The howls grew louder as Zairon ventured deeper into the Bristlefang Den.
Blood coated his boots. His blade was chipped. His cloak—formerly dark and dramatic—was now just a tattered rag stuck to his back with dried wolf gore.
But his grin?
Untouched.
He wandered into a deeper chamber, darker and colder. The air shimmered faintly with Spiritual Energy. Dozens of wolf skeletons and corpses littered the place, many recently dead. A true death pit.
Zairon's eyes gleamed.
"Now this… is interior design."
He crouched near a corpse and yanked out a thick femur, then another, then found a Bristlefang Alpha skull that still had its fangs intact.
"Let's make some art."
[Item Created: Bristlebone Fangblade (Uncommon)]
Damage: High
Durability: Low
Bonus: +10% damage to beast-type monsters
Crafting Rank: "Not really a blacksmith, but somehow works."
He twirled the jagged weapon, now half blade, half club.
"Call me Bone Reaver."
Then, to test it, he sprinted headfirst into another den of E-Ranks.
The first one didn't even see the strike coming. Its head burst like a fruit.
[+300 EXP]
[+300 EXP]
[+300 EXP]
The next few followed with satisfying crunches, howls, and several over-the-top anime-style finishers.
One involved backflipping off a collapsing stalactite. Another involved dual-wielding leg bones while screaming, "DANCE OF THE BONE DRAGON!"
By the time he hit 9,800 EXP, Zairon was positively radiant with bloodlust.
The chamber began to tremble.
A final D-Rank Bristlefury Alpha emerged, twice the size of the last.
Zairon stood still.
"No tricks this time," he whispered, smiling. "Just raw style."
The beast charged.
Zairon ran forward—
Then slid under its legs, slashed both tendons, leapt onto its back, and stabbed downward through the spine.
The beast let out a final screech—
—and collapsed.
[You have slain: Bristlefury Alpha (D-Rank)]
+1,000 EXP
[LEVEL UP: D-Rank Achieved]
New Stat Thresholds Unlocked
Cultivation Core: Awakening Initiated
Spiritual Circuits: Strengthened
EXP Required for Next Rank (C-Rank): 1,000,000
Zairon blinked as the energy coursed through his limbs. Muscles tightened, senses sharpened, and his presence… deepened.
Then he laughed. Full, wild, and unfiltered.
"ONE. MILLION."
He didn't seem angry.
He seemed delighted.
"Oh, I get it! The system was just holding back so the true grind could begin."
He held out his arms and turned in place like a lunatic messiah.
"I ACCEPT THIS BLESSING! I SHALL SLAUGHTER MY WAY TO C-RANK WITH STYLE!"
Then paused.
"Wait, maybe I should leave before I start losing organs."
He limped his way out of the dungeon, humming again, dragging his newly carved bone blade like a proud father pulling a sled.
When he emerged from the mouth of the den, the sun had dipped low on the horizon. The town gates shimmered in the distance.
He shielded his eyes, took a deep breath, and said:
"Time to get registered. Then maybe take a bath. Then maybe burn this cloak. And then…"
He grinned wide.
"…Find a bigger dungeon."