The black stone cracked beneath him, jagged fissures crawling across the battlefield like living veins, the heat from deep within pulsing upward, sharp, unforgiving, and alive. Aren crouched, breath sharp, sweat mingling with the dust and ash coating his face, eyes locked on the Godly Entity he had just danced with—a creature that could crush continents as easily as men crushed ants. And yet, something had shifted. He wasn't just a survivor anymore. He was a predator now, a problem no one—not even the gods themselves—had anticipated.
[System Notification]
Level: 4
Attribute Points: 2
Abilities Unlocked: Survival Instinct Lv.4, Tactical Reflexes, Precision Strike, Adrenal Surge, Counter Strike, Enhanced Reflex
New Objective: Assess battlefield, identify secondary threats
Aren exhaled, the dry, sarcastic edge in his voice threading through the tension. "…Alright, big guy. That was fun and all, but we're just getting started. Who else wants a piece of me?"
The horizon rippled. Shadows shifted, moving faster now, darker, sharper. Aren's system pulsed, feeding him micro-updates: multiple Godly presences approaching, each with unique destructive signatures, terrain cracking under their weight. The sky above roared with crimson fractures, the atmosphere humming with unspent energy, charged and violent.
[Threat Detected – Godly Entity x3]
Classification: Lesser Gods
Distance: Variable
Aggression: High
Aren's lips curled into a dry, sharp grin. "…Three at once? Fucking hell. Okay, Ragnarok. Let's see if you really want me dead."
He leaped across a widening fissure, black stone spiking beneath his boots like jagged teeth. Tactical Reflexes nudged him, feeding predictive insights as his system pulsed: each entity's trajectory, speed, estimated impact. He flexed, Adrenal Surge still active, muscles coiling like live wire, heart hammering in rhythm with the chaos surrounding him.
[Optional Quest – Multi-Target Recon]
Objective: Identify attack patterns, prioritize targets
Reward: EXP +50, Unlock Skill: Focused Assault
"…Prioritize, huh? Alright. Let's make this interesting," Aren muttered. His eyes flicked between the approaching shadows, reading micro-patterns, timing swings, anticipating destructive pulses. The first of the three struck—a sweeping attack that shattered a ridge he had just used as cover. Aren rolled, barely avoiding the deadly force, system humming, feeding him micro-predictions of falling debris, minor shockwaves, and optimal strike angles.
[Level Up Available – 2 Points]
Strength +1 | Agility +1
"…Perfect. Level up while I'm dodging death. Classic Ragnarok."
He struck back with Precision Strike, targeting the weak joint in the first entity's massive arm, sparks of black energy rippling from impact. The system pinged approval: EXP gained, micro-data recorded, trajectory assessed. Tactical Reflexes highlighted the optimal retreat path as the second entity moved in, staggering the first blow with deliberate, patient force.
"Alright, alright, you assholes are coordinated. Cute. Let's see if you're as smart as you think," Aren muttered, voice dry, sarcastic, eyes scanning, body coiling, every instinct and system working in perfect rhythm.
The battlefield exploded into motion. Fissures widened, shards of black stone flew like projectiles, heat pulsed from beneath, and the sky burned crimson. Aren weaved, dodged, and struck, his system pulsing with every heartbeat: Survival Instinct predicting attacks, Tactical Reflexes nudging positioning, Adrenal Surge enhancing muscle and reflexes, Counter Strike ready for perfect timing.
[Skill Unlocked – Focused Assault]
Effect: Concentrate multiple attacks on single target in rapid succession
Cooldown: 20 seconds
"…Focused Assault? Fuck yeah. Let's test it," he muttered, crouching low, calculating the first entity's pattern. He launched, strikes coming faster, sharper, each blow feeding the system micro-feedback, measuring resistance, energy distribution, and weak points. Sparks flared, fissures pulsed, and the first entity staggered, more aware now, calculating, adjusting, and yet…he was still alive.
[Level Up – 1 Point Earned]
Agility +1 | Endurance +1
Aren rolled over a collapsing ridge, landing on jagged stone as the second and third entities adjusted. "Alright, assholes. One thing you should know: I'm learning faster than you're swinging. Keep up or get crushed."
The shadows twisted again, faster, sharper. Heat, vibration, and raw destructive energy radiated from every approaching step. And Aren grinned, dry, sharp, a predator in a world designed to crush him. "…Bring it. All three of you. I've got a fucking system, reflexes, and one hell of a problem for you."
Because in this moment, he wasn't just surviving. He was adapting. Evolving. Becoming something far worse than the gods had expected.
And Ragnarok…was just warming up.
***
The three Godly Entities shifted, their massive forms moving with terrifying precision, the ground cracking and spitting shards beneath each deliberate step. Aren crouched low, breathing sharp, muscles coiling, Adrenal Surge still pulsing, Tactical Reflexes feeding micro-predictions with every flicker of movement. His eyes flicked between them, calculating patterns, predicting swings, noting subtle changes in rhythm.
"…Alright, assholes," he muttered dryly, voice flat and sharp. "…Let's see if coordinated destruction is actually coordinated."
