The night was bitterly cold.
Deep in the shadowy forest, a campfire burned quietly, its flickering light illuminating the figure of a young man. He was bare-chested, with a tiger pelt casually draped around his waist. His muscles were well-defined, and his eight-pack abs looked as if they had been carved by a knife.
Luosen had originally been an ordinary man from Earth, but a month ago, he had inexplicably crossed over into this world.
Strangely enough, this world seemed to favor him—he didn't need to train deliberately, yet his body transformed on its own. His nearsightedness vanished, his physique grew explosively stronger, and his once-soft belly had turned into chiseled abs. Even weirder, a status panel visible only to him appeared in his vision:
[Name: Luosen]
[Strength: ∞]
[Health: ∞]
[Physical Resistance: ∞]
[Magic Resistance: ∞]
[Stamina: ∞]
[Speed: 100]
[Spirit: 100]
[Mana: 0]
As long as he didn't deliberately seek death, he was practically invincible.
At first, Luosen had been secretly delighted. But after a full month, he still hadn't managed to leave this forest. Fear gradually crept into his heart, and a terrible thought lingered—what if this was a primitive world with no advanced civilization at all?
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. In his past life, he had never even held a girl's hand, dying a virgin, and now he'd been dumped in this godforsaken place. A whole month had passed, and he hadn't seen a single trace of another human—not even a damn monkey.
The only things around were vicious beasts, though luckily, none of them could last even a single move against him.
Now, whenever he approached, even the most powerful magical creatures would flee far away, as if the entire forest was whispering a warning—there was an unkillable monster here.
Gnawing on a roasted monster leg, Luosen curiously surveyed his surroundings.
Towering trees, thorny undergrowth, glowing mushrooms, and obviously poisonous plants—these were all his food. Even the toxic ones were just ingredients to stave off hunger; their venom couldn't touch him in the slightest.
"I'll rest for a bit, then keep moving." Luosen murmured as he gazed at the two moons—one large, one small—hanging in the night sky.
[Young man, do you crave power?]
A seductive whisper echoed in Luosen's mind, instantly snapping him out of his drowsiness.
"System? Is that you talking?" Luosen's heart skipped a beat. When he first saw the status panel, he had assumed this "system" was just a static interface—he never expected it could communicate.
[System? Hmph. I am the Shadow Demon Lord—Carol K. Albert!]
"Demon Lord?" Luosen's eyes lit up. "So you're not the system. That means this world isn't uninhabited?"
[Nonsense! If this were truly a lifeless world, do you think you'd have sprung from a rock? …Bah, no point arguing with you.] The voice oozed impatience. [Listen, boy. I sense extraordinary potential in you. I wish to take you as my disciple and pass on my legacy. Do you accept?]
"Hold on with the disciple stuff," Luosen interrupted. "Just answer me one thing—are there other humans like me in this world?"
[Heh, I can feel the emotions in your mind.] Carol sneered. [Don't worry. Once you inherit my power, women, authority, wealth… they'll all be within your grasp.]
"Don't twist my words." Luosen chuckled. "First, tell me—what do you need me to do right now?"
[Insolent! What is this attitude? I never begged for your help!] Carol's voice suddenly sharpened. [Do you have any idea how many people grovel at my feet, begging to be my disciple? And I ignore them all!]
"..." What the hell? This guy was clearly hiding something—he must need Luosen for something.
Seeing Luosen stay silent, Carol suppressed his anger. [Fine. Given your ignorance, I'll enlighten you. I am Carol K. Albert, one of the greatest archmages in the history of the Roland Continent. To become my disciple is a blessing you should not take lightly.]
"Magic, huh…" Luosen rubbed his chin. "I do want to learn, but I'll pass on the whole master-disciple thing. I hate rules, and that sounds like a hassle."
[How dare you!] Carol's laughter was laced with fury. [You think you can freeload without even bowing as a disciple? Do you think the world works that way?!]
"Then forget it." Luosen rolled over. "Once I get out of this forest, I'll find someone else to teach me."
[Foolish delusion!] Carol scoffed. [You have not a shred of mana in you! Without me, no one in this world can teach you magic!]
"Keep bluffing." Luosen yawned. "Stop bothering me. I need sleep—got a long walk tomorrow."
[...Boy.] Carol gritted his teeth. [...I'll compromise. Do one small favor for me, and I'll grant you a divine artifact.]
"Divine artifact?" Luosen raised an eyebrow. "What kind?"
[The Astral Ring.] Carol's voice dripped with temptation. [With just a wisp of mental energy, you can store anything within it—a pocket dimension at your fingertips.]
"Oh?" Luosen's eyes gleamed. "Now that's interesting. What do you need me to do?"
[See that boulder with the sword stuck in it ahead?] Carol's tone turned sly. [Just find an organization called the 'Shadow Sect' and have them bring people to pull the sword out. Once it's done, the ring is yours.]
"That's it?" Luosen glanced at the boulder. "Why bother with others? I'll do it myself."
[Preposterous!] Carol sneered. [That is the Saint's Blade! Only those with ninth-tier mana can budge it. A mere mortal like you could never—]
Before he could finish, Luosen gripped the sword with both hands and yanked—
"Clang!"
The blade tore free, sending碎石 flying.
[What the—?!] Carol's voice twisted in shock. [Impossible! Unless…]
Suddenly, he burst into manic laughter. [Hahaha! So that's it! You must carry that bitch's blood! You're her descendant!]
The sky darkened, clouds swallowing the stars as a terrifying vortex of black energy erupted from the cracks in the boulder.
It spiraled outward until finally, a figure emerged—a pale young man in dark robes, his face marked with strange lightning-like patterns. Silver hair, crimson eyes, eerily beautiful, but compared to Luosen's rugged masculinity, he seemed almost effeminate.
[Name: Carol K. Albert]
[Strength: 200,000]
[Health: 200,000]
[Physical Resistance: 200,000]
[Magic Resistance: 500,000]
[Stamina: 200,000]
[Speed: 200,000]
[Spirit: 500,000]
[Mana: 500,000]
Looking at the other's attributes, Luosen had to admit he was impressed—especially the speed and spirit stats, which were hundreds of times higher than his own. If Carol wanted to run, Luosen probably couldn't catch him.
"Five hundred years... I'm finally free, finally free!" Carol roared wildly, sending flocks of birds scattering in terror.
"Karan, I hope you're still alive. It would be so boring if I had to destroy your empire without you watching." Carol muttered, descending into madness.
"Cut the theatrics. Hand over what you promised." Luosen gave the 'Saint's Blade' a frustrated shake, but the rock fragments remained stubbornly fused to its surface.
"Naive!" Carol sneered. "Have you never heard? Noble demon mages... never keep their word."
His voice turned icy: "Besides... you're her descendant. I was going to spare you, but now I've changed my mind—I'll turn you into a shadow puppet, then crush your bones one by one in front of her. Let her see how miserably her bloodline ends!"
"So you're screwing with me?" Luosen took a deep breath. "I wasn't planning to hit a 'person' today."
"Pathetic! With those weak fists of yours? Go ahead! I'll stand still and let you try," Carol taunted. "Consider it my final mercy."
"Fine." Luosen cracked his knuckles and grinned. "As you wish."