Being excited by the sudden hint, I jumped out of bed and went straight into the basement where I had stayed as a sacrifice for two weeks.

Previously, I hadn't investigated the basement properly because the only reason I came here was to be caged.

Moreover, there had been nothing worth looking at.

The basement was dark and completely empty, with only the cage placed at the center.

"I really hate this fucking prison," I muttered, clenching my fist and striking the cage with a thunderous punch, sending it flying into the corner of the room.

"Hah! Now I feel better."

Unexpectedly, at the spot where the cage had been placed, a sloping path leading downward was revealed.

"So they hid it here."

I followed the path lit by the Soul Stones embedded along the side walls and reached the second floor of the basement.

"This must be the place," I said, standing before the largest metal door I had ever seen in the mines.

It had different and more complex magical circles engraved on it. Along its border, two snakes were sculpted on the hinge side, their temples touching each other at the top and their heads facing downward.

Below the serpents' coiled bodies, forming the door handle, a keyhole was carved.

I took out the rusty key given by Ume and inserted it into the keyhole.

The moment the key went in, it transformed into a metallic serpent and darted along the edge of the door before touching the foreheads of the two snakes at the top.

From their point of contact, blue energy emerged, radiating through the patterns carved on the door.

A harsh metallic screech filled the basement as the heavy door began to open.

The door had only barely opened when an overwhelming pressure erupted from the opening, sending shivers down my spine.

Thump... Thump... Thump...

My chest quaked with the furious beating of heavy drums.

Ding...

"Bloodline Resonance is activated!!"

Even though the basement was fully lit with Soul Stones, there wasn't a hint of light beyond the door.

"Wh-what the actual fuck is locked inside?" I muttered, raising my foot forward as the door fully opened.

I walked for almost thirty minutes into the darkness until the entrance behind me completely vanished, yet I could see nothing but blackness everywhere.

While walking, I felt a lot of debris constantly hindering my movement.

I took out a Soul Stone from the inventory and murmured, lowering it to the ground, "What the hell keeps getting in my way—"

My heart was already beating uncontrollably due to the Bloodline Resonance, and what I saw on the ground intensified it severalfold.

The land was covered with an unending layer of human and beast bones.

"I-I should've brought Jambavan and Vyaghra with me," I gulped, rising up. "Should I turn back?"

The moment I turned, a slithering sound followed by a harsh hissss echoed in the darkness.

"Who's there?" I shouted, but no response came.

"That's it. I'm out of here!" I blurted and bolted in the direction I came from.

As I was running, the sound of gliding along with cracking bones began following me.

"Stop following me, whatever the ghostly fuck you are!" I snapped and shouted,

"Blink!"

The instant my body dashed forward, something blocked my way, making me fall with a loud thud.

I raised the Soul Stone upward to see what I had just struck.

"When did this pillar appear here?" I murmured, extending my hand toward what I assumed to be a huge blue pillar engraved with scale-like patterns.

Before my hand could touch the pillar, it suddenly began moving with a slithering sound, and at the same moment, an eerie hiss came from behind.

I raised my head along with the Soul Stone to see the source of the sound.

The light from the Soul Stone revealed a giant three-headed serpent glaring at me with its vertical slit eyes.

The moment my eyes landed on it,

Ding...

"You have triggered the second act of the Main Quest: Secrets of the Abandoned Land.

Act II: Drathion, an evil three-headed serpent from the ancient era, was known for devouring the cores of other beasts.

The unnatural nature of his devouring technique eventually corrupted his mind, turning him into a mindless monster that attacked any living being in sight. As punishment, he was cast into this forsaken land to guard a secret treasure.

Kill Drathion—the three-headed serpent—and find out what the serpent is guarding.

Reward on completion: Hint for the next Act of the Main Quest.

Penalty on failure: Termination of the entire series."

"I don't want to find out what this snake is hiding," I whimpered as the serpent opened its mouth, baring large, terrifying fangs almost the same height as me.

The moment our eyes met, it launched its forked tongue at me like a trident.

I jumped backward, trying to dodge, but it immediately struck my back with its tail like a violent whip.

The impact dragged me several feet across the bone-covered ground and only stopped after I drew my sword from the inventory and pierced it into the ground.

"I wanted to avoid conflict, but you're the one who attacked me first," I muttered, wiping the trail of blood from my lips.

"I'll use you as the test subject to see how much stronger this Essence Realm has really made me."

Pushing myself to a standing position, I tightened my grip on the sword, preparing for the long battle ahead.

However, due to the strange darkness here, nothing was visible at all.

The slithering sound of its body was the only thing revealing the serpent's presence.

As soon as I positioned myself, following a violent dart, a clanging noise echoed as my sword clashed against its enormous fangs.

"Trying to hide in the darkness?" I scoffed. "I also know someone who uses stealth techniques; however..."

The Vajra began flickering with golden electric pulses, and in the next moment—

"Lightning Slash!"

I swung the blade with both hands, almost breaking its fang in half.

"His stealth techniques are far greater than yours."

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