Alpha Reborn!



Evan's eyes remained rippleless as the fiery whirlwind barreled toward him.

With only a second to react, he summoned his magic sword from his inventory.

In a fraction of a second, the sword materialized in his hand, its surface radiating a brilliant blue hue, fueled by six soul pockets worth of Evan's ice-type soul energy.

Glacier Sword Style: Form Second - Last Ray of Moonligh!

With a swift motion, Evan brandished the sword and a fierce gust of frigid wind erupted from it, colliding with the fiery vortex in an explosive clash.

Boom!

The clash resulted in a deafening sound that echoed throughout the swamps, steam rising from the point of impact, engulfing Evan and the Minotaur in a thick cloud of mist.

Evan's eyes glinted sharply.

'Now, the real hunts begin.'

Using the thick steam, Evan concealed himself and his actions from the Minotaur.

Despite the mist, the Minotaur's imposing figure was still apparent, its large and muscular frame unmistakable.

With his target in sight, Evan steadied himself and readied his aim, careful not to give away his position.

[The soul skill Frost Barrage has been activated!]

With a singular intent, he projected streams of cold that extended from his form. These streams slithered across the surrounding mist, churning and coalescing until they condensed into miniature frozen balls, each roughly the size of a human finger.

A bird's eye view of the scene would reveal that the Minotaur was encircled by a ring of icy projectiles, each one poised to strike like deep sea predators.

"Time to end this," Evan said, snapping his fingers.

Whoosh!

The ice bullets shot forward, moving too quickly to track as they closed in on the Minotaur from all directions with deadly accuracy.

The creature struggled to see beyond three feet due to the dense steam. As a result, it didn't spot the frigid bullets hurtling towards it until they were too close to evade.

Puchi!

The first bullet hit the Minotaur's shoulder with lethal precision, creating a gaping hole in its flesh and freezing its arm, causing the creature to bellow in agony. 

Puchi! Puchi!

The second and third bullets followed suit, drilling two finger-deep holes in its neck with surgical precision, releasing a burst of ice that encased the monster's neck and face in a frozen shell.

With its face, neck, and arm trapped in ice, the Minotaur staggered and stumbled, moving sluggishly as it tried to resist the icy onslaught. However, the ice bullets kept coming, relentlessly piercing their target with deadly intent.

Each time it was hit, the Minotaur's vision grew hazier, its consciousness fading away. 

It wasn't long before the creature lay half-submerged in the murky water of the swamp, covered in ice and riddled with holes.

It was still alive, thanks to its unparalleled vitality, but it was hovering between life and death.

It was clear that Evan's quick thinking and Frost Barrage skill had sealed its fate! 

It was clear that the Minotaur's reign of terror was coming to an end!

The Minotaur's breathing was shallow and labored, and its eyes had lost their luster, revealing the agony it was experiencing.

Evan's sword gleamed under the dim light, as he walked towards the Minotaur, his steps full of menacing purpose.

"Your tenacity is indeed impressive. But it's time to accept the inevitable. Your stubbornness won't save you, not from me or from death. And don't think it's unfair. You brought this upon yourself with your arrogance. You refused to back down even when it was clear you were no match for me. It's time to face the consequences of your actions."

Evan's voice oozed with both hostility and sophistication as he sneered. 

With a swift motion, he lifted his sword high into the air, and the moonlight filtered through the thick canopy above, creating a menacing glint on the weapon's sharp edge.

The sight was both elegant and threatening.

Whoosh!

With a swift movement, he brought it down with all his might, plunging it deep into the chest of the Minotaur that was encased in ice.

The Minotaur convulsed in pain, its body shuddering as blood gushed out of the wound, mixing with the murky waters around it. 

Wrrraaaaaaah!

It jerked awake and let out a deafening roar that echoed through the swamp, as its heart froze and its body hellish began to grow colder. 

Evan watched, unfazed, as the Minotaur's struggles grew weaker and weaker until it finally breathed its last breath, its eyes slowly closing as its body went limp.

Immediately, Evan heard a notification chime in his mind.

[Ding!] it sounded, [Congratulations, Player Evan. You just slayed a level 8 creature from the first layer of the Hell Realm. You've gained 160 EXP!]

The notification went on,

[Since this is your first time slaying a hellish creature, you've earned an additional bonus. Your constitution has increased by +5 points!]

"Okay, 160 EXP, and +5 to my constitution. That's not too bad," Evan said with a slight smile. "At least all the effort I put in to hunt this creature was worth something."

The mist lifted. 

Grrrrr!

The Hellhounds' enraged snarls filled the air as they discovered their leader's lifeless body beside Evan's feet.

Without a second thought, they lunged at him with ferocity, their teeth and claws glinting in the pale moonlight, but Evan maneuvered his body with incredible speed, not only nimbly dodging their savage bites, but also effortlessly swerving around their razor-sharp claws.

Then he retaliated.

He weaved through the hellhounds with ease, his sword moving faster than the eye could follow. The ferocious beasts couldn't keep up with his lightning-fast strikes.

"By barring your fangs at me, you practically begged me to send you after your master. Don't do that in your next life," he taunted, drawing red lines across the Hellhounds' forms with his sword as he moved past them, stopping just behind them.

Shling!

The sound of flesh tearing apart filled the air as the hellhounds were ripped in half.

Plop! Plop!

The two halves of their bodies plunged into the murky water. Blood spurted from their gory wounds, blending with the revolting liquid to form a grisly sight.