"Ha, ha." Raven stood at the edge of the arena, panting. Steam oozed from his mouth with every breath.
The monster before him had been defeated. It dissolved into blue dust, scattering into the air as glittering fragments before fading into nothingness.
Soon, the next challenge monster began to spawn. Blue wirelines wrapped around, forming a skeletal structure. Flesh and skin followed, revealing a birdlike beast with a massive, robust beak.
But its wings were not like those of a typical bird. Instead of folding neatly at its sides, they were long and trailed along the ground, each tipped with three claws that gave the creature an ape-like gait.
The monster was called the Murder Bird. With a deafening screech, it announced its presence. Malware coding kicked in, and the beast burst forward with lightning speed, appearing before Raven with claws raised to strike.
Ready as ever, Raven's blue-glinting sword glowed crimson. He slashed, releasing a red arc of aura that clashed with the Murder Bird's claws, forcing both of them back.
Skreeeeeeee!
The Murder Bird screeched again. Two spheres of orange energy formed on either side of it, growing until they took on its likeness, two doppelgangers shrieking in unison.
They charged all at once. Raven weaved through them seamlessly, his blade cutting through their bodies like a phantom of disembowelment.
Their hides were thick, but Raven wasn't just any Mana user. He was now an aura user. He smirked.
"I'm nothing short of thankful. If it wasn't for the Beastodon's core shard I ingested days ago… though the system's way of dropping surprises is still confusing."
Status:
Name: Raven Stoneheart
Age: 16 (21)
Gender: M
Mana: 120/150
Health: 100/100
Level: 3 {390/400}
Skills & Abilities:
Title: INITIATE OF THE VOID
Celestial Energy
"It upgraded all my abilities except
Raven decapitated one of the beast's doppelgangers with a spinning strike, his red-glowing sword gleaming like burning embers.
"I swear, it looks as if the system wants me to suffer. But the joke's on it, I'm no ordinary stickman." He slashed the torso of the other doppelganger.
"I've been using my past battles with these monsters to find the right frequency."
Raven guided mana from his vessel through his channels and into his weapon. He focused, syncing his energy with the blade. When the connection reached harmony, the sword began to hum.
The hum was proof, the mana had reached the proper frequency with the weapon, manifesting as aura.
Shimmering red light flared from the sword, surrounding it in a viscous, liquid-like glow. The energy coiled around Raven's arms and weapon. With a single wave, he cleaved the Murder Bird in half, tearing deep gashes into the arena floor.
Once again, Raven left the audience stunned. They hadn't believed their eyes the first time, but now it was undeniable, this was on another level.
The blue stickman who had taunted him earlier in the lobby was stupefied. He himself had yet to unlock the aura stage, still searching for the right frequency. All he could do was stare in disbelief.
"What's his age again?" asked the green stickman with the ponytail, Caplux.
The female examiner checked the profile. "Sixteen."
"He's sixteen?!" Caplux shouted. He burst out laughing. "Ha ha ha! We've got ourselves a genius in the making. He unlocked the Aura stage mid-battle, and at such a young age! Cases like this are one in a million. The army must recruit him."
Down in the arena, Raven continued his splendid display of swordsmanship. His blazing red blade cut down the holographic monsters mercilessly, their near-realistic bodies no match for his strikes.
But not everyone was impressed. Wolfton, watching closely, felt jealousy claw at him. He never expected Raven to be this skilled, a genius who could surpass him in no time.
He clenched the card in his hand. Though he had completed the system's quest, it was by the skin of his teeth and only with the help of his heritage ability. Raven, on the other hand, was advancing through sheer skill alone.
It showed just how far behind he really was. Despite mocking Raven earlier, rejecting his core shard and calling him weak, the truth was reversed.
Wolfton smirked. "It seems I've found myself a scale to measure against. When I eventually face my heritage rival, this will prepare me to win. Raven… congratulations. You've just earned yourself a rival who'll push you beyond your limits."
Down on the arena floor, Raven panted hard, teeth gritted but resolve unshaken.
"I may have overdone it. Not only did I fail to rest after reaching the Aura stage for the first time, but the activation drained my mana. First use always takes more, and it's unstable."
He glanced ahead. "And I haven't even reached where Wolfton stopped… Do I have to rely on my ability for this? I don't want to. Not yet."
Raven slashed a small ceratopsian hologram in two, his breath ragged.
"I must complete the system's quest. If that's the only way to grow stronger, then so be it…"