Lex walked through the empty corridors of the gut. Like before, the air was dense, saturated with the stench of rot or perhaps excrement. Suffocating was the least that could be said.
And yet, he was in a surprisingly good mood as he watched his status panel.
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[STATUS]
Name: ???
Coins: 1,137
Current Location: Titan's Rift (tutorial)
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[Aspects]
[Aspect: Die to Begin – "Live in the past. Die in the past."]
[Aspect: Game Master – "The victor rewrites the rules. You are the victor. You are the rules."]
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[Blessings]
Poison Resistance, Strength, Agility, One-Man Army, Better Yesterday, Titan Nemesis
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"It felt like it took forever to get this far," Lex muttered, rolling his shoulders with a satisfied sigh.
For once, he had everything lined up. Every move, every purchase, and absolutely no wasted steps. He had never been this well-prepared and strong this early.
But that was the problem. He played it too clean this time. There was no baggage, liabilities, or, more importantly, familiar faces or companions.
Lex exhaled through his mask, his fingers idly tapping against his almost dull knife on his side. He hadn't recruited some of his old comrades. And they weren't the type to just roll over and die. Eventually, they would end up on his path.
That was going to be a pain. No amount of blessings or items would ever fully replace Aspects. At least, not yet.
Without wasting time, Lex started piecing together his next move.
"Without me, the usual owner of A Lonely Soul should be dead by now," he mused, absently running a thumb over the edge of his knife. "Meaning that it would reincarnate through someone else. Same with Ultimate Star Forge… and that one stings."
That had been a damn good Aspect. Losing it was like misplacing a winning lottery ticket and watching some idiot pick it up.
"Sadly, I won't be able to create any items using materials. It sucks."
Lex always befriended those who had exceptional aspects of his past life. It wasn't just a preference but rather practical. When a player died, their Aspect didn't vanish. It would be reincarnated in someone new the next time the Game assimilated a world.
Meaning that no matter what Lex did, the power would live on. So, controlling players rather than eliminating them would sometimes be a better choice.
Moreover, until recently, Lex was still obsessed with his "perfect run." So, having comrades help him was a necessity. But that is another story.
"Then...There are also some people I need to eliminate," he muttered, a flicker of something cold passing through his eyes. It was bad memories. "Especially this cockroach-like bitch."
Lex quickly pushed those thoughts aside and instead focused on his walk.
After a moment, he exhaled and glanced around. The corridor stretched out, dark and empty. His robes barely made a sound as he moved.
"Now that I have this blessing, it will be a buffet."
His voice was low, but his gaze was sharp as it flicked to a shadow ahead. Something was there. Watching. Lex didn't react. He kept walking, his face blank, like he hadn't noticed a thing.
Then, without warning, something shot out of the darkness—a hollow parasite. This one was bigger and bulkier, its black chitin gleaming under whatever faint light there was. Its tentacles were longer, its limbs thicker, and it moved with a heaviness.
Lex barely had time to glance at it before it lunged.
The parasite slammed into him, its weight crashing down like a sack of bricks. Lex staggered back, his feet scraping against the wet ground as he fought to keep his balance. For a moment, it looked like he'd go down, but then something shifted.
The force of the impact seemed to fade, like it was being sucked into nothing. Lex's jaw tightened, his shoulders stiffening as he dug his heels into the dirt. Slowly, he stopped moving backward.
With a sharp, deliberate motion, Lex countered. His fist shot forward, slamming into the parasite's body with a force that shattered its exoskeleton in a loud, satisfying crack. The creature reeled, stumbling back from the blow.
"It felt good," Lex murmured, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he glanced down at his hand. His new blessing was already proving its worth.
[Name: Titan Nemesis]
[Stars: LOCKED]
[Effect: Reduces incoming damage by 50%. Increases the damage of all attacks by 50%.]
[ Activation Condition: Must be a player. Must be against Titans or related species. Must not be a Titan.]
It wasn't even a trait yet—just a blessing. But the power it granted was almost absurd. Basic blessings like "strength" or "poison resistance" that Lex had acquired before typically only offered a 20% boost.
This one? A flat 50% increase to both defense and offense. And that was before it evolved into a trait and gained stars. Once that happened, its potential would skyrocket.
Lex watched as the creature slowly recovered, its body trembling as it tried to stand."Internal damage is such a hassle, right?" he said, looking down at the parasite.
The creature didn't respond. It simply stared at him, its body tensing. Then, without warning, it lunged again.
This time, Lex was ready. He stepped forward, his movements smooth and fluid as he met the attack head-on. He didn't try to dodge or block. He simply threw his entire weight into the strike.
The impact sent the parasite flying, its body crashing against the wall with a sickening crunch. It let out a pained screech, its limbs thrashing wildly as it tried to right itself.
Lex followed up with a brutal kick before it could recover. His foot connected with the creature's side, sending it skidding across the ground.
The parasite let out another cry, its body shuddering as it lay there, unmoving.
[You have killed a Titan's Hollow Parasite. 1,000 coins have been awarded.]
[Total earnings: 20,380/200,000]
[Coins: 2,137]
As he received the message, Lex nodded at his status without glancing at the dead parasite before continuing to walk.
"Let's hurry until I get enough to buy my next blessing."