles.

 

Jason ran towards the Elder Tree as his hand kept on shooting Triple Strafe. He didn’t care the dwindling rate of his EP as the glowing arrows pierced the thick bark of the Elder Tree.

 

Basic Archery level up to level 10

 

Basic Archery has reached the maximum level

 

Upgrade into Intermediate Archery Lv.1

 

 

He smiled seeing the upgrade. The power behind his arrows was going to hit a lot harder into those hard bark. The bowstring kept on stretching as arrows rained through the sky. They were like homing missiles visible through the night sky, striking the Elder Tree from above.

 

Its leaves fell on the ground as the Elder Tree turned its attention to Jason. It chased after Jason swinging the lush tree branches at the man. Jason turned invisible dodging the huge tree branch.

 

The road cracked by the intense smash of the Elder Tree. Jason emerged out from his invisibility as three arrows were already flying through the air. With the target twenty feet in height, Jason had no problem with shooting it accurately.

 

Triple Strafe level up to level 3

 

He was having an easy time fighting against this big tree and it turned into a chasing game between these two. The ranged damage kept on piling up against the durable Elder Tree. The Elder Tree couldn’t do anything against this slippery bastard. A bastard who only knew to hide and strike from afar.

 

Jason kept on with this simple strategy until ten minutes later, the Elder Tree fell with a thud. He felt the rumbling beneath his feet as he could imagine the weight of this Elder Tree.

 

Jason’s level increased to level 21

 

He reaped the reward over his diligence as he stood tall on top of the dead Elder Tree. His EP almost emptied out but he finished it before his ammo was out. Jason waited on the dead Elder Tree with a grin. Then it appeared, two things emerged from nothingness floating above the dead Elder Tree.

 

A scroll and a pair of blackish wooden arm gauntlet. He was expecting more considering it's a mini-boss but these two were enough for the night.

 

He grabbed the floating items and wore the gauntlets immediately. The scroll, on the other hand, made his eyes turned wide.

 

Would you like to learn Minor Defense Buff?

 

He said yes and a new skill enlisted within his repertoire. Then he heard the sirens of the police force from afar. He turned towards the road and saw the blinking blue and red lights. Behind the police cars were huge fire trucks blaring even louder with their sirens.

 

They were pretty quick as someone probably reported about the burning warehouse which was like a fire beacon from afar.

 

“Time to split,” he said while disappearing into the darkness.

 

--

 

“Why are we here?” Hakeem was bewildered as they were sitting in Burger Queen. He couldn’t sit still as his eyes went around the whole fast-food franchise.

 

“He said he wants Burger Queen,” said Esther yet she was unsure.

 

Rather than going straight back home, she just felt it was better to wait for him here. It was a long shot since they never agree to meet up here.

 

She stared at the entrance and saw a familiar silhouette entering the premise.

 

“Jason,” she shouted.

 

The man glanced at her and only waved his hand as a response. He then waited in line at the counter. His eyes were already scanning the menu.

 

“He really is here,” said Hakeem as he was surprised seeing this man appeared and lining up as if it was normal.

 

Both Hakeem and Esther knew what they had been through and for them seeing this man acting so normal felt surreal for them. They had been waiting here for quite a while and the only thing they bought was a sundae and chocolate pie and neither had been touch.

 

They just didn’t have the appetite after going through such a harrowing experience.

 

They sat and stared at the sight of Jason in amazement until he sat on the table with them. Jason didn’t say a thing and went straight into eating the grill-burger. He ignored the stares from these two and just munched down without a care.

 

“How can you even eat at a time like this?” said Esther.

 

“Fighting makes me hungry,” said Jason.

 

He gave a reasonable argument. Hakeem’s stomach growled after hearing that logical reason.

 

“I think I’ll go get some burgers, you want some?” he asked Esther. The only woman at the table gave a glare at Hakeem.

 

Hakeem raised up both of his hands as he went away. A couple of minutes later, Hakeem got back with a couple of burgers on the tray. The amount was double of what Jason was eating.

 

“Really?” said Esther.

 

“What? I’m hungry,” said Hakeem.

 

Hakeem was contradicting himself at the beginning but a man with an empty stomach is never wrong.

 

“Did you see the firefighter and the police? They passed by us when we were leaving Port Lands,” said Hakeem.

 

“Yeah, they came after I kill that Elder Tree,” said Jason.

 

“You know its name?” said Hakeem.

 

“A tree has a name?” said Esther.

 

“But how?” Hakeem asked.

 

These two kept on questioning while Jason kept on eating.

 

“I’ve got a skill which can identify monsters,” said Jason.

 

“Damn, you’ve really got some useful skills. You can hide, you can shoot three arrows and you can even identify those monsters,” said Hakeem as his eyes were twinkling.

 

Esther knocked on the table staring at Jason.

 

“Explain,” she said.

 

“Hakeem, explain to her,” said Jason.

 

“Don’t shift the responsibility,” said Esther.

 

“I don’t have one. So, Hakeem can explain,” said Jason.

 

Jason remained silent ignoring the glare coming from his sister. Hakeem felt the tension between them and to ease out the situation, he explained to Esther about the game-like system.

 

“This is all just a game? Are you being serious?” said Esther.

 

“Accept it if you want to live in this new world,” said Jason as he dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

 

“But the police and the military-”

 

Jason rolled his eyes as he heard these things multiple times and he was getting sick of it. He had to intervene.

 

“I’ll tell you this, the military can’t do a thing. Those who were stationed at Kawartha Park are all dead,” said Jason.

 

“Wait, you went to that park?!” She leaned over towards Jason surprised hearing that new fact.

 

“Let’s go home, mom’s going to be worry,” said Jason. “See you later.”

 

Hakeem felt dumbfounded as he was still eating. The look in his eyes was conveying why they couldn’t wait for him to finish his meal.

 

Two siblings were on their way home. Neither were talking.

 

“Why did you let me into this?” after a long silence, she asked.

 

“I don’t know when, but if those monsters really come down to Toronto, I need someone to be there for our parents,” said Jason.

 

“What about you?” she asked.

 

“There’s a possibility that I might not be there,” said Jason.

 

“What do you mean?” said Esther.

 

“As I said, it’s just a possibility and don’t mind it too much,” said Jason.

 

Silence prevailed once more between the siblings. They came back home and gave a fright to their parents. After calming the parents down with a bag of Burger Queen takeout, the whole family had a merry time.

 

Jason came inside his room and kept the room in the dark. He stood by the window and stared at the sky. Glancing at his clench fist, he looked at his status window that was far different when he first obtained it.

 

“I need to get stronger.”