Kael **ran**, not west—not yet—but deeper into the ruins. The Academy could wait. The War God's path demanded **strength** first. And the mark on his soul now called beasts **to him**. Hunting grounds wouldn't be hard to find.
The **God's Mark** on Kael's soul pulsed like a second heartbeat, calling the beasts of the ruins to him. He crouched atop a collapsed watchtower, his dagger—now chipped and stained—gripped tight. The System's cold analysis scrolled before him:
#### **STATUS**
| **KAEL VANCE**
| **LEVEL:** 3 → **4** (60/300 XP) |
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| **STR:** 13 → **14**
| **AGI:** 9 → **10** |
| **END:** 8 → **9**
| **PER:** 2 → **3** |
| **SANITY:** 100/100
| **MARKED BY GOD:** (3 Days Left) |
| **XP:** 60/300 (Hard Gain)
| **WP:** 55 (Hard Gain) |
| **SKILLS:** |
| • [Wrath-Surge] (Tier 1)
| (Convert Rage → +10 to 1 Stat) |
| • [Wrath-Siphon] (Glitched) | (Drain Foe's Fury → Sanity Cost) |
| **QUIRKS:** |
| • [Battle Hunger]
| (Heal on Kill, but Crave Combat) |
*"Three days."* Kael exhaled, watching the distant shapes of **Basic-Tier** beasts prowling below. Their stats were uniform—**10 across STR, AGI, END**—but in numbers, they were lethal. *"The Mark won't last forever. I need to grind."*
The System had warned him: **Level 5** was the threshold. After that, he'd gain **+3 extra stat points per level** to allocate freely, on top of the **+1 to all** from leveling. But first, he had to survive the hunt.
Kael dropped silently behind a **Rustfang Coyote** (Basic-Tier), his dagger plunging into its spine before it could react. The beast yowled, thrashing—but his **STR 14** drove the blade deeper until it stilled.
> **SYSTEM:** *"XP GAINED: +5 (BASIC-TIER BEAST). TOTAL XP: 65/300."*
> *"WP GAINED: +2. TOTAL WP: 57."*
No fanfare. No grand reward. Just blood, and the slow crawl toward power.
*"Pathetic,"* Kael muttered, wiping his blade. *"I need bigger prey."*
But the System intervened:
> **"RECALIBRATING USER EXPECTATIONS."**
> *"BASIC-TIER BEASTS: EFFICIENT FOR CURRENT LEVEL. RISK: LOW. TIME INVESTMENT: HIGH."*
> *"SUGGESTION: HUNT IN PACKS. UTILIZE ENVIRONMENT."*
Kael clenched his jaw. *"Fine."*
### **The Seraphim's Assumption**
Far behind him, the **Purifier** observed from a distance, its wings folded. Its orders had been clear: *"The Zero is dead. No mortal survives the Godfall Crater with a Mark."*
Yet, it lingered.
***"If by some heresy, you live… I will know."***
It vanished in a burst of light, leaving Kael to his gruesome leveling.
### **The Ruins' Secret**
On the **third day**, Kael hit **Level 5**.
> **LEVEL UP!**
> **LEVEL 4 → 5**
> **+1 TO ALL STATS (STR 14→15, AGI 10→11, END 9→10, PER 3→4)**
> **+3 FREE STAT POINTS (TO ALLOCATE)**
He dumped all three into **AGI (11 → 14)**. Speed was survival.
Then, the System **pinged**, detecting something beneath the ruins:
> **"ANOMALY DETECTED: WAR GOD'S RELIQUARY."**
> *"ESTIMATED CONTENTS: SYSTEM UPGRADE FRAGMENT."*
> *"WARNING: GUARDIAN BEAST DETECTED (TIER: ADVANCED)."*
Kael smirked. *"Finally."*
### **The Reliquary's Trial**
The beast was a **Stoneclaw Badger (Advanced-Tier, Stats: ~40)**—a monstrous, armored thing that moved faster than its bulk suggested. Kael **barely** dodged its first charge, his **AGI 14** the only reason he wasn't paste.
*"Wrath-Surge: Agility!"*
> **AGI: 14 → 24**
> **SANITY: -10 (90/100)**
He became a blur, darting around the Badger, striking at joints, eyes—anything unarmored. The beast **roared**, swiping. Kael **slipped under**, driving his dagger into its throat.
> **XP GAINED: +40 (ADVANCED-TIER BEAST). TOTAL XP: 180/300.**
> **WP GAINED: +20. TOTAL WP: 77.**
Panting, he approached the Reliquary—a shattered altar holding a **glowing core**. The moment he touched it, the System **shuddered**, then **evolved**:
> **"SYSTEM UPGRADED: v0.001 → v0.002."**
> **"NEW FUNCTIONS UNLOCKED:**
> • [STAT COMPARISON] (See enemy power grades)
> • [SKILL TREE PREVIEW] (Plan future upgrades)
> • [AFFINITY DETECTION] (Sense divine artifacts)
Kael grinned. *"Now we're getting somewhere."*
### **The Cost of Power**
But the Mark's call grew stronger. As he left the ruins, **five Basic-Tier beasts** ambushed him—a pack of **Nightscreech Bats**. He fought, but exhaustion weighed him down. One bat's fangs sank into his shoulder.
> **SANITY: 90 → 75 (Pain-Induced Drain)**
He **barely** escaped, collapsing in a hidden crevice. As he bandaged his wounds, he **finally** let himself think—*really* think—about what he was becoming.
*"I'm not a Zero anymore… but am I even human?"*
The System had no answer.
---
### **CHAPTER 8 END**
### **New Mechanics & Status**
| **LEVEL:** 5 |
**XP:** 180/300 | **WP:** 77 |
|--------------|----------------|------------|
| **STATS:** STR 15
| AGI 14
| END 10
PER 4 |
| **FREE STATS (UNSPENT):** 0 (Allocated to AGI) |
| **SYSTEM v0.002:** Now shows enemy Grades (F-S) & Skill Trees.
Please keep reading and vote for me with your power stones .
Thanks 👍