Elsewhere, far beyond the inner edges of the wastelands, a massive Procan Python came into sight.

Its length stretched well over twenty meters, with a thickness comparable to a massive tree trunk. Across its monstrous frame, dark scales interlocked in a mesmerizing pattern, giving off an unyielding sense of defense while absorbing every trace of light cast upon them.

Now under the cover of darkness, it blended perfectly with its surroundings. The only thing that betrayed its presence were the massive crystalline orbs it had for eyes, shimmering with a predatory glint as they searched for its next prey.

If regular D-rank beings wandered this far, they would only describe it as a truly monstrous creature.

And as if to emphasize that fact, within a few thousand meters, no other creature dared step into its territory. They could sense its might even from afar.

After a fairly successful hunt, the Procan Python was preparing to rest and internalize its gains before it suddenly froze. Its crystalline eyes locked onto the space a few hundred meters ahead where another figure now stood.

At any other time, it would have attacked instantly, crushing everything that dared enter its domain without a second thought.

But this time was different.

The figure before it was different.

Despite its monstrous senses, it had barely detected the figure’s presence. If anything, it had a feeling the figure had been standing there for quite some time and had only been noticed because he chose to reveal himself.

With every leap in power, whether beast or human, intelligence and sentience grew. The massive Procan Python was no different as it slowly analyzed the figure before it.

A human.

A rare occurrence this far out. But there were still a few who occasionally wandered into its territory. Their fate had always been death, and after consuming them, it had come to regard humans as a rare delicacy, more nutritious than ordinary beasts.

Still, that didn’t warrant attacking the city. It had tried before, back when it was merely a youngling. But now, it knew better.

The city’s defenses were far too sturdy, and though humans were weak individually, as a collective they were a formidable force.

But none of that mattered now.

The human before it had made a mistake.

Having finished its appraisal, it found nothing particularly unique about him nor any overwhelming sense of power leaking from his body. It attributed his ability to bypass its senses either to a refined stealth skill or the possibility that he was simply too weak to have registered subconsciously.

Whatever the case, both possibilities worked in its favor.

It hissed violently as its massive frame streaked forward. An almost excited glint flashed across its soulless eyes as it neared its target.

One last meal for the night.

***

Ulric exhaled faintly as he headed deeper into the wastelands before stepping into a clearing and observing the creature he had sensed curiously.

It was massive.

That was the first thought that formed in the back of his mind. Without a doubt, one of the largest creatures he had encountered so far. Even after sensing its presence beforehand, seeing it up close felt entirely different.

Even more so when he cast his appraisal on it.

[Dark Scaled Procan Python]

[Level 73] (Peak D-rank)

[Threat Level: Low]

[Weakness: Fire-based attacks and lightning]

"Hm." Ulric hummed thoughtfully, his brows arching slightly. Just a few levels away from ascending to the absolute peak of D-rank.

One would think a creature this powerful would possess better perception. He had already been standing there for quite a while, allowing him to gather plenty of information.

Clearly not as strong as I hoped.

Ulric sighed softly as he stared at the threat level. But with his rapidly growing power, that was only natural.

Stepping out from the shadows, he felt the Procan Python lock onto him. A little startled, it appraised him briefly before streaking forward with its maw wide open, revealing rows of jagged teeth flashing beneath the moonlight.

If he wanted, he could have launched a sneak attack and fatally wounded the beast before it even sensed him.

But where was the fun in that?

He chuckled as the Procan Python closed within ten meters, its jaws stretching wide enough to swallow him whole.

But everything changed the moment his fists clenched.

Not out of necessity, but purely for the flair of it.

"Absolute Stillness."

The instant the words left his lips, the Procan Python’s frame froze mid-motion within a ten-meter radius. The temperature around him plummeted drastically as his Cryonic frost spread across the surroundings.

Standing so close, Ulric could slowly see the shift in its eyes.

From absolute confidence, the confidence of a predator certain it had already won, to doubt.

Then panic.

