Cassian stood in the middle of a deserted street, surveying the wreckage of his recent battles with a grim sense of satisfaction. The city around him was even quieter than usual, a stark contrast to the chaos he had grown accustomed to. His senses were heightened, each minor sound amplified by his anticipation for what was to come. As he had travelled through the city, the number of creatures he encountered seems to increase along with his power.
His body bore the marks of his progress: bruises, cuts, and the occasional bandage peeking through his torn clothing. His health was at 85%, his stamina at 60%, and while hunger gnawed at him, he had managed to scavenge a few cans of food and some water bottles. His glaive was slung across his back, a constant reminder of his recent achievements.
Cassian marvelled at the evolution of his attributes and skills. His recent battles had been relentless, each fight pushing him further, each wound a testament to his growth. The pain he once dreaded had transformed into a catalyst for development, refining his abilities and deepening his understanding of the system.
Status:
* Health: 85% (Minor injuries sustained; recovery in progress)
* Stamina: 60% (Exertion from recent battles)
* Hunger: 45% (Depleting; need to find sustenance)
* Thirst: 55% (Depleting; need to find water)
Attributes:
* Strength: 25/25 (Improved from combat; increased physical power)
* Agility: 25/25 (Enhanced through evasion and reflexes)
* Endurance: 25/25 (Boosted by continuous pain and recovery)
* Intelligence: 25/25 (Growing with understanding of combat and system)
General Skills:
Inspect: 25/25 (Increased proficiency; reveals more detailed information)
Meditation: 25/25 (Improved depth of system interaction and focus)
Pain Tolerance: 100/100 (Max Ascendant level; complete immunity to discomfort from pain)
Combat Skills
Unarmed Combat: 25/25 (Adjusted by recent combat; better hand-to-hand effectiveness)
Glaive Mastery: 25/25 (Common; foundational understanding of glaive techniques)
Cassian could feel he was at the peak of his current potential, but something was missing. His battles had all been hard, but had he truly been pushed to his limits? Never had his death been a consideration. There had to be something more out there. Something greater to push him, to suffer through the pain of a truly life threatening situation.
With a sense of purpose, he gathered his belongings: a few cans of food, some plastic water bottles, and his glaive. His blanket, now a makeshift pack, was slung over his shoulder. The constant gnawing hunger and thirst were reminders of his basic needs, but he was determined to press on.
The constant battles had left a lasting impact on him now constantly scanning his surroundings never fully at ease. For once there were no opponents roaming the area. It seemed that the initial chaos was subsiding, replaced by an unsettling calm. “Funny how all the racket dies down when you’ve made a mess of things,” he mused, looking around with a wry grin.
As he explored, Cassian took in the details of his surrounding, his peak senses honed by battle. The absence of enemies only fuelled his anticipation. His gaze continually flicked to the status screen, monitoring his condition and adjusting his strategy accordingly.
Then, without warning, the system’s message flashed before him:
System Alert: Zone Cleared
“Congratulations. You have cleared the zone. Prepare for the challenge fight against the Integration Zone Controller. You have 10 seconds to prepare.”
Cassian’s heart raced. The city seemed to stop, paused waiting, the tension palpable. He gripped his glaive tightly, the weight of the weapon a comforting presence in his hand. The prospect of a new challenge had his nerves on edge, but his recent battles had honed his instincts. He quickly assessed his status, checked his supplies, and braced himself for the unknown adversary.
The countdown began, each second ticking away with a mix of excitement and dread:
10... 9... 8...
His mind raced with the possibilities of what awaited him. “An Integration Zone Controller, huh? Sounds like a terrible boss battle. Let’s hope it’s not as bad as those tax audits I had last year.”
3... 2... 1...
As the last second ticked away, the world around him began to warp and distort. The ground shifted beneath his feet, and a powerful force enveloped him. Cassian felt a sudden jolt, a sensation of being pulled through space. His surroundings dissolved into a blur of colours and shapes, leaving him with only his thoughts and a steady stream of expletives to keep him company.
