Status.

User Brock Carter Race Human [F] LVL 5 Ascendancy SEALED [F] Level 1 STATS Strength 49.2 - [+20%][Base: 41] Agility 50.4 - [+20%][Base: 42] Dexterity 44.4 - [+20%][Base: 37] Constitution 54 - [+20%][Base: 45] Vitality 55.2 - [+20%][Base: 46] Intelligence 57.6 - [+20%][Base: 48] Wisdom 57.6 - [+20%][Base: 48] AUGMENTS Augment of Sparks (7.22%). TITLES At The Precipice, Agent of Chaos, Blessed, Destined for Greatness, Underdog, Hidden Fangs, Leader of the Pack, Login Bonus, Opportunist, Enlightened, Mass Murderer, Needless Slaughter, Masochist, Trophy Hunter (Unique). FREE STATS N/A SHARDS N/A SEALED N/A

Brock’s eyes widened marginally as he read over his new and improved status screen. He had felt powerful beforehand, but it was only now that he witnessed the growth of the numbers next to his Stats that he truly understood the power-up he had undergone.

Each of his Stat values had increased by over ten points, skyrocketing his current combat potential. And if he remembered correctly, his Stats had all only been around 25 when he had first gotten his useless Ascendancy, meaning they had just about doubled in the past weeks. Even his Augment had gained a few percentage. It was an insane amount of growth, at least from his perspective.

In addition to the massive boosts of his Stat values, he also noticed that his percentage boost had doubled in its effectiveness, and Brock immediately turned to his Titles section, where 4 new titles existed. Grinning from ear to ear despite the dull way his body ached, he opened them up with a thought.

Mass Murderer: Slay 5 monsters simultaneously. +3 to all stats.

Needless Slaughter: Slay 25 monsters simultaneously. +5 to all stats.

Masochist: Experience a level of pain that would kill a regular human. +5 to VIT, CON and WIS.

Trophy Hunter (Unique): Slay South, The Ape of Pride and his Pack. +10% to all stats.

While the first three were all excellent - albeit slightly horrifying - Titles, it was the fourth and final of them that really outshone its competition. It was the Unique Title that he had been rewarded for the completion of his sub-quest, and as he had initially predicted, it was named directly after the quest it had originated from.

Initially, Brock had been worried that he would have to fight two other Alphas in addition to the ape he had just barely managed to slay. Though, after looking at the Title he had received from doing so, he wondered if that would even be so bad. Of course, the fight prior to now was still fresh in Brock’s mind, no matter how fragmented it was, but the enemies can’t get that much stronger can they?

He hoped not at least.

Either way, whether he wanted to or not, a glow shone brightly from behind him, illuminating the surroundings and making him look over. Immediately, he shielded his eyes with his newly armoured arm as he observed a small shard float above the chest of South, a mere speck within compared to the golden radiance it emitted.

However, the shine quickly faded, and the shard dissolved into a mist the same colour as its glow, instantly shooting toward Brock’s chest and entering his body, his injuries slowing him down enough that he couldn’t dodge. Within him, he felt the shard snap in place together with something else, and a tell-tale System ding resounded.

[A Fragment of the Key has been obtained and merged with the current Key Fragments in your possession.]

[Sub-Quest Issued.]

The Place Beyond: Approach the domain of West and North and slay both them and their Packs. Rewards: User Tailored Treasure, Key to the Gateway. (0/4)

Failure will result in the Source becoming inaccessible to you.

Brock couldn’t say he was surprised as he read over the notification sitting in his vision. Instead, and he loathed to admit it, he felt that the System was guiding him subtly toward finding the Source, solving his earlier issue. He couldn’t be sure, but since the price of failure would always relate to the Source, he felt he was spot on.

He had no idea why the System would help him after antagonising him for so long, however.

Brock was hopeful enough to bet all his remaining money, which actually happened to be nothing, that the ‘Key to the Gateway’ was what would possibly lead him to the place he had been seeking out for the past few weeks, if he was lucky. He had been given an obvious path forward, but the question still remained if he’d be powerful enough and willing enough to pursue it.

“You work in ‘mysterious’ ways, don’t you mate?” But what other choice did he have at this point?

Time was steadily running out, and Brock quickly recalled he had around two weeks left before his ‘destabilisation’. That fact alone gave him pause. If all the fights against the Alphas were as pitched as the one he’d just had, forget about getting killed during them, Brock might just run out of time while he recovered.

That aside, his best estimations would see him reaching the north sector, if he walked in a straight line from here, in about a half a day. Maybe even less, depending on what obstacles he found along the way. Then from there, it’d take around eight hours or so to cut directly across to the west area. Most of that time he knew would just be him trying to find his way around.

Even with all his rapid, superhuman improvements, Brock still desperately hoped to avoid combat, but it seemed the System was wholly intent on forcing him into conflict, his hopes be damned. Sighing to himself about the fate he longer sat at the wheel of, the office warrior flexed his legs and deemed them recovered enough to walk, albeit with a slight limp.

Going north was his next task, but first, there was something he had to do.

