The Immortal Heir; The Absolute Cheat

Chapter 2

The damp air of the Abyss grew heavy as the blue light of the status panel slowly faded into the back of Kai’s mind.

He didn't waste a second. He knew the enforcers wouldn't wait long before finalizing the arrangements for his sister’s forced marriage. Survival came first. Climbing a sheer, thousand-foot cliff with his bare hands was impossible, but the system had just handed him a tool: Shadow Veil.

As he willed the trait to activate, a cloak of dark, smoke-like mist wrapped around his body, bleeding him perfectly into the shadows of the chasm.

SKREEE!

A sharp, piercing cry echoed from the cavern tunnels ahead. Three pairs of glowing red eyes locked onto him. Abyssal Cave Spiders. Each one was the size of a hound, their razor-sharp legs clicking against the stone as they caught the scent of his fresh blood. Before his awakening, a single one of these beasts would have torn him to pieces.

Now, Kai’s pulse didn't even accelerate.

A heavy, jagged rock lay near his feet. He scooped it up, the newfound strength in his muscles making the stone feel as light as a pebble. Moving with explosive speed, he vanished into the darkness.

The lead spider lunged at the spot where he had just been standing, its fangs snapping on empty air.

Kai appeared from its blind spot, bringing the rock down with brutal precision. The impact shattered the creature’s exoskeleton, green ichor spraying across the cavern floor.

[Ding! Enemy defeated. Initiating Extraction...]

[Extraction successful! You have gained: +3 Agility, +2 Strength.]

[Acquired Passive Trait: Venom Resistance (Tier 1).]

The remaining two spiders paused, sensing the sudden, terrifying shift in the apex predator dynamic. But Kai didn't give them the chance to retreat. He lunged forward, using his enhanced agility to dodge a stream of sticky webbing, and crushed the second beast's head under his heel. The third spider turned to flee, but Kai caught it by its rear leg, slammed it against the cavern wall, and silenced it permanently.

[Ding! Extraction successful! You have gained: +5 Agility, +4 Strength.]

[System Notice: Host has accumulated enough attribute points to breakthrough. Advancing to Mortal Cultivator (Tier 2)!]

A violent wave of warm energy erupted from his chest, expanding outward through his meridians. The air around him rippled as his presence grew heavier. He could feel his senses sharpening—he could hear the faint drip of water hundreds of yards away, and the distant, rhythmic thrumming of a spiritual vein deeper within the mountain.

Following the pull of that energy, Kai navigated the winding tunnels of the Abyss. Thanks to Shadow Veil, the lesser beasts of the dark avoided him entirely, sensing a monster far more ruthless than themselves.

After an hour of climbing through a hidden, treacherous fissures in the rock face, the damp, suffocating air of the underdark finally gave way to a cool, crisp breeze. Kai squeezed through a narrow opening in the cliffside and stepped out onto a hidden ledge halfway up the Iron-Blood Sect's mountain.

The sun was just beginning to set, casting a bloody crimson hue across the sprawling estate below.

From his vantage point, Kai could see the central plaza. It was lit up with celebratory red lanterns. Banners bearing the Chen family crest fluttered in the wind. Guests in lavish robes were laughing, raising cups of wine, while a massive banquet was being laid out.

And there, standing near the main altar in a traditional bridal gown, was his sister, her face pale and streaked with silent tears. Beside her stood Young Master Chen, wearing a smug, triumphant grin as he greeted the sect elders.

Kai's fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white, his fingernails cutting into his palms. They thought they had thrown him away like trash. They thought they had won.

[Ding! Warning: Main Quest objective 'Return to the Light' is highly time-sensitive. The wedding ceremony commences in 15 minutes.]

"Fifteen minutes," Kai muttered, his voice deathly calm as the neon-blue interface flickered across his pupils. "More than enough time to turn a wedding into a funeral."

With the shadows of the setting sun wrapping around him, Kai leaped from the ledge, descending upon the sect like an unholy ghost.