Before departing the room, Ethan attempted to manifest the Hammer Weapon that had been stored in his Inventory. Recognizing this to be a weapon of immense power, thanks to the Mass Killing he was granted, it was given an SSS rank by the System. He concluded that his powers were not to be taken lightly.
“Equip Mjolnir!”
In response to his words, black energy surged from between his fingers, gradually solidifying into a colossal hammer with a handle of 60cm. The hammer was made of a hard black material decorated with intricate carvings, the material of which he could not identify.
[Mjolnir (Growth Type) Level 1]
[Strength: +5]
[Physical Attack: +200]
[Weight: 450]
[SKILLS]
[Equip: Instantly Equip Mjolnir from Inventory
Casting Time: 1s]
[Un-equip: Instantly Un-equip Mjolnir into Inventory
Casting Time: 1s]
[Hammer Throw Lvl. 1: Throw Mjolnir into a specific direction and Apply 120% Physical Attack Damage]
Details about the name, stats, and skills of the hammer surfaced. Before he had a chance to study all the data, he felt his hand tugged by the Hammer he was grasping, which was now dropping to the floor.
The hammer didn't plummet, but its mass was so immense that he wasn't able to lift it.
He then employed both hands and attempted to lift the Hammer, managing to do so only momentarily before it descended back to the floor.
Ethan noticed the information in the User Profile, which now exhibited different details about the Weight.
[ ... ]
[Weight: 450/490]
[ ... ]
If he had not misconstrued the meaning, the weight of the hammer he had must have been 450. Unfortunately, his capacity to lift was only 490, which was not enough for him to manage the tool effortlessly.
'So, does 450kg sound right? Would 45kg be more plausible? Also, am I that feeble to lift 45kg?'
If he had allocated the 4 Bonus Stats Points into Strength beforehand, he might have been able to resolve this issue. Mjolnir offers various Stats perks to its users, with 5 Strength Stats being one of them. It can be quite useful in bearing the weapon's weight.
Ethan tucked his Hammer back into his Inventory and glanced around his wrecked apartment. He wanted to take the time to clean up the mess but decided to prioritize something else instead.
Emerging from the building, he sprinted past a crowd of people who were competing over food supplies in nearby shops.
Some were deliberately pillaging, while others were stuck inside their vehicles due to the disruption of traffic.
Driving a car or motorcycle was impossible in the present circumstances. Consequently, some people choose to take a walk with their families. The noise of crying kids and shouts of people having their possessions stolen by others echoed throughout the streets.
Ethan hastened on his course, jogging to stay away from the throngs of people. His destination was a few kilometers away from where he lived - a field where the locals used to play sports, close to the border of plantations and forests leading up to the mountains.
He wanted to examine the potential of his powers in these conditions. According to what the Golem had told them about the test, he had to be well-prepared with his skills.
Although he was unclear about the shape of the forthcoming danger, he presumed that something like a Monster or the like would likely strike Earth.
"It sounds absurd, but who dares to debate about absurdity after all that has occurred up to now."
While running, he took a look at the System's features.
'Profile, Inventory, Shop and Quests'
He had already examined the Quests feature, and there was no information available.
[Quests]
[Main Quests 0/4]
[Side Quest]
The Main Quests could be associated with the Tests previously referred to by the Golem.
The final thing he desired to confirm was, "Shop." he muttered softly.
[Profile] [[Shop]] [Quests] [Inventory]
[Potions]
[1. Healing Potion S (Grade C) - 5 Purple Crystals]
[2. Energy Potion S (Grade C) - 5 Purple Crystals]
[3. Mana Potion S (Grade C) - 5 Purple Crystals]
[ … ]
[Accessories]
[1. Normal Earrings of Agility (Grade C) - 5 Purple Crystals]
[2. Normal Earrings of Strength (Grade C) - 5 Purple Crystals]
[ … ]
[Cosmetics]
[1. Normal Black T-Shirt (Grade C) - 5 Purple Crystals]
[ … ]
After that, various items became available with several categories which can be bought using Crystal as currency.
The first one was Potions - it contains beverages that can heal, restore energy, counter some negative effects, or increase user stats.
The second category was Accessories, where almost all items can only be bought once. These include necklaces, earrings, and bracelets that can increase certain Status or Passive Skills. Prices in this category appear to be higher than the other two.
The third category was Cosmetics, which offers clothes, shoes, and wigs that have no special effects apart from the descriptions, suggesting they are more durable.
"Wow, they even have Cosmetics in the System?"
Ethan shook his head in disbelief. He felt as if he was playing a game, with items that could be acquired from the System or even items that had no purpose other than to give the user a more flashy appearance.
He had already examined the different types of Cosmetics offered by the System. The higher the Grade, the more aesthetically pleasing the costumes seemed.
