Cassian wandered through the empty halls of what had once been a bustling shopping mall. The city was eerily silent now, save for the occasional scuttle of creatures disturbed by his passing. His body ached in places he didn't even know could ache, a testimony to his progress—or rather, his unfortunate but necessary suffering.
He glanced at his reflection in a shop window. His face was spashed with dried blood, his clothes were tattered, now a patchwork of bloodstains and dirt. "Well," he said to his reflection, "at least I look the part of someone who’s seen too many fights and lived to regret it."
As Cassian rounded the corner, a low growl vibrated the still air, sending a chill down his spine. The sound wasn’t the roar of a monster, but something deeper—almost like a contented grunt from a creature that had just finished a satisfying meal. Cassian’s eyes narrowed, and instinctively, he crouched slightly, ready for whatever was coming.
From the dim hallway ahead, a hulking figure emerged. Its greenish skin was mottled and stretched taut over grotesque muscles, glistening faintly in the dim light. But it wasn’t the creature’s size or the jagged tusks protruding from its lower jaw that caught Cassian’s attention—no, it was the odd sight of the orc leisurely eating an ice cream cone, its mouth working with exaggerated pleasure, a childish delight on its brutish face.
The orc’s eyes flicked up just as Cassian stepped into view, and in an instant, the ice cream was flung to the ground with a disgusted snort. The creamy treat splattered across the floor, an odd contrast to the brutal world around them. Cassian stared at the mess, his stomach tightening—not from the sight of the orc’s sudden anger, but from his own gnawing hunger, a reminder that he hadn’t eaten in too long.
“Great,” Cassian muttered under his breath, “even monsters get dessert. What the hell’s wrong with me?”
The orc’s glare shifted from the ice cream mess to Cassian with renewed ferocity, its once-indifferent expression morphing into a dangerous sneer. It hefted a massive axe, a sickly grin spreading across its face as it dropped the cone to the floor. The weapon’s blade gleamed under the flickering light, and the orc’s hand tightened around its hilt as it took a step forward, the air around it thick with impending violence.
Cassian, still fighting off the hunger pangs gnawing at his gut, didn’t wait for the creature to make the first move. He activated Inspect, his gaze snapping to the orc with the kind of focus he had learned to trust. The System responded quickly, though not as clearly as he hoped.
Inspect: Activated
Subject: Orc
Type: Marauder
A faint pulse of information rushed into Cassian’s mind, but it was brief and mostly vague. The orc’s type was displayed clearly enough, but the level remained frustratingly out of reach, the image of a single red skull flashing ominously.
“That’s it?” Cassian grunted, frustrated. “A red skull? What does that even mean?”
He quickly switched his focus to the creature’s weapons, determined to glean something more useful.
Inspect: Axe
Name: Marauder’s Tin Opener (Common)
The axe’s name flashed brightly for a moment, but the rest of the information was too sparse. The term Common was listed under the weapon's name, but there were no additional stats, no more clues as to its abilities or origins.
Cassian frowned. This was the problem with his low-level skills—Inspect just wasn’t up to the task.
He shifted his gaze to the glaive strapped to the orc’s side, the weapon that seemed to hum with an ancient power.
Inspect: Glaive
Name: Glaive
The word Glaive appeared before him, but it was faint and greyed out, like the system couldn’t quite register what it was looking at.
Cassian’s frustration grew. The information was barely more than a hunch—he could feel the aura of the glaive’s potential, yet the System had little to say about it.
“Great,” he muttered, “a fancy weapon with a name that’s as vague as the guy holding it.”
The orc, now fully aware of Cassian’s inspection, took a step forward, its heavy footfalls echoing through the hallway. The creature’s posture was tense, ready to strike. The orc’s grip tightened around its axe, and Cassian could see the madness behind the creature’s eyes—a primal fury that had been stirred.
Cassian flexed his fingers, feeling the familiar ache in his body that was already being repaired by the integration energy. It wasn’t just pain—it was progress. With every injury, with every battle, he could feel himself growing stronger, more in tune with the power coursing through him. But this fight, this orc with its gnashing teeth and mismatched weapons, was about to test him like never before.
