chapther 5

The forest at night was a stage of shadows and whispers. The tall, twisted trees seemed to bend over Trogg, as if trying to warn him of the danger lurking within. He gripped the hilt of his sword as he felt a strange, suffocating presence around him.

Something is wrong, he muttered to himself, his eyes searching the darkness.

A low sound, like the hiss of wind through leaves, caught his attention. Trogg stopped in his tracks, his sharp senses picking up the movement. The damp earthen ground, covered in dead leaves, seemed to vibrate slightly. Then he saw it.

Before him, a creature slithered out of the shadows. It was a gigantic snake, with coal-black scales and glowing eyes like two poisoned emeralds. Its body snaked between the trees with frightening fluidity, and its forked tongue danced in the air, catching Trogg's scent.

"Qi Condensation Level 1," he thought as he sensed the creature's oppressive aura. The system confirmed:

"BE CAREFUL. THIS SNAKE IS EXTREMELY VENOMOUS. A SINGLE BITE CAN BE FATAL, EVEN FOR YOU."

Trogg took a deep breath, controlling the fear and adrenaline that mixed in his blood. He needed to be quick and precise. A single mistake could cost him his life.

"Let's see what you're made of," Trogg said, assuming a fighting stance as the snake slithered toward him, ready to strike.

The venomous snake struck with lightning speed, its jaws wide open to reveal fangs dripping with venom. Trogg barely had time to dodge, rolling to the side as the biting wind of the attack swiped past his face.

"That thing is too fast," he thought, panting, as he quickly stood up, his sword already in hand.

The creature gave him no respite. With terrifying agility, it spun its massive body around and lashed its tail toward Trogg. He tried to block with his sword, but the impact was so strong that it threw him backward, crashing into the trunk of a tree with a dull thud.

Trogg spat blood, his chest burning with pain. He felt something warm trickle down his forehead—blood mixed with sweat. The snake wasted no time; it was advancing again, its body slithering in deathly silence through the dark forest.

"Adrenaline," he muttered, activating his special ability. His body burned in response, and explosive strength surged through his muscles. He jumped to the side at the last moment, dodging by inches a lunge that could have taken his head off.

"If I don't end this soon, I'm dead," he thought, his mind working frantically. He needed to find a weakness in the creature, something he could exploit before its energy ran out.

With his Qi Launcher ability, Trogg sliced through the air, firing a projectile of energy directly at the snake's scaly body. The attack hit hard, tearing several scales and leaving a bloody furrow in its side. The creature hissed furiously, the sound reverberating through the forest like a scream of hatred.

But the blow only infuriated it more. With almost hypnotic movements, the snake began to circle Trogg, tightening its grip. He tried to retreat, but soon realized that he was being cornered.

Trogg felt his breath quicken as the snake advanced once more, his eyes burning with the adrenaline that invaded his body. It looked like a crawling shadow, its body moving with lethal precision.

"She's playing with me, trying to find the best way to kill me." Trogg thought, his eyes fixed on the black scales that reflected the dim moonlight, creating a menacing glow that made the air thicker and more oppressive.

The snake struck again, faster this time, trying to coil itself around Trogg with the speed of a blur. He tried to slash with his sword, but the blade met only air as it deftly dodged. The snake's body writhed in a sinister movement, the venom that dripped from its fangs dripping onto the ground, burning the earth like acid.

Trogg had no choice but to back away, but as he did so, he stepped on a branch that snapped loudly in the silence of the forest. The snake turned, its forked tongue flicking frantically as it located Trogg. It lunged forward in a merciless attack, the movement so fast that Trogg barely had time to react. He jumped back, but the snake's tail struck his shoulder with brutal force, sending him crashing to the ground, the impact sending the blade of his sword flying from his hand.

"Shit..." Trogg grunted, struggling to get up. He felt pain all over his body. The snake, however, gave no respite. Like a storm, it was there, ready to crush him.

The snake's mouth opened, its fangs ready to sink into Trogg's neck. Venom was already bubbling from the cracks, its lethal essence wanting to tear apart anything it touched. Trogg's vision blurred for a moment, but he knew that if he didn't do something, his end would be inevitable.

Using the Adrenaline skill, he screamed in pain, but got up with renewed strength, grabbing his sword from the ground. "I'm not going to die here!" he thought, hatred burning in his eyes.

The snake was faster than he imagined. Before he could raise his sword, the serpent struck, its body spiraling toward him. Trogg used his last bit of strength to leap sideways, but the snake's tail caught him in the ankle. He screamed, pain shooting through his leg, and fell to his knees. Blood dripped from the wounds on his body, and the snake's venom slowly began to spread, a burning sensation spreading through his flesh.

I... won't... die, Trogg hissed through his teeth, fighting against the venom that was beginning to affect his movements. His eyes gleamed with determination. He was at a dead end, but there was no choice.

With a final primal scream, Trogg used Qi Launcher once more. The energy emanating from his body formed into a concentrated attack, shooting out like an invisible blade of pure energy. The snake, already wounded and enraged, tried to dodge, but the energy was faster. The attack hit the most vulnerable spot on its throat, where the scales did not fully protect it. A deep gash opened, and the snake howled, its body twisting violently before falling to the side, the life slowly draining away.

Trogg lay on the ground now, panting. The venom still ate away at his body, but he knew the battle was won. The snake was dead, but the victory had cost him almost everything he had.

He forced himself to his feet, a grunt escaping his lips from the pain in his legs and chest. Blood was splattered all over the forest. The snake lay before him, its head severed from its body by a deep gash, venom still leaking from its open mouth.

