Era of Players: Death God-Chapter 299: Exclusive Skill Evolution

The morning came not with peace, but with challenge.

As sunlight pierced through the thick canopy of the forest, the entire seventh floor stirred awake. The gentle rustling of leaves shifted into a chorus of growls, screeches, and hissing breath. Noah could feel it before he even opened his eyes — the heavy, pulsating mana of predators closing in.

He sat up inside his tent, golden eyes flashing open. His instincts screamed danger.

"So it begins."

In one smooth motion, he rolled out of the tent, hand gripping Nemesis before his feet even touched the ground.

A low snarl echoed through the trees. Dozens of glowing eyes glinted in the shadows. Wolves — not ordinary ones. They were massive, each the size of a horse, their fur black as tar, streaked with green veins of mana coursing through their muscles.

[Forest Shadow Wolves – Rank: B-]

Noah exhaled sharply. B-ranks again, huh?

The moment he took his stance, the wolves lunged — a blur of teeth and claws.

SHING!

Noah moved first. A single slash of Nemesis cut through the air, leaving behind a trail of dark energy that split the first wolf clean in half. Blood scattered across the moss like ink on canvas.

He spun, pivoting off his heel, and deflected the next attacker. The beast's claws scraped against his sword, sparks flaring.

Then the rest of the pack pounced.

RRAAARGHH!

Five at once — from every direction.

Noah's golden eyes flashed, his mana surging.

"Lord of Night!"

His aura expanded, shadows spiraling around him in a violent storm. The air warped. His speed doubled, his vision sharpened, every sound and motion slowing in his mind's eye.

He ducked, side-stepped, and countered all at once. Nemesis became a blur of darkness — slicing, thrusting, parrying — each movement more refined than the last.

Every successful parry and strike felt different now. Sharper. Smoother. His muscles moved with more precision, the flow of mana through his veins becoming natural.

[Skill Proficiency Increased: Sword Mastery +2%]

The notification flashed briefly before fading as another wolf lunged. Noah ducked low, then thrust upward, impaling the creature through the jaw.

He ripped the blade out, spun, and bisected another that leapt from behind.

Blood splattered the ground in arcs of crimson.

The battle turned into a whirlpool of motion — wolves charging, dying, snarling in desperation as their pack dwindled. Noah's shadow blurred among them, his steps silent, his blade merciless.

Within minutes, the entire clearing was littered with corpses.

Noah exhaled slowly, lowering his sword.

"Still too slow," he murmured, frustration flickering in his eyes.

He sheathed Nemesis and turned toward the forest's depths. His instincts told him that this was only the beginning.

He would use this floor to forge himself.

The seventh floor was endless. A maze of towering trees, crumbling ruins swallowed by moss, and ancient mana veins flowing like rivers beneath the earth.

And everywhere he went — monsters.

Horned bears, obsidian-skinned boars, ogres, insectoid beasts larger than wagons — a parade of predators drawn to his presence.

But Noah didn't retreat. He invited them.

Each encounter became part of his training — a step in his evolution.

He fought without relying on raw strength alone. He tested timing, feints, and movement. He used Night of Death sparingly, forcing himself to rely on physical skill. His senses adapted quickly, predicting the rhythm of his enemies' attacks, finding weakness in chaos.

Hours bled into each other. Blood splattered. Roars echoed. The forest became a battlefield drenched in shadow and flame.

[Skill Proficiency Increased: Lord of Night +3%]

[Skill Proficiency Increased: Night of Death +2%]

[Skill Proficiency Increased: Sword Mastery +5%]

Each time he grew faster. Deadlier. His strikes carried less wasted motion, every attack precise and brutal.

By dusk, the forest trembled again.

A new presence stirred — heavier, darker. Noah turned, eyes narrowing as the trees split apart under thunderous footsteps.

A hulking giant emerged — a troll clad in natural armor, its flesh plated in stone. Its roar sent birds scattering into the crimson sky.

[Ironhide Troll – Rank: B+]

Noah's heartbeat quickened. Perfect.

He stepped forward, tightening his grip on Nemesis. "You'll be my next step."

The troll slammed its club down, shattering the ground. Noah dashed aside, the shockwave tossing debris through the air. He used it — stepping off a fragment of rock mid-air to launch himself toward the troll's head.

His blade flashed — CLANG! — the strike left only a faint scratch on the monster's neck.

"So tough…"

The troll swung again. Noah dropped low, sliding between its legs and slashing upward. The blade bit deeper this time, black energy searing into its joints. The beast roared in pain, spinning to crush him.

Noah blurred backward, shadows wrapping around him as Lord of Night surged again.

His eyes glowed gold. "Then I'll break you piece by piece!"

He moved faster now.

Each step blended into the next, leaving ghostly afterimages of himself. The troll swung wildly, hitting only shadows. Noah struck at weak points — elbows, knees, under the ribs — every attack leaving trails of black energy that corroded the stone flesh.

He leapt high again, twisting midair. "Night Slash!"

The black arc cleaved through the air, slicing into the troll's arm. It roared, stumbling.

Noah landed, crouched, then exploded forward again.

Nemesis pierced the troll's chest, embedding deep between plates of stone.

The creature staggered, grabbing his blade to stop it — but Noah's mana flared again, shadows consuming the weapon.

SHHHHHK!

The troll's chest split in two. Its body crumbled to its knees before collapsing backward, shaking the forest floor.

Noah stood over it, panting, drenched in sweat and blood. His eyes shone like molten gold.

[A-Rank Monster Defeated.]

[Skill Proficiency Increased: Sword Mastery +8%]

[Skill Evolution Threshold Reached: Lord of Night.]

A new window appeared before him, gleaming with silver light.

[Skill "Lord of Night" has reached Evolution Point.]

Evolve Skill? (Y/N)

Noah smirked, wiping blood from his cheek.

"Let's evolve."

He pressed Yes.

Dark energy erupted from his core. The forest dimmed — as if every shadow bowed before him. His aura thickened, his mana expanding like a black sun.

[Skill Evolved: Lord of Night → Monarch of Shadows.]

A new power pulsed through him, overwhelming yet intoxicating. He raised his hand — and the shadows of the slain beasts rose in response, their ghostly silhouettes kneeling around him like soldiers before their king.

"…So this is what true control feels like."

He clenched his fist. The shadows obeyed, fading into mist.

By the time the moon rose, Noah had carved a trail of devastation across the forest. He returned to his camp, bloodied but alive, his aura stronger than ever.

The mysterious egg pulsed faintly as he approached — responding to his heightened mana, as though it recognized his growth.

Noah knelt beside it, placing a hand on the shell. "I'm growing stronger… and so are you."

He could feel something inside shifting, breathing. It wouldn't be long now before it hatched.

The fire flickered to life again, and Noah sat before it, blade across his knees, eyes closed.

He meditated. He replayed each battle. Every dodge, every strike, every breath of movement — refining it all in his mind.

He had bled, fought, and nearly died today. But he had also ascended.