As the massive snake fell, a golden light showered over Lysander, warmer and brighter than ever before.
Ding!
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[Congratulations, Master. You have reached the first threshold of power]
System," he commanded calmly. "Show me status"
[STATUS WINDOW]
[Name: Lysander]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Successor of the Demon God]
[Grade: SSS] (God)
[Level: 10]
[Experience: 0 / 2,500]
[Attributes]
[Strength: 35]
[Agility: 32]
[Intelligence: 20]
[Vitality: 28]
[Mana: 150 / 150]
[Currencies & Points]
[System Points (SP): 231 SP]
[Skills]
Active Skills: [None]
[Passive Skills]
[Demon God's Aura](Intimidation)
[Pain Resistance] (Intermediate)
[Equipment]
[Weapon: Erebos] (Stage 2)
[Current Ability: Blood Wave]
[System Note:You have accumulated 231]
Lysander glanced at the confusing words "Successor" and "Passive Skills" one last time. Questions formed in his mind, but he crushed them instantly.
"Not now," he whispered, shaking his head.
He waved his hand, dismissing the glowing blue screens.
"I am standing exposed in the middle of a hostile jungle," he muttered, his eyes scanning the dark, moving shadows around him. "Asking questions about my title won't stop a beast from ripping my throat out. I will figure out who I am later."
[Master You are now eligible to access the System Shop to purchase your first Active Skill]
"Finally!" Lysander gasped, wiping sweat from his brow as he sheathed his massive sword. The adrenaline was fading, but he knew this was just the calm before the storm.
"System, open the Shop! I have accumulated System Points. Don't show me trash," he commanded, his voice urgent.
"Find me a Rank-E Skill—something that helps me survive or move faster. Quickly!"
The air in front of him shimmered as the blue holographic screen expanded into a marketplace interface. Rows of items scrolled past at dizzying speed until one item stopped dead in the center, glowing with a faint, mysterious purple light.
[Search Complete. Considering your high Agility and the heavy nature of your weapon, this is the most optimal choice]
[SKILL BOOK FOUND]
[Name: Shadow Flash](Step of the Assassin)
[Rank: E]
[Price: 200 SP]
[Type: Active Skill / Movement]
[Description: Allows the user to burst forward 5 meters instantly, leaving behind a blurry afterimage. It is not teleportation, but high-speed movement that the naked eye cannot track]
Lysander stared at the book, a sharp grin forming on his face. "Perfect," he whispered. "With this, I can close the gap before they even see me."
He checked his balance. 231 Points. The skill cost 200.
"I have just enough," he muttered. "System, Purchase and Learn."
He didn't hesitate. He pressed the button.
[TRANSACTION COMPLETE]
[-200 SP deducted]
[Current Balance: 31 SP]
Flash.
A beam of purple light shot out from the screen and slammed directly into Lysander's forehead. He didn't just "read" the book; the System forced the knowledge directly into his neurons. His muscles instantly memorized the technique. He felt his body become lighter, as if gravity had suddenly lost its grip on him.
[Skill Acquired: Shadow Flash (Rank E)]
Lysander clenched his fist, feeling the new power humming in his legs like a coiled spring. "Money well spent."
But his celebration was cut short.
BOOOM.
The ground beneath him trembled violently. The trees ahead began to crack and sway as something massive pushed through the dense jungle.
BEEP! BEEP!
[WARNING: BOSS DETECTED]
[Master, it seems the massacre has attracted the Lord of this Swamp]
[Monster: Mud-King Python]
[Rank: E] (Boss)
[Title: Lord of the Swamp]
[Length: 20 Meters]
Appearance A massive serpent covered in thick, dark-green scales that look like rotting moss. Its body is coated in a slimy, oily secretion that makes it difficult to grip or cut.
Head: Triangular and flat. Between its yellow, reptilian eyes sits a jagged lump of hardened bone, resembling a crude crown
Fangs Two curved sabers, each a foot long, dripping with vibrant purple venom that sizzles when it hits the ground.
[Capabilities]
[Toxic Breath It can spit a cloud of poisonous gas]
[Bone Crusher If it wraps around a target, it exerts enough pressure to turn steel armor into scrap metal]
[Mud Camouflage It can bury itself instantly in the swamp, becoming invisible before striking]
Lysander didn't flinch. Instead of fear, a look of pure junoon (madness) lit up his eyes.
He reached back and gripped the black hilt of Erebos. The red eye on the blade snapped open, pulsating in rhythm with his own heartbeat.
"Finally," he said, staring into the dark, trembling jungle. "A real challenge."
He lowered his stance, energy crackling around his feet as he prepared his new skill.
"Come out, little snake," he whispered, a cold smirk playing on his lips. "Let's see how quickly you die."
