Rebirth-Transcending All Beings

Vergil's journey to Rotroot Forest took no more than twenty minutes, but every step gnawed at his nerves.

He'd left the cobbled path that curved away from Vaelmont, the village now a faded silhouette behind a veil of morning mist. The road narrowed quickly, swallowed by tangled underbrush and trees twisted into unnatural shapes. Their gnarled branches arched overhead, forming a shadowy canopy that dimmed the already pale light.

With each step, the world grew quieter.

No chirping insects. No rustling leaves. Just the squelch of damp earth beneath his boots, and the scent of rot thickening in the air. The infamous trees that gave the forest its name—Rotroots—loomed around him, their bark blackened and cracked like ancient wounds. Some leaked a tar-like sap that bubbled in silence.

He pressed forward.

Patches of bioluminescent fungi clung to exposed roots, casting a sickly green glow that barely pierced the gloom. Pools of still water mirrored his reflection in warped fragments, and what little light filtered down felt cold, like moonlight trapped in daylight hours.

Then the path widened.

Ahead stood a dead oak, its trunk hollow and gaping like the mouth of a beast. It was the mark: the true entrance into the heart of Rotroot Forest.

Vergil paused, inhaling slowly. His fingers brushed the hilt of his dagger.

"I'm here."

His heart thudded once. Twice.

"This will be my first time killing, huh?"

A rustle.

He dropped low and slipped behind a tree, careful not to disturb the wet foliage. A few meters ahead, something moved. Slowly, he peeked through the leaves.

A goblin.

Small. Wiry. Barely the size of a child. Its sickly green skin clung to its frame like wax stretched over bone. Jagged claws gripped the body of a corpse—human, mangled—and tore into its flesh with sharp, yellowed teeth. Beady red eyes glittered with mindless glee, its long ears twitching with every sound. The stench of blood and decay reeked from its meal.

Vergil's hand tightened on his dagger.

"System," he whispered in his mind, "analyze the goblin."

A translucent screen flickered to life.

[Goblin]

Race: Humanoid Monster

Level: 1 | Tier: 0 | Class: None

STR: 2 | CON: 3 | DEX: 4 | INT: 1 | WIS: 2 | MP: 0 | Mana Cap: 0

Passive Skills:

Lesser Pain Resistance (F-)

Crude Weapon Proficiency (F)

Active Skills:

None

Vergil moved.

He burst from the shadows, feet silent on the wet earth. The goblin turned—too late. His dagger plunged deep into its neck. It screeched, gurgling as he twisted the blade, hot green blood spraying across his arm and cheek. Its claws scraped weakly at his shoulder.

He drove the dagger deeper. The goblin spasmed—then went still.

Vergil didn't flinch.

He extended his palm.

"Authority of Predation."

From his hand, black mouths erupted—ringed with red glyphs, sharp teeth gnashing hungrily.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Flesh and bone vanished in moments, consumed by writhing, otherworldly hunger.

> "1 Strength point gained."

"2 Dexterity points gained."

"You have acquired: Lesser Pain Resistance (F+), Crude Weapon Proficiency (F)."

Vergil exhaled, wiping blood from his cheek. The mouths retreated into his palm.

This skill really is something else.

Then he saw it—the body the goblin had been feeding on. A dagger protruded from the man's throat.

"Analyze."

A second screen appeared.

[Edran Valmont]

Race: Human | Class: Archer

Level: 1 | Tier: 0 | Gender: Male | Status: Deceased

STR: 4 | CON: 3 | DEX: 6 | INTU: 5 | MP: 3 | Mana Cap: 3

Passive Skills:

Keen Focus (F)

Basic Bow Mastery (F)

Active Skills:

Quick Shot (F)

Vergil extended his hand once more.

"Authority of Predation."

The mouths returned. Silent. Efficient. Ruthless.

"1 Strength point gained."

"2 Dexterity points gained."

"1 Intuition and Magic Power point gained."

"You have acquired: Keen Focus (F), Basic Bow Mastery (F), Quick Shot (F)."

Vergil narrowed his eyes.

Strange. I didn't gain as many stats as I expected from him.

The system answered before he could speak.

"Because the body was damaged, the stat gains were reduced. You still gain all skills. As you grow stronger, consuming weaker lifeforms will no longer yield stats. Conversion values are partial by default."

Vergil nodded.

So strength and condition matter… Got it.

The system chimed again.

New Notification.

"User is one step closer to unlocking the second function of the Authority of Predation. Acquire 15 unique skills to proceed."

Vergil grinned, blood still clinging to his cheek.

So that's what you meant earlier…

Vergil's eyes landed on the goblin's remains—reduced to nothing but a skeleton. Amid the scattered bones, a faint blue crystal pulsed with energy. He crouched and picked it up.

"Analyze."

[Astralyth Stone] (F-Tier)

Description: The weakest type of energy stone.

Uses:

– Can serve as a power source.

– Can be absorbed to accelerate cultivation (requires refinement into the user's specific energy type).

– Has various applications in magic and alchemy.

Vergil turned the crystal in his palm, watching its faint glow flicker.

"No wonder these are in high demand. Pretty useful, even if it's low-tier."

