Since Jason's arrival to the battlefield, the situation changed completely. The grey bodies of the mutated wolves fell to the ground one by one. Bodies crashing against the pavement, staining it with dark red blood. The battle was officially over, few injuries but zero casualties.
The students were exhausted, panting, gasping for air as they weren't used to fighting for their lives, decades of comfort could not be erased immediately. They weren't useless, they just weren't strong enough yet.
Jason flicked the blood off his sword, glancing towards the others.
Ryan stood nearby, sweat dripping from his forehead, but his fire was still burning faintly in his palm. Luke's dagger was fractured, ruined from the tough hide of the wolves. His chest rising and falling as he caught his breath back.
Emma wiped the sweat off her forehead, her charming aura deactivating now that the fight was over.
They had all survived, and they were stronger for it.
Luke was the first to break the silence, "alright everyone, let's see what we got" as he lifted up one of the wolves, revealing a new dagger, a long curved silver blade with a black handle, much to his liking.
The group gathered around the fallen wolves, their eyes glimmering with curiosity, there was always loot to be collected after every fight.
Jason wasn't expecting much, he'd spent most of the battle protecting the lower leveled students, not that any of the loot these low level wolves gave would be useful for him either.
Ryan kneeled next to one of the larger wolves, his hands picking up a piece of parchment paper, looking as if he'd just won the lottery. "Looks like I got another skill" he announced to the others.
[Ember Burst (Level 1)]:
Effect: Unleashes a short range fiery explosive from the users palm - damage increases based on mana expenditure.
"Finally! Something stronger than that weak ass fireball I've been using" Ryan exclaimed happily.
"Try not to set yourself on fire" Luke chuckled, sheathing his new dagger.
The others gathered the remaining gear, some received clawed gauntlets, others small daggers, but everyone gained experience from this battle.
Jason received nothing, not that it bothered him, he hardly contributed plus he'd grown in other ways.
Just as the group was about to head into the mini mart to get more medical supplies...
Jason's mini map flickered - a new dot appeared, and not just any dot. It was huge. Jason's stomach tightened. Then they heard it. A low guttural growl, deep enough to shake the earth beneath their feet.
The group froze in their tracks, eyes widened as a massive figure appeared in front of them, The Wolf King had arrived. Standing nearly three meters tall, towering over everything nearby.
It had scarred fur, with muscles rippled beneath it's hide, each step conveying it's deadly intent. Then there were it's eyes, blood red. Burning with fury at the death of it's cubs. Now, it was out for vengeance.
Fear crept through the air like poison. The group had just finished fighting, and although most had leveled up and recovered, they were still mentally fatigued. No one was prepared for another fight.
Then they saw it...
"Shit.." Ryan muttered, taking a half step back, he was the strongest here in his mind, yet he felt powerless in it's presence.
Lukes fists clenched. "Level 24... what do we do?"
Hannah looked at the weaker students, their bodies were trembling. There was no world in which they were ready for this.
Jason's eyes however never left the Wolf King. It hadn't attacked yet, it seemed to be watching, measuring their response. It knew it had the advantage.
Jason took a slow, deep breath. Feeling the weight of the situation settle on his shoulders. They had no choice but to fight for their survival, they were as good as dead if they didn't.
The growl deepened, it's snarls revealing razor sharp fangs, capable of piercing even metal. The wolf King wasn't waiting. It targeted the weakest students first, lunging.
It moved like a blur, closing the distance in an instant. It's clawed paw, thick as a tree trunk shot forward, aimed directly at one of the nameless students.
Jason saw it happening before anyone else did. He moved, faster than thought, faster than fear. He activated exoskeleton in a flash, hardening his bones, expanding his muscles, his body reinforcing itself for battle.
At the same time, he activated Overdrive, swapping 15 points of endurance for agility, increasing his agility stat to 72. Finally, he reduced his own gravity. His body felt weightless, allowing him to accelerate far beyond human limits.
Jason collided with the Wolf King mid air, slamming into it with full force.
The beast snarled in surprise, its attack was completed halted. The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, dust and debris kicking up around them.
The lower leveled students who had been moments away from death, scrambled backward, their eyes wide in disbelief, they hadn't even seen the attack coming.