When the disorienting sensation finally ceased, Cassian found himself standing in a new, unfamiliar setting. The cityscape was gone, replaced by an expansive arena of shifting, surreal terrain. Shadows danced along the edges of the arena, and the air crackled with an unsettling energy.
His gaze locked onto a central figure emerging from the darkness—a towering, formidable presence that seemed to embody the essence of the Integration Zone Controller. The being radiated an aura of power and menace, its form shifting between physical and ethereal.
Cassian’s mind raced as he processed the sight before him. This was no ordinary fight. The true test of his skills, his growth, and his understanding of the system was about to begin. He took a deep breath, readying his glaive and preparing himself for the battle ahead.
“Oh shit” he muttered, the gravity of the situation sinking in. “This is going to hurt” he thought, a smile coming to his lips. “Finally”.
The Integration Zone Controller loomed before him, a towering figure with an imposing presence. Nearly three meters tall, the creature exuded an aura of raw power and menace. Its humanoid form was unmistakably draconic, with scales glinting in the dim light and a pair of matching falchion swords clasped in its massive hands.
Cassian instinctively activated his Inspect skill, hoping to glean any critical details before the battle began. His vision sharpened, the system responding with a faint pulse of data.
Inspect: Activated
Subject: Integration Zone Controller
Type: Draconic Warlord
The information blinked before him, stark and ominous. The twin red skulls pulsed faintly, a clear marker of lethal danger, but the rest was maddeningly vague. His skill wasn’t developed enough to uncover specifics about the creature’s strengths or weaknesses.
“Two skulls?” Cassian muttered, narrowing his eyes at the creature. “Great. And not even a hint about what I’m up against. Thanks for nothing, system.”
The Zone Controller stepped forward, the ground trembling beneath its weight. Its aura was suffocating, an oppressive mix of raw power and unrelenting menace. Cassian’s grip tightened on his glaive, the weapon’s comforting weight grounding him as his mind raced. He scanned the creature’s falchions for more information.
Inspect: Activated
Item: Twin Falchions
Name: ???
Classification: Unknown
Additional Information: Insufficient Skill Level to Reveal More Details
The weapon names were greyed out, the system barely able to register them. His frustration mounted. It was like staring into the void and having it stare back, offering nothing useful in return.
“Well, that’s just peachy,” Cassian muttered, his smirk betraying a mix of nerves and excitement. “Guess I’ll have to figure it out the old-fashioned way.”
Cassian’s grip tightened around his glaive, the weapon feeling more like an extension of himself with each passing moment. He knew he was up against an opponent who was not only physically superior but also possessed a level of skill and precision that he had never encountered before. The Zone Controller’s dual swords moved with a deadly grace, each swing a potential fatality.
Combat Begins
The system notice flashed before Cassian’s eyes, and the draconic being surged forward with a ferocious burst of speed. One blade held low, the other high, its movements were a blur of precision and raw power. The twin falchions cut through the air with a whistling hum, their edges catching faint light as they honed in on Cassian’s exposed flanks.
Cassian’s instincts screamed as he barely managed to sweep his glaive upward to meet the first strike. The clash sent a jarring shock through his arms, the sheer force threatening to rip the weapon from his grasp. The redirected blade buried itself into the ground, spraying shards of stone and dust into the air.
But the second strike came too fast. His senses flared in alarm, but his body lagged a fraction of a second behind. As he leapt back, the descending falchion caught his chest. The edge carved a deep line down through muscle and ribs, the burning pain radiating through his body like wildfire.
A sharp, involuntary giggle escaped his lips, the sound twisted and unsettling even to his own ears. The Zone Controller paused, its crimson eyes narrowing at the strange reaction. Cassian’s breath hitched as he looked down at the gash, watching in warped fascination as the wound began to seal itself. The shredded muscle knit back together, the bloody gash smoothing over as if it had never been there.
The surge of pain had done more than wound him—it had ignited something deep within. His body, already enhanced to peak performance, seemed to push past the constraints of its System-enforced limits. His grin widened, a manic edge creeping into his expression.
The Zone Controller’s scaly brow furrowed in recognition of its opponent’s unnatural resilience. With a growl, it reset its stance, falchions flashing in anticipation. Cassian tightened his grip on the glaive, the weapon buzzing with his rising adrenaline.