The first entity swung its massive arm downward, fissures exploding around Aren as stone shards launched in all directions. He rolled, mid-air twisting, landing on a ridge that shuddered under the impact. Tactical Reflexes nudged him: left, under, forward. He dove into the fissure, then vaulted out, striking back with Precision Strike at the entity's exposed elbow. Sparks of black energy danced across the impact site.
[Combat Update – Hit Registered]
EXP Gained: 60
Level Up Available: 1 Point
"…Level up already?" Aren muttered, flexing as his body tingled with growth. Strength +1 | Agility +1. "…Perfect. Nothing like learning to fight while avoiding being crushed into slag."
The second entity moved, attempting to trap him between its crushing limbs and the first. Aren darted toward the third entity, leaping off jagged stone and activating Impulse Strike mid-air, striking a weak joint near its shoulder. Feedback hummed through the system: impact measured, resistance noted, energy absorbed. The first entity adjusted, swinging again, almost predicting his path—but Tactical Reflexes nudged him just enough to slip past the strike.
[Skill Unlocked – Focused Assault Lv.2]
Effect: Rapid, concentrated strikes on a single target
Cooldown: 15 seconds
"…Focused Assault. Fuck yeah," he muttered dryly, crouching, coiling. "…Let's see how much you like being hit repeatedly."
He lunged, chaining three rapid hits on the third entity's shoulder, sparks flaring, micro-damage recorded, weak points highlighted. Tactical Reflexes suggested retreat paths, Survival Instinct fed predictive insight, Adrenal Surge heightened strength, speed, reflexes. The second entity swung, crushing a ridge behind him. Aren rolled forward, pivoted, and slammed a Precision Strike into the first entity's knee. Micro-shocks pulsed across its massive frame.
[Level Up – 1 Point Earned]
Agility +1 | Endurance +1
"…Level six. Not bad for surviving a slaughterhouse," he muttered dryly, chest heaving, mind racing. "…Alright, Ragnarok. Keep coming."
The battlefield erupted. Fissures widened, heat pulsed from below, shadows moved like liquid death. Aren read each swing, each step, each pulse of energy, weaving, dodging, striking, chaining skills in a deadly rhythm. Counter Strike triggered perfectly against a crushing swing from the first entity, followed by Impulse Strike, Focused Assault, Precision Strike—each connection feeding the system micro-feedback, adjusting, evolving.
[Combat Update – Counter Combo Activated]
Effect: Consecutive counters linked into high-damage chain
Cooldown: 30 seconds
EXP Gained: 120
"…Counter Combo. About fucking time," he muttered, rolling under the third entity's claw swipe, linking strikes seamlessly, sparks of black energy flaring at each impact. Strength +1 | Agility +1 | Endurance +1. Every heartbeat, every breath, every micro-movement mattered. He wasn't just surviving anymore. He was adapting faster than the entities could respond.
The second and third entities lunged simultaneously, their massive shadows converging. Aren's eyes flicked across the terrain: jagged ridges, collapsing fissures, spiked stone. Environmental tactics activated instinctively: he dove between two fissures, letting their momentum throw them slightly off rhythm. Mid-roll, he launched Impulse Strike at the second entity, then Focused Assault at the third. Sparks and energy rippled through the battlefield like lightning striking stone.
[Level Up – 2 Points]
Strength +1 | Agility +1
"…Level seven," he muttered, grimy, tense, smirk curling faintly. "…Ragnarok, you're making me sweat, but fuck…this is the kind of fight I live for."
The first entity recovered, massive fists swinging down in unison with the other two. Aren rolled, triggered Counter Combo, Precision Strike, Focused Assault, weaving through black stone and fire. Every micro-fissure, every ridge, every pulse of heat and vibration became his ally, feeding predictive insight, timing, and opportunity.
[Optional Quest – Master Multi-Target Combat]
Objective: Survive and exploit openings against multiple Godly Entities
Reward: EXP +200, Unlock Skill: Ultimate Strike
Aren crouched low, exhaling sharply, eyes flicking between the three monstrous presences. "…Ultimate Strike, huh? Fuck yeah. Let's see how much of a problem I can really be."
He leaped into the air, Impulse Strike propelling him past the second entity, Focused Assault chaining perfectly, countering and striking, system pulsing with every beat. Energy rippled, shards flew, fissures widened further, heat and pressure radiated, and the entities staggered slightly—aware now, recalibrating, adapting. But Aren was faster. Smarter. Sharper.
"…You thought you'd crush me?" he muttered, voice low, dry, teeth gritted. "…Think again. I'm not just surviving. I'm learning. I'm adapting. I'm becoming…unfuckwithable."
The horizon burned crimson, fissures splitting wider, shadows twisting and retreating slightly, not from fear, but calculation. Aren flexed, muscles coiled, Adrenal Surge still humming, Counter Combo and Focused Assault ready. His system pulsed like a heartbeat in sync with the battlefield.
He grinned faintly, dry and sharp. "…Alright, gods. Let's see who really wants me dead."
And with that, Aren surged forward, faster than the cracks could reach, weaving through debris, dodging massive swings, exploiting every opening, chaining every skill in a deadly rhythm, every strike and dodge feeding growth, experience, and survival.
