"A whole lot of quests, but the first major quest is more interesting, I careless about the others. Now let me see the Side Quests and the rest"
As if the system heard what he said, it pulsated faintly with primal energy and opened the next menu for Side Quests.
[SIDE QUEST – The Path Begins]
▪Objective: Leave the village and cross into a neighboring kingdom.
▪Reward: +150 EXP, Unlock Travel Menu, Map Fragment (North)
[DAILY QUEST – Strength Through Pain]
▪Push your physical limits. Endure.
▪Objective:
>Run 10 km
>Do 75 push-ups
>Do 75 squats
>Do Plank for 7minutes
>Do 50 sit-ups
>Do 50 Crunch
>Do 50 pull-ups
▪Reward: +5EXP, +2 Attribute points.
"What kind...of system is this. It want me to break myself...to become stronger" Ethan whispered in his breath looking at the physical exercises. Though he had been training for 4year now, he hadn't performed to such limits.
His fists clenched hard, bleeding rivers
But deep down, a voice whispered: Good. Let it hurt. Let the pain shape you. Let it make you into what the world fears.
Ethan looked down at his hands, they didn't tremble. Not anymore. The hum in him changed his entirety, the primal energy pulsating in his veins glowed through his vein faintly, as if being on par with what he felt deep down.
"I am done being weak"
The interface pulsated once more
[WRATH: +5]
▪ Source: Emotional surge(rage, anger, pain), vow of vengeance,
▪ Wrath increases when the host feels intense anger, grief, or when absorbing Wrath Crystals.
▪ Higher WRATH increases damage, transformation potential, and unlocks unique skills.
[WARNING: WRATH OVERLOAD WILL CAUSE TEMPORARY BERSERK STATE.]
[Let it build... but do not let it consume you]
[SYSTEM NOTE: THE FURTHER YOU WALK INTO RAGE, PAIN, ANGER AND GRIEF, THE CLOSER YOU STAND IN THE ABYSS. THE ABYSS WILL OFFER YOU POWER, STRENGTH AND DOMINION BUT WILL WATCH TO SEE WHAT KIND OF MONSTER YOU BECOME]
Ethan read the message on the glowing panel. He understood what it meant. The power residing in him will help him and also destroy him from the inside. His humanity might be lost in the way.
"Who cares...who cares what I become...if it gives me the power and strength to exert my revenge, then I will fully master it, the consequences, I shall deal with them later, when am done"
The system pulsated faintly to his words, as if acknowledging his point. Then–
BOOOOOMMM
A loud boom echoed in the distance. The ground rumbled lightly under Ethan's feet. He blinked. Then another quake came. From the east... Two trees falling in the forest?
Suddenly, the system flared again.
[WARNING: DANGER APPROACHING]
[DISTANCE: 3.4 KM – CLOSING FAST]
Ethan's jaw tightened, gritting his teeth hard. He tightened his grip on the sword and ran towards the east, straight to the forest.
"What could be the cause of this loud shock wave...is it a beast...no it can't be...they have all been eradicated by the Great Kingdoms knight...then what can have such power to fell down two trees with a blow. If it's coming for me... Then I will welcome it and fight it"
Ethan was closing pace fast with the eminent danger. He stopped for some seconds, trying to get the right direction. It was the that he felt something approaching. His skin prickled. His vision trembled. Something was about to—
CRACK!
A sound echoed through the trees.
A dark-furred Tartarus beast emerged, its form like a mutated bear with armored scales and a triple-maw jaw, razor shaped teeth and claws. Red eyes locked onto Ethan, its saliva sizzling against the leaves. Ethan's eyes locked with that of the beast, he could feel its bloodlust, the pressure from its aura, dark-green in color.
[WRATH SURGE DETECTED...]
[ENEMY CLASS: TARTARUS BEAST–CLASS II]
[NAME: ABYSSAL TRIPPLE-MAW JAW BEAR]
[HP: 140/140]
The glowing panel popped and the cold mechanical voice echoed from within Ethan once more
"What!!!??... A Tartarus beast... Class II... Not now... How possible" Ethan took a step back, shivers sent down his spine by the pressuring aura of the Abyssal Tripple-Maw jaw Bear.
[QUEST UPDATE: KILL THE ABYSSAL TRIPPLE-MAW JAW BEAR BEFORE IT REACHES THE VILLAGE]
▪TIME REMAINING: 12minutes
▪REWARD: +75EXP
Reading the panel update quest, Ethan instinctively dropped into a stance. He unsheathed the sword, tightening his grip on the hilt.
His hands burned with black-blue flames, his veins glowing as if Wrath coursed through him like magma. The once common looking sword took its appearance when absorbed Ethan's blood. Dark edged blade, red and the middle with dark symbols. It was pulsating with primal energy.
[WRATH ENHANCED COMBAT MODE ACTIVE]
[SKILL: ABYSSAL LUNGE–READY]
[WRATH COST: 8WRATH]
The Abyssal Tripple-Maw jaw bear knew Ethan was willing to fight it the moment he unsheathed his sword. Since it was standing on two feet, it dropped on all four, looking at Ethan with burning rage and bloodlustful eyes. Then it charged forward not wasting any much time to crush the ant on its path. Ethan was paralyzed for a second at that moment but he came back to his senses
"You are stone on my path... If I don't kill you then I am not worthy of this path"
The wind shifted again. Ethan took his first step forward not as a boy mourning his sister…
But as the first Leviathan-Hybrid. He didn't think, he launched forward to the Abyssal Tripple-Maw Jaw beast.
"ABYSSAL LUNGE!"
A boom of compressed air echoed as Ethan vanished from his position, his body darted forward in a black streak. He collided with the beast mid-leap, swung his sword in an uppercut and slashing through the beast scale on its chest, creating a cut. Spinning mid-air, Ethan kicked the Maw Jaw bear on the face, sending it four steps behind.
The beast roared, staggered. Faintly bleeding from the cut. Its scale helped alot. It has underestimated this ant on its path, rage reverbrated within it and its bloodlust rose again
Ethan landed, sliding backward, heart racing.
[WRATH EXPENDED: -8]
[WRATH REMAINING: 22/30]
[COOLDOWN: 8s]
[DAMAGE DEALT: 15%]
[+2WRATHS FOR DAMAGE DEALT]
[WRATH REMAINING: 24/30]
[NEW STATUS EFFECT INFLICTED: FRACTURED RIBS (ENEMY)]
He blinked in disbelief. "I... did that?"
The beast howled again, rising.
He clenched his fists. A grin tugged at the edge of his lips. Not out of joy, but hunger. Not the hunger for survival.
The hunger for vengeance and power.