Lord Of The Lost

> [You have slain the wyvern.]

[Your talent, "Killing to Prove the Truth," has activated.]

His stats updated before his eyes—

Physical Attribute +1.2

Spirit Attribute +2

Energy Attribute +2.2

But that wasn't all.

> [Your talent has absorbed the power of the dragon race, unlocking the skill - Dragon Roar.]

[Dragon Roar: Your roar resonates with the energy within you, amplifying it for extraordinary effects.]

And then—

> [Your talent has absorbed a complete set of extraordinary characteristics from the dragon race.]

[Dragon Clan Characteristics: You now carry the extraordinary traits of a wyvern. Those who embrace this fully will become one.]

William's gaze sharpened as he read the last message.

> …Become a wyvern?

---

Understanding the Transcendent Path

Now, it all made sense.

Killing a high-ranking being from another path didn't just give you power—

> It was proof that your path was stronger.

Transcendence was about climbing the ranks, solidifying your standing.

> "To rise, one must step on those below."

By slaying a dragon, he had established dominance over the Dragon Path.

This wasn't just about raw experience.

> It was about rewriting the hierarchy.

For most people, advancing through the ranks was a slow, grueling process.

> A Level 16 player might take years to break through to Level 18.

But when you kill a superior being—

> You absorb their position.

> You take what they stood for.

That's why the system called it an "experience pack."

However, there was a catch—

> The power had to be digested.

> If not… the backlash could destroy you.

To stand atop a slain path, you had to be strong enough to hold your position.

---

Why William Was Different

Normally, this kind of growth took time to stabilize.

Even those who killed dragons couldn't just immediately absorb their power.

But William?

> He had already digested it. Instantly.

Why?

Two reasons:

1. His Demon Wolf Path naturally suppressed the Dragon Path.

A wolf stepping over a fallen beast—there was no fear of rejection.

2. His physical, spiritual, and energy control was abnormally strong.

He had perfect mastery over his own power, ensuring he wouldn't lose control.

William closed the system window.

He didn't need any more explanations.

> He was now Level 18.

He was now a Dragon Slayer.

And more importantly—

> He was still standing.

Breaking Limits and Paying the Price

Slaying the wyvern wasn't just a victory—it was a transformation.

William felt the changes deep in his bones, his body absorbing the dragon's power.

His updated stats appeared before his eyes:

[Physique: 24.3]

[Spirit: 20.2]

[Energy: 19.4]

One more point in energy, and his base attributes would match a Sequence 8 transcendent.

> But stats alone don't determine strength.

An experienced Sequence 8 could still overpower him with superior skills and extraordinary abilities.

However, raw stats still mattered and his physical power was now on par with the wyvern itself.

Yet, despite these gains, William was barely standing.

His entire body was wrecked.

His abilities were still actively healing him, but it felt like pouring water into a broken cup—

> No matter how much he recovered, he was still drained.

He had fought on pure adrenaline and survival instinct, pushing his body beyond its limits.

Even with [Devour], allowing him to absorb the potent energy of dragon blood, his body needed time to fully recover.

For now, his only option was rest.

William turned his gaze toward Sofia.

She had curled up under the wyvern's massive wings, fast asleep, her small figure barely visible beneath the blood-soaked mess of the battlefield.

Her face was smeared with blood, her light eyebrows barely visible under the grime.

She looked fragile, yet there was no mistaking the tenacity in her.

William noticed something else—

Her red hat was absorbing energy from the dragon's blood.

> That must be the Black Swan's doing.

Sofia's body had been pushed past its limit, casting Fire Blast strong enough to cripple the wyvern.

That one spell had cut the dragon's health in half, setting the stage for their victory—

> But the cost was steep.

Even the Black Swan, who had been possessing Sofia, seemed to be in an even weaker state than before.

Then, the absorption stopped.

William hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took the hat off Sofia's head.

"How can I help you?" he asked.

A voice, smooth and elegant, whispered into his mind—

"You can't."

Her voice had a certain depth, like the night sky stretching endlessly above.

William glanced at Sofia, still asleep.

"How is she?"

"Let her sleep," the Black Swan replied. "This battle has shown her the path she must take."

