Chapter 15

A solid column of stone erupted upward, smashing into Fenryr’s chest and hurling the beast backward with the explosive power of a hydraulic piston. Its bones crunched, a strained yelp escaping its once terrifying jaws as it crashed against the ceiling, then fell toward the ground.

Fenryr had seemed so large before – a terrifying, looming presence that towered over Caleb’s smaller frame. But what was a wolf compared to a mountain? What was a creature of flesh and blood compared to the might of stone. The earth had been here long before mammals. It would remain for eternity after.

Caleb was lifted out of the crater. The ground beneath his feet rose with him, becoming flush with the ground once more, as if the human-shaped hole in the stone had never been. He took a step forward, then another. Each one seemed to make the stone hum beneath his feet. He breathed out slowly and could feel the flow of aether inside the walls – like the tension of tectonic plates deep within the earth’s crust.

It was all… at his fingertips.

Fenryr staggered to its feet, blood staining its black fur, eyes blazing gold. It let out another furious roar and lunged – just as the ground beneath its feet gave out. The powerful boss slipped, planted face-first into the ground.

Caleb’s grin returned.

The Dungeon had tried to bury him, put him six feet under the ground. Little did it know, that was where he thrived. Surrounded by stone, ascending into the air, hanging on that thrilling edge between the two by the pads of his fingers.

He knew that this new ability was draining his available energy rapidly. Each movement of earth took mounds away from his aether reserves. Such a battle could not be sustained for long. So he’d end it quick. They were in his domain now. He’d walked into the den of wolves, and made it his own.

The cavern shook as if struck by an earthquake. They tried to flee but the cave entrance closed shut, stone meeting stone like a mouth closing. Great chunks of rock fell from the ceiling, splattering helpless wolves below as they tried in vain to dodge. All around was chaos – falling rocks, opening fissures, clouds of dust. But not around Caleb. He was in the eye of the storm.

And then, within seconds, the mountain grew still once more. It groaned to a trembling halt. Caleb stood there, panting, sapped almost completely of his strength, and surrounded by a dark field of tombstones.

His aether reserves must have been almost depleted. Perhaps below ten percent if he had to make a guess.

He started to laugh. Softly at first, but it soon grew.

What the hell was going on? It seemed like every single day he stumbled upon some revelation, some great boost of power that propelled him to new heights. His Inheritance, his class, his skills, and now this? His Truth. And this one was only lesser – whatever that meant.

How had he done this? Gotten this? To secure something so… profound only a few days since the advent of the System – it must be because of his life before. And that meant other people would be doing similar things, right? Surely he couldn’t be the only one. But he was one of the first. Of that, he was certain. He just had to maintain his lead.

Caleb shook his head. The laughter calmed down and he let out a satisfied breath. There was still tons more to learn, to discover, but right now, he still had a boss to kill.

On the other side of the destroyed cave, pinned beneath a boulder, was Fenryr. The beast had its teeth bared, eyes blazing with fury, blood gushing from its wounds. It couldn’t move. It was pinned, its body partially crushed. But he could still see the primal hate within it. Without a doubt, it wanted nothing more than to rip Caleb’s throat out. A mean puppy indeed.

He strode forward until he was a half-dozen paces from it. The irony of Caleb having killed two bosses now with falling rocks was not lost on him. Maybe that was just his thing.

Fenryr, Third Hand of Thrymm the Storm Titan
Aether Level 24

“Come on,” Caleb said. He reached out, touching the stone atop the wounded beast and willing it to melt away, meld back into the surrounding mountain. “Get up and finish this fight. Die on your feet.”

Was this stupid? Probably. Did Caleb care? Not at all. It just felt right, he wanted to fight.

Fenryr staggered to its feet, broken and bloodied fangs bared. Its breath came in ragged bursts. Caleb’s hands clenched, spectral fists flaring faintly in the dark. He was exhausted. Every limb was heavy, every muscle burning, but his grin didn’t fade.

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“Give me one last challenge.”

The wolf lunged. Caleb jumped to the side, ducking underneath a hairy paw, then another. Its jaws snapped for his head but caught air. He was faster. Caleb spun to the side, dodging another flash of claw before spearing two jabs into the boss’s ribs.

He could feel the wolf’s Presence wavering, diminishing just like its life force. Ever since he’d felt that connection to stone, it was like he hadn’t even needed to focus on resisting. Like his Presence had taken on the hardness of the mountain.

Caleb danced around Fenryr. At this point it was hardly even a fair fight. His fists drilled into fur, rupturing the beast’s internal organs. It felt like his senses were calculating faster, his muscles moved instinctually. Everything in his mind just… clicked. Blocking, dodging, striking with the familiarity of a fighter that had trained all their life.

Then, as the same excited thrill rose in his chest once more, he sent Fenryr flying into a wall with a single punch.

Skill Level Up!
Brawling I → Brawling II