Chapter 63 – Martial Expert
Malik explosively retreated, pushing his battered body through the trees, into the depths of the ruin. He didn't even look back. Pain—that was the only thing he felt, roaring through his flesh like molten lava. His limbs were trembling. His skin burned. His chest heaved, and blood trickled from his eyes as he finally collapsed to the ground.
His shirt had already been shredded by the wild burst of energy that tore through his body after swallowing the two monster cores. He writhed in agony, rolling as if his bones were on fire.
> <
<
<
> <
<
<
<
> <
<
> <
<
> [Rage of GoreBrinbare – Passive]:
When activated, doubles all stats for five minutes. After use, all stats are halved for one hour.
---
The flood of notifications caused Malik's bloodied eyes to flash with brilliance.
His stealth faded, and his body rose—shaky, but filled with new, terrifying power.
"It worked..." he whispered. "It really worked."
He looked at his status panel, blinking through the exhaustion.
> "I leveled up four times. I'm now level 29... and I broke through to the Sixth Stage. That passive skill—damn. It's powerful, but it's a double-edged sword. A final trump card."
But he couldn't celebrate long.
The ground trembled.
The twin Kyroghs had found him, their monstrous auras rushing toward his location.
Malik stood up. His eyes narrowed. He raised his hand and pulled up his full status window.
---
[Player Status]
Name: Man Like Malik
Class: Arterial Realm Cultivator
Stage: 6
Level: 29
HP: 90,000 / 90,000
SE: 30,000 / 30,000
SQP: [Unreadable]
Attributes
Strength: 1200
Agility: 1050
Endurance: 900
Intelligence: 140
Skills
Iron Fist: Basic martial art skill. Boosts fist damage.
Infernal Slash: A powerful blade-based technique. [Requires blade]
Infernal Rending Strike: A swift, critical strike with high burst damage.
Iron Fang Kick: Three spinning kicks dealing 120% base damage; final hit causes knockback.
Iron Mountain Stance: Rooted stance. +50% Knockback Resist, +20% Defense for 6 seconds.
Fist Master: +50% to all fist attacks.
Kick Master: +50% to all kicks.
Rage of GoreBrinbare [Passive]: Temporarily doubles all stats for five minutes. After that, stats are halved for one hour.
Titles
Wolf Slayer: +10% damage to wolf-type monsters. Induces fear in them.
Beast Breaker: -10% beast movement speed.
Physique
Primordial Chaos Physique
---
The two Kyroghs appeared in front of him, halting as their eyes widened. The Malik before them was not the same boy they had nearly killed. His presence was crushing. His aura distorted the air.
They stared up at him, both 12 meters tall—and yet, they felt small.
"Monster... this guy... he's a monster," they thought in unison.
Malik looked down at them, gaze calm and voice deeper than before.
"Kyrogh," he said, his tone solemn and dangerous. "You really pushed me this far. So now... I'll test this on you."
He raised one arm.
"RAGE OF GOREBRINBARE!"
> <
A violent pulse exploded from Malik's body. The air trembled. The ruins quaked. And his laugh—his laugh roared into the heavens.
"Five minutes? Heh. I don't think I even need one."
"Remember the name," he shouted.
"Man Like Malik."
At that moment, instinct kicked in.
The Kyroghs—Tier 1 monsters, proud bosses of the ruins—turned and fled.
They didn't think.
They didn't reason.
They just ran.
But Malik was already raising his hand.
INFERNAL RENDING STRIKE!
The skies darkened. The ground split.
Darkness and fire erupted across the Lifestone Ruins, three great lines of chaotic destruction ripping through every direction. North. East. South. West. There was no escape.
> "In front of absolute strength, all tricks are useless."
Those were the final words Kyrogh heard before the flames devoured him.
Silence followed.
> <
Malik lowered his arm, panting slightly, watching his SPQ bar rise again. He stopped halfway through Level 33.
Ping.
> <
+5 Levels
+100 Bonus Stat Points
+1000 Reputation (Black Moon Kingdom)
<
<
> <
Malik nodded slowly. "Yes."
> <
<
The notifications kept flooding in.
But Malik barely heard them.
He swapped out his Feral Shirt for the silver armor dropped by Kyrogh. His defense rose slightly. Then, with slow, deliberate steps, he walked over and picked up the massive warhammer.
It hummed with power, but he couldn't appraise it.
"I guess... it's time I start using a weapon," Malik murmured. He gave the hammer a few swings. It felt good.
Turning around, he faced the treasure chest.
He raised the warhammer high—and slammed it down.
BOOM!
The chest exploded open in a blinding flash of light.
Another notification echoed through his ears.
> <
<
<
<
<
<
Malik's eyes went wide.
"Jesus Christ…" he muttered. "I've been promoted... and I've forged my own class..."
He let out a crazed, victorious laugh as the light from the treasure chest bathed him in glory.
Unbeknownst to Malik, that single laugh—the thunderous roar of his triumph—was already reverberating through the world.
And the chaos had only just begun.