The rain beat down, blurring the world around me. The forest was a wasteland, trees ripped apart, leaves scattered like confetti. I stood alone amidst the destruction. The last one standing.

The SYSTEM ALERTS buzzed in my ears, relentless.

[SYSTEM ALERT: ANIUM LEVEL INCREASING]

[WARNING: OVERLOAD IMMINENT]

I could feel it—the surge of power building inside me like a storm, threatening to consume everything. Exhilarating, terrifying. But I needed more. More power. For Aria.

My mind raced—Dilah you bastard, Aria my sis. I needed to find them all. I couldn't waste any time.

A shadow emerged from the wreckage—a massive, twisted figure of darkness. A Devourer. One of Dilah's minions. I clenched my dagger, feeling the raw Anium energy coursing through it. My weapon hummed with violent intent.

"Come on," I muttered. "Let's see what you've got."

The Devourer lunged, claws slicing the air. I dodged instinctively, my body moving faster than before, powered by the Anium flowing through me. The battle was brutal, each strike sending shockwaves through the ravaged forest.

But I was stronger now. Faster.

A surge of power rushed from me, a wave of Anium energy blasting the Devourer backward. It roared, recovering swiftly, but I was already in motion—faster than a blink. My dagger pierced its heart in a single fluid motion. The creature dissolved into shadowy mist.

I stood there, breathing heavily. Victory tasted sweet, but fleeting.

Aria. I'm coming for you.

Crimson Village was gone. Aria was gone. All that was left was a smoldering crater of memories and a stone, pulsing faintly in my hand.

The system chimed in my ear again.

[SYSTEM ALERT: LEVEL SYSTEM ACTIVATED]

[MISSION: ASCEND]

[NEW MISSION UNLOCKED: FIND HICCUP]

"Hiccup?" Who is this bastard?

[HICCUP: THE MARTIAL KING. A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.]

[LOCATION: PASTANA]

[WARNING: HICCUP RULES PASTANA. IT IS A DANGEROUS PLACE.]

So that's it. I'll find him. Train with him. Or beat him. The system left no room for weakness. He would either become my ally or my next target.

I began walking, determination driving every step. I would become stronger—no one could stop me from saving Aria. Not Dilah. Not Hiccup. Not anyone.

The air grew heavier as I left the forest behind, but my mind couldn't keep still. The destruction of Crimson Village, the loss of Aria, the overwhelming power of Anium—it was all too much.

I stumbled upon a massive boulder, weathered by the passage of time. With a growl, I slammed my head against it, again and again, as if the physical pain could drown out the storm inside me.

"Stop!"

A voice, sharp and clear, broke through the chaos.

I ignored it. But then I felt something—a force, invisible yet unyielding, wrapped around me like iron chains. I couldn't move.

"What the hell?" I strained against the force, turning to see a woman with long black hair and piercing eyes standing before me, her expression unflinching.

"Who are you?" My voice was rough, a mixture of pain and anger.

"I am Asia," she said, her tone firm. "And you're hurting yourself. Stop this madness."

I glared at her. "What do you care? You're just another person in my way."

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Asia stepped forward, her eyes never leaving mine. "You're lost in your power. The Anium's more than you can handle right now. You need control."

"I'm fine!" My voice broke with frustration, but I could feel the truth in her words.

Asia didn't flinch. Instead, she raised her hand, and a surge of energy flowed around me, a strange yet calming force. My body went rigid. This power… it wasn't like the Anium I used. It's totally different!

"You'll destroy yourself if you keep this up, Eric," she said calmly. "You need training, and you need it fast."

My anger wavered, replaced by awe. This woman—she was stronger than anyone I'd faced before.

"You're not ready to face what's coming." Asia snapped her fingers, and in an instant, the tension left my body, my wounds healed. Just like that.

"You need help if you want to survive what's ahead. Dilah's forces are gathering, and you won't stop them alone."

I clenched my fists. "I don't need help. I'll find Hiccup, gather more Power of Anium, and bring Aria back myself."

Asia's eyes narrowed. "You're a warrior, I get that. But even warriors need allies. So, here's the deal: help me defeat Dilah, and I'll make sure you get the power you need to save your world."

I hesitated, the weight of her offer pressing on me. Trust didn't come easy, but I knew I couldn't do this alone.

"Fine," I said at last, my voice low. "Show me what you can do."

Asia's lips curled into a smile. "You won't regret this. Wait ten days for me."

Ten days burned in the back of my mind as I left. I couldn't shake the fury bubbling inside me. Ten days? Like I had that luxury. Aria didn't have ten days. The Devourers didn't care about anyone's timeline. I wasn't going to sit around and think—no. I had to act.

With a grim resolve, I used the system to guide me toward my next destination: Pastana. That's where I'd find Hiccup. I didn't know if he'd be an ally or another obstacle, but either way, I was getting answers. My footsteps echoed in the eerie quiet of the Dark Valley of Sandrom, a wasteland of jagged cliffs and swirling dust that blocked out the sun. The air was thick, suffocating, like the place itself was alive—waiting to consume anyone foolish enough to step inside.

The system pulsed, pointing me forward. I was ready to blast my way through—until I saw them. A group of three, standing in the distance.

I instinctively crouched behind a sharp outcropping, narrowing my eyes as I watched. Two of them seemed like weaklings, shaking in their boots, but the third…

He was something else entirely.

