I listened to Arkas's plan and couldn't help but feel a grin creeping up my face.
I liked it. No, I loved it.
Leveling up fast was exactly what I needed.
The faster I pushed my attributes to their limit before reaching my class, the stronger my foundation would be. This level gap training was perfect for that.
I nodded and asked.
"Alright, so when do we start?"
Arkas smirked.
"We start right now. You see all these pods? They're controlled by that Abomination, and right now... that Abomination is under my control. I'll start releasing stronger Orcs, beginning from level 20.
At first, one at a time. Then two. Then more. The difficulty will keep increasing until the end of the month.
You will stay here and fight alone. Kill fast, refine your skills, and level up.
I'll see you at the end of the month. I have to oversee Unit 02."
With that, Arkas gave me a nod and zoomed through the hole I had come from, leaving behind only a gust of wind.
He was Fast.
So damn fast.
I clenched my fists, excitement surging through me. I wanted to fly like that one day.
But that could wait.
Right now, I had orcs to kill.
I rolled my shoulders and focused on the pods in front of me.
Any moment now...
I pulled up my status screen to take one last look.
[Status]
----------------------------------------------------
Name : Billion Ironhart
Race : Human
Class : N/A
Laws : N/A
Level : 15
Talent :
- Generator 2
- Essence : 0/10
Attributes :
- Strength: 45
- Constitution: 33
- Dexterity: 28
- Psynapse : 36
Unused Stats: 0
Skills:
- Essence Manipulation (Innate) Level 2
- Psynapse Boost (Innate) Level 2
- Seismic Fist Level 1
----------------------------------------------------
The temporary Strength boost was still active, and everything else looked perfect.
My next goal was to experiment with Seismic Fist, this time trying to infuse Essence into it. I also needed to level up my other two skills.
And finally... I had to push my talent to the next level.
I clenched my fists, feeling the energy surging through my body. It was time to begin.
Stepping forward, I moved between the pods.
But there was no movement. No orcs.
I kept walking, crossing several lava pools as waves of heat pressed against my body. The air was thick with smoke and ash.
Then, I saw it.
A half-burnt wooden board stuck in a lava pool with a single word carved on it—"Start."
'Did Arkas leave this here?'
I glanced back at the sea of pods I had passed and then turned my gaze forward.
Cracked ground. Lava flowing. Smoke rising. Heat burning the air.
But no pods ahead. Not on the ground or roof or the walls.
Narrowing my eyes, I stepped past the board.
I barely took a few steps when the lava pool in front of me began to bubble violently.
A massive orc slowly emerged from the molten depths, steam rising off its charred skin. It wielded a giant club and glared at me with bloodthirsty eyes.
I scanned it.
[Blazing Orc - Level 20]
Exactly as Arkas said.
I exhaled slowly and dropped the two clubs I had been carrying. My muscles tensed as I shifted into my stance.
I decided to go fists against the club.
It was time to experiment with Seismic Fist.
I activated my talent.
[Power Up]
My heart thumped violently, energy surging through my veins.
I lunged forward, closing the distance between me and the orc in an instant.
The orc swung its massive club horizontally. I ducked, feeling the wind graze my head as the club tore through the air.
I stepped in and drove my fist into its ribs. The impact echoed with a dull thud, but the orc barely flinched.
It retaliated with a downward swing. I crossed my arms to block, but the sheer force forced me back a couple of steps.
I dashed to the orc's side and threw a right hook to its jaw. This time, my fist connected cleanly, twisting the orc's head. But before I could follow up, the orc roared and swung its arm like a hammer.
I raised my forearm to block, but the impact sent me skidding back. My bones rattled from the force.
'Shit... its raw strength is insane.'
But I was faster.
I charged again, weaving through its next strike and landing a clean punch to its stomach. The orc grunted, stumbling back a step, but recovered instantly and came at me again.
We clashed head-on.
Punches. Blocks. Dodges.
The heat from the lava pools around us made it harder to breathe, but I kept pushing. The orc's strength was good for level 20 but I also had my increased stats from my talent.
We fought like that for what felt like half an hour.
Both of us landed hits.
My breathing grew heavier and the orc's movements slowed slightly, but its eyes still burned with rage.
I checked my Essence.
Essence: 4/10
I activated my skill.
[Psynapse Boost]
Essence rolled into my heart and surged into my eyes making them glow green. My vision sharpened, and time seemed to slow.
The orc roared and lunged forward.
I saw everything. The tension in its body. The shift in its stance. The subtle movement of its wrist before it swung the club.
I sidestepped effortlessly and delivered a brutal elbow to its ribs. The orc stumbled to the side. I followed up with a swift kick to its knee, making it collapse slightly.
'Good. Now let's push it further.'
I focused onto my right arm and activated my skill.
[Seismic Fist]
This time... I observed everything.
I felt my muscles tense and coil like compressed springs. The strength within my body surged toward my right arm, flowing into my fist and locking there.
The energy didn't explode out immediately, it condensed, sinking deeper into my muscles, veins, and bones.
The moment I clenched my fist, I felt it, the power trembling, struggling to break free.
The skill stored strength in my fist and then exploded it on contact.
The orc lunged at me. I stepped forward and twisted my body, channeling everything into my punch.
BOOM!
My punch struck the orc's chest, and the compressed force erupted on impact. A violent shockwave rippled through its body, cracking its chest from the inside and launching the orc several meters back.
I slowly relaxed my fist, feeling the lingering tremors in my muscles from the punch.
'So that's how Seismic Fist works... It doesn't create power... it stores and compresses the existing strength inside the muscles.'
I looked at the orc struggling to stand up, its chest caved in from the shockwave.
My mind raced.
I thought of two ways to incorporate Essence into Seismic Fist.
First, Essence Reinforcement.
By channeling Essence to strengthen the muscle fibers before activating Seismic Fist, I could handle more compression and unleash greater power.
The more I compress, the stronger the explosion. But...there is a limit to how much my body can handle before tearing apart.
Second, Essence Compression.
I could wrap the compressed power with Essence itself, creating a layer around the stored force to condense it further.
This would multiply the destructive output, like compacting a bomb before detonation.
However, controlling the explosion would be extremely difficult. If I fail to release it properly, I might end up shattering my own arm.
I could inject Essence at the moment of release to guide the shockwave and merge Essence with it. Basically, releasing Essence outside my body with the punch.
This would allow better control over the force's direction and spread. I could focus all the force into a single point...or spread it out in a wide area.
I exhaled slowly.
Both ideas seemed solid to me.
But the second one, releasing Essence outside the body, had the highest potential for unlocking better class options in the future. And I wanted that.
So, I made my decision.
Now, all that was left was to put the idea into practice.
Finally, the orc stood up and limped toward me.
The red glow in its eyes flickered.
I stayed in place, waiting for the orc to reach me. My entire focus locked onto my fist.
I activated [Seismic Fist]
Raw strength surged into my arm.
Without missing a beat, I activated [Essence Manipulation] and channeled Essence toward my arm.
Before the Essence could fully reach my fist, I burst forward, closing the distance in an instant. I bent low and aimed my punch at the orc's stomach.
At the exact moment my fist was about to make contact, I forced Essence into my fist and triggered the explosion.
Boom!
Essence erupted along with the shockwave, completely obliterating the orc's upper body.
Only two legs remained standing before they, too, crumbled to dust.