(From now on Overclocked Physiology will be named Combat Physique. I accidentally used the wrong stat screen from a previous draft of this. The different effects will be explained soon. 1900 words for ya headtop. Only chapter for today, happy 4/20, Happy Easter More Importantly! If you believe in him, don't forget to offer gratitude to God today, if not then just scratch your nuts/genitalia (I don't judge) and read as usual. Also, I won't be uploading on weekdays unless I'm in a really good mood. Senioritis already is bad enough during the week, I don't need the added stress of self-imposed and solicited deadlines that I can't be mad at because I asked for them causing me more. Anyways, please add the book to your collections, take a chance on it, I won't ask for stones because my work will do that for me, hopefully. Happy Reading if you're a new reader, thanks for coming back if you're returning.)
His body blurred forward. A punch cracked the air, and a shadowy figure exploded, yes, it wasn't dismembered or mutilated in any way, it just simply exploded. The pitch black ichor of the Shadowy beasts spraying onto his body as he completely eviscerated his foe.
For every shadow he struck down, another snapped at his flank.
He swiftly pivoted on his heel sensing the incoming maw of a shadow behind him. He sidestepped and gracefully spun around the shadow using the momentum from its attack.
CRACK
A deafening crack resounded as Kendrick shoved his whole hand through the back of the shadow before gripping its spine and spinning into another Shadow approaching, using its ally against it like a club, sending it flying into the forest to never be seen again. As he was done with his "weapon" he sent it flying into a group of 3 shadows flanking from his right.
CRASH
All four of the shadows tumbled into the ground and into their packmates behind them. The original shadow wolf narrowed its eyes as it stared at Kendrick.
The pack hesitated for a moment after witnessing the ruthless ways of Kendrick, as he dispatched six of their best hunters with little to no effort.
Kendrick, noticing their hesitance, used this time to look down at a stick that had fallen to his feet in the midst of the battle. Bending down to grab the stick, he took a reverse hold stance on the stick as he entered a stance.
CRACKLE
The air around him became active with static as his aura intensified around him, condensing into a more precise version, almost as if it had gained a medium to focus its raw power through.
The wolves noticing his power up understood they could wait no longer. Just as Kendrick settled into his stance they all swarmed him from all directions at once, this time planning to use numbers to overwhelm Kendrick. However, they failed to understand the type of beast the system had unleashed upon them.
His eyes slowly scanned the wolves trying to determine the first one to reach him. He suddenly pulled a swift one 180, using the momentum from the turn to stab the blade through the eye of a shadow into its cerebrum as it fizzled out of existence.
He ducked and rolled under two consecutive swipes before swiftly kicking back up to his feet and somersaulting over a maw waiting to snap down on him.
Landing atop his prey, he dispatched it with precision and intention. This was no longer a tutorial to him, but a hunt.
POV Change
As my body soared through the air and I felt the warm, misty breath of the shadow under me as it attempted to snap at me in the air, desperate to get its vengeance for the death of its pack mates. For a moment, as I glided through the air like a fairy, my increased perception and cognition in battle slowing down time for me, I felt at peace. Blissful, for a moment. Then gravity reminded me I was in battle.
As I began to descend, I snapped down to the shadow beneath me and performed a delicate landing that should be impossible to me, but it felt like breathing. Easy, natural, I didn't even have to think about it.
The twig, enforced by my God of Combat Physique's natural aura, easily penetrated the skull of the shadowy mass underneath me. Black ichor sprayed up into the air, threatening to drench me, but I was already on the move.
A slash. A stab. A roundhouse kick. A chokeslam. At one point I shattered a shadow's jaw and yanked one of its fangs out and began to slaughter its packmates with it. Before long I had wiped every wolf out, except for the Alpha that stayed behind all this time.
Then, it stepped into the clearing.
The Alpha.
Twice as tall as the others. Horns of dark bone curled over its head. Its eyes bled a color Kendrick couldn't name. It was like the essence of blood. Crimson and burgundy seemed like childsplay in comparison to the thick, viscous pools of rage that the beast called eyes.
It growled.
Kendrick responded by raising his fists.
Arrogance and rage flooded my mind as I stared at the being that had just made me want to wet my pants and decline the assumption I was courting death. I would later find out this was caused by my skills' nature.
I and the Shadow Alpha came to an understanding in those three seconds we silently faced off. I could see it in its eyes and it could see that I could see it.
This fight would be bountiful for either one of us.
But brutal.
We both took off and clashed in the middle of the field, the shockwave of flesh meeting paw causing a shockwave so strong it reversed the flow of the rain near us for half a second.
This one clash let me know, this monster was on a whole other level compared to the wolves from before.
We were in a standstill as we clashed over and over. The blows from our clashes constantly ravaged my bones as they creaked under the exertion they were experiencing. I waited patiently though, through the pain. My Combat Mastery working its wonders, even at level 1. Actually, all of my skills were unusually effective for level 1. I wonder why.
