I Wonder If I Was Missed Out There?(Unedited)

At a ravaged battle zone in the middle of an ever-burning valley.

"And that was the one before the last."

Nex sighed and removed the Mad Demon Mask before stretching a bit in front of the corpse of a Level 35 Lord Boss monster, a giant Salamandar.

For the last few days, he had been moving around from place to place to hunt the monsters that met his demands and he had long since leveled to level 25 and collected a few pieces of equipment that rose his abilities to a higher level. But that was something that just came along with the hunting and wasn't the real purpose of the journey.

"Now let's finish this quickly before moving on," and after a few moments, Nex finished the stretching and nodded as if the great pain of the Mad Demon Mode had no effect on him, "The next target is the crucial one after all."

[Salamandar Lord Ring(Unique - Higher)

Level: 35

All stats + 90

Strength + 60

Mana + 50

+5% all stats when worn together Salamandar Lord Dagger.

Flame Creation(Active): The user can create and wield flames he is familiar enough with and know the process of their normal creation(Non-Master Players can create fire they used enough times through equipment or skills). The mana cost of creating and wielding the flames will be in accordance with the flame strength and user overall proficiency with the flame.]

[Salamandar Lord Dagger(Unique - Higher)

Level: 35

PHY.ATK: 500

MAG.ATK: 350

+25% Flame Damage

Flame Blade: By using mana can create a blade of flames that extend from the blade of the dagger. The strength and length of the blade will be decided by the mana of the user and his proficiency in using it(Mana Affinity skill for players of non-Master mode). In addition, if used together with the Flame Creation skill of a similar origin, the created flame will be used to create the blade and its power will increase greatly while the cost of the skills will greatly decrease.

Durability: 800/800]

"Finally a new ring!" Nex joyfully put the new ring on and threw the old King Slime Ring away before examining the dagger, "It's pretty good! Thanks to the Flame Blade option I can be pretty versatile with what I can do with it. And although that because of the level restriction main weapon will be better it's more than enough to replace my current sword."

After finishing with the loot, Nex then used his new dagger to cut through the corpse's head and take out a small gemstone that shone in red.

"Hello, beauty.."

[Salamndar Lord Core(Unique - Higher) Level:35]

"We are going to have some fun together!"

He then removed the upper part of his clothing to reveal his muscular torso and arms that now had five tattoos inscribed on them, one on the heart area, one on the upper back, one on the lower and one across each arm with all of them shinning in different colors aside from the ones on the heart area and the left arm.

"I hoped I wouldn't need to use this crap this soon," Nex sighed and shook his head before his eyes turned resolute and he smiled like a mad scientist.

"But daddy needs his cooking gear!"

And along with this line, Nex made a hole in his right arm, right on the center of the tattoo, using his Soul Art imbued finger.

'[Soul Art: Connect]'

And right as it seemed that strange energy was about to come out from the wound, Nex put the Monster Core against the hole and activated another Soul Art.

'[Soul Art: Devour]'

And just as Nex's soul began to swallow the energy, a furious roar was suddenly heard and the Salamandar Lord will that reside inside the core seemed to awaken and furiously fight against Nex soul.

"Normally, it would have worked," Nex smirked, "But unfortunately, you met me."

'[Soul Art: Soul Slash]'

And like a mad beast charging toward a swordmaster, as much as the beast was stronger than the swordmaster, it was still cut down without any effort.

Once the will of the monster was cut down, nothing stopped it or the energy in the core to be absorbed into Nex soul.

Yet as was expected, the energy that was absorbed wasn't allowed by a strange force to do anything that would permanently influence the soul. So instead of just letting it dissipate, Nex mixed it with some of his soul force before streaming it into the tattoo that was on his hand.

As the mixed energy entered into the tattoo, it caused it to progressively shine as if it was filled up before completely shinning in red light.

Nex then threw the dust left from the core away before closing the wound and entering meditation.

And after a few minutes, Nex took a deep breath and as he exhaled the tattoo on his chest partly shined for a moment.

Nex then smiled and opened his eyes, and for a moment they seem to be the same ones as those of the Salamandar.

"Now it's time for the big one."

♦♦♦

A few hours later on top of a tall mountain a few dozen kilometers away.

"I had my suspicions when I heard the warnings," Nex smiled and talked loudly as he entered a huge dark cave, "Loud roars of the Royal ranks leaders of the area could be heard sometimes along with several signs of great battles between a beast and a humanoid creature. At first, I thought it was just a few small fights for territory, but when I saw that the reports of the mana in the air didn't feel right."

Nex grinned.

"As if it was charged with electricity."

And as if it was a sign, crackling sounds suddenly appeared from the depth of the cave, as if someone was overworking a generator there.

