Raven slowly walked out of the temple ruins. The air outside felt a little fresher, though still filled with the mysterious aura that enveloped the forest. In silence, he began to analyze all the information he had just gathered.
"A portal to another world, huh?" he muttered, thinking. "If I can obtain the legendary power hidden there, then no creature in this world will be able to stop me."
In the midst of his solitude, he heard another voice in his mind. It wasn't an unfamiliar voice, but rather a memory he had obtained from the temple guardian earlier. The guardian's image still lingered faintly in his mind, warning him of something.
"Don't think this will be easy... The other guardians are much stronger than I am."
Raven smiled wickedly. "I already said, I like challenges. You don't need to worry, I'll make sure to destroy them one by one."
The heavy steps of his bear-like body crunched over the dry branches as he continued to move forward. But in his mind, a new strategy was beginning to take shape. After all, he couldn't just rely on physical strength. He needed more information, and for that, he needed more resources.
"But where should I start?" he thought, glancing around. This forest was too vast to explore without a clear direction.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to him. "Of course, those primitive tribes. They must have more information about the ancient guardians or other hidden places."
Without wasting any time, Raven moved back toward the village he had previously left behind. In his mind, he was already contemplating various ways to obtain the information he needed without revealing who he truly was.
Upon arriving at the village, the atmosphere was quiet. Only a few guards were patrolling around the wooden gates. Raven decided to wait until nightfall when things would be calmer and the guards less vigilant. As the night grew deeper, he approached a soldier standing guard near the hut of the village's new leader. Calmly, Raven entered virus mode and infiltrated the soldier's body.
As he took over the soldier's consciousness, the man's memories and experiences began to flow into his mind. Raven saw how the village was run, its daily rituals, their belief in protective spirits, and most importantly, clues about the location of other ancient guardians.
"A night ritual held at the small temple in the middle of the forest..." Raven murmured, smiling in satisfaction. "It turns out there's another temple guarded by a stronger entity."
He immediately decided to head there, but before leaving, there was one thing he needed to do to ensure that no one suspected him. Through his control over the soldier, Raven ordered some of the tribesmen to tighten the village's security, making them believe that there was an external threat to watch out for.
"Good," he thought. "Now they're all busy, and I have enough time to infiltrate the next temple."
As dawn began to break, Raven headed toward the small temple hidden in the middle of the forest, just as he had seen in the soldier's memories. As he drew closer, he could feel a different aura more intense and ominous than the previous temple. The temple was surrounded by large trees with roots sprawling in all directions, creating an atmosphere that seemed to conceal something that didn't want to be found.
However, before Raven could get any closer, he sensed something lurking in the shadows of the trees. The sound of light footsteps echoed, followed by steady breathing. Raven stopped and prepared himself. The bear-like body he was controlling was already on alert.
"Who's there?" he called out in a deep voice.
From behind the trees, a human figure emerged, carrying a bow and arrow. A young hunter from the tribe, seemingly unaware of who he was facing. His face was full of confidence, as if he were hunting a regular prey.
Raven snorted softly. "Foolish child. Does he not realize he's hunting something far beyond his capabilities?"
The hunter drew his bow, ready to shoot an arrow at Raven. But before he could release it, Raven had already darted forward at high speed, stopping the hunter's movement with a strong grip. The hunter's eyes widened, fear starting to creep onto his face as he realized what he was up against.
"Who sent you here?" Raven asked in a cold voice.
The hunter stammered, trying to answer, "I-I… I was just following the leader's orders. We… we were ordered to guard this temple… from anyone who dares to approach."
"Oh, so they know there's something valuable here?" Raven frowned. "Interesting. But unfortunately, this isn't a place you can protect with a bow and arrow."
Raven decided not to kill the hunter right away. Instead, he became interested in what he could learn from the young man's memories. With one swift motion, he infected the youth, allowing his consciousness to merge with Raven's mind.
Once the process was complete, new memories began to surface. He saw conversations between the new village leader and the soldiers, discussing this temple. Apparently, there had been rumors among them that this temple hid a great secret, but none were brave enough to approach it. Most of them believed that the temple was cursed and inhabited by evil spirits that could destroy anyone who came near.
"Of course they're afraid," Raven muttered mockingly. "They don't know how to harness the power that's here."
After ensuring there was no more important information he could extract from the hunter, Raven released his control and let the youth's body fall unconscious. Quickly, he refocused on his mission of finding and conquering the ancient guardian within this temple.
As he approached the temple, he could feel the pressure growing stronger. There was something very large and powerful inside the temple, something that even surpassed the previous temple guardian. At the entrance, two large statues stood with furious expressions, as if ready to punish anyone who dared to enter without permission.
"Let's see what's hidden inside," Raven thought as he pushed the heavy stone door open.
As soon as he stepped inside, the pitch-black room was suddenly illuminated by a dim light emanating from the floor. A large magic circle stretched across the center of the room, emitting a dark green aura filled with negative energy. In the middle of the circle stood a giant figure, its body clad in ancient, rusted bronze armor. Its eyes glowed red like embers, and from the helmet covering its face, the sound of heavy breathing could be heard.
...[Target Identified: Ancient Guardian - Cursed Titan]...
...[Level: Elite]...
...[Risk: Extreme]...
Raven felt the adrenaline coursing through his body. This fight would be much more difficult. Yet, behind it all, there was a sense of excitement he couldn't deny. This was what he sought a foe that could challenge him and elevate his strength.
Without further delay, the Titan raised its massive sword and swung it with a speed that was unreasonable for a creature of that size. Raven instantly leaped to the side, barely avoiding a slash that could have shattered the stone floor beneath him.