I finally saw an opening as the beast made a mistake, one wide swing of its paw.
I immediately sidestepped the paw and used my momentum to push within its guard from the outside of its leg. My eyes brightened as I could see victory ahead of me. But then, my instincts screamed, I felt it before I realized what was happening. Then I blacked out.
'Dots. Dust? Stars? Oh, nevermind, I'm just recovering from almost losing consciousness.', I thought as I stirred awake. The cunning little shit had caught me with a feint. Who knew beasts could use strategy?
I immediately tried to flip over onto my feet, but I found the task oddly hard for the first time since I gained Stamina Engine.
My breathing was heavy. Knees shaking. I dropped to one knee and punched the dirt to keep from falling face-first.
I realized it wasn't stamina that was my problem, my body just had simply never been hit that hard. It barely was withstanding the shock. My enhanced physique worked double time to knit my cracked ribs together as I stood there contemplating.
"Alright, you mindless mutt" I said as it slowly stalked me, like prey, inching closer and closer. I flexed my empty hands into fists, as I decided to use my current trump card. Realizing after that strike, this truly was life or death. My arrogance from my skill completely gone, and surprisingly replaced by an unusually cool head. "I'm gonna make do on my promise now."
I flexed my toes into the ground as I leaned forward, activating one of my skills, Battlefield Devourer. A red aura poured out across the battlefield, highlighting the now stationary battle essences of my previous foes. All of a sudden they all vacuumed towards me.
I felt my power balloon into new heights as I devoured the essence on the battlefield to give myself a boost. Usually permanent, but unluckily this was the tutorial, which is why I also don't level up.
I looked up and locked eyes with the now still beast, as it narrowed its eyes at me. Its claws extended even further as it dug into the ground and every muscle in its legs tensed. It was preparing to blitz me faster than it had moved before, I could feel it. This would be the most dangerous attack I had faced so far.
But for some reason…I didn't feel any kind of uneasiness. Only pure confidence and concentration.
BOOM
It shot off without warning, not daring to wait for me this time after sensing the newfound power I held. Seems the monsters of this world didn't follow cliche rules. Good to know.
I watched its advance, somehow perceiving its enhanced movement due to my now further enhanced perception.
1.5 seconds until contact, I precisely calculated with my battle instincts.
I prepared myself, stance widening as I completely concentrated. Eyes never leaving the legs of the beast. I slowly exhaled, making room for the full mobility of arms and tightening my core.
1.0 seconds until contact.
Not yet.
The air around me shook at the unrestrained presence of the Alpha currently planning to bulldoze me, probably thinking I was frozen in fear at this point. Little did it know.
Not yet.
0.5 seconds until contact.
Now.
I raised my right fist and cocked it back, before activating my skill.
[Ruin Knuckle Activated]
Crimson, ancient runes surrounded by fist before condensing around my arm like a gauntlet of battle aura.
The alpha, not noticing anything different and already being too far in its advance to make any changes, decided to meet his swing head on with a slash from its extended claws.
0.1 seconds until contact.
Then–
POV Change
BOOM
CRACK
A shockwave boomed across the field, flattening the first three rows of trees, and then a crack resounded as a circular hole appeared in the space behind the spectral wolves leg, or at least where it had been just seconds before it received a devastating strike, that quite literally obliterated ¼ of the alpha's body, and that was only due to purposeful misdirection. Kendrick had a promise to keep.
He slowly crept to the injured alpha leaning against a halfway destroyed tree.
It looked him in his eyes as he stopped in front of it, a new realization flowing through its almost intelligent eyes.
'I was never the predator.'
If it could think that would be its thought. It closed its eyes as it accepted its fate.
Kendricks arms rose over his head as his arm erected a shadow over the wolves closed eyes, before a sharp squelch followed by the shattering of bone rung into the surroundings.
Slowly, Kendrick pulled the Alpha's pitch black, slightly twitching heart out of what was left of its chest.
"I always keep my promises." he said, as he thoughtfully looked at the heart before tossing it away. Not like he could keep it anyway.
[Quest Complete.] [Tutorial: Success.][Reward: All unlocked skills level +5, Wish from ??? (Due to being an inhabitant of a planet imbued with ???'s soul.)]
White light consumed the forest. No warmth. Just endless, blinding purity.
He blinked—and he was back.
Same stone cell.
Same stench.
Same four walls.
[Beginner System Interface Now Available.][UI: Mental Command-Based. System Panels Include: Status, Class, Inventory, Quests, Notifications, Map, Communications Network (Locked.), and System Store (Locked.)]
[System Finalized.]
[Congratulations, and Welcome, Kendrick 'Vale' Harvey.]
He exhaled.
Then he froze.
Footsteps.
Slow. Deliberate.
From the hallway outside his cell.
He looked up.
The dark beyond the bars watched him back.
Someone—or something—was coming.
"You've gotta be shitting me." he said, his voice laced with frustration after the battle he had just gone through.
[Quest Initiated.]
[Welcome to Eleanor.]