"Meh, finally." A lazy voice remarked from within a carriage that was moving slowly across a pathway. 

Within the carriage was a handsome young man with shoulder-length curly brown hair, two light brown eyes, a wide nose, defined jaw, and pink lips that were pursed at the moment. 

He had a height of 5"7, which seemed like it would be something he would be bothered about, but it, like many other things in the world, did not faze this fellow. 

He was a generally nonchalant person who enjoyed doing what he wanted to do, and what he wanted to do was… 

"Young Master, we are here." The carriage driver informed the young man, who was lying lazily within the carriage. 

Hearing that they had reached the destination, he dismounted the carriage and waved at the driver, who waved back and left. This fellow had paid him 3 silver for the journey here, which was a killing! 

"Tsk, tsk, 3 silver for a 30 km journey. Nowadays, prices are really going up." The young man sighed as he stretched his body, not realizing that he had overpaid by about 600%. 

"Whatever, let's kill some monsters to earn that back." He mumbled to himself calmly as he gazed at the entrance to a Field Zone, the Wilde Swamp. 

It was a level 70-90 Field Zone, aimed towards upper Rank 2 and some Rank 3 players to come and farm for resources. It was located on the southwestern side of the Cario Continent, where the areas were more untamed and toxic. 

The fellow with the name tag 'Ghostprotokill', walked into this dangerous Field Zone without hesitation, his environment changing immediately with the first step. 

From a normal pathway looking into a distant bog, he was now smack dab in front of the murky waters where one could definitely see eyes sticking out, waiting for an idiot- *cough* a good friend to come over and be bitten into a death roll - *cough* come and party all night in the water! 

However, the predators in the water observed this fellow. He was dressed in the Nightingale Assassin Armor set, which was leather armor mixed with flecks of iron here and there to enhance defense while not adding weight or inflexibility. 

The armor was as black as the night and tight-fitting on the fellow's lean but fit body, covering almost every inch of skin, along with a hood that covered the upper half of his face. 

The predators in the water concluded that this fellow looked too handsome and clever to fall for such a simple trap, so they got bored and looked for other prey. However, they were soon rendered speechless... when the fellow walked over lazily and plopped by the bank of the swamp water and dipped his legs inside while kicking. 

If the predators were on land, their jaws would drop to the ground. They had never witnessed a sight like this in their lives, and they felt like their primal IQ was not enough to process this. 

Normally, these predators mocked humans and humanoids for having all that IQ. What was the use of being smart if you were still going to act like a retard often and think too much about small things in life? 

Now, though, these predators regretted not evolving to get more IQ, so they could understand what the fuck was going on. 

They all slowly swam over to not startle the fellow, but they noticed that even if he could see them, he likely didn't care. He seemed ignorant, nonchalant, and naive, the three words that made for a tasty meal! 

Just as they were about to pounce, one of them shouted for them to wait. This resulted in irritation among the others, but they decided to listen to what the fellow had to say. 

If it was something wise, they would applaud him. If it was something dumb, he would become the warm-up target of their Special Combo Technique: Death Roll After Death Roll! 

The fellow came forward with a wizened look, reminiscent of a sage that had achieved the Dao. Just his aura alone made the other predators feel inferior, a deep awe arising from their hearts. 

"Hahaha, fellow brothers, I feel like this is way too sketchy. Why does it feel less like hapless prey and more like a trap to lure us over, so we could be killed at once?" The sage-like predator asked in lizard language. 

None of them noticed that the fellow who was acting as if this bog was a pool froze for a split second before resuming his actions. The other predators seemed moved by this and realized they had almost let their hunger take over! 

"Brother Sage, what do you suggest?" One of the strongest predators asked the fellow. 

The one called Brother Sage stroke his long beard and laughed gaily once more. 

"Hahaha, when I was a young man, I participated in the Cold War against Russia. I was deployed into the hinterlands of Ukraine, where I was forced to fight a tank with only a standard Kalashnikov, yet I came out on top." 

The sage-like predator then flung his sleeves dramatically, harrumphing as well. "As such, what needs to be done is simple!" 

