"Our [Combat Power] is high enough that none of the monsters here can really threaten us," Leon said as they moved deeper into the forest, his eyes scanning the green haze around them. "But thatâs not why I came here. I want to head toward the deepest part of the forest. Thatâs where things actually become dangerous."
"Alright," Emilia replied without hesitation, nodding as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
At some point, she had stopped questioning Leonâs decisions.
Every time he proposed something that sounded reckless or unnecessary, it somehow ended with them becoming stronger, richer, or better prepared for the future.
She didnât know how he did it, but she trusted him. Completely.
The moment they fully crossed into the [Poison Forest], the atmosphere changed.
The air became thick and heavy, carrying a sharp, bitter smell that stung the nose.
A faint green mist drifted between the twisted trees, clinging to their trunks and pooling near the ground.
The forest was unnaturally quiet, as if even sound itself struggled to survive in this place.
Then a panel appeared in front of them.
Ding!
[You have been infected with "Low Poison". It is not immediately harmful, but prolonged exposure without an antidote will result in poisoning.]
"Oh no..." Emilia whispered, her entire body tensing as she read the message. A visible shiver ran down her spine.
Leon glanced at her reaction and sighed inwardly.
"You can drink the [Poison Antidote] I gave you now," he said calmly. "Itâll suppress the poison effect for a while. Iâll manage on my own."
Emilia hesitated for a moment, clutching the small vial in her hand.
"Iâll wait," she said after a second, forcing a weak smile. "It cures poison completely anyway, so I might as well save it."
Leon nodded. "Fair enough."
They continued forward, stepping carefully between the gnarled roots and moss-covered stones.
The poison effect lingered in the background, a subtle pressure constantly reminding them that this place was hostile by nature.
It didnât take long before movement caught their attention.
A faint rustling came from the bushes ahead, followed by a sharp hiss.
Several long shapes slithered out from the shadows, their bodies glistening with a sickly green sheen.
"A-ahâ!" Emilia let out a small shriek and instinctively stepped back.
Leon noticed it immediately and almost smiled, though he kept his expression neutral.
A group of snakes had emerged, each about a meter long, their eyes glowing faintly as they locked onto their prey.
---
[Toxic Snake]
[Level: 15]
[Combat Power: 6,000]
[Details: A snake corrupted by the toxic power of the forest.]
---
The snakes didnât hesitate.
The moment they sensed Leon and Emilia, they lunged forward, fangs bared and bodies coiling with surprising speed.
Slash!
Leon stepped in front without any sign of panic and swung his sword once.
The motion was clean and effortless.
In a single arc, all the snakes were cut apart, their bodies collapsing onto the forest floor before they even had a chance to strike.
The green glow in their eyes faded instantly.
Leon didnât even slow down.
"These things are weak," he remarked casually.
Emilia stared at the corpses, then let out a shaky breath.
"...I know that logically," she said, "but I still hate snakes."
Leon found that harder to argue with.
Their fangs wouldnât have pierced his skin even if they had landed a bite.
His constitution was far too high for that. Compared to the enemies they had faced during the Shadow Horde event, these monsters were laughably fragile.
Even the [Dark Sentinels] had been more dangerous.
The reason was obvious: the [Poison Forest] was a mandatory zone.
Everyone, no matter their race or background, had to pass through it to advance further into the [Lower Domain].
If it were too difficult, most players would simply be stuck here forever.
That meant the zone was balanced around what the system considered an "average" player at this stage.
Roughly 6,000 or 7,000 Combat Power. Anyone below that threshold would struggle to survive.
And anyone far above it, like Leon and Emilia, could walk through almost unhindered.
Those who couldnât reach that level? The system wouldnât save them.
They would either stagnate here, desperately grinding weak monsters, or eventually die to a mistake, an ambush, or a lack of preparation.
Leonâs expression darkened slightly.
âSomething terrible is coming in the future,â he thought. âSomething that will wipe out anyone who isnât strong enough.â
Even in his current state, he knew there were enemies he couldnât face head-on yet. That was why he needed to keep growing. Why he couldnât afford to slow down.
Only after enduring what was coming would the path to the [Higher Domain] truly open.
For now, thoughâ
Ding!
[You have killed x5 "Toxic Snakes" and gained 1,000 experience points.]
