'Fuck!' Fein immediately transformed into his Rampire form. With a quick side step, he saw a giant fist hit his position, which dented the ground.
Fein acted as a vampire swordsman, stood poised with his long, razor-sharp sword in hand, waiting for the lumbering titan to make a move. The forest was dark, with only the faintest shimmers of light filtering through the canopy overhead.
The titan towered over him, its massive form casting a shadow over the vampire swordsman. The beast's eyes glinted menacingly in the dim light.
With a roar, the titan charged forward, its massive hand bearing down on the vampire swordsman. The swordsman dodged to the side, agilely avoiding the blow.
With a quick spin, the vampire swordsman swung his sword in a deadly arc, slicing it into the titan's arm. Dark, inky blood spilled from the wound, causing the titan to howl in rage.
The two combatants circled each other, each looking for an opening. The forest floor shook with each step the titan took, causing nearby trees to sway and shed leaves.
The vampire swordsman darted forward, his sword flashing in the light. The titan swung at him with a massive fist, but the vampire swordsman ducked and rolled, striking the titan's leg with a powerful blow.
The titan stumbled and fell, crashing through several trees in its path. The vampire swordsman leaped forward, ready to attack, but before he could strike, the titan began to dissolve into mist.
It was then that Fein realized that the titan had been nothing more than a mirage, created by a powerful forest spirit. He smiled to himself, sheathed his sword, and continued on his way through the dark, eerie forest and plan to teach the forest spirit who disturbed him from appreciating the island above him.
Fein stepped slowly into the dark, gloomy forest, his eyes scanning the dense foliage for any sign of danger. The trees loomed high above him, their shadows stretching out like bony fingers through the gloom. He could sense that the forest was alive, pulsing with a powerful energy that he couldn't quite grasp. A realm that he hasn't encountered yet. 'Damn, is this SS rank!?'
Suddenly, a wild howl shattered the silence, and Fein spun around, drawing his sword. A shape was moving in the darkness, flickering in and out of view like a phantom. It was a forest spirit, one of the most powerful creatures in the entire woods, and Fein knew that he was in for a tough fight.
The spirit was huge, standing several feet taller than Fein, with tangled branches for hair and glowing green eyes. It looked like a living tree, but there was something undeniably otherworldly about it, a sense of ancient magic that swept through the air like a storm.
Fein didn't flinch, though. He had faced down much worse than this before, and he was confident in his own abilities. He lunged forward, sword flashing in the darkness, and the spirit met him head-on, its body solid as stone.
As Fein was about to use his abilities, Fein felt that a strong force that prevents him from doing it. Only the abilities of the system are functional, so he used his probe.
Then Fein finally understood, the SS rank spirit forest only has one ability. But this one ability was special. It makes three hundred miles a no-ability zone. This means Fein can't use his abilities. Specifically, every creature inside, including the forest spirit itself, won't be able to activate their abilities.
For hours they fought, circling each other warily, trading blows and parries, neither one quite able to gain the upper hand. The forest around them shook with their power, leaves raining down like snowflakes, branches snapping like bones.
Fein felt his strength waning, his body aching with exhaustion. He knew that he had to end this fight quickly, or he would be overwhelmed. Gathering his courage, he launched himself forward once more, his sword singing through the air.
This time, he connected, slicing deeply into the spirit's bark-like flesh. The creature howled in pain, writhing and thrashing, but Fein stood fast, raining blows down upon it with all his might.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the spirit fell, collapsing to the ground in a heap of leaves and twigs. Fein stood over it, chest heaving, sword shaking in his hand. He barely won the fight. The corpse of the forest spirit turned into a five-star teleportation circle.
As he turned to leave the forest, Fein knew that he would never forget this battle or the spirit's power. And he was sure, deep down, that they would fight again. But for now, he was content to rest, to recover, and to steel himself for whatever the next floor had in store for him next.
'Sigh, I didn't expect it would be hard to fight a golden grade SS rank.' Though, Fein knew that it was because he only fought with swordsmanship. Without his abilities, his combat power was extremely limited against an SS rank, which has an advantage in three attributes and a degu energy amount over him.
If he could use abilities, the spirit won't be able to do anything with his sword domain and teleportation. At least, now, he finally knew that he could really kill an SS rank, albeit difficult if he doesn't use abilities and only relies on pure physical strength and swordsmanship.
Fein didn't need to drink a recovery potion as he recovered in just a few seconds. The regeneration of vampires was just too handy.
After two days, Fein and Sofia gathered at the location they agreed about and stepped into the teleportation circle.
Just like that, a white light devoured them.
As Fein opens his eyes, his gaze falls upon a desolate wasteland, a once-beautiful landscape now destroyed by the wrath of nature. The sky, once blue, is now a deep, blood-red, suffused with the haze of ash and smog emanating from the fissures in the ground deep below.
Lava flows in sluggish rivers, leaving trails of molten rock in its wake, filling the air with an acrid, sulfurous smell. Fein can feel the heat emanating from the caustic rivers, scorching his skin, and making his breaths shallow and uneasy. The ground is cracked and split, revealing the sharp edges of obsidian, a testament to the overwhelming power that destroyed this place.
In the distance, Fein can see glimpses of grotesque, undead creatures, their eyes glowing with a malevolent light as they stagger through the ruins. Some are skeletal remains, their bones exposed and cracked, while others still cling to the remnants of their flesh, moving with unnatural speed and grace.
Amidst the chaos, there are pockets of beauty, and small islands of hope amidst the ruins. Fragile, glowing mushrooms, casting a soft, otherworldly light, provide a glimpse of the miracles that still exist within the wasteland. Together with the lava, they serve to paint a vivid image of the paradoxical existence of beauty in the face of destruction.
As Fein continues to observe the scene, the fragility of life reveals itself to him, alongside the immutable forces of nature. This is a place where the living and the deadly struggle for survival, where beauty and destruction exist side by side, and where the only certainty is that nothing lasts forever in such an unforgiving world.
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