Cursed Immortality

As Jacob landed on the scorching floor, he felt the toxic heat even more clearly, but unlike others, it wasn't that effective on him, especially after getting the unique rank fire magic core. 

Still, his expression didn't look like someone who just won a fight against a unique rank beast and cleared a condition. He was still gloomy about the open announcement, which caught him off guard, and now he knew that everyone knew who had cleared not just one but two conditions in less than three months! 

Everyone will be on his tail now, even the dark begins, and he is afraid the others will soon figure out what this trial is about. The sense of urgency increased further instead of lessening. 

His star watch vibrates at this moment, and he sees the notification. 

"Congratulations on killing the Beast of South: Deathstalker!

"Your glorious deeds have been spread far and wide!" 

Jacob harrumphed coldly, clearly displeased, and then headed towards the bodies lying there. Although it was unfortunate, he had to move forward; he wasn't the one who made these rules. 

He quickly stowed the bodies of the team members before they would further contaminate or burn, and only then he moved towards the scorpion, Deathstalker's carcass. 

He had to admit that Deathstalker's outer shell was instantly sturdy and that it was only cracked even after enduring all those bullets from his rifle. If the Deathstalker was solely focused on him like the Fiend Yeti, he knew he could never have been able to take out his eyes and turn them into vulnerability to use his atomic bullets. 

So, he had to give some credit to kind baits, and now they would all be turned into his dinner. 

But first, he checked the beast's mingled neck where its head was supposed to be a few moments ago and found no glowing scroll of magic core. 

So, he turned the beast upside down using his tremendous strength, revealing the weakest part of its body, and started to dissect it. He was very interested in that lava-like poison for his Whammy Poison research, so he cut the entire tail and stowed it separately. 

Its outer shell was probably a unique rank material that could do wonders in someone like Jacob's hands, and everything that wasn't a material was food. Even the bolding blood was nutritious because of its rank. 

Jacob didn't let go of anything to waste from this beast, and just like he finally reached the beast's heart in the middle of its gigantic check.

It was a unique tubular heart, and right below it was a palm-sized golden orb giving off intense heat. It was the fire magic core, and Jacob stowed it away without hesitation. 

Just like the last time, the moment he removed the heart, a glowing scroll appeared, and he smiled as he touched it, and the next moment, it turned into a golden streak and vanished into his star watch. 

"Congratulations, Faceless Ancient, for acquiring Hunter's Legacy Piece!

"Please acquire all the legacy pieces to convert them into complete Hunter's Legacy. 

"Hunter's Legacy Pieces: 2/5

"NOTE: Hunter's Legacy Pieces can be traded through Star Waters. In case a trial participant kills the Legacy Piece owner, the Legacy Piece will be transferred to the killer. In case the Legacy Piece Owner dies naturally or by some monster, after 48 hours, the Legacy Piece will be randomly transferred to a random Beast of Direction!" 

The same notification appeared, and he closed it with a thought, and now he looked at the beast's big heart and cut it out. 

'I might be able to achieve the unique rank physique with this heart, if not all the hearts I have yet to consume. Let's begin with the main course first!' 

Without hesitation, Jacob took a massive bite from the scorching heart of Deathstalker, and he felt like he just took a piece of burning lava into his mouth. 

Still, his fire immunity helped him consume it without much damage, and the moment the heart entered his system, powerful heat energy started to course through his body, making Jacob's eyes widen slightly. 

Looking at the big heart, his eyes shone as he started to eat like a beast without stopping for even a second as his body size started to visibility grow…

Jacob also didn't seem to notice a faintly glowing door appearing on the western wall of the pyramid at this moment.

--- 

While Jacob was reaching new heights in power, the same could not be said to the others who heard about his other 'glorious deed', and now everyone started to turn restless. 

In a place filled with poisonous miasma and dark, muddy waters, the Dead Duke of South, the Bloody Wight Dead Duke, in his dark armor and cape, was moving while the water behind seemed to rip in his direction. It was like the water surface was moving with him. 

But the truth was, there were hundreds of dark beings swarming behind the Bloody Wight Dead Duke as his spooky murmuring could be heard in this gloomy place. 

"Another shackle has been broken… I'm dead… no, I'm not dead if I blame that zombie… but still, two broken shackles mean two dead… so I'm dead…" His spooky, gruff voice was filled with fear and trepidation as he kept murmuring whatever came to his fearful mind. 

Right at this moment, the Bloody Wight Dead Duke suddenly halted as his loose mouth closed, and a pair of silvery flames danced under his capped head as he looked in the distance where a pair of wilted trees with dry branches bending into the dark waters were. 

On top of one of the trees was the sitting figure of a graceful masked woman adorned in a black dress. 

Her astute, icy eyes looked at the Bloody Wight Dead Duke without any fear as she said, "Bloody Wight Dead Duke, it's a pleasure to meet you. I share a common background with you as the loyal vessel of his majesty, the King of Dead. 

"As we both know, the Faceless Ancient has already broken two shackles in astonishing time. So, I'm pretty sure you might be anxious to report it to the King of Dead before it's too late, especially now that two of the shackles are gone, and we have no idea how many more are there. 

"But the thing is, I can't leave this place because I'm on a deadly mission. But you might be glad to hear that I've discovered an exit, and I'm willing to lead you there only if you tell his majesty about my contribution!" 

The woman impassively spoke her terms while revealing the only thing that the Bloody Wight Dead Duke wanted the most right now. 

Bloody Wight Dead Duke's silvery flames blazed brightly as he questioned in an amusing yet ferocious tone, "And who might you be, little lamb?" 

The woman replied, utterly unfazed by the ghastly aura emitted by the Bloody Wight Dead Duke, "Just tell his majesty the former S-0 sent her regards, and the assets now can be recovered. I'm sure the King of Dead will personally descend this time!"