The deeper Renji stepped into the fog-laced ruins, the stranger everything became.
The mist no longer clung — it pressed. Heavy. Like walking through a living thing. Each step left behind a faint glow, his soles lighting up blue veins that pulsed along the ground before vanishing into cracked stone.
The temperature dropped. The jungle sounds died. No birds. No insects.
Only hissing.
Soft. Continuous. All around him.
Renji's grip tightened on the rusted blade in his hand.
His lungs burned. The fog was doing something. He stumbled and winced as a cold sensation clawed down his spine. A notification flickered at the edge of his vision — not words, but instinct.
Something was wrong with the air.
Poison? Toxins?
His heartbeat slowed. He could feel his energy drain — not rapidly, but surely.
So this is what a Gate Hazard feels like…
He checked his status.
Vitality: Low.
Status: Health draining. Toxin buildup increasing.
Renji clenched his teeth. His points — he still had two left. But he held off.
Not yet. I'll push through first.
Then, he heard it — a faint crunch beneath his boot. He froze.
His gaze rose slowly… and widened.
A nest.
Dozens of egg-like sacs, wrapped in vine, pulsated faintly along the damp stone. The walls surrounding them were marked with ancient murals — fanged serpents devouring warriors, and others being worshipped by hooded figures. A shrine of reptiles.
At the center lay the Matron.
Twice the size of the serpents he'd fought before. Its scales shimmered with a pale green hue, and its dull yellow eyes were fixed on him — unblinking, unafraid.
But it didn't strike.
It was guarding.
Renji felt it before he even processed the sight: this thing was different. The pressure in the air shifted. His blade felt heavier. Even the fog seemed to recoil slightly.
Boss-level…?
The snake hissed, low and guttural. The sacs behind it pulsed faster.
A thrum of energy filled his chest — not fear. Not anymore.
Fearless Tenacity activated.
No fear. No debuff. For thirty minutes.
His mind cleared. Even the toxin felt like it backed off, just enough.
Then the Matron lunged.
Renji moved.
A burst of speed — his body reacted before thought. His footwork shifted.
Dash. Level one. Fast enough.
Fangs grazed his shoulder — and the pain came fast. Acid hissed on contact, melting through cloth and biting into flesh. His vision blurred for a heartbeat.
But he didn't fall.
Blood slid down his arm in thin lines. And yet his eyes sharpened.
His body shifted.
Adaptive Evolution in motion.
Acid movement synced: 20%.
He darted forward — ducked low — kicked off a vine-covered slab — and aimed high, toward the glowing eye of the beast.
Missed.
The Matron coiled mid-air and slammed into him with crushing force.
Stone cracked beneath him as his back hit the ground.
His ribs screamed. But he gritted his teeth, rolled sideways, forced himself upright.
"I'm not dying in a damn snake pit," he muttered.
The Matron reared again.
And Renji ran — not away, but toward the nest.
The beast shrieked, surging after him in a blur. Its tail lashed behind, breaking murals and stones alike. But Renji wasn't slow.
He slid — reversed direction mid-run — ducked beneath its lunging bulk — and drove his blade upward, straight through its underbelly.
Crunch.
A sickening squelch followed. The Matron's body shuddered. It slammed against the wall, thrashing wildly. Acid gushed from its wound, splattering across stone.
Renji staggered back, panting. His legs trembled. His blade dripped with venom and blood.
The serpent gave one final jerk — then collapsed.
Silence.
Thick. Heavy. Real.
He didn't smile. He couldn't. His arm burned. Acid had carved a spiral-shaped scar across his shoulder to his wrist.
But it was over.
F-Rank Elite Beast defeated: Broodscale Matron.
XP gained. Beastline Sample extracted.
Something shimmered in the air. A soft hum filled the ruins.
Beast Resonance increased… 8%.
Partial Mutation Option Detected: "Viper Aura Armor."
Delay or Accept?
His eyes lingered on the words.
A Mutation. Already?
He let his head fall back for a second. Inhaled the cold, poison-tinged air. His body ached, but his heart beat steady.
"...Later," he whispered. "Still beasts left."
The Gate pulsed softly in the background, echoing his progress.
> Gate Progress: 3/12 beasts eliminated.
Gate Boss: Defeated.
Stat Synchronization complete.
---
Current Status – Renji
Level: 6
Points: 4
Strength: 11
Speed: 20
Perception: 15
Endurance: 12
Vitality: 7
Luck: 7
Beast Resonance: 8%
Skills:
Feral Claw – Lv 1
Predator's Gaze (Growth Skill – F Rank)
Fearless Tenacity [Passive]
Dash – Lv 1
New Beastline Skill Acquired – Analysis Pending