Alex stood before the entrance to the [Toxic Forest], the path to the mysterious [Source of Poison] Secret Realm hidden within.
But before diving in, he pulled up his status window, taking a moment to check his stats and skills.
[ID: FateBreaker]
[Level: 60 (8748/60000)]
[Occupation: Mage; Assassin]
[Class: Unparalleled Mage; Beginner Assassin; Apprentice Undead Lord]
[Talent: Extraction (SSS); Undead Lord (B)]
[Pets: Alphox (Primordial Shadow Dragon, Tier 4)]
[Curse: Undead King Curse]
[Attributes: Vitality 3553; Strength 4985 + 1500 + 6000; Agility 3626 + 1000 + 3000; Spirit 6330 + 1000]
[Skills: Explosive Fireball lv5 (Advanced); Crimson Spike lv4 (Advanced); Rock Crash lv4 (Advanced); Stone Fortress lv4 (Advanced); Fire Vortex lv4 (Advanced); Rending Slash lv5 (Advanced); Thunderclap Bolt lv4 (Advanced); Poison Resistance (Passive); Aura of Death (Undead); Aura (Passive); Shadow Veil (Unique Skill); Shadow Strike (Unique Skill)]
…
He eyed his skills list thoughtfully, and his mind wandered to a recent upgrade from his Extraction Talent: the new [Potential Extraction] perk.
It let him evolve one skill every 3 days, pushing it to a stronger form.
He looked over his options and, after some thought, decided to use it on [Explosive Fireball].
The moment he chose it, a glowing animation burst on his screen, lighting up his surroundings as the perk did its magic.
Ding!
[You have enhanced “Explosive Fireball” (Advanced).]
[It has evolved to “Meteoric Blaze” (High-Tier).]
[Meteoric Blaze lv1: Deals 25,000 points of damage + 100% of Spirit to the target. Consumes 5,000 mana. Cooldown: 5 seconds.]
“Wow…” Alex muttered as he examined the new stats.
The damage increase was massive, making Meteoric Blaze one of his strongest spells.
However, the mana cost was also steep, meaning he’d have to manage his resources carefully if he wanted to keep using it.
Mana was indeed an issue he would need to resolve soon.
With his preparations complete, Alex set foot into the [Toxic Forest].
The path was thick with twisted trees and creeping vines, all drenched in a toxic haze.
Monsters lurked in the shadows, but most were too weak to stand against Alex.
One spell or a quick strike from his dagger was enough to cut down any level 25–50 creature in his way.
Poison didn’t affect him either, so attacks didn’t even put a dent on him.
-1! -1! -1!
[Poison Resistance activated.]
Even the poison fog didn’t bother him.
His [Poison Resistance] nullified any damage he might have taken.
He pushed through the forest, clearing monsters and grabbing drops as he went.
[Extraction Talent activated: +28 Strength, +17 Spirit, + Poison Antidote (Low-Quality)]
When he finally reached the heart of the forest, he was greeted by the forest’s boss again: a hulking creature with scales and sharp fangs.
[Venomous Swamp Basilisk NB+ (Epic)]
[Level: 50]
[HP: 40,000]
The basilisk hissed and slithered toward him, but Alex was quick to respond.
With a swift [Shadow Strike] followed by a powerful [Meteoric Blaze], creating a small meteor-like sphere that he sent toward the monster.
SLASH! BOOM!
-30,007! 32,330!
Ding!
[You have slain “Venomous Swamp Basilisk NB+” and gained 1,783 experience points!]
[You have extracted “Basilisk Claws” (Epic)]
After picking up his loot, a new marker blinked on his map, guiding him to the entrance of the [Source of Poison] realm.
[You have reached the location of the secret realm.]
[Use this token to enter.]
A small green token appeared in his palm, resembling the one he had used for the [Goblin Secret Area].
Without hesitation, Alex crushed it in his hand.
[Do you wish to enter the Secret Realm: Source of Poison?]
[Yes] [No]
With a steadying breath, Alex selected [Yes].
His vision swirled, colors bleeding together before refocusing.
