Chapter 11 – Apex Predator Rises
Maximus' consciousness gradually faded as he dismissed his clone. His body, once immersed in battle, now lay still on the bed. The cold, dimly lit room welcomed him back—a space furnished only with a computer, a desk cluttered with books, and a window that revealed the encroaching night.
His golden eyes fluttered open.
"Finally... it's done."
He exhaled, muscles relaxing as he adjusted to the shift in sensation. His gaze drifted toward the window—darkness creeping over the horizon. Time had slipped away.
His clone should have finished collecting the crystals by now. He reached out, preparing to recall it, when—
DING!
A sharp ring echoed inside his mind, crisp and unfamiliar.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: YOU HAVE ENTERED THE TOP 10 OF THE RANKINGS.]
[WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE YOUR NAME?]
[Y/N]
Maximus' eyes narrowed.
Top 10. He had expected it, but the confirmation still carried weight. The higher he climbed, the more eyes would inevitably land on him.
A name, huh? He tapped his fingers on the bedside table. Did it really matter? A name was nothing more than an identifier. Yet, the power behind a name—the fear, the reverence it could command—was undeniable.
A slow smirk formed.
Let them know.
He selected YES and typed in a single word.
Maximus.
The system chimed again.
[THE PLAYER HAS CHOSEN THE NAME: MAXIMUS.]
[MAXIMUS WILL NOW BE DISPLAYED IN THE RANKINGS.]
[GOOD LUCK! :)]
Maximus' smirk deepened. The system is evolving. The new ringing sound, the emoticon—it felt almost… childlike. Was it growing alongside him?
Shaking the thought away, he focused on the real task—inventory assessment.
---
He muttered, "Status."
A translucent screen materialized before him.
---
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Maximus Omniclone
Title: Boss Slayer (2x Damage Against Dungeon Bosses)
Talent: Copy Everything, Strengthen Body, Metal Reinforcement, Runner, Soul Absorption, Berserk Rage
Bloodline: ???
Skills: Aura Blade
HP: 216/216
MP: 480/610 (Regenerates 20 MP per minute)
Level (Rank): Level 2 (Human)
EXP Points: 7310/10000
Strength: 24 (Average Human: 10)
Intelligence: 40 (Average Human: 10)
Agility: 24 (Average Human: 10)
Vitality: 24 (Average Human: 10)
Perception: 24 (Average Human: 10)
Hidden Attributes: Soul: 11
Items: Crimson Coat, Ring of Mana
Inventory: Mana Potion ×1, Health Potion ×6, Steel Sword ×1, Steel Knife ×1
Unallocated Points: 0
Soul-11
---
Maximus scanned the stats carefully.
The "Boss Slayer" title... He clicked on it.
---
[BOSS SLAYER]
"When fighting a boss monster, your damage increases by 2x!"
"Unique to those who land the first boss kill in a dungeon!"
---
His fingers clenched. 2x damage. Against bosses, no less.
"This... is beyond broken," he muttered, a rare flicker of excitement in his tone. Not only was it an immediate boost, but the long-term implications were staggering.
A system-wide title meant no one else in the world had it yet. Either they hadn't found a dungeon, were moving in teams, or... had failed.
Survival of the fittest.
---
A rustling sound from outside caught his attention. He moved toward the window.
His clone was returning.
The figure, identical to himself, strode through the streets, methodically cutting down any zombies in its path. It carried an oversized bag—bulging, nearly splitting at the seams.
Maximus' brow arched. That many?
He had been so immersed in the dungeon that he hadn't considered the sheer scale of his zombie massacre. It made sense—his clone could only use a fraction of his power, yet it had been efficient in farming.
As the clone neared the gate, Maximus descended the stairs and unlatched the entrance.
Inside the living room, he sat on the sofa as both clones stood before him. The bag landed with a heavy thud.
He opened it.
A glow of faint blue light shone from the countless low-grade crystals inside.
Maximus inhaled sharply. This was wealth.
He placed a hand on the pile.
Absorb.
---
[+10 MP]
[+10 MP]
[+10 MP]
…
---
Minutes passed, and then—
DING!
A cold warning cut through his focus.
[SYSTEM ALERT: PLAYER HAS REACHED THE MAXIMUM LOW-GRADE CRYSTAL ABSORPTION LIMIT.]
[FURTHER ABSORPTION MAY RESULT IN BACKLASH.]
Maximus' fingers froze mid-air.
"...A limit?"
His gaze snapped to his status screen.
---
MP: 580/800
---
A scowl formed. 800 MP. That's it?
He exhaled slowly, irritation simmering beneath his expression.
"So humans can't just farm endlessly, huh?" He muttered, rubbing his temples. If absorption was unlimited, humanity could have wiped out the monsters eventually. But the system… it had failsafes.
Still, 170 crystals remained.
"The system mentioned the store unlocks at Level 3…" His mind worked quickly. If crystals are the currency, I should hold onto them.
---
He shifted his attention to his computer, booting up Worldnet.
A flood of headlines appeared.
---
(WORLDNET – LATEST NEWS, JANUARY 15, 2025)
"RED GATES ARE APPEARING WORLDWIDE—CITIES BEING LOST OVERNIGHT!"
"NATURAL CALAMITY MONSTERS DETECTED VIA SATELLITE—IS THIS HUMANITY'S END?"
"50% OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION DEAD IN A SINGLE DAY."
"AWAKENINGS: HUMANS DEVELOPING ABILITIES?"
---
Maximus' grip on the mouse tightened. 50%.
The apocalypse had escalated into full-blown extermination.
He clicked on Dragon Country.
---
"EARTH CITY DESTROYED: RED DUNGEON GATE CLAIMS 60% OF THE POPULATION."
"DUNGEONS APPEARING EVERYWHERE—IS THERE A PATTERN?"
"RANKINGS: IS POWER THE ONLY WAY TO SURVIVE?"
---
He clicked on (EARTH CITY: RED DUNGEON).
A video feed played.
A female reporter, visibly trembling, spoke from a helicopter overlooking the city.
"Do you see this?!" she cried, voice shaking. "Earth City… it's in chaos!"
Below—a wasteland of fire and blood. Buildings lay in rubble. Smoke billowed into the sky. Screams carried through the air, even from above.
Monsters the size of buildings rampaged through the streets, their forms barely visible through the hellish landscape. The Red Gate pulsed in the distance, releasing more horrors into the world.
Maximus leaned back, golden eyes sharp.
The world is changing too fast.
He wasn't just rising in power.
He was racing against annihilation.