The small moon hung low in Earth's night sky, its pale light casting an ethereal glow over the lush, rolling fields below. Nearly a full day had passed since Set began his relentless ascent through the ranks. Including his first Gate, he had conquered three others, each one a brutal forge that tempered his skills and resolve. Now, standing before the final Gate's Boss room, he was clad in a fresh set of light armor, its sleek surface glinting faintly under the moonlight. His Fundamental-rank sword rested comfortably in his hand, its weight a familiar anchor. Set's golden eyes gleamed with anticipation beneath his mask. "Let's see what this Boss has in store," he said, his voice brimming with confidence as he stepped through the doorway.
The transition was instantaneous, as if the universe itself had shifted. The dank, blood-soaked corridors of the Dungeon vanished, replaced by a breathtaking icy biome that stretched endlessly before him. The ground was a mirror of polished ice, reflecting the frozen trees that stood like crystalline sculptures, their branches laden with glistening frost. Even the clouds above, suspended in a starless sky, shimmered with a translucent sheen, as if carved from glaciers. The air was sharp and biting, each breath stinging Set's lungs with cold. In the heart of this frozen realm coiled a massive serpent, its alabaster scales blending seamlessly with the icy landscape. Three heads rose from its sinuous body; each crowned with six piercing eyes that gleamed like polished sapphires. Above it, a system prompt hovered:
[Three-Headed Serpent - Rank C | Mana Capacity: 2,700]
Set's breath caught, his grip tightening on his sword as he assessed the creature. A Rank C monster... he thought, a grin tugging at his lips. Since his meteoric rise to C-rank earlier that day, he hadn't faced a foe of this caliber. The serpent's Mana Capacity edged out his own 2,509, a narrow but daunting gap. Yet, the challenge only fueled his excitement. "Alright," he murmured, "this is gonna be fun."
The serpent stirred, its six eyes snapping open and locking onto Set with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine. For a moment, it studied him, confusion flickering in its gaze. "How can a human enter my Domain?" it rumbled, its voice a deep, gravelly echo that seemed to resonate from the ice itself. The serpent's middle head tilted, ignoring Set as it spoke to itself. "This is no ordinary intrusion..."
Set's brows shot up beneath his mask. "Wait, you can talk?" he blurted, his shock genuine. Talking monsters were unheard of—no rumors, no whispers among Hunters had ever mentioned such a thing. 'What the hell is going on?' he thought, his mind racing.
The serpent's middle head fixed its gaze on him, its eyes narrowing. "Human, tell me how you entered my Domain," it demanded, its tone laced with wary curiosity. To Vyrak, this icy realm was no mere Gate but a personal sanctuary, accessible only by its will. Set's presence, undetected until now, was an alarming breach—especially for a mere C-rank human. 'If he were any stronger, I'd be dead already,' Vyrak thought, its scales rippling with unease. Decades ago, a catastrophic battle had shattered its power, reducing it from Legendary rank to its current C-rank state, its wounds still healing.
Set shrugged, his casual demeanor belying the tension in his stance. "Your Domain? No clue. I just walked through a Gate, and here you are—the Boss." He wasn't in a hurry to fight; the serpent's ability to speak hinted at knowledge he could exploit. Information was as valuable as Cores in this new world.
Vyrak's left head hissed, its thoughts roiling. 'Boss of a Gate? Impossible. I'd never align with those wretched constructs.' Yet, Set's undetected entry into its Domain at such a low rank piqued its curiosity. "Interesting," it rumbled, its middle head speaking with measured calm. "Very well, human. I propose a deal: defeat me, and I, Vyrak the Ice Serpent, will become your contracted beast."
Set frowned, tilting his head. "You're cool and all, but you're just C-rank. No offense, but I'm aiming higher." His words were blunt, not arrogant, but grounded in practicality. With his stockpile of Cores, he was confident he could surge to A-rank in a single leap. A C-rank companion, even one as striking as Vyrak, seemed underwhelming.
The serpent's right head snapped forward, fangs bared. "Not strong enough?! HUMAN!" it roared, but the middle head's glare silenced it. Vyrak's voice softened, though its pride remained. "I take no offense, for you intrigue me. Know this: I am no mere Gate monster. I am Vyrak, the Ice Serpent, and this is my home, not a Boss room. Though I am C-rank now, my wounds will heal, and I will reclaim my Legendary rank."
