The Ring That Grows Stronger by Slaying Endless Monsters

Arlo picked up the four coins dropped by the cat demon, rolled his eyes, and said, "Weren't you the one who brought me here to hunt cat demons? And now that I've killed one, you tell me not to?"

"Ugh, Arlo, you're bullying me!" Caiyi protested, tugging fiercely at Arlo's hair.

"Ouch, ouch! Fine, no more cat demons. Just find something else for me to hunt."

"Heehee, you're the best, Arlo!" Caiyi's mood brightened immediately. She quickly flew up, scouted the area, and pointed southwest. "Arlo, over there is a group of skeleton monsters. Let's go hunt them!"

"Sk-sk-skeleton monsters?!" Arlo shivered. "Aren't those undead?"

"Yes, they're undead," Caiyi replied, tilting her head in confusion. "What's wrong, Arlo?"

Swallowing hard, Arlo asked, "Caiyi, what's the drop rate like for skeleton monsters?"

"Hmm…" Caiyi rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought. "Skeleton monsters are dirt poor; they won't drop any money. But they do have a good chance of dropping equipment, like machetes, hand axes, and shields. If you encounter a boss, you could get even more loot!"

"Machetes?" Arlo's eyes lit up. That's the perfect tool for butchering sheep!

"Alright!" Arlo gripped his goat horn weapon tightly. "Target: skeleton monsters! Let's go!"

On a barren hill, Arlo stared at the thousands of skeleton monsters before him. He gulped and felt his legs tremble. "Cai… Caiyi, do I really have to fight them? They look so dangerous."

It was no wonder Arlo was scared. Every skeleton monster held a weapon—some wielded knives, others axes, swords, or shields. Even the least-equipped ones carried wooden clubs. They looked incredibly intimidating, especially in such large numbers. Believing in the principle of "strength in numbers," Arlo hesitated, considering retreat.

Caiyi, equally intimidated, clung to Arlo's hair. "Arlo… don't you want the loot? Based on my calculations, you could get equipment after defeating just twenty skeleton monsters!"

"Equipment…" Arlo mustered his courage. "Alright! Let's do this!"

With his flimsy goat horn weapon in hand, Arlo charged at a skeleton monster holding a wooden club. He swung hard, smashing the skeleton's skull with a loud crack. The skull fell to the ground, and while the sight made Arlo's stomach turn, he was relieved by how easy it was to defeat.

But before he could celebrate, the headless skeleton raised its wooden club and swung it down at Arlo.

"Holy crap!" Arlo screamed, turning tail and running. "Even without a head, it's still alive? This is impossible to fight!"

"Arlo, don't run!" Caiyi shouted. "Skeleton monsters are fragile. If you break their bodies apart, they'll die for real!"

"There's no way I'm fighting skeleton monsters! They're way too creepy!" Arlo yelled as he fled. Throughout his life, he'd never feared lions, tigers, venomous snakes, or birds of prey. But ghosts, spirits, and anything supernatural terrified him. And now, faced with a horde of skeleton monsters in this fantasy realm, Arlo's fear was at an all-time high.

"Arlo! What about the equipment?!"

"I'll get equipment from other monsters!"

"Wow, so you're a coward!"

"Yes, I'm a coward! What are you going to do about it?"

After running for ten minutes, Arlo finally stopped, collapsing onto the ground, panting heavily.

Caiyi, furious, yanked at his hair. "Arlo, how can you be so scared? Are you even a man?"

"Ouch, ouch!" Arlo shielded his head and whined. "I'm fearless when it comes to real animals like lions or tigers. But ghosts and supernatural stuff? I can't handle it!"

"Arlo, this won't do. There are plenty of supernatural creatures in this world, and the Dark Dragon is also a magical entity. If you're scared, how are you ever going to slay the dragon?"

"Well, at least the dragon looks like a crocodile or a lizard. But skeleton monsters? I just can't. They're too creepy."

"But haven't you played online games before? Skeleton monsters are everywhere, and you didn't fear them then. Why are you scared now?"

"That's because those were games! In games, the worst that can happen is losing a level or some equipment. But here, I'm a real person. If I die, I'm dead for good!" Arlo finally revealed his deepest fear.

Hearing this, Caiyi let out a sigh of relief and then burst into laughter. "Arlo, you don't need to worry! Your body in this world is already digitized. If you die here, it's just like a game—you'll lose a level, but you won't truly die!"

"What?" Arlo's eyes widened. "Caiyi, what did you say?"

"I said you won't truly die in this world," Caiyi repeated with a giggle. "And don't forget, you have the Resurrection Necklace. It allows you to revive three times a day. So, what are you afraid of?"

"Not truly die… not truly die…" Arlo muttered to himself before suddenly bursting into laughter. He jumped to his feet and gripped his goat horn weapon tightly. "That's right! If I can't truly die, there's nothing to fear! Skeleton monsters, here comes Grandpa Arlo!"