Transmigrated as The Forgotten Extra-Chapter 127 Time Limit.

The presence of the monster leader within the ravine brought a new wave of pressure that made Cain swallow hard, moistening his dry throat. His black pupils constricted as he took in the true form of the enemy that had awakened from its slumber.

Its body was clad in pitch-black iron, blending seamlessly into the darkness. The monster’s upper body stood upright like a human’s, with two elongated arms ending in massive pincers capable of slicing through even the hardest steel with ease.

Its lower body crawled along the ground, supported by eight sharp legs that clattered as they moved, each one stabbing into the earth as if acting on its own will.

Behind it stretched a long tail, a fusion of iron and cables wrapped in decaying flesh that pulsed with energy.

No, this wasn’t the energy of life. It was the energy of death.

At the tail’s tip was a razor-sharp stinger, black liquid dripping steadily from its point.

The crimson core in its chest burned brightly, radiating rage so dense that the killing intent around Cain thickened the air itself.

Cain held his breath as he noticed that where a head should have been, there was instead a writhing mass of sharp fangs surrounding a slit-like maw packed with jagged teeth.

Kiiieeeek!

The shrill, horrifying screech pierced Cain’s ears, sending a chill racing down his spine. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

He clenched his teeth, fully aware that the danger before him rivalled the iron gorilla he and his teammates had once faced in the ruins.

’Advance-rank? No, it’s far higher than that, ...Voracious-rank virus beast.’

Thanks to the knowledge he had gained from the library, Cain now understood more about the ranks of virus beasts, something that had once been fragmented and unclear.

Unlike the iron gorilla from before, which was an unstable fusion of many smaller virus beasts and could be defeated through teamwork, the creature before him was different.

This monster was a true entity, one that had survived, evolved, and risen as an overlord ruling its territory.

Understanding that, Cain forced his emotions down to their deepest depths. His expression flattened, not a ripple visible in his black eyes.

He breathed slowly and steadily, lightly tightening his grip on the katana’s hilt, feeling its solid presence to anchor himself in reality.

’Huff... I can do this.’

The moment he thought that, the monster’s form glitched, like a program struck by a bug. Suddenly, Cain’s focus snapped entirely onto the crimson core in its chest as the massive body loomed directly before him.

Cain snapped out of his daze, a flash of shock disturbing the calm in his eyes. But it vanished just as quickly as he leapt backwards, narrowly avoiding a pincer strike that could have cleaved him clean in two from shoulder to waist.

Schnip!

Even in the dark ravine, the vicious silver gleam of the pincer made his hair stand on end. Cain shifted his fighting style from aggressive to defensive, waiting for the perfect counter.

Before he could settle, the monster’s tail blurred forward, thrusting straight at him, black venom dripping as it sought to inject him.

Cain shifted his centre of gravity, lowered his katana, and swung diagonally upward to deflect the strike.

Clank!

A loud impact echoed through the ravine as iron clashed against iron, bursting sparks scattered around the rotting battlefield.

The monster pulled its tail back and began unleashing a barrage of rapid thrusts, leaving countless afterimages behind.

Cain inhaled deeply as the world around him faded into shades of grey. Time itself seemed to slow.

His black eyes tracked every attack. His footwork accelerated as he dodged, dancing atop piles of metal wreckage.

Using its eight sharp legs, the monster closed in, brandishing its pincers in relentless combinations.

Cain furrowed his brows, evading each heavy, brutal strike that made the very air whimper under its force.

Then, after a short while, Cain’s lips curled upward.

’Just like the books said. Voracious-rank monsters aren’t very intelligent.’

This was vastly different from the steel gorilla he had fought before. Though only an advanced rank, that creature possessed intelligence far exceeding the monster before him now.

According to the texts, virus beasts had two life cycles.

The first was the animal phase, spanning from Common to Advanced ranks.

The second began at Voracious-rank, where the virus beast reached its peak monstrous form, before shedding its shell and entering the Intelligence stage, gaining full self-awareness like a human.

’Shit?!’

Lost in thought, Cain’s pupils dilated as he noticed a stinger inching toward his right eye.

With lightning-fast reflexes, he snapped his neck aside, terrified he might lose his head entirely. He tightened his grip and swung upward, knocking the tail away from his face before leaping back to catch his breath.

