Then he channeled his energy, forcing it into his arm, and lightning sparked and crackled at his fingertips, twisting and forming a jagged blade of energy.
Ding!
[Voltedge unlocked]
Using the energy blade, he sliced off the Veincrusher's wrist of its hand.
Grey fell to the ground, and the beast roared in pain, holding its forearm as black blood poured out.
Grey was half-conscious and barely hanging on, but he forced himself to stand despite every fiber of his being howling in objection.
'I can go down now.'
As he stumbled forward, a flicker of something deep within him stirred—an energy he hadn't felt in years.
Grey had always been stronger than most, even as a child.
He remembered a time in grade school when he'd fought back against a bully. The bully was way bigger and stronger than him. And he had been beaten to a pulp.
But then just like now, something within him stirred.
And he had unleashed strength he didn't understand.
He wasn't conscious while this happened, but when he woke up he heard the bully had ended up in hospital with multiple broken bones.
He remembered visiting the bully to fill the gap in his memory. But the injured kid freaked out quite intensely, shrieking away in fear as he called him a monster.
That moment has haunted him ever since. Adding to the fact that he recovered from wounds quite easily like a vampire.
He was forced to ostracize himself from others. To prevent regular people from seeing what he was.
But now in a world where it was normal to be abnormal. To be a monster fighting other monsters for survival.
Now that...that was heaven.
And he had never once experienced that feeling until now.
Ding!
[Innate Ability 'Passive Regeneration' has been activated]
As its name implies it worked automatically without any cost. The skill taking effect immediately.
Grey grinned, as he felt a soft, pulsing heat flow through him. His cuts began to close, the searing pain in his chest lessening as his muscles slowly repaired themselves.
His innate ability was detected because he was put in a situation where he was forced to use it immensely. It had worked slightly for him when he stepped on a live wire but it was enough to trigger it enough for the system to register it as a skill.
Grey somewhat eased from the pain decided to try something special. Since he could manipulate his elemental energy to create moves--as confirmed when he unlocked [Arc Flash]--an idea formed in his mind.
He had read somewhere that the human body functions through electrical impulses that control muscle contraction and the nervous system response.
If he could use his elemental energy to amplify these natural signals, supercharging his body into overdrive.
Then he could awaken a skill similar to [Rageborne] which he could use to defeat Veincrusher.
He channeled the elemental energy in his body, directing the flow of electricity into his muscles.
The energy surged through him like a lightning storm, crackling at his fingertips and enveloping his entire form with an electric blue aura that made his muscles, tighten and expand.
Ding!
['Lightning Enhancement' unlocked]
Lightning crackled out of Grey's body in the form of lightning, and his eyes glowed with deep blue intensity.
Grey's energy was draining rapidly, but he didn't care.
His body feels light, responsive, and brimming with power as the current heightens every nerve and fiber.
Before it ran out, he was going to burn all his energy reserve with a series of relentless moves. That would leave only him and a dead zombie at the end.
Veincrusher roared in pain and was enraged that Grey had taken its arm.
It charged at Grey with the intent to kill, but as soon as it got close to Grey, a sphere of lightning blasted out of him, pushing the zombie backward.
Veincrusher tottered to the rear with a pained grunt as electricity coursed through its body.
It was surprising how the human that had fled from its attacks, like an annoying rat, was somehow stronger than before and was now able to fight back.
The look of defiance in Grey's eyes pissed it off, and it roared in annoyance before rushing towards Grey with an intent to bludgeon him into a pulp.
Grey had a serious expression on his face as he readied himself. The boost enhancing his focus and clarity.
He had to do this unmercifully and quickly. Or else there would be no point to all this if he couldn't defeat the zombie in front of him in time.
Veincrusher reached Grey with a swift heavy punch as always. But to Grey, the raging fist looked like it was moving in slow motion.
He twisted his body as he watched the zombie's fist blow past him, and gently placed his palm on the zombie's sinewy skin, unleashing a unique skill that prompted a notification.
Ding!
[ 'Overcharge' unlocked]
A million bolts of concentrated electricity slammed into the zombie, and it screamed in pain, the deadly current burning its skin and seizing its muscles.