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The draconian’s attacks were relentless—a whirlwind of steel and scales that demanded Cassian’s absolute focus. The twin falchions moved with deadly grace, each strike an expertly calculated attempt to cut him down. Cassian darted around the arena, his glaive a constant barrier between himself and the onslaught. He relied on the weapon's superior reach to parry and deflect, keeping the deadly falchions at bay as best as he could.
His strategy was clear: maintain distance and exploit openings, but the Zone Controller was no mere brute. Each of its strikes was precise, designed to punish any lapse in Cassian’s defense. The draconian warrior moved with a predatory intelligence, feinting and adjusting with unnerving accuracy.
Cassian found himself constantly on the back foot, his defenses stretched thin. Every clash rattled his bones, every parried blow sapped his stamina. Yet, with each wound he suffered, he felt a strange surge of clarity. The sharp sting of pain from every cut and bruise wasn’t just a reminder of his mortality—it was fuel. Each jolt of agony honed his focus, sharpening his awareness of the Zone Controller’s patterns.
With every slash that bit into his flesh, with every falchion that grazed his body, Cassian’s movements became more precise. His glaive danced through the air, weaving an intricate pattern of defense and counterattack. The weapon no longer felt like a tool—it had become an extension of himself, reacting as though guided by instinct.
The battle wasn’t just a clash of strength; it was a trial of endurance and adaptation. Cassian’s movements grew more fluid with each exchange, his body bending and twisting to the rhythm of the fight. The Zone Controller's relentless barrage was no longer overwhelming—it was a puzzle, and with every moment, Cassian pieced together its patterns.
Pain became his ally, driving him to greater heights. His battered body adapted to the intensity, and his mind zeroed in on the gaps in the creature’s technique. He pushed through the exhaustion, his glaive carving through the air with newfound precision. This wasn’t just a fight for survival—it was a crucible, a test of his growth and the promise of what lay beyond.
The arena was a battlefield of chaos, littered with debris and streaked with blood—both Cassian’s and the Zone Controller’s. The oppressive heat of the fight clung to the air, amplifying every breath Cassian drew. His chest heaved with ragged gasps, his body battered but unyielding. The toll of their brutal clash was evident in every bruise and cut, yet he stood tall, his resolve burning brighter than ever.
Across from him, the Zone Controller loomed, its menacing form showing the first cracks in its dominance. The creature’s movements, once a blur of deadly precision, had begun to slow. Its attacks, previously sharp and unrelenting, were now deliberate and heavy, the fatigue in its massive frame impossible to miss.
Cassian's eyes narrowed as he analyzed the Zone Controller’s rhythm. The once-insurmountable flurry of strikes had become predictable, each swing telegraphing the next move. Patterns that had been impossible to discern in the heat of the initial clash now stood out with glaring clarity.
A surge of exhilaration coursed through him as he recognized his chance. Harnessing the pain still throbbing in his muscles and the fire in his bones, Cassian tightened his grip on the glaive. The familiar weight of the weapon, now an extension of his will, steadied him.
“No more running,” he muttered, his lips curling into a grin.
The draconian warrior, still radiating an aura of deadly confidence, bounded forward with feral precision. One sword lunged low toward Cassian's midsection, while the other descended in a deadly arc from above. The twin strikes were perfectly timed, a coordinated attack designed to overwhelm.
Cassian, however, was ready. His glaive flashed up, intercepting the stabbing blade with a sharp clang. The parry was more than just deflection—it was a calculated redirection. The upward force of his glaive sent the stabbing sword into the downward strike, the two blades clashing violently mid-air.
The Zone Controller’s stride faltered, its balance momentarily disrupted as its calculated assault unraveled. Its eyes widened, a flicker of surprise breaking through its usual stoic demeanor. Cassian saw the opening, his instincts screaming for action.
Without missing a beat, he surged forward, his movements fluid and deliberate. The glaive spun in his hands, the blade arcing low before slamming upward into the now-exposed armpit of the warrior. The impact was brutal, the glaive’s blade biting deep into the vulnerable joint.
