Second World Online

The remaining digital particles from the bodies of the Ouroboros players that slowly faded into the air seemed to become the opening curtain for tonight's main performance. The Obsidian Forest, which until a moment ago had been filled with the clanging of metal and panicked screams, was once again blanketed by a gloomy silence broken only by the tinkling of glass leaves stirred by the night wind.

I stood leaning my back against one of the glossy black tree trunks, arms folded across my chest while staring at Yuuki. My little sister in her tiny white fox form stood in the middle of the open area, tightly biting a jet-black crystal mushroom that radiated pure magical light from every spore.

That was the Obsidian Spirit Shroom, a special quest item that was extremely rare and the primary trigger for the evolution of the Beastkin race of the fox spirit type (Kitsune). No wonder SteelFang's group earlier had been so obsessed with seizing it. On the auction market, race-changing or wild beast (beast) evolution items like this could fetch prices reaching thousands of gold coins because their appearance rate (drop rate) was nearly zero point something percent.

"Come on, Yuuki. Eat it. Don't let the sacrifice of those ten arrogant players earlier go to waste," I said in a teasing tone from behind the Gargoyle's Visage mask.

Yuuki nodded energetically. Both long ears on her head stood upright, and the pair of fluffy tails on her back swayed left and right with a rapid rhythm, signaling her overflowing anticipation.

Without hesitation, she chewed the crystal mushroom. In Second World Online, magical consumption items were not truly chewed like ordinary food. The moment her sharp teeth touched the surface of that crystal, the mushroom immediately shattered into pure light fragments that flowed into the body of my little sister's fox form.

A second later, the wind around Yuuki suddenly spun hard.

The system detected the fulfillment of the evolution requirements. A pillar of silver-white light exploded from the ground, completely swallowing Yuuki's small body. The light was so dazzling that Yuna and I had to narrow our eyes and cover our faces with our arms.

Inside that pillar of light, I could see the silhouette of a white fox floating several spans above the ground. Mana particles shaped like small blue flames (Kitsune-bi) began swirling around her, forming a vortex of extremely dense energy. The magical aura radiating from that vortex made the obsidian leaves around us tremble heavily.

Then the main phenomenon occurred.

From the lower back of Yuuki's silhouette, right beside her two existing fox tails, a beam of light energy began to solidify and lengthen. That energy gradually took shape, growing extremely fine virtual fur strands, until finally forming a third tail that was just as fluffy and elegant as the two previous ones.

The tips of all three tails radiated a dim yet beautiful spiritual blue flame glow, giving my little sister an extremely thick mystical aura.

The silver-white pillar of light faded, leaving Yuuki who now landed back on all four paws on the glass-muddy ground. Her fur that earlier had been dirty and dull from the battle had been replaced by the evolution effect. Her snow-white fur now radiated a sacred aura, with glowing golden patterns in the form of mystical lines that circled her front legs and the tips of her ears, highlighting her identity as an advanced-tier Beast.

Yuuki opened her eyes. The color of her fox eyes that had previously been ordinary brown now possessed a silver-blue glow in the pupils.

She remained silent for several seconds, staring at both of her own front paws, then turned her head to look behind her at the three tails that now moved with extreme synchronization and elegance.

"Big Sister… Yuna…" Yuuki whispered; her voice trembled slightly.

Then that mystical silence was shattered by a bark and an ear-splitting high-pitched scream.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! BIG SISTER SYL! YUNA! LOOK AT MY STATUS! THIS TIME IT'S REALLY CRAZY!"

Yuuki leaped with joy on all four paws, destroying the remaining elegant and mystical aura in an instant. She ran toward me while projecting her status screen into public mode so that Yuna and I could see it. Her three tails thrashed the air extremely wildly from sheer happiness.

I stared at the holographic screen floating in front of me, and my eyes widened slightly from behind the mask.

"My god…" Yuna, the dragon Vanguard standing beside me, muttered softly with her jaw slightly open. "This… this isn't just a level-up."

"Right?!" Yuuki exclaimed proudly, puffing out her furry chest with a wide fox smile. "The system said the Three-Tailed Spirit Fox race has absolute elemental affinity! My maximum Mana, Intelligence (INT) points, and Agility (AGI)… all of them doubled from my previous class limit!"

I analyzed the rows of numbers with my calculating brain. Permanently raising the point limits by up to twofold was extraordinary in this game. If I was a sniper with strong burst power (Burst Damage), then Yuuki had now transformed into a rapid-fire magic artillery (Rapid-Fire Mage).

With doubled Agility (AGI), her Casting Speed and agility in leaping to avoid attacks would become extremely unreasonable. Meanwhile, the doubled Intelligence (INT) meant every fireball she spewed would possess burning power capable of melting the armor of enemies at her level, supported by a Mana capacity that made her need not worry about running out of fuel in the middle of a long battle.

