Darren stood over the Hydra’s corpse, its massive body sprawled across the ground in a grotesque stillness. What had once been a living calamity now lay butchered beyond recognition, its blood pooling beneath it and soaking into the earth.

  The Hydra was dead, for now at the very least. Because Named Monsters like this one would rise to fight another day, becoming the villain in another hero's story. But that was not a problem that this man would have to deal with.

  The Tutorial had finally been completed.

  The relief that had come from the System confirming its completion faded within seconds. Because his journey had not even yet begun. His gaze drifted past the corpse and towards the large ship that loomed in the distance. The Ferry of the Dead waited for him patiently. It was there where he would find the one they called Charon.

  But Darren did not move toward it.

  Not yet.

  His attention was fixed on something else.

  The Rewards that had been promised to him.

  As the thought crossed his mind, the System responded. A screen manifested before his eyes, its appearance subtly different from before. The layout was cleaner, more complete, as though it had finally finished gathering all the necessary data. This was not the provisional interface he had seen during the Tutorial.

  This was the true Status Screen, updated with everything he had earned.

  For the first time since entering this world, Darren felt a flicker of genuine intrigue. This, he realized, was where the System’s true value revealed itself to him. His eyes moved across the screen until they locked onto the most prominent entries.

  // Name: Darren Ittriki

  // Threat Level: ERROR

  // General Level: 972 (+2!)

  He frowned.

  The General Level was straightforward enough, the number seemed high but the value of it made little sense to him.

  What caught his attention was the word above it.

  “Still an error?” Darren asked aloud. “What’s the difference between the two levels?”

  The System answered immediately.

  “A being’s Threat Level is calculated based on sheer destructive potential,” it explained. “Your ability, the Divinity of Dissection, makes it impossible for me to come to an accurate assessment.”

  Darren remained silent, listening.

  “Threat Level factors in overall lethality, scale of destruction, and potential impact when power is fully realized,” the System continued. “Your capabilities do not adhere to conventional parameters. Combined with your understanding of magic and your proficiency in applying it during combat, you fall outside acceptable ranges of calculation. You are thus classified as an Anamoly.”

  The same thing had happened when the System attempted to evaluate Hades, the King of the Underworld himself. The immortal's existence had been so overwhelming that even the System could not reduce him to a number. They might have both been anomalies but Darren was not foolish enough to think that he and Hades were on the same level.

  “And my General Level?” he asked.

  “That value measures only tangible attributes,” the System replied. “Physical strength, speed, durability, endurance, and other quantifiable traits. These elements can be assessed without accounting for anomalous attributes.”

  The man nodded, some semblance of understanding beginning to form in his mind.

  “It is possible,” the System continued, “for an individual to possess great physical power while lacking high destructive potential. Conversely, one may wield catastrophic abilities without corresponding physical metrics. This distinction explains the disparity between your calculable General Level and your incalculable Threat Level.”

  Darren studied the screen again.

  “While exceptions exist,” the System concluded, “these values will serve as reliable tools for comparison against others you encounter. They are designed to provide context. But sometimes, even context falls short."

  If the System could not define what he was capable of, then he doubted anyone else could. Whether this was a good or bad thing, Darren wasn't sure.

  But the good thing was that he was beginning to grasp how this System operated.

  There was still more.

  His gaze shifted downward, settling on the next section of the screen.

  // MP (Mana Points): 5000 / 5000 (+500)

  // EXP (Experience Points): 200 / 200000

  Darren studied the figures in silence. This time, he did not need to ask for an explanation; the System taking the initiative to begin elaborating on where his eyes had drifted towards.

  “Your Mana Points,” Merlyn explained, “are a form of stamina. They measure how long you are capable of drawing energy from your Pool before it is depleted. I made the decision to include this specific metric in hopes that it might assist you during battle.”

  It was a strange thing to realize that the System, or at least the intelligence operating within it, was not merely cataloging his power but actively compensating for his shortcomings.

  That meant that Merlyn was aware. It had insight. It possessed the ability to observe not just what he could do, but how he did it. That was why collecting data on Darren had been so important.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Because Merlyn was right.

  Despite his overwhelming destructive potential—despite wielding an ability the System itself classified as anomalous—Darren had always carried a fundamental limitation.

  His Pool of Mana was small.

  It always had been.

  Among his brothers, Darren had always been lacking when it came to the capacity in which he could hold magical energy within him. He had never been a man who could afford prolonged engagements. Every conflict Darren entered was decided with ruthless efficiency because it had to be. Because the longer a fight dragged on, the greater the risk became. He had learned early that once his magical reserves were exhausted, there would be nothing left to draw upon. And whatever happened after that—

  Darren had never allowed himself to find out.

  That was why his battles ended the way they did and why hesitation had never been an option for him.

  Now, for the first time, he could see that limit approaching before it was reached. Observing that number during a fight would be more than beneficial, allowing him to understand how much longer exactly he could last in battle.

  Mana Points.