His gaze drifted back to Edron's corpse. A silver necklace lay against the brittle ribcage—simple, neither cheap nor extravagant. A few meters away, his bow and quiver rested on the grass.

'Poor guy. Didn't even get the chance to struggle. I'll make good use of your gear… but what's this necklace?'

He picked it up and activated his analysis skill, but no special information appeared. Just a plain necklace, etched with a name: Elira Valmont.

'Must be his mother. No ring, so probably unmarried. The Authority only ate his flesh—the rest remained. I'll store the bones, the necklace, and the crystal. If I find her, I'll return them.'

But right now, it was goblin hunting time.

Vergil moved silently through the woods, his steps light on the damp forest floor. Up ahead, two goblins crouched behind a bush.

He summoned Edron's bow and quiver from his inventory.

Drawing an arrow, his fingers brushed the feathered fletching. The motion was stiff—awkward. He nocked the arrow, and the bowstring hummed softly. His grip wasn't perfect, and his posture leaned just slightly off.

The bow bent—though not fully. He breathed out, narrowing his focus on the goblin fiddling clumsily with a stolen blade.

The draw wavered slightly. The tension wasn't clean.

He released.

The arrow flew—not perfectly, but fast enough. It veered slightly, then struck the goblin's shoulder with a dull thunk. The creature screeched, staggering back in pain.

Vergil clicked his tongue. "Not bad… Still awkward, but those passive skills from Edron are helping."

He reached for another arrow.

The second goblin let out a sharp screech and charged, dagger raised. Its small frame darted across the uneven terrain with surprising speed. But not fast enough.

Vergil loosed another shot. This time, the arrow struck true—buried deep in the goblin's skull. It collapsed mid-charge.

Turning to the wounded goblin, still writhing and clawing at the arrow in its shoulder, Vergil approached calmly. Without hesitation, he thrust his blade into its chest. The goblin convulsed once—and went still.

'Authority of Predation.'

Dark, writhing mouths burst into existence, devouring the goblin corpses in an instant.

[You have gained 1 Strength, 1 Dexterity, and 1 Constitution.]

[User has acquired the following skills: Dash (F), Lesser Poison Resistance (F-).]

[Level up: You have reached Level 2. You have gained 3 allotable stat points.]

"All into Constitution," he said without pause.

[Your Constitution has increased by 3.]

'Right now, stamina and endurance are my priorities.'

Two hours later, the sun dipped low, casting the forest in deep orange and red. Vergil wiped his blade clean and surveyed the now-silent clearing.

"Took longer than expected just to find those last two," he muttered. "Had to rest from sheer exhaustion halfway through."

Status Window

Name: Vergil

Level: 3

Tier: 0

Title: Commoner

Race: Human

Class: None

Lifespan: 65 years

Spouses: None

Stats

Strength: 11

Constitution: 14

Dexterity: 15

Intuition: 8

Magic Power: 4

Mana Capacity: 5

Available Stat Points: 3

Equipment

Basic Clothing (+2 Defense)

Metal Dagger (+5 Attack)

Passive Skills

Keen Focus (F)

Basic Bow Mastery (F)

Lesser Poison Resistance (F-)

Wild Instincts (F)

Crude Weapon Proficiency (F)

Basic Camouflage (F)

Dim Vision (F-)

Endurance (E-)

Active Skills

Authority of Predation (???)

Throwing (F-)

Pack Tactics (F)

Quick Shot (F)

Dash (F)

Feral Bite (F)

Arts: None

Vergil furrowed his brow. "The analysis said one had Dim Vision, the other Basic Camouflage…"

Without hesitation, he summoned his skill again. "Authority of Predation."

The warped mouths returned, consuming the corpses. Another prompt appeared.

[You have gained 1 Wisdom.]

[You have acquired the passive skills: Dim Vision (F-) and Basic Camouflage (F).]

[You have satisfied all conditions. Releasing the seal on the second function…]

[You have unlocked the second effect of Authority of Predation: Active Skill Combination (EX).]

Vergil blinked. "Combination?"

[You may now fuse skills together—temporarily or permanently—to create more advanced abilities. Results depend on compatibility.]

A slow grin spread across his face.

"…Hahaha. This is broken."

[However, temporary fusion is currently locked. Requirements not met.]

His grin twitched. "You couldn't have led with that?"

[I had to ruin your mood.]

Vergil scowled. "Annoying piece of shit." But his smile returned. "Still… this'll be fun."

'Combination.'

A glowing panel appeared:

[Which skills would you like to combine?]

Vergil tapped his chin. "Let's save Poison Resistance for later—might get stronger fusions with other resistances. But Impact Resistance and Pain Resistance... those should go well together."

"Fuse Lesser Impact Resistance and Basic Pain Resistance."

[Fusing skills...]

[Fusion complete. You have acquired: Endurance (E-)]

Endurance (E-)

Grants minor resistance to physical impact and pain. Helps the user withstand blows without flinching or staggering. Does not negate damage, but mitigates effects and improves composure in battle.

Vergil nodded, satisfied. "Solid. This'll help a lot."

He glanced toward the path leading out of the forest.

"…Let's head back."