[00:00:00]
The air didn't just tear; it shattered.
It sounded like a massive sheet of glass being smashed by a sledgehammer. Out of the pitch-black rift, a nightmare lunged. It was the size of a small car, covered in skin that looked like bruised, hairless meat. Six red eyes glowed with a sick light, and its mouth was a forest of yellow fangs dripping with black slime.
The Void Hound.
In my past life, this creature killed hundreds in this hospital. It was fast, it was hungry, and it was nearly impossible to hit because it moved between shadows.
It let out a roar that shook the pipes in the ceiling. The sound was designed to paralyze prey. A normal man would have dropped his weapon and frozen in terror.
I didn't even blink.
[Timer Start: 10... 9... 8...]
The golden numbers flashed in my vision. I didn't have time to admire the monster. I had a title to win.
The Void Hound saw me. It coiled its powerful back legs, ready to leap and tear my throat out. It thought I was a meal. It didn't realize I was the one at the top of the food chain.
I moved.
With my "Perfect Origin" body, my first step cracked the concrete floor. I wasn't just running; I was a blur of silver and black.
The hound snapped its jaws, lunging forward with a speed that would have been invisible to a normal human eye. But to me, it looked like it was moving through water. I could see the muscles tensing under its wet skin. I could see the way its eyes shifted to track my movement.
[7... 6...]
I didn't dodge. I slid.
I dropped low, my boots skidding across the damp floor. As the beast flew over me, I swung the Shadow-Slaying Blade in a wide, horizontal arc.
SHLICK.
The black metal cut through the creature's reinforced hide like a hot wire through butter. The blade didn't just cut meat; it felt like it was drinking the monster's very essence. A spray of thick, black blood coated my jacket, but I didn't stop.
The Void Hound landed heavily, one of its front legs severed completely. It let out a high-pitched shriek of agony and confusion. It wasn't used to being the one getting hunted.
[5... 4...]
It tried to turn, baring its teeth for a final, desperate bite. Its eyes were wide with a new emotion: fear.
"Too slow," I whispered.
I kicked off the wall, using the momentum to spin in mid-air. I gripped the hilt with both hands, channeling every bit of the 'Heaven-Devouring' energy into the steel. The blade began to hum with a dark, terrifying power.
I brought the sword down in a vertical strike, aiming right between the monster's central pair of eyes.
[2... 1...]
CRACK-THUD.
The blade split the Void Hound's skull down to the jawbone. The force of the blow was so great that the monster's head slammed into the concrete, cratering the floor. The beast gave one final, wet twitch and went still.
[00:00:00]
[Ding! Mission Accomplished!] [Time taken: 09.42 Seconds.]
The black smoke began to pour out of the monster's wounds, swirling around me like a dark tornado. This was the soul essence—the "mana" that the world wouldn't see for another thirty days.
[Ding! You have slain a Level 5 Void Hound!] [Heaven-Devouring Technique Activated...] [Absorbing Soul Essence...]
I felt a rush of heat flood into my veins. It was like drinking liquid fire. My muscles tightened, my senses sharpened, and I could feel my very soul expanding.
[Attributes Increased!]
Strength: +4
Agility: +5
Vitality: +3
But the best part was yet to come.
[Ding! Hidden Condition Met: Slay a monster 5 levels higher than you within 10 seconds.] [Awarding World-First Title: 'The First Slayer'.]
A massive, platinum-colored screen appeared in front of me. It was so bright it illuminated the entire dark basement.
Title: The First Slayer (Unique) Effect 1: Increases all physical damage by 20%. Effect 2: Permanently increases all Attributes by 10%. Effect 3: 'Fearless' — You are immune to the 'Intimidation' and 'Fear' debuffs from monsters below Level 50.
I let out a long, slow breath. My silver eyes glowed even brighter in the dark.
In my past life, I was always struggling, always playing catch-up. I was the ant trying not to get stepped on. Now, I was Level 1 with the stats of a Level 10, an SSS-Rank weapon, and a title that made me a god among mortals.
I looked down at the dead Void Hound. Its body was already starting to dissolve into ash, leaving behind a small, glowing blue stone.
A Mana Crystal.
In a month, people would kill each other for one of these. They were used for everything—upgrading gear, powering magical barriers, even as currency. I picked it up. It felt cold in my hand.
[29:22:10:05]
I still had over twenty-nine days left. Most people would celebrate this win. They would go home and rest.
I wasn't most people.
I knew that in the morgue, just three rooms away, two more rifts were beginning to form. They were smaller, but they contained 'Lesser Ghouls.' They weren't as strong as the Hound, but their essence was perfect for "leveling up" my new blade.
I stood up, shaking the black blood off my sword. The blade was spotless. It had absorbed every drop it touched.
"Next," I said.
I didn't head for the exit. I headed deeper into the dark.
The world was busy worrying about the red numbers in the sky. They were watching the news and crying. They were waiting for a savior.
They didn't know that their savior was in a hospital basement, covered in monster blood, becoming the very thing they were afraid of.
The harvest wasn't just starting. It was accelerating. And I was going to be the only one standing at the top when the red clock hit zero.