Armed with the Divine Edge (Rank E), Archelius felt a profound shift in his power level. The Rank E weapon felt like a natural extension of his will, channeling the System energy with greater efficiency and lethality. His current Level 4 status, however, meant he was severely lagging behind the power level expected of a user wielding a Rank E tool.
His primary focus was rapid leveling.
He left the temple ruins and began climbing the nearest colossal mountain peak—the highest point within sight that didn't appear to be directly consumed by the central storm of the Lords' conflict.
The terrain grew treacherous quickly. The obsidian turned into slick, volcanic glass and icy vapor. The enemies were also adapting.
[Threat Detected: Obsidian Crawlers]
[Level: 10]
[Level: 10]
He encountered a nest of Obsidian Crawlers—massive, spider-like creatures with carapaces made of razor-sharp volcanic glass. Their level was high, making them efficient XP targets, but they were fast and their attacks were precise.
Archelius charged, utilizing Sprint Burst to weave between their initial defensive strikes. He activated War God's Strike, bathing the Divine Edge in violet-tinged silver light.
He didn't waste power on the War God's Fist. Instead, he relied on the continuous, devastating cutting power of the Rank E blade. He swung the Divine Edge in a wide, sweeping arc.
SHINK! SHINK!
The blade sliced through the Crawlers' thick carapaces like paper, severing multiple legs instantly. The creatures shrieked, their black blood steaming on the icy ground.
Archelius followed up with swift, brutal thrusts, using his improved Strength to drive the enchanted blade deep into their weak points. The fight was over in seconds.
[Obsidian Crawler (Level 10) Defeated. XP Gained: 100.]
[Obsidian Crawler (Level 10) Defeated. XP Gained: 100.]
[Total XP: 590/800. Core Power: 89/100 (Remaining).]
The combat was fluid, controlled, and fast. Archelius was no longer just surviving; he was hunting. The thrill of mastery, the feeling of wielding true power, was intoxicating.
The Mid-Mountain Challenge
As he ascended past the tree line—which here consisted of bizarre, petrified, black-metal shrubs—the air became dangerously thin, and the threats consolidated.
He encountered his first group of humanoid enemies: three Shardsmen, cloaked figures whose bodies were composed of shifting, sharp fragments of volcanic crystal.
[Threat Detected: Shardsmen (Level 14)]
[Warning: Collective Threat Level: High. Approach with Extreme Caution.]
Level 14 was a massive jump—higher than the Shadow Stalker. Archelius retreated instantly, finding cover behind a towering shard of volcanic rock.
Three Level 14 enemies. I cannot win a prolonged fight against them. My Level 4 HP is too low, and their attacks are likely armor-piercing.
He needed a tactical advantage. He looked down the sheer, slick slope he had just climbed. The Shardsmen were slow to pursue, perhaps waiting for him to break cover.
He used his Sprint Burst to climb higher, seeking a vantage point. He found a narrow choke point: a ledge that forced the Shardsmen to advance single file.
He prepared his ambush, activating the War God's Strike and focusing his energy. He needed to execute the Rank F+ War God's Fist at the perfect moment to eliminate the leader instantly.
The first Shardsman stepped onto the ledge—a mistake.
Archelius dropped from his hiding spot, moving with the devastating speed of a guided missile. He canceled the Strike and channeled everything into the single punch.
War God's Fist (Rank F+) slammed into the Shardsman's torso.
CRUNCH!
The Shardsman's crystal form exploded into a thousand glittering fragments.
[Shardsman (Level 14) Defeated. XP Gained: 140.]
[Core Power: 84/100.]
The ambush was successful, but the remaining two Shardsmen reacted with blinding speed, throwing razor-sharp fragments of crystal at Archelius.
He activated War God's Strike on the Divine Edge and charged the remaining two, knowing he was exposed. He used the blade to deflect the incoming fragments, the Rank E enchantment ringing loudly as it absorbed the impacts.
He lunged and sliced the second Shardsman across its neck, severing the connection of its crystalline form. It dissolved instantly.
The final Shardsman, in a desperate attempt, focused its remaining energy into a massive, concentrated crystal spike.
Archelius met the attack with his own power. He parried the spike with the Divine Edge, the magical forces grinding violently against each other. He then leveraged his superior Strength and delivered a powerful kick, sending the Shardsman tumbling off the ledge and into the abyss.
[Shardsman (Level 14) Defeated. XP Gained: 140.]
[Total XP: 870/800. Level Up: User Level 5!]
[Level 5 Achieved. Core Power Restored: 100/100.]
