Five seconds before death.
The serpent's jaws came down.
Damian moved.
He ducked low—hands slamming into the ground—his entire body compressing as both feet shot upward, bracing against the descending fangs.
Impact.
The force trembled through his bones, but he held it.
For a fraction of a second—
The jaws stopped.
That was enough.
Damian twisted his body, slipping out from beneath the crushing bite, rolling across the ground and rising in one fluid motion—
Now behind it.
The serpent reacted instantly.
Its massive tail whipped through the air.
BOOM.
Damian was sent flying, crashing through multiple trees before slamming into another with a sickening crack.
Wood splintered.
He dropped.
Stood.
No hesitation.
No pause.
He ran straight back toward it.
The serpent lunged again—but this time, Damian didn't evade.
He jumped.
Wrapped himself around its thick, scaled body—
And squeezed.
Tightly.
Relentlessly.
The serpent thrashed.
Its body coiled violently, smashing against trees, rocks, even the side of a small cliff. It slammed itself into the ground repeatedly, trying to crush him.
Damian didn't let go.
His grip tightened.
Bones strained.
Muscles locked.
Adaptation kicked in.
Every movement of the serpent became predictable.
Every thrash—readable.
Every attempt—countered.
He squeezed harder.
The serpent's movements slowed.
Then—
It collapsed.
Dead.
For a moment—
Stillness.
Then—
Its body released something.
A gas.
Invisible.
Instant.
Damian inhaled—
And died.
Purgatory.
Transit.
Jump.
Five seconds.
Same moment.
Same gas.
Same death.
Again.
Again.
Again.
No way around it.
No time to react.
No way to avoid breathing.
The poison was absolute.
Loop after loop.
Death after death.
His body broke.
Reformed.
Learned.
Adjusted.
At some point—
The poison stopped working.
Damian stood there.
Breathing it in.
Unaffected.
Immunity.
He stepped forward calmly.
Kneeling beside the serpent's corpse.
He grabbed one of its massive fangs—
And snapped it free.
Then the other.
He held them like blades.
Tested the weight.
Sharp.
Dense.
Perfect.
Without hesitation—
He plunged them into the serpent's belly.
Cut.
Sliced.
Opened.
Blood poured out, thick and dark.
He reached inside.
Searching.
Then—
He found it.
A core.
Cold.
Dense.
Violent.
He pulled it out.
Looked at it once.
Then—
Swallowed it.
Energy surged through him.
Not as violently as before.
But stronger.
Refined.
Controlled.
He exhaled slowly.
Then—
Something else reacted.
The Book of Secrets and Knowledge.
Inside his subconscious—
The pages turned.
Energy from the devoured core flowed into it.
The black star—
Multiplied.
Now—
Three stars.
The third page revealed itself.
Words formed instantly.
Ancient Black Mamba
A high-tier venomous spirit-beast.
Extremely lethal poison.
Fangs can be used to forge spiritual daggers.
Recommended forging method: …
Instructions followed.
Precise.
Detailed.
Efficient.
Damian smiled faintly.
He followed them.
Using the serpent's essence, its fangs, and his own energy—
He reshaped them.
Compressed.
Refined.
Until—
Two sleek black daggers rested in his hands.
Curved slightly.
Deadly.
Perfect.
He looked at them.
"Black Mamba."
The forest shifted.
A distant sound—
Combat.
Damian's head turned slightly.
Without a word, he moved.
He climbed into the trees.
Silent.
Watching.
Below—
A woman fought two trolls.
She was… striking.
Tall.
Long black hair flowing behind her.
Flawless skin, now stained with blood.
Ocean-blue eyes sharp despite exhaustion.
Her movements were refined.
Trained.
But—
She was injured.
A deep wound at her side.
Her breathing uneven.
Her strength fading.
She dodged a downward strike—
Barely.
Countered—
Her blade cut into the troll's leg—
But got stuck.
A mistake.
The second troll struck her.
She flew into a tree.
Hit hard.
Coughed blood.
Her vision blurred.
She tried to move—
Couldn't.
The trolls approached slowly.
Weapons raised.
Execution.
Sophie's voice echoed.
"Will you help her… or will you watch her die?"
Damian didn't answer.
He simply watched.
The first troll raised its weapon—
Swung downward.
Then—
Something changed.
From the trolls' perspective—
The world shifted.
Their senses warped.
Reality bent.
They saw something else.
Something terrifying.
Something that made no sense.
They turned on each other.
Attacked.
Brutally.
Violently.
Until—
Both collapsed.
Dead.
Damian walked forward.
Hands in his coat.
Calm.
Silent.
The woman's fading vision caught him.
A figure.
Walking through the aftermath.
Wind moving his coat slightly.
Then—
Darkness.
She blacked out.
She woke up.
Gasping.
A nightmare fading from her mind.
She was in a cave.
Her wounds—
Stitched.
Clean.
Treated.
She sat up slowly.
Then saw him.
Sitting across from her.
Calm.
Watching.
"…Were you the one that saved me?" she asked.
Damian turned his head.
Looked her directly in the eyes.
"Sophie saved you," he said flatly. "If it were up to me, I'd let you die."
She blinked.
Processing.
"…Is Sophie your spirit?"
"You ask a lot of questions."
She exhaled lightly.
"…My name is Isabell Bethlehem. Thanks for saving me, Sophie."
Sophie materialized briefly beside Damian.
"Sure thing."
Then disappeared.
Damian stood up.
"Well. Now that you look fine, I'll be going."
He turned.
Walked toward the cave entrance.
"Wait," she said quickly. "What's your name?"
He paused.
Looked back slightly.
"…Damian Leviticus."
Then—
He jumped down from the cave.
Landing smoothly in the forest below.
Hands in his coat.
Walking.
"I should save the Great Ruins for a while… after this, of course."
His figure blurred.
Then vanished into the forest.
Deep within another part of the woods—
The air changed.
Colder.
Heavier.
Still.
Damian stopped.
Something stood before him.
Not large.
Not loud.
But—
Absolute.
A figure cloaked in darkness.
Its presence alone bent the space around it.
Sophie's voice was serious.
"…That's a Spirit of Death."
A pause.
"…A High Spirit. Comparable to a late Stage Four."
Silence.
Damian looked at it.
Then spoke.
"…Fuck that."
A faint smile.
"I'm already here, aren't I?"
His grip tightened on the daggers.
"Death can't have me."
Elsewhere—
Inside the cave—
Isabell stood slowly.
"…A man's never treated me like that before…"
She crossed her arms.
"Hmph. Who does he think he is?"
But her eyes drifted toward the forest.
Her thoughts lingering.
On one name.
Damian Leviticus.