Lysander frowned, looking down at his boots. The dry jungle floor had vanished, replaced instantly by thick, bubbling mud and rising murky water.
"System," he called out, his voice sharp with suspicion. "There was no swamp here a moment ago. This was dry land. Where did this python come from"
Ding!
[SYSTEM ANALYSIS: ENVIRONMENTAL SHIFT]
[Master You have entered the Boss Domain]
[E-Rank Bosses and above possess a latent ability called 'Terraforming'. Their magical energy leaks into the surroundings, warping reality to suit their biological needs]
[The Mud-King Python did not just arrive here; it brought the swamp with it. As long as the Boss lives, this area belongs to him]
Lysander listened to the System's explanation about the "Boss Domain." He looked down at his boots sinking into the muck, then up at the massive, shifting shadows in the water.
He didn't panic. Instead, he let out a short, sharp laugh, shaking his head with a look of twisted admiration.
"So, he brings his own arena with him?" Lysander mused, wiping rain from his face. "Arrogant beast. I like that."
He raised Erebos and pointed it at the center of the swamp.
"But this kingdom now has a new ruler."
HISS!
The water exploded.
The Mud-King Python lunged from beneath the surface like a missile. Its jaws, lined with needle-sharp fangs, snapped shut exactly where Lysander had been standing a split second ago.
Lysander rolled to the side, mud splashing over him. He felt the wind of the bite against his neck.
"Fast," he grunted, regaining his balance.
The giant snake didn't wait. It whipped its massive tail, aiming to crush Lysander's ribs.
CRACK.
Lysander blocked with the flat side of his Greatsword. The impact was heavy—like being hit by a wrecking ball. He skidded back five meters, his boots carving deep trenches in the mud. His arms vibrated from the shock.
"Heavy..." Lysander gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing. "Strength 45 isn't enough to overpower him directly. This won't be a slaughter... it will be a hunt."
The Python reared up, towering twenty feet in the air. Its throat expanded, glowing a sickly purple.
[Warning: Venom Breath Detected]
"Oh no, you don't," Lysander shouted.
He charged forward, swinging Erebos in a horizontal arc.
CLANG!
The sword hit the snake's scales, but it didn't cut deep. The thick layer of oily slime caused the blade to slide off, leaving only a shallow gash. The snake wasn't hurt; it was annoyed.
It opened its mouth. PFFFT!
A cloud of purple, sizzling gas shot toward Lysander.
"Tch!" Lysander's eyes widened. He was mid-swing; he couldn't dodge physically.
"Shadow Flash!"
ZAP.
His body blurred. For a fraction of a second, he became a streak of darkness. He vanished from the venom's path and rematerialized five meters to the left, breathing hard. The ground where he had just stood was sizzling, the mud turning black from the poison.
Lysander wiped slime from his cheek, his expression turning cold and serious.
"My sword slides off his skin," he analyzed quickly, ignoring the burning in his lungs.
"And if I get close, I get poisoned. I need to break his defense first."
The Python hissed, confused by the disappearing prey. It turned its massive head toward Lysander, ready to strike again.
Lysander gripped the hilt of Erebos with both hands. The red eye on the sword flared violently.
"You like to keep your distance?" Lysander whispered, a cruel smile returning to his face. "Let's see if you can dodge this."
He swung the sword, not to hit the snake physically, but to unleash the energy within.
[Skill Activated: Blood Wave]
WHOOSH!
A crescent moon of crimson energy ripped through the air. It moved faster than the snake could react.
SLASH.
The energy wave didn't care about slime or scales. It carved a deep, jagged wound straight across the Python's chest.
SCREEECH!
The Boss screamed, a sound like grinding metal. Blood—black and thick—sprayed into the swamp water.
"It bleeds," Lysander laughed, the thrill of battle taking over. "And if it bleeds, I can kill it."
The snake was thrashing now, blind with pain and rage. It struck wildly, destroying trees and churning the mud.
Lysander saw his opening. The snake's head was low.
"Shadow Flash."
ZAP.
He burst forward again, closing the distance instantly. He appeared right above the snake's head, mid-air, gravity seemingly paused.
"Die," he roared.
He drove Erebos downward with all his strength, aiming not for the scales, but for the Jagged Bone Crown on its head.
CRUNCH.
The SSS-Rank blade pierced the bone.
Lysander put his foot on the hilt and stomped down, driving the sword all the way through the skull until it pinned the giant head to the mud.
The Python convulsed once. Twice.
Then, the massive body went limp.
Lysander stood on top of the dead Boss's head, his chest heaving. He was covered in mud, slime, and black blood.
He pulled his sword out with a wet squelch.
"King of the Swamp?" Lysander spat on the carcass, his eyes glowing with the adrenaline of the kill. "You were just a big worm."