[ RED: AK… RUN. HE'S OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE. RUN! ]
"What?" AK froze, his eyes widening. "He's that strong?! We can't defeat him?"
[ RED: DON'T THINK, JUST RUN! ]
[ RED: HE… HE IS THE INCARNATION OF THE PRIMORDIAL BEING—'GARY.' ]
---
But it was already too late to run.
With incredible speed, the unknown man appeared right in front of AK, almost like he had teleported.
BAM!
A devastating punch slammed into AK's chest.
His body was sent flying, crashing hard into the wall like a ragdoll.
"Ugh!" Blood spilled from his mouth, dripping onto the cold dungeon floor.
His vision blurred, his limbs shaking, but AK forced himself to stand. His dagger trembled in his hand, but his resolve remained strong.
I can do this… I can defeat him, AK told himself. He must be at least a low D-rank. If I give up now, we're all dead.
---
The mysterious man turned his gaze toward Hazzy, his expression cold and merciless.
Hazzy raised his sword, ready to fight, but before the man could strike, Phaphy unleashed his Water Magic.
"Water Spear!" Phaphy shouted, sending a sharp, rotating spear of water hurtling toward the enemy.
At the same time, Ash charged forward, his shield raised high, his boots pounding against the stone floor.
"Hazzy, fall back! I'll protect you!" Ash roared.
The man stopped mid-step, his eyes narrowing. A dark, blood-red aura erupted around him, crackling like lightning.
---
The man's voice was filled with anger as he lifted his hand, casting a dark energy wave that rippled through the air.
BOOM!
Phaphy and Ash were both thrown back, crashing to the ground with bone-shattering force. They groaned, struggling to stand.
[ RED: AK! THIS IS BAD—HE'S USING A POWER GIVEN TO HIM BY THE PRIMORDIAL BEING, GARY! ]
AK's mind raced as he faced the chaos unfolding around him.
How are you able to talk right now? I thought you couldn't help while I'm fighting!
[ RED: I DON'T KNOW HOW, BUT FOCUS ON FIGHTING! IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I CAN TALK OR NOT. ]
"You're right. I'll deal with you later, you liar, weakest primordial being," AK muttered to himself as he prepared for the fight.
---
AK dashed forward, his Wolf Slayer dagger glowing faintly.
He aimed straight for the man's heart, but the man moved like a shadow, dodging effortlessly.
The dagger only sliced through empty air.
"Damn it!" AK cursed under his breath.
Hazzy leapt in beside him, his sword raised high.
"Then we'll take him together, AK! Stay close!"
Both AK and Hazzy stood shoulder-to-shoulder, weapons drawn, their breaths heavy but steady, determined to take down the formidable enemy.
---
The man finally spoke, his voice deep and mocking.
"You're weak. Pathetic. F-rank trash. How foolish to think you can defeat a D-rank. Prepare to die."
He tilted his head slightly, a cruel smile curling at the edges of his lips.
"My name is Shadman. Remember it in your last moments."
Shadman's bloodlust became so intense that it almost felt like the air itself was suffocating them.
"I have orders from my master, Gary, to kill every single one of you. And I do not disobey my master."
---
With a sudden burst of speed, Shadman charged toward them again.
His fists were a blur of motion, like a storm of iron crashing toward them.
"Move!" Hazzy shouted.
Both AK and Hazzy rolled to the side just in time, narrowly avoiding the punch that struck the stone wall with such force it cracked the surface like thin paper.
"Now!" AK yelled.
Hazzy slashed at Shadman's side while AK lunged at his back, their attacks perfectly synchronized.
CLANG!
The weapons collided, but the impact was barely felt. Their strikes barely scratched Shadman's skin, leaving only thin red lines.
Shadman smirked, his eyes filled with disdain.
"Is that all you've got?"
---
But before they could react, Shadman launched a heavy punch at both of them, knocking them backward. The force was so powerful it made AK and Hazzy feel dizzy, their vision swimming as they struggled to stand.
Is this it? Was I supposed to live a happy life only to lose it now? AK thought.
"No!" AK forced himself to stand, blood dripping from his lips. "This isn't the end!"
He turned to RED in his mind.
"Increase my level to 10! I'll pay you later with mana stones!"
[ RED: WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? LEVELING UP DOESN'T WORK LIKE A LOAN SYSTEM. ]
"Do it! Or I'll die here, and there will be no hope of stopping the great war. Trust me, I'll even pay you with interest."
[ RED: OK, THIS TIME ONLY. BUT I WILL INCREASE YOUR LEVEL NEXT TIME LIKE THIS.]
---
As soon as RED finished speaking, a system notification echoed in AK's mind.
[ LEVEL UP +10 ]
A wave of power surged through AK, and his stats skyrocketed.
[ PLAYER STATUS ]
Name: AK (Reincarnation of RED)
Level: 11
HP: 600/600
MP: 550/550
Title: Reincarnation of the Weakest Primordial Being Who Was Once the Strongest (RED)
Class: UNKNOWN
---
Stats:
Strength: 20
Agility: 20
Endurance: 20
Intelligence: 20
Dexterity: 20
Perception: 20
Luck: 25
Vitality: 20
Charm: 20
Resistance: 20
---
With his stats greatly enhanced, AK was now at the highest E-rank, but his enemy was still a low D-rank.
I can do this. I can win, AK thought. With Hazzy, Phaphy, and Ash, we can bring him down.
---
[ RED: YOU NEED TO PAY ME 30,000 MANA STONES. MAKE SURE TO PAY ME BEFORE YOUR DEATH.]
"What nonsense," AK muttered, grinning despite the odds. "I'm not going to die fighting some low D-rank nobody. I said I'll pay you with interest, so I'll pay you 33,000 mana stones."
---
Just then, Hazzy regained consciousness. He stood up slowly, still shaken, and saw AK glowing with an E-rank aura.
"How can someone become that strong in such a short amount of time?" Hazzy whispered to himself in awe.
---
As the fight continued, AK had collected enough mana stones during their previous battles to upgrade his weapon. The 1500 mana stones were enough to enhance his Wolf Slayer.
---
[ UPGRADE SUCCESSFUL ]
[ ITEM STATUS WINDOW ]
Item Name: Wolf Slayer
Rank: D (Common Tier Weapon)
Type: Dagger (One-Handed)
Attack Power: +25
Critical Rate: +7%
Attack Speed: +10%
Bonus Effect: +10% Damage Against Beast-Type Monsters
---
[ PASSIVE ABILITY ]
"Predator's Fang": Increases critical hit damage by 20% when targeting weak points of wolf-type creatures.
---
Description: A dagger forged from the fang of a dire wolf, tempered with silver alloy. Its blade is lightweight and sharp, designed to pierce through thick hides. Once wielded by a fallen hunter, it now thirsts for the blood of beasts.
---
Upgrade Potential: Can be enhanced up to Rank C with Mana Stones.
Next Upgrade Bonus: +10 Attack, +6% Critical Rate.
---
"What? I can upgrade it to C rank too?" AK thought. How much will it increase next time?
"Now it's time to fight a 1v1 battle," AK said, his eyes narrowing as he prepared for what would be the toughest fight of his life.
---
"Wow, you actually upgraded your weapon. What a waste of time for someone who's going to die," Shadman sneered.
And once again, their weapons collided. But this time, when they clashed, a massive shockwave erupted, sending a gust of wind through the room.
---
Hazzy was shocked. "What… just happened?"