"Lightning death."

Han muttered the words under his breath, and as always, the world answered.

The bright sky dimmed in an instant. Light drained away until the heavens turned unnaturally dark, deep and suffocating.

Clouds twisted and piled over one another, thick and violent.

Then the lightning came.

Bolts screamed across the clouds, snaking from one mass to another as they gathered energy. Thunder followed, low at first, then deeper, heavier, shaking the earth with every passing second.

The dark wolves froze.

Their legs buckled as they stared upward in horror.

They did not need to see what was forming within those clouds. They could feel it. Whatever was coming next would be massive.

Big enough to wipe them all out.

Earlier, when death had rained down as fire bullets, they had gambled everything. They had pooled their strength, poured their rage and essence into a single wolf, boosting it to an entirely new level.

And even then, it had failed.

Yes, they had destroyed the inferno vortex.

But none of that mattered now.

Something far more horrifying loomed above their heads.

There was no escape.

Hope was bleeding out of them, fast.

Just what god had they offended to send down this monster?

To them, this white and black haired young man was no longer human. He was far more terrifying than any monster they had ever known.

Han looked down at the cowering dark wolves.

Their numbers had not dropped enough. Thousands still remained. The flame bullet barrage had not been enough to wipe them out.

Of course, if he kept playing his little game, he could erase them all eventually. He had the power for it. Terrifying power.

And all of it while he had been toying with them.

But the call from Clara had dulled his excitement.

Now he was serious.

Calm, but serious.

And when Han decided to end something, it ended.

He lifted his head slightly. His blue eyes locked onto the wolves below.

"Release."

The lightning fell.

Fast.

Terrifyingly fast.

The first wave of wolves did not even get the chance to scream. They were erased in an instant, bodies vanishing under the blinding descent of thunder.

The empowered wolf roared and struck back, swiping again and again, unleashing barrages of violent attacks against the falling bolts. It managed to shatter a few of them.

Hope sparked.

Briefly.

Then a larger bolt descended.

It smashed down with overwhelming force, crashing directly onto the empowered wolf itself.

The creature struggled, claws tearing at the lightning, fighting with everything it had. And in that moment, it realized the truth.

The energy within the bolt was compressed.

Condensed.

Far more terrifying than anything it had ever known.

There was no scream.

No final roar.

Its life was snuffed out instantly.

Just like that.

The one they had poured their strength into.

Their hope.

Their last chance.

Gone.

Silence followed.

The remaining dark wolves finally understood something cold and absolute.

There was no escape.

They were doomed.

They looked at the human standing amid the storm as lightning carved the world apart. Each bolt illuminated his unchanged expression.

Hands still tucked inside his pockets.

Calm.

Unmoved.

And as more and more dark wolves were erased beneath the falling thunder, the truth settled in their broken minds.

This was not a battle.

It was an execution.

Why?

Why did this human even enter?

After everything they had witnessed, the dark wolves finally realized something truly terrifying.

Humans might not be as weak as they had always believed.

And worse.

The alpha's plan. The one that was so close to succeeding. It would be ruined by this human.

None of them understood how Han was doing it.

He barely spoke. His words were quiet. Almost casual.

Yet whatever he said came to pass.

This was not because he was a god.

But the wolves would never know that.

The truth was far simpler. And far more dangerous.

Han possessed a passive skill.

One of the hundreds he had recently crafted.

Will of Command.

A passive skill Han could turn off if he wanted, though there was no reason to. As long as he had the energy to maintain it, it stayed active.

And Han's energy reserves were massive.

Near endless.

Every kill refilled them.

Will of Command allowed Han to activate any skill he owned simply by saying the words. No gestures. No movements. No effort.

The skill shaped, activated, and executed everything according to his will.

Han had not created it to appear divine. Or to look cool by speaking reality into motion.

Though that was a bonus.

The real reason was simpler.

He was lazy.

He did not feel like moving every time he wanted to use a skill. Stretching. Gesturing. Focusing.

Too much effort.

So he crafted a skill to handle it all.

Say the word.

The world obeys.

That was what was happening now.

But to the dark wolves, it felt like the end of existence itself. Their vision collapsed inward as terror consumed them.

In their eyes, a monstrous god had descended.

A reaper ending their lives with nothing but oppressive, world bending words.

And unfortunately for them.

It was life ending.

The lightning struck.

Fast. Violent. Absolute.

The dark wolves, creatures known for terrifying speed, became nothing more than sitting targets.

Their lives were erased before they could even react.

Before they could even protest.

Minutes passed.

Then silence.

The battlefield went still once more. The sky lightened. Clouds dispersed. Sunlight returned as if nothing had happened.

Ding.

Han looked at the notification.

6000 Dark Wolves killed

50000 CP gained

150000 EP gained

Han nodded.

Considering how difficult it was to kill a single dark wolf, the reward was fitting. Massive.

His intuition had been right.

But he did not linger.

He did not savor the influx of CP and EP.

He had no time.

Clara's call echoed in his mind.

News about Ronan.

The day was already here.

"Tch," Han muttered. "Damn it."

He needed to hurry.

No more time to waste.

Han took a step forward.

White energy flowed from his body, forming a clone.

Another step.

More clones.

By the seventh step, over thirty clones stood behind him.

He gave them a single mental command.

Spread out. Kill every beast on this plane.

They vanished instantly.

Han exhaled slowly and took another step.

This time, he activated Flash.

The world blurred.

And suddenly, he was standing before a massive cave.