The ground beneath him was an eerie green, and toxic mist floated in the air, thick and foreboding.
The air stung his skin, and shadows twisted around him as he took in his new surroundings.
Ding!
[Secret Realm/Area: Source of Poison] ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
[Difficulty: Infernal]
[Tier 3–4 Area (Level 60–100)]
[Objective: Reach the end and kill the “Source of Poison” boss.]
[Note: Your rating will depend on how far you go and how well you perform.]
[Failure will result in a low ranking.]
…
“Sigh…” Alex stretched his neck, mentally preparing himself for the trial ahead.
There was no time to waste, so he plunged forward, leaving no room for doubt.
He was only level 60 and confident that these level 60–100 monsters wouldn’t be much of a challenge.
A notification appeared as he moved deeper.
[The Source of Poison is filled with an Extreme-Level Poison mist!]
Numbers flashed around Alex constantly.
-0! -0! -0!
He grinned.
The poison was entirely ineffective, thanks to his [Poison Resistance].
But remember that even high-quality antidotes wouldn’t have saved most players from damage here, meaning only those with strong resistance or ample antidotes could survive.
It made sense that this task was seen as one of the hardest Tier 3 advancement quests.
A careless player could be eliminated instantly, resulting in an immediate F-rating.
It was deceitful, but what else would you expect from a game that claims humanity will die.
…
Alex continued further, noticing the surroundings growing darker and the poison mist intensifying.
He encountered waves of venomous creatures: snakes, spiders, and poisonous beasts of all kinds.
They lunged at him, but a quick spell or dagger strike easily cut them down.
Each defeated monster granted him small rewards through his Extraction Talent, providing useful boosts to his stats and resources.
[Extraction Talent activated: +32 Vitality, +15 Agility, + Poison Mist Cloak (Rare)]
He examined the [Poison Mist Cloak] in his inventory.
It granted a slight increase in poison resistance and added a misty aura around the wearer, slightly lowering detection by poison-based creatures.
It wasn’t a significant upgrade but would be a good addition for when he needed stealth.
As Alex ventured deeper into the Source of Poison, he decided it was time to call forth his undead army.
The eerie mist thickened, and monstrous figures prowled in the darkness, creating the perfect backdrop for his legion.
With a deep breath, he activated his [Undead Lord Talent], raising his hand toward the ground.
“Arise.”
Black tendrils of energy swirled out from his fingers, sinking into the earth, drawing the remains of fallen warriors back to life.
One after another, skeletons clawed their way out, each equipped with their basic armor and weapons.
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He continued until he had summoned thirty undead.
He summoned 4 Grand skeletons since he could summon one every 5 normal skeleton except for when he summoned the [Bony Knight] and [Spectral Wraith].
So now, he could use his army to easily deal with this secret realm.
[x24 Skeletons, x4 Grand Skeletons, x1 Bony Knight, x1 Spectral Wraith]
[-61500 Mana]
[Mana: 1800/63300]
He almost put himself in debt to summon those skeletons, but after drinking another one of his [High Quality Mana Potions], he regained 20,000 Mana, which should be enough to continue forward.
“Impressive,” Alex muttered, scanning his new army.
“Let’s move,” he commanded, his voice barely above a whisper.
The undead followed him into the shadows, their bones clinking and grinding as they fell into formation.
The Bone Knight led the charge, with the Spectral Wraith vanishing into the mist, scouting ahead for ambushes.
His regular skeletons and Greater Skeletons marched with mechanical precision, creating a wall of bone and armor.
As Alex progressed, waves of venomous beasts lunged out from the poisonous haze, only to be met with relentless strikes from his skeletons.
The Bone Knight stood firm against the larger monsters, absorbing blows with ease and delivering powerful strikes.
Meanwhile, the Spectral Wraith flitted through the battlefield, eliminating threats with quick, phantom-like strikes.
His undead army proved to be unstoppable, plowing through any creature that dared to challenge them, clearing a path as they moved deeper into the realm.
The toxic mists thickened, darkening his surroundings further.
But with his undead clearing the way, Alex strode forward confidently, ready for whatever lay at the heart of the Source of Poison.