Never in his life had Shin imagined he could kill a monster with such a terrifying appearance.
If this had happened while he was still on Earth, it would've been impossible.
After all, he had no powers back then—let alone a skill like the Eyes of the God, which he had just used.
"Ugh…"
A sharp pain pierced his head, and a groan escaped his lips.
His vision began to blur, and his body grew weak and heavy with exhaustion.
[HP: 4500/5000]
A system panel appeared, and his eyes widened in fear.
"Damn… I can't let this happen. If I do, I'll definitely die!"
Forcing himself to his feet, he scanned his surroundings for anything that resembled herbs.
Then, his eyes locked onto the lake, just as another system panel popped up in front of him.
[Nivara Water]: Ten thousand years ago, a drop of heavenly water fell to the world and merged with a spring. It holds the power to cure all diseases and neutralize any poison. However, once used, the spring will lose its efficacy forever.
Shin's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected the lake to contain such a miraculous substance.
Without a second thought, he staggered toward it. The lake wasn't particularly large, but the water was crystal clear.
Moreover, when sunlight filtered down from above, it cast beautiful sparkles across the lake's surface.
Reaching the edge, Shin didn't jump in right away. Instead, he reached out to check the depth with his arm.
"Not too deep—maybe one or two meters," he muttered.
Without hesitation, he stripped off his cardigan and school uniform, then plunged into the water.
The moment he entered, a cool, refreshing sensation washed over him. The water was crystal clear, making his body feel light and at ease.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the scratch marks on his back began to glow. At the same time, the wounds slowly started to heal.
The sight filled Shin with joy. He quickly opened his HP panel and saw his health points had been restored.
"Thank goodness," he murmured with a breath of relief. "If this lake wasn't here, I probably would've been the first to die and get eliminated."
Although life in the Heavenly Palace might seem like a dream, Shin had no desire for it.
He had only one goal—to find his little sister. He was absolutely certain she was among the first ten people sent to the world of Solira, before he and his friends had arrived.
That's why giving up was never an option. He had to reach that place… and bring her home.
Besides, Shin had grown increasingly suspicious of Quinella. Despite her friendly demeanor and gentle smile, he could sense something behind it—mockery… and hidden malice.
There was no way Shin could ever feel at ease in the Heavenly Palace—not when just being near Quinella made him uneasy.
Letting out a quiet sigh, he rose to the surface and began putting his uniform back on.
Buzz!
The once vibrant blue glow of the lake slowly faded, leaving the water clear and ordinary.
"What a pity... the lake's power is gone," he murmured with a hint of regret.
If the healing properties had remained, he would've marked this place as a safe haven—somewhere to retreat and recover whenever he got injured.
Shaking his head lightly, Shin took a deep breath and turned his gaze toward the Crystal Wolf's corpse.
"Guess it's time to use the Gluttony skill," he whispered to himself.
With quiet, deliberate steps, he approached the body and placed his palm on the monster's head.
"Gluttony... Activate," he said firmly.
Fwoosh!
A pitch-black, terrifying aura erupted from his palm.
Moments later, a whitish-blue light surged from the monster's body and was drawn into Shin's hand.
His eyes widened in disbelief. But before he could fully process what he had just witnessed, the vision in front of him began to fade.
When the light vanished completely, all that remained was a pile of bones—the only trace of the monster he had defeated.
Ding!
A notification popped up in front of him, and Shin quickly read the message.
[Congratulations, you have earned 10 level points and 5 upgrade points for the Gluttony skill.]
His heart skipped a beat. Without wasting a second, he opened his mouth and said, "Status panel."
[Status]
Name: Shin Arthur
Age: 16 years old
Race: Human
Status: Alive
Level: 1 (10/100)
Class: -
Talents: STR (C), INT (B), VIT (C), AGI (E), LCK (B)
Skills: Gluttony (FFF) 5/100, Eyes of God (Unknown)
[Description]: He was a weak young man thrown into a strange world. The loss of his younger sister left him depressed and drained of the will to live. Objective: To save his sister.
Noticing the changes in his status, a surge of excitement rose within him. He clenched both fists, unable to contain his joy.
"That really worked! Hahaha!"
Laughter burst from his lips, and the fear that had gripped him earlier began to fade.
Until now, he had still doubted whether the Gluttony skill would work as intended. After all, it was ranked FFF—the absolute lowest.
But now, all his doubts were gone. He was certain—this skill had power!
'If I can defeat the other three Crystal Wolves, I'll earn more level points… and I can raise Gluttony's rank too.'
The thought made his heart race. He swallowed hard, trying to suppress his growing excitement.
"No... I can't be reckless," he muttered, shaking his head slightly.
His earlier victory had been pure luck. If he had faced all three monsters at once, he wouldn't have survived.
After regaining his composure, he opened the mission status panel.
[Main Mission]: 23:30 (Countdown)
[Side Mission]: Eliminate two nearby Crystal Wolf monsters. (1/2)
Reward: 10 Level Points
Penalty for Failure: None
"Just one more, and the mission will be complete," he muttered, clenching his fists.
But suddenly—
Awoo!
The wolves' howls echoed from up ahead, freezing him in place.
"Not good! I have to get out of here—now!"
Without a second thought, he spun around and bolted toward the nearby passage.
Moments after his figure vanished into the shadows, the three Crystal Wolves emerged and charged after him, disappearing into the darkness in pursuit.