Ethan walked slowly toward the entrance of the enormous palace, each step measured and careful. It would be a lie to say that he was calm. In fact, his nerves were stretched taut, like a bowstring pulled to its absolute limit.
He was extremely nervous.
The fear of the unknown had always been terrifying, but for someone like Ethan—who came from a world where killing for personal gain was condemned rather than encouraged—that fear was amplified many times over. Even after spending time in this cultivation world, even after killing monsters with his own hands, the instinctive resistance ingrained deep within him had not completely disappeared.
This was not a game.
This was not a novel.
This was his life.
And one wrong step could end it permanently.
As he approached the entrance, Ethan subconsciously slowed his breathing, trying to steady his racing heart. The palace loomed before him like a silent giant, ancient and indifferent, its massive doors standing tall as if mocking his insignificance.
Just as he was about to take another step forward, Ethan suddenly froze.
His entire body stiffened.
At the entrance of the majestic palace, something enormous lay sprawled across the ground.
A monster.
It was curled up, its massive form partially blocking the path, its breathing slow and deep. At first glance, it appeared to be asleep—deeply asleep.
But despite its stillness, Ethan felt an overwhelming sense of danger radiating from it.
His scalp tingled.
His instincts screamed at him to retreat.
"This…" Ethan swallowed hard. "This thing is dangerous."
He did not need the System to tell him that. The pressure alone was enough to make his skin crawl. Even without moving, even without opening its eyes, the monster exuded an aura that made the giant monster he had fought earlier feel almost insignificant in comparison.
Ethan did not want to fight this monster.
Not now.
Not here.
He had already experienced how terrifying a true monster could be when he fought the giant one near the Spirit Pool. That battle had nearly cost him his life, pushing him to the brink of death. Even now, the memory of that desperate struggle was vivid in his mind.
And this monster?
His instincts told him clearly—it was even stronger.
More importantly, fighting this monster would almost certainly damage his Soul. Even minor damage to his Spirit would put him in a terrible position. Recovering Soul injuries was not like healing physical wounds. Without a Spirit Pool or high-grade Soul recovery pills, the process could take years.
He could not afford that.
He absolutely could not afford to return to a weakened state again, especially when the Soul God's Inheritance was so close.
So Ethan made a decision.
Avoid it.
No matter what, he would avoid fighting this monster.
Carefully, he adjusted his posture and began moving toward the entrance with extreme caution. Every movement was deliberate. He minimized the sound of his footsteps, distributing his weight evenly so that not even a pebble would shift beneath his feet.
He even controlled his breathing, slowing it down to the point where it was barely audible.
His heart thumped violently in his chest, but he forced himself to remain calm.
Don't wake it up…
Please don't wake up…
Step by step, Ethan edged closer to the entrance. The monster did not stir. Its massive chest rose and fell rhythmically, deep in slumber.
A sense of cautious relief crept into Ethan's heart.
I can do this.
I don't need to fight it.
I just need to slip inside.
Finally, he reached the threshold of the entrance.
For a brief moment, hope blossomed in his chest. At the very least, he would not have to face this terrifying creature head-on.
But fate, as always, had other plans.
DUM! DUM! DUM!
The sudden sound echoed sharply through the air.
Ethan jolted as if struck by lightning.
"What—?"
A bell-like sound rang out from nowhere, deep and resonant, vibrating through the surroundings. The sound carried an unmistakable sense of warning, like an alarm being triggered.
Ethan's heart sank.
His eyes darted around instinctively, scanning the area for the source of the sound. But no matter where he looked, he found nothing—no bells, no mechanisms, no visible arrays.
Then, slowly, dread crawled up his spine.
He turned his gaze back toward the monster.
Its eyes were open.
Ethan's breath caught in his throat.
The monster had awakened.
Its massive eyelids lifted, revealing blood-red pupils that glowed faintly in the dim light. The moment Ethan met its gaze, an intense killing intent washed over him like a tidal wave.
His mind went blank.
Run!
Ethan did not hesitate for even a fraction of a second.
He turned and dashed toward the palace entrance with all the speed he could muster.
But before he could cross the threshold—
Danger!