[100% Drop Rate has triggered. Items have been placed in your storage space.]
Leon opened his [Storage Space] immediately.
[Poison Fangs x4 (Uncommon Material)]
[Toxic Snake Essence x5: Consuming will increase Constitution by 4.]
His eyes lit up slightly.
âNice.â
He took four of the essences and tossed one toward Emilia.
She caught it automatically and stared at it, then looked back at him with narrowed eyes.
"Seriously," she said, "your talent has to be related to luck or something. You always get essences. And a ridiculous amount of items."
Leon laughed softly.
"Youâre getting warmer," he replied. "Try again. Iâm sure youâll figure it out eventually."
"Grr..." Emilia grumbled, but she didnât push the issue.
They both consumed the essences.
A warm sensation spread through Leonâs body as his constitution increased, reinforcing his already absurd durability.
As for Emilia, the effect was even more noticeable.
Because of her [Title], her Constitution was multiplied by five.
That meant a simple +4 increase turned into +20 for her.
At a glance, Emilia didnât look especially tough. She was a caster, after all. But her actual [Combat Power] was deceptively high. At this point, even level 20 to 25 monsters would struggle to injure her seriously.
If she wanted to, she could probably sprint through the [Poison Forest] without stopping and come out unscathed.
Still, Leon wasnât about to let her do that. Overconfidence was the fastest way to die.
As they continued walking, Leon observed the surroundings carefully.
The deeper they went, the thicker the poison mist became. The trees twisted into unnatural shapes, and the ground itself seemed to pulse faintly with green light.
And as he watched the monsters lurking in the distance, an idea slowly formed in his mind.
âThis might actually be a good place to test it.â
Until now, Leon hadnât had a real opportunity to use his new sub-talent properly. Against powerful enemies, summoning weak entities would only slow him down.
But this zone was different. It was designed for average players.
Which meantâ
Leon stopped walking and raised the hand holding his staff.
A cold, eerie sensation spread through the air.
Fwoosh!
Dark energy seeped into the ground in front of him.
Three figures slowly clawed their way out of the earth, bones scraping against stone as they emerged.
They were humanoid skeletons, their frames thin and pale. Rusted armor clung to their bodies, and each carried a simple, worn sword.
A faint green glow burned in their hollow eye sockets. They turned toward Leon and stood still, awaiting orders.
These were the skeletons summoned by his [Basic Necromancy] sub-talent.
They carried roughly 25% of his attributes.
---
[Basic Skeleton]
[Master: Celestial]
[Constitution: 624]
[Strength: 737]
[Agility: 660]
[Spirit: 577]
[Combat Power: 5,196]
[Details: A weak skeleton summoned by a novice necromancer. Limited combat capability.]
---
Leon studied them closely.
They werenât impressive by his standards. Against elite enemies, they would be crushed almost instantly.
But here? Here, they should be enough.
He pointed forward, silently issuing a command.
The skeletons nodded in unison and rushed ahead into the forest, their movements stiff but determined.
Not long after, they encountered another monster. This one was different.
Its body was thicker, its scales darker, and the green glow around it was far more intense.
---
[Toxic Snake (Mutated)]
[Level: 15]
[Combat Power: 6,900]
[Details: A toxic snake mutated by prolonged exposure to the "Core of Poison".]
---
Leonâs eyes narrowed.
âThe [Core of Poison],â he thought. âI remember hearing about that.â
In his past life, rumors had spread about a hidden [Secret Dungeon] deep within the [Poison Forest]. At its center lay the [Core of Poison], an object capable of granting deadly poison-based abilities.
Anyone who obtained it would gain terrifying power, regardless of race or background.
It was also the source of the forestâs toxicity.
The closer one got to it, the more poisonous the environment became, and the stronger the monsters grew.
That was why most players were advised to rush through the forest instead of exploring it.
But Leon had never been one to follow safe advice. The three skeletons didnât hesitate.
They drew their swords and moved to engage the mutated snake.
Leon stayed back, watching closely.
"Itâs weird," Emilia said quietly, gripping her scepter just in case. "Seeing monsters fight for us."
Leon didnât answer right away. His eyes were fixed on the skeletons as they charged.
"Weâll see," he said at last.