"F—fuck!"
Grimm cursed, eyes wide as he stared at the massive red panel that had just appeared before him like a siren in digital form. The crimson glow washed over the forest, painting his face like a crime scene.
His chest tightened. His mind flashed back to that void—the unbearable tearing pain, the agony of his soul being ripped apart, that same color of death blooming across his vision.
His breath hitched. "No… not again. Not this color. Anything but red. Give me blue. I like blue."
But just as he finished his words, another panel bled into existence before him—brighter, and somehow even redder.
---
[Warning: Infinite Boost is attempting to evolve your Profession.]
[Warning: Target Profession — Berserk — is resisting enhancement.]
---
Grimm blinked. "Wait—what?"
His jaw slackened as the words sank in. "Hold on. Even professions can evolve?"
A slow grin began to form—only to falter halfway.
"Wait. Resisting? What do you mean resisting?! Why would you resist getting stronger, you stupid profession—"
Another red screen cut him off.
---
[Error: Unknown interference detected.]
[Profession 'Berserk' is being forcefully erased.]
---
Grimm froze. His smile died. His lips parted into a silent, horrified gape.
Then, in the faintest, most broken whisper:
"…you're kidding me."
The next message didn't help.
---
[Profession 'Berserk' has been erased.]
[New Profession obtained: Warbreaker.]
---
He slumped against a tree. "I just got that profession…" he mumbled hollowly. "Didn't even get to berserk once. Not even a little berserking."
He sighed deeply. He didn't really care much about the profession—besides, Warbreaker sounded way cooler than Berserk—but something about all these changes felt ominous. He wasn't sure if this was an upgrade… or an obituary.
"Hopefully the Tower Guardian doesn't butt in this time," he muttered.
But just as he thought that, another screen flashed before him.
---
[Congratulations. You have received a Fragment [#?;#(?] Power.]
[You have obtained the [#?;#(?] Authority.]
[From now on, a large portion of the EXP you gain will be converted into [#?;#(?] Points. Only a fraction of EXP will now contribute to your level progression.]
---
Grimm blinked twice. Then thrice. His face slowly twisted in realization.
"…Wait, what?" His eyes brightened. "Hold on—did that say Authority? Like, big-deal power?—"
But then his brain processed the rest of the message.
"—Wait, wait, significant portion of my EXP?!"
He ripped open his status panel like someone tearing open a failed test result.
---
[Grimm]
-Rank: Wood
-Level: 1 [0%]
-Profession: Warbreaker
-Talent: S-Rank — Devour
-Innate Talent: EX-Rank — Infinite Boost
-Vitality: 100%
-Mana: 100%
Stats
Physical:
↳ [Strength: 23 | Endurance: 18 | Agility: 20]
Mental:
↳ [Intelligence: 9 | Focus: 5 | Perception: 15]
⟣ Stat Points Available: 16
---
Grimm stared at the screen in silence. For a straight three seconds, he just stared, too shocked to speak.
Then, in the most tragic voice imaginable, he exclaimed, "…NO!"
He shook his head violently.
"No, no, no! My sweet levels! My precious EXP! You can't do this to me, you bloodsucking system!"
He flailed his arms dramatically at the sky. "Take back your stupid Authority! I don't need it! Give me my levels back, you divine tax collector!"
The forest was quiet except for distant crickets—until, as if mocking him, a new golden notification blinked into existence.
---
[The Tower Guardian is astonished.]
[The Tower Guardian is pondering your existence.]
[The Tower Guardian will now pay special attention to you.]
---
Grimm's scream echoed through the forest.
"WHY?! Why me again?! I didn't do anything!"
He spun toward the sky, eyes blazing. "Don't you have a job? Go guard someone else! I'm just a hardworking, slightly average civilian—trust me, bro!"
His voice cracked with panic. "I still remember the soul-erasure thing! I can't handle round two! I just want to grind levels and be overpowered in peace—is that too much to ask?!"
