I charge at Glorius. He snorts and swats me aside with one hand, as if I'm nothing. I miss him completely.
"Again!" I snarl, forcing more strength into my swing. The scythe arcs around me, but pain flares hot in my ribcage, locking my body for a moment. That movement was too sudden.
"That's all you've got?" Glorius's voice drips with contempt. "With your mana core, you should be wielding terrifying magic, not flailing around with that scythe like some amateur brawler. Pathetic loser…"
His sword whips upward from below, smashing against the scythe's blade and knocking it high. His body blurs.
A heartbeat later, a kick slams into my left side—right into my ribs.
Crack.
Agony detonates from within. A sharp spear of pain drives into my lungs, each breath catching like fire in my chest. Every inhale and exhale feels like I'm trying to tear my own lungs out.
I feel my body flung to the side, sliding over the cold ground, but I don't let go of my scythe. Use it as a magic weapon instead of close combat?Is he mocking me? I don't have a single skill to work with! Damn it.
"Glorius! That's enough!" A familiar voice cuts through the tension—it's the guild master. "Who do you think you are, doing as you please in my territory?"
Heat floods through my trembling body, chasing away the cold that had sunk into my bones. Through my blurred vision, I see him approaching: hair and beard alight with flames, his long, thin sword wrapped in fire so intense the air itself wavers around it.
[Look here!]
A stabbing pain shoots through my head, forcing my gaze forward.
[While we have time, you must quickly power up and heal yourself if you want to survive this.]
Big boss…?
[Yes, yes—now quickly! Open your system screen, select your current Power Stones, and use them all at once. Hurry!]
Glorius isn't looking at me. This is my chance. I don't know what will happen if I use them, but I see the number glowing in my interface: [229]. All donations from readers so far. I select the option—[Use All].
[You're about to receive a temporary power boost lasting… five minutes. All injuries will be healed, and you will surpass your current limits. However, your Power Stones will be reset to 0. Are you sure you want to proceed?]
The warning makes my pulse quicken. If I'd known I could do this before, I would've used it without hesitation.
Yes. And fast! Darkness is already pressing in on my vision. A little longer and I'll be gone—maybe for good.
[Brace yourself, Author. The power of the readers is flooding into your veins. You are about to experience the strength of hundreds!]
The system's final message flashes, and then, everything stops. My heart slams against my chest, each beat so powerful it jolts me wide awake. My muscles surge, swelling with strength. My rib cage knits itself whole in the blink of an eye. My body feels weightless, like a feather in the wind.
The scythe in my hands hums, drinking in the surge. A white glow blooms across its surface, shrouded in a thin, swirling mist, as if even the air can't contain the power coursing through it.
I've never felt anything like this before.
Thank you, my dear readers… without you, I would have died here today.
This debt—I will repay with my life.
The system screen suddenly burns into my vision, flooding it with surging numbers. Every single stat skyrockets.
[Strength: 9] → {109}
[Defense: 10] → {110}
[Agility: 8] → {108}
[Mana: 14 {Comments aided: +11 mana}] → {114}
[Magic: 5] → {105}
[Stamina: 5] → {105}
[Attack: 5] → {105}
[Durability: 15] → {115}
|+100 to all stats from Power Stones (Temporary: 5 minutes)|
I see… so reader comments give me mana. Thank you. This will help me today and in the long run.
The screen shifts again, flashing bright before my eyes, and suddenly I can see them. Glorius's thoughts. The guild master's as well.
{Glorius's attention snapped to the terrifying presence of the Adventurer's Guild Master. This old man radiated mana like a burning sun… far beyond anything he'd expected. I'm not his match. If I fight him now, I'll lose. Just what is his true rank? He couldn't be D-rank or even C-rank—Glorius could nearly match those. He must be at least A-rank… Terrifying. Instinct screamed in the back of his mind, fight-or-flight already flaring. The man he'd been toying with moments ago was now nothing but dust in the corner of his thoughts. All his focus locked on the figure before him.}
{Aragon's mana core flared, flames roaring to life within him, letting his old bones taste the thrill of battle again after years of retirement. He advanced slowly, his blade glowing with heat, each step deliberate. Glorius met him with a strange look—half amusement, half tension—but Aragon's sharp eyes caught the truth: Glorius's back leg leaned subtly away, the stance of someone ready to run. I see… So all that bravado is only for the weak. When real power stands before you, you retreat. What a hero indeed. He should have seen it earlier—Glorius wasn't a hero. He was a bully who hunted easy prey, chasing empty glory. Aragon's resolve hardened. I'll cut him down here. Another hero can face the demon lord… perhaps… Quill?
His gaze slid sideways. In his heart, he had grown to respect the stubborn, humble youth. No matter the odds, Quill had chosen his friends over himself, shielding everything with his own body. That was the mark of a true hero. But when Aragon saw him now—standing—his heart skipped.}
{Pressure crashed into the room like a tidal wave. Glorius's eyes jerked toward Quill, and for the first time, fear hollowed him out. The man stood uninjured, aura surging skyward—matching his own, perhaps even surpassing it. Wind tore through the room, dust spiraling as the white mist around Quill's scythe devoured the air itself, rattling the walls. Then—he vanished.
What the fuck?! Where did he go?!
A cold needle stabbed into Glorius's throat, forcing his hand to clutch at it in panic. No air—none at all. Impossible… No… what is this? His mind reeled. This isn't good… His killing intent—it's like a thousand needles inside my throat, multiplying with every heartbeat. It burns like hell!}
With the surge of power flooding my veins, I move at a speed that's hard to control. But seeing Glorius flinch, that flicker of fear in his eyes, is all I needed. I stop beside the Guild Master, resting my palm on his shoulder.
"I've got this now. Please… let me handle it. And don't ask questions—I can't give you the answers anyway." My tone is respectful, and I see the hesitation in his eyes before he finally nods.
"Interesting… you keep surprising me, young one. I hope you can solve this yourself. I'll be in my office. If you need my help, just shout." He pats my head like I'm a kid, then vanishes in a single step. Even with my stats boosted this much, I can't follow his movements. This old man is dangerously strong…
But now…
"Let's settle this, Glorius." My voice carries, and he meets it with eyes full of hate and killing intent. "If you win today, I'll tell you everything you want to know. But if I win… You leave me alone and focus on beating the demon lord. Do that, and I'll reveal how I became like this to you. What do you say? Do we have a deal?" I smirk, feeling the power thrumming in my arms, my soul, my weapon.
"Fuck you… I'll just kill you here and now, and end this circus!" His sword is already in motion as he charges.
"I'll take that as a yes, then." I brace myself, and the world vanishes in a blur of motion. The air itself bends around us, compressed into a sharp, ringing silence before it breaks.
BOOM!!
The hall detonates with white and gold light. Windows explode outward in a rain of glass, the shockwave ripping through every corner. The floor quakes beneath our feet, dust and shards spinning in the cyclone of our clash. My scythe screams against his sword, the impact echoing like thunder trapped inside stone walls.