Chapter 11: New Skill

  The clash of claws and the sound of heavy breathing filled the air. Marcus’s chest burned from the pain of his last strike, but he refused to slow. Vira was injured, and that was all that mattered now. He could feel the weight of her blood soaking into the ground where she stood. Every breath he took, every pulse in his body, was sharpened by the instinct to protect. He couldn’t lose his new friends, and especially...not her.

  The beasts weren’t just attacking—they were strategizing. Coordinating. Their movements became more precise, more lethal with each passing second. Marcus's heart hammered as the battle raged around him, and the world seemed to narrow. His vision was focused, his body aching, but still, he fought. His body ached in places he didn’t know existed.

  A beast broke from the edge of the fighting—its glowing red eyes feral with hunger—as it lunged straight for Marcus, claws outstretched, aiming for his throat. The battle had already taken its toll. Heavy blows, deep cuts—his punches hadn’t carried the same force as the others’ attacks. He’d relied mostly on footwork and agility just to stay alive. But that wasn’t enough. His inability to keep up, to land a truly punishing blow, had left his allies nearly overrun.

  As the large feline closed in, Marcus steeled himself.

  This time, he didn’t dodge.

  His feet moved on their own—a reflex he couldn’t explain. He surged forward, not back, as if pulled by something deeper than instinct. His right fist snapped out in a blur, and with a sharp, bone-deep crack, it slammed into the top of the charging beast’s head, it wobbled backwards, then shook.

  But the strike felt wrong. Too light. Too off.

  The beast twisted and clawed at him, sending a shock of pain up his side. His blood burned with the effort of blocking and countering, but something inside him roared. He could do better. He should do better. He felt like he could end this, instinct told him he could. His gaze flickered to Vira again—her wound was deep, her stance wavering—Boruk was pinned, struggling to fend off the snapping beast, Grek was trying his best to evade attack after attack—

  What do I do? I have to protect them…

  As a beast lunged for him again, Marcus shook the thought away. With an adept weave, he avoided the beast’s jaws, slipping past its reach with fluid grace.

  Marcus lowered his stance, raised his guard, chin level, and began to sway… I have to dig deeper... The swaying intensified. He drew on the Ki in his body. As it filled his muscles, the momentum of the swaying increased until Marcus himself was just a blur. The beast was stunned—it cracked it whipping tail, and lunged. Marcus’s blurry visage moved. A step toward Boruk, Marcus was gone.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  A disgusting pop rang out an instant later, and the head of the beast that had originally had Boruk pinned exploded.

  "I have to dig deeper!"

  Marcus grunted out the thought, drawing up the Psycha swirling in the atmosphere. It entered his mind like a torrent, and time seemed to slow. Before the blood and viscera from the exploded beast’s head could even touch him, Marcus had vanished again…

  An instant later, three explosions rang out in rapid succession. The beasts pursuing Grek were already ash, their bodies carried away by the wind.

  "I HAVE TO DIG DEEPER!!!"

  The phrase no longer thumped in his mind. It resonated with his very soul.

  The Mana around him bent to his will. Before Grek even realized he had been saved, Marcus was off again—a singular storm of violent chaos, zipping around the battlefield, causing death and destruction with each appearance.

  The orcs stood frozen, stunned by what they saw.

  Is… is that Marcus!? Boruk could barely get the words out.

  "I HAVE TO DIG DEEPER!!!"

  The battle slowed as Marcus became one with the storm of his skill. Each movement felt as natural as breathing. The world around him exploded into motion. Time stretched and snapped as his perception sharpened beyond what his eyes could see. His body pulsed with the elemental mana, vibrating with the speed and power only Ki could provide. His heart pounded in sync with his movements, his mind centered by the focus of Psycha.

  The system’s voice cut through his senses, sharp and clear:

  NEW ABILITY 'Forged'

  Skill: Floating Butterfly, Stinging Bee

  Description:

  A fluid blend of offense and defense, using lightning-fast strikes to overwhelm an opponent's defense while moving with the grace of a butterfly. Combines Ki-enhanced mobility, Psycha-enhanced precision, and Mana-infused strikes to create an overwhelming offensive barrage.

  Marcus was brimming with the force of it, his body glowing with energy. His next movement was a blur—a blur of violence and grace, like lightning in the storm. He danced, the fight becoming something new entirely.

  His left foot slid back just enough to avoid another swipe of claws, and in that instant, he was at Vira’s side. His fist twisted upward, propelled by a surge of Ki-enhanced strength. It was too quick for the beast to follow—a fast jab to the creature’s throat.

  The beast was sent sprawling backward, choking, stunned by the sheer power of Marcus’s strike.

  Before the first beast had even hit the ground, Marcus was already in motion again. His body was a perfect extension of his will. The second beast, the one that had been circling Vira, pounced. Marcus moved, twisting in midair as if weightless. His arm shot out like a whip, landing with pinpoint accuracy against the side of the beast’s skull. The crack of bone resonated through the clearing.

  The beast crumpled in a heap, but Marcus was already turning toward the next threat.

  The world slowed for him—he could see every trajectory of the creatures, every shift, every movement they made. Each of his blows landed with the certainty of a man who had lived a thousand fights. He could hear the sounds of his own body moving in perfect harmony with the world around him. The blend of his Ki’s swiftness, Psycha’s precision, and Mana’s explosive force was... unstoppable.

  The third beast, seeing its companions fall, hesitated. It was no longer an animal—it was a thing driven by fear and instinct. It snarled and pounced, but Marcus was already there. He was everywhere.

  His right fist snapped out, quicker than lightning, hitting the creature square in the jaw, then the body, the head, the body again. The beast reeled, its body hanging in midair as though suspended by the sheer force of Marcus’s strikes. Before it could regain its balance or even fall to the ground, Marcus landed another blow—this time, his knuckles driving up into its chest with the kind of force that would’ve crushed a boulder. The beast fell, twitching, and then went still.

  Marcus stood over the fallen creatures, his chest heaving, every muscle burning, but he felt alive. His breath was steady, though his body cried out for rest. The fight was over—he had ended it.

  With a final glance to see if everyone was okay, he collapsed from exhaustion...

  Vira’s pained breath broke through his fading mind. She caught him, though barely, further damaging the gash on her arm, her eyes wide with shock. “You…” she gasped. “What... was that?”

  Marcus’s gaze shifted to the others. The orcs and Goblins, Boruk included, were watching him, their expressions a mix of awe and disbelief.

  Grek’s voice cut through the silence. “That... that was something else, Marcus.”

  Marcus smiled, chest rising and falling, the adrenaline still coursing through him. He felt the pulse of his new skill, the power of his body, mind, and mana aligning in perfect harmony.

  I unlocked a skill...