But he had underestimated the enemy.

With its agile eight legs, the monster scuttled from the ground up onto the ravine wall.

Cain’s eyes widened.

The tail whipped through the air again, surging toward him with murderous intent.

Cain raised his katana to block, but with no stable footing, the impact sent him flying. His back slammed hard against the opposite wall.

The impact jolted his consciousness awake, knocking all the air from his lungs. Cain fell on all fours, coughed, gasping for breath, but he had no time to dwell on the pain.

A blue panel appeared in his vision, clearly showing how dire his situation had become.

[Remaining Time: 19 seconds]

Less than twenty seconds remained before the backlash from Limit Break struck.

The first time he’d used it, he’d fallen unconscious for a long time. This second time, he would likely be left severely weakened, unable to exert full power for twelve hours.

When he lamented the time limit, the monster unleashed a roar. Its screech tore at Cain’s hearing and ignited anger in his chest.

"Shut up!"

Cain shouted back, cutting through the roar, and for a split second, the monster’s iron body stiffened.

Sensing a slim opening, Cain inhaled deeply. The tangy stench of rotting flesh sharpened his awareness completely.

His ears twitched as his heart thundered like a drum. The warm Ether flowing through his body shifted, gathering into his katana.

A moment later, the silver blade began bleeding into black. Black lightning crackled along its edge, making the sword vibrate, humming, as if alive.

Sensing the overwhelming elemental power gathering, the massive crimson core in the monster’s chest locked onto Cain, pulsing wildly with hunger.

The monster leapt, charging straight ahead without thought. Its red eyes were filled only with greed for power.

Cain jumped sideways, never taking his eyes off the enemy. He didn’t stop at one leap, but several, creating distance and preparing his technique.

Kiiieek!

The monster’s shriek reverberated through the ravine, but to Cain, it sounded pitiful.

His lips curled into a feral grin. Cain settled into his stance, lifting his katana diagonally upward.

He gripped the hilt tightly. His black eyes gleamed in the darkness.

"Come."

That was the signal.

Blinded by greed, the monster fell straight into Cain’s trap. Instead of using tactics, like hurling debris scattered around, it charged forward. Its already limited intelligence plummeted as Cain released black lightning from his body.

[Remaining Time: 11 seconds]

The countdown continued, tightening around Cain’s neck like a serpent.

Then, everything faded. Cain’s world narrowed, showing only the monster crawling toward him at terrifying speed.

The position was perfect. Straight. Unobstructed. It was as if the ravine itself had prepared the stage for this strike.

In that enlightened moment, Cain swung his katana. Space before him fractured, revealing a long black slash that curved into a crescent.

The slash flew like a bullet, slicing toward the monster’s raised arm. And passed straight through it.

Not stopping, Cain twisted his wrist and swung again, again, and again.

Black slashes rained down, continuously piercing the monster’s hardened body. They didn’t stop there, continuing onward to carve deep scars into the towering cliff behind it.

[Integrity +500%]

[Integrity Sync Complete.]

[Integrity 100% Reached]

> Level Up → 38.0

> Parameters boosted → All stats +1

> Bonus Point 5!

Consumed by his obsession to kill the monster, Cain didn’t realize the creature was already dead. And the cliff behind it had been deeply wounded as well.

[Remaining Time: 6 seconds]

Only when the small blue panel appeared before him, like a lifeline, did his consciousness return.

Cain released the breath he’d been holding. His heart hammered violently, cold sweat pouring down his face. His hands loosened around the katana hilt.

He blinked several times as colour returned to his vision, staring forward at his enemy.

At the same moment, black lines spread across the monster’s massive body. From those cracks, black liquid oozed out, releasing a stench so foul that Cain’s expression twisted in disgust.

[Remaining Time: 0 seconds]

[Limit Break Over!]

Without warning, his strength vanished. Cain’s legs turned to jelly, and he collapsed, kneeling on the spot, gasping.

Sound faded, replaced by a ringing buzz in his ears. His vision blurred. Cain bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

"No, not yet!"

He stabbed his katana into the ground, gritting his teeth as he forced his weakened body back onto its feet.

"My teammates are still fighting back there. I can’t fall now!"

Driven by sheer will, Cain tried to turn back, but froze at the sound of a girl’s voice calling out.

"Cain?!"