Set's blade struck Vyrak's central head with a resounding thud, the blunt side of his sword delivering a calculated blow that echoed through the icy biome. It didn't draw blood, but the force reverberated through the serpent's massive frame, a silent promise of what could have been. Both knew that had Set used the sharpened edge, the outcome would have been catastrophic for Vyrak. The serpent's six eyes glinted with grudging respect as it coiled its sinuous body, lowering itself to the frost-covered ground. Set, his breath still heavy from the clash, sheathed his sword and sat cross-legged before the creature, his torn mask barely clinging to his face, revealing a glimpse of his radiant features.
"Now, mind answering a few questions?" Set asked, his golden eyes gleaming with curiosity, barely containing his eagerness to unravel the mysteries before him.
Vyrak's middle head dipped in a slow nod, its scales shimmering like freshly fallen snow. "Ask away, human."
Set didn't hesitate. "How the hell can you talk?" he blurted, his voice a mix of awe and incredulity.
Vyrak's left head tilted, its eyes narrowing with genuine curiosity. "Am I the first mana beast you've heard speak?" At Set's nod, the serpent let out a low, rumbling chuckle. "Is your world one of those newly awakened realms? In the broader cosmos, any mana beast that reaches a certain rank gains the ability to speak—and even transform into humanoid forms."
Set's brows lifted, absorbing the revelation. "Good to know," he said, leaning forward. "Alright, next question. I just awakened yesterday—or maybe today, my time has gotten a bit messy. Can you explain how the world of Hunters works? Like, the big picture?"
Vyrak's eyes widened, a flicker of disbelief crossing its features. "You reached C-rank in a single day?" it asked, its voice tinged with astonishment.
Set shrugged, his casual demeanor belying the magnitude of his feat. "Yeah, no big deal," he said, though a grin tugged at his lips.' Cores can just be bought, right?' he thought, unaware of how extraordinary his progress was.
Vyrak, however, was reeling. Impossible, it thought. 'Sustaining that kind of growth would drain mana reserves faster than any human could recover, unless he had a powerful backer—or he's some wealthy heir.' Clearing its throat, the serpent spoke with measured gravity. "In the wider cosmos, we don't call ourselves Hunters. We are cultivators. 'Hunter' is a shallow term for a world far vaster than you can imagine. Cultivation is a brutal path—dog eat dog. Weakness is a sin, especially without a backer. You're fortunate to be on a newly awakened world. On older realms, entering Gates without powerful allies or sponsors would be impossible."
Set nodded, his suspicions confirmed. The cutthroat nature of this world didn't faze him; it thrilled him. "Good," he mumbled, a spark of excitement in his eyes. "I don't want a boring adventure." He leaned back, his tone shifting to business. "Alright, how do we make this contract? I've got places to be."
Vyrak's central head dipped, its tail carving intricate runes into the ice below, forming a glowing formation that pulsed with mana. "This is a pact formation," it explained. "There are other methods, but since you're no beast tamer, this will suffice. It's a 50/50 pact—equal terms, no subjugation. Place a drop of your blood here." Vyrak bit its own tail, letting three drops of shimmering blood—one from each head—fall onto the formation, where they glowed like liquid starlight.
Set nodded, approving of the fairness. He pricked his finger with his sword, letting a single drop of blood fall. The formation flared, a radiant pulse sealing the bond. A connection sparked between them, a subtle thread of energy linking their souls. But Vyrak's eyes widened, its scales bristling. "H-how did you force a 100% pact?" it demanded, its voice trembling with shock.
Set blinked, confused. "A what now?" He scratched his head, then shrugged. 'Probably my Lucky Halo at work,' he thought, dismissing the anomaly. "Look, I don't know the details, but don't worry—I'm not here to enslave you. Just help me out when I need it. Oh, and can you shift into a humanoid form?"
Vyrak studied him for a long moment, its gaze wary but intrigued. "Not yet," it said, its massive form shrinking in a swirl of frost until it was a small, single-headed white snake, no longer than Set's arm. It slithered onto his shoulder, its voice softer but no less resonant. "Until my cultivation recovers, this is the best I can manage."
Set nodded, unfazed. "Fair enough." With a gesture from Vyrak, the icy biome dissolved, and they were pulled through a rift in reality. Set braced himself, expecting to emerge in some alien serpent realm. Instead, they reappeared on Earth, in the desolate field outside the Gate. The familiar sight of the barren landscape and the distant black truck brought a smile to Set's face. He glanced at the driver, Kaiya Mose, standing by the vehicle, her posture alert but relaxed.
Vyrak's tiny form coiled tighter on Set's shoulder, its eyes darting across the strange world. Skyscrapers loomed in the distance, their lights piercing the night. Cars rumbled along highways, and pedestrians tapped at glowing smartphones—sights utterly alien to the serpent. It remained silent, absorbing the foreignness of Earth with keen interest.
"Kaiya," Set called, striding toward the truck, "take me to my apartment. I'll need a couple days before we head out again."
"Yes, sir," Kaiya replied, opening the door with a professional nod before sliding into the driver's seat. The truck roared to life, and they sped off into the night.
----
Hours later, they pulled up to Set's apartment, a nondescript building in the city's slums, its peeling paint and cracked windows a stark contrast to his wealth. Kaiya's brow furrowed, confusion flickering in her eyes. 'How does someone who paid ten million for a single day's drive live here?' she thought, but she kept her questions to herself.
"Thanks, Kaiya," Set said, stepping out. "Pick me up in two days." With Vyrak still perched on his shoulder, he entered the building, climbing the creaking stairs to his small unit. Inside, he tossed Vyrak onto the threadbare couch with a playful flick and disappeared to change. When he returned, he wore loose sweatpants and a fitted muscle shirt, his flawless physique and radiant face on full display.
