Chapter 14: Unleashing the Rage!
Rage.
A primal emotion capable of driving a man into situations he would never wish upon himself. In its grip, one loses control over reason, emotions, and restraint—becoming a slave to its burning flame.
Often, rage ends in ruin, leaving only regrets that last a lifetime. Yet this time, things were different for Aydin.
He was not enraged at the world, but at the treacherous nature of humankind itself. He seethed at the deceit, the hypocrisy, and those contemptuous eyes that once looked down upon him.
Standing motionless, Aydin drew a deep breath, forcing himself to calm. His gaze drifted from the surviving remnants of the rabbit army to the mangled corpses strewn across the ground, bathed in crimson pools of blood.
The sight pulled him back into the memory of that cursed day—one he could never forget. The gossip, the whispers that smeared his family's name, echoed once more in his mind.
He knew, beyond doubt, that his family had been innocent. Yet, in this moment, that truth did little to ease the storm within him.
The memories felt alive, fresh, as though they were unfolding now. Veins bulged along his neck and temples; his eyes burned with a savage glare. If anyone dared approach, they would see a man on the brink of eruption.
But none of those people remained alive for him to vent his fury upon. That city had long since become their graveyard. Instead, what stood before him was a horde of monstrous rabbits—invaders, marauders.
They would suffice.
He would empty his wrath upon them.
*Swoosh!*
Aydin moved with inhuman speed—like a missile tearing through the air—appearing suddenly in front of the nearest group of rabbits. He didn't bother to wield the iron rod in his grip. Instead, he drove his fist directly into a face.
*Crack!*
The sound of bones shattering rang out. The rabbit's skull caved as though crushed beneath an unbearable weight, and its body was flung back, smashing into the ruins of a building. Every bone inside it crumbled into dust.
Aydin didn't stop. With brutal precision, he kicked another rabbit in the stomach, folding it in half, and then struck yet another where it hurt most. The sickening crunch of shattering eggs echoed mercilessly.
Three strikes. Three kills.
"Hahaha! This is fun!"
His laughter was wild. Fearless now, Aydin charged into the fray, a lone storm tearing through the enemy lines. He needed no allies, no support—just his speed, his fists, and his fury.
On the other side, his summoned skeleton was holding its ground, doing just as well in its own grim way.
The undead warrior faced them without hesitation. Surrounded from all sides, it advanced with neither fear of pain nor dread of death—after all, it was already dead.
With a sinister swing of its blade, the skeleton invoked its skill:
[Bone Slash]!
*Swoosh!*
"kikikiki"
The jawbone rattled, forming a grotesque grin as it laughed with a chilling, hollow sound.
Splatter!
A rabbit soldier was sliced diagonally, from its left arm through chest and liver, exiting through its right hand. Entrails and blood gushed forth like a waterfall.
The other rabbits recoiled in horror before swarming all at once, attacking from every side.
The skeleton unleashed another [Bone Slash], but this time four rabbit soldiers intercepted the blow. A fifth slipped past, severing the skeleton's arm and sending its sword clattering to the ground.
Unfazed, the undead triggered its second skill: [Bone Fist]!
Boom!
Its remaining fist collided with one of the rabbits, blasting it into a nearby structure. The impact crumpled the creature's body and shattered the building in a thunderous collapse.
*Crack!*
*Crash!*
Dust billowed as rubble buried the mangled corpse beneath.
Then, with eerie calm, the skeleton retrieved its severed arm and reattached it.
A faint golden glow radiated from the fracture, swirling in delicate spirals as though invisible threads were stitching the wound. Slowly, the arm reconnected—whole again.
"…!?"
Aydin froze, startled. Not shocked, but certainly bewildered.
"That's… [Healing]?"
How could an undead creature—something rejected by holiness itself—wield a sacred skill meant to purify and restore?
"Strange," he muttered under his breath. Yet he didn't linger on the thought. If his summon could use healing, then it was nothing short of a blessing.
*Crack!*
Aydin crushed another rabbit's skull with his bare hands before stepping back, surveying the aftermath.
Over eighty rabbit soldiers lay scattered, their blood soaking the battlefield in a macabre sea of red.
Exhaling deeply, he dropped the iron rod, exhaustion creeping over him. His eyes turned toward his summon, still locked in combat with the last of the enemy.
It felt almost like two workers finishing their assigned tasks—one waiting while the other wrapped up his share.
The battle dragged on, a war of attrition.
*Cut!*
*Heal!*
*Cut!*
*Heal!*
The skeleton was held back by the rabbits' coordinated tactics. But this was no ordinary being. It knew neither fatigue nor fear. As long as Aydin supplied even the faintest fragment of energy, it would fight without end.
In truth, the drain on Aydin was negligible—barely a fraction of a fraction of his power. The real cost of summoning lay in the initial act: opening the gate between worlds, demanding at least ten percent of his energy depending on the rank and number of summons.
Once present, however, the summon could remain indefinitely, tethered by only the faintest trickle of power. After all, it was an intruder from another realm.
…
Minutes passed in relentless combat until, at last, the skeleton cleaved down the final rabbit.
*Fwoooom!*
Suddenly, a suffocating pressure erupted where the rabbit world's portal had stood. Aydin watched as the gate twisted violently, as though crushed from all directions.
*Boooom!*
A deafening explosion rattled heaven and earth. Space itself seemed to freeze, the portal distorting and flickering until its light dimmed, fading, shrinking—
*Swoosh!*
And then… it was gone.
"Vanished?!"
The gate disappeared entirely, leaving nothing behind but the crater where it had fallen from the sky.
Yet before Aydin could process the sight, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
> [Ding! You have destroyed the world's first portal. Title earned: Gatebreaker!]
[Ding! You are the first to slay a magical creature. Reward: chance to obtain a Legendary Skill!]
[Ding! You have annihilated an army alone. Title earned: Will of the Masses!]
[Ding! You have inherited the achievements of your foes!]
[Ding! Acquired skills: Piercing Thrust (Lv. 4), Rabbit's Leap (Lv. 7).]
"…"
Words failed him. He wanted to speak, but where could he even begin? The strange voice echoing through his mind? The bizarre titles? The unexpected skills now his to wield?
He could only sigh.
*"Hooooh…"*
Drawing in a deep breath, Aydin steadied himself. Panic and confusion would do him no good.
Instead, his gaze shifted to the shimmering screen before him—alive with pulsating letters, waiting to be read.