Seth's body exploded into light. It wasn't transformation. It was refinement. His muscles adjusted like celestial gears; his bones strengthened, his breathing became lighter, his blood faster. His tendons vibrated like ropes about to burst. The pressure around him rose so much that cracks formed in the ground beneath his feet, just from the increase in his physical presence.
Then he muttered.
"Copy."
[Copied skill: Titan's Wrath (Rank-C)]
[Effect: For 45 seconds, your physical strength is tripled. Your body enters a controlled berserker state, ignoring physical limits and increasing your resistance to pain by 80%. Cost: 50% of remaining energy].
Seth shivered. The raw energy of the Titan's Wrath melted into his body like liquid fire. It wasn't just power - it was violence incarnate. His heart raced, not with fear, but with an absurd hunger for more.
Jackpot roared. The runes reacted to the Wrath, going into overload.
[Jackpot - Special Effect: Berserker Synergy detected.]
[Effects doubled as long as "Titan's Wrath" is active.]
He looked at Kharizan.
"Now, old man... this has turned into a fight." And disappeared.
The orc didn't even see the blow coming. Seth appeared in the air - with a leap so fast that the sound was delayed.
BANG!
The first punch came down like a meteor on Kharizan's face, which was buried in the ground. A crater formed around him.
Seth fell behind him, spinning like a hellish dance. Jackpot lit up in three shades - blue, yellow and red.
[Blast + Drive + Force Impact]
He spun his entire body in a 360° arc and drove his blade into the orc's back.
KA-BOOOOOOOM!
The explosion lit up the battlefield as if the sun itself had touched the earth. The shockwave pushed back the heavens.
But Kharizan... got up.
Bleeding, roaring, gasping.
"THIS... IS... FIGHTING!" he shouted, his eyes completely red, his veins popping out like rivers erupting under his skin.
He spun his axes with absurd force, making the air groan. One of the blows grazed Seth's side and he took a false step - and the other axe followed, grazing him in the abdomen.
Blood. Pain. Pleasure. Madness.
Seth spat blood and laughed. A hoarse laugh, full of adrenaline.
"That's what I've been waiting for!"
The two warriors stared at each other in the midst of the destruction.
Two titans. Two hurricanes of war.
Seth with Jackpot in hand, now in total synergy with his absurd speed and the Wrath of the Titan exploding in every cell.
Kharizan, ancient, monstrous, with the weight of eons of battles pulsing in his muscles - and the hatred of a rejected god.
The next exchange of blows would be legendary.
The world around them had already stopped. Only the two of them remained.
And the war was only beginning.
The battle raged on like endless thunder.
Seth and Kharizan exchanged blows in a dance of titans, each impact heavier than the last. The ground beneath them was unrecognizable: open craters, deep fissures, glowing embers rising where Jackpot's power collided with the ancient fury of the orc's hatchets.
Seth moved like lightning incarnate, relentless speed that made the air sizzle and tear. Jackpot exploded again and again - drive, impact, explosion. And sometimes all three at the same time.
Kharizan roared, ever more bestial, but ever more... slower.
He was bleeding profusely. His eyes, once furious and alive, were beginning to lose focus. His hands were shaking, even though he was holding those gigantic weapons. Still, he didn't stop. He was a king, after all. And a king fights to the end.
Seth respected him for that.
Even with the advantage, even with the increasingly precise blows, Seth hesitated to make the last attack. He wanted to give Kharizan the right to go down fighting. And Kharizan, proud to the bone, seemed to understand.
The last clash came with both of them charging in at the same time - Jackpot against two roaring axes.
BOOOOOM!
The weapons collided in the center, and for an instant, the world seemed to stop.
Then, slowly, Kharizan's axes fell from his hands.
He staggered, his knees finally giving way.
Seth took a step back, panting, his eyes still shining. Jackpot vibrated slightly in his hand, as if he understood the approaching end.
Kharizan smiled, even though his lips were broken and blood was dripping from his jaw.
"Heh... You're as fast as lightning... and as strong as a storm..." he gasped. "It was... a good fight... human."
Seth walked up to him slowly, putting his sword away. "It was more than a fight... it was an honor."
The orc's eyes narrowed, attentive. "You didn't run... you didn't hide... you faced a king at the height of his fury... and you survived."
Seth knelt down beside him.
"You were a true warrior, Kharizan. You fought with everything, right up to the last second. There's no shame in falling on your feet."
The old orc let out a hoarse laugh, almost a snore.
"Heheh... honor... you talk like one of us." He raised his arm with effort, tapping his own chest. "By right... by tradition... he who defeats the Orc King... becomes King."
Seth's eyes widened in surprise. But before he could refuse, Kharizan raised his bloody finger and touched Seth's right arm.
In the instant of the touch, a tribal glow spread under Seth's skin - ancient runes, seals of bravery and dominion. A glowing tattoo, made of ancient magic, took shape as if it had always been destined for him.
[You have acquired the title: Orc King]
[Tribe of Orcs recognizes your authority and power. Influence with all orc factions significantly increased].
[New engraved symbol: Tribal Mark of the Ancestors - right arm.]
"Carry this burden with honor, human." murmured Kharizan, his breathing becoming shallower. "Show the world... that an orc... never... dies in vain."
And then, with one last respectful smile... he was gone.
Silence.
Seth remained there, kneeling beside the body of the former king, for long seconds. The wind whistled between the broken stones. The dust settled.
Two beams of light appeared where Kharizan's axes had fallen. Slowly, they rose into the air and floated before Seth, glowing with a heavy aura, golden and red like dried blood in the sun.
[Item Received: Kharizan Axes (Rank-S)]
[Description: Two weapons of war wielded by the Orc King Kharizan, shaped in the flames of forgotten volcanoes and tempered with the blood of a thousand battles. They carry the will of their former owner: savagery, resistance and honor. Only someone recognized by the tribe as worthy can wield them].
Effects:
[+40 Strength when wielding both axes]
[Chance to activate Ancestral Frenzy: increases damage by 80% for 10 seconds when taking fatal damage (1 time per combat)]
[War Cry: increases morale and attributes of nearby orc allies]
[Critical hits cause Deep Bleed (10s, cumulative)]
Seth held them for a moment, feeling the weight, not just physical, but symbolic. They were too heavy for him to use yet, he was sweating just to keep them both in peak condition...
"Orc king, huh..." he muttered with a half-smile. "That'll do the trick." He said, putting the axes away in the [inventory]
He looked around, and there was nothing left...
"Honor... what a nice guy." He muttered before the shadow appeared walking beside him. "Let me guess..." He muttered, looking at Bastet.
"You didn't want to help me because you wanted me to grow up on my own?" he questioned.
"Hm? Oh no, it's because there are still rumors of a madman with a panther inside a dungeon. I can't just show up." She said, lying down on the ground.
"We're alone here. The useless assholes didn't even make it out of the upper floors." Seth said.
"I was too tired to help you, master." She said, lying down as Seth fell to the floor and used her back as a pillow.
"I'm dead," he muttered, smiling as he closed his eyes...
'He didn't even realize what he'd done here...' Bastet thought as she saw all those Orcs shredded... 'My master... did you even stop to think how strong you've become...'