Ronan leaned against the trunk of an old tree, letting his once-rapid breathing gradually steady. The large backpack slung over his shoulders now felt lighter—he had already used several of the vinegar-filled balloons, and there were probably only a few left.
In front of him, a holographic screen appeared, emitting a soft blue glow that reflected in his sharp pupils. His expression was blank, showing little emotion, but the gleam in his eyes was clear—he was satisfied.
[Name: Ronan Raylinde]
[Age: 18 years]
[Cultivation Base: Human Realm Level 3]
[Special Ability: Starflame (S-Class)]
[Unique Skills: Devil's Covenant]
[Combat Skills: Starflame Meteor+2, Vital Strike, Energy Channeling, Swift Dash, Hunter's Sense+2, Bonebreaking, Pressure Sense, Fireball]
[General Skills: Home Cook, Beginner Cyclist, Speed Reading, Beginner Driver]
[Skill Points: 208]
[Skill Enhancement Scale: Level 1 requires 100 skill points]
Two skills. Two hundred points. He already knew what to do with them.
"Upgrade Bonebreaking and Pressure Sense," he said calmly.
[Are you sure?]
"Yes."
[Skill Bonebreaking has been upgraded to Fracture Drive]
[Description:
Your strikes are now far more precise. Fracture Drive targets weak points in joints and bone structure. Highly effective against skeletal enemies—especially humans or skeletons.]
[+15% damage against bone-structured or armored enemies]
[20% chance to loosen opponent's joints (hindering movement/attacks for 3 seconds)]
[Next attack has a higher chance of being critical]
[Penetrates 10% of the enemy's physical defense]
[Activation Cue:
A crack of bone is heard, accompanied by a subtle tremor at the point of impact]
---
[Skill Pressure Sense has been upgraded to Pressure Pulse]
[Description:
You no longer just sense pressure—your body now reacts automatically. Pressure Pulse reduces the effects of intimidation from enemy auras and increases your awareness of intent shifts or sudden attacks.]
[+25% reaction speed against enemies with stronger auras]
[30% resistance to pressure-based stun/fear effects]
[Detects aura spikes within a 5-meter radius]
[High-threat enemies feel like a physical push from their direction]
[Activation Cue:
Time seems to slow as pressure rises. All ambient sounds fall silent for a few seconds before a major attack hits]
Once the upgrade process finished, Ronan exhaled slowly. A strange sensation flowed through his body—his muscles felt more responsive, his hand movements more deliberate. A new awareness bloomed inside him, particularly attuned to pressure and potential threats.
A faint smile appeared on his lips. "If things keep going this way, I might actually sit on the emperor's throne someday," he muttered, half confident, half joking.
He knew it was just a weird metaphor that popped into his mind.
Ronan turned south—toward the forest's edge. He had gained enough from this place. It was time to leave.
---
The midday sky was still bright, the sun hanging high with not a single cloud in sight. The clock read 1:26 PM. Weather was normal, hot as usual.
But for Lex and his five companions, there was no warmth from the sun. They were inside a dimensional rift—a separate, isolated world. Here, there were no stars, only a dim, cold light from an unknown source. Before them lay a field of bones, broken weapons, and scattered soul stones.
At the center sat a man around 25 years old, body covered in wounds. Around him, three others, about the same age, looked like they had just woken from a nightmare.
Lex stepped forward, recognizing the figure. "Jesus, Edric. It really is you. No wonder the leader of the Silent Will personally sent me. You've made a hell of a mess. Luckily for you, your father's too soft. I doubt he'll punish you even though you deserve it," he said, his frustration barely masked.
Edric Gruddenwarth—with mid-length hair tied back, a towering muscular build at 6'5", a handsome face and eyebrows sharp like blades—stared back at Lex. "You sure know my father well."
Lex glanced around, then frowned. "Where's the enemy? And you entered with nine people. Now there's only four? Where the fuck are the rest?"
"I just killed the boss. And my friends? They're dead," Oscar replied flatly.
"They what?" Lex's voice rose sharply, his eyes widening.
Rage erupted immediately. He summoned a sword and without hesitation, hurled it at Edric.
The sword flew fast—but Edric caught it with one hand.
In the next second, the metal began to rust, corrosion spreading rapidly until the blade softened and crumbled into a mess of metallic sludge on the ground.
Everyone instantly grew alert. All except Helen knew Edric wasn't just some random young man. He possessed a very special power—and more importantly, he was the son of the Silent Will's leader.
"I've always admired your skill, Mr. Lex. But it's hard to believe that was real steel. And if you throw another sword, it would've hit me because my energy's already drained," said Edric.
Lex scowled, shaking his head. "Tell me where their bodies are."
"They're ashes now," Edric answered shortly.
Veins pulsed visibly at Lex's temples, but he held himself back. "Let's find the dimensional core and get out of here," he said, signaling his team.
Everyone nodded and followed his lead.
"Two hundred meters behind you, inside that weird purple tree trunk. No wonder this rift won't close, if they keep sending idiots to clean it up," Edric said casually.
Lex didn't bother replying. He headed straight to the location.
The trip didn't take long. Uninterrupted, the six of them stood before a mass of energy floating about a meter above the ground, nestled inside a tree trunk that had recently split—likely from Edric. It looked like a dense cloud, colored blood red—like concentrated energy.
This was the Dimensional Core, the root cause of the rift. Like a virus disrupting a body, this core destabilized the energy flow, triggering reality's fracture.
And how to stop it? Just one way: destroy it.
"Who's taking the shot? Helen, you ready?" Lex asked.
Helen nodded firmly and stepped forward. She raised both hands, channeling dark blue energy toward the core. A freezing aura surrounded the object, slowly turning it solid.
It didn't take long before the core was fully frozen. Its weight pulled it down into Helen's hands.
With a powerful squeeze—Crack!—the object shattered, releasing a massive burst of mana.
Lex quickly pulled out a palm-sized crystal and held it near the burst. The mana instantly got sucked in. That crystal was a Heartstone—a powerful mana storage artifact, extremely rare and tiered by strength.
Within a minute, all the energy had been absorbed.
"This might be equal to 10 Profound-grade soul stones. We can split it," Lex said.
"At least this mission wasn't a total waste. We're still getting paid, right, Captain?" Juan asked.
Lex looked at him blankly. "No."
"What the crap, how so?" Juan frowned.
The rest of them looked just as confused.
"Ugh, it's political. Too complicated to explain," Lex grumbled.
Everyone except Helen stared at him in disbelief.
"Oh come on. You guys got plenty of soul stones, and I am splitting this," Lex said, lifting the Heartstone.
Still, their expressions didn't change.
Lex sighed heavily. "Alright, alright. I'll treat you all. Soul beast meat. Five-star restaurant, tonight."
Only then did their expressions change.
"Haha, I knew you cared about us, Captain," Juan chuckled.
Lex shook his head. "Let's get out of this place. That bastard Edric's probably already ahead of us," he said as he walked off.
The rest nodded. They made their way to the exit—the dimensional rift, now glowing green.
Sure enough, Edric and his companions was no longer there. Without wasting time, they all stepped through.
Even though the Dimensional Core had been destroyed, the rift would remain open for about ten more minutes—enough time for anyone to leave… or enter.