Jue lay there crying, as the Naga approached him slowly as if to mock Ryu, who was reaching death near the base of the tree.

'It is my fault… Ry… big brother and I will die!!' Jue thought,

Jue had followed Ryu and Village Chief in hopes of finding something he could complain to Lina.

And when he found the Village chief and Ryu split near Forest, he thought he hit a lottery that he will be able to find Ryu doing something dangerous that he could complain about.

He was very elated and happy until Naga appeared,

'I was stupid… I am sorry big brother,' Jue thought, seeing Ryu giving his best to save him despite him wanting to get him in trouble gave Jue a change of heart,

As Naga moves near Jue, seeing his death near him, what was on his mind was,

"I want to repent… I won't be a brat anymore!!!" Jue shouted out loud, and Naga opened his mouth the black snake with some purple scales felt insanely evil, evident by the fact that he can kill both Jue and Ryu in a snap but he is playing with them,

'I don't want to die!!' Jue thought and tried getting on his legs. He can't let himself die when his big brother bleeds and got himself injured for his sake.

But his leg won't move.

They were limp.

For Jue, who had only killed a single monster in his entire life that too for ceremony can't face it, the pressure won't let him move. He just looked towards Ryu with a sorry expression,

'This brat!! I can't die!! He can't die!' Ryu thought as he saw Jue with almost a puppy eye look.

The darkness that was moving in front of eyes changed. It was a part of him he could feel it something was changing.

'You won't die… not… ti.' The voice in his head spoke but couldn't complete,

Jue and Naga's both eyes were turned towards Ryu they can feel it they were seeing it, the blood that came out of Ryu was now black with a crimson glow it was almost demonic in look, Naga didn't care he is a being who can decipher strength difference he knew Ryu is way below him,

'I will not die!!!' Ryu thought and he felt a change in his mind everything was suddenly calm it was like he was in a state of meditation, pride began to swell in this state he could see it in a corner of his eyes the blood that flew out of him,

'It is changing' he was shocked and saw the blood that was floating a bit around him becoming black with a crimson glow, and that blood was flowing back into his body.

He almost reflexively opened his status,

[Skill- Dark Reinforcement IV: conditions met skill are being activated]

The tattoo on his collar bone disappeared. His eyes were seeing everything in new colors. Unknown to changes happening in Ryu Naga was happily approaching Jue slower than ever, enjoying every moment of his prey's fear.

'I am sorry big brother, it was my fault,' Jue thought as he accepted the approaching death as the mouth of Naga moved towards him,

But before it could reach Jue, something else did and, picking him up, jump away from Naga.

Naga hissed in anger.

"Big brother…" Jue was shocked beyond belief as he looked upon Ryu, who was carrying him in his arms,

It was not just because Ryu was injured and near death a few moments before,

But the look in Ryu's eyes wasn't the same, it wasn't the eyes he used to see every day they were emitting an aura of menace right now when Jue looked properly he noticed it wasn't just the aura, eyes themselves have changed.

The eyes themselves are different. There was a circle of black color in Ryu's crimson eyes emitting a crimson glow.

"Stay here, don't move," Ryu said in a calm but scary voice as he put Jue down.

Laying on the ground, Jue gets a good look at his big brother now.

Surrounded by black mana so dark it can be called miasma radiating crimson glow, his eyes like that of a monster, his ocean-like blue hairs fall over his right eye, the dagger in his hand which used to be a white dagger was completely black with crimson lines over it and the pattern similar to Ryu's collar bone tattoo which was nowhere to be seen,

'So this is Dark Reinforcement,' Ryu thought as he saw his dagger which was radiating a pressure of its own,

If Ryu was in his normal mood, he would've been overjoyed with this skill finally working, but his mind was only fixed on one thing.

'I need to kill this bastard,' he thought as he looked up to the Naga,

The effect of skill [Revenger] activated and in this unique state of Ryu visible chaos mana roared towards Naga, which enraged him,

'The maddening doesn't apply in this state... interesting,' Ryu thought as he rushed towards Naga who was many sizes his own,

The feeling was like he could feel each and every cell of his body. He evaded the incoming mouth of Naga jumping upon him as he tried using [Impact trust] on his head again with a now reinforced dagger,

But he got slammed away again, but this time his dark crimson mana reached before him and slowed him down as if supporting him. The feeling was more than addictive.

