The moment Atlas and the Red Orc clashed, a deafening boom echoed through the dungeon. Dust scattered like smoke as steel met bone. The shockwave rippled across the forest-like terrain beneath the pale red moon, sending loose stones tumbling.
Atlas's arms trembled under the sheer weight behind the orc's club. The beast towered over him, muscles knotted like cords of iron, its crimson skin glistening with fury. Damn, if I hadn't invested my points into strength, I'd be splattered by now, he thought, gritting his teeth as his feet dug trenches in the soil.
The orc roared, its tusks glinting, and swung the club in a wide, deadly arc. Atlas ducked, feeling the gust whip over his head, then lunged forward for an opening. But he underestimated the creature's speed—the monster twisted its body mid-motion and slammed the club sideways.
Crack!
Pain exploded through Atlas's ribs as he was sent sprawling across the dirt. His breath hitched, metallic taste filling his mouth. "Shit… fractured. Definitely fractured".
The orc stomped forward, roaring loud enough to shake the ground. Its eyes burned with savage delight as it raised the club again. Atlas's vision blurred for a moment, but his instincts screamed. There was no time to dodge.
"Burst!"
His voice cut through the chaos.
A surge of crimson light enveloped his body as the skill ignited. The world slowed. His muscles tightened, veins bulging with power. He propelled himself sideways just before the club smashed down, cracking the earth where he once stood.
Atlas gripped his short sword in a reverse hold, his pupils dilating under the adrenaline rush. Five seconds of speed and power. Make them count.
He darted forward, each step blurring like a phantom's movement. The orc swung again, but Atlas ducked under it—this time anticipating the shift in its stance. Sliding low, he slashed across the orc's knees in a clean, brutal motion.
The Red Orc bellowed in agony, its legs giving way as it toppled. Blood splattered, thick and hot. Atlas didn't hesitate; his instincts from years in the Underground Fight Club took over. He sprinted forward, jumped, and drove his sword straight through the orc's eye.
The beast convulsed once before falling still, the air heavy with the scent of iron and smoke.
Atlas panted, his body trembling. Then—
[+50 EXP Gained]
[Pending Quest: Host must reach Level 10 to undergo Evolution and Rank Up]
A faint digital hum echoed in his ears as the system interface materialized before him.
[Name: Atlas]
[Level: 2 (50/200 EXP)]
[Strength:30 ]
[Agility: 21]
[Stamina: 19]
[Skills: Burst (Active)
[Stat Points Available: 0]
A rush of energy coursed through his veins. His fatigue faded a little bit after the system converted the essence of he beast to exp, replaced by a faint burning in his muscles—the intoxicating feeling of power growing. Atlas exhaled slowly, a grim smile tugging at his lips.
He sat back against a rock, breathing heavily. The dull ache in his ribs lingered, but compared to what he'd felt in the underground arenas, this was nothing. "Still alive," he muttered. "Barely."
His eyes drifted to the corpse beside him. The orc's blood gleamed dark under the red moonlight. He remembered what he read about beast crystals—every monster had one, usually near the heart. With a resigned sigh, he pulled his blade free and began cutting through the thick flesh.
The moment the crimson crystal slid free, its surface shimmered faintly. Atlas grimaced. "This part never gets easier."
Then, a faint glow caught his attention—a smaller, pulsating light nestled deeper within the orc's chest cavity. He reached in cautiously, pulling out a second crystal, darker and denser than the first. The system instantly chimed.
[Skill crystal detected]
Atlas blinked, a grin forming. "Hell yeah."
Outside the gate, back at the academy grounds, tension brewed.
"Sir, we're detecting abnormal readings from the portal," a teacher said, panic lacing his tone. "It's registering as a D-Rank gate. Should we retrieve the students?"
Mr. Arnold barely looked up from his clipboard. "Leave it."
"Sir? But—"
"Leave it." His voice cut sharp. "This is a military academy, not a daycare. If they can't survive a D-Rank, they're not ready for the next stage."
The instructor swallowed, uneasy, but obeyed.
Arnold turned toward the gate, watching the unstable light ripple. "Pain," he muttered, "is the best teacher."
Meanwhile, deeper inside the dungeon, Sylvia's team regrouped with Drake's. Sweat clung to their faces as they stared at the corpse of a fallen orc.
"Told you teaming up with us would make this easy," Drake boasted, his grin cocky.
Sylvia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Easy? It took fifteen minutes to take one down. If that's easy, you need to redefine the word."
Her icy gaze flicked toward the red sky above. Something about this dungeon didn't feel right. "These monsters… they're stronger than F-Rank. Much stronger."
Drake shrugged, still smug. "Doesn't matter. We'll clear it, and I'll get my promotion."
Before Sylvia could reply, one of Drake's lackeys approached. "Boss, I found him—Atlas. He's still alive."
Drake's grin twisted into something darker. "Perfect." His aura flared faintly with heat. "He humiliated me in front of everyone. This time, I'll burn him to ash."
Sylvia frowned but said nothing. She had no reason to interfere. Still, a thought lingered. "How is he still alive in this dungeon alone?"
"Did he perhaps hide his traces from the monsters. ", she thought
"No that's not it , it wouldn't have been easy for drakes lackey to find him "
Her instincts whispered something dangerous was stirring in the dark—something that wasn't supposed to exist.
Atlas moved silently through the crimson forest, eyes scanning for movement. The faint glow of his system hovered near his vision, the quest reminder pulsing softly.
Atlas was finding his way around the dungeon, tracking the dungeon boss.
"Yep I'm definitely out of my mind, but it's not like I have a choice with this messed up system", Atlas furrowed his brows in annoyance recalling the system quest issued to him.
[New quest: Clear the D-Rank dungeon Orcs Haven]
[Reward: +2 Levels]
[Penalty: -2 Levels]
I'm still only in level 2 , but atleast my battle prowess is almost at the leak of E-Rank , if I can grind my way to level 5, plus the extra function the system gave requiring beast crystals", atlas pulled up the system to review it
[When host absorbs beast crystal, depending on the quality he will gain evolution points, Host can convert evolution points to start points with a conversion rate of 1:2]
But atlas was still sceptical about the use of evolution points.
"system, what's the use of evolution points"
[Once host evolves into his first race ,host can use evolution points to breakthrough the genetic limits of the particular race]
"So in general I can Level up my race with evolution points and also level up generally", Atlas couldn't help but smile but he kept his composure keeping up a straight face.
Then in that case I'm aiming for Level 10 before facing the boss. He absorbed the beast crystal and the skill crystal
Ding!
[ Host as Gained 1 evolution points]
[Host has gained a new skill: SHOCKWAVE]
[Skill Description: Unleash a concentrated strike that ignores enemy defense, inflicting internal damage by focusing all physical force into a single point.]
Atlas crimson eye glinted," Let the hunt begin"