The dust from the shattered boulder settled, leaving a deep silence in the air. Raiken's fists trembled, not from fear, but from the raw power he had just unleashed. His breath came in ragged gasps, his heartbeat thundering in his chest as he stared at the bull's lifeless body, its forehead completely crushed. Blood seeped into the cracked ground, marking the aftermath of his devastating strike.Then—DING!The system's voice rang out, breaking the stillness."Congratulations!"Raiken blinked, his hands still clenched into fists. He turned toward the system's voice, his expression deadpan."Congrats? You watched me almost die, and all you have to say is 'congrats'?" he scoffed.The system let out a small chuckle. "Sorry, but you needed to learn how to fight on your own. Experience is the best teacher, after all."Raiken sighed, shaking his head. "Well… that actually sounded true." He cracked his knuckles and grinned. "Still, you better help me out next time."The system's voice became more serious. "Don't worry about that. But now… I have something to show you."Raiken frowned. "What do you mean?"Suddenly, the bull's corpse began to glow. A strange, crimson mist rose from its body, swirling in the air like a raging storm. From within the mist, a red, glowing gem emerged, pulsing with intense energy.Raiken's eyes widened. "What the hell is that?"The mist condensed, taking the form of a spectral bull, its eyes burning like embers. The beast let out a deep, resounding roar before turning its gaze toward Raiken."Whoa, hold on! Why is it looking at me like that?" Raiken took a step back, raising his fists.The system chuckled. "Relax, it's not attacking you."Raiken squinted. "Then what the hell is happening?!"The system's voice became informative. "That, my dear host, is a Spirit Core. When you defeat strong creatures, their spiritual essence condenses into a gem, which can be used to strengthen your armor. This is your reward."Raiken's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Wait… so I can absorb its power? That's actually badass!"As he spoke, the red gem and the bull's spirit suddenly shot toward him!"Why is it coming toward me?! he yelled, stepping back instinctively."Don't resist it," the system assured.Before Raiken could protest, his chest armor began to react.A faint golden light shimmered across the surface, and then—Two glowing golden eyes opened on the center of his chest armor. Below them, a sinister mouth formed, lined with radiant energy."W-Whoa—WAIT, MY ARMOR HAS EYES AND A MOUTH?!" Raiken yelled in shock.The mouth opened wide, revealing an endless abyss of golden light within. The bull's spectral form roared one last time before it and the gem were sucked inside, disappearing into the golden abyss.Then—silence.DING!"Congratulations! Quest Completed: Bull Defeated!"Raiken placed a hand over his chest, still processing what had just happened. His lips curled into a wide grin. "That… was insane!"The system continued, "You have successfully absorbed the essence of the Bull. As a reward, you have unlocked new armor components."Raiken's grin widened. "Wait… for real? What did I get?""Check for yourself. Activate it."Raiken clenched his fists and took a deep breath. "Alright then… SHIELD, ACTIVATE!"A brilliant golden light erupted from his forearms. Sparks crackled in the air as a new armor component materialized.A massive black-and-gold shield formed on his left arm, adorned with two curved bull horns protruding from its sides. The surface gleamed with a metallic sheen, pulsing with raw defensive energy.Raiken's eyes widened in amazement. "Holy crap… This is awesome!"The system confirmed, "This is the Bull's Shield. It has been added to your armor inventory. Your defense has increased by +2."Raiken blinked. "Wait, I have an inventory for armor? I can store and equip different pieces?""Yes," the system replied smoothly. "You can collect armor parts and store them in your inventory. You can summon or dismiss them at will."Raiken grinned. "That's incredible! So I can keep this shield in my inventory and activate it whenever I want?""Correct!"Excited, Raiken deactivated the shield, and it vanished in a flash of golden light. Then, with another thought, he reactivated it, and the shield instantly reappeared."This is so damn cool!" he laughed, flexing his arm."You can't deactivate your full armor, though," the system added. "Only additional parts like shields and weapons."Raiken shrugged. "Doesn't matter. This armor looks badass on me anyway."The system chuckled. "Glad you think so. Now then, shall we continue getting stronger?"Raiken grinned, his eyes burning with newfound excitement. "Hell yeah! Let's go!"—
Training Arc Begins
From that point on, Raiken began hunting down more monsters, absorbing their Spirit Cores and unlocking new armor pieces.Slimes: Granted him Slime Gauntlets, capable of stretching and morphing to increase attack range.Rock Golems: Granted him Reinforced Greaves, adding weight and power to his kicks.Wind Raptors: Granted him Feathered Cloak, increasing his speed and agility.
Each new armor piece made him stronger, faster, and more adaptable. His inventory expanded, allowing him to mix and match different abilities depending on the battle.Raiken's laughter echoed across the battlefield as he crushed his enemies one by one."This power is insane… and I'm just getting started!"