The Zone Controller let out a roar of pain, its massive form recoiling from the strike. Blood spattered onto the arena floor, the dark crimson a stark contrast against the draconian’s shimmering scales. Cassian twisted the glaive before yanking it free, his stance low and ready as he prepared for the inevitable retaliation.
"Didn’t see that coming, did you?" he taunted, his breath ragged but his grin unyielding.
The Zone Controller roared, a guttural, primal sound that reverberated through the arena. It staggered back, clutching its wounded arm in a futile attempt to stem the steady flow of dark, viscous blood pouring from the gash in its armpit. The movement was desperate, more instinct than strategy, and Cassian saw his opportunity.
Sliding his hands down the glaive’s shaft for maximum leverage, Cassian spun on his heel, the glaive's handle arcing wide. The heavy end of the weapon smashed into the Zone Controller’s knee with a bone-jarring crack. The impact buckled the creature’s leg, sending it lurching to the side, its towering form momentarily unbalanced.
The Zone Controller staggered, struggling to regain its footing. Its massive body swayed, and for a brief moment, its focus wavered, its glowing eyes darting away from Cassian. That was all the opening Cassian needed.
Continuing the momentum of his spin, Cassian redirected the glaive with a sharp pivot, the blade slicing upward in a deadly arc. The weapon struck true, burying itself deep into the elbow joint of the Zone Controller’s other arm. Bone, sinew, and scale gave way under the brutal force, nearly severing the limb entirely.
The draconian warrior bellowed in agony, its cries echoing like a thunderclap through the arena. One of its massive swords slipped from its grasp, clattering loudly to the ground. The roar didn’t stop—it grew, escalating in intensity until it was no longer just a cry of pain but something more.
Cassian froze, his instincts screaming a warning. The creature’s entire body began to radiate an ominous red glow, the light seeping out from beneath its scales and casting long shadows across the blood-soaked ground.
“Uh, that can’t be good,” Cassian muttered, his grip on the glaive tightening as he instinctively took a few cautious steps back.
The now one-armed warrior seemed to swell with rage, its form growing larger as the red glow engulfing its body intensified. Cassian could feel the heat radiating off the Zone Controller, the air around it distorting with the sheer energy it was emitting.
The creature’s remaining arm gripped its blade tightly, the weapon trembling as it raised it to point directly at Cassian. Its glowing eyes locked onto him with a searing, hate-filled intensity, the message clear even without words: You will fall here.
The Zone Controller's mouth opened, its jagged teeth bared as it began to speak. But the words never came, replaced instead by a guttural, choked noise as it tried to summon the strength for its declaration.
“...Ughhh...”
It was all the creature could manage before Cassian shot forward, his glaive a blur of deadly precision.
“This isn’t time for a monologue, dude,” Cassian quipped, his voice calm despite the chaos around him.
The glaive pierced the Zone Controller’s throat with devastating force, the blade slicing cleanly through scale, muscle, and bone. The weapon’s tip burst out the back of the draconian warrior’s neck, a spray of dark blood marking its lethal passage.
The second sword clattered to the ground, joining its twin in a metallic echo that rang through the still arena. The Zone Controller’s massive frame swayed unsteadily before collapsing onto its knees, its clawed hands weakly grasping at the glaive embedded in its throat.
Its glowing eyes flickered, the light within them dimming as its gaze remained fixed on Cassian. The creature’s mouth moved wordlessly, opening and closing as though trying to form a final defiant curse, but no sound came.
With a deliberate step forward, Cassian placed his boot firmly against the draconian warrior’s chest. The creature gave one last futile shudder, its hands slipping from the glaive’s haft as Cassian pressed against it with measured force.
With a sharp squelch that echoed in the eerie silence, Cassian wrenched the glaive free, blood spraying in a dark arc as the Zone Controller’s body toppled backward. It landed heavily on the ground, lifeless, its once-imposing figure now reduced to a bloody, motionless heap.
Cassian took a moment to steady his breath, his fingers tightening briefly around the glaive’s shaft before loosening. He stepped back, surveying the scene with a wry smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "And that," he murmured to himself, "is why you don’t bring a monologue to a glaive fight."
