"Damn, this is intense… the deeper I go, the more the pressure keeps increasing," Ethan panted while walking around the streets of the city. He tried as much as possible to avoid open ground. Who knew what monstrosity was lurking here? Perhaps even more powerful than the wailing worm.
Ethan continued looking out for the best spot to rest. Today—or rather, these past few hours—had been tedious. After a long search, he finally came across what looked to be a shop. Although calling it a shop was an understatement.
It was massive, as large as a stadium. Ethan saw the diner: chairs twenty feet tall and ten feet wide, tables that looked nothing short of spectacular. "Damn," he sighed. After scanning the place and finding no danger, he set up camp and grilled ten pounds of void-eyed hound meat. The sizzling aroma filled the air but didn't travel far.
When he was done, Ethan decided to check his inventory.
[ Inventory – Level 2 (11/20) ]
[ Void-Eyed Low-Level Mutant Beast Core ×100 ]
[ Wailing Worm Mid-Level Beast Core ×50 ]
[ Night Walker High-Level Mutant Beast Core ×1 ]
[ Night Walker Mid-Level Mutant Beast Core ×15 ]
[ Wailing Worm Early-Level Sacred Beast Core ×1 ]
[ Chaos Harbinger Talisman (Usable 5×, unlocks at Level 50) ]
[ Tower Key ]
[ Map of the Giant Kingdom ]
[ Health Potion ×5 ]
[ Mana Potion ×1 ]
Ethan smiled in satisfaction. This journey was worth it. If he sold all those beast cores, he could easily earn over 100 million Ace Coins. That was more than enough to live like a king. But he had to be careful. These weren't ordinary cores like the ones sold in the common markets where beast weapons, armors, and materials were traded. If he dumped too many at once, someone would notice—and worse, report him to the officials. And in his current state, he couldn't protect his family if they came after him.
He sighed. None of this will matter when I reach the Supreme Realm. When that time comes, I'll conquer the entire system and make sure fairness is given to everyone. And when I surpass even the Supremes, no one will dare question me.
Feeling drowsy, Ethan let himself relax. Out of habit, he practiced the Star Sword Technique, Level 2, before drifting into sleep. Sometimes he even used it as a lullaby.
…
Ethan slept for a whole twenty hours. When he finally stirred, his body ached all over.
"Goddamn," he swore, stretching his stiff muscles.
But then he froze. His eyes widened, blood running cold. "What the fuck…"
Sitting right in front of him on one of the giant chairs was a being—a giant. Dust covered its body, and its eyes remained shut. But its chest rose and fell with every breath.
The truth hit Ethan like lightning. A giant had been sitting in front of him the entire time he slept.
[ Warning! A Fallen Giant is about to awaken. ]
[ Escape the one-mile radius within 30 minutes. ]
[ Failure to escape = Death. ]
"Crap!" Ethan didn't even think twice. He packed his gear and bolted from the shop. He flew down the giant steps like a grasshopper, heart hammering. Time was slipping away. This was no joke—this time Ethan was truly fucked.
He ran with everything he had. That giant wasn't some weakling—it was at least a mid-level sacred beast. Right now, he didn't have the strength to face one.
After twenty-five minutes of desperate sprinting, Ethan finally broke free of the range.
[ Congratulations! You have escaped the Fallen Giant. ]
[ No rewards gained. ]
"WTF?! You think if you don't reward me, I wouldn't have escaped?!" Ethan cursed furiously. "Oh my… if one beast here is this strong, how strong is the boss going to be?" He sighed. "Fuck it."
Then he did something insane. He marched straight back toward the shop. This time, he moved quietly, step by step. If he didn't test himself against the giant, how would he face the boss? And what if the boss was also a giant? That would be a real nightmare.
Inside again, Ethan activated all his gear and triggered [Shadow Smoke B]. Then, he leapt into the giant chair's shadow. "This is going to be painful," he muttered as he teleported behind the giant's neck. He clung to the chair tightly so as not to alert it. The system remained silent.
"Maybe it thinks I'm crazy too," Ethan thought grimly.
BAAAAAANG!
Ethan summoned the Starless Sword and swung. The blade that could pierce even Chaos Harbinger's skin cut deep.
Black blood sprayed everywhere. The giant's black eyes snapped open as it shrieked in rage and stood up.
"You're powerful, but too big. I'll kill you in no time," Ethan smirked, lunging again.
The giant roared, furious at the ant-sized man attacking it.
GRRROOOOOLAAAAARRRR!
For the first time, Ethan felt real fear.
SLAP!
The giant's palm smashed him, sending Ethan flying. He crashed onto the massive table.
"Blueeergh!" He vomited blood, his organs shaken inside his body. "Fuck," he groaned, rolling just in time to dodge another slap.
Tadadadadada!
Ethan sprinted along the giant's hand, running up toward its eye. Stab! His Starless Sword buried deep into the giant's eye. The beast roared in agony, but Ethan realized something—it was powerful, but sluggish in reaction.
SPUUUURT!
Black blood drenched Ethan's armor as the giant rampaged. It stumbled and crashed through the wall, bursting out into the streets.
"Shit!" Ethan braced himself.
BRAAAACK!
The impact shook the ground. Ethan coughed blood, glancing at his HP bar—it had dropped by 25 points.
"Damn you!" Ethan roared, stabbing again and again. Stab! Stab! Stab!
But even after dozens of strikes, the beast didn't falter. Its HP bar showed 300 points total, and each stab only shaved off 3.
"No… I need to use my strongest attack!"
Ethan drew the Starless Sword, channeling his Star Sword Technique, Level 1.
BAAAAANG!
The attack pierced the giant's second eye. The massive body tripped and crashed down.
Bang!
Ethan activated [Shadow Smoke] midair to dodge being crushed and avoided being crushed to thin bloody paste. but even then, the giant's flailing hand swatted him aside like a fly. He shot through the air and smashed into a building.
"Cough, cough…" Ethan's insides screamed in pain. His HP dropped by another 30 points, leaving only 45.
But he wasn't done. Gritting his teeth, Ethan pushed himself to his feet and charged. He hooked his sword into the giant's back, clinging on as the giant sprang to it feet.
GROOOOAAAAARRRRR!
The deafening roar nearly burst his eardrums. BOOM! BOOM! The ground shook as the giant began to run.
"Where the fuck are you running to?!" Ethan shouted, climbing to its shoulders. Gods only knew why, but the giant wasn't actively trying to kill him—it was rushing toward something.
"I don't care! I'll stab you till you fall!" Ethan roared, plunging his blade over and over again.
Minutes passed. The beast still refused to fall. Ethan summoned Black Knight, ordering it toward the giant's ears. Together they stabbed into its eardrums.
ROOOOOAAARRRR!
The giant slapped its ear, unleashing a shockwave. The blast flung Ethan through the air, and darkness swallowed his vision as he finally passed out.