The air thickened with tension as Akira growled, "Cursed Infernal Weep..."
His mark shone with a malevolent crimson glow, beating to some living rhythm that seemed to course through his very being.
They expanded, curling intricate patterns up his arms, and a glowing red emblem flared to the mark on his wrist.
Circles and lines etched themselves above it, radiating an ominous energy
A sharp chime echoed in Akira's mind, followed by a notification from the system:
[System Notification]
[Calculating damage taken…]
[Calculating…]
[The user has sustained sufficient damage.]
[The effect of Cursed Infernal Weep will be doubled.]
[Temporary stat boost: +10 to all attributes.]
Akira's eyes widened as the notification scrolled before him.
"Ten?!"
"Ten points to every stat?!" - He muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"I can feel the difference even when one stat increases … but ten all at once?"
The notification chimed again.
[System Notification]
[All stats temporarily boosted by 10.]
A sudden wave of strength flowed through him, and his muscles felt extremely powerful. His senses became sharper every sound, sight, and even the tiny vibrations of the cavern floor under him became very clear. His breathing became steady as his body got used to this new power, and his white eyes shone brighter, filled with wild energy.
The temporarily boosted stats thanks to the Cursed Infernal Weep on top having the Soul Infusion active the boy power skyrocked he felt something he never felt before.
Akira tightened his fists, feeling strong energy.
His voice was quiet, showing both surprise and excitement.
"Is this… me?" - He whispered, a sly smile appearing on his face.
"This is my power?"
"It doesn't even seem real."
The Troll King, who was ready to attack, stopped suddenly. He sensed it—the air around the human had changed somehow now it was different.
The Troll King mind raced, his red eyes narrowing.
"He… is not the same anymore , that energy that he is emitting is different , what did he do?"
Akira, still getting used to his new temporarily strength, suddenly disappeared from sight, leaving just a faint blur behind.
Before the Troll King could react, Akira showed up a distance away, casually brushing dust off his shoulder.
The Troll King snarled in frustration, gripping his massive axe tighter.
"You damn human!"
Akira ignored the beast's rage, his mind racing.
"When I got my hands on the Cursed Infernal Weep, the system mentioned I could use it without any side effects. Maybe that means I can keep it active indefinitely, since it hasn't shown any duration limit."
"And it means the more damage I take, the stronger I become."
His lips curled into a dangerous smirk.
"I still can't believe I got this for free."
"Guildmaster Sylara may regret what she has given me… I can't even measure its worth."
The Troll King roared.
"You're just a bug with a mouth!"
"I'll crush you"
Akira turned to look at him completely, his face cold and teasing.
"Should we go for round two??" - His voice was full of mockery.
"King of the mud??"
The Troll King was very angry, and his body shook with rage.
"You worm!"
"I first will pull out that tongue of yours!"
The air felt full of energy as Akira ran forward, his movements sharper, faster, and more precise than ever. His muscles felt stronger as he rushed toward the Troll King, with the ground cracking beneath him.
This time, he wasn't just using his fists and lightning. He reached into his inventory and called for PanthoSword, the blade shining with a soft glow, as if it knew its user had more power.
The Troll King snarled, gripping his massive axe tighter.
"So, the little human wants to play with a shiny toy now?"
Akira smirked, the taunt rolling off his tongue effortlessly.
"I thought it'd be unfair if I didn't give you at least a chance to feel the sting of real power."
The Troll King roared, his booming voice shaking the cavern.
"I'll crush you and that pathetic blade!"
Akira closed in quickly, his movements now much faster as he swung the PanthoSword with precision.
The sword clashed with the Troll King's axe in a loud CLANG, and sparks flew as metal struck metal. The force of the impact shook the cave, and small rocks fell from the ceiling.
The Troll King swung his axe in a horizontal arc, aiming to cleave Akira in two. But Akira dodged, his body flowing like water, and retaliated with an upward slash.
The Troll King barely blocked the strike, but the sheer force of the blow pushed him back a step—a sight that would have been unthinkable just moments ago.
Akira grinned.
"Having trouble, 'Mud King'?"
"You worm!" - The Troll King shouted, getting more frustrated.
"What have you done?!
"You barely was keeping up before??"
Akira stepped aside to avoid another swing of the axe, laughing playfully.
"Nothing."
"You did this to me," - He said, his voice full of mockery.
"Looks like you hit me a bit too hard earlier, didn't you?"
Angry, the Troll King bellowed, his massive body moving faster than previously.
In an instant, he was in front of Akira, catching the young human off guard.
Akira's instincts screamed at him, but there was no avenue for him to retreat to.
His mind raced
"Damn i can't dodge this one shit if it hits me im done , better to face this head on i don't have other choice"
"Ahh"
He swung the PanthoSword in a hasty defense, holding it firmly out of fear.
The sword missed completely.
What transpired next shocked both the Troll King and Akira himself.
The bright white light bursting from the blade as Akira finished the swing created a path of pure energy in the air. The shining slice was wreathed in lightning, showing great power mixed with accuracy that seemed to hold the essence of Akira.
The Troll King's eyes went wide as he raised his axe to deflect the incoming blow, the pure force of energy sending him back.
His axe absorbed most of the impact, but residual energy slashed through his chest in a deep, jagged wound.
Purple blood gushed from the gash and sizzled on the cavern floor.
The Troll King staggered back, holding his chest. His growl showed he felt both pain and surprise.
"What… was that attack just now?" - The beast said, narrowing his red eyes.
Akira stayed still, looking at his own sword.
His hands shook a little, not from fear but from great wonder.
"What just… happened?" - He whispered quietly, his voice hard to hear over the noise of energy fading into the air.
He held onto PanthoSword more tightly, his thoughts racing quickly.
"Was that… me?"
"Did I do that?"