Its entrance was sealed shut by four enormous canine teeth, locked together like a door.

"I'll get rid of the boss."

Han muttered the words, a hundred percent certain that the portal boss was inside this enormous cave.

He spoke again under his breath.

"Gravitational shockwaves."

The world responded.

Gravity around him condensed, warping and compressing into invisible shockwaves. They slammed forward and smashed straight into the canine doors sealing the cave.

The massive fangs shattered into rubble.

The cave quaked.

Han stepped inside.

He expected an ambush. Guards. Beasts rushing him from every direction to protect their precious boss.

None of that happened.

Instead, he walked into a vast chamber.

A palace.

Han's face twitched.

Why did this feel so familiar?

Almost every portal boss he had hunted chose the same setting. A massive, luxurious hall. A throne. A king waiting to be challenged.

Why?

Was it engraved into their biology? Some instinct to play ruler?

Or something else?

He did not care.

Another step forward.

Then he saw it.

A figure sat casually on a dark red, fur covered throne.

It looked like a dark wolf.

But wrong.

Deeply disturbing.

Its body was humanoid, yet warped. Two jagged horns spiraled outward from its head, curved like those of a great boar. Where legs should have been were massive hooves.

And its armor.

Black leather.

Embedded with human skulls.

This thing had eaten many people.

"Oh? Oh? Oh?"

The creature laughed, its voice echoing through the hall.

Han raised an eyebrow.

Only high ranking monsters could speak.

Analyzer Eye confirmed it.

Name: Crytali

Race: Bullwolf

Rank: Peak S rank. On the verge of evolving to the next rank.

A warning followed.

Beware of the green eye. It is not a joke.

That voice.

"Navi?"

Han frowned. "How have you been? I thought you said you'd be helping Clara with some blueprints."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right, Host," Navi replied lazily. "I'm mostly done. Just need a bit more time. I just thought I'd take a peek and see if you were finally in trouble."

A pause.

"Ooo, sorry. I mean, finally in another exciting situation."

Navi sighed.

"But seeing this portal boss… disappointing. No fun at all. I'll head back now."

The presence faded.

Han's face twitched so hard it nearly counted as a seizure.

That damn AI really needed its brain fixed.

By fun, Navi meant Han getting his ass kicked.

It always did.

It showed up hoping to see him on the brink of death, barely surviving like in the early days when he had first become a hero.

Back then, danger was real.

Now?

Han was too strong.

Nothing here could even scratch him, let alone threaten his life.

And that, according to Navi, was boring.

If Han could, he would give the AI a body.

And then beat it senseless.

Until it begged for mercy.

"Oh? Oh? Oh? What do we have here?"

The wolf bull hybrid spoke, its voice thick with amusement as it studied Han with a skeptical gaze.

To it, this was nothing more than another human who had come to unseal the portal connecting the two worlds.

Yet something bothered it.

This human had reached it without a wrinkle in his clothes. No blood. No sweat. His expression was calm, serene, as if he had simply taken a comfortable stroll through the cave.

That alone was almost enough to drive the portal lord insane.

Still, it kept the smile on its face.

"Let me guess," it said smoothly. "You're here to kill me and save your world, aren't you, human?"

Han raised an eyebrow.

The creature understood the nature of portals. That meant something. Was it the one maintaining the seal? Was it interfering with the portal from collapsing?

Before Han could speak, the portal boss continued, confidence filling its voice.

"Alright. I feel like playing a game. Let's see if the human sent this time has any skill."

It snapped its fingers.

A massive wolf launched forward, nearly three times Han's size. A dark wolf, similar to the ones Han had wiped out earlier.

But this one was different.

Stronger.

Its presence alone was suffocating, far beyond the others combined. This was a special wolf. A champion.

"This is the deal," the wolf bull lord said calmly. "If you can take down my champion, I'll let you leave."

Han did not speak.

He simply nodded.

The champion roared and charged.

Teeth bared. Muscles tensed. Its aura surged again and again, strength stacking upon strength. Its speed tripled.

In a blink, it was above Han, claws tearing downward.

Han tilted his head.

The claws missed.

He removed one hand from his pocket and clenched it into a fist, unhurried. Casual.

Then he punched.

It looked gentle.

Harmless.

But the force behind it was anything but.

The wolf crashed into the ground with devastating impact, the earth shattering as dust exploded into the air.

When the dust settled, Han stood there calmly, his hand tucked back into his pocket.

The champion lay beside him.

Unmoving.

Dead.

One hit.

The wolf bull lord stared, stunned beyond words.

Then it blinked.

And suddenly, Han was gone.

The next instant, the portal lord felt a vast, dominating presence slam down on it.

It looked up.

Han was sitting on its throne, one hand resting against his cheek, white and black hair stirring gently. Calm. Unbothered.

He had switched places with it before it even realized what had happened.

Han spoke, his voice steady.

"Now that I've played your game, it's time you play mine."

The portal lord could not think. Its mind was still reeling.

"This is the deal," Han continued. "If you win, I might consider letting you spill all the secrets you're hiding before I kill you."

Then his voice dropped slightly.

"But if you lose, you'll undergo a torture so severe you'll wish you were already dead."

The wolf bull lord trembled.

Wait.

I'm scared.

I'm scared of a human?

The thought shook it to its core.

Han tilted his head.

"Well then," he said calmly. "I'll let you face one of my champions instead."

He raised his gaze.

"Let's see how long the battle lasts."

Han spoke a single name.

"Thunderwrath."

TO BE CONTINUED