The System

CH- 90: Chaos (IIII).

    Leaders fell.

Quests changed hands.

Yet they prioritized their predecessor's animosity over some system quest as their second-in-command took charge, gearing up for round two.

"You're mine." Tetsu thrusts the Apexian leader into a lighting orb and breaks free mid-flight.

Another zap later he brings a companion along to confront the formidable ape. "No need for introductions I am guessing," Tetsu bowed, introducing the leader of the Sonic Tweed.

The Tweed emitted a piercing scream alongside a powerful sonic wave. The Apexian responded by pounding his chest, nullifying the sound.

Tetsu, having already punctured his eardrums, moved unimpeded, and the ape's bleeding ears only bolstered his confidence to take another risk.

The Ape widened its stance, its muscles shifting to form three flailing tails. Tetsu skidded to a stop, detecting an ambush below him. With a swift punch to the ground, he yanked a Quaketail along with a chunk of earth and hurled it at the ape. Before the ape's subordinates could react, one of its three tails lashed out, obliterating the mole.

"Stay away... duh!"

Several Quaketail hands emerged, dragging unsuspecting creatures into the earth. Tweeds orchestrated their own trap, resonating in a unique frequency that immobilized everyone in its grasp. The conflict intensified as more Tweeds joined the fray, locking down larger sections of the battlefield.

The metallic and plant-based creatures capitalized on this advantage, decimating opposing groups. Tetsu drew the attention of the Tweeds as the lone flesh-based creature, thrashing about in his typical fashion. Runes activated around the forest as the Apexian leader dropped to his knees, aligning himself with Tetsu's trajectory.

Tetsu's knee connected with the Apexian's face, a wicked grin spreading across his own. "So kind of you... Still, consider this your last warning," he cautioned before the runes whisked him away.

The Tweeds moved in sync with Tetsu, their disbelief evident in the resonating sound that surrounded them.

"A human... no movement," they conveyed to each other through sound waves.

Two runes ignited on the leader's chest of the Sonic Tweeds, and two on Tetsu's buttocks as his rear met the Tweed's face. "Quantum harvest," Tetsu swore and turned the untouchable Tweed into the primary target on the battlefield.

Runes latched onto targets and more bubbles formed around the Tweeds, siphoning out their energy while making them easy targets and with more benefits.

[Ding! Mana: 210/610. Health: 340/398. Fatigue: 67.]

One hour elapsed, and Tetsu's mana had already dwindled to less than half, with fatigue gnawing at his health pool.

Tetsu nodded to dismiss the screen, zapping closer to the elemental swarm and diving between the water elementals, anticipating the impending onslaught.

Stripes of lightning sliced through the battlefield, weaving an intricate mesh of lines that transported the entire conflict into the sky. The colossal Electric Snowman plummeted into a ditch excavated by the Quaketail leader, triggering a chain reaction that caused every snowman to detonate in a cacophony of explosions.

The explosive cascade didn't conclude there; multiple zaps altered the terrain of the battlefield with each occurrence, relocating it to different areas within the tutorial zone with a velocity imperceptible to the naked eye.