Cold.
Bone-chilling, soul-freezing cold.
Daniel felt as though he had plunged into a glacial abyss.
His entire body was numb, suspended between life and death.
Wait… Didn't I die? Why am I still conscious?
With great effort, he forced his eyes open—
Only to find himself floating in a realm drenched in a deep crimson hue.
Blood-red mist swirled all around him. The very air felt thick, saturated with an ominous power.
Before he could react, the Moonlight Amulet hanging around his neck suddenly levitated, drifting upward.
Under Daniel's astonished gaze, the surface of the amulet began to dissolve.
Piece by piece, the outer shell peeled away, revealing a pulsating sphere of pure black light.
The Moonlight Amulet? Could it be the one that saved me?
Just as that thought crossed his mind, the surrounding blood-red world began to tremble and roll, like crashing waves in a stormy sea.
The entire space seemed to boil, churning with thick, scarlet fluid.
What the hell is going on!?
Daniel's stomach lurched.
Oddly, despite the overwhelming visual of blood, he couldn't smell any of it—yet the nausea was unbearable.
Then, right before his eyes, the sea of blood coalesced into a sphere.
A sphere… that looked frighteningly familiar.
Wait a minute… Isn't that the Blood Moon!?
Daniel's heart skipped a beat. Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
But what happened next made his skin crawl.
A crack appeared on the surface of the blood moon.
That crack slowly spread open—
Revealing a crimson eye.
A single, gigantic, staring eye.
Strangely, the eye had no pupil—just a dead, blank white set within the blood-red sclera.
The blood moon was now watching him—like a massive, alien eyeball peering into his soul.
It radiated a grotesque presence that made Daniel's entire body tense up.
He stood frozen, helpless, in the gaze of a cosmic horror.
As he struggled to comprehend it, the black light—the core of the Moonlight Amulet—began to drift toward the eye, as if being summoned.
And then—
[Congratulations! You have completed the Demonic God Mission: "Eye of the Blood Moon."]
[You have received a unique reward: Blessing of the Blood Moon.]
Blessing of the Blood Moon
Effect 1: Restores 9,999 MP per second.
Effect 2: Upon receiving fatal damage, HP is locked at 1 point. (Once every 5 minutes; fixed cooldown, cannot be bypassed.)
"...What!?"
Daniel rubbed his eyes, stunned.
His mouth opened slightly in disbelief.
Wait… you mean that weird, seemingly worthless detour into the underground labyrinth… actually turned out to be a massive profit?!
Just as the realization hit, the surrounding realm shattered like a broken mirror.
Reality snapped back.
Daniel's body reappeared in the same battlefield where he had fallen—
Right before the final blow of the [Stoneback Colossus].
[HP: 1]
[MP: 3000]
Without hesitation, Daniel fired off ten [Ode to Life] spells in rapid succession, then triggered [Spring Rebirth]'s active effect.
In the blink of an eye, his HP soared back to maximum.
As for MP?
Under the Blessing of the Blood Moon, his MP bar didn't even twitch—it was like an infinite wellspring of energy.
The [Stoneback Colossus] was still mid-cast, charging its skill.
But Daniel was already fully restored.
"Ha! Thought you had me down, didn't you? Now let me return the favor—taste my [Great Fireball]!"
[Great Fireball]!
[Great Fireball]!!
[Great Fireball]!!!
Without the burden of MP conservation, Daniel launched three fireballs per second, like a magical machine gun!
Each fiery sphere slammed into the colossus's body, exploding with tremendous force—
—116,953!
—116,953!
—116,953!
The boss's health dropped at a visible rate.
With only 30% HP left, the [Stoneback Colossus] could barely survive 30 fireballs.
But Daniel's luck was better than average.
Soon, the much-desired special-effect hits began to appear again—
—2,999,999!
—2,899,999!
Critical strikes exploded in succession, melting the colossus's HP like butter under a torch.
Meanwhile...
Far to the west of the Tin-Silver Empire lay the Sema Mountains.
To adventurers, this treacherous range was both a land of opportunity—and one of grave peril.
Unlike the Whitewild Expanse, which catered more to novices, the Sema Mountains were a domain for only the elite.
Entry was limited to those between tier-6 and tier-10.
Only those who had successfully undergone Star Ascension could legally enter.
And deep within the Sema Mountains…
A massive expeditionary raid party composed entirely of tier-10 adventurers was locked in combat against a fearsome creature—
[World Rank Boss: Bloodchant Ape]
Level: 70
HP: 999,999,999
MP: 999,999,999
Skills: Devour Heaven, Demonize, Morphing Wrath
Traits: Agile, Overwhelming Strength, Intelligent, Savage
Description: A high-level World Rank monster known for its agility and brutality. Extremely difficult to handle.
A Level 70 World Boss.
In every category—attributes, complexity, danger—it was leagues above the [Stoneback Colossus].
However, unlike the Primordial Land of Whitewild Expanse, the Bloodchant Ape could be hunted without region-locked entry restrictions.
Which meant: anyone could attempt to challenge it.
Of course, challenging it was one thing.
Defeating it was another.
But one truth remained:
Every year, after Awakening Day, the first kill of a World Boss would grant monumental rewards.
The infamous First Kill.
Traditionally, the first kill went to Level 70 bosses—since most seasoned adventurers could reach tier-8 or tier-9.
Tier-10, however, was a watershed moment—only 5% of adventurers ever reached it.
That's why the Bloodchant Ape was considered the prime target.
To slay a World Rank boss typically required hundreds of elite warriors, organized into a proper raid formation.
And adventurers beyond tier-10 were rare treasures in any species.
Leading one such raid party was a guild known as Rookie Slayers.
They had trained, scouted, and waited for this opportunity all year.
And now, they were determined to seize their destiny.
"Everyone! Full power!" their commander barked.
"Control-type adventurers—lock down its movements!"
"Apply every debuff you have—what, are you saving mana for your future children?!"
"Healers, prep your group regen! Tank—what the hell are you doing hiding behind the casters? Get up front and soak damage!!"
The raid was chaotic but calculated.
"Just hang in there! We need half a day at most!" the commander urged.
"You all KNOW how insane the First Kill rewards are!"
"We've waited too long—this is our moment!"
"Rookie Slayers will be a name remembered across the continent after today!!"
Indeed, luck had smiled on them.
They'd barely stepped foot into the mountains when they stumbled upon the Bloodchant Ape.
Even better—their team was packed with CC-specialists, perfectly suited to counter this nimble boss.
Their kill-time efficiency was breaking all records.
At the center of it all stood the guild leader—Neo, a towering 2-meter-tall avian warrior, wings folded behind his back, gripping a massive halberd.
"LIGHTSPEAR THRUST!!"
With a single strike, he cleaved off 60,656 HP from the boss.
A roar of approval erupted.
"Commander, that's insane!!"
"You're the mightiest of the birdfolk!"
"Who else hits 60k in one blow?! Are you even human—oh wait, right, you're not!"
"LONG LIVE COMMANDER NEO!!"
Neo allowed himself a brief smirk, clearly basking in the praise.
But as a seasoned commander, he snapped back to focus:
"First Corps—restrain it!"
"Second Corps—max out the debuffs!"
"No matter what, we must secure the First Kill this time!"