Vyrak's tiny eyes nearly bulged from its head. "What the hell is up with your face?" it blurted, its voice a mix of shock and disbelief.
Set frowned, crossing his arms. "Uh, what's that supposed to mean?"
Vyrak shook its head, averting its gaze as if dazzled. It muttered something unintelligible and fell silent. Set shrugged, unbothered, and summoned a cascade of Golden Cores from his mana ring. The pile shimmered on the floor, nearly 3,000 low-level Cores collected from his five Gates—each offering a modest +2 Mana Capacity. His grin widened at the sight. 'One day of grinding, and I've got this?' he thought, exhilaration surging through him.
He began absorbing them, one by one, ignoring the repeated assimilation prompts for goblin and ogre essences. 'No thanks,' he thought, grimacing at the idea. A full day passed in a blur of focus, the cores vanishing as his mana surged. When he finished, he checked his status:
[Mana Capacity: 8,502 | Rank: A]
"Haha, Vyrak, I hit A-rank in just two days!" Set laughed, his voice echoing in the small apartment.
Vyrak's tiny form stiffened, its eyes gleaming with surprise. "Impressive," it admitted. "At A-rank, you can fly now, you know."
Set nodded, having seen Hunters soaring through the skies before. But flight could wait. He had two priorities: first, to explore the mysterious Core from the chest; second, to find a way to hasten Vyrak's recovery. He retrieved the enigmatic Core, its surface pulsing with an unreadable aura. Vyrak's gaze snapped to it, its eyes hardening. That Core... its rank and origin are beyond my perception, it thought, unease rippling through its coils.
Set touched the Core, and a prompt appeared:
{Assimilate Essence of %^%$?}
He nodded, and the Core dissolved, a black-and-silver light piercing his forehead. His vision darkened, and his body collapsed, encased in a shimmering cocoon. Vyrak watched, its senses attuned to their bond, detecting no danger. It remained still, its eyes fixed on the cocoon as it pulsed with otherworldly energy.
----
Set awoke in a familiar void, darkness stretching infinitely around him. Before him floated three glowing numbers, just as they had during his awakening. He groaned, palming his face. "Oh, come on! You're telling me assimilating all fifty Cores would've given me fifty of these chances?" The thought of missed opportunities made him want to weep. 'Is my luck really that broken? And where are these rewards coming from?'
A prompt flickered into existence:
{Reality Treasury - Accessible only by Set.}
Set's brow furrowed. "Reality Treasury? What the hell does that mean?" he demanded, his voice echoing in the void.
Another prompt appeared: {Reach above the Void Realm, and you will learn.}
Set sighed, exasperation mingling with curiosity. He selected number two again, and a new prompt materialized:
{Pick two items:
- Sanctuary | A personal realm outside reality, tied to the user's soul. A training paradise where time flows 100 times faster and mana is 10 times denser. Others may enter with permission.
- Mana Seed | Amplifies mana to unprecedented levels for any world or realm.
- Void Daggers | Daggers that pierce all armor, inflicting wounds that poison with eternal nightmares. The user experiences 10% of the target's nightmares each night.
- Affinity Orb | Grants a random affinity.}*
Set's choice was swift: Sanctuary and Mana Seed. The Affinity Orb tempted him, but the Mana Seed sparked an idea. A new connection tethered to his soul, and a pale blue seed appeared, glowing softly against the void's darkness. Seeing that he wasn't being transported out he raised a brow, "Why do I feel like you know my next move?" he asked, half-expecting no answer.
{Because I do. There's nothing I can't see.}
Set's lip twitched, a mix of amusement and unease. 'The hell?' he thought, grabbing the Mana Seed.
'Let's hope my luck holds'. He swallowed it, and his body erupted in a blinding blue light. The energy surged within him, not painful but overwhelming, as if mana itself was drawn to him like iron to a magnet. His strength climbed, his senses sharpening until he felt like a conduit for the universe's power.
[Mana Capacity: 10,000 - Rank: S]
Another prompt flashed: {Congratulations on being the first being to achieve Infinite Mana. This will be remembered.}
The cocoon shattered, and Set's vision cleared. He stood in his apartment, his body thrumming with power. "Infinite Mana?" he whispered, a grin splitting his face. "Haha, I actually pulled it off—like that Noah character! Not quite world-connected, but close enough!" His gamble had paid off, his Lucky Halo bending reality to his will. His Mana Capacity still required growth to climb higher ranks, but the numerical limit no longer defined his potential.
"I need skills now," he muttered, pulling up his status:
[Set]
Age: 22 Years Old
Race: Human, Void Dragon (Rank ???)
Rank: S | Mana Capacity: 10,000
Affinities: Ice, Void, Fire
Abilities: Full Void Dragon Transformation, Roar of Void, Dragon's Aura, Flames of Void
[Void Dragon - A dragon birthed from the essence of nothingness. Due to your cultivation, the rank of this bloodline cannot be determined. As a Void Dragon, you are closest to the void...]
[Roar of Void - A roar that releases shockwaves, obliterating foes into nothingness. Cost: 15,000 Mana]
[Dragon's Aura - A passive ability active in half or full dragon state. Debuffs foes within 1,000 meters, reducing their Mana Capacity by 50%.]
[Flames of Void - Fire that erases, burning until the target is returned to the void. Cost: 5,000 Mana]
'Void Dragon?' Set thought, his mind racing. 'Must be from that Core.' His gaze shifted to Vyrak, who stared at him as if he'd seen a specter, its tiny form trembling.
"D-dragon…" Vyrak whispered, its voice barely audible, awe and fear mingling in its eyes.