Ethan calmly took his sword out of the inventory, gripping the hilt tightly as the familiar weight settled into his palm. The cold sensation of the blade steadied his chaotic thoughts just a little. At moments like this, recklessness would only lead to death.
He did not charge forward immediately.
He did not shout.
He did not provoke the monster with words or gestures.
Instead, he stood still.
He waited.
Ethan chose to let the monster make the first move.
From the very beginning, he had already understood one undeniable truth—charging blindly at a monster whose cultivation was far higher than his own was no different from suicide. He was not some fearless berserker, nor was he a seasoned warrior who had survived countless life-and-death battles. He was still a novice cultivator who relied heavily on caution, analysis, and the System's support.
Earlier, when the monster had been sleeping at the entrance of the palace, Ethan had only taken a brief glance at it. His attention had been focused entirely on sneaking past it, not studying it. But now, with the monster fully awake and blocking his path, he finally had the opportunity—no, the necessity—to observe it properly.
And what he noticed surprised him.
"This thing… is actually shorter than me?"
The monster was indeed smaller in stature compared to the giant monster he had fought earlier. Its body was compact, muscular, and densely built, but it did not tower over him like a mountain. If one judged only by size, it might even appear less threatening.
But Ethan knew better.
In the cultivation world, size meant nothing.
Cultivation did.
The oppressive aura radiating from the monster made Ethan's breathing feel heavy, as if the surrounding air had thickened. Its presence alone was enough to remind him of the terrifying gap between their cultivation levels.
If he were at the Ninth Level of the Elementary Stage, Ethan believed he could at least attempt to fight this monster head-on with some degree of confidence. He might still be at a disadvantage, but he would not be completely helpless.
But now?
With his current strength, the odds were overwhelmingly stacked against him.
Still, he had no choice.
There was no retreat.
No escape.
No alternate path.
The Soul God's Inheritance lay beyond this guardian, and the System had already made it clear that this inheritance was crucial for his future. Backing down now would render everything he had endured meaningless.
Yet, something strange happened.
Despite Ethan standing there with his sword drawn, the monster did not attack.
It simply stood in front of the palace entrance, unmoving, like a living statue. Its thick tail swayed lazily from side to side, occasionally brushing against the ground with a dull scraping sound.
Ethan frowned.
"What's it waiting for…?"
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
Still, the monster did not initiate an attack.
It neither charged nor roared. It did not even display overt hostility. It merely guarded the entrance, its blood-red eyes locked onto Ethan as if he were nothing more than an insignificant insect.
The silence was suffocating.
Ethan felt irritation creeping into his chest.
This standoff was dangerous.
The longer this dragged on, the more pressure it put on his mind. He could not afford to lose his composure. If the monster refused to attack, then waiting endlessly would achieve nothing.
Finally, Ethan's patience snapped.
"Enough."
He lifted his sword and rushed forward.
The moment he closed the distance and judged that he was within striking range, he did not hesitate. He raised his blade high, channeling all his strength into a decisive strike aimed straight at the monster's head.
He intended to end it in a single blow.
But reality struck him hard.
Before Ethan's sword could even begin its downward arc, the monster's tail moved.
It was unbelievably fast.
So fast that Ethan's eyes barely caught a blur.
He did not even have time to react.
Bang!
A terrifying force slammed into his body.
The impact sent Ethan flying backward once again, his body soaring through the air before crashing heavily into the ground nearly fifty meters away from the palace entrance—just like before.
"Cough—!"
Another mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips as pain erupted throughout his body. His internal organs felt as though they had been violently shaken.
His vision blurred for a moment, but he forced himself to remain conscious.
Slowly, painfully, Ethan pushed himself up from the ground.
Every muscle screamed in protest.
His bones ached.
His chest felt tight.
But he clenched his teeth and endured.
"I already knew it wouldn't be easy," he muttered.
Despite the pain, Ethan did not feel despair.
On the contrary, his eyes burned with determination.
He had already killed a Physique Strengthening Stage monster while still at the Elementary Stage. That alone was proof that impossible feats could be achieved under the right circumstances.
If he could do it once, he could do it again.
This monster was stronger—far stronger—but it was not invincible.
The difficulty was not in whether it could be killed, but in how.
Killing a monster whose cultivation surpassed his by an entire realm was madness in the eyes of normal cultivators. Anyone who heard of such a plan would undoubtedly laugh and label him insane.
