The python’s gem-like eyes gleamed. “Look at you, so eager. I like that. Nothing worse than a snake that sleeps all day. Yes, go, go. I still have plenty of food. When you return, I’ll prepare more beasts for trade.” His voice slithered through his mind, warm and amused.
Corvin bowed. “If you don’t mind, just give me the directions. I’ll find it myself.”
“Once you leave my home, turn right and run east,” the python explained. “After a while, you’ll see a massive winding canyon. Long ago, a river flowed there, but now, only dust remains.” The serpent sighed, its tone heavy with ancient memories.
Corvin nodded, bowed once more, and turned to leave, Nera following close behind.
“No, no,” the python hissed suddenly. “Young one stays. He must do this alone. I have something else for her.” Its massive tail coiled gently around Nera, pulling her back.
Corvin paused, glancing over his shoulder. He saw Nera’s golden eyes fixed on him, full of protest, but he shook his head silently. Then, without another word, he stepped out of the crimson glow of the magma-lit cave.
***
Corvin followed the python’s directions and reached the canyon’s edge while the night was still young.
Looks deep… and probably deadly. He exhaled sharply. Let’s spend the points I have. I’ll never save up at this rate...
He cursed under his breath and opened the Market, navigating to the Armor tab.
I need pants, a shirt, and some chest armor, at least enough to keep me alive.
Scrolling through the lists, he finally settled on a set that fit his needs. The total cost: 260,000 points, leaving him with only 70,000, barely enough for a single rare item.
“I’m poor again,” he muttered bitterly. “So much for saving up for a Legendary weapon…”
With a heavy heart, Corvin summoned his new gear and laid it out before him, taking a closer look at what his hard-earned points had bought.
[Serpentweave Undershirt]
Rarity: Rare
Type: Shirt
Woven from verdant spider threads mimicking the scales of a serpent to make it flexible and durable.
Poison resistance +22%
Raises defenses by 15% when surrounded by multiple enemies.
[Abyss Fang Plate]
Rarity: Rare
Type: Chest Armor
Chest armor forged by merging high-level serpent scales with abyssal iron. Decorated with serpent fang motifs around the collar.
Attack damage + 20%, if worn at night + 35%
Poison resistance + 38%
[Verdant Deer Hide Leggings]
Rarity: Rare
Type: Pants
Made from the treated hide of a verdant deer.
When worn increases movement speed by 15% and reduces status effect duration by 3 seconds.
Increases chance to dodge a poison attack by 14%.
I think this is the best I can get for now. My poison resistance is low, so this should help. Corvin exhaled slowly, resolve hardening in his chest. Well then… let’s get ready.
He stored his torn, filthy clothes and began equipping the fresh armor piece by piece. The cool metal hugged his frame, a stark contrast to the ragged gear he’d worn before.
“It’s not bad,” he admitted, running a hand over the polished plates. “But I’ll miss my Epic-grade cuirass… That was a damn nice piece of armor.” His voice carried a note of longing before he shook his head sharply.
With one final deep breath, Corvin gripped his trusty greatsword and stepped forward, descending into the depths of the canyon, shadows swallowing him whole.
***
Corvin descended into the abyss of the canyon, shadows swallowing his form as Echolocation pulsed outward. Countless lifeforms pinged back, spiders, hundreds of them, crawling across the jagged walls.
*** Skill Leveled Up: Echolocation Lv. 7 ***
About time, he thought grimly. I’ve been using this nonstop.
He gripped his greatsword and activated Sprint, his speed surging by 17.5% as he exploded forward toward the weakest cluster. Level 40 spiders shattered under his heavy blows, limbs and ichor scattering across the stone, but his experience bar barely ticked upward.
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This is a waste of time. He cursed and halted. I need to reach the end fast. If I waste time here, I’ll miss the deadline.
He ducked low and ran, weaving through webs and lunging past attacks with Dash, his boots pounding the dust. For a while, it worked, until recklessness caught up with him.
Midway through the canyon, he skidded to a stop. Dozens of spiders encircled him, behind a swarm of low-level pests; ahead, twenty hulking arachnids, each over level 100. Their fangs clicked in eerie rhythm, venom dripping as sticky webs glued his boots to the ground.
“You all think you’ve got me, huh?” Corvin laughed, voice sharp with madness. “Well, this was all part of my plan!” He sounded fearless, but anyone watching would call him insane.
“Infernal Hide! Blazing Fist!” he roared. Darkness erupted across his body, flames black as midnight licking his armor, while his fists ignited in writhing purple fire.
Well… that’s new. He stared at the altered skills for a heartbeat, then grinned savagely. No time to question it. Time to cook some spiders.
“Come at me!”
He lunged, fists blazing, Infernal Hide scorching the smaller spiders as he pummeled the larger ones into twitching heaps. Screeches filled the canyon as webs burned and bodies charred. In desperation, the spiders unleashed clouds of thick green poison, painting the air a sickly hue.
Even the weaker spiderlings collapsed, choking on their own venom. Corvin fought through the haze, his flames burning some toxins away, but the rest seeped into his veins, gnawing at his vitality. His heart slowed, vision blurred.
“Hell, you will!” he snarled, yanking two potions from his storage, spoils from hobgoblins long dead, and downed them in one gulp. Bitter liquid scorched his throat as his body convulsed, expelling poison through his pores.
“That tastes like shit!” he spat as his Poison Resistance level increased by one, easing the pain slightly.
