Leo decided to head back to his mansion first before making his way to Aizen's place. He wanted to let Aisha know he'd be back in the evening. As he left his mansion and made his way through the outskirts of Chanter Forest, he used his aura to kill small monsters effortlessly, clearing his path without breaking his stride.
As he ventured deeper into the forest, however, he felt an unsettling chill in the air. His senses alerted him to something far more dangerous lurking nearby. Moving cautiously, he caught sight of a spectral figure drifting silently between the trees. The figure was shrouded in shadowy, tattered robes, its eyes glowing an eerie green. The system quickly identified the creature.
**System Alert: S-Rank Monster Detected — Necrotic Wraith**
Curious and cautious, Leo activated his **Appraisal** skill to gather details about the entity. Information streamed through his mind:
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**Necrotic Wraith**
Okay
- **Description**: A spectral, undead entity cloaked in tattered shadowy robes, with glowing green or violet eyes. It drifts silently, leaving a trail of decay in its wake.
- **Abilities**:
- **Life Drain**: Steals vitality from its victims with a chilling touch.
- **Necrotic Touch**: Inflicts rotting wounds that resist healing.
- **Wail of Despair**: Releases a paralyzing, fear-inducing scream.
- **Shadowmeld**: Blends into shadows, becoming nearly invisible.
- **Weaknesses**: Vulnerable to light, holy magic, and silver weapons.
- **Lore**: Believed to be the cursed souls of those who died in torment or wielded dark magic, trapped between life and death.
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Leo felt his pulse quicken. The creature's abilities and strength were indeed S-rank — a formidable opponent, if not above his current level entirely. As he observed the wraith, the ground began to shift. Out of the earth, a pack of undead creatures clawed their way up, summoned by the wraith's presence and sensing his own.
Realizing the danger, Leo quickly pulled out the **Invisibility Cloak** that the system had provided. He wrapped it around himself, vanishing from sight just in time. With his chances of defeating the wraith and its summoned undead slim, this was his best option to avoid detection. Watching from the shadows, he held his breath as the creatures wandered, searching for the life force they had detected just moments ago.
Hidden, Leo waited for an opening to slip away, knowing he'd have to be careful in this part of the forest if these kinds of threats were now emerging.
Leo knew he didn't have anything powerful enough to deal heavy damage to the Necrotic Wraith. But a thought came to mind: if he wanted to level up again, he needed to fight stronger opponents. Since reaching S-rank, he hadn't gained any experience from lower-ranked monsters, leaving him stuck at his current level. The only way to break this stagnation was to challenge formidable foes like the wraith.
When the Necrotic Wraith drifted back to its usual position, Leo decided to thin out the undead it had summoned before making a direct attack. He reached into his system storage space and pulled out his **Death Scythe**, feeling its cold, dark metal in his grip. He realized he had never fully explored the weapon's capabilities, so he activated **Appraisal** to check its stats.
The system screen appeared before him:
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**Appraisal - Death Scythe**:
- **Ability 1: Shadow Step**: Allows the user to merge into shadows and move unseen, similar to the skill the Shadow Goblin had.
- **Ability 2: Shadow Clone**: Creates clones of the user from their shadow, effectively doubling their attack potential.
- **Ability 3: Counter Strike**: Reflects an incoming attack back at the attacker with double the original strength.
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Leo raised an eyebrow. These abilities were very similar to what he'd seen from the Shadow Goblin, making the scythe even more powerful than he initially thought. Not satisfied yet, he decided to push the weapon to its limits. He used his remaining 200 exchange points to upgrade the scythe further and distributed his attribute points proportionally across his stats. He could feel the surge of energy flowing through him, elevating his strength to that of an S+ vampire.
With the upgrade complete, the system screen flashed once again, revealing new enhancements to his **Death Scythe**:
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**Death Scythe (Upgraded to S-Rank)**:
- **Self-Upgrade**: The scythe collects the blood of monsters killed with it, using it to enhance its own strength over time.
- **Power Transfer**: Temporarily channels the user's active skills through the weapon, amplifying its power.
- **Transformation**: Allows the scythe to change its appearance, mimicking other weapons like swords or spears while retaining its abilities.
- **Reaper** (Locked): An unknown ability that requires **Appraisal** to be upgraded to level 3 and user level 13 to unlock.
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Leo was surprised. He didn't know **Appraisal** could be upgraded. The new transformation ability, in particular, piqued his interest. Being able to change the scythe into different weapon forms could be incredibly useful in various combat situations.
Satisfied with his newfound power, he decided to eliminate the undead minions while the Necrotic Wraith remained unaware. He activated **Shadow Step**, slipping into his own shadow and moving silently across the ground. Emerging behind a cluster of undead, he swung his scythe in a swift, fluid motion. The blade cut through the summoned creatures with ease, disintegrating them into dust. Each kill caused the scythe's aura to darken and intensify, absorbing their essence and growing stronger.
