Power, once tasted, does not sit quietly.
It evolves.
---
Aizen stood still for a moment, studying the faint echo of his newly acquired skill. The sensation was strange—like holding a force that wanted to move, to rebound.
"Bouncing Inducement…" I muttered.
Then, with quiet certainty:
"No… that name doesn't fit."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"『War God Style』."
The skill shifted in his mind, no longer just a trick of motion—but a principle of combat. Anything he struck would not simply be hit—it would be launched, ricocheting violently, directionless and uncontrollable.
A style worthy of battle.
---
Not long after, Aizen arrived at a small village.
It was humble. Quiet. Fragile.
A place that felt like it could vanish overnight.
There, he encountered a forger—an old craftsman whose hands carried the memory of countless blades. Aizen offered help, and in return, the man granted him a weapon.
A long, thin-bladed cross sword.
Elegant.
Lethal.
Aizen held it up, letting the light trace its edge.
"I'll name you…" he said softly, eyes narrowing with intent.
"Nodens."
---
With Nodens in hand, Aizen continued his journey.
Goblins fell first.
Weak, disorganized—but useful.
Each battle refined him. Each kill fed his growth. The rhythm of combat began to settle into his bones.
Then—
"Skill『Sigil Stealth』acquired."
"Allows the user to conceal their presence for ten seconds."
Aizen tilted his head slightly.
"…Too plain."
To pause.
Then—
"『Elder Concealment』."
A more fitting name.
Something older. Deeper.
---
And then, I made a mistake.
A simple one.
A fatal one.
---
The cave stood before him, dark and silent, its entrance swallowing light whole. Without hesitation, Aizen stepped inside.
The air shifted.
Heavy.
Wrong.
Then—
Movement.
Not one.
Not ten.
An army.
Orcs.
---
They descended on him like a collapsing wall.
Brutal. Relentless. Overwhelming.
Aizen fought—he fought—but it wasn't enough.
Blows crashed into him. His body faltered. His vision blurred as he was driven to the ground, pain flooding every nerve.
"I can't…" he gasped, struggling to rise.
His fingers dug into the dirt.
"I—I can't let them defeat me…"
---
Something answered.
Not the world.
Not the system.
But him.
---
"Ego and will have reached the required threshold."
"New skill unlocked:『Haki』."
"Allows the user to generate physical pressure that induces fear, paralysis, and insanity in weaker opponents."
---
Aizen's eyes snapped open.
The air changed.
No—it bent.
An invisible force erupted from him, pressing outward like a storm without wind. The orcs staggered, their movements faltering, instincts collapsing under something they could not understand.
Fear.
Puree.
Overwhelming.
---
Aizen stood.
Slowly.
Silently.
Then I moved.
---
This time, there was no hesitation.
Do not restraint.
War God Style shattered their formation, bodies sent flying, crashing into stone, into each other—chaos incarnate. Nodens carved through the remnants, precise and merciless.
The battle ended not with a clash…
…but with silence.
---
Aizen stood alone once more.
Breathing.
Alive.
Victorious.
---
The system returned.
"User has reached Level 10."
"New skills unlocked:"
『Mana Sensing』 – Allows the user to detect mana output.
『Danger Detection』 – Alerts the user to incoming threats.
『Appraisal』 – Grants limited information about targets.
---
Aizen exhaled, exhaustion finally catching up to him.
But beneath it…
Satisfaction.
"…Good," he muttered, gripping Nodens tightly.
"A good time to level up…"
A faint smile formed, sharper than before.
"…and grow stronger."