The guardian’s massive foot stomped the ground and the road’s asphalt cracked like spiderwebs, leaving a crater on the road and a cloud of dust around it.
John strained his eyes and a blur enveloped him. He couldn’t wait to try out his new maximum speed. Not only had he gained 10 points in Agility, but he could double it with his Quiet Steps and Haze Veil.
The guardian shouted and the sheer strength of its voice was enough to blow out the dust around it. Only after hearing the terrifying screech could John tell that there was another factor to it other than a strong, unfaltering, voice.
It could influence people. A dizziness and headache washed over him and his consciousness felt like it would slip away if he couldn’t pull himself together.
If John were just any normal human, he would have died under the influence of its voice, but he would struggle and he would prevail. This was nothing. Just one more of life’s whims thrown at a bitter man, ignored and forgotten by the world, but John would make sure the world remembered him. Not as the poor kid neglected by his parents or that high schooler who was constantly bullied, but as someone who carved his own place.
John’s figure blurred and streaked across the dusty battlefield. Whooshing past the guardian, his Venomlash cut through its skin repeatedly, faster than the guardian could regenerate. Its blazing eyes shrank and flared like fireworks in the sky.
Its burning blood spattered all over John, burning his skin. If his coat didn’t protect him, his skin would be a burned husk. His opponent didn’t move but its body flickered and wobbled. A hallucinatory mirage had shrouded its massive frame and John had to be on the lookout for false attacks.
The guardian swung its fist in a wide arc towards John, but John put some distance between them with a Shockwave. The guardian’s fist struck an apartment complex, leaving the guardian with a huge pillar in its hand. The guardian swung the pillar, blowing out the dust and spewing balls of fire in all directions.
John dodged the guardian’s attacks and stepped back, wiping off the sweat from his forehead. The battlefield was a raging inferno, fireballs were exploding left and right, and flames were rising a few meters in the air every ten seconds, but then he felt a sudden chill on his face.
He blinked and realised it was a drop of water. He looked up and spotted dark, threatening clouds gathering above the battlefield. They clashed against one other and spread over the sky like a plague, blocking out the sun, and buildings below it were cloaked in it.
Then the dark clouds began pouring torrential downpours on the barren wasteland.
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A smirk pulled the corner of his lips upward and he exhaled loudly, he felt relieved when the scorching heat dispersed and the water helped his tired limbs.
The guardian roared and exploded into a sprint, cracking the floor in two, its scarlet muscles tensed, and John was surprised that the red glow from its muscles shone brighter. Despite the intense downpour soaking the land in a layer of cold and humid water, a burning shockwave rippled from the ground below him.
A terrifying scream shattered the remaining glass of the few remaining windows on the apartments. A deep shadow loomed over John and the giant fist covered in scorching flames smashed down at him.
Backdown? No.
"Shockwave, motherfucker."
John propelled himself forward, slipping under the giant’s fist with a burst of speed like a rocket. As he darted at lightning speed, the world stilled around him and he focused his gaze on the shining spot on the guardian’s chest.
His Venomlash was coated in an electric aura, and his muscles bulged with the skills of his women. His eyes flared red and the air around him crackled with a powerful aura, but he felt his mind slipping away as he unconsciously activated the Berserker’s Rage skill, an indescribable, bloody madness eroded his thoughts and his rationality slipped.
Instinct took over and John swung the dagger with the finesse of a jackhammer, burying it to the hilt in the guardian’s flesh as its glowing eyes locked on him.
"Game over, bitch." The Aura on his Venomlash expanded like a meteor hammer and delivered the coup de grace. The glowing circle shattered and the Guardian’s bright aura extinguished as it fell to the ground, trembling and spitting blood.
[Gigasfire Killed]
[4 Strength Obtained]
[5 Vitality Obtained]
[3 Energy Obtained]
"Phew..." John took a deep breath and sheathed his Venomlash, curling his lips upwards as he dismissed the notifications. It had been a very long time since he had felt a satisfying battle. A smile spread across his face and his gaze turned towards the Shop.
"So," he muttered, his gaze landing on a luxurious building made of solid gold and expensive crystals, the golden roof glittered with gems under the sunlight and a sense of warmth radiated from the shop, John smiled and approached the shop’s golden gates.
"This is completely different to the first System Shop I saw. What’s going on, Echo?"
"There are System Shops of varying levels of complexity throughout the worlds connected to Earth. You just happened to find the worst System Shop when we arrived, and this is one of the best System Shops you can find."
"Whoa," John muttered as he glanced around the empty streets. "Wait a minute. All of this is starting to sound more and more like a video game. It did from the beginning, but these shops... they’re a little too on the nose, don’t you think?"
Echo was silent for a bit. Then a system window appeared in John’s mind, filling him with incredulity and despair.
John heaved a deep sigh and shook his head. He knew pondering about it wouldn’t bring him anywhere. He stepped inside the building and went past the gaping hall and a waiting area with sofas and exquisite curtains.
The walls had a fancy wallpaper, a combination of brown and golden. A fireplace made of pristine limestones was situated in a far corner and four human-sized golden statues surrounded it. John stood still as he was about to enter the counter room, his gaze stopped and locked on a man seated in front of a gigantic chessboard.