Jason gripped the Wolf King's front legs, positioning himself under it's jaw, locking it in place. His muscles strained, while his reinforced bones barely withstood the force. The beast was massive, but so was he now.
This wasn't the Jason who struggled to fight low level ants, or the Jason who almost died fighting against a wasp.
This was a Jason who had grown stronger fighting beings beyond his level every time.
And it showed.
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The Wolf King tried to push forward, using it's overwhelming strength to crush him. Jason pushed back, his own gravity increased by two times. Locking them in a battle of raw power.
"NOW, HIT IT" Jason roared at the others.
Ryan was the first to step forward, after seeing Jason's strength he didn't want to be left behind. Flames ignited around his hands, using 75% of his mana, a concentrated explosion of fire blasted against the Wolf King's side.
Emma raised her hands, her eyes glowing with eerie light. Her charming effect briefly confused the Wolf King, allowing Ryan's attack to pass through the wolf's defenses.
Luke activated his agility skill, weaving slashes across the beast's exposed flank. His attacks weren't deep, but they were fast.
The Wolf King howled in fury, it's muscles tensing. It wasn't just strong, it was intelligent too. The beast realized what was happening.
The Wolf took a second, a deep, guttural howl erupted from its throat, shaking the air with a shockwave. A pulse of dark energy spread out, washing over the battlefield.
Jason felt the pressure in his chest immediately. Something was wrong, Ryan's next Ember Burst fizzled out, the flames dying in his palm. Emma's thorn ability shattered before even reaching the beast.
Magic. Magic attacks were being nullified.
"Shit!" Ryan shouted. "I can't - my fire isn't working!"
Jason's mind raced. The Wolf King had shut down their magic attacks, and he was in a compromised position, he couldn't wrestle the Wolf King forever. He needed a way to end this.
The Wolf King twisted, finally freeing itself from Jason's grasp, chomping down at his body. Jason rolled to the side, barely dodging the strike, as he smelt the foul odor from the beast's breath.
Jason had no time, the fight had to end now. Giving more than his all he activated Overdrive again, funneling his remaining endurance into Strength. His muscles pulsed with raw power, his vision darkening slightly from the sheer exhaustion.
Then... a new kind of energy surged through him, not something granted by the system. Something purely his own. A technique born from desperation and instinct.
Jason pushed everything he had into one final strike. Squeezing out everything into raw strength, pushing Gravity shift beyond it's limits, something that shouldn't be possible at it's level 2.5x Gravity.
The pavement beneath him cracked, his body becoming more explosive than before. His muscles trembled, not just from effort, from something greater. Something new.
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[Self-Created Ability: Starbreak - Level 1] - By surpassing his limits, the user condenses raw strength and gravity into a single strike, dealing 250% damage.
Cost: User is left in a weakened state for 30 minutes, recovery slows for 3 hours.
Can only be used once every 24 hours.
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Jason leapt into the air, driving his sword forward.
The blade came down like a meteor. The force of gravity itself bent around him. Time seemed to slow for everyone watching.
Impact.
A thunderous shockwave erupted across the battlefield, the very air shuddering under the force of the strike, his sword shattering on impact. The Wolf King didn't just die. It was split in half.
A clean, devastating cut ran straight through it's massive body, continuing three meters into the earth below.
The ground quaked, blood splattering across the battlefield.
For a moment, there was silence. Then the system notification rang out.
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System Notification: You have slain Level 24 Wolf King:
+ 21 endurance, + 24 health, + 17 agility, + 13 mana, + 23 strength
Level Up! x 6
All stats + 6
Name: Jason Cole
Level: 20
- Health: 69
- Agility: 80 (70 + 10)
- Endurance: 63
- Strength: 63
- Mana: 67
Unassigned Points: 16
[Passive Skill Evolution: Hunter's instinct → Apex Predator (Level 1)]
Condition Met: Defeat a higher level alpha predator.
Effect: Battle instincts evolve beyond that of a normal hunter.
Aura of Domination: Produces an aura that inflicts fear and suppression on lower leveled enemies.
Jason’s breath hitched slightly. He felt it immediately.
