In the dim, mist-laden forest, time slipped by like grains of sand through an unseen hourglass.
It had been half an hour since Alex stepped into the secret realm. He was already returning with a rich harvest—every monster he hunted had been stronger than himself, and the experience poured in like a storm wind, unstoppable.
Now, his EXP was brushing right against the threshold of level 4—just 5% short.
Ahead, a massive serpent lay coiled atop an ancient tree, its body clad in dark green scales. Cold, vertical pupils fixed on the forest floor below.
Above its head floated a halo, marked clearly:
LV.5 — Shadow Serpent (Elite)
—It seemed he was steadily drawing closer to the realm's core.
"Gregory, that guy… don't tell me he's stuck farming mobs on the outskirts." Alex shook his head with a wry smile as he moved forward.
The two had agreed beforehand: no matter where they were dropped, they would push toward the core and eventually meet up. Not seeing him now probably meant that big lug had gotten lost in the thrill of battle again.
But Alex had no time to waste.
He crouched, picked up a rock the size of his fist, and let power surge through his frame. With a single motion, he hurled it—stone splitting the air like a thunderbolt, piercing through the void to strike the serpent dead-on at its seven-inch weak point.
—Whumm!
The great tree shuddered violently, sending gray leaves raining down as the serpent let out a shrill cry, tumbling from its perch.
[—762]
One hit, and its health bar dropped by a full fifth.
"Hm? Tough one." Alex arched a brow.
This world might have absorbed certain elements from online games, but it wasn't a full copy. Awakened humans had access to an attribute panel, but there were no so-called "class changes," and they could not see HP bars with the naked eye.
Monsters, on the other hand, were no different from the mobs in virtual games—their health, level, and type all clearly visible.
According to research by the Federation's high-ranking arcanists, a Skybreaker's vitality was proportional to their Constitution stat. From a gaming perspective, human HP was roughly double their Constitution value.
As for damage output… that was a far more complex story.
Generally speaking, Strength governed physical attacks, while Spirit dictated magical output. But those were just the basics—talents, skills, weapon quality, and other factors all played a part.
Alex might possess the SSS-ranked talents Infinite Ascension and Redistribution, but without any skills to his name, all he could rely on was his monstrous four-dimensional stats, crushing monsters with nothing but raw flesh and bone.
For beasts below level 5, a single strike was enough to kill. But this elite Shadow Serpent… would take a bit more effort.
"Time you dropped me a skill book, don't you think?" Alex muttered as he sidestepped another lunging strike.
His right foot slammed against the ground, sending a spray of gravel up to interrupt the serpent's attack. Then, his body flashed silver—dropping from above like a falling star. His elbow came down in a brutal arc.
Boom!
The serpent convulsed a few times before going limp, its life snuffed out.
[Killed LV.5 Elite Monster — Shadow Serpent]
[Loot ×1]
[EXP +58]
[Congratulations! You have reached LV.4]
As the notifications faded, a holy light rose from his body, washing away all fatigue in an instant.
"Not bad."
Alex rolled his shoulders, then let his gaze fall to the faint, floating orb of white light beside the serpent's corpse.
Loot.
Just as the stories claimed—elite monsters sometimes dropped rewards.
Striding forward, Alex reached out and grasped it.
In the next moment, the light dissipated, revealing a thin, tattered-covered book that dropped into his palm.
"Oh? A skill book?" He grinned in surprise. "Finally, something worth the effort."
[Name]: Strong Kick
[Grade]: Bronze
[Type]: Close-Combat Skill
[Effect]: Focuses the user's entire strength into a powerful low kick, dealing double Strength damage.
[Cooldown]: 300 seconds
"Bronze grade? Not bad. The best part—no weapon restrictions. Perfect for bare-handed combat."
Even the most basic skill book would spark a frenzy among ordinary Skybreakers—most had never even seen a skill with their own eyes, let alone held one.
And this one? Dropped from an elite monster.
"But… I have Infinite Ascension."
The corner of Alex's lips curved upward as he activated his talent without hesitation.
In the next instant, that all-too-familiar wave of weakness crashed over him, as if his very soul were being drained. But under the infusion of Ascension's power, the tattered bronze skill book in his hands began to renew itself at a breathtaking pace.
Golden holy light bloomed from its pages.
[Name]: Bone Shatter
[Grade]: Gold
[Type]: Close-Combat Skill
[Effect]: Delivers a low guard-breaking kick with a chance to disrupt the enemy's defensive stance. On a successful hit, knocks the target back and generates a shockwave, dealing damage to multiple enemies in front.
[Cooldown]: 120 seconds
Gold! A leap of two entire ranks—a complete qualitative transformation.
Alex's eyes lit up.
"A fine skill."
At auction, a gold-tier skill book could easily fetch a sky-high price—no less than a million Federation credits. Such quality was exceedingly rare during the entire novice stage.
"Learn it."
Without hesitation, he absorbed the Bone Shatter skill into his body.
In an instant, a searing white light surged into his mind, a resonant hum echoing through his bones. Countless profound insights into legwork and martial techniques unfolded in his consciousness, as if he had trained in them for years.
[Skill Acquired: Bone Shatter LV1]
The system prompt appeared—and at long last, Alex had gained his first active combat skill in this life!
"Almost forgot… I still have attribute points."
The growth from leveling up wasn't finished yet. He immediately summoned his panel and dumped all newly acquired free points into his stats.
[Name]: Alex
[Level]: LV4 (2%)
[Strength]: 700
[Agility]: 700 (+66)
[Spirit]: 700 (+102)
[Constitution]: 700
[Skill]: Bone Shatter LV1
[Equipment]: Starfall Pendant (Epic)
[Talents]: SSS · Redistribution / SSS · Infinite Ascension (Unique)
All four core stats were maxed out. With equipment bonuses, his total attributes were nearing three thousand!
Numbers like that—there was no second person in the entire Holy Empire who could compare.