Chapter 6: First Blood in the Ash

Chapter 6: First Blood in the Ash

Jack sprinted through the scorching ash-choked terrain of the volcanic hellscape. Thanks to his upgraded Basic Heat Resistance, the ambient 60°C temperature felt closer to a manageable 30°C. But the environment was still a death trap. Thick, acrid smoke stung his eyes, forcing him to squint, and every step required absolute precision. Heat tolerance meant nothing if he carelessly misstepped onto molten rock—lava wouldn't magically un-cook his flesh just because he had a passive skill.

Behind a massive obsidian boulder, Jack spotted his target.

It was a grotesque, terrifying creature. Slithering over the scorching rock, the lizard seemed to have molten magma coursing through visible, glowing veins beneath its obsidian scales. Interlocking rows of needle-sharp teeth dripped with heat.

A blue system screen materializes above its head:

[Volcanic Lizard]

Grade: Bronze

Level: 1

HP: 300

Attack: 23

Defense: 10

Skill: Lava Shield (Covers its body in hardened lava rock, increasing defense by 3 points for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds.)

Description: Possesses extremely high defense and can inflict severe heat burns on attackers, with a high chance to melt low-tier weapons. It is strongly recommended that beginner survivors avoid head-on combat!

Jack felt a cold drop of sweat trickle down his spine before evaporating instantly.

"Just five hits..." he whispered, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. "Five clean hits from that thing, and I'm dead."

He forced his racing heart to slow down. He couldn't afford to hesitate. Finding Zoey depended on him surviving and getting stronger fast.

"The strategy is simple: strike three times to trigger the special poison effect, then fall back," Jack reasoned, his instincts kicking into overdrive.

Taking a deep breath of ash-filled air, Jack broke cover and charged into a dead sprint. Sinking his boots into the black sand, he launched a surprise strike straight at the monster's unprotected spine.

CLANG!

The sword's blade slammed against the creature's thick armor, sending violent vibrations up Jack's arms.

[-24] A bright red floating damage indicator flickered into existence above the beast.

"How the hell are normal survivors supposed to handle the monster waves when they start?!" Jack muttered in disbelief, gritting his teeth. "I literally have an enhanced weapon, and I barely scratched it!"

To make matters worse, no purple aura flashed. The poison effect had failed to trigger on the first strike.

The Volcanic Lizard hissed violently, momentarily stunned by the sudden ambush. Capitalizing on its daze, Jack pulled back his arm and thrust the blade inward a second time, aiming for the same weak spot between its scales.

[-28]

Before Jack could retract his weapon, the monster whipped around with terrifying agility. Its heavily armored tail tore through the air, carrying the force of a battering ram!

CRASH!

[-23]

"Goooahhh!"

Jack gasped as the tail slammed directly into his ribs. The force lifted him off his feet, launching him violently backward into the jagged volcanic rocks. Pain flared through his chest like liquid fire, knocking the wind straight out of his lungs.

He slid to a halt, coughing violently.

[HP: 77 / 100]

The beast turned fully toward him, its fiery eyes glowing with predatory malice. It hissed, rearing back to leap and crush its incapacitated prey. But just as Jack coughed up a mouthful of dark blood, a faint purple mist oozed out of the deep puncture wound on the lizard's back.

[System Notice: You have successfully triggered the special Deadly Corrosion Poison effect! The Volcanic Lizard has entered a poisoned state, losing 100 HP per second for 10 seconds.]

Jack wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand, a rugged, bloody grin spreading across his face.

"Perfect."

[-100]

[-100]

[-100]

The purple rot spread through the lizard's magma veins at an appalling speed. Its glowing skin dimmed to a dull, ash grey, and its terrifying roar turned into a wet, gurgling choked hiss.

BOOM!

Within three seconds, the massive bronze monster collapsed hard onto the hot rocks, completely lifeless.

[Congratulations! You have killed a Level 1 Volcanic Lizard. You gained 1 Enhancement Point and 30 EXP.]

[Congratulations! You are the first entity in this server to kill a wild monster. Received First Kill Reward: A Bronze Chest and 100 Beast Cores.]

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