A chilling sense of impending death crashed down on him.
Before Ethan could react, before he could even think, something slammed violently into his abdomen.
The impact was brutal.
Ethan's body was sent flying backwards like a ragdoll.
He crashed into the ground nearly fifty meters away from the palace entrance, rolling across the rough terrain before finally coming to a stop.
"Cough—!"
Ethan spat out a mouthful of blood as pain exploded throughout his body. His vision blurred momentarily, stars dancing in front of his eyes.
Rage and fear mixed together, turning his eyes bloodshot.
He forced himself to stand up, gritting his teeth against the pain.
When he looked back toward the entrance, his heart sank even further.
The monster was now standing.
It had positioned itself directly in front of the palace entrance, its massive frame acting like an immovable wall. Its presence alone was enough to make the air feel heavy, oppressive.
The aura emanating from it was terrifying.
Ethan felt as if invisible chains were wrapping around his limbs, suppressing his movements. It was far worse than anything he had experienced before.
Earlier, when the monster was asleep, he hadn't seen its eyes clearly.
Now that he did, the sight alone was enough to instil fear in anyone.
Its pupils burned with a deep crimson hue, filled with cold indifference and savage hostility. Anyone who met its gaze would feel their soul tremble.
A System notification flashed before Ethan's eyes.
HP: -70
Ethan's pupils shrank.
"What…?"
His heart skipped a beat.
That single casual attack had taken away thirty points of his health.
That was nearly half of his total HP.
Ethan felt a chill spread through his entire body.
He was only at the Elementary Stage. Even with his enhanced physique, he should not have been able to withstand such an attack. And yet, this monster had not even tried seriously.
Just a casual strike…
And I almost lost half my life.
Cold sweat dripped down Ethan's back.
He finally understood something clearly.
This monster was far more dangerous than the giant monster he had fought earlier.
When he had faced the giant monster, he had nearly died despite exhausting all his resources and strategies. That monster had been incredibly difficult to deal with.
And now—
This one was even worse.
Ethan raised his gaze and focused on the information displayed above the monster's head.
[Name: Novulla]
[Species: Volgo Race]
[Cultivation Base: 3rd Level of Physique Strengthening Stage]
Ethan's breath caught.
"Physique Strengthening Stage…"
Not only that—
Third Level!
When he had fought the giant monster, it had been at the 1st Level of Physique Strengthening Stage. Even then, he had been pushed to his absolute limits.
This monster was two minor realms higher.
The difference was not small.
It was overwhelming.
A bitter smile crept onto Ethan's face.
"So this is what a 'V' Ranked mission really means…"
The System's words echoed in his mind.
V-Ranked Mission.
Back on Earth, Ethan had been the only person to complete a V-Ranked mission in the game. He knew better than anyone how cruel and unforgiving such missions were.
But that was a game.
This was reality.
In a game, death was temporary. Players could revive, pay a penalty, and continue living. Even if the mission failed, life went on.
Here?
Death was permanent.
There were no second chances.
No resurrection.
No retries.
If he died once, everything would end.
No matter how powerful the System was, it would not bring him back to life.
Ethan clenched his fists tightly.
He glanced briefly at the palace entrance behind Novulla.
There was no way around it.
There was no retreat.
The bell sound from earlier finally made sense.
It was an alarm array.
The moment he tried to enter the palace, the array activated and awakened the guardian.
I was careless…
Ethan's jaw tightened.
If he had thought more carefully, if he had used the System to scan for arrays, he could have deactivated it beforehand. If he had done that, this monster would still be sleeping peacefully.
And none of this would have happened.
But regrets were meaningless now.
What was done was done.
The monster's blood-red eyes locked onto Ethan, its killing intent sharp and merciless.
Ethan straightened his back.
There was only one path left.
Fight.
Either he killed this monster—
Or he died here.
There was no third option.
Ethan took a deep breath, forcing the fear in his heart to settle.
"If I'm going to die," he muttered softly, "then I'll die fighting."
His gaze hardened.
"I won't run."
The decision was made.
This was the price of carelessness.
And he would pay it—either with victory, or with his life.