He tugged at his hair, pacing. "Unbelievable… I'm getting PTSD from pop-ups."
The notifications faded, leaving him alone with the cold, judging silence of the forest.
"…I swear, if one more panel pops up, I'm uninstalling this reality."
---
An eternity of depression later…
---
Grimm sat slumped on a branch, eyes hollow, staring at yet another glowing panel. His voice was a monotone whisper.
"Well… at least there's some good news in all this, right?"
He tilted his head, reading the details.
---
[Warbreaker]
— Profession Rank: Mythical
— Profession Perk:
→ +200% Physical Damage Output
→ Immunity to Minor Mana Interference
→ Strength scales with destruction caused during combat
---
— Profession Skills:
> (S) Force Rend: Each physical strike releases a shockwave that ignores armor and barriers. Damage scales with Strength and proximity.
> (S) Ruin Pulse: Converts excess physical strength into pure destructive energy that erodes magical defenses and destabilizes mana formations in a 30-meter radius.
> (SSS) World Splitter: A single full-powered attack that tears through all layers of defense—physical, magical, or spatial. Cooldown: 3 hours. Cost: Severe stamina depletion.
> (SS) Destruction's Dominion: The user becomes the center of a gravitational field of ruin. Within this field, all energy-based attacks weaken by 70%, and physical power increases by 150%. Duration: 5 minutes.
---
— Profession Description:
> The Warbreaker is a being who defies the balance between magic and might, a force of unrelenting destruction whose body becomes both weapon and calamity.
---
Grimm blinked. Then again.
"So this is… good, right?" He tilted his head. "I mean, besides losing all my EXP, getting downgraded back to Level 1, and having some interdimensional god-stalker watching my every move…"
He sighed, looking up at the faint sunrise filtering through the canopy. "Yeah. This is fine. Totally fine."
Despite his Absolute Body, which never tired or weakened, Grimm felt emotionally drained.
"Is this what depression feels like? Not even my kind of body can heal that."
He stared blankly ahead. "Absolute Body, my ass…"
A tired breath escaped him as he finally stood and stretched. "Whatever. The beasts will start respawning soon."
He dropped from the branch, landing softly on the damp forest floor. His gaze hardened, exhaustion giving way to resolve.
"Fine. If the Tower's gonna rob me, I'll just farm twice as hard."
He cracked his knuckles. "Let's see if your EXP tax can keep up with me."
He started walking deeper into the fog as dawn spilled across the leaves—the first light of a long, bloody morning.
---
Four Days Later
The forest was a ruin.
Splintered trees, cracked earth, and the stench of death filled the air. Mountains of wolf corpses lay heaped around a single figure—Grimm, drenched in blood, a faint grin tugging at his lips.
In his hand gleamed a faintly pulsing crystal. "Finally," he muttered, holding it up to the dim light. "A Soul Crystal."
He studied it with satisfaction. There were two ways to gain skills in the Tower.
First, through Skill Scrolls—rare, guaranteed, and precious.
Second, through Soul Crystals, random drops from slain beasts. Soul Crystals had no guarantee; the skill inside could be anything, and you wouldn't know until you used it.
But to Grimm, that didn't matter. With Infinite Boost, even a trash skill could become an overpowered one.
He tightened his grip around the crystal as a system prompt appeared.
---
[You have obtained a Soul Crystal.]
[Would you like to use it?]
[Yes / No]
---
"Obviously," Grimm said, tapping Yes.
The crystal dissolved into radiant dust, swirling into his forehead.
---
[You have learned a new skill: Vicious Swipe (F-Rank)]
[Talent: Infinite Boost activated.]
[Would you like to enhance this skill using Infinite Boost?]
[Yes / No]
---
Grimm's grin widened with satisfaction as he stared at the screen.
"You even need to ask?"
He tapped Yes.
The screen flared, its light reflecting in his eyes.
---
[Enhancing abilities…]
[F-Rank 'Vicious Swipe' has evolved into:….]