Controller’s massive form lay motionless, its once-glowing eyes now dimmed.
As Cassian stood amidst the wreckage of the arena, his breath heavy and his heart still pounding from the brutal confrontation, the familiar glow of system notifications began to flood his vision. Each message felt like a reward for his blood-soaked efforts, a tangible acknowledgment of the struggle he had endured.
System Notification: Achievement Unlocked
Planetary First Zone Clear
Successfully clear a zone of all hostile opponents and defeat Integration Zone Controller.
Effect: +15% increase in all loot drop quality and quantity.
System Notification: Achievement Unlocked
Planetary First Zone Solo Clear
Successfully clear a zone of all hostile opponents and defeat Integration Zone Controller without assistance.
Effect: +15% increase in all loot drop quality and quantity.
System Notification: Ascendant Skill Unlocked
Void Control
Master the void and create an interdimensional storage space. Store up to 5 cubic meters of any non-living item in stasis without deterioration.
Warning: Inserting a living item will result in extreme backlash to the caster and termination of life in the stored item.
Effect: Void Space grows as the Ascendant develops further.
Cassian blinked, the enormity of what he had just accomplished sinking in. The words “Planetary First” flashed before his eyes, carrying with them the weight of uniqueness. He hadn’t just cleared the zone; he had done so alone and as the first person—or being—on this world to achieve it.
“Fifteen percent, huh?” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “Guess my odds of finding something better than canned beans just went up.”
His gaze shifted to the notification about Void Control. The idea of creating an interdimensional storage space was both fascinating and daunting. The practical applications alone sent his mind racing—he could carry supplies without burden, weapons without clutter. The warning, however, lingered in his thoughts. “No living things,” he mused. “Noted. Don’t toss in a rat for science unless I want to find out what ‘extreme backlash’ feels like.”
The notifications faded, leaving Cassian with a brief, serene silence. He glanced at the tattered remains of the Zone Controller, its massive form now lifeless. For a moment, he allowed himself to feel a flicker of pride—not in the creature’s death, but in his survival, his growth, and the new heights he was reaching.
“Not bad,” he said quietly, the corners of his mouth tugging into a smirk. "Not bad at all."
With a sense of grim satisfaction, he reached for the twin Falchion swords which in a flash resized themselves to be suitable for the smaller warrior.
A sudden jolt of energy engulfed Cassian, and the world around him shifted. He was teleported back to the city, the familiar ruins now tinged with the anticipation of what was to come. The system prompted him to activate his new skill, Void Control. He hesitated for a moment before accepting the activation.
The moment the skill activated; Cassian was overwhelmed by a wave of intense pain. His entire body felt as though it was being torn apart and reassembled. The agony was excruciating, but it was a pain he had come to understand and embrace. His Path of the Wounded Ascendant drove him to endure and overcome.
As the pain subsided, Cassian found himself with a newfound sense of clarity. He experimented with his Void Control, knowledge of the process blooming in his mind, expanded by the pain from the integration process. He practiced placing his meagre belongings and weapons into the storage space. The void space was an intriguing sensation—his items seemed to vanish into a hidden realm, awaiting his command. They were gone, and physically he felt no weight on his body, but he could somehow feel the weight on his mind or his soul as number of items increased.
He retrieved the falchions from storage, their weight and balance unfamiliar compared to his glaive. The twin blades were elegant and deadly, a far cry from the glaive’s reach and power. Cassian recognized that he was only beginning his journey with these new weapons, their mastery a distant goal.
With his hands empty, Cassian stood at the edge of the city, his gaze scanning the horizon. The zone was cleared, but his quest for improvement was far from over. He needed to test his new skills and weapons, to fight and grow stronger.
Without a clear destination, Cassian chose a direction and began walking. Each step was driven by the knowledge that his path was one of continuous struggle and growth. The city held countless challenges and opportunities, and he was ready to face them head-on.
After 30 seconds Cassian re-summoned his Glaive. Its comfortable familiar weight settling in his hands. Just felt weird without it.
A smile cracked the corner of his mouth and he continued onwards.