BOOM! BOOM! Explosions shook the vast jade hall. Blue flames swallowed everything.
A lone figure—average in height, hair silver and wild—was seen darting around the beast with impossible speed, trying to maneuver through the chaos. But the dragon's infernal fire engulfed the entire space.
Ethan activated his Swallow Step, vanishing in streaks of light. Yet even that was nearly useless against the nine-headed beast.
BRAAACK!
One colossal draconic paw smashed into him. His Lightning Armor held, but his organs screamed from the impact.
[ new sub-quest received ]
[ survive the chaos harbinger's assault for 1 month to unlock a new skill: ???????? ]
"What? Why are the rewards always blurred out?!" Ethan snarled. But he didn't dare slow down—death prowled with every step.
What confused him most was why the system wanted him to survive, not slay, this monster.
"The way you earthlings measure the levels of beasts is all wrong," the ancient voice rumbled. "With the system, you will know their true level."
Ethan only snorted. He couldn't deny it was right.
Moments later, he saw an opening. His body blurred forward as he unleashed Star Sword Strike. Blue constellations connected in his slash, bending space itself.
The beast roared, stunned. Pressure crushed its movements, slowing its titanic body. How could an ant exert such weight on space itself?
BANG!
The Starless Sword tore through one of its heads, slicing it clean off.
"YES!" Ethan shouted. The technique was devastating, and the sword sharp enough to pierce even divine scales.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
A rain of fireballs hammered him in retaliation. Ethan's HP bar plunged—down by 30. Blood sprayed from his mouth as his body convulsed in agony.
"Dammit…" He staggered, forcing his water aspect to douse the flames—but it barely mattered. The chaos fire burned too deep.
The fight dragged on. Days bled into nights, though time was meaningless in this shattered hall. Even with one head severed, the Chaos Harbinger grew stronger, not weaker.
By the 8th day, Ethan was scorched, pale, and haggard, but he cut through the second head with sheer will.
The dragon howled.
[ warning: the chaos harbinger has increased its attributes and unlocked a new skill ]
[ attributes: strength 450, agility 450, stamina 450, speed 450 ]
[ new skill: < chaos inferno > – beast's power increases after each head is severed ]
Ethan's face twisted. "Its stats increased… by fifty?!"
The realization chilled him. Each head he cut only fueled its evolution. No wonder the system said survive, not kill.
Two weeks of carnage passed. Four heads gone. Ethan looked like a corpse—his skin charred, his body thin, eyes sunken. Yet his blade still swung, carving through eternity with defiance.
The dragon, however, only grew more terrifying.
[ warning: the chaos harbinger has increased its attributes ]
[ attributes: strength 575, agility 575, stamina 575, speed 575 ]
The jade temple lay in ruins. The once-mighty hall was rubble, walls burned black, air heavy with the stink of blood—both Ethan's and the beast's.
On the 18th day, the Harbinger stood with only one head left. Its power was monstrous. Its blue flames made the ground boil.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
Man and beast collided again, their speed blurring into light. Ethan barely stood. His body trembled like a broken bowstring. Yet his eyes… his eyes still burned with iron will.
By now, his mastery over Star Sword Technique Level 1 was absolute. He had even unlocked Level 2—but there was no time to check it.
He glanced at his own status mid-dodge, barely breathing.
And froze.
…For some reason, his water skills were gone.