'Potions must be beneficial given the majority of them have impressive effects in battle. And Accessories, even though some of the effects may appear minor, are certainly advantageous. Then, Cosmetics? Who even cares about appearances in a state like this?'
He, yet again shaking his head, continued to jog. Eventually, he arrived at the destination he wanted to test his new power.
The city lights were too faint to reach this spot. The field was overgrown with weeds, with the local's rice fields surrounding it and the boundary stretching from the forest to the mountains.
The moon that night was full and bright; the night wind blowing calmly, passing a gust of air onto his rigid face.
Several times he took deep breaths, attempting to subdue the emotional turmoil in his chest. The night breeze that brought the sweet smell of the grass was enough to soothe his heart and mind.
Ethan lifted his left hand; a silver watch was seen. The clock showed 10 pm. There was no longer any sound of cries and clamor coming from the nearby settlement.
Before he could do anything else, a notification appeared.
[New Main Quest]
[Main Quest 1/4] [Monster Hunt - Defeat 5 waves of Monsters, hunt as many as you can, and protect your Race.] [Reward: Performance-based.] [Consequence of Failure: Human Extinction.] [Quest Progress: 1/5.][Status: First Wave appears at 00 AMAfter reading the message, Ethan was momentarily speechless. His face, which had been composed beforehand, hardened, and a furrow appeared on his forehead. 'This is bad...' he thought, his heart racing. He then took another deep breath.He opened his phone and checked for public and governmental announcements on upcoming events. On local social media, a highly-regarded post has been released as an important statement from the Government and military. The message read as follows:“The Military, on behalf of the Government, is asking anyone with the potential to save many lives to register their identity. In this way, we can work together to tackle the looming crisis more effectively.” “A mobile application has been created to share informat
Ethan trudged back to the side of the street, where a gridlock had ensued. Everyone was in a state of disarray, desperately trying to access the service road, which only added to the pandemonium. As he stood there, multiple people rushed past him with their bags and other necessities, a group of families with fear-stricken expressions jarring into him, causing him to stumble. "Pardon me," said the father, cradling his daughter, who had been the one to jostle him.He helped Ethan back up, and they quickly fled. Ethan's confidence diminished further, his sense of security completely gone. If he had been pushed down by an ordinary person, how could he possibly face a monster? 'I miss my mundane life.'Ethan pondered the predicament and wished to find other individuals with the same responsibility as him in order to collaborate. Fifteen minutes remained before the onslaught. He ambled about listlessly, aware that a mere few minutes would drastically alter his life. Contrary to his
The Monster leaped to confront the oncoming assault. Its claws flew toward the first person, swiftly separating its head from its body. The other three joined forces, relentlessly striking the Mutant Wolf with their weapons. The Mutant Wolf dodged, and another person, wielding an iron rod, smashed it squarely on the back of its head. The Mutant Wolf jumped back, snarling with saliva dripping from its maw. [Mutant Wolf Lvl. 5] [HP: 980/1000]A single blow seemed to deplete the Mutant Wolf's HP slightly, spurring the others to rush toward it from different directions, taking turns punching. The Mutant Wolf soared two meters high, above the throng of attackers, then leaped back towards those positioned further away. It unleashed its claws, instantly sending the target to the ground, followed by a savage bite that seized upon any part of the body in reach. Ethan hastened his pace, still keeping his distance, clutching his hammer firmly, seeking a chance to join the fray. Seven of
[You have slain Lvl. 5 Mutant Wolf] [You have killed a Player] [You have obtained Purple Grade Mutant Wolf Crystal] [You have obtained Purple Grade Heavy Hide Boots of Silent Hunter] [Level Up] [You have killed another player and will gain a portion of its ability] [Ability compatibility is too low, you will gain 1 status point instead] [Level Up] Ethan sprinted towards Leo, delivered a powerful kick to the Mutant Wolf's corpse, and gazed at Leo's motionless face, which had been partially crushed by the force of his weapon. 'Leo!' He was filled with rage. His heart felt as though it were being torn apart. He could have done something to save Leo, but there wasn't enough time either. No matter what He did, Leo’s death was inevitable. He was too far from the beast to execute any short-range assaults; the only way to retaliate was through distant strikes. “No, no, no, no!” The price of his victory was Leo's death, a weight Ethan was not prepared to bear. He had slain his fir
[Mutant Wolf Lvl. 3] [HP: 230/600][Mutant Wolf Lvl. 2] [HP: 100/400][Mutant Wolf Lvl. 3] [HP: 320/600][Mutant Wolf Lvl. 1] [HP: 190/200][Mutant Wolf Lvl 2] [HP: 320/400]"Could it get any worse?"With his higher stats, Ethan eyed the five Mutant Wolves with reduced average levels, noting they were not in the best shape. Another fight could prove detrimental to their condition. As such, he tried convincing himself that he could take all five on, so long as he could dodge any lethal strikes. He had previously stored the Hammer in his Inventory for easier mobility, aiming to take out the weakest Monster first. He would approach one of them, slowly walking forward while keeping an eye on the other four."I'll be able to handle this one."Without hesitation, he sprinted toward one of them, with the other Monsters hot on his trail.Ethan was unaccustomed to his new running speed, causing him to lose his balance and stumble right in front of one of the Mutant Wolves. By chance, the Ha
