The area teemed with life, lizards and water serpents near the riverbanks, while huge deer within the woods bolted as Corvin approached.
“This place sure is full of life. Okay, let’s find something we can fight, and not die.” Corvin smirked, activating Echolocation as they moved deeper into the area.
Along the way, they killed a few low-level coyote beasts that attacked them for trespassing into their territory. The beasts didn’t stand a chance and were swiftly dealt with.
Not even ten minutes later, Corvin picked up traces of something big. “I think we found something. Come.” He led Nera straight toward the ravine, where they spotted a massive lizard sprawled in the shallow water, sunbathing.
[Ravine Lord Salamander Lv. 257] [HP: 66,499 / 66,499] [MP: 2,000 / 2,000]
“Maybe… better not.” Corvin chuckled and backed away from the edge, eyeing the enormous dark-blue lizard.
Nera lingered a moment longer, tempted to attack from her vantage point. Ever since the encounter with the Drake, she had developed a deep hatred for all massive, lizard-like monsters.
“Nera, don’t you dare! Come back, that thing is too strong. We need something weaker, around level 140. Enough for a few levels, but not strong enough to kill one of us. Now come here this instant, young lady!” Corvin whispered, his tone threatening.
Nera gave the salamander one last glance before slithering back, disappointed.
“Once we’re stronger, okay?” Corvin tried to calm her as they slowly moved away, back into the thin woods surrounding the ravine.
***
“Damn, that was close. Thank the system for the Appraisal skill, if we’d attacked that thing, we’d be done for.” Corvin exhaled and picked another route around the salamander’s habitat.
They trekked along narrow, uneven paths until they descended to the bottom of the ravine. Corvin spotted a cavern on the riverbank that seemed promising.
He made sure his Night Lord title was equipped as they entered, activating Nocturnal and pinging with Echolocation, but nothing came back. Hmm, that’s odd. Let’s go further in, then. He felt confident in his prowess within darkness, and with Nera at his side, he believed they could handle anything that came at them.
They walked for five minutes before reaching an open chamber connected to an underground river that stretched deeper into the cavern system.
The cave was littered with spiderwebs, but there were no spiders, no prey remains, no eggs. Nothing but webs.
“Nera… this is suspicious. Let’s go back.” Corvin’s gut churned, and they hurried toward the entrance.
But when they reached the spot where the exit should have been, a massive, round door shaped like a skull now sealed the way shut.
“What the fuck? There were no doors here before. Let’s appraise it. I doubt these are normal doors.” He scanned it, and his heart stopped.
[Trapdoor Tarantula Lv. 189] [HP: 36,021 / 36,021] [MP: 1,350 / 1,350]
“It’s a monster? And it trapped us here… But where did it come from? There were no signs of anything nearby.” Even Echolocation hadn’t picked it up. Then a deeper horror struck him.
“Why did it lock us in? What’s in here with us?” His stomach churned, sweat dripping down his forehead.
“Fuck this. Nera, attack it with everything we’ve got!” Corvin roared, drawing Coilbreaker; its shield-breaking effect was exactly what he needed.
Nera spat globs of acid while Corvin unleashed Flurry, slashing relentlessly at the massive door-like shield.
Their attacks raged across the surface, but the spider’s HP didn’t budge. No damage, not from his blade, not from Nera’s acid.
“Shit. Nera, try Miasma, please.” If that worked, he’d follow up with his breath attack.
Nera hissed, jaws wide, unleashing a thick beam of condensed miasma against the door.
The doors shook, but again, there was no damage.
“What is this thing even made of?” Corvin stared blankly.
Maybe fire? Insects hate fire, right? He remembered Perry burning spiders within dungeons to ash, sometimes even scorching Corvin’s own flesh. He had always been expendable to them after all.
Corvin cursed the memory and cast Ember.
A massive flame flickered between black and crimson across his palm as he hammered his fire-cloaked fist against the door.
At first, the door held, but the more he struck, the more crimson it became. It’s working!
“It’s working, Nera! Move back, I’ll heat it up even more!” He laughed darkly as Nera retreated. Activating Infernal Hide, he ignited the entire area around him.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
At that moment, Corvin looked like fire incarnate. The doors and surrounding rock glowed crimson before at last the spider shrieked in agony as his fist punched through, leaving a gaping, molten hole.
*** Skill Unlocked: Blazing Fist Lv. 1 (Active) ***
When activated, cover your fists with unquenchable flames and descend upon your enemies like a wrathful god.
Each hit has a 50% chance of setting your enemies ablaze. Enemies set on fire receive 20% increased physical damage from unarmed attacks.
Cooldown: 2 Hours
Duration Until Canceled
Mana Cost: 380 Mana
A wrathful god? What the fuck is the system talking about? It’s not the time for jokes, you bastard. Corvin cursed inwardly as the spider lunged forward, bursting from the doorway and diving into the river to quench the searing pain. Steam hissed upward from its scorched back as the monster rolled in the shallow waters.
Corvin smirked and activated the passive ability of Abyssal Dominion, seizing control of the rising steam and shrouding the spider’s head in mist as he and Nera launched their assault.
Nera spat globes of acid one after another, melting through the tarantula’s armored upper body and leaving gaping wounds.
Corvin dashed between her attacks, igniting his fists with flames that flickered black and crimson. He descended upon the massive spider, hammering blow after blow, each strike setting the creature ablaze. His amulet spread poison with every punch, coating the monster’s body in venom.
[Status: Poisoned | Burning]
The tarantula writhed in agony, spraying venom from its fangs in all directions, but it couldn’t touch Corvin, nor Nera, who stood cloaked in darkness, firing Acid and Miasma Beams as fast as her mana recovered.