Set's eyes widened, a spark of interest igniting. "Legendary rank?" he said, feigning familiarity despite never hearing of such a tier. A slow grin spread beneath his mask. "A Legendary serpent? Now that's worth fighting for." He cracked his neck, his stance shifting. "Let's do this!"
Without hesitation, he bent his knees, the ice beneath him splintering under the force, and launched toward Vyrak. His speed was blinding, a testament to his newfound strength and the swordsmanship etched into his mind. Vyrak's eyes narrowed, its massive tail whipping forward to meet him.
BOOM!
The collision sent a shockwave rippling through the icy biome, frost scattering like diamond dust. Set didn't falter; he pivoted on the slick ice, his sword flashing with deadly precision as he aimed to sever Vyrak's tail. The serpent, despite its size, moved with uncanny agility, redirecting its tail and slamming it into Set's hip. The impact sent him hurtling through the air.
BANG!
Set crashed into a jagged ice mountain conjured by Vyrak's magic, the cold biting into his back. Before he could recover, tendrils of ice snaked around his arms and legs, pinning him in place. Vyrak loomed closer, its middle head sneering. "Haha! Is that all you've got? I knew you were weak, but this weak?"
Set's lips twitched, irritation flaring. 'This damn serpent's too big to hit cleanly,' he thought, straining against the icy bonds. As he struggled, a prompt flickered in his vision:
[Contact made with Vyrak the Ice Serpent. What would you like to Assimilate?]
[Ice Affinity or Three-Headed Serpent Bloodline]
His eyes gleamed, a thrill coursing through him. He'd forgotten the power of his Origin Assimilation ability—mere contact was enough to trigger it. He'd ignored countless prompts in the Gates, finding nothing worth assimilating, but this was different. Without hesitation, he selected Ice Affinity. A torrent of knowledge flooded his mind—Vyrak's mastery of ice, its techniques, its instincts. The cold around him felt alive now, an extension of his will, amplified by the icy Domain. The information settled in an instant, and Set locked eyes with Vyrak, a predatory grin spreading beneath his mask.
"Get ready to be my pet, buddy," he taunted.
Vyrak's six eyes narrowed, its pride stung. It didn't retort, instead summoning a skill:
[Ice Needle Barrage - 500 Mana]
Forty ice needles materialized, their tips glinting like daggers as they hurtled toward Set. He didn't flinch. The battlefield felt like an extension of himself now, the ice responding to his will. With a thought, he shattered the icy restraints and melded into the mountain, encasing himself in a cocoon of frost. The needles struck, shattering harmlessly against the reinforced ice.
Vyrak's eyes widened. 'He wields ice as well?' it thought, stunned by Set's sudden mastery. Set burst from the mountain, his sword in hand, a wild grin visible through his cracked mask. "You know, I never pictured ice as my first affinity," he said, his tone almost playful. "Kinda reminds me of that old movie—superhero family, a kid who ran like lightning, a mom who could stretch like rubber..."
He rambled, but beneath the words, a profound shift was taking place. For the first time, Set felt truly alive, as if he'd discovered his purpose. 'This is it,' he thought, his heart pounding with exhilaration. 'Growing stronger, fighting, living—this is who I am.'
Vyrak's confusion deepened, but Set gave it no time to process. He summoned a bridge of ice, a sleek board forming beneath his feet, costing 20 mana per second. He skated across it with dizzying speed, weaving through the air as Vyrak conjured a hundred more ice needles and launched them in a deadly barrage. Set raised an ice shield, deflecting each one with ease, the impacts ringing like chimes in the frozen air.
Closing the distance, Set leaped from the bridge, his body gliding through the sky with unnatural grace. He raised his sword, its blade catching the light as he bellowed with a theatrical grin, "HONEY, WHERE'S MY SUPERSUIT?!"
SHK!
BOOOM!
His blade struck true, slicing into Vyrak's flank with a force that shook the icy realm, sending shards of frost exploding outward. The battle was far from over, but Set fought with a fire that burned brighter than ever, his laughter echoing through the frozen Domain as he embraced his destiny.