[You've Killed Lvl. 2 Mutant Wolf][Level Up][HP: 83/90 (Weakened) (Original: 300)][Energy: 0/30][Willpower: 18/150][You've unlocked 2 new Inventory Slots][You've earned a new Mjolnir Skill!][Hammer Blink Level 1: Instantly teleport to the location of the Mjolnir. Grants a 5-point Dexterity boost for one second upon successful use.]Ethan progresses to the next level and earns an extra Stats Point. Furthermore, the new skill of his Mjolnir was unlocked. Judging from the description, this Skill enabled him to move to the location of the Hammer. His new Skill had a strong connection to the prior Skill, which would boost his movement too.However, he couldn't help but feel like there was more to this Skill. He wondered if he could do more.Ethan devised a plan he could use; leaving his hammer in a spot, then fleeing to lure the Monster towards him, and activating the Skill to return to his hammer's location. By doing this, he had the added advantage of the ability to flee from the
Chapter 12 - Stupid and Useless[Mutant Wolf (Elite) Lvl. 15][HP: 5000/5000]Arh-WooooooooThe Elite Mutant Wolf let out a loud howl and was followed by other Mutant Wolves, who jumped up and began walking in his direction. In unison, the Mutant Wolves howled at varying levels from 3 to 15.Ethan had no idea what was happening. He was just staring at the door, trying to process the situation.He was in a very bad position. He was cornered and trapped, unable to move. The door was his only option, but he was afraid that it wouldn't be enough to escape. Time seemed to stand still as he frantically searched for a way to escape the impending danger. Breaking through the back wall didn't seem like the right choice.He got an idea and quickly opened the door. A large Mutant Wolf was waiting for him on the other side with its red eyes fixated on him, leaving him feeling scared."W-what the hell?"The large and threatening wolf stepped forward, and Ethan's legs trembled as he ran for his lif
"Are you Mjolnir?" Ethan asked questioningly."Of course! Who else?" The voice replied confidently."Why did you only start talking now? Why didn't you say something earlier?" Ethan asked. "I don't like seeing weak people like you," the voice answered."What kind of weakness are you referring to? What do you anticipate us humans to do? Do you assume we are accustomed to battling creatures like them?" he protested."Kill them!" The voice shouted."What do you think I'm doing?" he replied. "Playing hide and seek with them? No, I'm trying to kill these cute dogs.""Kill them!" the voice repeated. "You should consider yourself lucky that I'm here," the voice added. "Lucky?" Ethan asked, puzzled.Ethan was frustrated. "How could I kill them when I can't even lift my own weapon?" Ethan asked. “What kind of luck only allows me to use my skills sparingly? Mass Killing? How could I possibly cause mass killing by just throwing you around a few times only?" He continued. “That’s because you’
It was almost dark when Ethan and Olivia arrived at the doorstep of Olivia's large house.After getting off Fang's back, Ethan held out his hand. Olivia immediately took it with a big smile."Oppa should be more careful," said Olivia suddenly.Ethan looked at the girl and raised an eyebrow. "Careful for what?"Olivia chuckled and then punched Ethan lightly in the upper arm."Don't carelessly treat a girl like this; they might misunderstand and make my rivals multiply."Ethan realized that his hands were still clasped with Olivia's and felt his face start to heat up.Olivia's right. He didn't realize he was doing this. Even though Olivia herself has often fought alongside Fang, the matter of getting off the wolf's back was not a difficult one for him.Ethan was about to let go of their grip, but Olivia moved faster, wrapping her arms around Ethan's arm. He smiled broadly as he rested his head on her shoulder."Phew, dealing with annoying people is quite tiring, huh," grumbled Olivia. "
Hendrick raised his voice, ensuring everyone could clearly hear what he was saying.The Beastmaster Guild members behind him responded well to his words, cheering and occasionally cursing at Ethan."Ha ha ha, I can't wait to see Hendrick finish off that kid!” “Hendrick! Hendrick! Hendrick!”Olivia was getting more and more irritated. A black glove instantly appeared on both of his hands. Small and sharp claws sticking out were visible from the tips of his fingers.Ethan, who realized this, immediately held Olivia's arm. Looking at her, he shook his head slightly.She snorted. He tried to hold back his emotions.Olivia was getting more and more irritated. A black glove instantly appeared on both of his hands, and from the tips of his fingers were visible small, sharp claws sticking out. Ethan, who realized this, immediately held Olivia's arm and, looking at her, shook his head slightly. She snorted, and he tried to hold back his emotions.Ethan looked at Hendrick, who was smiling co
Elora urgently called out to Ethan, "Ethan, there's an emergency! You need to watch the news right away!"Ethan furrowed his brows as he hastily retrieved his cell phone from his trouser pocket, per Elora's instructions. As he opened a news portal, his eyes widened in shock at the trending topics.When Ethan stumbled upon a photo that had been uploaded to the internet, he was astonished to see a group of people with animal-like features. Everyone in the image had been transformed into a variety of creatures, from tigers and lions to snakes and reptiles. But what truly surprised Ethan was the background of the picture, a luxurious and grandiose house with which he would soon become very familiar.Olivia's house."Beastmasters!" Ethan exclaimed, clenching his fist. "They really know no boundaries," he added.Ethan then clicked on one of the top videos in the search results. He saw a male reporter, surrounded by a large group of Beastmaster Guild members, standing in front of the camera.
