My heart thumped once, and then the energy surged outward, flooding through my body as strength and speed spiked instantly by 50%, every movement tightening, sharpening, the strain from before pushed aside under the sudden increase. I pushed myself up, steady now, and began walking toward them.
They didn’t notice my change and the largest one, their main boss, moved first.
It didn’t circle or wait. It lunged as its fist came straight at my head, fast and heavy, cutting through the air with a sharp force that would have crushed me if I had stayed where I was. I shifted just enough, the punch grazing past as I stepped inside its reach, my leg snapping forward and driving into its midsection. The impact lifted it clean off the ground and sent it crashing back into a tree, the trunk splintering under the force.
I didn’t get the chance to follow. The other three were already on me.
One came from the left, the second from the front, their attacks overlapping as they tried to box me in. I slipped past the first strike, leaned away from the second, and stepped forward into the third, letting its punch come close before guiding my body along its path.
The axe moved with me, sliding past its arm before cutting across its neck in a single motion. Blood burst out as its body collapsed, and I didn’t stop moving.
I turned immediately. The boss was already recovering.
"Impact Burst."
The ground cracked beneath me as I launched forward again, closing the distance in an instant before driving my kick into its chest once more. This time the force carried it much farther, its body tearing through multiple trees before disappearing into the dense forest beyond.
I landed and turned back toward the remaining two. One swung wildly, and I stepped aside, letting it pass, while the other closed in from the side. I moved toward that one instead, bringing the axe across in a sharp arc that severed its arm at the elbow, the limb dropping as it staggered. Before it could react, I followed with another strike across its neck, ending it cleanly.
The last one roared and rushed me. I met it head-on.
Two steps.
One swing.
Then another.
It didn’t last. Its body dropped beside the others as I felt the surge inside me begin to fade, the Overdrive pushing against its limit.
"No time." I turned and ran straight toward where the boss had fallen.
My body burned with each step, the strain building as I pushed forward, closing the distance before the power slipped away. I jumped, bringing the axe high above my head as everything I had left gathered into the strike.
"Ruin Strike."
The force condensed, then released.
The axe came down in a single, overwhelming arc, all my strength poured into it as the blade met its raised palm, the resistance lasting only a fraction before breaking apart. The cut didn’t stop. It drove straight through, splitting its body vertically as the force carried through completely.
It fell.
I landed beside it, my grip loosening as the last of the energy drained from my body.
The forest went quiet. I dropped to the ground where I stood, lying flat on my back, breathing heavily as the fight finally caught up to me.
I allowed the notification to flash before me.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level 22 -> Level 25]
[Combat Points +200]
[Impact Burst 1 (Active)(Uncommon)] -> [Impact Burst 2 (Active)(Uncommon)]
[You have completed the objective Defeat Believer: Great Ape]
[Influence Point + 300]
[Safe Zone territory available. Check the Influence shop to install one.]
The notification stayed in front of me as I lay there catching my breath, and after a few seconds, I willed the panel open again.
Shop: Recovery || Enhancement || Weapons || Skills || Utility || Influence
My focus shifted straight to the last option, and I opened the Influence section without hesitation. A new list appeared, and right at the top was what I was looking for.
Safe Zone.
I selected it, and a set of options opened up in front of me, each one marked with a different cost.
Defier Safe Zone 1 – 300 IP
Defier Safe Zone 2 – 1000 IP
Defier Safe Zone 3 – 3000 IP
Defier Safe Zone 4 – 5000 IP
Defier Safe Zone 5 – 10000 IP
I read through them once, then again, waiting for more details to show up, but there was nothing else, no description, no explanation of what changed between them, only the cost increasing with each level.
"That’s not helpful..." I muttered, frowning slightly.
Since there was no other information, I decided to check my own status first before making a choice.
[Status]
—-----------------------------------
Name: Ryan Heavens
Level: 25
Class: Unassigned(Destroyer)
Talent: Overdrive
Designation: Defier
Combat Points (CP): 590
Influence Points (IP): 460
Stats:
Vitality: 60
Strength: 84
Dexterity: 59
Intelligence: 37
Endurance: 37
—-----------------------------------
I went over the numbers quickly, my eyes pausing on the Influence Points- 460.
"Only enough for the first one..." I said under my breath. There wasn’t much to think about. I selected Defier Safe Zone 1.
The moment I confirmed it, something dropped onto the ground in front of me, a small token, dark in color with faint markings etched across its surface.
A new message appeared right after.
[Bury the token in this territory anywhere to launch the safe zone]
I picked it up, turning it slightly in my hand as I looked around the forest.
"So this is how it starts..." I murmured, already thinking about where to place it.
But before I could move, new notifications appeared one after another, stacking in front of me and pulling my focus away from the token in my hand.
[Class Selection Available]
[Based on your progress in the Destroyer Path, the system has generated suitable class options.]
[Select one class to proceed.]
A brief pause followed, then another set of lines expanded below.
[Class Selection Details:]
→ Class selection is permanent once chosen
→ Future evolution paths will depend on this choice
→ Class bonuses, skills, and growth modifiers will be applied immediately
→ Further class advancements will unlock at higher levels
[Recommended Options Generated: 4]
[Open Class Selection Panel]
I exhaled slowly, then focused on the panel.
"Let’s see what you’ve got."