Its consciousness flared wildly while its body remained suspended in place.

"Peculiar, isn’t it?" Ulric whispered, his crimson gaze locking onto the beast’s crystalline eyes.

Its tail, outside the domain’s range, thrashed violently in an attempt to escape the bizarre state, but failed repeatedly.

Perhaps against stronger opponents, they would still have a chance to resist, with the domain merely slowing their movements. But against weaker opponents, there was no escaping it.

Still, he hadn’t come this far just to end the battle with a single move.

He came for blood. For battle. For domination.

And he would wring every ounce of it from the Procan Python until he was fully satisfied.

Snapping his fingers, the domain vanished.

As the Procan Python regained control over its body, it remained slightly disoriented. Ulric easily dodged its attack, letting the massive creature streak past him.

The wind screamed from the force behind its strike.

But he didn’t let it escape so easily.

The moment its tail swept past him, his hands shot out and grabbed it tightly.

The Procan Python suddenly halted as a violent hiss tore from its maw, pain surging across its body.

Coiling slightly, it turned to reassess the figure before it.

Clearly, the human wasn’t weak. Far from it.

The strange ability he had used invoked a deep sense of fear within the beast, making it feel utterly helpless. If he truly wished, he could have ended its life right then and there.

But he hadn’t.

Which meant the ability likely carried restrictions or couldn’t be sustained for long.

At least, that was the only conclusion it could reach.

With that thought in mind, it lunged forward once more, aiming to crush the human while both his arms remained occupied around its tail.

The perfect opening.

Only for its plan to shatter instantly. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The dark-robed figure did the impossible.

With the snake’s tail clenched tightly in his grip, Ulric swung the monstrous creature overhead before slamming it into the ground with a deafening shockwave that sent rocks and debris exploding outward.

But that was only the beginning.

A series of thunderous crashes echoed for thousands of meters around.

If another person had witnessed the scene, they would have been left speechless.

A single figure lifting a creature hundreds of times his size before smashing it across the wastelands as though it weighed nothing.

The contrast was absurd.

Only after massive fissures spread across the ground did Ulric finally stop. With a grunt, he twisted the enormous Procan Python before hurling it into the distance.

Its battered frame rolled violently across shattered rock before finally skidding to a halt.

Its body was now covered in injuries.

When it slowly lifted its head again, its crystalline eyes locking onto the dark-robed figure, it shuddered faintly as wariness filled them.

In just a short exchange, it had suffered severe injuries while the human remained completely unharmed.

The longer it sensed the dark-robed youth, the more it felt an uncanny resemblance between his aura and the terrifying demonic beasts residing deep within the wastelands.

After those few exchanges, one thing had become painfully clear.

It wasn’t a match for him.

Which was why it immediately chose to retreat.

But Ulric didn’t allow it.

Appearing before the Procan Python once more, he unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks while the beast desperately tried to counter.

As the battle unfolded, a horrifying realization dawned on the Procan Python.

This wasn’t a battle, but a one-sided beating.

Every one of its attacks was effortlessly dodged or deflected, while all of Ulric’s strikes landed true.

If anything, it was beginning to grow uneasy.

The dark-robed figure could have ended the battle in a single move.

He simply chose not to. Almost as if he were toying with it.

Faced with that realization, its innate pride finally snapped.

It hissed violently as all rationality vanished, its aura erupting wildly while its strength surged explosively.

But the transformation made little difference.

If anything, it only sealed its death.

The moment it lunged forward, Ulric grabbed it by the head and effortlessly halted its charge before ripping straight through it in a gruesome display.

Blood gushed everywhere, drenching his frame as he tossed the massive corpse onto the ground.

The Procan Python twitched faintly before finally collapsing lifelessly.

"Weak... too weak." Ulric groaned, clenching his fists tightly as dissatisfaction spread across his face.

It only eased when he looked at the cascade of notifications appearing before him.

[Ding! You have killed a Level 73 Procan Python!]

[Ding! You have gained experience points!]

[Ding! You have leveled up!]