"Are you sure, honey?" Carl asked.
[System notice]: No matter what. Anyway, it’s dead — and more importantly, you must be stronger.
Carl frowned for a moment as he stared at the words in front of him, then finally let out a long sigh.
"I feel a bit guilty about that."
Almost as if it read Carl’s mind, new words quickly appeared on the system screen.
[System notice]: That bloody pool’s effect is real... And if you don’t do it, the gap in power between you and your sister will just keep getting bigger. Don’t waste this chance.
[System notice]: Don’t forget what you want the most... Don’t tell me you don’t want to kiss me... my beloved husband?
The moment Carl read those words, he froze, then suddenly shouted and rushed straight toward the bloody pool hidden behind the end of the cave.
"You’re right. My only desire is to kiss you."
Soon, Carl stood right beside the bloody pool. With his wife’s words still ringing in his mind, he didn’t hesitate anymore. The guilt had vanished — replaced by the overwhelming excitement and longing to finally see her again.
Because, after all, Carl was a man who loved his wife like crazy, a man whose mind was always full of her image.
He stared at the pool for a while.
"Terrible... I should have tortured that lizard longer, made them pay for what their tribe did."
He clicked his tongue.
"Yeah... I swear... I’ll erase their entire bloodline if any of them are still alive in this world."
Carl took a deep breath and carefully stepped down into the pool from its edge. He focused on controlling the flow of mana in his body as best he could. He knew this pool was formed from the blood of the holy dragon — overflowing with purest mana — and if he absorbed it recklessly, he’d end up blowing himself to pieces.
"It’s okay... just keep the mana flow calm... loosen my mind..."
Carl sank into the bloody pool. Immediately, scorching heat wrapped around him, yet it was full of raw, invigorating energy.
Available stat points: 1
Available stat points: 2
Available stat points: 9
"G-Great!" Carl’s eyes widened, his mouth frozen in shock as he stared at the system screen.
"Come on—yeah! More... give me more!"
Available stat points: 10
Available stat points: 50
Available stat points: 100
But then, the sound of notifications began to slow. The pool’s effect was fading. It seemed his body had nearly absorbed all of the pure mana within it.
Carl frowned. His body was like a bottomless pit. A genius’s body was like a bottle, already half-filled with water, but Carl... he was an empty bottle, maybe even a massive one, but still empty. That explained why the bloody pool — a holy artifact — had lost its power so quickly.
Then, around ten minutes later.
Available stat points: 300
"Three hundred?!" Carl gritted his teeth. There was no joy on his face, only frustration.
"I was hoping for at least two thousand... I thought a holy dragon would have way more to offer than this."
[System notice]: Don’t be greedy! You should be satisfied.... With all those points, you’ll be strong enough to rival any E-rank during the same soul rank. You have a ridiculous advantage, despite being just an F-rank.
[System notice]: This isn’t some cheap borrowed power — this is the purest strength.
Carl scratched the back of his head, forcing a weak smile.
"A-Alright... I guess you’re right."
He took a deep breath, calmed his thoughts, and swam out of the pool — now drained of all its color and power.
For a brief moment, he glanced back at the empty pool with a trace of guilt, then quickly summoned his system screen.
Available stat points: 300
Carl rubbed his chin thoughtfully before nodding to himself.
"Split 40 points to each attribute... leave a hundred remaining."
Available stat points: 100
"I think that looks good." Carl nodded with satisfaction, then activated his [Flame Breath] skill, using the heat to dry his soaked clothes before heading toward the massive stone oval pedestal.
Keeping his clothes dry always made him feel fresh and ready.
"Now! Let’s put an end to your wretched life."
[Plasma Breath activated!]
Carl shot a blast plasma, striking the dragon’s corpse dead center. It pierced through the fragile ribs and turned the mana core to nothing but ash in an instant.
Immediately, the crushing pressure that had filled the cave vanished — leaving the air strangely calm. For Carl, it was a relief.
"Finally... no more annoying itch."
Suddenly, Cobb — the creature hiding in Carl’s clothes — climbed out and perched on his shoulder, letting out mournful cries, as if grieving for its own kin.
"Poor thing..." Carl murmured, gently stroking his companion in silent comfort.
Then, the entire cave’s oppressive air began to change. The thick mana barrier that had blanketed the cave shattered like glass, followed by a loud, echoing sound that shook the ground.
Ting! Follow current novels on noᴠelfire.net
– Destroy Arcadia Academy.
– Rewards: A short date with me and a tongue kiss from your wife if you complete the quest flawlessly.
– Clear your first dungeon ( Accomplished )
– Reward: Dimensional Slash Skill
Dimensional Slash — Skill Rank: C
A sword technique that rends space itself, infusing the slash with dark mana. It bypasses defenses, halts wound recovery, and strikes the target’s essence, but demands heavy mana and long concentration.
"Rank C?" Carl frowned for a moment, then shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He should just listen to his wife’s advice.
He should know how to be satisfied.
"Let’s get out of here."
Carl let out a long sigh and turned his gaze toward the gate that had appeared behind the dragon’s corpse — the reward for defeating the dungeon’s final boss.
What a start. All the other candidates had died, leaving Carl as the sole survivor.
He never expected things to turn out this way...