Chapter 6: Ascendant II

Time kept flowing like a river, and the darkness of the night still accompanied us. The night wind blew stronger than before, sweeping through everything in its path.

I could see that Syafina was reaching her limit. The exhaustion hidden behind her expression was evident, and her body was clearly being forced to endure.

I couldn't just stand by. There was no way I would sit still while Syafina was fighting with all her might.

Using the nearby tree for support, I slowly forced my body to stand. A sharp pain immediately spread throughout my entire body, centered in my head.

"Argh!" I winced. It felt as if thousands of burning needles were stabbing into every inch of my skin, the pain surging from my head down to my feet.

I looked at Syafina. She was almost collapsing from exhaustion, while the creatures kept coming like an endless swarm of ants.

I gritted my teeth, trying to suppress the pain dominating my body. My vision blurred; I could barely see clearly.

If I stayed still, we would both die here.

But my body was unreliable, and Syafina was already drained. We were at the edge of a cliff—one push, and we would fall into the abyss. The abyss of death.

Was this the end?

I couldn't give up here, not today.

I kept telling myself that the pain was only temporary and that I could endure it.

With great difficulty, I forced my body to stand tall once more, stepping to Syafina's side. I saw her eyes widen in surprise, but before she could speak, I cut her off.

"It's fine. I'm okay."

I turned my gaze forward. The creatures kept coming, relentless, as if they wouldn't stop until we were dead.

My body might be weak, but I had to stand firm. If survival meant pushing past my limits, then so be it.

[ Warning! Your body is in a weakened state. ]

Damn it, I don't care about that voice. If I stayed still, everything would end here. I wasn't going to let that happen.

I picked up my fallen sword, gripping its hilt tightly as I took a stance. The pain made my body waver, but my resolve did not.

Alright, how do I feel that power again?

Like this? No, wait. I focused, calming my body as I attempted to summon it once more. A moment later, my body felt light, just like before—almost as if I were floating in the air.

"Syafina, handle the small ones," I told her.

I closed my eyes briefly, taking a deep breath before opening them again. The moment I did, I dashed forward, dodging the smaller creatures—the ones that looked like giant leeches.

I leaped from spot to spot, avoiding as many attacks as possible to minimize the risk of collapsing. My body felt light, allowing me to move faster and more agilely than before.

I clenched my sword tightly. My eyes locked onto a single target—a creature twice the height of an average human. Its attacks were slow but relentless, forcing me to stay on guard.

For some reason, the sword felt more natural in my grip. As I dodged, I kept searching for an opening—there! I swung my sword with all my strength, aiming for its leg.

Damn, it was smarter than I thought. It dodged.

I quickly jumped back, creating distance. This one wasn't just strong—it was cunning. I had to be more careful.

Wait, could I try this?

I closed my eyes briefly. It was risky, but it was the only way. I focused my energy on my sword, and immediately, I could feel the difference. What once felt heavy and burdensome now felt light and comfortable.

Nice, I think I'm getting the hang of this.

I jumped high, narrowly avoiding the creature's attack, which was gradually getting faster. I found another opening, and without hesitation, I swung my sword, slashing its leg.

The creature roared in pain, and I had no intention of giving it a chance to recover. I surged forward, ready to strike again.

But I had forgotten—this creature wasn't alone.

An attack came from the side, hitting me hard. I was thrown back, my body crashing into a tree with a brutal impact.

I gasped in pain, the shockwave of the collision shattering my focus.

"Argh!" I shut my eyes, feeling the throbbing pain coursing through my entire body. My vision blurred—I could barely see anything.

Faintly, I heard Syafina's voice calling my name and the heavy thuds of giant footsteps.

I refused to die here.

Not today.

I struggled to stand, failing several times before finally managing to get on my feet, albeit unsteadily.

Grabbing my sword, I took a deep breath, closing my eyes briefly to gather my focus.

That feeling of weightlessness returned. I opened my eyes and glared at the two creatures preparing to attack me, ready to tear me apart.

"Come at me, bastards!"

I stomped my foot on the ground, preparing to attack. But something unexpected happened.

The moment my heel struck the earth, a blast of wind exploded around me. The air howled, surging like a wild beast unleashed from its cage. Dust and leaves flew everywhere, branches snapped, and a deafening roar filled my ears. I felt the power coursing through me, crashing into everything in a single, brutal gust.

When the wind finally settled, I stood in the aftermath of the chaos I had created—the ground cracked, trees bent in submission, and the air still trembled as if struggling to grasp what had just happened.

The creatures had been hurled away by the powerful winds, their bodies slamming into trees so forcefully that even the largest ones fell, crushing them underneath.

I stared in disbelief, shock and confusion washing over me. What had just happened? Was this real?

I looked at the ground where I had stomped, as if questioning whether that was truly the cause.

"Bayu!" I turned to see Syafina rushing toward me. She looked exhausted, but she was still standing. Truly strong girl.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

She nodded. "What about you?"

"Same, just a little sore."

Syafina didn't respond, only gesturing toward the tiny turtle perched on her shoulder—Bolang.

"Bolang!" I took the little turtle and placed him in my hands. He looked terrified but was slowly calming down.

"He's fine, just a little shaken," Syafina reassured me.

"Thank goodness."

[ Congratulations! You have defeated two mid-tier creatures. Rewards will be granted.]

The familiar blue screen appeared in front of Syafina and me, displaying a message congratulating me for defeating those creatures.

"Hm… This feels like something straight out of a webtoon," I muttered while pressing the reward button.

[ Rewards received: 3,000 coins ]

"Three thousand coins?" I couldn't believe it. Did I really get that much just for defeating two mid-tier creatures?

"Bayu, what do these do?" Syafina asked, showing her screen, which displayed her reward—2,500 coins.

Why did she get less than me? Was it because she only took down the smaller ones?

"I don't know, let me check." I tapped the blue screen twice, hoping for something to happen. Sure enough, the screen switched to display my status.

[ Current Status: ]

Name: Bayu Mahendra Saputra

Age: 18

Gender: Male

Level: Awakened Ascendant

Title: (None)

Attributes: (None)

STR: 5

AGI: 5

VIT: 5

INT: 5

Abilities:

- Wind Manipulation: Lv. 1

…Wow, my stats are trully dissapointing.

But this is pretty cool—just like in those comics. If the world really changed like this, then where did this system even come from?

Hmm, can I level up?

"Raise my strength by one level," I whispered.

[ Request accepted. STR has increased by one level. ]

[ 500 coins have been deducted. ]

What the—500 coins per level-up?! That's so expensive!

Well… I guess it makes sense. Hopefully, it's worth it.

I turned to Syafina, who was now distracted by Bolang.

"Syafina."

She looked up, raising an eyebrow.

"The coins we earned can be used to upgrade our abilities. Try double-tapping your status screen."

She did as I suggested, and I saw her eyes widen in shock.

"…Bayu, what does this mean?" She pointed at her attribute—Blessing of Dewi Sri Asih.

Wait, what?

Unlike me, she didn't have any abilities. But she get 'blessing'. Did this mean everyone's system worked differently?

"I have no idea."

She nodded in understanding, and we continued discussing the coins and how they worked.

Oh, right—we hadn't eaten since yesterday.

"Syafina, should we find food first?"

She hesitated before nodding. "Let's go."

And so, we left the area. Right now, I wasn't too concerned about the system or anything else.

For now, food was the priority.