The morning sun peeked through the reinforced windows of the house, casting pale gold streaks across the room. Kairis stretched, letting the familiar tingle of dark matter energy ripple along his arms. Today would be different. Today, he would hunt beyond the ruined city.
Kaiyara stood near the kitchen, watching Elyra and Aeren train with precision, her movements fluid and sharp, almost like she had been forged from the same discipline as the strongest awakened. She corrected Elyra's stance, nudged Aeren's foot placement, and occasionally reminded them to breathe, keeping them sharp. Her brown eyes flicked toward Kairis, measuring him.
"You're leaving them again," she said, tone more observation than accusation.
Kairis smirked, adjusting his coat. "They're fine. You're training them well. Just… don't get in their way, and don't hold back. I want results."
Kaiyara's lips twitched in a smile. "Fine. Don't die out there."
He tilted his head, a faint chuckle escaping. "Dying isn't part of my schedule."
The city's ruins receded behind him, and the concrete streets gave way to cracked roads, overgrown with weeds and the stubborn growth of nature reclaiming the land. His destination was a forest miles from the city, a zone largely untouched since the first monster portals appeared.
Kairis walked with casual confidence, the Graviton Edge strapped across his back. Every step sent subtle pulses of gravitational energy through the ground, keeping nearby creatures at a cautious distance. His system interface flickered silently in his mind, already assessing the area for potential threats.
System Notification: New Quest Available
Quest: Defeat the Giant Zombie Tiger in the Emerald Forest
Reward: Experience, Dark Matter Infusion, rare material for weapon enhancement.
Difficulty: Extreme — creature far above average evolved monster.
Failure: Death
Kairis raised an eyebrow. "Extreme, huh? Sounds fun."
The forest thickened as he entered, shadows stretching unnaturally. Birds had long since vanished; even the wind seemed hesitant. Then, a low growl echoed through the trees.
Leaves rustled violently, and a massive form burst into view. It was a tiger, easily ten feet tall at the shoulder, its fur matted with decay, ribs visible under rotting flesh, eyes glowing with faint dark matter energy. Its claws dug into the earth, leaving deep gouges in its wake.
Kairis's system interface activated automatically:
Giant Zombie Tiger
Level: 12
HP: 4500
STR: 45
DEX: 30
AGI: 35
Abilities:
Gravitational Roar: Generates minor gravity distortion around itself.
Decay Swipe: Claw attack infused with necrotic dark matter.
Predator Sense: Can track awakened within a 200-meter radius.
Kairis smirked. "You're big. I like big."
The tiger lunged, claws tearing through trees as Kairis sidestepped effortlessly, leaving a trench in the earth where it had struck. He twisted the Graviton Edge in his hands, focusing, and unleashed a micro-Black Hole at its path, warping its trajectory mid-leap.
The beast roared, a sound that vibrated through his chest, before slamming into the ground, partially disoriented. Kairis capitalized, activating Gyro-Telekinesis to lift a cluster of fallen logs and hurl them like projectiles, forcing the tiger to retreat a few steps.
"This is going to hurt," he muttered, feeling the thrill of the hunt wash over him.
The tiger's eyes glowed brighter. Dark matter pulses radiated from it, warping the space around its paws. Kairis knew he was in for a fight that would push every ounce of skill he had learned.
The battle became a deadly dance.
Phase One: Kairis used gravity to immobilize its legs, then slashed with the Graviton Edge, cutting through muscle and bone while keeping his distance from its deadly claws.
Phase Two: The tiger adapted, generating localized gravity fields with its roars, destabilizing Kairis's footing. He countered by creating a micro Black Hole beneath it, slowing its movement while taking minor HP damage from the exertion.
Phase Three: Kairis launched into the air, spinning, using Gyro-Telekinesis to manipulate multiple trees, slamming them onto the tiger. It staggered but recovered quickly, showing its evolved resilience.
During the fight, Kairis spoke to the creature as much as he fought it, a mix of arrogance and challenge:
"You've got potential… I'll give you that. But this forest isn't your kingdom."
The tiger lunged for a final attack, claws ripping through earth and debris. Kairis countered with a perfectly timed void slash, followed by a controlled black hole that immobilized the creature entirely. With one swift, gravity-enhanced strike, the tiger collapsed, defeated but not annihilated — leaving just enough for analysis.
The forest quieted. Kairis stood over the defeated beast, panting slightly, adrenaline still surging. The system interface flickered, assessing the battle.
System Notification:
Quest Complete: Giant Zombie Tiger
Experience Gained: +2500
Dark Matter Infusion: +3
Weapon Material: Void Tiger Claw
Ability Unlocked: Gravity Crush (Active): Temporarily amplifies gravitational pull for enhanced melee strikes).
Kairis scrolled through the data, smirking. "Looks like the forest just got a little safer… and I just got stronger."
As he returned to the stronghold, Kairis couldn't help but glance at the distant city skyline. The ruined streets, zombie hordes, rogue awakened — all of it was just another layer of chaos in the world he had come to dominate.
Kaiyara was waiting, watching as Elyra and Aeren practiced their forms.
"You made it back in one piece," she said, voice laced with approval.
Kairis tilted his head. "Of course. But the tiger? That was just the beginning."
He glanced down at his stats, the system displaying level 10 growth, new abilities, and Dark Matter affinity improvements.
Level: 10
Gravity Affinity: Moderate (slowly rising)
Void Warrior Mastery: Apprentice (gaining efficiency with abilities)
HP: 2350
MP: 1250
STR/DEX/AGI/INT: All slightly increased from battle
Kairis smirked, watching his siblings and Kaiyara. "The apocalypse isn't going to wait, and neither will I."
Outside, the forest held a new silence, one that promised more challenges, more hunts, and more dark matter-infused chaos waiting just beyond the next clearing.