For the first time since the start of the fight, Axel smiled.
Axel's blood pumped like a war drum in his ears, a deep, rhythmic beat that was louder than the ambient noise of the forest. Everything seemed to become clearer to him. The greens of the leaves, the glints of rusted metal, the reeking stench of goblin breath, it all slammed into his senses with extreme clarity.
It was like he suddenly switched from 480p to 4k.
His grip on the dull knife tightened, he could feel strength flowing through his veins, almost intoxicating but he didn't let the sudden rush of power get to his head.
The first goblin to lunge at him never saw the counter coming. Axel sidestepped with undetectable speed, grabbed the creature by the back of its filthy neck, and slammed his forehead into a nearby trunk. Its scream was silenced by a wet crunch echoed through the clearing. The goblins dead corpse slid down the trunk, leaving a trail of blood.
[+6 Brutality Points]
A notification chimed, Axel wisely chose to ignore it, focused on the current task at hand.
Another goblin came from his flank, a crude stone hammer raised high, ready to cave his skull in. Axel turned, twisted his hips, and drove his unarmored elbow into the goblin's jaw before it could even bring the weapon down. The bone's of the goblin shattered like brittle wood.
The others hesitated now, their yellow eyes narrowing, their earlier glee faltering. They had expected a easy fight. They hadn't expected a predator.
Axel smirked, blood dripping down the cut on his cheek, it was wild, feral. The goblins had a internal conflict, their fear clashing with their instinctual hatred of humanity, but in the end, monsters were still monsters.
A goblin at the back screeched something in its native dialect, and like a pack of starving wolves, they surged forward again, renewed.
It was a slaughter, the only reason he was losing without [Tempered Rage] was because he was surprised and unfocused, needing some time to adjust to the situation, now that he was not and adding in the attribute buff from his skill...
The goblins stood no chance.
He moved like a machine oiled for battle, his sheer brutality and attribute diff was enough to cover his lack of experience in an actual life and death battle.
The sound of system notifications flooded his ears as he systematically dispatched the goblins, one by one, at the end of the battle, 7 goblins laid in the clearing, the rest ran away like cowards.
His eyes scanned the goblin corpses. Crude weapons, filthy gear, scraps of leather armor. Primitive, but maybe… useful. He crouched beside one of the dead ones and pried its short-sword from its stiffening fingers. Rusty. Jagged. But sharper and with more reach than his knife.
"Congratulations," he said dryly to the corpse, twirling the blade. "Your death just made me slightly less pathetic."
He checked the others, gathering a quiver with a handful of arrows, though he didn't have a bow cause the goblin bows were too small for him. Along with a small pouch with something that smelled strongly of fermented meat. He grimaced from the strong smell. 'In no timeline whatsoever am I eating that.'
If there were goblins, there were other things too, who knows what else was out there, considering that he was in a fantasy world of some type, there were probably monsters much stronger than some measly goblins.
'Better keep moving,' Axel thought, tightening the strap on his satchel and slipping the goblin dagger into his belt. He gave the clearing one last look. Blood, broken bodies, and a faint trail leading deeper into the woods.
Maybe it led to their camp, maybe it led to something worse, or maybe, it will lead to civilization.
He started his trek, scanning the system interface while doing so, but remembering to stay alert.
[Berserker System]
(System Shop)
(Rune Workshop)
[Skill Tree]
Current Skills:
[Tempered Rage Lv.1] (Active)
Brutality Points: 38
-Brutal Finisher (+2)
-Kill streak (6x) (+6)
Skill Points: 2
hmm, it seems that the more brutal the kill, the more brutality points he got.
He was bit lost on what he could do with them though so he tried something, 'System, display knowledge on what Brutality Points can do'
[Brutality Points]
A type of currency used by the system in the shop, can also be used to create runes int he workshop, for temporary buffs, or you can even exchange them for Skill Points.
That was...
Surprisingly helpful actually, he tinkered with the system a bit more out of curiosity before coming up with some information, the system was semi-sentient.
It could answer questions about its functions and uses but can't do anything outside of that, it can't and won't hold a conversation unless he's asking questions about it's functions
It was starting to look more like those isekai tropes that his little sister used to excitedly tell him about. At the thought of her, he smiled fondly.
'I hope she's doing okay', He thought in sadness.
But now's not the time to brood, he was stuck in a completely different reality for all he knew. He would try to find a way to get back once he got back to a meaningful form of civilization.
Meanwhile, he decided to check the skill tree for anything of use.
Accessing Skill Tree...
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[Berserker Skill Tree]
Physicality
This branch focus on raw physical power: Strength, Speed, Mobility, and everything in between.
Instinct
This branch taps into the primal side of human awareness: Reaction, Timing, and Intuition sharpened to a blade's edge, its not about thinking, it's about reacting to danger before it strikes, reading intent in movement, and moving on instinct.
Endurance
This branch represent the body's capability to withstand, not just survive, but keep fighting through the pain, exhaustion, and injuries. This is the last line of defense if your instinct fails.
Carnage
This branch embodies the heart of a berserker: aggression, brutality, and bloodlust. This branch has skills that allow the user to hit harder, break faster, and burn brighter the closer he is to violence.
Axel blinked, then snorted. 'Alright I'll bite.'
His Instincts and Endurance are already more than enough from his years as a MMA champion, what he truly lacked was the ability to damage monster's effectively, all he had was a rusted short sword and his base human strength so naturally, he chose physicality.
He focused on physicality, willing it to show it's contents, the words unfolded like a tree unfurling its branches. Lines connected glowing nodes, some lit up a bright white while others were marked red seemingly locked away.
Physicality
[Tempered Rage Tier 1] (Active) (Unlocked)
> Increases overall physical strength, speed, and reflexes by 30% for a short duration, surpassing the duration will lead to inverse effects on user's body.
[Battle Rush Tier 1] (Passive) (Locked)
> Gives a 10% strength boost in a battle or confrontation, stacks with other buffs.
[Focused Strike Tier 1] (Active) (Locked)
> When activated, user channels rage, strength, and mana into a single, precise blow. Greatly increases the impact and penetration of the next physical attack.'
[Crimson Dash Tier 1]
> A high speed, high momentum, movement technique born from aggression and predatory instinct. When activated, the body releases a explosive surge of power through the legs, launching the user in any desired direction.
...
The list seemed to extend forever as Axel scanned through every skill that he could find, trying to look for one that was the most beneficial for his current situation, until he finally found what he was looking for.
[Hardened Frame Tier 1] (Passive) (Locked) - (Unlocked)
A low-level physical enhancement that strengthens the body's natural structure through forced adaptation. The muscles become slightly denser, joints stabilize, and bones become more resistant to strain. It doesn't turn the user into a tank just yet but it makes the body a good base for future enhancement and upgrades.
He spent one skill point on the [Hardened Frame] skill before spending his last skill point on a skill that would finally help him find civilization.
[Hunter's Intuition Tier 1] (Active) (Locked) - (Unlocked)
Gives the user a primal awareness that heightens the user's senses and ability to read their surroundings. Alongside heightened perception, this skill feeds the user basic tracking knowledge.
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Edit: Lets go baby!!! 1=100 Collection ratio!!! Idk if thats good or bad, can a reader enlighten me on whats a good collection to view ratio?