  A simple term for something Darren had spent a lifetime instinctively managing without ever being able to quantify.

  Merlyn continued before Darren could comment.

  “Your Experience Points,” he said, “will perhaps be the most important metric of this System.”

  Darren’s eyes narrowed.

  “Because of this System, you will have no ceiling. EXP is what allows growth without limitation. I assure you that this is no exaggeration. As long as you complete the Mission Objectives that are set for you, you will grow stronger, such an outcome is guaranteed. Additional EXP can be earned through feats accomplished outside of the Mission Objectives. A good example would be your victory over the Hydra.”

  That explained it, why his General Level had increased after the Tutorial had been completed. The System was not simply recording his victories; it was converting them. His achievement was being transformed into growth, action into permanent change. And with that growth came tangible effects.

  The increase in his General Level had expanded his capacity to hold magical energy.

  His Pool of Mana had grown, and the System reflected that change precisely. Though there were no numbers given to measure his physical attributes, there was no doubt that they had improved as well.

  All of this felt so structured, with rules in place and concepts that were simple enough to grasp.

  It was almost like he was playing a game.

  Darren stared at the screen.

  The System reduced struggle, risk, and progress into numbers that could be tracked and optimized. Strength could be pursued deliberately now, rather than carved out through desperation and chance. For the first time in longer than he cared to remember, Darren felt something unfamiliar stir in his chest.

  Excitement.

  Not the reckless kind born of danger, but a quiet, childlike fascination. The sort that came from understanding the rules of something vast and realizing he was free to exploit them.

  The thought made him exhale softly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth before he could stop it.

  How fun.

  The man was beginning to understand why Thanatos had deemed this System, Merlyn, so valuable.

  “You are still holding the Heart of the Hydra. Would you like to keep it in your Inventory? Or would you like me to absorb it?” Merlyn’s voice carried a cheerful lilt, as if it were offering something casual.

  Darren blinked, his eyes snapping back to the object he held in his right hand. Only then did he realize he was still gripping the organ. The Heart of the Hydra sat heavy in his palm, slick with blood, pulsing faintly with that sickly green light as though it stubbornly refused to acknowledge its own death. Each slow throb sent an unpleasant vibration through his fingers.

  “My Inventory?” Darren echoed, confused. “Absorb it?”

  Merlyn was quick to clarify.

  “Dragon Hearts are valuable relics that contain vast amounts of magical energy. The System can assist in absorbing and converting that energy into Mana Points for your future use. Alternatively, you may store the Hydra's heart in your Inventory.”

  A pause followed before Merlyn added, almost as an afterthought, “But it is important to take note that your current storage capacity is limited to a single item.”

  That was all Darren needed to hear.

  The thought of carrying a draconic organ with him made his stomach churn. He did not want to be carrying anything of the sort on his persons, especially if it belonged to those savage beasts.

  “Absorb it,” he decided immediately.

  The System did not hesitate.

  The Heart of the Hydra vanished from his hand without ceremony, leaving behind only a faint residual chill in his palm. Darren flexed his fingers once, then looked back to the Status Screen as it updated in real time.

  // MP (Mana Points): 500000 / 5500

  He stared at the number for a moment before a slow smile crept across his face.

  That was certainly significant.

  Whatever strange, volatile energy the Hydra’s heart had contained, the System had converted it efficiently and a reserve of magical energy like that would make all the difference. Because it meant that prolonged battles were no longer an immediate death sentence. The edge of his greatest weakness had been blunted, if not removed entirely, at least for the time being.

  “That will be useful,” Darren muttered to himself.

  He felt the urge to continue exploring, there was more he wanted to see, more he wanted to understand about this machine that had integrated itself into him. This System was vast, layered, and clearly capable of far more than what had been revealed so far. But before he could dwell on it, another screen forced itself into view, pushing the Status display aside.

  // New Mission - [ A Horse With No Name ]

  // Mission Objectives:

  1. Receive instructions from Charon for your journey

  2. Receive the package from Charon for your journey.

  Darren let out a slow sigh.

  Of course.

  He had hoped for more time to pry deeper into the mechanics that governed this System. But Merlyn was not interested in indulging him.

  Because it demanded progress.

  At the bottom of the screen, a familiar prompt waited.

  // Accept This Mission?

  // [ Yes ] OR [ No ]

  A deep horn blast echoed across the silver waters in the distance. Darren turned his head toward the sound. The Ferry of the Dead loomed closer now, its massive frame drifting away with deliberate slowness. The horn sounded again, blaring through the air like a summons.

  It would not wait for him much longer.

  Darren’s gaze lingered on the ship. He did not know anything about this Charon nor what else awaited him on the Ferry of the Dead. But he did know one thing.

  There was no turning back.

  He reached out and pressed [ Yes ]. With that, the screen vanished.

  The man had made his choice and there was only one path forward for him. Darren straightened, squaring his shoulders as the ferry. There would be more time later to study the System even further.

  For now, it was time to meet Charon, the Ferryman of the Dead.