But those people lacked what Ethan possessed.
They did not have enhanced physical attributes.
They did not have a System!
They did not have access to tools, techniques, and information that allowed him to fight above his level.
Ethan exhaled slowly and steadied himself.
He looked at the monster once more, this time paying close attention to one particular detail.
Its tail.
Earlier, when he had been about to enter the palace and the bell array had been triggered, something had struck his abdomen and sent him flying. At that time, he had been too panicked to notice what had hit him.
Now he understood.
It had been the tail.
The same tail that had just launched him away again.
"If the tail alone is this strong…" Ethan's expression darkened. "Then what about its fists?"
What if the monster decided to fight seriously?
What if it unleashed its full power?
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
He realized that, despite being cautious, he had still underestimated this monster—if only slightly.
That mistake nearly cost him his life.
Ethan took a deep breath and rushed forward once again.
But this time, his movements were completely different.
He did not charge recklessly.
He did not focus solely on attacking.
He advanced carefully, step by step, his eyes locked firmly onto the monster's tail. His entire awareness was centered on anticipating another sudden strike.
The moment he reached a suitable distance, Ethan stopped abruptly.
Without hesitation, he swung his sword toward the monster's neck, executing a clean, precise chop.
He fully expected the monster to dodge.
Yet, to his surprise, the monster did not move at all.
It stood there, unmoving, allowing the blade to approach.
Ethan's brows knitted together.
"Why…?"
He could not understand the monster's intentions.
Unlike seasoned cultivators in this world, Ethan lacked real combat experience. His battles so far had been fueled by instinct, desperation, and the System's assistance. He had never been trained in proper combat tactics.
All he could do was observe, adapt, and learn in the midst of battle.
As his sword descended, Ethan did not relax for even a second.
He kept watching the monster's tail.
And just as he anticipated—
The tail lashed out again.
But this time, Ethan was ready.
"I won't fall for the same trick twice!"
In a split second, he altered the trajectory of his sword.
Instead of continuing toward the monster's neck, he redirected the blade downward.
The monster's eyes widened in shock.
It was too late.
Before it could pull its tail back, Ethan's sword flashed through the air and struck its target.
Slash!
The blade severed the monster's tail cleanly.
"SCREEEECCHHHHH!!!"
A shrill, ear-piercing scream echoed through the area as the monster howled in agony. Blood sprayed violently from the severed tail, splattering across the ground.
The monster staggered, its previous calm completely shattered.
It had underestimated Ethan.
Twice.
It had believed him to be nothing more than a weak ant with an insignificant cultivation base. After all, both of its earlier casual attacks had sent Ethan flying like a toy.
That confidence had turned into arrogance.
And arrogance had cost it dearly.
Ethan did not celebrate.
He did not pause to admire his success.
He knew better.
"Don't let it breathe," he told himself.
In battle, hesitation was death.
While the monster was still distracted by pain, Ethan seized the opportunity. He surged forward and launched another attack, his sword aimed directly at the monster's neck.
If this strike landed, the battle would end instantly.
But Ethan had made another mistake.
He underestimated the monster's awareness.
Despite the intense pain, the monster's instincts kicked in. At the last moment, it retreated two steps backward.
Ethan's sword sliced through empty air.
Missed.
His heart sank.
The monster had recovered faster than he expected.
However, Ethan did not allow frustration or panic to take over.
He immediately adjusted his stance and pressed the attack.
The monster was wounded.
It was bleeding.
Its tail—one of its strongest weapons—was gone.
It was now fighting with pain and rage.
Ethan knew this was his chance.
He dashed forward relentlessly, refusing to allow the distance between them to widen. His sword strikes came one after another, fueled by every ounce of strength he had.
His Strength Attribute, Speed Attribute, and Agility Attribute were pushed to their absolute limits.
Every swing carried his determination.
Every step was taken with precision.
Steel clashed against flesh.
Blood splattered.
The monster retreated while defending, its movements no longer as calm as before.
Yet, despite his relentless assault, a strange feeling gnawed at Ethan's heart.
Something was wrong.
He could not explain it clearly, but his instincts screamed danger.
This isn't enough.
It's not over.
As he continued attacking, the uneasy feeling only grew stronger.
It felt as if he were being slowly drawn into a trap.
And that realization sent a cold shiver down his spine.