"Normally I wouldn't believe that something like you would live here," Nex laughed in response and put on his Mad Demon Mask, "But then I saw the report of a few years ago about a young hunter that was lost on this mountain…"

*Crackle!*

"During a bizarre golden lightning storm."

*Boom!*

A loud explosion was heard from the depth of the cave and in almost an instant, a golden figure was about to touch Nex.

'[Mad Demon Mode]'

'[Insulator Hand]!'

And while moving as if he already did it a million times, Nex dodged the figure punch by a hair breath before catching it by the neck and pinning it to the ground strongly.

*Bang!*

"There you are!" Nex beamed at the figure that seemed like it was made pure electricity and kept radiating fearsome power.

[Impure Lightning Elemental(Imperial Boss) LV:30]

*Crackle*

The Elemental opened his mouth widely at Nex as if was yelling at him while he tried to slip free from Nex grip, but only loud cracking sounds could be heard before his body began to shine.

*Boom!*

"That's rude!" Nex flew out of the cave while crossing his arms and being covered with all over his body with the insulating energy that just a moment ago covered only his hand, he then landed on the ground lightly and pointed at his heart, "I saved a spot here for you after all!"

*Crackle!*

The Elemental flew out of the cave and "roared" at Nex while shooting lightning bolts in every direction from mid-air.

"Gotten quite a few emotions from the one you consumed huh?" Nex cackled and pulled out his new dagger while activating his new ring at the same time.

'[Create Flame: Esoteric Blaze]X[Flame Blade]!'

Tongues of strange gray flames came out from the ring and curled around Nex's body while the dagger in his hand shone and extended from the hilt similarly gray flames that instantly condensed to the shape of his Soul Sword.

*Crackle!*

The furious Elemental as a response fired a giant beam of electric energy at Nex, causing the latter to smirk.

"Time to get rowdy."

Nex slashed his weapon at the incoming beam a huge arc of gray flames sword energy and to the shock of the Elemental, instead of the expected explosion of conflicting energies, the arc of gray flames just erased his attack as it went through it.

Knowing he better not get close to this flame, the Elemental to another place like a flash and got himself away from the attack easily, only to hear a jeer behind him before a blade went through him and plunged him to the ground.

"You didn't even try it yet~"

*Boom!*

The Elemental tried to lift himself up, but along with the blade that nailed him to the ground while consuming whatever power that gets near it, a burning foot pressed his head back to the ground.

"Give up," Ned gave him a glance while making the sword burn his body more and more fiercely, "Esoteric Blaze is not something that you could just get away from once it caught you, especially if it's a halfwit like you who's actual combat level is a grade bellow what it seem to be."

*Crackle!*

The Elemental made sounds that clearly said that he was furious and unwilling to lose, and soon enough it began to shine and emit even more powerful force.

"Trying to have a breakthrough huh?" Nex grinned, "A bit too late for that now."

But the Elemental was already deranged didn't listen at all as he tried to raise his Power more and more when he suddenly felt something change in the sword that held it down.

"[Soul Sword Third Art: Soul Inferno]"

Nex jumped back as soon as the new silver flames met the gray ones, and watched as they froze to a moment before beginning to mix together and spread across all of the Elemental body and burn it.

"Esoteric Blaze has various bizarre properties that makes one wonder if it even be called a flame," Nex opened his mouth as he removed his mask, "It does not have heat, nor does it destroy, and even though it considered extremely impure it only consumes impure and unnatural energies, such as an accidental fusion between a stray Elemental and a human. And only a few know that once it meets a flame of an extremely pure kind such as a Pure Soul Flame..."

*Crackle…*

The Elemental made a few last sounds before being completely swallowed by the flames that as a result, started to turn their gray color to gold.

"The two can create miracles together."

The two flames then began to condense and grow smaller and smaller without leaving any sign of the Elemental behind, only two pieces of equipment and some coins.

They continued like that until they shrunk and turned into a shinning golden-silver marble that had an occasional flash of lightning inside it.

[???(Epic - ???) Level:30]

"Not sure what this strange mixture is right?" Nex smiled at the question marks that appeared in the item details, "Or it's just that you think my current knowledge and level are not enough for you to tell me yourself?"

Too bad for the system, Nex knew exactly what it was and what it could do.

"But sure enough, I sure was lucky to be able to finish it quickly. if this halfwit didn't try to breakthrough so late or had enough intelligence to properly use its power, at least half of the mountain would have been destroyed and I would have needed to bring out the big guns. This Imperial Rank is no joke."

"Which remind me," Nex's face suddenly turned to an evil grin

"I wonder if people missed me on the worldwide announcement?"

[Congratulations!]

[You are the first one to both kill and solo an Imperial-Rank Boss!]

[You have received 100,000 Gold!]

[You have received 1,000,000 Fame!]

[The Title "The Impossible Man" has leveled up!]

[Would you like to announce your name? (You can put a nickname)]