The more Corvin struck, the stronger the flames burned across the spider’s body. Fire and river crashed, creating billowing steam that Corvin bent to his will, thickening it into a blinding mist that smothered the spider’s many eyes.
This control over water and fog… is sure easy. With just a thought, the steam condenses into mist. Amazing. He marveled at the might of a Legendary skill as he continued his relentless assault, legs locked around the spider’s upper body.
Seeing its HP plummet, Corvin remembered something crucial and switched his title to First User. Not this time. He chuckled darkly and kept pounding.
Then, with one final blazing punch, he shattered the spider’s back and drove it into the shallow river, its health bar crashing to zero.
Experience gain reduced due to the user’s Constitution]
[Experience gained: 27,038]
[Level Up! x4]
[Your Beast Leveled Up! x4]
[Experience toward next level: 50%]
[The First User Title Bonus Effect Activated!]
[Item Received: Eightfold Visage]
Rarity: Rare
Type: Helmet
Helmet crafted from a tarantula’s carapace and its many eyes.
When worn improves eyesight.
Grants’ skill Night Vision and Heat Vision.
Agility +10
“Ouch… this is shit. Absolutely useless.” Corvin pulled it from his storage and almost gagged. The helmet was literally an emptied-out tarantula head, crudely fixed up.
“Oh hell no. Not using this. I’ll sell it somewhere.” He tossed it back into storage, clearly disgusted.
“Ah, well, at least we got a few levels, and this corpse is worth 10,000 points.” He smiled, carving out the monster’s core and tossing it to Nera. “Thank you, dear. This is your reward. You did well, honey.”
It pained him to waste cores like this, but he wanted to spoil Nera.
Nera cracked the core instantly and swallowed it, her body glowing deep green.
This is the first time she’s reacted to a core. I was starting to think she was different. Let’s see what happens… Corvin hoped for something good.
As the glow faded, a pop-up appeared, nearly giving him a heart attack.
“What, no chimes this time? Damn you!” He cursed at the system and checked the message.
[Tamed Beast: Nera – Poison Rain Lv. 5 (Active)]
[Due to ingesting a compatible core, your beast has stolen the Trapdoor Tarantula’s skill at its appropriate level.]
“Haha, yes! Nera, you’re amazing! Here, have a cooked crab leg. Daddy’s treat!” Corvin jumped up cheerfully, feeding his gluttonous snake.
“Who’s Daddy’s good girl? Who?” He spoiled her like a princess.
“We need to find you more poison-related beasts. Who knows what else you might gain from them…” An evil plan began forming in his mind when suddenly, the ground shook.
“What now?! Dear gods, can’t you let me celebrate for once in my life?!” He shouted as the same salamander from before emerged from the tunnel entrance, radiating bloodlust.
“OH SHIT! Nera, let’s run!” Corvin activated Sprint, grabbed Nera, and dashed toward the path they had descended from.
Behind them, the salamander unleashed geysers of high-pressure water, carving trenches into the earth as Corvin dodged left and right. His boots gave him an edge in water, while Aqua Barrier shielded him and Nera from stray blasts.
He ran as fast as he could, sliding between water cannons while Nera hissed on his back and unleashed her newest skill.
She fired a massive orb into the air behind them, which exploded into thousands of droplets, poisonous rain cascading over the salamander.
Its dark-blue scales hissed as they turned green from the venom, but the beast roared and summoned a deep-blue membrane over its slick body, healing wounds and deflecting the toxic downpour.
Corvin glanced back and cursed. “It can heal itself AND block your newest attack?! Wonderful. Just great!” He spat on the ground and activated Dash, leaving the briefly slowed salamander behind.
“Let’s outrun it. If worst comes, I’ll use Miasma Breath. I can’t imagine it surviving that.”
Nera nodded but kept raining poison to slow the beast, even if only slightly.
Sensing its prey slipping away, the salamander burned almost all of its remaining mana and cloaked itself in a three-meter-wide water blast, launching forward like a water-propelled cannonball.
Corvin screamed as he felt the monster closing in. He conjured blazing whips with Firebend, wrapping them around the salamander long enough to dump all his remaining points into Strength. His body surged with raw power as he leapt toward the narrow path, then vaulted onto the ravine’s top.
He cursed his luck; he’d wanted to invest points methodically, but right now, survival mattered more than planning.
As he landed, his body continued to swell with strength, veins bulging as the system chimed:
*** Skill Unlocked: Enhanced Physique Lv. Max ***
A skill given to any user who invests 50 points in Strength.
The skill enhances the user’s jumping and combat power, boosts stamina, and optimizes overall physical efficiency.
Damage dealt +15%
Oh, okay, I didn’t know that was a thing. So that’s probably why I unlocked Mana Circuit back then… He recalled the same happening when he hit 50 Magicka. Shaking off the thought, he drew Chief’s Greatsword and switched his title to Combat Veteran, ready to fight.
The salamander finally tore free of the fiery whips and exploded onto the ravine’s edge as Corvin dashed backward, clutching Nera tightly.
“Fine, you want to fight? Let’s fight, bitch. You’ve only got 100 mana left. What can you do?” He mocked as the salamander lunged, its body still cloaked in blue membrane and watery armor.
Skills Unlocked: Blazing Fist Lv. 1, Enhanced Physique Lv. Max
Skills Leveled Up: Ember Lv. 1 > Lv. 3, Infernal Hide Lv. 1 > Lv. 2, Aqua Barrier Lv. 1 > Lv. 2, Sprint Lv. 1 > Lv. 2
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