In a moment where silence blanketed the surroundings, a cold shiver crept into Sami's bones as he stared at the strange shape slowly emerging from beneath the water's surface.
Water dripped from its body, revealing a circular creature surrounded by several long tentacles.
Its translucent skin exposed its internal organs, making it look like a living nightmare given form.
Sami froze in place, his heart pounding wildly with dread. But as he focused his gaze, he noticed something unsettlingly odd—the creature did not appear aggressive.
Instead, it seemed unsteady and weak, as if it were struggling to escape… or even to breathe.
This was not what he had expected at all.
At that moment, his survival instincts awakened.
He made his decision instantly, his eyes locking onto a specific point within the monster's body—a small crystal shimmering at the center of its transparent form.
From his knowledge of the Ordeal World, Sami knew that all creatures— even humans who had survived Ordeals—possessed a weakness, often manifesting as a crystal.
As the creature moved sluggishly, Sami grabbed a spear lying abandoned on the shore.
He raised it swiftly and hurled it in a precise arc toward the monster.
He did not expect the spear to deal any real damage; it was merely a feint to draw its attention. Still, the creature's reaction confirmed his theory.
Sami surged forward with all his strength, ignoring the pain wracking his exhausted body.
Years of relentless training condensed into a single moment.
He lifted his sword high, pulled it back—then thrust it forward with brutal force straight toward the crystal embedded in the monster's chest.
The cold blade pierced through the membranous skin with ease, and the core shattered with a sharp sound that ripped through the suffocating silence.
Sami stumbled backward, gasping for air, his eyes fixed on the creature as it writhed briefly before slowly collapsing, sinking toward the depths of the lake. Before he could fully process what had happened, a monotonous voice echoed inside his head:
"You have slain Skullbreaker."
Third-Rank Monster.
Experience Points acquired.
You have obtained three skills:
1. (Skull Venom): Resistance against all monster poisons up to the third rank.
2. (Nymphs' Scythe): A summonable tool forged from the skulls of thousands of creatures. Its effectiveness increases with each new skull it pierces.
3. (Moon Key): Mo---- Key--y----???-----??????????
But Sami paid no attention to the notifications. Pain ignited throughout his body; every muscle screamed in exhaustion.
He had pushed himself beyond his limits, and now the consequences had come crashing down. Heat flared beneath his skin, his breathing growing heavier by the second.
"Damn it… I can't lose consciousness now…"
he muttered, feeling his body betray him.
In the end, Sami collapsed onto the surface of the water, motionless.
Darkness swallowed his consciousness whole.
An unknown amount of time passed, during which he felt something warm brushing against his skin.
Faint voices echoed around him.
He slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurred.
He saw two figures sitting across from him—a young man and a girl, it seemed.
He couldn't make out their features clearly, but realizing they were human gave him a brief sense of relief before he sank back into darkness once more.
When he finally regained consciousness, he felt something hard pressing against his head. Slowly, he raised his hand to his skull, instinctively taking a defensive stance.
He opened his eyes, expecting the worst… but what he saw was not what he anticipated.
Sitting across from him was a beautiful girl with soft orange hair and eyes sharp as knives. There was an unusual calm in her tone when she spoke, as though she were carefully weighing every word.
"Who are you?"
she asked quietly.
At the same moment, Sami responded without thinking, his voice charged with tension:
"Who are you?"
To be continued…