To unlock the Level 2 System, Han Chen needs a massive surge of Energy and Points. The basement of the Jade Emperor Tower is the perfect place—it's where the building's main generator once hummed, now a dark, flooded cavern ruled by a nightmare.
Chapter 6: The Abyssal Heart
The air grew thick with the stench of ozone and rotting fish as Han Chen and a trembling Lin Mei descended the final flight of stairs. The basement was completely submerged, a black lake held back only by a flickering energy barrier.
[WARNING: BOSS TERRITORY DETECTED.]
[ENTITY: 'THE KRAKEN-BORN MOTHER' (LEVEL 25)]
[OBJECTIVE: KILL THE MOTHER TO FORCE SYSTEM ASCENSION.]
"Han, we have to go back," Lin Mei whispered, her hand gripping his arm. The "Bond" made her sense his danger, and her protective instincts were screaming. "Even a full Sky-Guard squad wouldn't enter the basement without heavy artillery."
"Then watch me do it alone," Han said, his voice cold.
He didn't wait. He plunged into the dark water.
The Battle: Blood and Shadow
Through his Deep-Sea Vision, the world turned a ghostly green. In the center of the room, coiled around the massive titanium pillars of the foundation, was the Mother. She was a horror of evolution—a massive, bloated torso covered in human-like arms, with a lower body of writhing, barbed tentacles.
As Han approached, the Mother's eyes—dozens of them—snapped open.
[BATTLE START!]
A tentacle, thick as a tree trunk and lined with razor-sharp suckers, whipped through the water. Han spun, his Agility allowing him to narrowly avoid being crushed. He closed the distance, his fist glowing with a faint, golden light as he channeled his Strength into a single point.
BOOM!
His punch landed on the creature's soft underbelly, erupting in a shower of black ichor. The monster shrieked, a psychic wave that made Han's nose bleed.
"Han!" Lin Mei screamed from the stairs. She couldn't help herself; she dove into the water, her laser-blade cutting through the smaller "Larvae" that began swarming from the ceiling.
Han was caught. A tentacle wrapped around his waist, the barbs sinking into his flesh. The Mother pulled him toward her gaping, circular maw.
Is this it? Han thought, the pressure crushing his ribs.
No. I am the Founder. I am the King!
[SYSTEM ALERT: SURVIVAL OVERLOAD ACTIVATED!]
[TEMPORARY SKILL UNLOCKED: 'TITAN GRIP']
Han grabbed the tentacle that held him and, with a roar of pure, primal fury, he tore it in half. The water turned opaque with blood. He lunged forward, grabbing the Mother's main head. He drove his fingers into her central eyes and ripped them out.
The creature thrashed, its life force fading. With one final, massive punch, Han shattered the Mother's skull against the foundation pillar.
The Rewards: Ascension
As the monster's massive body went limp, a blinding golden light erupted from its heart, flowing directly into Han Chen.
[BOSS KILLED! +5,000 EXPERIENCE GAINED!]
[LEVEL UP! LEVEL 4 ➔ LEVEL 10]
[SYSTEM LEVEL UP! LEVEL 1 ➔ LEVEL 2: 'THE AGE OF EVOLUTION']
[LEVEL 2 SHOP UNLOCKED:]
* GENE_EVOLUTION_SERUM (Grade F): Permanently increases a consort's power. (Cost: 2,000 pts)
* PHEROMONE_CONTROL: Passive skill to increase attraction/obedience in females. (Cost: 1,500 pts)
* HYDRO_KINESIS (Basic): Control water within a 10m radius. (Cost: 3,000 pts)
* FANTASY_REALM_CLOTHING: Silk dresses that never dirty and enhance the wearer's beauty. (Cost: 500 pts)
[ASCENSION BONUS:]
You have gained the skill: DYNASTY_EYE. You can now see the "Loyalty" and "Fertility" stats of any female.
The Aftermath: A Hot Celebration
Han dragged himself out of the water, his chest heaving. Lin Mei was there, dripping wet, her eyes wild with adrenaline and a strange, desperate hunger. The sight of Han killing a Level 25 Boss had completely shattered her image of him as a "weak scavenger." To her DNA, he was now the Apex Predator.
"You're... you're a god," she breathed, crawling toward him on the damp concrete.
Han looked at her through his Dynasty Eye.
> Target: Lin Mei
> Loyalty: 65% (Rising)
> Fertility: High (Optimal for First Heir)
>
Han didn't say a word. He grabbed the front of her wet military shirt and ripped it open, sending buttons flying into the dark.
"I'm cold, Mei," he growled, his hand gripping her throat—not to hurt, but to claim. "Warm me up."
She didn't resist. She let out a soft, needy whimper as he pushed her down onto the cold stone, his body pinning her wet, shivering form. The contrast between the freezing basement and the searing heat of their bodies was intoxicating.
He moved with a new, Level 10 power. Every touch was firm, every kiss was a conquest. He pulled her legs around his waist, his fingers tracing the glowing runes on her thighs that were now pulsing with a deep violet light.
"Please," she moaned, her pride finally crumbling under the weight of the Bond. "Han... give it to me... make me yours completely..."
In the dark of the basement, amidst the carcass of a monster, Han Chen took his reward. Every thrust was more than just sex; it was a transfer of energy. The System chimed in his head with every gasp she made, accumulating points that would soon turn him into the master of the entire flooded world.