"I broke through again..." Malik couldn't help but feel elated as the solution to his cultivation base had finally been found. He needed these monster cores… they were the key to helping him achieve breakthroughs.
But unfortunately for Malik, only Final Boss monsters dropped their cores, so it would be incredibly hard to find them—except by raiding dungeons and ruins, which was something that couldn't be done alone.
After recovering from the shock, Malik's eyes turned to the last item on the floor. He picked it up and used his appraisal skill on it.
Feral Skin:
Rank: ???
Description: Created from the body of the Alpha Feral Horned Wolf. It can be both a blessing or a curse to the wearer.
"A blessing or a curse?" Malik's eyes twitched as he stared at the shirt. If it was a blessing, then great—but if it was a curse, it could affect his cultivation base, leveling, or even his skills.
"Should I test it out or not?" Malik couldn't help but ask himself. He was torn, contemplating whether to wear it or not. In the end, he left everything to fate and put on the Feral Skin—which blended perfectly with his own skin.
He felt a soothing sensation as dark runes wrapped around his body. The shirt, the pants, the boots, and the gloves began to resonate with each other. The four items fused into one as dark runes roamed across them.
Malik's aura skyrocketed at that instant, and his stats exploded—so much so that even he was surprised by everything. The four items had linked together and transformed into a Feral Suit—a black suit with intricate runes and horns, making Malik look more like a devil.
With trembling hands, Malik pulled up his system interface and scrolled to his status page.
---
[Player Status]
Name: Man Like Malik
Class: Body Refinement Realm Cultivator
Stage: 3
Level: 4
HP: 10,000/10,000
QP: 1,000/1,000
SQP: 250/20,000
Attributes:
Strength: 250
Agility: 350
Endurance: 220
Intelligence: 50
Stat Points: 20
Skills:
<
Absorbs spiritual energy from opponents (for user recovery)
<
Item:
Feral Suit
Rank: ????
Title:
Wolf Slayer – When equipped, increases damage done to the Wolf race by 10% and invokes fear in enemies.
Physique: Primordial Chaos Physique
---
"At level 4, I have the strength of a level 15 player... Is this good news or bad news?" Malik couldn't help but ask himself before bursting into loud laughter.
"This is indeed good news. If I can continue at this pace, then it won't be long before I can get my revenge on the Shadow Guild." His eyes sharpened at the mention of the Shadow Guild. They owed him a debt—and they would surely repay it. But for now, he had to focus on getting stronger.
With that resolved, Malik made his way toward Green Leaf Town.
---
When Malik arrived at Green Leaf Town, he couldn't contain his shock. A town well-known for being bustling and packed with players was almost empty—as if nobody was there. Malik wandered around the nearly deserted town, wondering where all the players had gone.
He was still walking when he finally met another player. This player was level 4, just like him—no doubt a beginner. Malik approached him, hoping to get some information.
"Excuse me, Mister," Malik began politely.
The young man looked up to see a player at the same level as him. The sadness on his face deepened, which made Malik even more confused.
"I just came back from a quest and was surprised to see the town so empty. I haven't come across anyone at all—except you," Malik said. Of course, he didn't lie—he had just come back from a quest.
"You just came back from a quest?" the young man's eyes flashed as he looked Malik up and down. His appraisal skill didn't work on Malik's gear, and that alone made his eyes gleam with curiosity.
'This person must be an expert or from a rich background. He's wearing high-quality gear… I need to curry his favor.'
"Yes... any problem with that?" Malik arched a brow.
The young man quickly shook his head. "No, there's not. It's just that… an announcement was made that someone had conquered the Feral Cave, and the Feral Dungeon has opened up. A lot of experts have come to Green Leaf Town. Tons of guilds too. Even solo players are forming parties to explore the dungeon. The only restriction is that Tier 1 players aren't allowed. It's rumored that inside the dungeon, players might find the opportunity to smoothen their Tier 1 promotion quest. So now, a bunch of high-level players have gathered at the entrance trying to conquer it."
The young man explained slowly, and Malik nodded, taking in every detail.
"So why aren't you there?" Malik asked.
The young man looked a bit surprised. "That place isn't for people like us. There are too many high-level players—level 10 and above. They've explored all the modes and still haven't conquered even one. How can we low-level players stand a chance? No one will let us into their party, and even if we band together, it's just a suicide mission. So, I figured there's no point."
Malik agreed—but his thinking was different. If he could defeat the boss monster inside the dungeon, he could get a monster core—and boost his cultivation base.
"I'll go take a look. Where's the place?" Malik asked.
The young man couldn't help but look at him in surprise.
'This guy seems extraordinary…'
"I'll take you there. The name's Young Star." The young man sent Malik a friend request, and Malik accepted without hesitation.
'Man Like Malik… what a tyrannical name.'