Venix realized that he would eventually become an Anima Race, and he was already overwhelmed by thoughts of his impending transformation.
Over the past few days, he consistently turned down his younger sister Yuna's invitations to play, citing his bird-like character.
Initially, Venix wanted to rectify this 'bug' as soon as possible and transform into a more typical human form.
However, the longer Venix inhabited this Bird character, the more he discovered its advantages.
The most significant benefit was the Bird character's enhanced and effortless control over energy.
At first, Venix believed that everything was normal as he easily controlled the energy within his own body. Little did he know that all players learned Energy Control Techniques in the white room before entering the game.
Without the Energy Control Techniques learned by players, controlling the energy within their character's body was nearly impossible.
Venix stumbled upon this information in a 'Heaven's Gate' discussion forum. They were discussing which Energy Control Techniques were easy to master and yielded excellent results.
As for Venix himself, he realized that he only needed to think about it in his mind, and he could effortlessly control the energy within his body!
Moreover, Venix had not only activated two new skills but also found ways to enhance the ones he already possessed.
In essence, discovering new skills through trial and error was difficult but not impossible, typically reserved for experts and professional players. Venix realized he wasn't exceptionally different from other ordinary players in terms of his capabilities.
For many good reasons, Venix was reluctant to abandon his Bird character. Venix also found that his Bird character was more powerful than the average player for several good reasons.
Venix also revealed himself in the forum under the name 'Lord Chocho.' In the game's discussion forum, every player used their in-game character name.
"As long as I can transform back into a bird, that's fine," Venix sighed. "I don't want to be in the Race Anima form all the time; it would be troublesome for me in the future."
What Venix knew about Race Anima was that they would be in a Humanoid form. Only at a high level in the future could they fully transform into Beasts or Monsters.
This was why Venix felt somewhat concerned. After gazing at the wings behind him, he finally turned around completely to examine them.
In the information shared by the player Soulo, tiny flames would ignite behind them, signifying the foundation of a player's in-game character's power. To pass through the Heaven's Gate at level 10, one needed at least twenty flames.
But when Venix looked behind him, he saw only a single golden flame burning. Just one, not even two!
"Am I so inadequate that only one flame is lit?" Venix felt a sense of despair.
He had believed that his
"If I had known, I could have extracted the Beast's body and obtained numerous valuable items... My luck seems to have taken a turn for the worse since entering this game," Venix said with a hint of sadness.
Venix stared at the solitary golden flame burning intensely before his eyes.
Shaking his head, Venix turned around to gaze at the formidable Heaven's Gate standing before him.
"After accumulating a sufficient number of flames, players only need to draw the flame into their soul and fully merge it with their player's soul." Venix pondered.
With determination, Venix reached out his hand toward the golden flame.
Slowly, the golden flame obediently approached and landed on Venix's palm, where it promptly melted and fused with his hand.
Instantly, a surge of immense power coursed through Venix's soul.
"Darn! Am I really this strong!?" Venix marveled at his newfound strength, feeling more potent than in his original bird body.
Venix thought : "Soulo mentioned a minimum of twenty flames, but there's no harm in attempting to understand the difference."
With that thought, Venix's blue soul enveloped by the golden flame moved toward the Heaven's Gate in front of him.
Taking a few steps, Venix immediately ran forward and leaped high into the air!
Venix clenched his right fist, and it burst into a bright, golden flame!
Venix bellowed 'Break!' as he poured all his strength into the punch!
Boom!
A massive explosion occurred, causing the Heaven's Gate to tremble uncontrollably. However, it still stood firm.
Thud ~
Venix landed in front of the Heaven's Gate and saw that it remained intact.
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"Well, as I expected. Besides, it was only one flame," Venix shrugged, not feeling discouraged.
As Venix prepared to leave the Heaven's Gate room, a subtle, ominous cracking sound gradually filled the air.
Crack ~ Crack ~
The cracking sound, initially faint, grew more pronounced over time.
Crack ~ Crack ~
Venix widened his eyes in surprise as he observed a significant crack forming on the surface of the Heaven's Gate, rapidly expanding!
Crack ~ Crack ~
Shatter ~
Boom!
Instantly, Venix felt his soul being pulled into the shattered Heaven's Gate!
With a 60% pain level, Venix could feel as though a shackle had been removed from within his Bird character's body, propelling him into an entirely different realm!