The orc grunted, spinning the axe in its fist as it waited, beady eyes evaluating Cassian as a potential victim, confident in its brutality. Cassian didn’t wait for it to make the first move this time. Even his low unarmed combat skills told him he needed to get past the axe and close the distance. With a growl, he launched himself forward, staying low to avoid the arc of the swinging weapon.
Cassian’s heart raced—not with fear, but with a twisted kind of excitement. He’d been waiting for an opportunity like this, and now it was being handed to him on a silver platter, albeit one that came with a side of impending doom.
The orc-like being roared and turned to face the threat, its axe coming down in a vicious arc. Cassian twisted sideways, avoiding the strike by inches, and threw a punch into the orc’s side. His knuckles collapsed against the thick, leathery hide, and the orc snorted out a breath of derision. Then, with brutal efficiency, the creature drew its axe back, and the wooden handle collided with Cassian’s chest, sending him flying backward.
Cassian was launched several meters, crashing against a pillar in a cloud of plaster dust. His ribs were pulverized from the impact, and he felt the sickening crack as his breath came in shallow bursts, blood bubbling up his throat.
For a moment, everything went black, the searing pain rushing in as the integration energy worked overtime to heal him. Slowly, the pain subsided, and he pushed himself to his feet, gasping for air. His ribs were already knitting back together, but the strength of the hit left him shaken. He had to move—fast.
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Spitting blood onto the floor, Cassian snarled and launched himself back at the orc. The creature’s movements were slow, heavy, but each one radiated power. He couldn’t afford to take too many more hits like that. It was time for some strategy.
Again, Cassian stayed low, dodging under another brutal axe swing. This time, he spun behind the orc and aimed three punishing strikes at its elbow. Each blow landed with a sickening crack, the sound of bone giving way under the pressure. The orc howled in pain, its axe dropping as the muscles in its arm spasmed.
Cassian wasted no time, aiming a brutal kick at the orc’s knee. The monster's leg felt like stone beneath his foot, and Cassian heard a sharp crack as his shin collided with the creature’s knee. Pain shot through his leg, and his own leg buckled under him.
The orc staggered back, roaring with fury as Cassian scooted away, dragging his now useless his leg. But just as the orc reached down to grab him, Cassian kicked upward with his good leg, catching the orc in the face. The impact split the orc’s lip and cracked one of its tusks, sending it reeling back with a howl of pain.
The orc growled through gritted teeth, blood mixing with its spittle, and glared at Cassian. It took a few steps back, looking down at the axe, then reached for the glaive on its side.
A sinister smile crossed the orc’s face as it flicked the glaive’s tip toward Cassian, the blade gleaming in the dim light of the fluorescent-lit mall. This was no simple weapon, and Cassian knew that despite its one-armed disadvantage, this fight was far from over.
Cassian’s leg had healed enough to stand, and he pushed himself up to his feet, not taking his eyes off the orc. Closing the distance was going to be crucial—he couldn’t let the glaive get any room to cut him down.
He shot in low again, faster now with the integration energy pumping through his veins. But the orc, weapon in hand, was faster than expected. The glaive’s point struck with lightning speed, punching straight through the muscle of Cassian’s shoulder. Blood fanned out as the blade tore through him, leaving a deep gash to the bone.
Pain surged through him, but Cassian didn’t hesitate. He channeled it, pushing the agony aside and using it to fuel his movements. His focus sharpened, and his speed increased. With the glaive now within reach, he hammered his fists into the orc’s body, each punch landing with brutal force. Bones cracked, both his and the orc's, but Cassian embraced it, grinning manically.
He danced around the orc, using its body as a shield between him and the glaive. His movements were a blur of strike and dodge, punch and weave. His agility allowed him to avoid the orc’s heavier strikes, while his endurance kept him fighting through the pain. The creature’s blows landed like electric jolts, each one reminding him of the stakes, but each one also strengthening his resolve.
Strike after strike landed into the orc’s torso and legs. The creature staggered, unable to keep up with Cassian’s relentless assault. Finally, it dropped to one knee, using the glaive to prop itself up. Cassian didn’t give it a chance to recover. He surged forward, hammering punches and kicks into the orc’s head and chest.
The orc had lost its will to fight back, now struggling just to stay alive. The seconds seemed to stretch into eternity as Cassian kept up his onslaught, relentless and unforgiving. With a final strike, he kicked the glaive’s handle from the orc’s now-loose grip, sending it skittering across the floor. The orc collapsed onto its side, all fury gone from its eyes, its face a bloody mess.