With a restored body and mind, he continued slaughtering further, finally gaining a Level and recovering fully, only to be poisoned again. This massacre and battle of poison and fire continued for an hour until only Corvin was left sitting amongst the piles of burnt and torn spiders.
“Holy shit, this was intense. I think I’ve never fought this savagely ever, and even with my bare fists.” He stared at his green, blood-covered fists and grasped thin air, making sure these were his hands.
He shook the thought away and opened his notifications:
*** Resistance Leveled Up: Poison Resistance Lv. 6 ***
*** Skill Leveled Up: Infernal Hide Lv. 3 ***
*** Skill Leveled Up: Blazing Fist Lv. 3 ***
[Due to a further imbalance in the user’s Constitution, experience gain will be affected.]
[User is advised to find balance within.]
[Experience Gained: 35,000]
[Level Up! ×4]
[Your Beast Leveled Up! ×4]
[Experience toward next level: 0%]
Corvin stared at the glowing text, poison and blood dripping from his armor. “All this… for four levels? I killed at least sixty spiders, many over level 100, and only four levels?! And what the hell does ‘find balance’ mean? How can I find balance when I don’t even know what I am?!”
His voice cracked into a scream, echoing through the canyon. “What am I?! A demon? A human? Or something else?! Fuck you, system! And fuck you, father!”
He broke, rage and despair flooding him. Every battle, every quest reminded him of the truth: he wasn’t fully human. He wasn’t anything. And the system never let him forget it.
He sat there for a few moments, letting it all sit in before he invested all twelve points into strength. He wanted to be sure that he had enough power to keep this up. His Strength now at 105 with all boosts made him feel like he was unstoppable, pure power soared through his muscles and nerves, increasing his attack damage exponentially.
A grin split his blood-streaked face. “This… this is more like it.” He clenched his fists, feeling unstoppable. For a moment, the weight of his identity vanished beneath the intoxicating rush of strength.
He rose, gripped his greatsword, and strode deeper into the canyon. Halfway done. No turning back now.
***
Before he left, he gathered all sixty-four corpses and exchanged them for 34,000 points and stored the cores aside.
Better than nothing, I guess. He sighed and pressed deeper into the canyon. Whatever lesser spiders had lurked before were now either dead or hiding in their nests. Silence hung heavy, broken only by his boots crunching against the dust.
He moved swiftly until the canyon widened and froze.
Before him loomed a colossal statue of a cobra, its stone maw gaping wide. Between its fangs rested a pair of ancient doors, etched with runes so old they seemed to hum with forgotten power. The sculpture towered like a god, carved into the cliff itself, while the doors were massive, large enough for giants to pass through.
Who even made this? Corvin stared, awe prickling his skin. This place feels older than the world itself… What is this Tutorial realm? That question had haunted him since the beginning. One day, he swore, he’d uncover its secrets.
He stepped forward cautiously. No spiders. No movement. Even Echolocation returned nothing but dead silence.
Ten meters from the gates, his instincts screamed. This stinks to high heavens. He pulled a simple spear from his inventory and hurled it toward the doors.
The cobra’s fangs flared green. Two emerald beams lanced out, striking the spear midair, turning it to stone before it clattered to the ground with a dull thud.
“Holy shit…” Corvin whispered.
Then the cobra’s eyes ignited like twin emerald suns, and the earth behind him erupted.
Three arachnids clawed their way out of the ground, their bodies slick with blood-red markings. One dwarfed the others, its bloated form pulsing with venom.
[Bloodstained Broodmother Lv. 312] [HP: 97,644 / 97,644] [MP: 2,590 / 2,590]
[Bloodstained Arachnid Lv. 210] [HP: 44,400/ 44,400] [MP: 1,500 / 1,500]
[Bloodstained Arachnid Lv. 210] [HP: 44,400/ 44,400] [MP: 1,500 / 1,500]
Well… lucky me. All my skills are ready, oh wait, THEY’RE NOT. Corvin cursed inwardly. Stupid Corvin. ‘Oh, excuse me, big snake, I’ll just go finish your legendary quest real quick.’ What was that for strong Corvin?! Panic clawed at him. Alone. No backup. And without his strongest skills.
Run. Fuck this. I’ll come back later. Yes, that’s the plan. Bravo, Corvin.
He activated Sprint and bolted left.
Two guards spat thick crimson webs, sealing his escape. Behind them, the Broodmother’s grotesque abdomen convulsed, spewing clusters of eggs that burst open instantly, releasing swarms of scarlet spiderlings that skittered toward him like a living tide.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” Corvin roared, spinning to face the horde. He unleashed Hydroburst, geysers exploding through the ground and crushing the first wave into pulp. Steam hissed as ichor splattered, but more eggs hatched, birthing larger, faster spiderlings.
She’s adapting. Corvin’s jaw clenched. “Nope. I’m out!”
He summoned Ember, black flames coiling around his fist, and charged. His fist slammed through sticky webs as fire devoured the crimson strands. Behind him, spiderlings surged, the two arachnid guards closing in like shadows.
Corvin tore desperately through the barrier, flames scorching the air, and dashed forward at full speed while another volley of crimson webbed nets rained down as he ran for his life.
Skills Leveled Up: Echolocation Lv. 6 > Lv. 7, Poison Resistance Lv. 4 > Lv. 6, Blazing Fist Lv. 1 > Lv. 3, Infernal Hide Lv. 2 > Lv. 3
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