Left in Rage

It leaped forward, claws outstretched to tear him apart, but he dodged nimbly out of the way of its killing swipe in the last second, and its speed overshot it as it struck the ground, cracking earth beneath its claws.

Akira he threw a strong punch up into its back, and the enormous strike sent a shockwave over its massive body.

It did not even stagger.

With a fierce roar, it whirled around much quicker than he had judged, claws raking at him once more.

This time, one claw raked along his arm-the pure force sending him sliding backward, pain flaring in his muscles.

He gritted his teeth as the strain began to set in.

"Soul Infusion is powerful, but it does have its limits."

"I do not have that much time before it wears off."

A glance back through his stats showed the incremental increases since his last level-up strength, agility, stamina-all increased by a factor of one.

"Now, would that really be enough to bring this beast down?"

"No time to run the numbers."

"I have to take this gamble if i want to survive."

Again, it charged forward-its huge body rolling towards him with lethal intent.

Akira took a deep breath, feeling the dwindling energy of Soul Infusion surge through his body.

"Time to make it count."

Giving a whoop, he sprang forward-the beast's claws went down-and went low, barely avoiding its strike as he punched upwards with all his might in search of a chink in the creature's armor right under its jaw.

The impact ran along his arm, and the creature howled in pain, momentarily stunned.

"This is my chance."

He managed, with a second and even more powerful stroke, to continue with another and then another stronger yet.

The beast reeled, snarling, fissures appearing across its thick scales.

"Come on,"

Akira snarled, powering his way through the pain.

His heart racing, his stamina weak, yet refusing to back down, he channeled every last bit of energy into this final attack.

His fist shook the ground with the last, powerful blow, which landed on the creature's chest, shattering its armored scales and driving his hand into its core.

With one final agonized screech, the beast fell, its body dissolving into the now-familiar mist of defeated dungeon monsters.

Akira stood amidst the fading vapor, breathing heavily.

Every muscle ached, but a triumphant grin spread across his face as he whispered,

"That's what I'm talking about."

The system notification flickered once again; the reward for this victorious battle.

Status Update

[Congratulations you have leveled up.]

[Congratulations you have leveled up.]

[+10 Stat Points awarded.]

[Perfected Symmetry in effect. Allocating stat points equally across all attributes.]

[Since the user's level has increased, the body will be restored to peak condition.]

A tide of new strength was sweeping over him, one where the rises of each stat fed his will.

He clutched his fists, the steadiness in power humming within him as he breathed in long and entirely satisfied.

"This is the starting point"

He said peering deeper into the view.

Akira stood among the rubble, gasping for breath, his body humming with the thrill of his victories. His eyes ran over the debris of the beasts he had overcome.

In the dissipating mist, tiny, glimmering pebbles remained behind—each radiating a soft teal light from their crystal formations.

He bent to pick one up, rolling it slowly between his fingers, his eyes narrowing to inspect the relic.

"Magic Stones," - He pondered, his mind weaving together what he had learned of them.

"These objects… they're the lifeblood of the new Earth."

"Since the day the dungeons initially appeared, magic stones have been both humanity's salvation and bane."

"They're energy distilled from the monsters that live in these dungeons—raw, uncut power tapped from chaos."

He paused, considering, standing up as the stone reflected the same faint blue light given off by the glowing crystals embedded in the walls.

"Technically, they're fuel."

"Cities are powered by the energy they yield."

"A single small-grade magic stone can light up a house for a week."

"Mid-grade ones?"

"They power weapons, cars, even the technology hunters use."

He gripped the stone harder, his jaw tensing.

"But from what father always told me the humans don't realize how dependent we've become on them."

"But i don't care even if all of them vanish."

"Dungeon borders have been fought over in wars, and the price of a failed raid into a dungeon is not just lives lost—materials lost are included."

"Governments rise and fall depending on which side controls the stones."

"And here I am, pulling one out of a rat monster."

He laughed wryly, the stone glinting threateningly in his hand.

"Strange how the things that sustain humanity are the same things propelling it towards destruction."

"But I can't help but acknowledge their significance."

"These rocks… they're more than just fuel for the world's machinery."

"They're fuel for my vengeance."

"Every step, every murder—it's all constructing me into something i never have been."

His train of thought was broken when his eyes strayed to the walls.

More stones glowed softly amidst the crystalline formations, half-hidden in the stone.

The echo of his boots off the dungeon floor sounded as he approached, his hand scraping against one of the stones.

With a hard pull, he dislodged it, the crystalline material tearing away in his hand with a hard snap.

"Even in the dungeon walls, they're embedded like veins of precious ore."

He filled his satchel with the stones, his mind already tallying their value.

"Awakened like me survive on these methods."

"The goverment and other organizations like guilds gather and exchange them like money."

"Blood, sweat, and magic stones make this new world work and if it means strengthening myself in the process, I will do what I must."

His grip on the strap of his satchel tightened, the gentle glow of the stones highlighting his resolute face.

Standing facing the road ahead of him, Akira saw the body of another monster start to break down. He dropped to his haunches, watching closely as yet another stone formed among the spreading mist.

"Another one."

He picked it up without hesitation, sensing its faint warmth thrumming in his palm.

"The power that is contained in these stones is almost palpable."

"No wonder they're so valuable."

"To the average individual, they're just a tool."

"But to Stars, these stones are life, death, and everything in between."

He shoved the stone into his pouch and stood up straight, his gaze fixed on the trail ahead.

"Let's gather what i can and let's leave im almost done here."

A small smile creased his lips as he stepped forward, his form surrounded by the twisting shadows that danced in the dungeon.