"Extraordinary," I stroked the top of her head, letting her fox ears twitch happily under my palm. "You're truly growing into a terrifying little monster, Yuuki. Pretty soon you won't even need me to protect you."

"Hehehe, of course I still need you! Big Sister Syl is our absolute spear!" Yuuki laughed widely. "But now, I'm not just a pet hiding behind Yuna. I want to try my power, Big Sister! Let's go hunting right now!"

I looked at the clock on my system interface. Although my remaining Full-Dive time in the real world was still very long because I had only just logged back in after resting this afternoon, I had not yet officially joined their party tonight. I had come here only as independent reinforcements.

I opened the interaction menu and looked at the names of Yuuki and Yuna.

[Sending Join Request to Party 'Trio Girls'.]

(Seriously, who named this party? Definitely my little sister.)

Yuuki immediately approved my request.

[System: You have joined Party 'Trio Girls'.]

The moment my class icon and health bar appeared on their party screen, I could hear an extremely loud sharp intake of breath from my left.

Yuna stared at that party screen with her reptilian eyes widened perfectly. She then looked at me, then back at the screen, over and over as if the system was experiencing a glitch.

"T-Teacher Syl…" Yuna pointed at my name with a trembling finger. "Level 35?! Wasn't it this afternoon at Echoing Canyon… you were still Level 28?! How can someone rise seven levels in less than six hours at this stage?!"

Yuuki also peeked at the screen and immediately screamed in excitement. "EH?! BIG SISTER IS CHEATING! DID BIG SISTER USE A CHEAT?! HOW CAN YOU BE LEVEL 35?!"

I only exhaled softly, rubbing the back of my neck that did not itch. Explaining that I had just hunted a Level 42 poisonous swamp boss that had never been touched by any Guild, alone, sounded too long and exhausting.

"I was fishing in the swamp and accidentally caught something a bit big. The system gave me a decent EXP bonus," I answered casually, blurring the facts with a very understated white lie. "Don't mind my level. Tonight is the stage for our three-tailed fox. Come on, Yuna. Find a target worthy of my little sister."

Yuna still looked unbelieving of my reason, yet she was a player who knew when to save her questions. She nodded professionally, picked up her dragon shield from the ground, and took the lead position.

"Understood, Teacher. The further north the Obsidian Forest goes, the more it is inhabited by shadow-type and glass elemental monsters. Level 36 to 38 monsters frequently gather there in groups. That should be the perfect target to test Yuuki's Damage Per Second," Yuna commanded, returning to her role as a reliable Vanguard.

We began moving in formation. Yuna walked in front with heavy and wary steps; her dragon shield and axe fully at the ready. Yuuki walked nimbly behind her on all four paws; her three tails swayed elegantly, and her wooden magic staff floated magically at her side, radiating a warm light that illuminated our path.

I took the rearmost position, activating my agility to leap onto the lower branches of the obsidian trees. Acting as the sweeper and aerial sniper provided the most optimal tactical viewpoint, ensuring no enemy could ambush these girls from a blind spot.

Ten minutes later we walked through the denseness of the glass forest when Yuna suddenly raised her clenched right hand, giving the signal to stop.

From atop a branch, I used my [Eagle Eye]. About thirty meters ahead of us, behind the thick sharp crystal thickets, five pairs of glowing red eyes burned in the darkness.

A low growl that trembled the air was heard, followed by the appearance of five monsters that resembled black panthers, yet their bodies were made of solid shadow coated with shards of obsidian glass as natural armor.

[Obsidian Shadowstalker – Level 37]

HP: 18,000/18,000

Type: Beast / Shadow

Description: Night predator of the Obsidian Forest. Relies on lightning speed and claws that can split steel plates.

"Five at once. Level 37," Yuna reported; her voice was calm yet wary. She planted both feet into the ground and lowered her center of gravity. "Yuuki, I will draw all of their attention. The moment they gather around me, release your strongest magic. Teacher Syl, please make sure none of them escape the range of my Aggro."

"Ready, Captain!" Yuuki called out, channeling her mana until the magic staff floating in front of her spun slowly.

"Just focus on your magic. I'll take care of the rest," I interjected from atop the tree, nocking a single Blood Oak wooden arrow without poison. I did not want to steal Yuuki's damage; I would only act as the crowd-control overseer (Crowd Control).

The five Shadowstalkers sensed our presence. With a roar that tore the night, they shot forward in unison. Their speed was extremely insane, leaving residual shadows (afterimages) in the air.

However, Yuna was a dragon fortress that could not be underestimated. When the five shadow monsters approached within a ten-meter radius, Yuna slammed her battleaxe hard against the surface of her shield.

"[Draconic Taunt]!"

A sound wave shaped like a dragon's roar exploded from Yuna's body, radiating a blood-red aura that spread within a fifteen-meter radius. The five shadow panthers that had previously been spreading from various sides instantly changed their trajectories by force. Their red eyes locked onto Yuna with absolute hatred, as if Yuna had just killed their children. The provocation system (Aggro) had locked completely onto the Tanker.