"Looks like I'll need to play smarter this time," Raven muttered as he activated Dark Binding. Strong shadow chains emerged from the surrounding darkness, wrapping around the Titan's legs, momentarily throwing it off balance.
However, the Titan was not so easily defeated. With brutal strength, it shattered the dark chains with one stomp, breaking the floor beneath it. Shards of stone flew, and the room shook violently. Raven realized that this Titan wasn't just physically powerful, but also possessed magical strength that could counter his attacks.
"This won't be easy," Raven thought as he backed away to look for an opening. But it was that sense of challenge that made him even more excited. He knew that every time he conquered a powerful enemy, his strength would increase dramatically. And this Titan was a great opportunity.
The Titan attacked again, swinging its sword with full force. The sound of the blade cutting through the air made the hairs on the back of Raven's neck stand up. Despite his bear-like body being large, Raven used Slither Movement to dodge nimbly, spinning to the side, trying to find a weak spot in the Titan's armor.
"There's no way I can defeat it with physical strength alone. That armor is too thick," Raven thought. He began to rethink his strategy. "I need to weaken it first, perhaps with magic."
Raven then activated Poisonous Mist, spreading a toxic fog around the Titan. The mist quickly enveloped the room, seeping into the cracks of the armor and starting to corrode its interior. The Titan growled angrily, struggling to breathe, but still able to stand. Raven knew this mist wouldn't be enough, but at least it could slow his opponent down.
"I need more than just poison. This Titan's physical strength is insane," Raven thought as he continued to search for an opening. The Titan then stomped its foot, causing a shockwave that nearly threw Raven off balance. Quickly, the Titan raised its hand, and from within the magic circle on the floor, shadow pillars emerged, trying to trap Raven.
"Magical powers too, huh? Good, now this is a real challenge," Raven muttered with a sly grin.
Relying on his agility, Raven dodged the pillars by jumping and spinning in the air, but the Titan's magical attacks didn't stop there. Every one of Raven's movements was met with stronger magical assaults, making it increasingly difficult to approach his opponent. Raven realized that this Titan wasn't just physically strong, but also skilled in using dark magic.
"If this keeps up, I might run out of stamina before I can break through its defenses," Raven thought. He knew he needed to change his approach quickly if he wanted to survive this battle. "I need to force it to expose its own weakness."
Raven then decided to bait the Titan into using more of its magical energy. Deliberately, he held back from direct attacks and continued to provoke the Titan with feints, causing the Titan to expend more magic in its efforts to capture him. After a few minutes, Raven could feel the Titan's magical energy starting to wane. Each magical attack became slower and less accurate.
"Now's the time!" Raven immediately attacked at full speed, combining the power of Berserk Roar with the agility of Slither Movement. He shot towards the Titan from below, targeting a small gap between the armor plates that had opened due to the Titan's movements. With his bear claws enhanced by magical energy, Raven struck directly into the gap, tearing through flesh and vital tissue inside.
The Titan roared in pain, and for the first time, Raven saw the giant creature stagger, losing its balance. Thick black blood flowed from the wound he had inflicted, soaking and slickening the temple floor. Although the Titan was still standing, its strength was clearly beginning to drain.
"Good, now it's time to finish this," Raven thought confidently.
However, at the same time, the Titan didn't give up so easily. With the last of its strength, the Titan slammed its sword into the ground, creating a wave of energy that ripped through the earth around it. Raven, who was nearby, was thrown back and slammed into the temple wall hard, causing pain to surge through his body.
"Damn it, this creature is stubborn!" Raven thought, gritting his teeth. Although his body was beginning to tire, he knew this was a fight to the death. If he let his guard down even a little, this Titan could rise again and destroy him.
Raven quickly got back on his feet and with full determination, he activated all his abilities at once Dark Binding to restrain the Titan, Poisonous Mist to continue corroding it from within, and Berserk Roar to amplify his strength. With all his power focused on this final attack, Raven charged towards the Titan and struck with his claws at the same spot where he had attacked before.
With a final roar that shook the entire room, the Titan fell to its knees, its magical energy finally depleted. Its massive body began to collapse, and the once-impenetrable armor now cracked and shattered into small fragments. The Titan's energy began to flow into Raven's body, merging with the darkness already within him.
...[Infection Successful]...
...[Skill Acquired: Titan's Wrath - Greatly increases physical strength during combat]...
...[Skill Acquired: Soul Fortress - A magical shield that strengthens defense and repels magical attacks]...
...[Evolution Points Gained: 50]...
Raven smiled with satisfaction as he felt the new power entering his body. He was now much stronger and tougher, and he could feel that his resistance to magical attacks had also increased significantly. But more than that, the Titan's memories and experiences now belonged to him.
"So this is the secret of the ancient guardians' power..." Raven thought as he absorbed the memories of the ancient rituals performed by creatures like this Titan. From those memories, he saw clues about the location of the portal he sought. The portal was not just locked by one or two guardians there were many more scattered across the land, each guarding a fragment of the key needed to unlock the portal.
"It seems this adventure is far from over," Raven muttered with a calm tone. "But at least, I'm getting closer to my ultimate goal."
With his growing strength, Raven felt that nothing could stop him now. He stepped out of the now-collapsed temple, leaving the remnants of the battle behind him. The sun was beginning to rise, its faint rays piercing through the gaps in the trees, as if signaling the arrival of a new day.
However, for Raven, this wasn't just a new day. It was the next step in his journey toward absolute power.