"We must ascertain the legibility, credibility, perceptibility, simplicity, intelligibility, comprehensibility, palpability, penetrability, palatability, culpability, and tangibility of his actions!" He concluded as he pointed to Ghostprotokill. 

At this point, the other predators were long subdued by the sage-like fellow and his fancy words. They chanted out: "Brother Sage! Brother Sage! Brother Sage!" over and over again. 

Brother Sage laughed once more, enjoying the fanfare as he moved towards Ghost's legs slowly and carefully. The other predators held their breaths as they watched him go forward and risk his life on their behalf. 

Their eyes misted up as they swore to follow Brother Sage for the rest of their dog lives! 

Brother Sage reached the area around Ghost's legs and turned to face the others. They watched with bated breaths, but Brother Sage calmly indicated for them to move back. 

They complied and doubled the distance, but he motioned for them to move back more. Then, they went triple the original distance away. Their hearts were heavy, realizing that Brother Sage likely knew that if anything went wrong, he would die. 

As such, he didn't want them anywhere near so that they could suffer a similar fate. 

Arrghh! Brother Sage, you're forever my greatest benefactor and my only big brother! 

Many predators couldn't hold back anymore as they burst into tears, sobbing like children at the magnanimity and purity of Brother Sage. 

Brother Sage smiled genially and poked Ghost's foot, which made the entire underwater freeze. Ghost showed no reaction, which made the other predators release a sigh of relief. 

Brother Sage would be fine. 

The fellow himself turned to them. "Fellow Brothers, I thank you for putting your trust in me. Now that it has been confirmed that nothing will happen, we are free to feast." 

The other predators cheered and clapped, dancing with excitement. The strongest predator smiled and said. "Then Brother Sage, come over, so we may discuss how to share the meat this time." 

Hearing how they would share the meat, the others started to drool, and couldn't wait for things to be shared so that they could feast. 

At this time, Brother Sage smiled. "In order to foster transparency and boost public security, I have decided to partake in this sumptuous meal on behalf of everyone. Brothers, do not worry, I will make sure to savor it well on your behalf!" (Editor's Note; Is anyone doubting any lineage to Clarent?) 

The faces of the other predators changed. They realized that they had been tricked, this bastard fellow was going for the fresh meat all along! 

"IMPUDENT!" 

"ARROGANT!" 

"DESPICABLE!" 

The predators roared out their indignation as they rushed over to capture Brother Sage and give him endless death rolls. However, their faces went black when they realized that the distance between them was enough for Brother Sage to eat the fellow slowly more than five times over. 

Now they understood why he had asked them to go back so far! How deceptive! 

Brother Sage smiled filthily as he opened a jaw over one of Ghost's legs, looking ready to chomp down. 

"JUNIOR, DO YOU DARE?!" The strongest predator roared as he rushed over, but he knew he wouldn't make it in time. 

Brother Sage sneered. "What don't I dare to do?!" 

Then, he bit down hard on Ghost's left leg, aiming to snap it from the bone and swallow it whole or these fellows to feel the pain and jealousy. The other predators had red eyes as they rushed over, wishing they could beat this fellow to death! 

The teeth connected with the leg the next moment! 

CLANNGGGGG!!!! 

Suddenly, all movements stopped. The onrushing predators had lost their hatred and anger, only looking forward with horror and pain. The strongest predator, clutched his chest, feeling like he was about to cough blood. 

Brother Sage himself slowly removed his teeth from Ghost's leg and turned to the frozen predators. He then grinned widely, with a sad look in his eyes, as his teeth slowly cracked one by one then shattered, leaving only flat gums. 

-999,999,999! 

As this damage number appeared above his head, Brother Sage spoke for the last. 

"It was just… good… business…" 

He then evaporated into ash, blown away into the depths of the water as he had been one-shotted. The other predators roared in pain and anguish, feeling pity for their fellow brother who suffered the worst possible death. 

