Various High-end

Dawei no longer cared about losing the werewolf transformation. At this point, only one thought remained:

Infect the boss.

Critical Hit – 36,000!Status Effects: Deterrence! Fear!

Dawei had taken another glancing blow from Sindellow's monstrous tail while dodging a flurry of godlike attacks. His health was in the red. One more hit and he was finished.

But he didn't flinch.

With a feral roar, Dawei lunged, ignoring the pain, and sank his fangs deep into Sindellow's shoulder.

System Prompt: Infection successful. Player loses [Werewolf Curse]!System Prompt: [Werewolf Curse] removed. Recalculating player attributes…

The transformation was instantaneous.

Dawei's entire stat panel glitched, then collapsed.

All the benefits he'd stacked from Jugutra's ungodly injections—off-the-charts strength, resilience, enhanced perception—vanished. The potions, the passive bonuses, all erased. His numbers crashed down to baseline mortal levels.

Not that it mattered in this quest—curse suppression had nullified most of his stats anyway. Still, it stung. Like watching your cheat codes get revoked mid-battle.

But the payoff?

Priceless.

A thunderous roar shook the Hail World. The skies screamed as Sindellow staggered back, his amber-gold eyes wide with panic. Blood poured from the bite mark, and Dawei, barely clinging to life, could only watch as the giant's form began to collapse.

Sindellow's towering, demonic shape shrunk rapidly, until he reverted back to a pale, elegant man—no longer a god, just a dying monarch.

"No… this is impossible!" he rasped, collapsing to one knee."I was on the brink of divinity… you're just a mortal! I won't fall to you!"

He screamed as cracks formed across his body, light seeping through the seams. The black cloak on his back shredded in the wind, dissolving into snowflakes.

And with one final scream of fury and disbelief, Sindellow disintegrated into ash, scattered by the storm.

Dawei dropped to the snow.

Breathing hard. Laughing softly.

Exhausted. Victorious.

Then—an eerie, mournful sigh drifted through the Hail World. Ethereal. Ancient.

System Prompt: Player has obtained [Stone of Sighs].

Dark gold. God-tier item.

[Stone of Sighs]The final breath of Vampire Ancestor Cain, crystallized into essence. Grants extraordinary power to those who inherit his will.

So that's what powered Sindellow.

He'd become the Vampire Count by inheriting the Stone of Sighs.

Now it was Dawei's.

The task was complete.

He stood amidst the battlefield, now shattered beyond recognition. The terrain bore the marks of Sindellow's wrath—gouged craters, collapsed bridges, burning spires. The destruction had turned the Hail World into a ruin.

-1 HP… -1 HP…

With his werewolf curse gone, Dawei was just a man again—vulnerable to the cold. The Hail World's climate began chipping away at his health bar.

System Prompt: Passive skill [Life Recovery] triggered.

Good. At least that remained.

Then the notifications began to flood in, one after another:

System Prompt: Player has slain legendary boss [Vampire Count Sindellow].EXP gained. World Reputation increased.Release world announcement? [Yes/No]

Dawei paused.

No.

The world announcement card stayed open on his interface, waiting for confirmation. He ignored it.

He knew what happened when people showed off.

He'd killed Jugutra last time and the forums erupted—players hunted his logs, stalked his respawn zone, even tried to break into his real-life inventory. No thanks.

This time, he'd play it low-key.

Let the rewards speak for themselves.

He began picking up the loot without even reading the names—he'd check it all later. Right now, his head was buzzing, body drained. He tapped out and logged off.

After devouring a cup of instant noodles, he collapsed into bed, a satisfied grin on his face.

Sleep hit like a boss raid.

When Dawei logged in again the next morning—refreshed, recharged, and curious—he immediately opened the combat log and loot history.

"No god-tier skills reward?" he muttered, scrolling rapidly. "Don't tell me… it's tied to the quest hand-in?"

A cold pit formed in his stomach. He wanted to believe the skill reward would come from completing the mission at the Sage's Cabin—but deep down, he knew better.

God-tier skill rewards were tied to scripted, pre-ascension boss kills. The mission in the Cursed Forest was god-level, yes—but it was non-standard. The kill didn't follow the intended sequence.

Still, he wouldn't give up until he turned it in.

Dawei auto-traveled back to the Sage's Cabin, then opened his inventory to inspect the loot from the kill.

[Achievements Earned]:

[Dispelling Darkness]Defeated Vampire Count Sindellow, lifting the ancient spell over Dakazal.Effect: +10% resistance to Dark Elemental attacks.

[Blood-Sensitive]Having slain a legendary bloodline creature, you now possess a deep hunger for blood.Effect: +10% hit rate against bleeding targets.

Meh. Both were limited-use talents. They didn't apply to undead or mechanical enemies, but they complemented each other well enough.

Then Dawei spotted something more interesting:

[Sucking Curse]Passive Skill: The Son of the Devil…

He clicked it open.