The man stood like a beast—a tower of muscle, his skin almost rippling with energy that radiated from him like a furnace. My senses screamed at me to stay hidden, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. He wasn't just strong—he was a walking force of destruction.

Before I could process what I was seeing, one of the weaker men screamed. The sound tore through the valley like the screech of metal being ripped apart. In an instant, the massive man moved—his hand a blur. And then—CRACK! The weak man's body was split in half at the waist, his upper half flopping uselessly to the ground in a fountain of blood. Torn in two like paper.

I barely kept myself from gasping, my entire body frozen. What the hell was that? My mind raced. What kind of monster could do that? I'd fought Devourers, seen all manner of death and destruction, but this was...different.

The muscular man didn't even glance at the corpse he'd created. It was nothing to him. The other weak man was trembling now, too paralyzed by fear to even run. I clenched my fists, my instincts screaming to do something, to save him, but if I made one wrong move... I'd be next.

Suddenly, the giant figure vanished.

My heart leaped into my throat. Where did he—?

"Looking for me?" a deep, chilling voice whispered.

I spun around, and there he was. Right in front of me.

I had no time to react—his enormous hand shot out and grabbed me by the throat, lifting me off the ground like I weighed nothing.

"So," he said with a sinister grin, "this is the rat who's been hiding." His grip tightened, cutting off my air. "You're here to watch the show, huh? Thought you could sneak around and leave unnoticed?"

I choked, my hands clawing at his iron grip, but I forced myself to keep my voice steady. "H-Hey...I wasn't...watching anything...Just...passing through."

"Passing through?" His voice dripped with mockery. "What, you think I'm stupid?" He slammed me against the cliff face, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. "No one just 'passes through' here, kid. You want to be a witness to my power? That means I have to finish you."

I coughed, struggling to breathe, but my mind was racing. Think, Eric. Think fast. I wasn't getting out of this with brute strength.

I forced a smirk through the pain. "You...you think you can finish me off just like that?" I rasped. "Who the hell...decides that?"

His eyes flickered with amusement, his grip loosening just slightly. "You've got a mouth on you. You think some trash talk is going to save your life?"

I kicked off the wall, twisting my body and using the momentum to slam my knee into his face. He staggered back, surprised more than hurt, but it was enough. I dropped to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Trash talk?" I wiped the blood from my lip, grinning. "Nah, it's called keeping things interesting. You wouldn't want to fight someone who just rolls over and dies, right?"

His face twisted into a snarl, and then he laughed. A dark, guttural sound that chilled me to the bone.

"I like you," he said, cracking his knuckles. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you live."

He lunged, a blur of muscle and violence. His fist shot toward me, faster than before. I barely dodged, rolling to the side as his punch collided with the ground, sending a shockwave through the valley that shattered the earth beneath us.

He's a goddamn monster.

I sprang to my feet, panting. No way could I take him head-on. This wasn't a fight I could win by strength alone.

"You're pretty strong," I taunted, "but for a guy who's built like a mountain, you sure are easy to dodge." I tapped my temple. "You ever hear of brains over brawn?"

His expression darkened. "You think you're clever? That your tricks will save you?"

"Not just clever," I grinned. "But I'm faster, too."

He charged at me, roaring, and I knew I couldn't dodge this one. His fist came at me like a wrecking ball, and just before it connected, I threw a handful of rocks at his eyes. It was a cheap move, but it bought me a second.

His fist missed by a hair as he swatted away the debris, but that was enough. I dove back, creating distance, my mind racing for a plan.

Think, think! He's too strong, but he's arrogant. He's toying with me. Use that.

"You're really not making this easy for me," I said, playing up my frustration. "But hey, I like a challenge." My eyes darted around the terrain—there, a rocky ledge above. If I could just get him under it…

I charged at him, feigning desperation. He smirked, seeing right through my bluff. But that's what I needed. Just as his fist came crashing down, I dodged again, this time firing a blast of Anium at the rock formation above him.

The ledge crumbled, crashing down.

For a split second, I thought I had him—but he broke through the debris like it was paper.

"You think that's going to stop me?!" he roared, grabbing me by the collar and slamming me into the ground with enough force to make the earth tremble.

Pain shot through my body, and I coughed up blood. Damn it, he's too strong...

I looked up at him, eyes blurry with pain. "Y-You think this is...over?" I spat. "You still don't know who I am."

He leaned in, his face inches from mine. "And who are you?"

I forced a grin, blood staining my teeth. "I'm the guy who's going to make you regret giving me thirty days."

His eyes flickered with interest, and for a moment, he didn't strike. He chuckled.

"You've got guts," he said, standing up and releasing me. "Fine. I'll give you thirty days. Train. Get stronger. Come find me in Pastana. Then,I'll kill you properly."

"Another thing, you can't run away from me. This is the SHADOW BOMB, and I'm embedding it inside your lungs!"

"Ugh… Ah! What are you doing?!" I shouted,

"The timer is 30 days. If you run away without fighting with me, you will die by the blast and become my puppet. But if you manage to defeat me, the bomb will vanish".

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me beaten and broken in the dust, but alive.

Thirty days.

I gritted my teeth, pulling myself to my feet. I had thirty days to get stronger. To outsmart him. This wasn't over.

It had only just begun.