"Fellow brothers, we must avenge Brother Sage! Charrgee!!!" The strongest predator roared with hatred, charging at Ghost's other leg, hoping to chomp it to death. 

All the others followed behind him, their eyes red with madness and hate, their mouths open to deliver the greatest bite known to history! 

As for Ghostprotokill, who was seated at the banks, he yawned and lay down. He then hovered a bit after a while, a weird expression on his face. 

"Damn, this water is itchy as hell. Feels like some tickling foams are rubbing against my leg in rapid succession. What's going on?" 

Suddenly, a golden light manifested around Ghost as he leveled up. He was flabbergasted as he wondered what the hell was going on. He literally just came here to relax and tempt the predators to gather in one place, so he could attack, but he had already leveled up? 

As such, he sighed and with that, he had lost interest in instigating. What else could it have been than the Artificial Intelligence of this game recognizing him to be a handsome, hardworking, far-seeing, and gentle man, thus deciding to reward him for his efforts. 

Ghostprotokill soon fell asleep right there and then, enjoying the atmosphere that most would find repulsive. 

When next he opened his eyes, he found that he was standing on a small island that was hovering over a murky sea. He looked left and right, noticing that the sea extended for as far as he could see in each direction. 

He also noticed that he was no longer wearing his game attire, instead the normal clothes he had worn before he put on the VR Helmet. The water before him began to shake and tremble, to which Ghost frowned. 

From eight small whirlpools, the exact same number of serpentine heads emerged, each one gazing at the fellow with a mixture of disdain and superiority. 

These heads snaked over and hovered just before the lonely island, gazing down at the puny human who looked back at them with an eyebrow raised. 

"Haaa… this is why I have to stop drinking 30 pounds of Canada Dry a week. I get hallucinations like this." He muttered with defeat. 

The snakeheads began to speak, their voices deep and sinister, like the evilest bloke one could find in the shadiest alleyway. 

"Flimsy human, you are not qualified to be my inheritor! Quickly vanquish your soul and make space for this king to take over!" 

There was unmistakable arrogance and disdain in the monster's tone, of which Ghost found amusing. Deciding to play along since he was bored, he replied. 

"Sure, sure, your great… err… who are you again?" 

The 8 serpent heads all froze, with two of them coughing blood from shame, another two coughing blood from anger, and the last four gaining bloodshot eyes. 

"I'm Orochi, the greatest Dragon under the Sovereign! I represent the myriad powers and succeed at being supreme to all living things!" All eight heads roared at once, making the small island Ghost was standing on quake. 

The human did not seem fazed and nodded as if he understood. "Right, right, Orochi. So, you were saying something about me being your inheritor?" 

Orochi harrumphed coldly. "Not that I'm happy about it, but the progenitor knew that his incarnation would be born sometime this era, so he left 1% of each of our Soul Origin in the bloodline of his Lineage so that we would accumulate enough power to be truly born in this era along with our bloodline carriers." 

Ghost showed an amazed expression. "I see, so I'm from a special Lineage with a bloodline that has powers in reality? That's nice. Not only that, I got to inherit such a powerful, majestic, magnanimous, and handsome Great Dragon. How lucky I am!" 

Hearing this, Orochi detected nothing wrong and laughed uproariously. "It's good you understand the level of existence you are dealing with. Why, if it weren't for the protections the progenitor left, I would have long gobbled your soul and taken over!" 

"And you would be in the right to do so. How could such a magnificent being be limited to a small human like me? So what powers do you have?" Ghost asked with interest. 

"Each of my heads represents a unique power. The first head allows me to fly through the air without wings, the second head allows me to spit out the greatest toxins in creation, the third head allows me to breathe flames, the fourth head allows me to breathe ice, the fifth head allows me to teleport through space freely, the sixth head makes me possess the intelligence of a hundred dragons, the seventh head allows me to swim through water with ease and the eight head allows me to use Darkness Energy." Orochi stated with a boastful tone. 

"Not only that, but I possess four special abilities. My scales possess the property of indestructibility against magic and physical attacks if they are not powered by godly might. My blood possesses the ability of regeneration, allowing me to regenerate any of my heads that are cut as well as any wound on my body." 

