"Frontier City of North."
Alan gazed at the beautiful city before him. It stood near the Northern Mountains, a region infamous as a habitat for high-level monsters.
Just like Reidan, this place had once been abandoned.
But it was Lord Steim who stood against the powerful monsters of the north, protecting the city with his own strength. Because of that, he was respected even more than the king himself within these lands.
To the people of Nornth—
Lord Steim wasn't just a noble.
He was their true king.
Without wasting any more time, Alan headed straight toward the canyon in the mountain range—the habitat of the Snow Lizardmen.
"No one knows about the Snow Lizardmen yet," Alan muttered. He had searched through player forums, but there wasn't a single mention of them.
"Heh… which means I might get another good title," he added with a faint grin as he arrived at the canyon.
"They're beautiful," Alan said softly.
The Snow Lizardmen had snow-white scales and clear blue eyes. Despite being lizardmen, they looked far more elegant and refined than the usual black-, gray-, or brown-skinned variants.
"Anyway… let's get started."
Alan raised the Hellfire Staff. A beautiful glow surrounded it—the result of the weapon now being +9 enhanced.
Every time an item was enhanced by +1, its base stats increased by 5%. That meant the Hellfire Staff was currently 45% stronger than it had been at enhancement level 0.
The glow around the Hellfire Staff was a blackish-red hue, like living hellfire.
This glow wasn't just for show—it reflected the weapon's attributes and power.
"Fire Dragon Claw!"
Alan finished chanting as a massive flaming dragon claw descended upon the Snow Lizardmen camp.
They had an entire cave system, but right now, the area in front of the cave had turned into a large gathering camp—perfectly exposed.
The blazing claw tore through the ground, engulfing the camp in roaring flames.
The blazing claw tore through the ground, engulfing the camp in roaring flames.
Screams echoed—then were abruptly cut off.
The Snow Lizardmen didn't even have time to understand what was happening.
Before the flames could fade, Alan lifted the Hellfire Staff again.
"Inferno Rain."
Dozens of compressed fireballs rained down from the sky, exploding one after another. The ground cracked, snow evaporated instantly, and the white-scaled bodies were torn apart before they could even flee.
"Flame Wave"
A tidal surge of black-red flames swept forward, swallowing everything in its path. Tents, crude weapons, watch posts—nothing survived.
The Snow Lizardmen never reached him.
Not a single one managed to close the distance.
Within moments, the once-bustling camp had turned into a scorched battlefield. The snow was stained black, the air filled with heat and ash.
System messages flooded Alan's vision.
[ Snow Lizardman defeated. ]
[ Snow Lizardman defeated. ]
[ Snow Lizardman defeated. ]
The notifications continued without pause.
By the time the echoes faded, the entire camp had been erased.
Alan lowered the staff slightly, his expression calm.
"…Too easy."
Not a single Snow Lizardman had even seen him clearly before death claimed them.
"Fire really is the best attribute against them," Alan said with a faint smile.
He walked forward calmly, collecting all the drops scattered across the battlefield. After that, he headed straight toward the cave. Anticipating close combat inside, he switched his weapon and equipped the White Lion Dainslief.
"97%… just 3% more, and you'll become legendary," Alan muttered, glancing at the sword with satisfaction.
Next, he equipped the Frostlight Orc Chief Set. The armor not only boosted his physical attributes but also completely nullified movement penalties from snow and frost-based terrain, making the harsh environment feel no different from solid ground.
[ You have entered the Snow Lizardman Cave. ]
[ You are the first to discover this dungeon. ]
[ All EXP gain increased by 10%. ]
[ All drop rates increased by 10%. ]
"Nice," Alan murmured as the notifications appeared the moment he stepped inside.
Before he could move deeper—
Shadows rushed toward him from both sides of the tunnel.
Snow Lizardmen elites burst out, weapons raised, eyes gleaming with hostility.
Alan didn't even slow his steps.
"Pagma's Sword Dance: Link."
His body blurred.
In the blink of an eye, Alan slashed twenty-nine times, each strike flowing seamlessly into the next. White-gold sword light filled the narrow cave.
The Snow Lizardmen didn't even get the chance to scream.
Their bodies collapsed one after another, dissolving into particles before hitting the ground.
Alan continued forward without pause.
Another group rushed him.
Then another.
"Wave"
The cave became a slaughterhouse.
Snow Lizardmen fell one after another, unable to block, unable to retreat, unable to comprehend the overwhelming difference in power.
System messages flooded his vision.
[ Snow Lizardman Elite defeated. ]
[ Snow Lizardman Warrior defeated. ]
[ EXP acquired. ]
[ EXP acquired. ]
Alan walked through the cave like a storm, killing one group after another, his blade never slowing, his breathing perfectly steady.
Before long, Alan arrived at a vast dome-shaped chamber deep within the cave.
At the center stood a massive throne carved from ice and crystal. Seated upon it was a pink-white scaled lizard woman, her posture elegant and cold. Surrounding her were dozens of Snow Lizardman Knights, their armor radiating a sharp, frigid aura.
But Alan was looking at someone else, it wasn't even a Lizardman.
"Human… welcome."
The speaker stepped forward.
He was enormous—far larger than the others—and far more humanoid. His scales shimmered with a faint black sheen, and a pair of partially formed horns curved from his head and a pair of wings on his back.
[ Half-Dragon: Brynrk ]
[ Level 390 ]
"A named boss…" Alan smiled faintly as he saw the golden name bar above Brynrk's head.
"So, are you the king here?" Alan asked calmly.
"Hahahaha!" Brynrk laughed loudly. "Indeed. I am the king of these Lizardmen."
Then his eyes sharpened.
"But do not lump me together with those lesser beings. I am Half-Dragon—far superior to mere lizards."
[ You have been gazed upon by one who possesses the Bloodline of Absolute Predators. ]
[ All stats reduced by 30%. ]
[ You have fallen into Fear. ]
[ You have resisted. ]
As an legend now, such status effects don't work on him anymore.