[Skill Acquired!]

[Ruin Strike 1 (Active)] : Channels the majority of strength and stamina into a single, uncontrolled strike, sacrificing precision and stability to unleash tremendous destructive force.

Effect:

Massive burst damage in a single hitGreatly increased impact and penetrationReduced control during execution

I blinked in brief surprise as the notification appeared, the timing of it almost too precise to ignore, and before I could even process it fully, a stream of information rushed into my mind. The understanding came with it, not learned but already familiar, and I could feel it clearly, the motion, the weight behind it, the way the strike would flow once initiated.

"So convenient," I muttered under my breath.

I took a step forward and my body reminded me immediately.

I shifted slightly, the dull ache still present despite the earlier boost, and without wasting time, I opened the system shop again and moved straight to Recovery. This time, I didn’t hesitate on the selection.

Grade 2 Health Potion.

Fifty Combat Points disappeared, and the vial appeared in my hand the next instant. I uncorked it and drank it in one go, the liquid moving down quickly before the effect spread outward, faster and stronger than before. The damage from the earlier hits began to close almost immediately, the deeper wounds tightening, the lingering strain fading as my body returned to full health.

I exhaled slowly, rolling my shoulders once as the last of the discomfort faded.

"Much better."

As the tension left my body, I glanced down at myself and let out a small chuckle. My upper body was bare again, streaked with drying blood, even my pants were torn.

It felt familiar.

For a brief moment, it pulled me back to the early days after I had awakened, when everything had been raw, unrefined, and every fight had been about survival more than anything else, under Arkas’ watch.

I shook the thought off and reached for my sword, lifting it slightly to inspect the blade.

The edge wasn’t clean anymore. Small chips ran along it, the surface worn from repeated impact, and even without testing it, I could tell the sharpness had dulled just enough to matter in a prolonged fight.

"This won’t last much longer," I thought, turning it slightly before lowering it again.

I opened the shop once more, this time moving to the Weapons section, expecting at least a basic replacement, but the moment the options appeared, I paused.

The cheapest one was 500 Combat Points.

I let out a quiet breath, closing the window without another thought.

"I guess I have to work with this for now."

With that settled, I adjusted my grip on the sword and moved forward again, stepping deeper into the forest, where the sounds of movement had already begun to rise once more.

I had just pushed deeper into the forest when a sharp disturbance cut through, something heavy moving fast through the trees off to my right, snapping branches and disturbing the undergrowth in a straight line. I shifted sideways and slipped behind the nearest tree, pressing close to the trunk while keeping my gaze fixed on the direction of the noise.

The reasons for the disturbance came into view seconds later.

Two horses burst through the trees, muscles tense beneath their skin, curved horns jutting forward while their red eyes burned with a single-minded urgency.

They were heading somewhere.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, watching them pass without reacting, their attention fixed ahead as they pushed deeper into the forest.

"Where are you going..." I murmured under my breath, already stepping out from behind the tree once they passed.

I ran behind them.

Keeping distance, adjusting my pace so I wouldn’t be noticed, I moved through the trees along the path they had carved, using their noise to mask my own movement while keeping them just within sight. The forest thinned slightly ahead, the density breaking as light filtered through more clearly.

Then the trees opened and a clearing appeared.

I slowed again, stopping just at the edge where the cover still held, my body partially hidden as I looked ahead.

Stone and boulders were arranged in a wide circle, uneven slabs marking the boundary of something. Inside that circle stood a white statue almost 10 feet tall, robed, the figure draped in a hood that obscured its face completely.

The moment my gaze focused on it, a faint red bar flickered into existence above it.

[God Statue]

My eyes narrowed slightly.

At the base of the statue, just in front of it, a circular stone platform had been carved into the ground, smooth compared to the rest of the clearing, and a short distance away, barely a step or two from its edge, a lone wide pillar stood upright, its surface grey and worn, as if it had been used repeatedly for something.

The horses didn’t slow. The first one rushed straight into the clearing and charged directly at the pillar and slammed head first into it.

The impact echoed sharply, the force enough to make the pillar tremble slightly, but the horse didn’t pull back for long. It staggered once, then lowered its head again and charged a second time.

Then a third.

The second horse followed immediately after, doing the same, both of them driving their horns into the stone again and again, each impact heavier than the last.

There was no damage on the pillar if that’s what the horses were trying to do.

Suddenly a cracking sound echoed and it came from their horns. With one final collision, both of them forced their own horns to shatter against the surface, fragments breaking off as blood burst from the impact points, running down their faces. Their bodies trembled violently for a moment, then gave out completely, collapsing onto the ground at the base of the pillar.

That was when the pillar gave off a faint glow, subtle at first, before the change became impossible to miss. The bodies of the horses began to shrink right in front of my eyes, their forms collapsing inward as if something inside them was being drained out forcefully. Their flesh tightened, hollowing rapidly as the blood within them was pulled away, leaving behind nothing but withering remains.

The blood didn’t spill outward.

It seeped from where they had fallen, flowing unnaturally across the ground, drawn toward the circular platform in front of the statue as if guided by an unseen force. The stone absorbed it the moment it reached the edge, darkening gradually as the liquid spread through the carved patterns etched into its surface, filling each line with a steady, creeping glow.

A faint light began to spread across the circle.

Then it intensified.

The entire platform lit up in a sharp crimson flash, the glow rising upward as if something was taking shape within it, condensing, forming right before my eyes.

I leaned forward slightly without realizing it.

The light collapsed inward.

And something stood there.

My eyes widened.

[Monster Orc – Level 10]

It looked like any other orc I had seen, standing close to eight feet tall with a broad, heavy frame built entirely for combat, its muscles defined and dense beneath rough, darkened skin. Its head was completely bald, the surface marked with faint scars that hinted at countless battles, while its sharp features and protruding tusks gave it a constant, menacing expression even at rest.

In one hand, it carried a massive axe, the blade worn but still intimidating in size, and aside from that, it wore almost nothing, just a crude skirt made from animal skin wrapped around its waist, leaving the rest of its body exposed without any sign of concern for protection.

It stood still for a moment, looking around the clearing as if orienting itself, then let out a low, strange laugh that echoed faintly across the space.

"So... I’m the first one here."

Its voice was rough and filled with joy. Then it turned toward the statue, stepped forward slightly and dipped its head just enough to resemble a bow. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Thank you for the opportunity, Your Majesty."

Just as I was wondering what was going on in the clearing a system window popped up explaining it all.