The massive monster stirred. Stone crumbled from the throne around him. Bone decorations wedged against his seat rattled, sending a chilling warning of what awaited his prey.
The creature's red eyes burned bright as it stood all the way up. It was so heavy and massive that even the ground shook.
Leo's heart raced. The opportunity he had been hoping for was finally here. But his hands trembled. He knew he had the stats, but the monster in front of him looked so intimidating that the weight of the struggle caused him to hesitate for a moment.
It roared and shook the entire room. Rain of tiny debris came from the ceiling.
Text hovered above the creature:
[Level 60: Orc Lord]
Leo's eyes widened. It was the name of the monster, written in bright, bloody red.
Above its name another pair of text floated in an ominous dark shade:
[Dominion Lord]
But the beast struck without a moment's delay, giving Leo no time to process what he had just seen. It brandished its great spiked club with dreadful power. With each step, it pounded the earth below.
But to Leo, the moment unfolded in slow motion.
He watched the club's trajectory with a keen eye, noticing the raw power it carried and realizing how raw power could shape a battle. The ground beneath the assault cracked, a huge gap forming where the club would strike. Dust and debris filled the air.
He easily avoided the first swing, but the ground quaked around him as the Orc Lord unleashed a fast second swing that he had been anticipating. Leo had barely enough time to twist his body so that the club would merely graze his side, a shockwave of force thrumming through the air.
"My, what a piece of work."
Must be the stats, he thought, a smile growing on his face.
But he had to push his boundaries even more.
The Orc Lord continued with every single attack, each with equal destruction. The earth jolted with each blow, gouging vast holes and sending vibrations that pulsed through the cavern walls like ripples. Cave's silence was soon replaced by deafening echoes of crumbling rock, followed by angry roars from the Orc Lord.
Leo moved carefully through the assaults, the creature's movement sluggish to his enhanced reflexes.
This must be agility, Leo thought as he evaded yet another bone-crushing blow.
In the games he played back then, the agility stat helped determine things like attack speed, reflexes, dodge rate, and more.
He was interested in his other stats, specifically his stamina. Usually, he would have never done this, as such a mighty blow would knock him senseless, but maybe it was the sheer confidence surging through him that caused him to take it.
His instincts told him he could take one blow.
He smiled and stood still despite sweat running down his forehead. Angered by Leo's insolence, the Orc Lord bellowed and charged at him again, this time his fury doubled. It pounded the ground with its huge feet and its eyes glowed with eerie red light.
The monster took its time swinging its ugly club in a great arc, and Leo readied himself. The swing was monumental, the rushing air shrieking as the weapon swung through it.
The impact was brutal.
The blow shook Leo's entire body as he was knocked across the cave. The ground where he had stood shattered, dirt and rocks flying out like shrapnel.
He bounced repeatedly off the hard stone floor, and each time his bones echoed with the jarring impacts. When he finally struck the cavern wall, the collision left a dent as wide as himself.
Heavy dust covered the area.
Silence reigned.
Then came the sound of rubble crashing down.
The Orc Lord gripped its weapon tighter, digging its fingers deep into the handle. Through the dust, the Orc Lord noticed a flash of movement in the haze.
A menacing red haze started to surround the monster, its veins popping and crawling over its massive arms and body. It charged with explosive power toward Leo, leaving craters with every step. A white mist trailed behind them, the force of its movement displacing the heavy air.
Laughter.
Leo opened his mouth because he could not contain it as the monster approached at full speed. The thrill of the last hit was still moving through his blood.
No pain at all! He thought, elated.
His defense far surpassed that of a level 60 monster. And now he stood grinning like the devil, rising from the ruin with the thrill of battle coursing through his body.
Having proved his agility and stamina, Leo thought it was time to test his strength. He leaped and lunged forward, the motion so fast that the dust followed behind him in a trail.
The next thing he knew, he stood before the Orc Lord, moving in a smooth, precise manner.
The Orc Lord was charging forcefully. Its momentum left no room for maneuver. The only option left to it was to swing its massive weapon.
Leo braced.
Every muscle tensing.
Power surging through his arm. He could feel the air around him shift under the weight of that action, the pressure of his strength humming in his bones.