Rawrghhh…
The ogre roared in anger the moment it saw Asyer move. The roar lasted only a heartbeat. With his extremely high Speed attribute, Asyer flashed forward, closed the seven-meter gap, and stood right in front of his opponent, ready to strike.
Asyer's red eyes tracked the ogre in slow motion. The chest, he murmured, locking onto the target. His hand, now covered in dark red scales, clenched tight; his sharp knuckles gleamed like blades.
Push…
Asyer's arm shot out like a bullet from the side, slamming straight into the ogre's chest.
[ Dealt damage +999… ]
[ Killed Ogre - Level 2, exp +800 ]
Two notification panels popped up, pulling him back to focus. His hand had pierced through the ogre's chest to its back; warmth from the blood coated his arm.
"Huhhh…"
Asyer pulled his hand free. The ogre's body collapsed to the ground. The status panel shifted.
[ Corpse: Ogre - Level 2 ]
[ Extract ]
Asyer calmly chose extract. The ogre's body broke into fragments of light, while its ragged skirt, necklace, and iron club remained on the ground.
[ Extraction successful (Corpse: Ogre - Level 2), obtained: ]
Energy Crystal x1
Iron Club x1
Ruby Pendant x1
Ragged Skirt x1
Asyer's gaze settled on a crystal the size of a big toe that had just appeared. He crouched and checked the panel.
[ Energy Crystal ] A condensed essence of the universe's energy. Can be used as a power source.
Important item, Asyer thought, then slipped the crystal into his pocket. He looked again at his blood-covered arm.
This strong? A level 2 ogre felt like a mosquito, dead without resistance, and he hadn't even used his Devil Dragon skill. Studying the bulging muscles along his arm, Asyer imagined others might be terrified of his current form. How do I return to a human shape? He searched for a way.
As if responding to his will, his body slowly shifted back into a human with fair skin, though the muscles beneath were still clearly defined.
"I'm taller by ten centimeters?" he muttered, noticing the change and accepting it with a hint of satisfaction.
He glanced toward the wall of clouds, the place where the ogre had appeared. Curious, Asyer stepped closer and reached out.
Before he could touch it, the cloud wall vanished like burning cotton, revealing an empty patch of space as wide as the land beneath his feet.
"Hmm…"
Asyer began to understand where he was. He leaned over the edge and peeked down. Just as I thought, only thick clouds below.
Combining everything he observed, Asyer concluded he was standing on a floating island.
"Can you move?" he murmured to the ground beneath his feet.
As if reading his mind, a notification appeared.
[ To move the island, you need to activate the Divine Core ]
As the message appeared, the surface of the banyan tree at the island's center began to glow.
"Alright…" Asyer said softly, starting to get it.
While walking toward the banyan, he checked whether he could mutate again.
[ (Infinite Mutation - SSS) Detected (human +2), mutation available… Are you sure you want to begin mutation? ]
Success rate: 50%
[ Yes / No ]
Asyer gave a slight nod. Just as I expected. He immediately closed the golden panel. He didn't want greed to take over. He even refused to open it again, worried a slip of the finger might accept it and leave him crippled out of greed.
He opened the system panel next. Red dots had appeared on the chat and market features, signs that conversations and trades were already happening.
Let's see, he thought, opening the Chat feature.
[ Chat System ]
Note: 10 free messages per day; beyond that, consumes 1 energy crystal
(Bella) Jonathan, my son. Where are you? Are you here? Message me if you see this, please…
(Vera) Damn it, these monsters have islands too. Be careful, I was almost tricked.
[ System: Lord Griffin God has fallen… ]
[ System: Lord Fallen Angel has fallen… ]
(Meng Hao) Don't fall down. You'll die instantly.
(Jeane) Hello, are you from Earth? Who is the U.S. president right now?