[Available Skill Points: 1.]
Archelius collapsed onto the ledge, breathing hard. He was Level 5. He had successfully taken on Level 14 enemies. His growth rate was astronomical, but the fights were constantly pushing him to his physical limits.
Ascension to Rank E
The Level Up healed his minor injuries and restored his Core Power. He immediately checked his status.
[Current Stats:]
[User: Archelius]
[Level: 5 (XP: 70/1600)]
[Rank: F]
[Core Power: 100/100]
He invested the new Skill Point immediately, prioritizing combat efficiency.
[War God's Strike (Rank F) Upgraded to Rank F+. Cost: 1 Skill Point.]
[Core Power consumption reduced from 2 per second to 1 per second.]
His main combat skill was now hyper-efficient, allowing for sustained use of the energized Rank E weapon.
He continued his ascent, spurred by the need to reach the next tier of power. He knew he needed to reach Rank E status, which would unlock the Map function and likely more powerful blueprints.
As he reached a higher, cloud-shrouded peak, the air grew frigid, and the enemies changed again. He began encountering heavily armored, slow-moving Level 18 Obsidian Warriors, remnants of the ancient civilization.
The Warriors were tough, requiring a brutal combination of War God's Fist to crack their armor, followed by sustained War God's Strike penetration. The XP gain was slow but steady, pushing his concentration and endurance.
After hours of grueling, isolated combat against the Level 18 Warriors, Archelius finally felt the familiar, powerful surge.
[Total XP: 1600/1600. Level Up: User Level 6!]
[Level 6 Achieved. Core Power Restored: 100/100.]
[Available Skill Points: 1.]
He had reached the threshold. He checked the System's requirements for Rank E.
[Rank E Ascension Requirements:]
User Level: 5+ (Achieved)
Core Power: 100 (Achieved)
Dominance Kill: Defeat a Level 20+ Entity (Required)
A Level 20+ enemy? Archelius swallowed hard. The only Level 20 he knew was the Shadow Wyvern from the beginning—a creature that flew and was too fast to fight.
The Peak Guardian
Archelius reached the absolute highest, most desolate peak of the mountain. The air was thin and screaming with wind. Below him, the vast plains of Aethelgard stretched out, the ruins looking like children's toys.
He didn't have to wait long.
Perched atop the jagged spire, staring directly at the central storm, was a creature of immense, frightening power: a giant, winged predator covered in dull, black scales and possessing eyes like molten iron. It was clearly the guardian of this peak.
[Threat Detected: Obsidian Raptor]
[Level: 22]
[Warning: Critical Danger. Evasion Recommended.]
This was his Dominance Kill.
The Obsidian Raptor turned its head, focusing its molten eyes on the small, isolated figure. It let out a high-pitched, piercing shriek that shook the very rock Archelius stood on.
Archelius gripped the Divine Edge, channeling his full remaining Core Power into the blade, preparing for the fight of his life.
"I am not running," Archelius said, his voice surprisingly steady. "I need that Rank E."
He focused his new Sprint Burst and charged the colossal raptor, running along the treacherous edge of the peak. He had to use the terrain and the sheer, focused power of his Rank F+ skills to overcome the Level 22 gap.
The Raptor lunged with impossible speed for its size, its talons tearing apart the air where Archelius had stood a moment before.
Archelius used the Sprint Burst again, rolling beneath the Raptor's massive body. He unleashed the ultimate attack—the Rank F+ War God's Fist—not at the armor, but at the exposed joint where the Raptor's wing met its body.
CRACK-BOOM!
The concentrated power was devastating. The joint snapped with an audible, sickening noise, and the Raptor shrieked, its balance destroyed.
The creature crashed onto the peak, its focus ruined. Archelius pressed the attack, using the energized Divine Edge to deliver a relentless flurry of cuts to the Raptor's unprotected neck.
The battle was short, brutal, and utterly exhausting. Archelius ended the fight by driving the Divine Edge deep into the Raptor's eye, the Rank E energy bypassing its final defenses.
[Obsidian Raptor (Level 22) Defeated. Dominance Kill Achieved!]
[XP Gained: 220. Total XP: 1820/2400.]
[Core Power: 75/100 (Remaining).]
He collapsed onto the defeated creature's massive, cooling carcass, spent but victorious.
[RANK UP: E]
[New System Features Unlocked: Map Function, Advanced Crafting, Soul Shard Integration (Locked)]
Archelius pushed himself up, ignoring the sheer exhaustion. He was Rank E. He was no longer the weakest link. He looked down at the vast, hostile world, and for the first time, he saw a path.