'If his skin is this hard, there is only one way… but,' Ryu grinned and looked back at Jue,

"I am not saying I will die because I hell won't, but if something near to it happens…" Naga slashed his tale towards Ryu,

"… Let me speak you f@cker because you are already dead," he said, which baffled Naga. He had never seen a human this weak, being this confident he was taken aback by this sheer confidence for a minute.

"Tell mom there was no other way," Ryu said to Jue. He channeled all his mana into his dagger and rushed towards Naga.

'there is no other way' he closed his eye. The mana that emitted all over his body concentrated into his. dagger the dagger changed in shape as he jumped, having a dark crimson blade growing out of its head,

Naga was surprised at the stupidity of this human committing suicide but opened his mouth to bite Ryu's life off.

In glee, sadistically looked towards the Ryu, who was jumping willingly in his mouth towards his fangs nonetheless towards his fang.

"Big brother!!!!!!" Jue shouted as he come to senses with what was happening as Ryu was just about to reach the fang as Naga increased his fang's length,

"[Water ball]" Ryu spoke in a low voice, moving his hand towards the approaching fang twisting his body, water ball pushed out of his hand moving Ryu away from the fang and he dived straight into the snake's belly,

Everything was quiet nor did Jue speak, and neither did Naga move.

The air was filled with dread and it happened. Naga started moving heavily.

The Ryu, who reached inside with his dagger reinforced,  knew snake's poisons are only in their fangs, ignoring those he secured his entry inside and now.

A single cut appeared on Naga's body from inside.

'No way it won't work!!!' Ryu grinned as he madly cut all the nearby vines and muscles of Naga's inside after making that hole. For making that hole, he used all of his slashing relating skills in parallel,

Naga struggled to throw up Ryu out, but it was too late, letting maddening take over his body as Ryu kept slashing restlessly until the movement of Naga halted.

'Finally!! Haha," Ryu thought as he shouted,

"I am alive. you bastard, you chose the wrong kid to bully!!"

But suddenly the body of Naga began moving, Ryu felt scared as hell because he was finally relaxing his body,

'What is this light' Jue who was seeing from outside was more shocked than Ryu a new clear white light surrounded the whole body of the snake, and then the change began to happen Ryu was floating up in the middle of this white light with a dark crimson dagger completely different from before,

The snake was body melted, and the liquid floated up to eye level off Ryu. It was a spectacular sight,

[Valor and System deem the user worthy of Manifest, manifesting in process.]

That was what it said as Ryu checked it with seeking. Soon the liquid changed form. There were two swords both black with a violet line running along the blade,

[Manifest formed]

Ryu could not believe his eyes due to shock. He stopped channeling mana which revert his dagger to its usual white color,

Manifesting it is a rare phenomenon in the world of Pefrion, especially the one that just happened,

Manifest is differentiated in ranks C- rank single-use consumable, B- rank multi-use consumable, A-rank single skill weapon, S- rank multi-skill weapon, SS- rank multi-skill concept representing weapon,

Manifest is a phenomenon by which the system of the world rewards people for great deeds, the SS-rank manifest is rarest to get as it represents the great deed performed by the person itself, in many centuries only a few ever have this rank manifest,

The swords changed into rings and moved into Ryu's fingers they fitted on each finger as if they are part of his skin,

For a second the rings in his hand and Ryu himself emit a pressure that Jue falls back again. Ryu was softly landed on the ground as the rewarding ended,

The pressure was still being emitted for a few seconds,

Every monster in the forest could feel it as the topmost of them died and a new one appeared, but just for a few seconds.

'It is finally finished' Ryu thought as he falls limp on the ground, the blood that become black with a crimson glow earlier and flowed back into his body was pouring out of his head again, his all mana was depleted, laying in a puddle of his own blood,

Jue rushed towards him saying sorry, apologizing to fallen Ryu again and again, but Ryu was too exhausted to answer

"Just let me sleep for a while," Ryu spoke closing his eyes and pointing towards his bag that was laying not too far away,

-to be continued

[Author's note- hope you enjoyed the chapter]