The berserk potion surged deeper into Arjun's veins, and with it came power—raw, overwhelming power.
But it came with a price.
Every movement felt like he was forcing open doors that were never meant to be opened. His muscles trembled under the strain. His joints burned. Even breathing felt heavy, like his ribs were grinding against each other.
This isn't natural, he realized. I'm pushing past my limit.
When the potion reached full effect, he didn't wait.
He moved first.
The ground cracked beneath his foot as he launched forward, sword coated thickly in mana. But this time, the mana wasn't the usual transparent shimmer.
It was red.
Not bright crimson—but a deep, blood-tinged hue that flickered violently around the blade.
The wolf's pupils shrank.
Arjun closed the distance in an instant and brought his sword down in a diagonal strike.
The wolf reacted on instinct, raising its claws to block—
CLANG—
No.
Not clang.
There was no resistance.
The blade sliced clean through the wolf's hardened claws as if cutting through soaked wood. Severed pieces spun through the air, spraying dark blood across the forest floor.
Arjun's strike didn't slow.
The wolf's instincts screamed danger. At the very last second, it twisted its body desperately to the side.
The blade missed its neck by a hair's breadth.
But it didn't escape unscathed.
The sword carved across its abdomen in a brutal arc, tearing through fur, flesh, and muscle. A deep gash split open its side.
The wolf let out a distorted, pained howl.
Blood poured freely—from its severed claws and from the massive wound across its stomach. Steam rose where the hot blood hit the cold forest air.
Arjun landed heavily, sliding a step forward, breathing ragged.
His arms trembled—not from fear, but from the violent force he had just unleashed.
The wolf staggered backward, legs shaking, eyes now filled not with arrogance—but with fear.
Arjun lifted his sword again, red mana raging around it like unstable fire.
He could feel the potion burning through his body, tearing him apart from the inside.
One more, he thought coldly.
I just need one more clean strike.
This time, the wolf didn't hesitate.
The moment survival instinct overpowered rage, it turned and bolted into the forest, crashing through shrubs and low branches in blind desperation.
Arjun didn't chase immediately.
Instead, he slowed.
He lifted his left hand to the back of his head and shifted his grip, holding the sword in reverse. His breathing was heavy. His vision pulsed faintly red at the edges.
Running… after all that? he thought coldly.
Mana surged violently into his arm. He compressed it—not evenly like before, but brutally, forcing it into the blade until it vibrated in his grip.
The red glow intensified.
Without taking another step, Arjun twisted his torso and hurled the sword.
The weapon tore through the air like a streak of crimson lightning.
The wolf didn't even have time to look back.
THUD.
The blade plunged straight through its back, piercing through muscle and bone, driving it forward and pinning it against the trunk of a massive tree. The impact shook the bark, leaves raining down around them.
The wolf twitched once.
Then went still.
Arjun exhaled shakily.
He rushed forward, boots sinking into the damp earth. Gripping the sword's handle, he pulled it free in one smooth motion. The wolf's body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
He ignored the system message flashing in his mind.
Without wasting time, he stored the corpse inside his storage bag.
Then he closed his eyes.
Just for a few seconds.
The berserk potion was fading. Pain flooded back in waves. His muscles trembled uncontrollably.
His eyes snapped open.
Without looking back at the battlefield, Arjun bolted deeper into the forest.
Arjun ran until his lungs burned and the forest blurred around him.
The berserk potion's aftereffects were crashing down hard now. Every step felt heavier than the last. His vision wavered—but he forced himself forward.
He activated his enhanced senses, letting mana ripple outward in faint waves. He searched for the closest familiar presence.
There.
A signature he knew better than anyone else.
Mom.
He changed direction immediately.
After pushing through a cluster of dense shrubs, he saw her ahead—Divya locked in combat with a hulking, boar-like monster, its tusks coated in hardened bark. She was circling carefully, mana gathering in her palm, waiting for an opening.
"Almost…" she muttered under her breath.
The beast charged.
At that exact moment, Arjun stumbled into the clearing.
His body was at its limit—but the final remnants of the berserk potion still burned inside him like dying embers.
Without speaking, without thinking—
He moved.
Mana flared blood-red around his blade as he dashed past Divya.
"Arjun—?!"
His sword descended in a single, brutal arc.
The strike cleaved straight through the monster's skull and torso. There was no resistance. No struggle.
The creature split apart and collapsed instantly.
Green particles barely had time to rise before Arjun's strength finally gave out.
He dropped to his knees.
Then forward.
Divya stood frozen for half a second—shock flashing across her face.
"You idiot—! That was my—"
Her anger died the moment she saw him fall.
"Arjun!"
She rushed forward, catching him before his face hit the ground. His skin was pale. His breathing shallow.
"ARJUN! ARJUN!"
Green light erupted from her hands as she poured healing mana into him desperately, her voice trembling for the first time since entering the Tower.
Before darkness swallowed him completely, Arjun heard her voice—distant, panicked.
"ARJUN… stay with me!"