Rio stepped through the swirling black mist of the Gate's entrance.
The air inside was different because he smelled like ancient old blood.
I wonder how old the boss is. Rio thought.
This was the "Boss Room." In the old world, a Gate like this would have stayed open for days.
The government would have sent a raid team of at least twenty high-ranked hunters just to scout the area.
Many of them would have died. But Rio was walking in alone, his hands in his pockets, his eyes glowing with a faint violet light.
In the center of the cavern, a massive shadow moved. It was the Twin-Headed Ogre.
It stood fifteen feet tall, its skin blue and covered in thick, hairy warts.
One head was gnawing on a bone, while the other scanned the room with four yellow eyes.
Rio noticed the object on its right hand. It was a club made from a tree trunk, wrapped in rusted chains.
"GURRR..." the Ogre growled.
Both heads turned at once to look at Rio. To the Ogre, Rio looked like a tiny snack. A small human in a torn hoodie.
Inside Rio's head, the System was starting to beep.
[Warning: High-Energy Target Detected.]
[System Directive: Kill. Consume. Grow.]
[Wrath Level: 55%. Suggestion: A Calamity burst! A full time destruction, don't hold back!]
Rio gritted his teeth. He could feel the power vibrating under his skin.
If he used a "Calamity Burst," he would turn this entire cave and probably half the park above it would turn to dust.
The explosion would be so big that the news helicopters would see it from miles away. He wasn't ready for that. He wanted to stay a "secret" for just a little longer.
As for Marcus seeing him in action earlier, he has plans on dealing with that.
"Quiet," Rio whispered to the System. "I'll do this my way."
The impatient Ogre let out a deafening roar from both mouths and charged at Rio.
It was surprisingly fast for its size. It raised the massive tree-trunk club high and swung it down with enough force to crush a truck.
WHOOSH.
The air pressure from the swing was enough to make Rio's hood fly back. But Rio didn't dodge.
He simply raised up his left hand and caught the massive club with one hand.
The impact sent a shockwave through the cave floor, making rocks fall from the ceiling. But Rio's arm didn't bend.
The Ogre froze in shock. Its four eyes blinked in confusion. It pushed down with all its strength, but Rio was like an unshakable mountain.
"My turn," Rio said.
He tightened his grip on the wood.
The massive tree trunk, reinforced with mana and rusted chains, splintered instantly.
It shattered into a thousand wooden teeth, falling to the floor.
Rio didn't stop there. Before the Ogre could react, he stepped forward and lunged his right fist toward the Ogre's massive chest.
He didn't use a special skill. He just threw a straight punch.
[Action: Standard Punch.]
[Force: 50kg.]
[Multiplier Applied: 1,000x.]
BOOM!
The sound was like a cannon firing inside a small room.
Rio's fist buried itself deep into the Ogre's gut. The shockwave traveled straight through the monster's body.
The Ogre's back literally exploded outward as the force exited its body through its back.
The giant beast didn't even have time to scream. It flew backward, hitting the cave wall so hard that the entire cavern shook.
It slid down to the floor, stone-dead before it even landed.
The violet light in the room began to fade as the Boss died.
The Gate was beginning to collapse.
[Boss Defeated: Twin-Headed Ogre.]
[Looting Initiated...]
[Looted: 1x Ogre's Blood (Low Quality).]
Rio looked at the small, muddy red drop of blood in his palm.
It looked worthless. In the old world, hunters would use this to make cheap healing potions. But then, the 1,000x multiplier kicked in.
[System Yield: 1,000x Purity Applied.]
[Refining... 1%... 50%... 100%.]
[Result: 1x Vial of Primordial Giant Essence (God-Tier).]
The muddy drop transformed into a glowing, golden liquid that floated inside a small glass vial.
It now looked like liquid starlight.
Rio knew what this was. In the future, people told legends about the "Primordial Giants"—beings who could lift mountains and crush stars.
Their blood was the ultimate medicine for the body.
Rio looked at his shaking hands. His F-Rank body was still too weak.
Even though he had the [God-Tier] rank, his muscles were still "human."
Every time he used the 1,000x power, his veins felt like they were going to melt.
He was like a jet engine installed inside a paper airplane. If he didn't evolve his body, he would eventually explode from his own power.
Without wasting a second, Rio popped the cap and drank the golden essence.
"Ah..."
It felt like drinking liquid sun. The moment the essence reached his stomach, his entire body began to glow.
He could feel his muscles ripping apart and knitting back together in a split second. His bones became denser, turning as hard as stone.
His heart began to beat with a deep, heavy thud that sounded like a war drum.
Rio stood in the center of the collapsing cave, his eyes were closed.
He could feel himself growing. He wasn't just getting taller, but his entire frame was widening, becoming more efficient, more powerful.
He grew about two inches, his shoulders broadening, his posture becoming that of a king.
[Body Evolution: Phase 1 Complete.]
[Vessel Capacity: Increased by 1,000x.]
[Status: You can now contain the Sovereign's power without internal damage.]
Rio opened his eyes. The violet glow was gone, replaced by a calm, golden shimmer.
He felt light. For the first time since he came back to the past, he didn't feel like his own power was trying to kill him. He felt... perfect.
He turned toward the exit of the Gate. Outside, the news helicopters were still circling.
"Now let's deal with you Marcus." He muttered under his breath as if he was about to go and discipline a child that had misbehaved.