The creature, now subdued, let out a rasping sigh. It looked up at Cassian, eyes locked with his, a final defiant glimmer flashing before the light went out. In a last, desperate gesture, it reached for a small, ornate chest at its side. With a grunt, it nudged the chest toward Cassian before collapsing completely.
Panting, bloodied, and covered in sweat, Cassian eyed the chest with a mix of curiosity and exhaustion. He opened it, and the chest turned to smoke, re-forming into the glaive he had seen earlier—this time sized for a human. As his fingers brushed the weapon, a surge of energy coursed through him. The system messages flashed before his eyes:
System Status: Active.
Attributes Updated.
Historical Activities Recorded.
Path Selection Unveiling...
The glaive seemed to resonate with the system’s energy, unlocking a new skill within Cassian. He could feel his connection with the weapon deepening, his mastery over it growing with each passing second.
"Well, well," Cassian said with a grin, wiping blood from his face. He flexed his fingers, feeling the glaive’s weight balance perfectly in his hands. His wounds, though still painful, were now a testament to his progress. The integration energy continued to strengthen him, amplifying his combat abilities through every injury sustained and every battle fought.
As he took a moment to catch his breath, Cassian couldn’t help but chuckle. He examined the weapon with a sense of twisted satisfaction. A deep rumble echoed through the now-silent hallways.
Cassian jolted and looked around. The rumble came again, this time much louder and from his stomach. “Goddamnit. I really need to eat.”
Cassian limped through the mall, his body aching and bruised, but the fight had left him with a strange sense of satisfaction. His focus now shifted from the battle to his gnawing hunger. He scanned the area, desperate for any sign of food.
It wasn’t long before he spotted a small stall tucked between two storefronts. The sign above read “Doughnuts & Coffee,” but there was something far more important on the counter—a stack of stale donuts, clearly left behind in the wake of the chaos. No one else was here to take them, so Cassian wasted no time.
He approached the counter, grabbing the nearest one and tearing into it without a second thought. The sweet, greasy taste was a godsend, filling the empty pit in his stomach with something that could only be described as sheer bliss. He barely cared about the mess of icing smeared on his face as he devoured the sugary treat, savoring the sensation of food—real food—in a world where it felt like it was slipping further out of reach.
After the first donut, he slowed down, the need to satisfy his hunger now replaced with a desire for clarity. He wiped his hands on the remnants of his shirt and sat down on the cracked floor of the mall, leaning against the stall. His thoughts turned inwards, focussing on his system screen. His mind was still buzzing with the adrenaline of the fight, but now he had time to properly digest both the food and the messages he’d received during the battle.
Cassian focused on the screen, the text flickering into view.
System Status: Active.
Attributes Updated:
* Strength: +2
* Agility: +2
* Endurance: +2
* Intelligence: +1
Cassian grinned as he saw the results of his struggle. The increases were modest, but they were exactly what he’d been hoping for—his body had become stronger, more agile, and more enduring. The increase in Intelligence wasn’t much, but he’d expected that. He wasn’t exactly known for being a scholar.
Next, he scrolled down to the Skills section.
General Skill:
* Inspect: +3
Combat Skill:
* Unarmed Combat: +5
Cassian raised an eyebrow, impressed. His Inspect skill had jumped by three points, a significant increase. It wasn’t much compared to some of his other abilities, but it was a start. He hadn’t even known Inspect could be levelled up like that. The skill would likely give him more detailed information next time, which could prove crucial when facing tougher opponents.
The Unarmed Combat increase, however, was the most exciting. Five points was a massive boost, especially considering how limited his technique had been before. Cassian had always relied on taking hits, not necessarily on the skilful application of force, but this would change things. Every punch and strike was starting to feel more efficient, more calculated.
He sat back, letting out a long breath. The battle had tested him in ways he wasn’t used to, but it had also given him more than just pain—it had given him progress.
Cassian glanced back at the pile of donuts, his stomach still grumbling despite his recent meal. He grabbed another donut and took a bite, the soft sweetness filling the void once more. As he chewed, a thought crossed his mind: If I keep this up, maybe I’ll be something... more.