The serpent's roar split the forest.
A violet blaze of poison gathered in its jaws, expanding until the very air shimmered. Su Bu Lang, however, stood unmoving—staff lowered, one foot balanced on the other.
The serpent unleashed it.
BOOOOOOM!
A deafening explosion swallowed the clearing in purple smoke. Trees melted. The earth corroded. For a moment, the jungle was silent.
Then—
Laughter.
From within the dissipating smoke, Su Bu Lang emerged completely unharmed, his green aura burning even brighter. "How about I teach you a little lesson?" he said, eyes glowing with predatory amusement.
The serpent hissed and lunged again, jaws wide enough to swallow him whole—but Lang's form vanished. A moment later, he was already above it, staff raised high.
CRACK!
The staff pierced straight through the serpent's skull. Its shriek tore through the forest as green flames erupted from the wound. But this wasn't aura—it was something purer, heavier.
> [New Stat: KAI]
A manifestation of Enlightenment. Willpower given form. Enhances perception, focus, and overall combat stats.
The serpent writhed in agony. Lang descended like a comet, landing in front of it with an easy grin. "Too slow."
The serpent gathered its remaining power, purple energy pulsing violently. Lang's grin widened. "Perfect."
He bent his knees and vanished in a blur—his staff blazing with green KAI.
The sky exploded.
A flash of green met a surge of purple, rattling the entire rainforest. When the dust settled, only one sound remained—Lang's laughter echoing across the canopy.
The serpent's colossal body hit the ground with a heavy thud, scales shattered, lifeless eyes staring blankly into the void.
[Battle Complete: SU BU LANG VS OPHICUIS]
Result: Su Bu Lang Wins!
Area Status: Super Rainforest — Anomaly detected.
From the distance, another player smirked. "Heh. Looks like someone's having fun," said a blond man polishing a golden tooth—David Cooper, Europe's Rank 6.
---
Meanwhile, in the Northlands…
The desert stretched endlessly—miles of barren dunes and blistering heat. Denzel trudged through the wasteland, muttering to himself, laughter occasionally slipping through cracked lips.
Hours passed. Nothing. No sound. No movement.
Then—he felt it. A pulse. Another presence.
He looked up. A lone figure approached—a tall, broad-shouldered man with black hair and cold eyes. Fabio Alcaraz. Rank 1 in Europe.
Denzel smirked. "What luck."
Alcaraz walked past him, eyes fixed on something else, completely ignoring Denzel. That arrogance alone made Denzel's blood boil.
So he stepped sideways—deliberately bumping shoulders.
"Hey, you just bumped into me," Denzel said, voice dripping with mock annoyance.
No response.
"Hey, kid! Didn't you hear me?"
Alcaraz stopped. A faint smirk crossed his face. "Your acting's bad, but you've got my attention."
Denzel chuckled inwardly. Of course he saw through it.
"You really are Rank 1," he said.
"And you're the escort who beat Macmiller, right?" Alcaraz replied casually.
"Guilty as charged."
"So, what do you want?" Alcaraz asked, tone neutral but curious.
"I've got a plan," Denzel said, grinning. "We can reach the Central Plains in two days. I'll handle survival—shelter, food, and navigation. You handle anything that wants to kill us."
Alcaraz stared for a long moment. Then he extended his hand. "Alright."
Their hands met.
> [New Party Formed: Denzel X Fabio Alcaraz]
---
[ALPHA HQ – PARIS]
Dozens of massive screens flickered, each one showing live feeds of the island's regions. Technicians typed furiously, voices overlapping as they monitored vitals, mana levels, and combat power indexes.
Dr. Mainōc adjusted his glasses. "All readings stable, Sir Gurritéz. Player performance is exceeding projections."
"Good," the man replied, eyes sharp. "Keep the feed constant. If even one of them dies, I want to know before the body hits the ground."
---
[Northlands – Nightfall]
The sun dipped behind the dunes, painting the wasteland red.
"Let's set up camp," Denzel said, pulling out gear from his inventory. He worked quickly, setting up a portable tent while Alcaraz sat on a rock, seemingly uninterested.
"Won't you help?" Denzel asked politely.
"No," Alcaraz replied flatly.
Denzel rolled his eyes. "Figures."
Suddenly...
Then the ground trembled.
The sand cracked open, and dozens of enormous, eyeless worms burst out, screeching as they thrashed through the dunes. Denzel's eyes glowed..
> [Monster: Sandstorm Worm]
[Rank: C]
[Level Range: 50–60]
[Weakness: Fire]
[Total Count: 32]
Denzel cursed under his breath. "You've gotta be kidding me—"
Before he could act, Alcaraz simply raised one finger.
The air distorted. A crushing force slammed down, flattening the worms instantly into pools of black slime. The desert fell silent again.
Denzel could only stare. Even after two lives, Alcaraz's power still terrified him.
Denzel exhaled, smirking. "Monster…"
The desert wind howled in agreement and so did the rankings back at Alpha HQ as Fabio Alcaraz was now in first place surpassing Su Bu Lang
END OF CHAPTER