Fighting Power Rises Again!
As Black approached the strange red fruit, a wave of fragrance hit him—warm, almost spicy, with a sweetness that felt alive. Just breathing it in made his head feel clearer, sharper.
He didn't hesitate. He plucked the fruit clean off the stem and bit into it.
It melted on his tongue—soft, warm, and sweet like honey with a wild edge. It tasted... alive.
Before he knew it, he'd devoured the whole thing, his fingers sticky with juice.
The moment it settled in his stomach, something ignited inside him.
A rush of heat bloomed through his chest and surged outwards, crawling through every nerve ending like liquid fire. His muscles tensed. Skin flushed. Something deep inside him cracked open—and rebuilt itself, stronger.
His body was burning, but it wasn't pain. It was power.
Then—ding.
[After eating the Red Python Fruit, you gain +8 Physical Attributes.]
[Your poison resistance has increased by 100%.]
"Fuck...!"
Black blinked.
Eight points. That was a massive jump.
And on top of that, full poison immunity?
He stared at the empty patch where the fruit had been. That strange, seven-leafed plant... was it really gone?
The grass it had grown from—the Red Python Grass—was already beginning to curl, the once-lush leaves turning brittle.
Black narrowed his eyes. There was no point wasting a potential resource.
All-Seeing Eye: Activate.
[Name]: Red Python Grass
[Intro]: A spirit herb that grows one leaf per year. After seven years, it bears a single Red Python Fruit.
[Note]: After the fruit is picked, the grass naturally withers and decomposes. Cannot be replanted or cultivated.
His jaw clenched. "Seriously?"
Seven years. One fruit. Then death.
A stubborn, one-shot herb.
Which meant... no way to mass produce it. It couldn't be farmed. Which also meant—
This fruit had to be incredibly rare. Probably born only in areas soaked with dense spiritual energy. Born from the world itself.
No wonder it was so powerful.
His mind spun. If this grass had soaked up spiritual essence for years... maybe, just maybe, there was something left.
He reached out, gently, pressing his palm against the dying plant.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then his palm lit up—soft, silvery white. The light spread across the grass like frost, and the entire stalk trembled.
It collapsed inward, blackening, crumpling into itself like paper in flame. In just seconds, it was dead.
But resting in Black's palm...
...was a bead of emerald green liquid, faintly glowing, pulsing like a heartbeat.
It smelled... divine.
[Soul Leech Success: You have extracted Spirit Grass Essence.]
[Spirit Grass Essence: A droplet of concentrated energy from a heaven-born plant. Slightly increases Physical Attribute upon consumption.]
He grinned.
"I fucking knew it."
He didn't wait. Opened his mouth. Tipped the liquid in.
The moment it touched his tongue, his entire mouth filled with a sharp, wild flavor—fresh-cut grass mixed with heat and something tangy and bitter. Then it was gone.
Warmth spread again, gentler this time. Like silk threading through his blood.
[+2 Physical Attribute]
[Your Combat Strength Evaluation has reached the 2-Star limit.]
His heart skipped.
Two-star limit.
Without thinking, he yanked open his stats.
[Name]: Black
[Level]: 1 (70/100)
[Strength]: 20 (Power Crazy — D-Rank Talent)
[Agility]: 21 (Wind Step — E-Rank Talent)
[Physique]: 28 (Poison Resistance +100%, No Talent Yet)
[Energy]: 32 (Vision Supervision — E, Enhanced Smell — F)
[Innate Talent]: Soul Leech (SSS-Rank)
[Skill]: All-Seeing Eye
[Combat Power]: ★★ (2-Star Limit)
Black stared, breathing heavy.
This... this was real. All of it.
Not just stats on a screen—but strength in his bones, in his blood. He could feel it.
Even better, his attribute panel was evolving—becoming clearer, more specific.
He now understood: talents weren't just random. They aligned with the core attributes—strength, agility, physique, and energy.
Three of those, he already had awakened talents for.
Only physique remained... though even there, he now had a 100% resistance to poison. Something not even talent-level buffs gave.
And the combat strength? He was already brushing the edge of 3 stars. Factoring in his talents and unique abilities, he was easily punching into ★★★★ territory.
That meant...
Even if he ran into three or four Level 1 beasts now, he could probably take them. Solo.
His lips curled.
"Not bad," he muttered. "Not bad at all."
His fingers closed around the hilt of his steel knife. He turned, ready to move.
"One more viper corpse... and I'm out of Beginner Land."
But then—
"...Huh?"
He paused.
Just ahead, in the dirt, faint and messy—were tracks.
Boot prints. Several.
And next to them... a huge winding trail, like something massive had slithered through.
A snake.
His eyes sharpened.
Another Ninefold Viper?
He moved quickly, scanning the path. The ground was disturbed. Bushes crushed. Trees bent.
Black crouched, following the trail with soft, soundless steps.
It didn't take long.
Fifteen minutes later, he reached a dip in the terrain. Ahead, somewhere beyond the trees—voices.
Not human voices. Yelling. Shouting. Fighting.
He slowed.
Dropped into a crouch and crept forward, inching through the underbrush.
Then, carefully, he pushed aside the leaves and peeked through.
What he saw made his pulse spike.
Seven humans were surrounding something in a clearing—attacking from all sides, shouting commands, sweat flying.
In the center—
A Ninefold Viper.
Massive. Violent. Toxic.
Alive... for now.
Black's lips parted.
Perfect.
Another viper corpse was about to drop—and this one, he wouldn't have to fight for.
He just had to wait.
And then… feast.