Boom!
Instantly, Venix felt an explosion occurring in his mind. However, this explosion didn't harm him in the slightest; instead, it brought warm and comforting energy to Venix.
In an instant, Venix felt his consciousness becoming hazy as it returned to his original Bird character.
Venix's eyes calmly opened, and a system notification appeared before him and felt the changes happening within his current Bird character's body.
[ Congratulations to the Player for successfully passing the 'Heaven's Gate' challenge! ]
[ The Player will level up soon! ]
Venix saw the system notification in front of his eyes.
The Black Bird's body was radiating with a golden flame, similar to the golden flame Venix had seen inside the Heaven's Gate.
Crack ~ Crack ~
Venix sensed his bones shifting and perfecting themselves.
Venix opened his Bird beak and let out a triumphant shout.
"Kroak ~ Kroak ~"
"This is how it feels!" Venix was thrilled by the sensation.
Then, something unexpected happened.
On the Bird's forehead, something began to shine brightly!
The light had a brilliant golden hue, gathering on the Bird's forehead, slowly compacting until it resembled a sparkling diamond.
Ssshhh ~
The Bird's body gradually reverted to its usual state. The luminous aura surrounding its body began to fade, and Venix felt a surge of strength!
Venix commanded the system in his mind, "Open the profile."
[ Name: Lord Chocho ]
[ Race: Unknown ]
[ Level: 11 (Tier 1) ]
[ Experience: 0/100 ]
[ Skill :
[ Ability :
Looking at his profile, Venix's eyes widened in surprise!
"What!? Why is my race listed as 'Unknown'!?" Venix felt that the game's bugs were once again affecting him, as his race was now listed as 'Unknown'.
He was originally a Bird race, and most likely would evolve into a Anima Race in the future.
With this, Venix was happy to know that he could have a Humanoid body again.
But after seeing that his race had changed, Venix became even more perplexed.
"Weird, what's happening with this game? In the forum, players had claimed that the game was flawless with no bugs to be found. Yet, Venix couldn't help but wonder if he and they were playing a different game altogether." Venix looked at his profile again and again.
Furthermore, he noticed that his skills had undergone changes, leaving him with just a single skill.
This was normal. At Tier 0, players had limited skills, only able to use skills to strengthen their weapons or body.
After reaching Tier 1, players found that their energy control had become more seamless and effortless. They could enhance their weapons or body parts simply by thinking, eliminating the need for prior effort.
Therefore, after reaching Tier 1, all of the players' skills disappeared and merged with their Energy Flow Technique, strengthening their own Energy Flow Technique.
Venix didn't possess an Energy Flow Technique, so it automatically bestowed itself with the name
Meanwhile, Venix explored his Bird character's description through the profile menu.
To his amazement, his Bird character had grown significantly, now standing at an impressive height of one meter. Additionally, Venix discovered a golden diamond-like gem that had grown on the Bird's forehead.
"What's this golden diamond on my forehead?" Venix extended his wing and touched his forehead.
He could feel a hard object on his Bird's forehead.
"Could this be a unique ability of the Bird?" Venix closed his eyes and attempted to channel his energy into the golden diamond on his forehead.
Without delay, the golden diamond on Venix's forehead gleamed brightly, and a system notification materialized in front of his eyes.
[ Insufficient energy. Please level up ]
Venix opened his eyes slowly.
"Hmm... I wonder what ability this diamond on my forehead provides," Venix mused softly.
Triumphantly, he had conquered the Heaven's Gate!
Venix looked at the creatures around him, living comfortably.
"I must go," Venix murmured to himself, determined to explore further.
Only 100 Exp points stood between him and reaching level 12. However, he had to kill monsters at level 11 and above.
Killing monsters from levels 1 to 10 yielded no experience, only the benefit of extracting their bodies.
Seeing this beautiful waterfall for the last time, Venix flapped his wings and took flight into the sky.
Though the waterfall was a sight to behold, Venix knew he had to progress. The next area beckoned with stronger, higher-level monsters!
With that, Venix continued to fly in the air, heading north!
❄️❄️❄️
Every player who reached Tier 1 had to go through a Trial to reach the next area.
The location of the Trial was already known to other players through the forum.
Deep within the forest, a cave entrance adorned by a tall gate awaited.
Mysterious decorations surrounded the cave entrance, instantly signaling its unique nature to onlookers..
