[Total EXP: 20,000/33,000]
The system notification flashed before Ryuk’s gaze as he nodded before wishing for the panel to disappear.
A new pill appeared in his hands, which he threw to Isha.
She caught it with her maw and swallowed it with a gulp, her injuries rapidly fading away.
"If I remember correctly, you were previously scared to the bone to fight a Grade A beast just a few hours ago, and now you’ve just defeated one."
"Tell me, how do you feel, Isha?" Ryuk called out as he walked toward her.
Isha looked at the dispersing ashes of the Lava Crocodile before glancing down at her claws, a bizarre look in her eyes.
Had she been scared of fighting the beast?
Absolutely. She had been terrified.
But she also remembered the promise she had made to Ryuk—the promise to stay by his side until the end of it all.
That was why she had fought without thinking twice.
Of course, she had expected her own defeat, leaving them with no choice but to run away again.
But now, she stood there, all her injuries healed, while the mighty Lava Crocodile—once a source of fear—had been reduced to nothing but drifting ashes.
Somehow, she had emerged victorious.
"Remember, Isha," Ryuk’s voice rang out as Isha raised her head, finding him mere centimeters from her face, his hand gently patting her head.
"I would never ask you to do something that would kill you. If I decide to take a path, you can trust me—nothing will go wrong," Ryuk whispered.
Isha closed her eyes in silence, feeling his warmth, his trust steeling her resolve.
Then, Ryuk suddenly parted from her, crouching toward the ground.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Ryuk’s hand dug deep into the earth as he pulled on something, veins bulging all over his arm.
RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMBBBLLLEEEE!
The ground rumbled crazily as Isha’s eyes narrowed, watching Ryuk struggle with whatever he was pulling out.
For nearly a full minute, the ground cracked, splitting into another deep crevice before Ryuk finally yanked the object free. In the next instant, he grabbed Isha and instantly zoomed into the sky.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A split second later, a powerful eruption of lava burst into the air, sending splashes of molten lava in all directions. Ryuk barely dodged, soaring higher as the raging inferno swallowed everything below.
The intense lava surge continued for a long while, its scorching heat reducing the ground to ashes, before it finally died down.
Ryuk and Isha settled high above, looking down at the world below—a land now turned into a lava-infested wasteland.
But then, Isha sensed a powerful flame aura. She slowly turned her gaze to Ryuk’s hand, watching as it burned red-hot, only for powerful steam to release.
Again, the flames scorched his hand—only for the steam to emanate once more.
It was an endless cycle of burning and cooling.
Ryuk looked at the gemstone in his hand just as a notification appeared.
[Congratulations! Host has found an A-Grade Artifact: Flame Gem!]
[Description: The Flame Gem is an important cultivation tool, even for A-Grade Beasts. It holds nature’s accumulated flame energy over countless years, making any place it is placed into a cultivation paradise for flame users. It also possesses the functionality to absorb even more Flame Apex Energy from the air, ensuring it never extinguishes itself!]
The system analyzed as Ryuk grinned wildly.
"Just what I wanted..." he mused.
With that, the gem disappeared from his hand, stored away safely in his storage ring.
"Come, Isha. Let’s go to the second beast," Ryuk stated.
The glass beneath him faded away as he and Isha soared toward another direction.
Their destination—a region filled with forests as black as pitch, completely corroded. A sinister energy filtered through the air, its eerie green hue lingering like poison.
The terrain in this part of the forest was disturbingly chilling.
As Ryuk advanced, a new notification appeared.
[Warning!]
[High levels of poison detected in the air! Excessive inhalation may cause Host to absorb the airborne toxins, weakening battle capabilities and inducing rapid fatigue.]
[Host must exercise caution!]
The system’s warning flashed across his vision, making Ryuk’s brows furrow.
Still, he continued onward, Isha following by his side.
After nearly three hours of walking, they finally arrived at their destination.
A massive cave lay before them, its body lined with strange, dark runic inscriptions that pulsed with a powerful poisonous aura.
"What a weird cave..." Ryuk mused to himself, observing the ominous runes across the entrance.
But then—
RATTTTTLLEEE!
RATTTTTTTLLE!
HIIIIISSSSSSSS!
A bizarre hiss rang out, followed by the sound of shifting stones.
Two eerie eyes slowly opened from within the cave’s darkness.
Then, it emerged.
At first, only a head—one that would have no problem containing 200 Ryuks!
Then, the rest of its massive body slithered forth, its abyssal, pitch-black eyes locking onto Ryuk and Isha as it bared its enormous maw.
Two fangs gleamed, dark saliva dripping from their tips.
Wherever the venom touched the ground, a sizzling sound erupted as the terrain melted away, leaving behind a bottomless hole.
Ryuk and Isha stared at the effect, witnessing how effortlessly the poison corroded the earth itself.
It was none other than the Poison RattleConda—the very beast they had encountered on their first day here.
The same one that had forced them to run for their lives.
GRRRRROOOOOOWWWWWWLLL!
A low, furious growl rumbled from Isha’s throat.
Of course, she remembered it.
How could she ever forget?
This was the first thing that had made her run away in sheer embarrassment.
Now, however, a budding anger filled her senses, her growl intensifying.
[Warning!]
[Host has encountered a creature classified as an upper-tier Grade A Beast: The Poison RattleConda!]
[Analysis complete: This creature possesses the ability to bring an end to Host!]
[Host must exercise extreme caution!]
The system’s warning blared.
Ryuk’s eyes flashed.
He whispered, "Activate King’s Aura."
SCREEEEEEEECCCCCCHHHHHHH!
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A/N:
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In and out_SnowySmoos