Chapter 44: Charon the Ferryman
+ 15 Strength
He needed to get stronger so he applied more points to his strength stat but then
+ 10 Agility
He told everyone in class that his ability was super speed so he had to ensure that his speed kept on topping all of his stats.
+ 15 Endurance
"Well... I don't really have any need for the intelligence stat cos I think I'm smarter. All I need to worry about now is standing up after getting hit.
His new stats were now:
Name: Rex Xander
Level: 18
XP to next level: 0/100,000
Race: Human
Class: Cerberus Slayer (Effect: gains 2x more Xps from killing wolf-like creatures)
Strength: 71
Agility: 76
Endurance: 56
Intelligence: 47
Active Skills
Temporal rift (Level 1) XP to next level: 0/100
Time rewind(Level 2) XP to next level: 0/100
Passive Skills
Fate's eyes (Cannot be used now)
Titan's will: Cooldown time left(48 hours)
Right now, he was stronger than an average Intermediate-ability user
"Thou payest no heed to thy intelligence?" Cronus asked
Rex humphed "Well..... Don't you think I'm smart enough?" Rex asked in reply.
"Thou fool! Don't get too proud! Thou still hast not used Aether the way thou ought to and thy intelligence matters in that aspect!" Cronus explained
"Well..... whatever" Rex replied and then fiddled with the key in his hand "So... now... let's go explore beyond the gates"
Role: Crosses souls across the river Styx to the underworld
Attitude: Grumpy
Strength: 80
Agility: 75
Endurance: 60
Intelligence: 10
Abilities: Soul magic
Rex stared at the stats, blinking a few times. "Wait... that's it? Intelligence: 10? This guy's practically a walking bag of bones with a bad mood. Soul magic or not, I can probably take him."
Cronus groaned. "Harbinger, thou art courting disaster. Soul magic is no laughing matter."
Rex shrugged. "Yeah, but Intelligence: 10, Cronus! That's like, two IQ points above a potato. I'm pretty sure I can outsmart a guy like this who's just like... Idk... full of.... Cronus's sigh echoed in Rex's mind, interrupting him. "Thy arrogance will be thy downfall."
Rex clenched his fists, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Only one way to find out!"
"Come on, Cronus, I need to get stronger and that means fighting, right?" Rex clenched his fists, his energy rising. "Time to see what this guy's made of."
Without another word, Rex dashed forward, closing the distance between him and Charon. His speed was blinding, but the ferryman barely turned his head, unimpressed by the sudden burst of movement.
Rex swung with a fist infused with Aether, aiming right at Charon's chest. But before he could land the blow, Charon's staff swung down with terrifying precision, meeting Rex's strike with a bone-cracking thud.
Rex's eyes widened as the impact sent him flying back, crashing against the ground with a groan. "Okay... that hurt more than expected..."
Charon floated toward him, his skeletal hand raised. A dark, soul-chilling mist began to coil around Rex's body, binding him in place. His limbs grew heavy as the icy tendrils of Charon's power invaded his body, threatening to crush his very spirit.
"Thou art reckless," Cronus's voice echoed disapprovingly. "Charon is no mere foe to trifle with. His power draws from the essence of death itself."
Rex struggled to break free, sweat dripping down his brow. "Thanks for the tip, Cronus! I could've used it, like, five seconds ago!"
Charon loomed over him, ready to finish the fight. With a quick chant in an ancient tongue, Charon unleashed a wave of soul force, ghastly and ethereal, like the howling cry of the dead, slamming into Rex like a tidal wave. Rex gasped as his vision blurred, his energy drained in an instant.
"Argh! Not cool!" Rex muttered, his body crumpling under the pressure of the attack. He tried to summon his Aether, but it fizzled out, overpowered by Charon's relentless soul-based powers.
Before Rex could attempt to recover, Charon raised his staff, and with one final motion, he sent Rex sprawling into unconsciousness. The last thing Rex saw was the ferryman silently returning to his post, his bony hand still outstretched for the coin Rex didn't have.
Darkness swallowed him.
When Rex came to, he found himself sprawled at the edge of the river, his body aching and his pride more bruised than ever. He groaned, slowly pushing himself up as Cronus's voice hummed in his head.
"Thou fool," Cronus chided. "Perhaps now thou will heed my warnings. Power must be tempered with wisdom."
Rex wiped the dirt off his face, groaning in frustration. "Yeah, yeah. Maybe next time, warn me before I get smacked down."
Despite the pain, Rex couldn't help but grin. Even though Charon had wiped the floor with him, it had been a wake-up call. He was still far from the strength he needed, but at least now he knew what he was up against. It was time to get serious.
"Looks like I need to hit the gym... a soul gym," Rex muttered with a wince.
A/N: The fight's going premium so... go premium too wink "Y'know what I mean... And btw, Rex ain't leaving till he's....... Damn! Me and spoilers!!!!