BOOM!

The clash between Blitz and the first Serpigon echoed across the street like thunder.

Blitz charged head-on, lowering its sharp horn to pierce the monster's body.

But the attempt was futile. The Serpigon's clawed hand shot out, gripping the horn firmly before it could reach its green, scaled chest.

The creature hissed in irritation, its serpent-like tongue flicking out before it tightened its grip on the horn. Then, with brute strength, it swung its arm and hurled Blitz away, sending the massive wolf crashing into a cluster of wrecked cars far in the distance.

At the same time, Marlon leapt into the air, his muscles tightening as he activated Steel Punch. Energy surged through his arm, forming a glowing gauntlet of power that wrapped tightly around his fist as he slammed it into the Serpigon's chest.

The hit connected cleanly.

The Serpigon hissed, clearly startled as Marlon's strength was far greater than it had anticipated.

Monsters possessed an instinctive ability to sense the strength of their opponents. From the moment the first wave of Serpigons emerged from the portal, they had already determined there were no true threats in the area.

But they were wrong.

With an explosive impact, the Serpigon's body was sent flying like a ragdoll.

Its scales were tough enough to prevent a gaping wound where it was struck, but the sheer force of the blow threw it completely off balance.

The other Serpigons instantly turned toward Marlon after witnessing his display of power.

"Come on then," Marlon said coldly, his voice steady and fearless. "Let's see what you've got."

Without a trace of hesitation, he charged into their midst, weaving between a variety of attacks while countering with punches that carried strength several times beyond his base power.

Meanwhile, Blitz rose from the wreckage. The horned wolf released a furious howl that shook the air before leaping back into the fray.

With its return, the battlefield descended further into chaos.

But more Serpigons continued pouring out from the swirling red vortex.

They shared the same size and terrifying appearance as the first wave, hissing hungrily as they scanned for prey.

Since the area near Marlon was already crowded, the new wave shifted their bloodlust toward other parts of the city.

A group of three broke off and sprinted straight toward the hotel where Marlon and Ashton had stayed the night before, the scent of human flesh in the basement drawing them in.

Marlon caught sight of them immediately.

"I'm not letting them destroy anything on my watch," he muttered, his tone sharp as steel.

He evaded the stream of green venom spat at him by two infuriated opponents, the liquid splashing against the ground beside him. A loud sizzling sound followed as smoke rose and a deep dent formed where it landed.

Noting the venom's potency, he shifted his focus to the three Serpigons charging toward the hotel.

Without hesitation, Marlon grabbed a damaged sedan nearby and swung it like a hammer, sending it hurtling toward the oncoming beasts.

The car smashed into them, throwing all three to the ground. Before they could recover, Marlon dashed forward.

He activated Punch of Judgment, holy light flaring around his fist as he struck.

[ You've killed a Serpigon… +4900 XP ]

[ Drain activated | You've obtained 1000 Aether points ]

[ You've killed a Serpigon… +5000 XP ]

[ Drain activated | You've obtained 980 Aether points ]

Using their stunned state to his advantage, Marlon unleashed a barrage of powerful blows until his observation skill confirmed their health had dropped to zero.

"Marlon! Behind you!"

Logan's and Ashton's warning cries reached him just as he began checking his newly earned experience points.

His instincts kicked in immediately. He spun around, his ears catching the sound of multiple objects cutting through the air toward him.

In an instant, Marlon pushed his agility to the limit and sprinted away from his position.

BOOM! BOOM!!

A series of violent explosions erupted as over a dozen cars slammed into where he had stood seconds ago. Some combusted on impact, fire bursting out and sending thick black smoke rolling into the air.

Marlon exhaled sharply, a faint look of pity flashing across his face. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the car owners.

But he barely had time to recover before another barrage of vehicles came flying toward him.

"What the hell—!"

This time, he didn't bother to hide from the assault.

He sent his body rocketing toward the Serpigons.

The cars slammed into the ground behind him one after another and exploded, sending subtle shockwaves through the street, but they were too weak to affect him.

Closing the distance, he resumed his assault.

[ You've killed a Serpigon… ]

[ Drain activated | You've obtained 200 Health Points ]

Marlon's onslaught continued as more and more Serpigons attacked him.

Even the new ones that appeared from the portal crowded toward him, having witnessed how easily he had defeated their comrades.

The fight grew more difficult and crowded in just a few seconds.

But Marlon did not run out of health or even Aether points, even after taking some damage.

With Drain constantly absorbing over a thousand Aether points and hundreds of health points from each kill, any loss he suffered was quickly replaced.

His stamina didn't falter in the slightest. His attacks grew even stronger than at the beginning, his movements more erratic and precise as he focused entirely on the torrent of enemies surrounding him.

[ You've killed a Serpigon… ]

[ Drain activated | You've obtained a skill ]

[ Skill: Strength Enhancement (C-Rank, Passive) ] — Permanently multiplies all base strength stats by 50% ]

"Yes!"

The familiar sensation of learning a new skill surged through his body.

[ Strength: 230 ------> 345 ]

Instantly, he felt his strength skyrocket to a new level, so much that he could now take down a Serpigon with just his basic attacks.

A wide grin spread across his face as he increased his killing pace.

He even wished more monsters would pour out of the portal, just to increase his chances of obtaining another talent.

Ashton and Logan watched in awe.

Both of them had noticed the exact moment Marlon's strength had increased. The sheer intensity of his growth couldn't be explained by a simple level-up — it was something more, though they couldn't tell what.

Meanwhile, time flew by.

Monsters kept pouring out of the portal in endless waves.

More than ninety Serpigon corpses littered the streets, and even more could be seen battling against the lone figure who faced them all.

Unknowingly, at that mome

nt—

Marlon slayed his hundredth opponent.

[ You've killed a Serpigon… +5600 XP ] [ Drain activated | You've obtained a TALENT ]

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