A new pressure now radiated from his body, subtle but oppressive. A low, primal energy simmered beneath his skin, affecting everything around him.
The weaker students stared at him, wide-eyed, some instinctively taking a step back. Even Ryan, Luke, and Emma felt it, though they didn’t understand why.
This was different. Before, he had instincts. Now? He was the apex predator in the room.
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Jason staggered. His vision blurred, limbs shaking. The backlash hit him instantly. However, thanks to leveling up, some of the burden was released.
His muscles felt like they had been shredded from the inside out, his once reinforced boned now felt brittle. His entire body screamed out in protest.
Ryan took a step forward, his voice barely above a whisper. "What... the hell was that?"
Luke stared at Jason like he was something inhuman. Emma's charm based aura flickered. For the first time in her life, she felt small in front of another human.
The weaker students were in pure awe. Jason didn't just win. He annihilated the Wolf King. Yet, he looked like a man who had just burned through every last ounce of strength.
Hannah rushed over, using her healing ability to further reduce the pain Jason felt, her ability serious alleviating the aftermath of his strike.
Jason thanked her and walked over to the wolfs corpse, eager to see what rewards he'd gained.
As he shifted the wolves remains, his eyes immediately locked onto the first reward. A monstrous greatsword lay embedded in the remains of the beast. The blade was massive, silver black in color, its edge reflecting the faint glow of mana still pulsing within
Wolf King’s Fang (Greatsword)
A massive silver-black greatsword, created from the fang of the Wolf King itself.
Requirements: 60 Strength to wield.
Effect: +20 Strength
Jason reached out and gripped the handle. The moment his fingers wrapped around it, a deep pulse resonated through his bones. As if the weapon was designed for him. The weight was immense, and his stats were just enough to allow him to wield it.
His muscles flexed, adjusting to the balance. It was much heavier than his previous weapon, yet infinitely stronger. Jason gave it a light swing, his body still recovering. The sheer force of the blade cutting through the air sent a gust of wind blasting through the battlefield.
A grin tugged at his lips. This was perfect.
The second item glowed faintly near the Wolf King's shattered heart. A deep crimson gemstone, no bigger than a fist, but radiating pure compressed energy.
Jason's eyes narrowed. Recognizing it from stories he used to read, a beast core. He pulled it free form the Wolf's corpse and held it, watching as the system reacted.
[You have obtained: Wolf King's Core] - Would you like to level up your mini map?
Jason didn't hesitate, saying yes before the core melted into his hand, as the mini map's interface updated. Jason took a look at the new version of the screen, a map with double the radius, now 200 meters showed all life forms in detail below the First Class (Level 25)
However, what unnerved him were the 3 black dots right at the edge of the map, something classified which he hadn't seen before.
Jason turned to the group, his expression unreadable. "Get the hide, claws, and bones," he said, voice even but commanding.
They blinked at him for a moment, still trying to process what they had just witnessed.
"You want us to…?" Ryan asked, still shaken. Jason gave him a sharp look. "You want weapons? You want gear? Then take what you can from the battlefield."
His Apex Predator aura flickered for just a second, and instinctively, they obeyed.
Luke was the first to move, slicing through the Wolf King's hide with his new dagger. "We can use this for armor," he muttered. "It’s thick, durable. Probably resistant to cold."
The others hesitated for only a moment before following suit.
Ryan and a few others began carving out the Wolf’s claws and fangs, recognizing that they could be reforged into weapons.
Emma oversaw some of the lower-level students gathering the meat—food was as important as weapons.
Even Hannah, who wasn’t a combatant, helped bundle the remains into makeshift carrying cloths.
Jason took a step back, watching them work. It was slow, uncoordinated. But they were learning. At the very least, they weren’t helpless anymore.
As Jason looked over the battlefield, something inside him settled. This was just the beginning. The Wolf King wasn’t the last apex predator he’d have to face. There would be stronger enemies.
Stronger monsters. Stronger people.
And if he wanted to survive, if he wanted to thrive in this new world, he couldn’t slow down now. He had to keep moving forward.
Jason took one last look at the Wolf King’s shattered remains, then turned toward the gym.
Tonight, they would rest. Tomorrow, he’d start hunting again.