They charged at Yuna simultaneously, raining down on the dragon girl's shield with a barrage of obsidian claws that created sparks flying in every direction.

"Ugh!" Yuna gritted her teeth, enduring the consecutive lightning-fast attacks that slammed into her. Her HP bar began to drop slowly even though her defense was extraordinarily high. "Now, Yuuki!"

Yuuki did not waste a single millisecond. Her new elemental affinity worked. If previously she needed a full three seconds to cast mid-tier magic, now, with the doubled Agility, a glowing red magic seal formed in front of her muzzle in only a single breath.

Yuuki's three tails blazed brilliantly, channeling pure Mana into the air.

"[Fox-Fire: Tri-Burst Inferno]!" Yuuki shouted.

From the tip of her floating staff, not one but three giant blue-red fireballs exploded outward simultaneously. The speed of those magic projectiles shot forth like guided missiles, leaving trails of heat that distorted the air behind them.

BLLAAARRR! BLLAAARRR! BLLAAARRR!

The three magical fireballs slammed precisely into the middle of the cluster of five shadow panthers that were swarming Yuna. The fire explosion was so large that it illuminated the entire forest area, melting the rocky ground surface around them.

[-7,500 Magical Fire Damage!]

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

[-7,500 Magical Fire Damage!]

[-7,500 Magical Fire Damage!]

I nearly whistled in admiration from atop the branch. Three damage counts that each touched the seven-thousand mark. This meant a single magic cast from Yuuki produced more than twenty-one thousand AoE Damage (Area of Effect)! The obsidian armor defense of the Level 37 monsters meant nothing in the face of pure magical elemental penetration buffed by her doubled INT.

Three of the five Shadowstalkers that were right at the center of the explosion immediately evaporated into dust; their previously full HP bars plummeted to zero in an instant.

The two remaining monsters on the edge of the explosion were flung far away. Their remaining HP was only one-third, yet the explosion effect released the Aggro lock from Yuna. One of the half-burned shadow panthers rose with wrath; it no longer targeted Yuna, but shot quickly toward Yuuki who was still in the post-casting cooldown animation.

"Yuuki, watch out!" Yuna shouted, trying to chase that monster.

However, the speed of that Shadowstalker surpassed the running of a heavily armored Vanguard. It opened its jaws, preparing to tear the throat of the small fox.

I did not allow that to happen. Even without using Limit Break skills, my base stats were already more than enough.

I drew my bowstring in the blink of an eye, aimed without hesitation, and released my wooden arrow with [Piercing Gale Arrow] magic.

Wusss! Jleb!

My arrow shot forth like lightning, slamming precisely into the front leg joint of the shadow panther that was mid-air toward Yuuki. The kinetic force from my compound bow forcibly stopped the monster's leaping momentum, breaking it in mid-air and hurling it to the ground, right in front of Yuuki's front claws.

The monster fell sprawling, afflicted with the Stagger effect from the precise joint shot.

Yuuki did not even blink. She stared at the monster lying in front of her, then aimed her muzzle and magic staff precisely at the forehead of that shadow panther.

"One more for you. [Scorching Ray]!"

A close-range fire beam sprayed out from Yuuki's mouth and staff, burning the face of that unfortunate monster until its HP was completely depleted. At the same time, Yuna's battleaxe split the last remaining monster into two pieces.

The battle finished in less than fifteen seconds.

[Your Party has killed Obsidian Shadowstalker x5 (Level 37)!]

[Gained 45,000 EXP!]

Yuuki lowered her floating magic staff; her small body rose and fell as she regulated her breathing, before finally turning to look at me who had just leaped down from the tree branch, then glancing at Yuna.

A very wide fox smile full of pride bloomed on her face. Her three tails swayed slowly, sweeping the residual explosion dust in the air.

"Crazy! My casting speed feels like casting instant spells!" Yuuki exclaimed in amazement, staring at her own status screen. "And the damage… I can see those monsters' HP vanishing like boiling water!"

"Your magical damage is truly abnormal, Yuuki," Yuna praised sincerely, sheathing her large axe again. "As your shield, I even feel I don't need to hold out for too long. With magic artillery that explodes that fast, our roles have now changed. The enemies no longer attack us, we level them."

I walked closer to Yuuki, picking up the gold coins and several shadow crystal loot that had fallen from those monsters. I tossed the loot materials to her.

"Good work, both of you. Perfect formation," I said with a satisfied nod. "With Yuuki holding high-speed area attack (AoE) control, Yuna as the absolute protector, and me as the vital-point sniper from afar… I think there is no mid-tier Dungeon on this server that can stop our party now."

Yuuki leaped into the air while barking full of victory. This evolution had not only given power, but also fully restored her self-confidence. Seeing my little sister so energetic under the virtual moonlight, the fatigue from a full day of crafting activity and the crazy hunt in the miasma swamp seemed to evaporate completely from my shoulders.