Because in this world, survival was more than instinct. It was evolution.
And Aren? He wasn't just surviving. He was literally hunting •=•.
And Ragnarok…was only just getting started.
***
The three Godly Entities roared, their voices like tectonic plates grinding, a sound that shattered the air and rattled the black stone beneath Aren's boots. Each of them adjusted, moving with a synchronized intent, circling him like predators sizing up prey—and he was no longer the trembling survivor he had been mere chapters ago. He crouched, muscles coiling, Tactical Reflexes humming, Survival Instinct feeding predictive pulses, Adrenal Surge still coursing through his veins.
"…Okay, assholes," he muttered dryly, teeth gritted. "…Let's see whose skull hits the ground first."
The first entity swung, massive arms smashing down, shards of stone launching like missiles. Aren rolled sideways, countering mid-roll with Precision Strike, sparks dancing along the joint he targeted. The second lunged from the side, claws cleaving through stone—he leapt, using Impulse Strike to vault over it, spinning in mid-air to land a brutal Focused Assault on its shoulder. The third Entity closed in, massive fists swinging. Aren crouched low, triggering Counter Combo just in time, striking the moment it overextended.
[Combat Update – Multi-Entity Counter Combo Activated]
EXP Gained: 180
Level Up Available: 2 Points
"…Level eight," he muttered under his breath, flexing, letting the surge of new strength and agility course through him. "…Not bad for getting chased around by three massive motherfuckers."
The battlefield became a symphony of chaos: fissures widening, black stone shattering, heat and shockwaves rippling in tandem with each strike, the entities' movements perfectly synchronized yet imperfect against Aren's new, honed reflexes. Every micro-second mattered. Every ridge, every crack, every pulse of vibration became his ally. The system pulsed, predicting openings, highlighting weak points, calculating the best timing for every strike and evasion.
[Optional Objective – Exploit Battlefield]
Reward: EXP +100, Unlock Skill: Spatial Awareness
Aren smirked, voice low and dry. "…Spatial Awareness? Fucking brilliant. Let's dance." He vaulted from one ridge to another, rolling under a crushing blow from the first entity, pivoting to strike the second, chaining Focused Assault into Counter Combo as the third overcommitted. Sparks flared, cracks spread, energy rippled across the battlefield—and the entities staggered slightly, adapting, aware that this tiny human wasn't just surviving…he was dominating.
[Skill Unlocked – Ultimate Strike]
Effect: Single, devastating blow targeting multiple weak points simultaneously
Cooldown: 45 seconds
"…Ultimate Strike," Aren muttered, teeth gritted, eyes narrowing, dry smirk curling. "…Let's see if this thing actually lives up to the hype."
He coiled, muscles tensing like drawn steel, Adrenal Surge at peak, Tactical Reflexes guiding trajectory, Spatial Awareness mapping every micro-movement of the three entities. And then he launched. Impulse Strike propelled him forward, weaving between limbs and jagged stone. Focused Assault hit precise weak joints, Counter Combo linked seamlessly, and finally, with a guttural roar that was half battle cry, half laughter, he slammed Ultimate Strike into the center of the three staggered entities.
The impact sent shockwaves tearing through the black stone, fissures spiderwebbing outward, shards and smoke exploding in a violent display. The three staggered, not defeated, but staggered enough to create a moment of deadly, perfect opportunity.
[EXP Gained: 300]
[Level Up – 3 Points Available]
Strength +1 | Agility +1 | Endurance +1
Aren landed lightly, chest heaving, sweat and ash streaking his face. His eyes flicked across the battlefield, scanning, calculating, alive, hungry. "…Level nine. Alright, Ragnarok," he muttered, voice dry and sharp, "…that's what I call a warm-up. You're making me sweat, but fuck…this is exactly the kind of problem I live for."
The three Godly Entities regrouped, staggering slightly, their glowing eyes locking on him. And for the first time, Aren felt a spark of respect—not fear, not hesitation, but acknowledgment. They recognized the threat he had become: no longer prey, no longer just surviving, but adapting, evolving, and striking with precision that even godly force couldn't fully predict.
He flexed, muscles coiling, Tactical Reflexes and Spatial Awareness humming. "…Alright, gods," he muttered, voice low, teeth gritted, smirk curling dry and sharp. "…One thing you should know. I'm not just surviving anymore. I'm hunting. And you're standing in my way."
The horizon cracked and trembled, shadows twisted with new intent, the air pulsing with unspent energy. Aren crouched low, ready, system alive with micro-updates, skill cooldowns aligned, reflexes primed. He exhaled sharply, smirk never fading.
"…Ragnarok," he muttered, voice dry and bitterly amused. "…You wanted a problem? Congratulations. You just made me a goddamn nightmare."
And with that, Aren surged forward again, faster than fissures could split, weaving through debris, striking, dodging, chaining skills, every movement a testament to survival turned mastery. Every strike, every counter, every calculated leap was evolution in motion.
Because in this world, survival wasn't enough anymore.
Aren wasn't just surviving.
He was hunting.
He was a predator.
And Ragnarok…was only just beginning.
[End of Chapter 3]
♥️