It had been a full week since Seth awakened, and the changes in the region were already obvious. The monsters weren't static—they were evolving. Just last week, there had only been a single tier-two monster prowling nearby. Now, more and more goblins were beginning to tier up, steadily climbing in strength. Fortunately, Seth hadn't needed to intervene. The men and women in his camp were growing as well, strong enough to handle tier-two monsters without his help.
'I don't want to set off just yet. If only there were someone with the ability to increase weight…' Seth thought, running a hand through his hair as he sank into deep consideration. The car-weight training method he had relied on was losing its edge; his body had already adapted, and the results were diminishing. What had once pushed him to his limits no longer challenged him at all.
He wanted more. He was convinced that with the right equipment—tools that could adapt to his strength rather than fall behind it—he could double his combat power every four days. But that was the problem. The stronger he grew, the more demanding the requirements became. He needed something that could scale alongside him, something that wouldn't break under his growing power.
The strength of the monsters reflected the rising strength of humanity as a whole. With tier-two monsters now appearing more frequently, it was safe to assume that elsewhere in the world, people capable of fighting them had also emerged. By Seth's estimate, most of these individuals would have reached a combat power in the range of 200 to 300. He doubted anyone had yet surpassed that threshold—300 was already pushing the limits of what seemed possible at this stage.
For him, however, his plans reached far higher. He had no interest in wasting time with the crumbs of low-tier crystals. Once he reached the level where he could hunt and kill tier-eight monsters, that was when the true rewards would begin. At that stage, their crystals would be worth absorbing. Each one contained a staggering 100 million XP, a number that made the tiny increments from tier-zero or tier-one crystals look pathetic in comparison.
Until then, he would bide his time. The small gains he had access to now weren't worth the effort.
So, if Seth wanted to reach the point where he could challenge a tier-eight monster, he needed to grow far stronger—and that meant venturing into the forest. The land they occupied was known as the Goblin Region. Like all regions, it had a designated boss. Defeating that boss would not only drop valuable loot but also grant the challenger the chance to inherit its position as the new regional ruler.
Naturally, the boss of a region had to be stronger than its kin. Ordinary goblins carried a combat power of around seventy-five, so the boss would logically stand at roughly double that amount, perhaps even higher. Seth knew this, and he welcomed it. He wasn't avoiding the fight—he was seeking it.
Blade in hand, he cut his way forward. Monsters fell in droves, each kill another step deeper into enemy territory. Goblin after goblin collapsed under his strikes, their bodies littering the forest path as he advanced without pause. Finally, after carving a bloody trail, Seth pushed into the very heart of the forest.
There, hidden among the trees, stood a goblin village.
[You have entered the Region Boss Zone. If you go forward, you will not be able to leave until all monsters are killed.]
Seth glanced at the notification but ignored it. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, and instantly a barrier shimmered into existence, sealing the entire village. Every monster inside was now trapped with him.
He calmly put his sword away. There was no need for steel here. Stepping into the mob, he relied only on his fists and feet. Each strike was devastating—one punch caved in skulls, one kick shattered ribs, and bodies crumpled beneath his casual movements. Goblins fell like wheat before the scythe, unable to slow his advance in the slightest.
"Roar!"
The air shook with the deafening cry of the region boss. A towering tier-two goblin, its muscles corded with power, bellowed from the center of the village. At its command, the lesser goblins surged with renewed vigor, their strength spiking as a buff swept through their ranks.
But it changed nothing. Even with their power increased by twenty percent, they were still ants before him. A single casual punch reduced their heads to pulp, their bodies collapsing in sprays of blood and bone.
Then, without warning, Seth's stride faltered. His muscles felt heavier, his body weaker, as though something was suppressing him from within. His sharp eyes narrowed. The goblins weren't just buffed—they had cast a debuff on him.
Jumping back, Seth narrowly avoided a streak of lightning that scorched the ground where he had been standing only a heartbeat before. His eyes flicked to his status, and the numbers confirmed what he already felt—his combat power had dropped to 140. Instead of frowning, he smirked and charged forward.
But the goblin mages were relentless. One after another, spells rained down upon him. Some warped the gravity around his body, increasing the weight he was forced to endure with each step. Others sapped at his speed, dragging at his movements, while still more dulled his strength, chipping away at his raw power. Layer upon layer of curses stacked on him, each one meant to cripple him completely.
Seth's expression hardened. With so many debuffs dragging him down, brute force alone wasn't enough. He drew his sword in a smooth motion, the blade flashing as he redirected his focus toward the true threat—the mages.
Even weakened, his movements carried precision. He was no longer untouchable; blows slipped past his guard, spells struck home, and injuries accumulated across his body. But none of it slowed him. He pressed forward with grim determination, weaving through the chaos of the village. Every swing of his blade cut through another foe, blood spraying as monsters collapsed in his wake.
Running along rooftops and through narrow paths, Seth carved a brutal trail, pushing ever closer to the cluster of mages that had dared to weaken him.
Boom!
Just as Seth's blade was about to cleave through a goblin mage, his instincts screamed. He twisted his body mid-swing, redirecting his strike into the path of a fireball. The blade split it cleanly, but he was unprepared for what came next. The spell detonated with a violent explosion, the shockwave slamming into him and sending him flying backward.
He twisted mid-air, forcing his body to flip before he hit the ground. Landing hard, he immediately rolled to the side, narrowly evading a razor-thin wind blade that carved into the earth where he had been. His breaths came heavy as he steadied himself, the acrid smell of burnt flesh clinging to him. Flames licked at his skin, charred patches already knitting back together as his body healed.
'Why was that fireball stronger than normal?' he thought, eyes narrowing. This was the first time he had encountered something like that. He locked his gaze on the group of magic-casting goblins, watching their hands carefully. Then he noticed it—one of them was taking longer to prepare a spell, layering additional power into the cast.
'Oh… it's enchanting the spell. That's what gave it the explosion capability,' Seth realized, his sharp mind piecing it together instantly.
Another fireball roared to life, hurtling toward him. The goblin casting it sneered, thinking Seth was too battered to move. But Seth didn't retreat. Instead, he lunged forward, using the incoming fireball as cover, his body vanishing behind the blaze to hide from the other casters' line of sight.
With a clean swing, Seth sliced the fireball in two. All he needed was a clear view of the spell to read its structure—if his eyes could trace it, then his blade could cut it. Earlier, he had struggled because the explosive variant wasn't the same type of fireball he was used to. Now, with his understanding sharpened, the spell parted before him without resistance.
Even as one hand gripped the sword, his other flicked a dagger straight toward the chanting goblin. The blade flew true—only to be deflected at the last second by a massive greatsword. Seth's eyes shifted toward the source, locking onto the region boss itself. The towering High Goblin stood ready, its weapon raised, glaring down at him with murderous intent.
Seth exhaled lightly, a faint sigh slipping past his lips. Then, suddenly, he felt it—a surge of power stirring within him. Some of the weight suppressing him was gone. His combat strength was beginning to return.
A grin spread across his face. Without hesitation, he rushed forward, his body twisting into a spin as he closed the distance with terrifying speed. The region boss braced for impact, preparing for a direct clash. But Seth stopped short, his sudden pause catching the monster completely off guard.