Having secured his immediate surroundings and understanding the mechanics of the War God System, Archelius knew he couldn't remain confined to the grotto. The tunnels were too narrow and the XP yield too low. He needed to reach higher ground to gain a tactical overview of the terrifying landscape of Aethelgard.
He emerged from the grotto, breathing in the dense, sulfurous air. The bruise-colored sky still roiled with faint green lightning, and the distant, colossal mountains loomed like silent titans.
He began his ascent, using the shattered, jagged ridge as his path. His enhanced Strength and Endurance made the climb far easier than any physical challenge he faced at the Royal Academy. He used Sprint Burst strategically to clear steep sections, conserving his Core Power.
As he climbed, the environment changed. The lower obsidian path gave way to higher rock formations that were sharper and covered in thin, metallic dust. The local fauna also became stronger.
[Threat Detected: Low-Rank Razor Hounds]
[Level: 8]
[Level: 8]
Archelius encountered two Razor Hounds patrolling a narrow ledge. They were canine-like creatures with matted, dark fur and bone plates protruding from their backs and legs. They moved with predatory grace.
Archelius knew a direct, unassisted fight against two Level 8 creatures would be reckless. He needed the element of surprise.
He activated War God's Strike on his dagger, coating it in brilliant silver energy, and initiated a Sprint Burst to close the distance instantly.
He lunged at the closest Hound, driving the energized dagger deep into its flank.
YELP!
The creature crumpled, the concentrated System energy overwhelming its defenses.
[Razor Hound (Level 8) Defeated. XP Gained: 80.]
The second Hound reacted instantly, turning with shocking speed and snapping its jagged teeth at Archelius's exposed throat.
Archelius brought his arm up instinctively. The creature's teeth scraped harmlessly against the defense provided by his Iron Skin. He felt a jarring impact, but no pain.
He used the fraction of a second the Hound was stunned to pivot and execute a quick, brutal War God's Fist to the creature's head.
THWACK!
The focused impact of the punch shattered the Hound's skull.
[Razor Hound (Level 8) Defeated. XP Gained: 80.]
[Total XP: 170/400. Core Power: 92/100 (Remaining).]
One-shot kills are the key to efficiency, Archelius noted, deactivating the Strike. The thrill of battle was becoming a cold, calculated methodology.
He continued his climb, reaching a high plateau where the sulfurous air was slightly thinner, and the view was immense.
The Vision of the Divine
From the high plateau, Archelius could finally grasp the true scale of Aethelgard. In the distance, the chaotic, central storm was even more terrifying—a swirling vortex of black, red, and green energy that seemed to consume the light.
Closer, stretching across the desolate plain, he saw structures—not natural rock formations, but colossal, ruined temples, half-buried in ash and slag. They were built on a scale that dwarfed the Royal Academy, clearly the remnants of a destroyed civilization.
As he stared at the center of the storm, the System abruptly seized his vision again.
[Warning: Proximal Divine Energy Signature Detected. Scanning...]
The sky above the central storm fractured, and Archelius's mind was assaulted by a terrifying, momentary vision.
He saw four immense, spectral beings—each one radiating power that felt like a cosmic explosion.
A towering figure wreathed in violet light, holding seven shifting blades of pure energy Lord Lami, God of the Divine Seven Swords.
A colossal entity of black shadow and icy vapor, whose touch seemed to erase the ground—Lord Levi, God of Eternal Destruction.
A monstrous, multi-limbed creature with the head of a raging lion and the body of a serpent—Lord Lija, God of the Beast Nation.
A humanoid figure with eyes of liquid flame, surrounded by an army of horned, terrifying warriors—Lord Leka, God of the Demon Race.
These were the Lords—the divine powers of this world, trapped in some eternal, devastating conflict.
[System Note: User's Ascension Path will inevitably intersect with these Divine Entities.]
The vision vanished, leaving Archelius dizzy and breathless. He was a mere mortal, a boy who couldn't cycle mana, now tasked by a mysterious System to ascend to the level of these cosmic forces. The sheer audacity of the mission was terrifying.
I am a Level 3 fighter, and I am supposed to fight gods, he thought, gripping his dagger until his knuckles were white.
The knowledge, however, focused his fear into a cold resolve. He had no choice but to push forward.
The Shadow Stalker
Archelius spent the next hour clearing the plateau of scattered Level 6 Golem Fragments—slow, easy XP targets. He reached Level 4 and immediately invested his new Skill Point into enhancing his core combat ability.
[War God's Fist (Rank F) Upgraded to Rank F+. Cost: 1 Skill Point.]
[Damage Multiplier increased from 2x to 3x. Core Power cost remains 5.]
His single devastating punch was now even more potent. He was ready to leave the plateau and seek out larger, more organized targets in the ruins below.
As he prepared to descend, the air behind him subtly shifted. There was no sound, no scent of sulfur, only a chilling void where air should be.
[Warning: Stealth Threat Detected. Level 12.]
The System's warning flashed critically late, indicating the enemy possessed a high-level stealth ability.
Archelius spun around, activating both War God's Strike and Sprint Burst simultaneously. He saw nothing.
But he felt it—a sudden, deep, agonizing cut across his back.
[Health: 75/100. Bleeding: Minor.]
He collapsed onto one knee, roaring in shock and pain. His Iron Skin had mitigated the damage, but the blow had still cut deep.
He used the Sprint Burst to roll frantically away, creating space between himself and the unseen enemy.
The enemy didn't immediately follow. It was waiting, patient and deadly.
[Threat Identified: Shadow Stalker. Level 12. Stealth Master.]
A Level 12 stealth enemy—three times his level—was hunting him. And it knew how to exploit his blind spots.
Archelius pushed himself back onto his feet, the pain a sharp, necessary reminder of his vulnerability.
"Show yourself!" he yelled into the thin, metallic air.
The only reply was the faint scraping of metal on rock, emanating from three different directions at once. The Stalker was using sonic deception, confusing his already strained senses.
He knew he couldn't beat a high-level stealth enemy by searching. He had to force it to attack, and he had to use his greatest weapon: the overwhelming power of the War God's Fist.
Archelius deactivated War God's Strike to conserve power. He stood still, exposing his front, waiting for the killing blow.
He focused his senses, not on sight or sound, but on the slightest ripple in the magical energy. He knew the Stalker had to break stealth for the kill.
The attack came from his left—a sudden condensation of shadows into a thin, skeletal humanoid figure wielding a wicked, hooked claw.
The Stalker lunged, aiming for his exposed heart.
In the microsecond the Stalker broke stealth, Archelius unleashed his upgraded, terrifying punch.
He didn't aim for the chest. He aimed for the center of the Stalker's sudden visibility—the source of its stealth field.
BOOM!
The War God's Fist connected, the Rank F+ silver energy ripping through the Stalker's dense magical field and into its thin frame.
The sheer, focused power was apocalyptic. The Shadow Stalker was utterly vaporized, leaving behind only a faint wisp of black smoke and a single, strange artifact.
[Shadow Stalker (Level 12) Defeated.]
[XP Gained: 120. Total XP: 290/800.]
[Core Power: 87/100 (Remaining).]
Archelius stumbled, the adrenaline crashing. He had survived. But he was severely wounded, bleeding through his ruined Academy uniform.
He grabbed the small, smooth, metallic artifact left by the Stalker.
[New Material Acquired: Shadow Essence (Minor). Stealth Properties Detected.]
He needed to heal, and he needed a plan to get off this dangerous plateau. The fight had drawn attention.
But first, he needed to allocate the XP and prepare for the inevitable arrival of the next threat. He was alive, wounded, and stronger than ever before.