Brock wasn’t sure if he’d be able to fend off a group of monsters, but even in his current state, he felt comfortable killing a lone beast or two, though he’d rather avoid anything that could aggravate his wounds altogether. Banking on the hope that the aftermath of the fight was still doing its best at keeping beasts away, Brock limped around the corpse of the ape and stumbled over some rubble, finding himself back on a debris-littered road.

It took him a little while to stumble around all the different hurdles in his path and reorient himself, but finally, Brock managed to walk along the street he had been seeking. His eyes watched the violet bananas as they swung upon their trees, ruffled lightly by the breeze. The thought of being able to consume something other than beans was enough to make Brock’s mouth water, and he sped up the pace as fast as his body would allow.

Eventually, he found himself standing under the magnificent banana trees, the gorilla’s throne of mud and rock sitting off unassumingly to his right. From where he was, he could smell their divinely sweet fragrance as it wafted into his nostrils. It made his cells go wild, eager for him to bite upon the heavenly fruit that was a simple, purple banana.

Deciding against climbing the trees lest he hurt himself from the exertion, Brock whipped his arm upward toward a juicy looking punnet of bananas and watched in interest as his newly acquired weapon tore through the air and penetrated through the trunk behind them, exploding out the other side and settling there firmly.

That was cool and all, but he was aiming for the top of the punnet.

Oh, fuck me.

Tugging at his chain-knife lightly, Brock slowly began to pull harder and harder until he concluded what he was suspecting. That shit was stuck. Glancing around hopefully, he sighed in relief as not even monsters were around to see his idiocy in action and promptly, he climbed the tree. It took a bit of time, but Brock finally accomplished the task of yanking his blade free and he quickly cut off his original target, bringing them back to the ground with him.

He could feel the energy emanating off of his freshly picked fruits and excitedly he sat down in a cross-legged position, pulling a banana off the punnet and proceeding to peel it. He eyed the reflective, pearl-like substance within sceptically. After much deliberation, he soon bit into the soft flesh of the fruit and gasped in pleasure as his mouth was assaulted by an explosion of otherworldly flavour.

This time, the Treasure didn’t instantly knock him out, only make his body vibrate with energy ominously, and a quick check told Brock that the banana had netted him a level in his race. Smiling, he devoured the other five on the punnet, enjoying both the alien flavours and the power that flowed through him, boosting his race level all the way to level 11.

Immediately, he tried obtaining and consuming another dose of the bananas, as there were still hundreds left in the ape’s small grove, but he was left disappointed when he was given no benefit from the act of gluttony, the System telling him coldly that he had reached the maximum amount he could eat of that special fruit.

Brock felt it was a waste to just leave all the purple bananas here though. When he eventually reunited with Carrie and his co-workers, wherever he met them next, he could give them the fruits, affording them a much-needed boost to their own race levels. And while they’d certainly get their share, Brock would unload the considerable amount of spares onto his family, letting them all increase their prowess one delicious alien banana at a time.

Alas, not only was his backpack ruined, but he had no way to store them all, nor the time to harvest them and it was with a heavy heart he committed this location down to memory for later and began walking directly to his north. He assumed his prior state of caution and crept low through the streets. More than a few times, he had to assassinate a group of beasts on the down low, lest they all rush at him at once, and his chain-knife made that easier than ever.

Even without an infusion from his Augment, Brock not daring to worsen the headache that was already pounding within his skull, the knife carved through the tougher roots of the Treants and the thick scales of the Titanoboas with ease, a good swing being all that was needed to finish his opponent in most cases.

Combining that with the ranged flexibility his ability to throw and retrieve the dagger afforded him, taking out the enemies was a breeze, even in the weakened state he found himself in for the time being. Cleaving through hard vines, armour-like scales and soft, slimy flesh alike, Brock powered through the violet jungle, all while being practically naked, the rags hanging off him doing nothing in the slightest to maintain his decency.

Not that he could find the time to care right now. It was a little chilly, but it didn’t faze him much.

Brock continued strolling over the next handful of hours until finally, he reached a change in the environment. Looking ahead, the man caught sight of familiar green foliage, illuminated brilliantly by the sunlight he hadn’t known how badly he’d missed until now.

Smiling brightly as he trekked through the thin midnight fog and dark streets, Brock bid the useless night sky goodbye and stepped into the rays of gold, feeling satisfied as there was not even a reaction from the space he passed through.

The sun felt so warm on his skin, and he sighed in utter contentment, finally being freed from the dark embrace he had been surrounded by for almost a week. The only thing that could top the sensation of sunlight on flesh right now was the voice of another human being. He hadn’t forgotten about his loneliness even during his time in painful recovery.

In fact, it was during that recovery that Brock had turned his thoughts toward his friends and family more and more, recalling their faces and voices and the memories they had shared together. He had thought it would help soothe him, but it had only made him feel all the more alone, trapped in the wilderness by himself.

He hoped he’d find someone else soon. Anybody.

Heaving out a breath, Brock forced him to ignore the soothing warmth and continue to trek forward. Right now, he just wanted to get this all over with.