The ground trembled beneath me as the massive form of the boss appeared. Twice the size of the ogre we had faced before, its skin like cracked obsidian and veins pulsing with glowing red energy. Lucas had barely evacuated us when he charged back, sword in hand, flanked by one remaining A-grade slayer. The air was thick with killing intent, heavy enough to make breathing a chore.
"Stay back!" Lucas shouted. His voice was steady, but the tension in his muscles betrayed him.
The giant swung its axe—a monstrous weapon, spiked and curved, glinting with deadly intent. One swing, and the two A-grade slayers were obliterated, thrown aside as if they were mere toys. Their screams were swallowed by the ground itself as the beast's laughter rumbled like a war drum. I couldn't move. My limbs froze as pure terror rooted me to the spot.
Then the giant's eyes fell upon us, six surviving students, trembling and pale. Its roar split the sky, shaking my bones. Theo's usual grin was gone; panic replaced it. He shouted my name, but it barely registered.
The axe descended. Death itself seemed poised to sweep through our group. My heart hammering, I barely had time to process the impossibility of survival.
PING!
A system window exploded into my vision:
["The Demon God wishes to sponsor you."]
Instinct overrode fear. I accepted. Without hesitation.
A violent crimson energy erupted from my chest, burning through the fear that had frozen me. My muscles tightened, my senses sharpened, and for the first time, I felt untouchable. The system window confirmed:
[First Skill and Weapon Granted:]
[Weapon: Twin Daggers]
[Skill: Mutilation]
The giant swung again. I vanished mid-air, reappearing before its massive frame. My twin daggers glinted, humming with energy. I slashed its hand in a blur, the skill slicing through the thick, veiny flesh like butter. Adrenaline surged—pure, intoxicating, unstoppable.
I looked into its eyes. Crimson. Mine. I could see the sheer malice of the beast mirrored in the red glow. Theo screamed behind me, panic-stricken:
"Adrian! What's happening?!"
I couldn't respond. The Demon God's presence coursed through me, guiding my movements. Every step, every strike, felt preordained.
The giant lashed with its club, spinning it like a wrecking ball. I leapt, flipping mid-air, my daggers slicing through the air with a sound like tearing metal. The edges glowed red, leaving trails of fiery light. I landed behind the ogre, slashing along its spine, feeling the heat of raw power flow into my veins.
["Demonic Heaven Splitter!"] I shouted, The name of the skill just appeared on my mind as if it were a memory.
The twin daggers created a crimson arc, spinning with lethal precision. The club of the giant shattered against the energy, sparks flying, and I cut deep along its chest. Its roar reverberated like thunder, shaking the very air around me.
I vaulted into the air, dodging another massive swing. The axe carved a path through the ground where I had been, sending shards of earth into the air. I landed on the giant's shoulder, daggers pressing into its thick flesh. Its arms flailed, trying to crush me, but speed and skill guided me.
Notifications streamed into my mind:
[New Skills Acquired:]
1. [Demonic Heaven Splitter[
2. [Infernal Surge]
I felt power unlike anything before—a demon god's will fused with my own. Time slowed. My vision sharpened to a razor's edge. The giant swung wildly, but my reflexes were preternatural. I ducked, rolled, and landed a precision strike along its knee. It stumbled, the ground cracking beneath its weight.
The giant roared in fury, eyes glowing brighter. It raised its axe high and swung in a vertical arc, aiming to cleave the earth itself. I vanished, appearing at the wrist of the weapon, slicing through with a brutal arc of Demonic Heaven Splitter. The axe shattered in my hands. Sparks, blood, and fragments of dark metal flew like fireworks.
Theo's eyes were wide, disbelief etched on his face. "Adrian… you're insane! What—how—"
No words. There were none. Only action.
I leapt onto the ogre's back, daggers tearing into its flesh. Every slice sent bursts of red energy into the air. Muscles strained, veins popped with power. I could feel the Demon God's presence inside me, guiding every move. The beast tried to shake me off, but I held firm, slashing downward along its spine.
Its roar was deafening, a violent quake that threw dust and debris into the air. The remaining students were frozen in terror, barely able to comprehend the carnage unfolding.
Then, with a deep exhale, I used Infernal Surge. Red energy exploded outward, engulfing the giant. It stumbled, then fell to one knee. I vaulted into the air, daggers glowing like twin suns. "Demonic Heaven Splitter!" I shouted again, swinging in a colossal arc.
Time stretched, the world holding its breath. My daggers sliced through the ogre's neck like paper. Blood sprayed, molten with energy. Its head separated cleanly from its shoulders. The body toppled with a ground-shaking crash.
But as it fell, I fell too. The energy surged through me, my consciousness slipping. This wasn't me anymore. The Demon God's power had taken full control.
"Don't worry, boy," it said, voice like grinding stone and roaring fire. "I've sponsored you. You'll live to see the vision—both you and I want."
Blackness claimed me.
------
I awoke in a hospital bed, drenched in sweat, my heart racing. The sterile smell was overwhelming. Machines beeped softly in the background, confirming that I was still alive.
Theo burst in immediately, grinning. "There you are! Man, you scared me half to death! What happened? How did you awaken?"
I could only shrug, voice hoarse and broken. "I… I don't know."
We sat and talked, Theo cracking jokes to ease the tension. Somehow, I laughed despite myself. The memory of crimson daggers, the ogre, and the Demon God's power was still raw, but somehow, it felt distant, almost like a dream.
The hospital staff were bewildered by my condition, noting how I had survived what should have been certain death. After discharge, we received a letter from the Slayer Academy: we were to attend a new school designed for awakened slayers: Nova Slayer Academy.
The campus was vast, mystical runes etched into the stonework, with training arenas stretching into the horizon. This was a place for power, survival, and ascension.
Walking through the halls with Theo beside me, I could feel the Demon God's presence lingering—a quiet, intoxicating reminder of what had just occurred. Fear had been replaced with power. Helplessness with purpose. And for the first time, I felt truly alive.
That day, the line between death and awakening blurred, and I had crossed it. I had survived Death Island, awakened under the sponsorship of a god, and glimpsed the potential of what I could become. And deep inside, a fire burned—a promise that I would never be powerless again.
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