(Saanvi) Help me, a snake-monster island is chasing me… anyone, please…
(Edward) What talent grade did you get? I got grade A…
+999…
Messages poured in nonstop. Asyer had to hold the screen with his finger just to read. After a while, a pattern emerged: people from Earth had been transferred to a strange place called the Origin Realm. The reason and the mastermind were unknown. What was clear was that they had to survive on these islands above a sea of clouds while dealing with monsters that could emerge from the mist.
Asyer kept scrolling. Suddenly his finger stopped. His mind jolted.
"Lisa!" he shouted, pupils widening.
"Mother," he said again.
Goosebumps crawled over his skin. He swept his gaze around, hoping they would appear. He recalled what the Chat System said: island owners were those aged over fifteen, while his little sister was only thirteen.
Is she with Mother, on Mother's island? Asyer wondered, replaying the messages in his head.
Children under fifteen would appear on the island of their closest family. I hope so, he thought. He headed straight for the banyan tree to activate something called the Divine Core, if he remembered correctly.
When he reached the tree, a blue panel appeared.
[ Enter Lord name: ]
In a hurry, Asyer typed "Abyssal Dragon," matching his current race and because it sounded cool.
[ Name changed successfully, welcome Lord: Abyssal Dragon ]
[ Divine Core activated… ]
[ Proceed to summon… ]
As the panel displayed, the one-meter-tall banyan trembled. Its trunk grew past three meters, then stopped around five. Its leaves thickened, its roots looked even sturdier.
Does it have a panel? Asyer wondered. He checked immediately.
[ Divine Core ]
Lord: Abyssal Dragon
Type: Flora
Troops: -
Area: 10 m²
Speed: 5 knots
"Good," he said with rising spirit, though his thoughts drifted back to Mother and his sister, Lisa.
With access to move the island now open, Asyer looked in one direction and willed the island to advance.
Drururu…
The island rumbled, then glided the way he intended. "Good…" he whispered, anxious yet hopeful.
He opened the panel, switched to the Chat System, and tried sending messages to find Mother and Lisa. Even if he couldn't see their exact positions, just knowing they were safe would be enough.
Wherever the island moved, the clouds ahead parted, revealing an empty trail that stretched like a tunnel carved through the sky.
I hope they're okay, Asyer thought, gazing at the widening gap in the clouds. The wind tugged at his hair, making him forget the danger for a moment.
He didn't notice a jellyfish-like creature drifting down from the clouds and landing on the island. Its body was gray, with hundreds of tendrils beneath its dome, gliding quietly toward Asyer.
With his back turned, Asyer kept typing in the Chat System when a sudden jolt struck his back.
[ Incoming attack, damage +0 ]
His heart lurched. He closed the panel, transformed in an instant, spun around, and grabbed the gray jellyfish by the head, squeezing hard.
"Huh… huh…"
Asyer's chest rose and fell, still startled by the shock. It wasn't pain, his HP hadn't even dropped thanks to his high DEF.
What shook him was his carelessness. He had forgotten the most important thing: to keep himself safe. How can I look for Mother and my sister if I can't protect myself first?
Huft…
Asyer steadied his breathing and forced himself to calm down. He even stopped the island's movement. I can't be reckless, he told himself, pushing thoughts of Mother and his sister aside for now.
He looked at the jellyfish in his grip. Level 3? He glanced at its panel. Without hesitation, he crushed its head until it burst.
[ Dealt damage +999 ]
[ Killed Demon Jellyfish - Level 3, exp +910 ]
Once it turned into a corpse, Asyer extracted it without fuss. This time, no energy crystal dropped.
He glanced toward the thick wall of clouds in the distance as if he could see Mother and his sister there. "If fate allows it, we'll meet," he said softly, but firmly.
He decided not to act rashly and chose another way to find them: build a network of communication and hope to reunite later.
For now, even if he sailed the sea of clouds for the rest of his life, he might never cross paths with them.
Asyer turned to the banyan tree at the island's center. If I'm not mistaken, that can be mutated too, right? he thought, a faint smile on his lips as he walked toward the tree.