In front of the entrance to the Trial, many players gathered.
Thud ~
Venix, with the appearance of a Bird, landed on one of the trees, far from the entrance to the Trial.
Venix's thoughts raced as he observed the scene. "Only about thirty people at the Trial entrance... It seems many players have already succeeded."
His sister Yuna had previously mentioned that she was close to reaching level 10 and becoming Tier 1. Most likely, his sister Yuna had already passed the Trial by now.
"In that case, I just need to fly at full speed!" Venix confirmed.
Whoosshhh ~
In an instant, his wings ignited with blue sparks, resembling lightning.
"The contrast is undeniable. My wings have grown more robust. Could it be due to the
Previously, when flying here, Venix had only used his physical strength and hadn't used any enhancements. And his speed was still very fast!
Then, Venix flapped both of his wings simultaneously.
Whooossshhh ~ Whooossshhh ~
With a single powerful wingbeat, Venix felt the air caress his wings like pliable water, easily manipulated!
"Go!" Venix shot forward, aiming for the entrance to the Trial.
Whooossshhh ~
Venix's flying speed rivaled that of a high-velocity bullet!
"What's that!?"
"Be careful! Something is coming!"
"Those of you in front of the Trial entrance, step aside!"
In a chorus, players called out, urgently alerting others to step aside.
With no other option, Venix tore through the air like a high-speed spear, a potential weapon of destruction.
If it collided with someone's back, it was almost certain that person would be severely injured!
Whoosshhh ~
Venix smoothly weaved through the lines of human players and, without hesitation, entered the cave's entrance, diving headfirst into the Trial.
"What is this?"
Players who saw Venix's appearance earlier became confused.
Even though Venix was fast, his figure could still be seen by the eyes of other players.
They all knew a Black Bird had streaked through the sky at breakneck speed!
Venix remained unfazed by the eyes of other players. His anonymity was all that mattered to him.
Upon entering the Trial, Venix's vision turned dark, and his body seemed to enter a certain swirling water.
This feeling lasted for a few seconds before disappearing completely.
Thud ~
Venix landed in a strange place.
Above him, the ceiling was coated with an unusual orange substance.
Venix squinted, revealing an orange material with a surprisingly elastic texture.
Venix cautiously tested the floor beneath his feet and was met with an unexpected elasticity.
The ground beneath him, too, bore the same orange hue.
Venix furrowed his brow, wondering aloud, "What kind of place have I entered?*
Then Venix looked ahead.
Ahead, a shroud of orange mist obscured Venix's vision in this unfamiliar place.
Grooaaarrrr ~
As Venix surveyed his surroundings, a sudden, thunderous roar echoed nearby.
Venix swiftly shrouded his entire body in energy, fortifying his defenses.
Grooaaarrrr ~
The figure of a Black Bear suddenly emerged from behind the mist and attacked towards Venix!
Scratch ~
Venix dodged to the side, and the bear's claw attack hit the orange surface on the ground.
Having deftly evaded the bear's assault, Venix instantly ignited the energy blades on both of his wings.
With a powerful leap, Venix soared toward the charging Black Bear at breakneck speed!
Slash ~ Slash ~
Grooaaarrrr ~
Venix's wing strikes landed on the Black Bear, inflicting visible wounds!
After Venix attacked the Black Bear, he used the system to identify the bear in front of him.
Beastly Bear - Level 12.
Venix grinned with confidence : "Level 12? I've got this."
Venix ascended into the air, hovering in readiness.
Out of nowhere, another attack lashed out at him.
Scht ~
Bang ~
The attack struck one of Venix's wings, sending him tumbling several meters to the side.
"Hiss ~ that hurts! Who's there!?" Venix shouted.
In no time, a massive figure loomed from within the orange mist.
The figure stood at an imposing 4 meters in height, bearing eight terrifying eyes clustered together and eight slender yet towering legs.
The system swiftly identified the menacing creature confronting Venix.
[ Deadly Spider - Level 15 ]
Venix's expression darkened in an instant.
And to make matters worse, another spider-like figure emerged from behind the massive spider monster.
The smaller spiders were relatively small, around one meter in height.
The system detected the smaller spiders as well.
[ Deadly Spider Minion - Level 11 ]
Despite their level being only 11, Venix noticed around ten small spiders encircling the large one.
"Dammit!" Venix cursed in his mind!