Grrrr!!!
A deep, ferocious roar echoed through the mountain.
Before Ethan could fully react, a sharp system alert burst into his vision.
[Warning! Warning!]
[The remaining six monsters have detected the User]
[User is advised to prepare for battle or escape immediately]
Ethan's heart skipped a beat.
He instinctively turned around.
Six monsters stood behind him, their eyes locked onto him with undisguised rage. Their bodies were tense, claws flexing, fangs bared. Thick killing intent radiated from them as they glared at him like predators cornering their prey.
Ethan let out a slow sigh.
He had expected this moment to arrive sooner or later.
As he continued killing monsters one after another, it was inevitable that the remaining ones would notice something wrong. When their numbers kept decreasing without explanation, suspicion was bound to arise.
And now, that moment had arrived.
"The system warning came a little late," Ethan thought calmly.
But he wasn't discouraged.
After killing twenty monsters, Ethan had gained a certain level of confidence in his combat abilities. Through those encounters, he realized that these monsters were not as powerful as they initially appeared. Their strength was real, but their combat experience was severely lacking.
Perhaps it was because they had never truly fought intelligent opponents before.
Ironically, Ethan himself was also inexperienced.
Yet the difference was that he learned quickly.
Even though he had been discovered, only six monsters remained. The number was dangerous, but not hopeless. With his upgraded physical attributes—especially speed and agility—Ethan believed he could still handle the situation.
Sneak attacks had worked well so far.
But he knew one thing clearly.
Sneak attacks could not be relied upon forever.
Sooner or later, he would face enemies like Young Master Sirius, enemies who were cunning, ruthless, and experienced. Against such opponents, sneak attacks alone would not save him.
He had to prepare for the future.
He needed real combat experience.
The cultivation world was cruel. Death could arrive without warning. If he remained ignorant and unprepared, his end would come sooner rather than later.
These monsters were inexperienced.
Their world was small.
It was limited to this mountain.
They had likely been here since birth. Whether they were brought here by the Soul God long ago or born naturally within this place, one thing was certain—they had never faced a situation like this before.
Ethan clenched his grip around the sword.
All his life, he had lived in a fantasy world—reading novels, watching anime, imagining heroic battles. But now that he was facing real danger, his heart was pounding violently.
Fear was unavoidable.
But retreat was no longer an option.
If he ran now, the monsters would chase him.
If he hesitated, he would die.
Taking a deep breath, Ethan steadied his mind.
He lifted his head and looked straight at the six monsters.
This time, he would face them head-on.
Grrrr!
The six monsters roared once again, their voices filled with rage and hunger. Without any coordination, they charged toward Ethan mindlessly, trampling the ground beneath their feet.
Ethan did not retreat.
Instead, he stepped forward.
He had already killed twenty monsters. Although most of those kills were sneak attacks, not all of them were perfect. Some monsters had sensed danger and tried to escape, forcing him to engage them directly.
Through those encounters, he had learned one thing.
He could fight.
At first, he had been nervous. His movements were stiff, his heart raced uncontrollably. But with each confrontation, his confidence slowly grew.
Now, that confidence pushed him forward.
The six monsters rushed in and surrounded him.
Ethan stopped abruptly.
He was slightly surprised.
He had expected them to charge at him recklessly from all directions. After all, based on his experience, these monsters lacked combat awareness. But instead of attacking blindly, they surrounded him, cutting off his escape routes.
For a brief moment, Ethan's heart tightened.
Was he wrong?
Were these monsters smarter than he thought?
He quickly suppressed his doubts.
He carefully observed them.
Facing monsters one-on-one was already challenging. Even though he had succeeded earlier, most of his kills relied on surprise. Now, the monsters were alert. They were coordinating—at least instinctively.
One mistake here would be fatal.
Ethan chose not to move.
He waited.
Patience was key.
If he attacked recklessly, he would expose himself. If he waited, the monsters would grow impatient.
And impatience always created openings.
Seconds passed.
The monsters growled, circling him slowly.
Then—
One monster behind him suddenly lunged forward, claws slashing toward his back.
Ethan reacted instantly.
Thanks to his upgraded agility, his body moved before his mind could even register the attack. He twisted sharply and vanished from their line of sight.
Roooaaaarrrr!!!
A scream filled with agony pierced the air.
The monsters froze in shock.
When they turned toward the source of the scream, they saw one of their companions impaled through the chest, Ethan's sword protruding cleanly through its body.
The monster collapsed lifelessly.
Everything had happened in less than a breath.
Just moments ago, Ethan had been surrounded.
Now, one of them was dead.
[User has killed a monster]
[Monster Cultivation Base: 5th Level of Elementary Stage]
[Rewards:]
[System EXP: +25]
[User EXP: +25]
[Skill Points: +10]
[Attribute Points: +10]
[System Currency: +500]
"Phew…"
Ethan exhaled sharply.
After learning sword skills, the system had unlocked cultivation experience gains through combat. Killing enemies now increased both User Experience and System Experience.
This meant faster cultivation growth.
But Ethan did not let excitement cloud his judgment.
Killing was never easy.
Every strike carried the risk of death.
One mistake, and everything would end.
At the same time, the monsters did not realize something crucial.
Ethan was deliberately using psychological warfare.
When he was surrounded, he waited.
He allowed one monster to take the initiative.
He knew that when one monster attacked, the others would hesitate—watching, waiting, assessing the outcome. That brief hesitation created an opening.
Instead of countering the attacker behind him, Ethan ignored it.
He used his speed to strike one of the relaxed monsters instead.
That single moment of shock shattered their formation.
The remaining five monsters froze, their minds struggling to process what just happened.
Before they could recover—
Ethan disappeared again.
His figure blurred.
When he reappeared, two more heads rolled onto the ground.
[User has killed a monster]
[Monster Cultivation Base: 3rd Level of Elementary Stage]
[Rewards:]
[System EXP: +15]
[User EXP: +15]
[Skill Points: +5]
[Attribute Points: +5]
[System Currency: +200]
…
[User has killed a monster]
[Monster Cultivation Base: 5th Level of Elementary Stage]
[Rewards:]
[System EXP: +25]
[User EXP: +25]
[Skill Points: +10]
[Attribute Points: +10]
[System Currency: +500]
Blood splattered the ground.
The remaining monsters stood frozen in terror.
And Ethan—
Was already moving again.