[Overcharge: A devastating ability that channels an immense surge of electricity into a concentrated burst, with an intensity that can fry circuits and melt through armor, leaving behind a smoldering aftermath.]
"I'm not done yet."
Grey threw a powerful fist, lightning wrapping around it to enhance the blow. It landed on the Veincrusher's gut, and it shot backward like a rocket, spitting out blood.
Ding!
[Static Surge] unlocked
Grey rushed towards the zombie with movement that left streaks of light behind his trail. And began to rain blows upon blows using [Static Surge].
Veincrusher tried to fight back, but Grey was just too fast. It decided to put up a guard, once again to fend off the assault. But Grey placed his palm on the zombie and used [Overcharge], before punching the zombie in the ribs with [Static Surge], shattering the zombie's bones like a biscuit.
The zombie slid to the side with a grunt of pain. Its skill [Bloodborne] had run out, draining it. And it panted heavily, holding its wounded area,
Grey not willing to let it rest for a second appeared before it again, and the zombie instinctive staggered backward, terrified by the bluish eyes that came at him.
It dished out a desperate blow but Grey disappeared and appeared behind it.
The zombie feeling Grey's warm palm touch its skin, shuddered in terror of what was to come.
"Don't worry I wont use it."
.
.
.
"Sike."
The zombie was screaming in agony once again. And it fell to its knees, smoke oozing out its body.
Uncontrollably, Grey took a step back beginning to feel a strain in his body. His energy was dangerously low. So he quickly tried to finish the zombie with [Voltedge]
But Veincrusher resisted with a backhand blow.
But Grey parried it and punched the zombie in the jaw. Then he followed with a sharp elbow blow to the nose. And then [Overcharge] once again.
The unrelenting combo caused Veincrusher to let out a scream of massive pain, but even then Grey wouldn't let up.
He moved his fists like a raging rocket, assaulting the zombie's body with [Static Surge], before dishing out a powerful blow to the juggernaut's throat.
Veincrusher's thorax caved in, and its hulk-like body tore through the air like a cannon and crashed into the office wall.
With a defeated grunt. It coughed out a mouthful of black blood, its appearance deathly pale. It was severely weakened but not dead yet.
The strain on Grey's body intensified but he gritted his teeth refusing to succumb. He couldn't pass out until he got a notification that Veincrusher had been defeated and the Battle Quest was cleared.
He slowly walked towards the zombie, each step intensifying the pain he felt. [Lightning Enhancement] slowly fading off.
As he got closer to the zombie, he felt grateful to the system for the challenge. If the system hadn't given him a compulsory Battle Quest with dire consequences for failure then he would 100% have run away.
Now thanks to it, he was able to create a lot of new skills. And most importantly had remembered a nature of himself he had buried deep, to fit in the mundane world.
He was a battle junkie. He enjoyed the thrill, the blood, the pain, and the feeling of watching his opponent crumble in defeat.
Grey stopped before the zombie, looking right into its eyes.
The way it groaned was pitiful almost human-like. As if asking for death which Grey was very much willing to grant.
With the last bit of his energy, Grey activated [Voltedge] and sliced through the neck of Veincrusher, with no hesitation. And its head fell to the ground.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have completed Battle Quest]
[Veincrusher has been defeated]
[Your reward is now available]
Grey grinned at the notification, his victory sweet for only a moment, as his energy drained away like water through a sieve.
A crushing wave of weakness hit him, and with it came a surge of searing pain that nearly stole his breath.
His muscles screamed in protest as he fell to his knees, barely able to hold himself up. He collapsed to the ground, the cold surface pressing against his cheek, his body too spent to even writhe in agony.
All he could do was twitch as sharp, stabbing aches rippled through him, each pulse more brutal than the last.
Grey's vision swam, darkening at the edges, blurring until shapes and colors bled together.
His eyes fluttered, heavy and unfocused, but before they closed completely, he caught a glimpse of something strange.
A blue-furred monkey, standing still, watching him silently from the shadows.
And then everything faded into blackness.