In front of the Ancient Archfiend,
Rylan gripped the Sanctuary Blade tightly and thrust it toward the massive fiend.
Clang!
A crisp noise echoed.
-0!
A white digit floated into view.
Rylan, at level 1, versus the Ancient Archfiend Baal.
Because of the vast difference in their stats, Rylan couldn't even break through the Archfiend's defense.
"Human! You dare… I am…"
Seeing that Rylan actually dared strike him, Baal roared in fury. Unfortunately for him, he was sealed and couldn't move or cast any abilities. Worse, the "Soul Plague" he naturally exuded had no effect on this particular human.
For an ant to challenge its king was blasphemy.
Yet, no matter how enraged Baal became, there was nothing he could do to Rylan.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Rylan struck three more times.
-0, -0, -0…
Three white numbers flickered, still inflicting no damage.
"Weak human, I am the greatest Ancient Archfiend. Even if the gods have sealed me now, there is no way you—"
Watching the failed attacks, Baal sneered.
Clang!
But before he could finish, Rylan launched another strike. This time, the number wasn't white.
[-1]
A red digit appeared overhead.
At the same time, Rylan heard the system prompt in his mind:
[Your talent Wound Tear has activated!]
Talent—yes, even though Wound Tear was only a D-tier talent, dealing only 1 point of damage per second, it allowed its user to ignore all defense.
No matter how high the target's defense might be, once Wound Tear was triggered, damage was guaranteed. That was why Rylan had been so excited when he first saw it.
"Arrrgh…!"
"You lowly insect—how dare you…"
Realizing he had actually been hurt by this human, Baal's roar shook the air. A powerful aura flared around his body, as though he were trying to tear off his seal.
Then, driven by his formidable stats, he recovered his HP back to ten million.
Rylan, however, paid no mind to the Ancient Archfiend's roars or his terrifying regeneration.
In his mind, the system's voice sounded again.
…
[Ding. Courage is the noblest anthem. Weak human, you are the first person in five hundred years to challenge the Ancient Archfiend. Your fearless spirit has earned the Creator's approval. You have received the Creator's gift, and your Luck has permanently increased by 1.]
[Ding. You are the first human in three thousand years to wound an Archfiend. Your remarkable power has earned the Creator's approval. You have received the Creator's gift, and your talent level has been upgraded to A-rank.]
…
"Cool! My talent reached A-tier!"
Overjoyed by the system's announcement, Rylan's eyes shone brighter still. He immediately checked his upgraded talent.
…
[Blood Strike]
Tier: A
Effect: When you land a melee attack, you inflict a Bleed effect on the target, dealing 30 damage per second for 30 seconds. This effect can stack up to five times. Once the effect reaches two stacks, the target is treated as "seriously injured," preventing any healing.
…
Comparing it to Wound Tear, this new Blood Strike was a huge improvement. It even added a "serious injury" debuff.
Rylan's mind raced—he originally seemed to have no chance of killing Baal, driven more by anger than rationality. But now, with his upgraded talent, he felt the faintest glimpse of hope.
No question, Baal was monstrously powerful as an Ancient Archfiend.
In his unsealed state, a mild "serious injury" debuff would be meaningless. But for now, sealed by the gods, he couldn't unleash his full might.
Even his movements were restrained, and his natural health regeneration was purely reliant on his innate attributes—all of which would be crippled by the "seriously injured" debuff.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With his new talent, Rylan wasted no time. He attacked Baal again.
[You have triggered the Blood Strike talent.]
-30, -60, -90…
Five stacks in total brought the damage per second to 150. Although that was negligible compared to the Archfiend's immense HP, even minuscule numbers could add up over time.
-150, -150…
…
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Before long, in this once-silent Abyss of Death, the ringing of the Sanctuary Blade was the only sound. And slowly but steadily, the Ancient Archfiend's HP began to drop. Rylan tirelessly swung his blade again and again.
No one knew how long it took, but at last, Baal's health fell to 90%.
"Human, you fools—stop this at once!"
"Cease now, and I might still forgive you. I'll make you my pet dog!"
Realizing his health really couldn't regenerate, Baal grew more agitated.
But Rylan merely flashed a small smile. He heard yet another system prompt:
[Courage is the noblest anthem, and power is the source of courage. You have inflicted substantial damage on the Archfiend. Your extraordinary might has earned the Creator's approval. Your Luck has permanently increased by 1.]
"Another reward!"
Fired up, Rylan quickened the pace of his onslaught with the Sanctuary Blade.
-150…
-150…
Time ticked by second after second, and Rylan attacked relentlessly. The Ancient Archfiend's health kept creeping downward.
80%!
[Ding. You have inflicted substantial damage on the Archfiend. Your extraordinary might has earned the Creator's approval. Your Luck has permanently increased by 1.]
70%!
[Ding. You have inflicted substantial damage on the Archfiend. Your extraordinary might has earned the Creator's approval. Your Luck has permanently increased by 1.]
…
50%!
[Ding. You have inflicted substantial damage on the Archfiend. Your extraordinary might has earned the Creator's approval. Your Talent Evolution Count +1.]
At last, when Baal's health was cut in half, Rylan's talent evolved once more.
…
[Crippling Strike]
Tier: S
Effect: When you land a melee attack, you inflict a [Crippling] effect on the target, dealing 100 damage per second for 60 seconds. This effect can stack five times. Once the effect reaches two stacks, the target is "seriously injured" and can't recover health. Once the effect reaches three stacks, the target is "crippled," halving its movement and attack speed.
…
But that wasn't the end. Rylan's assault continued.
30%!
[Ding. You have inflicted substantial damage on the Archfiend. Your extraordinary might has earned the Creator's approval. Your Talent Evolution Count +1.]
…
10%!
[Ding. You have inflicted substantial damage on the Archfiend. Your extraordinary might has earned the Creator's approval. Your Luck has permanently increased by 1, and your Talent Evolution Count +1.]