Zeo: Limitless
Episode 2 — The Random Crew
The arena was still echoing with the roar of countless voices when Zeo's HUD pulsed again. The glowing letters floated in front of him, written not in ink but in fire itself.
[Battle Complete. Level Up: 2]
[New Options Available:]
• Next Duel
• Crew Mission (Random)
• Raid Battle
The crowd jeered. Some laughed at the absurdity of a mere Level 2 still standing. Others stared in silence, remembering the way Gra'xor—the Level 100 giant—had dissolved into light. The whispers spread quickly.
"He doesn't tire…"
"He'll burn himself out eventually."
"No… he won't. Didn't you see? He's different."
Zeo tilted his head toward the HUD. His crimson eyes glowed faintly under the shadow of his demonic half-mask. He had already tested himself in a duel. Now he wanted to see what this multiverse truly held.
His finger touched the air. Crew Mission.
Summoning the Team
The ground beneath him shifted. A circle of light expanded outward, humming with raw power. Suddenly, four other figures appeared around him. Warriors pulled at random from across the infinite worlds, each one glowing with their own level.
• Veyra — A woman cloaked in black feathers, her eyes golden, wings folded against her back. Her level glowed 57.
• Jorn — A brute with skin like molten rock, each breath a hiss of steam. Level 42.
• Serik — A lithe, masked fighter whose body flickered like smoke. Level 89.
• Kael — A lean, silver-haired youth, eyes sharp, aura bursting with lightning. Level 101.
They all turned toward Zeo. Their gazes fell on the glowing 2 beneath his feet.
Jorn barked a laugh. "They threw in a spawn?!"
Veyra's feathers twitched. "Dead weight."
Serik said nothing, though the way his mask tilted suggested amusement.
Kael's lip curled. "Stay out of the way, rookie. Or you'll be the first to die."
Zeo's eyes did not flinch. He met each of their gazes in silence. Then, as if the HUD itself answered, the space around them shattered.
⸻
The Mission World
The void bent, twisting into a new reality.
They stood upon blackened stone, the ground fractured and glowing with rivers of magma. The air reeked of sulfur, the sky cracked with storms of ash and fire. Towers of obsidian jutted like teeth across the landscape. And from the shadows, thousands of eyes blinked.
[Mission Objective: Exterminate Hostile Pack.]
[Enemy Class: Hellspawn Legion.]
[Victory Condition: Survive until wave is cleared.]
The ground shook. From the fissures in the stone, creatures clawed their way out. Tall, lean demons with bone masks and charred skin, claws dripping with molten blood. Their levels flickered in the air above their heads—ranging from 30 to 80.
Jorn cracked his molten fists. "Good. Finally something to kill."
Kael blurred first, lightning bursting from his body. He punched forward, and an entire line of demons exploded, bodies flung into the sky like ragdolls. Serik followed, dissolving into smoke, reappearing behind enemies and snapping their necks with sharp precision. Veyra unfurled her wings, feathers slicing the air like blades, cutting through packs of demons before they even realized she had moved.
Jorn charged headlong, his fists smashing the ground, lava spraying outward and consuming dozens at once.
And Zeo?
He stood still.
Observation
He didn't move, not at first. His crimson eyes followed the chaos, his head tilting slightly as the others fought like storms unleashed. He felt the HUD flicker in front of him, glowing faintly.
[Battle Mode Engaged. +1 Level per fight. Additional +1 per kill.]
The words pulsed. He smiled faintly beneath his mask.
The first demon lunged for him. A shriek of molten hate, claws aimed at his throat. Zeo lifted a single hand, caught the beast mid-leap, and twisted. Its neck snapped with a crunch, its body dissolving into sparks of light.
LEVEL 3.
Another came, and he vanished—teleporting, appearing behind it, a fist through its chest.
LEVEL 4.
Then the swarm noticed him. Dozens surged forward, screeching, claws scraping, lava dripping from their teeth. Zeo moved like a phantom, teleporting through them, fists and feet breaking bones, snapping necks, crushing skulls. The battlefield became a dance of red and white light as his body blurred again and again.
By the time Jorn turned his head, panting through molten breaths, dozens of bodies had already dissolved around Zeo.
"Wait… what the hell?!" Jorn growled.
Veyra's golden eyes narrowed. She had cleaved through nearly fifty demons herself, but this… this boy, this Level 2, was mowing down enemies as if the numbers meant nothing.
Kael snarled, lightning dancing across his arms. "Impossible…"
The Unseen Difference
They were all strong. Skilled. Trained through countless battles. But each of them shared the same truth—fatigue. Jorn's molten body hissed with steam, his aura dimming. Veyra's wings bled at the edges, feathers scattered across the stone. Serik's smoke flickered, his body destabilizing. Even Kael, mighty as he was, slowed—the electricity on his body sputtering, his breaths ragged.
And Zeo?
His strikes were steady. His breathing calm. His aura did not dim—it burned brighter. He fought as though the battle had only begun. As though he could continue not for minutes, not for hours, but for eternity.
Because he could.
Immortal. Endless.
⸻
Aftermath of the Wave
The last demon shrieked as Zeo's foot collided with its chest, sending it into the fissure below. Its body exploded into light, and the world itself quaked.
[Mission Complete. All Enemies Eradicated.]
[Reward: +1 Level for Survival. +1 per Kill.]
The ground steadied. The sky cleared of ash. One by one, the fighters glowed with their new numbers.
• Veyra: 58.
• Jorn: 44.
• Serik: 90.
• Kael: 102.
And then they turned toward Zeo.
His glowing number burned beneath his feet.
LEVEL 19.
Silence.
They stared, unblinking, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed. This child, this supposed rookie—he had soared seventeen levels in one battle.
Veyra whispered, almost to herself. "What… are you?"
Zeo said nothing. His mask gleamed, hiding the faintest smirk.
The HUD pulsed again.
[Next Option Available: Duel / Crew Mission / Raid Battle.]
Kael stepped forward, his lightning aura sparking in fury. "You. Next time, you fight me. I'll prove that stamina alone doesn't make you invincible."
Zeo tilted his head slightly, eyes glowing red. His voice was calm, steady, cutting through the sulfur-stained air.
"Then wait your turn."
The others stared, unease settling over them. They had fought countless beings across endless worlds. But this one—this immortal, this endless fighter—they could already feel it.
Zeo was not like them.
He was not meant to fade.
He was meant to rise.
Forever.