Chapter 13: When Sleeping Conquers Giants
The world was silent.
No… not silent. Muffled, like he was underwater.
Ren couldn't feel his body, but his mind floated somewhere between reality and a half-lucid dream. It was peaceful too peaceful.
The system chimed faintly, like a distant bell.
---
[Ultimate Skill: Sovereign's Slouch Activated.]
[Effect: Take a break. Everything else dies.]
[Duration: Indeterminate.]
---
Ren's consciousness stirred. His thoughts were sluggish.
"That… sounds like my kinda skill."
His mind drifted again. Sleep tugged at him, soft and warm. He could stay here forever.
But the world wasn't so kind.
Reality snapped back in a surge of cold air and screaming metal.
Ren gasped awake, his body feeling like a sack of broken bones. His limbs didn't want to move. He didn't blame them.
His head lolled to the side. Blurred figures danced in his vision Aria, Garth, the Siege Breaker's hulking shadow, chains whipping through the air.
The system chimed again, louder this time.
---
[Skill Effect Active: Sovereign's Slouch All enemies within range suffer catastrophic weakening.]
[Effect: -90% Strength, -90% Speed, -75% Defense.]
[Bonus Effect: Your allies think you're still doing nothing.]
---
Ren let out a weak, raspy laugh. "Good… that's how it should be…"
The Siege Breaker roared but the sound wasn't the same anymore. It was weaker, strained, almost… wheezing.
It staggered like a drunk, its massive frame lurching forward. One of its chains slammed into the ground, shattering the stone but instead of an earth-shaking boom, the impact barely made a dent.
Aria, still panting, stared at it in disbelief. "What… the hell?"
Garth blinked. "Did it… get smaller?"
The Siege Breaker wasn't smaller but it looked like a deflated version of itself. Its metallic flesh sagged unnaturally, and the once-glowing eyes dimmed to a dull, flickering red.
The system chimed.
---
[Enemy Status: "Abyssal Siege Breaker" Weakened]
[Strength: 100% → 10%]
[Speed: 50% → 5%]
[Durability: 75% → 18%]
[Condition: Severely Debuffed, Confused, Angry]
---
Ren coughed, voice dry. "Man, he looks how I feel…"
Aria looked at him, half furious, half relieved. "Ren, what did you do?!"
"Power nap," he muttered, head hitting the dirt again. "Didn't like it. Gave it to him instead."
The Siege Breaker stumbled forward, groaning like rusted metal. Its chains dragged uselessly behind it.
The system chimed again.
---
[Passive Skill Activated: Deadweight Resolve]
[+5% Strength to Allies per second of continued lazing.]
[Total Buff Accumulated: +185% Strength, +185% Defense]
---
Garth blinked, looking at his shaking hands. His staff hummed with surging power. "Ohhh, this feels illegal."
Aria gritted her teeth, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Finally… something useful."
She tightened her grip on her sword, light swirling around it. Her eyes burned with a new resolve.
The Siege Breaker let out a distorted, warped roar and lurched forward again, but this time, it was too slow.
Aria didn't wait.
She blurred, moving faster than Ren had ever seen her move her sword sang as it carved through the air, slashing deep into the Siege Breaker's side. Blackened metal and corrupted flesh exploded outward, and the monster howled.
Garth wasn't far behind. Lightning crackled up his arms, his staff glowing so brightly it hurt to look at. He slammed it into the ground, and a massive bolt of lightning erupted from the sky, crashing straight into the Siege Breaker's head.
The creature convulsed violently, chains flailing but it couldn't keep up.
It couldn't even land a hit.
Ren chuckled weakly, his voice barely a whisper. "Yeah… teamwork's overrated anyway."
The system chimed.
---
[Enemy "Abyssal Siege Breaker" Critical Condition.]
[HP Remaining: 6%]
---
The Siege Breaker gave one last, desperate roar, raising its arm for a final, sluggish swing but it never connected.
Aria moved like lightning, her sword flashing in an arc. The monster's arm separated at the elbow, landing with a heavy crash.
Garth raised his staff again, but before he could strike, Ren's voice rasped out.
"Oi…"
They froze.
Ren shifted slightly, his body screaming in protest. His face was still half-buried in the dirt, but his grin was unmistakable.
"I… got dibs."
Aria blinked. "Ren, you can barely move "
The system chimed.
---
[Unique Passive Activated: Undying Sloth 10 seconds remaining.]
[HP Locked at 1.]
---
Ren chuckled, voice hoarse. "Yeah… 10 seconds is plenty."
With everything he had left, Ren raised a shaky hand. He didn't get up. He didn't need to.
"Oi… big guy…" he muttered, voice barely above a whisper. "Go to hell."
The system chimed.
---
[Ultimate Skill Sovereign's Slouch: Finisher Activated]
[Effect: Deliver one final, reality-defying attack without moving an inch.]
[Warning: This might be overkill.]
---
The Siege Breaker froze mid-lurch.
Then, without warning it exploded.
Not a dramatic, cinematic explosion. It just… burst, like a balloon filled with too much pressure.
Chunks of corrupted metal and blackened flesh blasted outward in a wave of dark mist. The ground shook from the force, sending debris flying.
By the time the dust cleared, there wasn't much left. Just a crater, a few smoldering bits of chain, and a very, very confused Garth.
The system chimed one last time.
---
[Elite Unit Defeated: Abyssal Siege Breaker]
[Optional Objective Complete!]
[Reward: ??? Unlocked]
[Level Up! Level 18 → Level 22]
[New Title Acquired: "The Sleepy Tyrant"]
---
Ren groaned. "Cool… wake me up in a week."
Then he passed out, face-first in the dirt again.
Aria stared at his unconscious body.
Garth exhaled slowly. "So… do we carry him, or…?"
Aria sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"I hate him so much."
She picked him up anyway.
---