With the undead forces significantly reduced, Leo felt ready for the real challenge. He glanced at the Necrotic Wraith, which still floated ominously, seemingly oblivious to the fate of its minions. He gripped his scythe tightly, a smirk forming on his lips.
Leo stood firm, gripping his **Death Scythe** as he faced the Necrotic Wraith, the air thick with tension. The eerie, spectral being floated in front of him, its glowing green eyes locking onto Leo's. It was an S-rank monster, and Leo had no intention of letting it intimidate him.
**"Let's see what this S-rank monster is made of,"** Leo muttered to himself, tightening his grip on the weapon. He could already feel the power it radiated.
With a sudden, chilling wail, the Necrotic Wraith raised its hands, summoning a horde of undead from the ground. The skeletal soldiers pulled themselves from the earth, their hollow eyes glaring at Leo. The wraith let out another scream, this time a paralyzing, fear-inducing cry — **Wail of Despair**.
Leo's body froze for a moment, the fear hitting him like a sudden wave, but his strength and willpower quickly overpowered it. He snapped out of it, glaring at the wraith. **"Not this time,"** he grunted.
In an instant, Leo activated **Shadow Clone**, and three copies of him appeared, each wielding a scythe. They quickly engaged the undead, cutting through the skeletons with deadly precision. But Leo kept his eyes locked on the wraith, not taking his attention off the real threat.
The wraith let out a sinister laugh as it floated higher, its presence darkening the air around them. It extended its arm toward Leo, its hand glowing with necrotic energy. **"You will fall before me, mortal,"** it hissed. **"I will drain your life and your soul."**
Leo didn't flinch. He lunged forward with his **Death Scythe** raised high. The wraith attempted to counter, launching a beam of necrotic energy straight at Leo. But with a swift twist, Leo dodged the attack, rolling under the blast and swinging his scythe low at the wraith's feet. The blade connected, but it passed through the wraith's incorporeal form like it was cutting through smoke.
**"You're fast, I'll give you that,"** Leo muttered. He gritted his teeth and activated **Shadow Step**, disappearing into the shadows. The wraith's eyes narrowed, sensing his movement. It attempted to follow, but Leo was already behind it, slashing at its back with a precise strike. This time, the blade didn't pass through—it cut through the wraith's ethereal form, causing it to wail in pain.
**"It's not over yet,"** Leo said, his heart pounding. The wraith was stronger than he expected, but it wasn't invincible.
With a twist of its form, the Necrotic Wraith vanished into the shadows, using its **Shadowmeld** ability. Leo's eyes darted around, anticipating the creature's next move. He didn't have to wait long. The wraith reappeared, but this time, it wasn't alone. More undead had risen from the ground, responding to its call. They began closing in on Leo, their bony hands reaching out to grab him.
**"This isn't good,"** Leo thought. **"I need to end this now."**
He saw the wraith's glowing eyes again, and this time, they seemed to pulse with greater intensity. **"You think you can stop me? You are nothing but a fleeting shadow!"** the wraith cried out. It raised its hands again, drawing on more dark energy. Leo recognized it immediately—**Life Drain**—a soul-draining ability that could easily turn the tide in its favor.
Before Leo could react, the wraith unleashed a wave of necrotic energy, pulling the very life force from the undead around them and channeling it into itself. The wave of energy surged toward Leo, threatening to drain his vitality.
But Leo wasn't unprepared. He activated his **Power Transfer** ability, channeling his own aura into his **Death Scythe**. The weapon surged with energy, and Leo swung it with devastating force. The wave of energy collided with his scythe, and instead of being drained, it was deflected back toward the wraith.
The wraith screeched in rage as its own attack turned against it, the necrotic energy seeping into its form. Leo didn't wait for it to recover. He followed up with a powerful strike, his blade cutting through the air with unnatural speed. The wraith tried to vanish again, but Leo was faster.
His scythe collided with the wraith's incorporeal form with a sickening thud, cutting through it as if it was flesh. The wraith howled in agony, its ethereal body flickering violently. It tried to raise its hand in defense, but Leo was relentless. He swung his **Death Scythe** once more, this time with all his strength, and the blade passed through the wraith, splitting its form in two. The wraith's body disintegrated into black mist, its final scream echoing through the forest.
Leo stood tall, his breath heavy, as the last remnants of the Necrotic Wraith evaporated into nothingness. The remaining undead collapsed to the ground, their energy spent.
The clearing fell silent. Leo wiped the sweat from his brow, his chest heaving. He had faced an S-rank monster and won. But just as he was about to catch his breath, a notification from the system appeared before him:
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**Congratulations! You have defeated an S-rank monster: Necrotic Wraith.**
**Experience Gained: 4000**
**Level Up! You have reached Level 13.**
**Reaper Ability Unlocked! Appraisal upgraded to Level 3.**
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Leo smirked, feeling the power surge through him. **"I did it. Time to see what's next,"** he muttered, looking down at his **Death Scythe**, now glowing with even more power. The battle had been tough, but the rewards were worth it.
As he made his way out of the forest, the air seemed lighter, the oppressive atmosphere of the wraith's presence gone.