William narrowed his eyes.

Sofia had been lost for a long time, torn between the Witch Path and her Werewolf Bloodline, unsure of her true identity.

"What path will she take?" he asked.

The Black Swan fell silent for a long moment.

Then, she spoke a single word—

"Night."

Her voice was heavy, as though carrying the weight of something far greater than just an answer.

William let the word roll in his mind.

The Path of Night.

The ultimate ambition of the Witch Clan.

A path once claimed by the Primal Moon, but now left vacant after His fall.

> And Sofia… might be the one to reclaim it.

Sofia was destined for the path of darkness, a fate beyond her control.

As she slept, her small face tensed slightly, her brows furrowing in quiet unease—like a young creature, curled up in an unfamiliar world, sensing unseen dangers in the wilderness.

She shrank in on herself, but didn't wake up.

At this moment, she looked incredibly fragile, like a porcelain doll that could shatter at the slightest touch.

William broke the silence.

"The road through the night won't be easy."

> There were too many signs that this would be a perilous journey.

The Moonlight Goddess, the ever-present dangers lurking in the darkness, and even the fallen Primal Moon—all could become threats in Sofia's pursuit of this path.

The Black Swan responded, her voice calm and steady.

"I know."

Then, after a pause—

"The Moonlight Goddess does not rule the night. There is no conflict between her and Sofia."

William's gaze deepened.

Sofia must have shared the true name of the Moonlight Goddess with the Black Swan.

But this ancient witch remained completely unfazed.

> Perhaps, as an ancient race, witches knew far more than they let on.

There were too many mysteries surrounding Sofia's birth.

Yet, no matter what forces conspired to shape her past or control her future, nothing could change the simple truth—

> She was born. And the witches acknowledged her as one of their own.

After all, how else could she carry the title of the Last Witch?

---

Humans are born into a fate of inevitable death, but that doesn't make life meaningless.

Even if her birth was orchestrated by some grand design, even if fate was already set in stone—

The best way to defy it...

Was to simply ignore it.

> Let fate be fate. Let choices be choices.

At that moment, the Black Swan's voice softened, carrying a weight of centuries-old wisdom.

"The Moonlight Goddess is not the real threat. She must guard herself against the true darkness."

The darkness had consumed many powerful witches before.

And if Sofia was to walk this path, she would have to face the forbidden power that had claimed them.

The witches had woven this enchanted hat to shield her, to hide her from the watchful eyes of the abyss.

> But how long could the Black Swan protect her?

No one knew.

William sighed but said nothing more.

He noticed that the Black Swan had stopped absorbing energy from the dragon's blood, perhaps wary of overconsumption.

So, without hesitation, William extended his hand.

[Hand of Darkness]

The shadows coiled around his fingers, slithering outward to collect the dragon's blood.

> A slain dragon was more than just a victory—it was a treasure trove of extraordinary resources.

Although William's talent had already absorbed the wyvern's extraordinary characteristics, along with boosts to his stats, that didn't mean the rest of the dragon was useless.

Even for high-ranking players, every part of the dragon was valuable.

William effortlessly gathered over dozens of kilograms of dragon blood.

Refining the Essence of the Dragon

Not all dragon blood is equally powerful.

If every single drop carried immense energy, the wyvern wouldn't have needed to fight—

> One slap would have been enough to wipe him out.

The raw material needed to be refined before it became a proper extraordinary resource.

Following Black Swan's guidance, William began the initial purification process.

As the refinement progressed, the dragon blood took on a deep crimson glow, its color turning richer, denser, purer.

Tiny golden sparks flickered within, like the remnants of true dragon power.

Once satisfied with the refinement, William took out the shattered pieces of his Dragon Scale Armor, ruined in battle long ago.

He placed them into the pulsating, enriched dragon blood.

> A slow transformation began.

The armor pieces absorbed the energy, shifting, reshaping—

The fragments started reassembling themselves, like ancient ruins being rebuilt, restoring the armor to its former strength.

William finally let out a breath of relief.

> This armor, once destroyed by the Sequence 7 Wolf Lord, was returning to life.

And when fully restored, it would once again become a powerful extraordinary item, one that could make all the difference in the battles to come.