Primordial Lust System

Boom! A rippling explosion rang out as Aurelian and the Armored Quadrupedal Alpha Wolf collided, sending rocks and rubble flying everywhere.

"Great!" He snickered, feeling the toughness of the crystal encasing its body. "A little tougher than expected," he groaned, skidding backward as he tried to regain his footing. But the wolf didn't give him a moment of reprieve, following up with a swing of its serrated blade, aiming to slice him in half.

"No, you don't!" he breathed, instinctively grabbing the tail with his hands and holding it firmly in his grasp, only to regret it moments later as it twitched violently, crystal spikes jutting out from its back and sprouting along its tail, tearing holes in his palms.

"It can do that, too?" he cursed, suppressing the pain flaring through him before curling his fingers into fists and slamming them onto the wolf's back.

Crack! The sound of splintering echoed out, followed by fresh pain in his palms as more cracks spread along his fingers.

"Fucking tough bastard!" he growled, his figure flickering back, scaling five meters in an instant to dodge the synth-like blades that would've torn his throat open.

"Finally." He breathed, watching as the hovering blades before him merged back into the abominable black blade. His plan had been in motion the moment the wolf charged at him—everything until now was just buying time.

Satisfied, he reached out his hand, and the blade glimmered softly before landing in his grasp.

"My turn now!" he shouted, grasping the blade with both arms. His mind grew sharper as he accelerated midair, his blade tearing through the air before finding its mark on his target, swiping across its frame.

Only the result wasn't as expected. The figure dissipated into particles, his eyes widening in realization. "A mirage?" His figure streaked to the side as the thought flared in the back of his mind, but it was too late. His eyes bulged in shock as he felt a towering presence before him, and then a massive paw slammed into his back, tearing through his robe and clawing deep slashes into his flesh, sending him flying.

"Argh, fuck!" he cursed, spewing dust from his mouth as he struggled to his feet. He could feel warm trickles of blood trailing down his back, laced with a burning pain.

This wasn't working. He breathed raggedly, his obsidian eyes locking onto the wolf's molten golden eyes as it prowled closer, a feral light burning in its gaze.

"Time to go all in, huh?" He smirked, tightening his grasp on the blade. Parts of their clashes replayed in his mind as he studied the beast's combat style, a rough pattern forming in his thoughts. To execute it, though, he would need to be far faster.

Nodding at the thought, he crouched low, his foot sinking into the ground beneath him as he poised for an attack. Allocate all ten free points to Agility.

He issued the mental command, and before long his body surged forward, a warm energy flaring through him. His speed suddenly increased midair, taking the wolf by surprise. Before it could react, he slashed across its torso, leaving a bloody gash.

"Die already!" he smirked, turning back to see the wolf momentarily dazed. But the smugness vanished as the beast lunged at him, seemingly unaffected by the wound.

Huh? he breathed. Was the difference in level limiting the efficiency of his talent? Or did he need a far deeper cut?

Part of his thoughts were confirmed as he noticed the beast's speed slowing by a notch, no longer leaving afterimages.

It still blurred before his vision now and then, landing slashes across his torso before blinking out again. Every time he prepared a counterattack, it switched tactics. Bloody marks spread fast across his body, he needed to end this soon or he was done for.

Not far from the battlefield, Seraphina observed, her sharp eyes scanning everything. She nodded at his resilience, his ability to rise every time he took damage. His technique was evolving, his battle sense sharpening, his perception and dodging improving with every exchange. Still, he was taking in too much damage.

If this continued, she'd be forced to step in. She couldn't allow him to risk his life. "If only he had a defensive skill," she muttered, only to freeze as her breath hitched, her eyes widening at the sight before her.

"Of course he has a defensive skill. Why wouldn't he?" she sighed helplessly.

"I see, so that's how it is," Aurelian muttered, scanning the notification that popped up in front of him.

[Ding! All energy allocated to Appraisal Skill successfully!]

[Appraisal Skill has evolved to Advanced Appraisal!]

"Yeah, yeah," he nodded, springing forward to dodge another tail swipe while filtering through the notifications. His eyes locked onto the beast as its attributes unraveled before him, and he smirked.

[Armored Alpha Quadrupedal Wolf –Level 25]

[Rank: Uncommon]

[Current State: Mildly Injured]

[Weakness: Soft tissue beneath hind legs, belly, fire element]

A quick scan later, his figure rocketed forward, a whisper escaping his lips. "Activate C-rank: Iron Skin!"

It was time to finish this, and he wanted to do it without exposing too many cards. Using this talent under the guise of it being a skill was perfect. After all, what differentiated the two was cooldown time. If he minimized its use, he could stay under the radar. There were only so many talents one could awaken without arousing suspicion.

His skin squirmed at the command as a wave of energy surged through his body, coating him in a metallic sheen. A grey light shimmered across his frame.

With that, his figure flicked forward. He smiled as the wolf swiped its synth-like claws at his chest. This time, instead of dodging, he braced for impact. The claws tore through the metallic sheen, stripping part of it away but leaving his body relatively unharmed, save for the sheer force of the blow that made him spew blood onto the ground. Still, his goal was accomplished. Sliding under the beast, he raised his blade and, before the wolf could trample him, plunged it deep into its stomach, spilling its guts wide open as he slid across.

"Let's see how you survive this!" he growled, twisting the blade and ignoring the beast's yelps as the corrosive energy ate away at its insides.

Engulfed in unimaginable pain, its eyes grew blank, its strength fading before it collapsed lifelessly. Its soul was absorbed by his blade as a notification blinked before him.

<Ding! The host has slain a Level 25 Armored Alpha Quadrupedal Wolf! 30,000 dungeon points awarded!>

(Level 20: 20,000 / 20,000 dungeon points!)

[Ding! Congratulations, host has leveled up!]

(Level 21: 25,000 / 25,000 dungeon points!)

[Ding! Congratulations, host has leveled up!]

[Level 22: 0 / 30,000]

Dungeon Boss cleared: Leave Dungeon?

<<Yes>> <<No>>

Staring at the notification, he collapsed to the ground, breathing raggedly, exhaustion clinging to him. The fight had drained him more than expected. Slowly, the metallic sheen faded from his body as he bathed in the warm energy surging through him. His vitality replenished, his wounds knitted closed, and he shut his eyes, falling into a trance-like state.