I stood there for a mont, allowing my body to relax back a little, then turned and walked back toward where my sword had been thrown aside. The blade lay half-buried in the dirt, still stained, the edge chipped but intact enough for now. I bent down, pulled it free, and wiped it once against what remained of the orc's cloth before straightening again. My gaze shifted to the axe lying a short distance away and after a brief pause, I stepped over, picked it up, and tested its grip.
"It's heavy but usable."
Holding the sword in one hand and the axe in the other, I turned toward the statue.
I stepped across the stone boundary and moved straight toward the center, stopping just a few feet in front of the hooded figure.
I didn't hesitate.
Shifting my grip on the axe, I drew it back and brought it down in a full, controlled swing. The blade struck the statue with a heavy crack, the impact echoing outward as a fracture spread across the surface.
I pulled it back imdiately and struck again.
The second hit landed harder, deeper, widening the cracks as pieces of stone chipped away and fell to the ground.
On the third strike, I put everything into it. The axe ca down with full force, and this ti the statue couldn't hold.
It shattered.
Fragnts burst outward, breaking apart from the center as the entire statue collapsed, the hooded form disintegrating into pieces that scattered across the platform.
For a brief mont nothing happened.
Then a golden glow erged from the broken remains, faint at first before gathering into a concentrated form. It hovered for a fraction of a second, then surged forward, rushing straight toward before I could react.
It entered my body instantly. The effect was imdiate.
A chi echoed.
Then another.
Then a third.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level 9 → 12]
[Influence Points 50]
A rush of energy spread through , my body adjusting rapidly as the increase settled into place. The difference was clear, not just in strength but in how naturally everything aligned, as if the gap between intent and movent had shortened again.
Then suddenly sothing dropped onto the stone.
I looked down.
A small crystal lay among the broken fragnts, glowing faintly with a white light that pulsed continuously. I stepped forward and picked it up, the surface cool against my hand.
The mont I touched it, a notification appeared.
[Destroyer Path Detected]
[Generating Skill…]
A brief pause followed, then the window shifted.
[Skill Acquired]
[Impact Burst 1 (Active)(Uncommon)]
[Description: Releases a sudden, uncontrolled burst of energy generated through movent, allowing rapid acceleration in a straight line or explosive vertical displacent for jumps.]
Another rush of information flooded my mind about the skill and how to use it.
It was an uncommon skill and from the mories I could understand why it was so. I tightened my grip slightly around the crystal before the glow faded from it completely, leaving it inert in my hand.
[Warning! You have been Marked!]
Another notification popped up.
I shrugged. I had expected sothing like that but it was alright. I was not gonna skip quick level ups like that.
My gaze moved once more across the area, searching for anything I might have missed, but aside from the bloodstained pillar standing a short distance away, there was nothing left of value.
I walked over to it, and reached out to test it. The mont my hand made contact, the structure gave way without resistance, collapsing into fragnts as if whatever had sustained it had already been stripped away. The debris dropped at my feet, leaving nothing behind.
"That's disappointing," I muttered quietly, straightening up as I brushed the dust from my hand.
There was nothing more to take from here.
So I turned and moved forward again, stepping out of the clearing and back into the forest, the sword in one hand and the axe resting against my shoulder. The sounds of movent returned as I pushed deeper, the forest once again alive with distant echoes of creatures shifting through it, but none ca close imdiately.
Minutes passed.
Ten, maybe more.
The density of the forest shifted gradually, the ground sloping slightly downward as a new sound began to rise over everything else. At first, it was faint, barely noticeable against the background noise, but with each step, it grew clearer.
Water.
Flowing fast.
I adjusted my direction slightly, turning toward the source as the sound grew louder, the air cooling faintly as I approached. The trees began to thin again, opening into a narrow stretch where a stream cut through the land, clear water rushing over stone, reflecting light in constant motion.
I stepped closer.
The sight alone was enough to draw in after everything so far, and I crouched slightly, lowering myself toward the edge with the intent to drink, letting one hand move toward the water.
The mont I reached out, a notification appeared.
[You have entered Great Ape Territory]
[Great Ape was a Believer even before the System descended. The integration has granted it blessings from God Goldius.]
[Objective:]
→ Defeat Believer: Great Ape
→ Convert territory into Defier Safe Zone
[Warning: Target commands a small army of Great Apes]
Another notification followed imdiately.
[Warning! You have been Marked!]
"If anything, this just makes it easier," I muttered, shifting the axe slightly on my shoulder as I glanced around the area, scanning the tree line and the higher ground beyond the stream.
A territory, a leader and an army.
Which ant more experience, more Combat Points and more Influence.
"Its ti to grind." I smiled and opened my status to have a look at my stats.
[Status]
—-----------------------------------
Na: Ryan Heavens
Level: 12
Class: Unassigned(Destroyer)
Talent: Overdrive
Designation: Defier
Combat Points (CP): 110
Influence Points (IP): 60
Stats:
Vitality: 30
Strength: 40
Dexterity: 29
Intelligence: 19
Endurance: 19
—-----------------------------------
I could tell imdiately that Intelligence and Endurance were falling behind the rest, the gap not huge yet but noticeable enough to matter in longer fights where control and recovery would decide the outco. The problem was obvious. There were no free stat allocations to correct it, no flexibility in growth, just fixed increases tied to level progression, which ant I couldn't adjust it directly even if I wanted to.
I let out a quiet breath.
"There has to be a way around it," I thought, not slowing as I continued forward, my attention spread across the terrain, watching for any shift, any movent that might hint at what was coming next.
The forest didn't stay quiet for long.
A sharp crunch broke through the layered sounds around , sothing heavy pushing through the undergrowth just ahead, and I shifted my stance slightly as a figure erged from the bushes.
[Monster Great Ape – Level 7]
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