Trogg was exhausted. "I won, but at what cost..." he thought, looking at the fallen creature. He felt a chill run down his spine, remembering the brutal difference between him and a cultivator who had reached the first stage of Qi Condensation. This fight had been the test he needed. He knew he couldn't continue like this, weak and at the mercy of beasts like this.

"I need to become stronger. I can't waste any more time."

The forest around him was silent, the only evidence of the battle being the blood on the ground and the fallen snake. Trogg crawled into the forest, looking for somewhere to hide and heal, knowing that he still had a long way to go.

---

Trogg finally found a small shelter in a nearby cave, where darkness enveloped him. Pain and exhaustion almost overwhelmed him. He began examining the wounds caused by the snake's venom and treating what he could with the medicines he had collected.

His entire body ached, and the poison was still taking effect, but he knew the fight wasn't over. He had to recover quickly. He still needed more power. Much more. If he continued like this, he wouldn't survive much longer in the world of Serene.

Trogg lay down in the cave, his thoughts focused on the future, on the search for more power, more techniques, more weapons. "I will dominate this world... and anything that prevents me from doing so will be destroyed."

But for now, he needed to rest and recover. The battle with the snake had been just another bitter lesson in how lonely and bloody the path to power was.

__

After the violent confrontation with the poisonous snake, Trogg crawled to the safe shelter of the cave. His body was exhausted, covered in blood and in excruciating pain from both the battle and the poison that still ate away at his insides. He knew he couldn't go on like this, so he began to examine the options he had to heal and get better.

"I've already collected the magical plants, and the snake's body… I can use them to boost my cultivation," Trogg thought, still panting.

Trogg didn't hesitate. He took out the poisonous snake's body from his spirit bag and placed it on the ground in front of him. The system had already warned him that consuming cultivating beasts could be an effective way to absorb Qi, but he knew that the process wouldn't be simple. With his cultivation still in its early stages, he would need to make the most of every opportunity to advance.

Trogg started with the magical plants. He tore them apart into small pieces and, with most of his strength already consumed, began to chew slowly. The taste was bitter, but he didn't mind that. The effect quickly began to emerge: a wave of pure energy flowed into his body, warming him from within.

"These plants have concentrated Qi… They're not very powerful for a cultivator like me, but combined with the snake's body, they can help me make a leap in cultivation," Trogg thought, feeling the immediate effects.

As he chewed on the plants, Trogg noticed that the Qi began to concentrate in his abdominal region, the place where his spiritual essence was located. Each piece seemed to merge with his own Qi, amplifying it. However, as the system itself warned, the effect of the plants would be less effective the stronger he became. This meant that ordinary plants wouldn't take him very far, but they were still useful in boosting his progress.

After consuming all of the plants, Trogg turned to the snake's body. He touched the beast's flesh cautiously, feeling the spiritual energy still present in its body. The snake had been a level 1 Qi Condensation cultivator, so its body still contained a significant amount of pure Qi, although not enough to make an advanced cultivator like Trogg explode with power. Even so, he knew that this energy would be a great supplement.

"Time to use the snake's body..." Trogg thought with a determined expression.

He cut the snake's flesh into small pieces, watching as the beast's Qi released from its cells. The flesh was imbued with a thick, almost viscous spiritual essence. Trogg knew that it would take more than just eating. He needed to focus his energy and merge the snake's essence with his own.

Trogg closed his eyes and concentrated. He used the Qi Condensation technique, which was now more familiar to him. His breathing became calmer, the air around him seemed to stir, as if the spiritual energy of nature was merging with him. As he began to chew the snake's flesh, the beast's Qi was absorbed into his body like a thick liquid, entering through his mouth and descending to the center of his stomach, where the spiritual essence was to be assimilated.

As he chewed and swallowed, he felt a growing pressure in his body. The snake's Qi fused with his own, creating a whirlwind of power. It was a sensation of expansion, as if the very space around him was distorting, compressing around his form. Trogg felt an intense heat within him, as if something was being forged into his body, shaping it. He held on tight, knowing that the process was vital to his advancement. Each bite of snake meat seemed to accelerate the flow of Qi within him, causing the pressure to increase. Trogg cried out in pain as his body adjusted to the large amount of Qi being absorbed. The process was not simple, and the power he was absorbing required control, which was not easy for a beginner cultivator like him. "I… must… resist!" He forced his eyes shut, concentrating on the technique and trying not to succumb to the pain. The snake Qi began to stabilize within him, and Trogg finally felt the energy within his body transform. The heat and pressure gradually subsided, and a sense of clarity washed over his mind.

When Trogg finally finished consuming the snake meat and concentrating on assimilating the Qi, he felt a tingling sensation in his extremities. A new power began to take over his body, and he knew immediately that he had taken the next step in his cultivation.

"I... I did it..." Trogg thought, his breathing slow and deep as he recovered from the pain. He felt a surge of power spread through his body, his spiritual energy now more concentrated and fluid. He had finally advanced to the second level of Qi Condensation.

He opened his eyes and looked at his hands, now covered in a thin layer of spiritual energy. His perception of the world around him seemed to have increased. The Qi flowed more freely in his body, without the blockages that had previously prevented him from advancing. He felt his power increase, the control over the energy that had previously seemed distant now much stronger.

"I am stronger now... but this is only the beginning." Trogg muttered, the desire to become unbeatable burning in his chest. He knew there was still much to be achieved. The road ahead would be long, but he finally felt that he was on the right path.

__

Trogg leaned against the cave wall, still feeling the pain from his wounds and the fight against the poison. He didn't care about that; what mattered was that he now had enough power to face stronger opponents. Every step he took brought him closer to his ultimate goal: world domination.

But he knew that this would only happen if he continued to grow stronger, and that his journey was far from over.