"My heart possesses the ability of immortality, allowing me to live until the end of the universe. My tail contains the sharpest blade in the world, so anyone who attacks me will suffer counter damage that is twice what they dealt to me." Orochi concluded with an arrogant tone, gazing at the human from the corner of his eyes as if he was expecting more praises. 

Ghost showed a shocked expression as he clapped. "Such power! Such glory! Lord Orochi, you are truly the greatest in the entire universe! So, do I have access to these powers?" 

Orochi smiled when he heard the praise, but sneered when he heard the final question. "Of course! Otherwise, how would you have survived having your legs mauled by those giant crocodiles?" 

Orochi then smiled viciously. "Not to mention, you should be aware of this, no? Otherwise, how could you alone have escaped unscathed that day?" 

Ghost's casual and lazy expression disappeared and was replaced by one so dark that even Orochi was surprised. "Never again make mention of that time." 

Orochi laughed mockingly. "Or what? I will do as I please, human! And there's nothing you can do." 

"Cyrus Blood, third born young master of the Blood Family. You had everything growing up, loving parents, close relationships with your siblings, and money to buy whatever you want." 

"You grew up to be a relatively fine young man thanks to your intelligence - which was inherited from m sixth head, mind you! - and seemed to have a bright future." Orochi began to narrate, his heads weaving together so synergistically that anyone who observed it would become dizzy. 

"However, you ruined it all. Just four years ago, you crashed your father's expensive car doing races after falling into peer pressure for the first time. He wasn't even that angry, but he knew he had to teach you a lesson, so he only threw a light slap in order to punish you." 

Orochi then coiled around Ghost who hands were clenched so tight that blood flowed from them. "What a scene! You, who could not control my power in any way, had to watch as your father turned into bloodmist the moment his hand collided with your face! Hahaha!" 

"Ahh, the horror, the despair, and the fear in your heart at that moment… too good! I could have stopped it, but I thought it would be better this way, without any burdens to distract you from your life's purpose." 

Orochi sneered at Ghost's mounting killing intent. "What baffles me to this day is how your mother and siblings casually joined daddykins in the grave, all by touching you a little harshly!" 

Orochi then snickered. "Okay, I'm joking, I forcibly triggered the counterattack. As I said, since you cleared one, might as well do the rest, no? Including the help, the paramedics, the police." 

Orochi sighed. "That day, I think you killed over 50 people alone. No wonder they keep you in that padded cell with that straitjacket on 24/7! I think they've tried to kill you about 30 times while you were in this game, but each one failed because you're indestructible!" 

Ghost suddenly released his clenched fist and breathed out deeply. "Is there a way for me to kill you?" 

Orochi rolled his eyes. "It's just about as possible as you killing yourself. Or someone else killing you." 

"Is it possible to bring my family back?" Ghost then asked. 

"Difficult... but not impossible. Should you find the Nuwa girl, she could bring them back with enough energy, I guess." Orochi answered with a casual shrug. 

Ghost nodded. "Good, so all I have to do is find her. That's simple." 

Orochi frowned. "But she is one of the 9 God Serpents. She is equal in power to us, and we are all subordinate to the progenitor's incarnation." 

Ghost titled his head in thought. "Alright then, change of plans. Let's find the progenitor's incarnation and wait for the Nuwa girl to find him." 

Saying this, Ghost… no, Cyrus Blood opened his eyes in the real world despite the Virtua Helmet still being connected to him. His eyes and ears bled due to the brain damage he had suffered, but it was nothing to him. It would all regenerate soon enough. 

Cyrus grinned widely as he saw the panicking faces on the other side of the observation panel, as his padded cell was now filled with hundreds of turrets that were firing at him nonstop, each one bouncing off his skin harmlessly. 

"So he was right, you WERE trying to kill me all this time." 

Cyrus ripped the straitjacket he wore to pieces and broke his bindings before tossing the Virtua Helmet away, rising to his feet with ease. 

"Allow me to return the favor!" 

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