The air in the cold room was thick with the smell of old ice and blood.
The big monster pulled its heavy blade out of the broken floor. The metal made a loud noise as it rubbed against the ground. The green fire in its hood grew bright and angry. To a normal person, this thing was a mountain. To me, it was just a pile of power waiting for me to take it.
[Warning: The monster is starting a deadly move.] [Chance to live: 1.5%.]
The screen in front of my eyes turned red. I brushed it away. I didn't need a screen to tell me I was in danger. I could feel the cold wind of the dark world pulling at my soul.
The giant swung its blade in a wide circle. The heavy metal cut through the air with a sound like a scream. I didn't jump back. Jumping back is for people who want to run away.
I dropped to the floor and slid under the big swing. The wind from the move was so strong it almost pinned me to the tiles.
CLANG!
The monster's blade hit a row of metal lockers. It crushed the thick steel like it was paper.
This was my chance.
I kicked off the ground. My boots found a dry spot on the bloody floor. I didn't aim for its chest because it had thick iron armor there. I aimed for the back of its knee, where the leather straps held the armor in place.
I swung the Shadow-Slaying Blade with all my power.
RIP.
The black metal didn't just cut; it tore through everything. The giant made a sound like a thousand ghosts crying at once. Its big leg gave out, and the eight-foot monster crashed to one knee.
[Ding! Critical Hit!] [The monster's speed is down by 40%.]
I didn't stop to celebrate. In the end of the world, a hurt monster is much more dangerous than a healthy one.
The giant let out a roar. A wave of green energy exploded from its body. This was its "killing aura." A normal person's skin would have started to rot right then. But my silver eyes glowed. My 'First Slayer' title acted like a shield. The rot couldn't touch me.
The giant turned its body very fast. It didn't use the big blade this time. It swung its massive, armored fist like a heavy ball.
I crossed my arms to block.
BOOM.
The hit sent me flying backward. I smashed through an old wooden desk and hit the brick wall at the back of the room. My vision went blurry for a second. I tasted blood in my mouth.
[Health: 45/100] [Warning: Internal damage found.]
I spat out some dark blood and stood up. The pain was sharp, but it felt good. It reminded me that I was alive. It reminded me why I was doing this.
"Is that all you have?" I whispered. My voice was rough, but steady.
The monster was struggling to stand on its bad leg. It raised its big blade high. The green fire in its eyes turned a dark, scary purple. It was charging its final move. The air in the room started to spin, forming a dark wind around the blade.
[Warning: 'Soul Cut' in 3... 2...]
I didn't wait for the timer.
I ignored the pain in my ribs. I sent all of my 'Heaven-Devouring' energy into my legs. My muscles grew tight. The silver lines in my skin began to glow through my shirt.
I didn't run at it. I vanished.
My new body allowed me to move so fast that a human eye couldn't see me. I was just a flash of silver light in the dark room.
The giant swung its blade down, but I wasn't there. I was already in the air, three meters above its head.
I gripped my black sword with both hands. I didn't just swing it; I poured my whole soul into the hit. The black metal grew longer. A blade of shadow grew out of the steel.
"Split," I said.
I brought the sword down right through the middle of the monster's hood.
CRACK.
The blade hit the iron helmet inside and didn't stop. It cut through the old metal, through the ghostly spirit, and through the heavy armor plates.
The room went silent.
The monster froze. The purple wind went away. The green fire in its eyes blinked once and then went out.
Slowly, a thin black line appeared down the middle of its body. Then, with a loud sound like a tree breaking, the giant fell apart. Two halves of iron and meat hit the floor at the same time.
[Ding! World-First News: Kill a Boss at Level 1!] [Calculating Rewards...]
A huge wave of dark energy came out of the monster's body. It didn't just move toward me; it hit my chest like a big wave of water.
[Ding! Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!]
[Current Level: 5] [Stats Increased! Strength +12, Agility +10, Intelligence +8...]
The heat in my body was almost too much. I felt my bones getting hard like stone. My muscles became like steel cables. My vision cleared. The pain in my ribs went away as my body healed itself in a few seconds.
But the system wasn't done yet.
[Ding! You have found a Rare Skill Book: 'Shadow Blink'.] [Ding! You have found an S-Rank Item: 'The Warden's Iron Heart'.] [Ding! You have found 50 High-Grade Mana Stones.]
I stood in the middle of the broken room. The monster's body was turning into black dust. It left behind a glowing purple heart and a book made of leather.
I picked up the book first.
Skill: Shadow Blink (Rank: Rare) Effect: Instantly move to any shadow within 10 meters. If you kill the target, you can use it again right away.
I let out a cold smile. In my past life, this was a skill for the best killers. Now, I had it on my first night.
I looked at the red numbers in the sky through a crack in the roof.
[29:21:55:20]
I had been back for less than three hours. I was already Level 5. I had a great weapon and a rare move.
Outside, the world was still crying. They were still hoping the red numbers would go away.
I looked at my hands covered in blood. I didn't feel like a hero. I felt like a monster. And in the world that was coming, only the monsters would survive.
"Next," I whispered. My voice echoed in the empty room. "The Black Market."
I had the mana stones now. It was time to go buy the items that would make it impossible for anyone to touch me.