Michael, leaning against a tree, examined the newly unlocked skill in his status window.
[Soul Ripper]
Form a Spear of Death and declare Death Sentence.
The target will receive fixed damage equal to 80% of their current health.
Mana Cost: 5,000
Usage Condition: Target must be in Sleep State
Cooldown: 6 hours
Michael's eyes gleamed as he read through the description. His Death Magic stat had finally surpassed 1,000, unlocking this devastating ability.
"A powerful skill if used early," he muttered, tapping the screen thoughtfully.
The condition was strict—the target had to be asleep—but if he combined it with [Sleep of Death], he could execute enemies effortlessly, regardless of their level.
He smirked.
"This will be fun."
Pushing himself off the tree, Michael glanced deeper into the Core Area, where only the Awakened Guardian of the Forest roamed. He was eager to test Soul Ripper in battle.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward, scanning the area for the boss.
The Guardian of the Forest was an incredibly powerful foe—a Level 245 field boss—but it was even stronger than most dungeon bosses. Its stats were abnormally high, and it possessed a vast range of crowd control and summoning skills, making it a nightmare to deal with.
It also had a passive skill that greatly reduced physical damage, and combined with its natural defense and health, it was nearly invincible in normal circumstances…
However, right now was different.
Blue Orichalcum, a rare mineral born from the power of moonlight, was deeply connected to the Guardian of the Forest. Due to this, the Guardian and the mineral were highly sensitive to moonlight.
Once every four months, the two full moons would rise at the same time, and the blue orichalcum, which made up most of the Guardian's body, would undergo a special reaction—awakening the Guardian.
Right now, it was in its awakening cycle.
The Awakened Guardian of the Forest had significantly less health and defense than usual, but in exchange, it possessed overwhelming attack power and agility.
Strictly speaking, it was a monster that could reach Level 300 in terms of attack power alone. During its awakened state, however, the Guardian would forget all its skills, relying purely on its brutal physical attacks and extreme speed.
And this was exactly why Michael had come here at this time.
His goal wasn't just to defeat the Guardian.
He planned to turn its body into his very first Death Guardian.
As he continued to walk, Michael soon encountered the Awakened Guardian of the Forest.
Unlike the normal Guardian of the Forest, which was a massive golem, this one had a more humanoid form.
Its limbs were long and well-defined, with five fingers and toes on each extremity, resembling those of a human. However, its back was still composed of hardened rocks, reinforcing its natural durability. The rest of its body, however, was made of transparent ores, glowing faintly with an ethereal light, as if pulsating with pure energy.
Above its head, a golden nameplate flickered ominously:
[Awakened Guardian of the Forest]
Michael narrowed his eyes. This was it—the monster he had been waiting for.
His grip on his sword tightened, and a smirk formed on his lips.
"Let's begin."
The moment the words left his mouth, the Awakened Guardian of the Forest turned its head sharply toward Michael, its glowing eyes locking onto him.
A sudden burst of energy erupted from its body as it sensed an intruder, its powerful presence shaking the ground.
Michael rushed forward, dodging to the side as the Guardian's massive arm swung down, narrowly missing him. The impact alone shattered the ground, sending debris flying in all directions.
"Hahaha, you're strong," Michael grinned as he steadied himself, eyes gleaming with excitement. He could already tell—this thing was absurdly powerful.
"But I don't have time to play around."
As much as he wanted to test himself against this beast, he needed to finish the fight quickly.
It had already been over 30 days since he began leveling up in this forest, and during that time, the Golem Raid on the Eternal Kingdom had begun.
The massive army of golems was already marching toward Reinhardt, the capital of the Eternal Kingdom.
And in just two more days, they would reach the city.
Michael had to get there before that happened.
But traveling to Reinhardt from here—even with his fastest route—would take at least 24 hours.
"That means I have less than a day to finish up here," he muttered, gripping his sword tightly. His Death Magic surged, crackling around him like black lightning.
It was time to end this fight.
The Guardian's massive fist shot forward like a cannon, aiming to crush Michael instantly. But he didn't flinch.
[Perfect Parry Activated]
Negates all damage for 1 second.
Michael used the skill at the last second, causing the Guardian's devastating attack to bounce off harmlessly, sending shockwaves through the air. But he knew he had only a brief window.
"Sleep of Death."
Michael's eyes gleamed with eerie black light as a wave of necrotic energy surged toward the Guardian.
[Awakened Guardian has fallen into Sleep for 5 seconds.]
The colossal being froze in place, its glowing eyes dimming as its entire body slumped.
"Soul Ripper."
A dark spear materialized in Michael's hand, pulsing with an ominous aura. It wasn't just a weapon—it was a sentence of death.
He thrust the spear forward, and the moment it touched the Guardian's chest—
[Critical Hit!]
[You have dealt over 1,600,000 damage to the target!]
The Guardian's massive health bar plummeted instantly, nearly emptying in a single strike.
"So this is the power of 80% HP reduction…" Michael muttered, impressed.
But he wasn't done yet.
His next skill activated immediately, chaining into another devastating attack before the Guardian could even react and then another and then another...and finally the Guardian died without even inflicting a single damage on Michael.
[Under two full moons, you have defeated the Awakened Guardian of the Forest!]
[14 Blue Orichalcum has been acquired. ]
[3 Purple Orichalcum has been acquired. ]
[The Amethyst Shield has been acquired.]
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level...]
[You have reached level 204!]
[Your stats have awakened and the unique features of all stats will improve.]