After learning that the person looking for Ethan was Teddy, Olivia decided to wait outside while Ethan followed where the military man took him. On the highest floor, two wooden doors opened when Ethan was right in front of them. The military man accompanying him invited Ethan to enter. Inside, there was a room with a sofa and a glass table in the middle, as well as a few tables with chairs and a computer set on the other side. "Hello, Ethan. Please, come and sit down." Ethan walked over and sat across from Teddy. In this late stage, he was still wearing his usual military uniform. "Does everyone from the military work 24 hours?" he asked. "Or is it just because of the emergency they're in right now?" "You don't normally go out and come to a place like this. Hey, where is Olivia?" Teddy started the conversation when Ethan was actually sitting across from him. "I have something to take care of." "Is it related to Emily?" "Emily?" The red-haired girl was named Emi, just as oth
"I can control the speed at which the vines grow," he said, trying to explain what kind of power he had. Ethan nodded his head in response to the boy's answer. As he had expected, Dony was the same person who had attacked him before. "If it's the same person, is he just pretending he doesn't remember what happened?" Ethan tried to hide his curiosity. He would try other ways to get information out of the boy. One of the five, a silver-haired girl about Dony's age, seemed to have telepathic abilities and was acutely aware of what was happening. If he managed to find the girl, Ethan could find out who his opponent was. "That's quite an interesting power, Dony," said the person. "Can you use it to immobilize your opponents?" Dony nodded in response. "Sorry, Ethan. I have something I need to do. Meet me at the checkpoint if there's anything you need." The military man, still standing with them, lowered his head and departed. "Okay," Olivia gave a thumbs up in response to the man. E
As Ethan and Olivia drew nearer to the entrance gate, they noticed a man in military attire waving his hand to greet them. The place they were heading to was a large domed building with multiple floors and rooms, and a great hall at its center. It had become a refuge for victims of monster attacks, with several members of the military stationed to guard the area.The military man greeted Ethan, saying, "Hi, Ethan. I was in the final raid with you a few days ago."Lowering his head, Ethan replied, "I got permission from Teddy to come inside."Turning to Olivia, who was standing by Ethan's side, and still holding his hand, the man said cheerfully, "Hey, Olivia. Goddess Olivia."However, Olivia did not respond and clicked her tongue. "Don't do something foolish in my presence," she warned.“Sorry, hehe.” The military man smiled and turned to Nathan. "Sure, sure," he said. "We've received orders. Come on, let me guide you. And don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything you need."O
The following days after the altercation with the Beastmaster went by relatively peacefully. No episodes of violence occurred, neither during the day nor at night. Despite this, Ethan and Olivia stayed vigilant, particularly in the evenings, with the assistance of Fang, who kept an eye on Olivia's abode continually.A circular portal manifested in the sky once more, but this time, instead of just one, there were dozens. Consequently, the military and a few major Guilds distributed their forces evenly to prepare for any eventuality. Ethan slumped onto the large sofa in Olivia's living room, determined to carry out the same watch schedule he had been doing the past few nights. Initially, it was difficult to adjust to sleeping during the day, but eventually, he adjusted to his new routine.Olivia strolled up, wearing her pajamas and carrying a sundae in her hand. She plopped down and rested her head on Ethan's shoulder.“Olivia,” Ethan uttered.“Huum?” she replied in a relaxed tone as s
Ethan reclined on a large rock, which was partially submerged on the edge of the lake. The cacophony of insects chirping, buzzing, and screaming at each other filled the air. The wind that blew from the surface of the lake brought with it the sweet fragrance of freshness, quickly filling him with a sense of peacefulness and tranquility.The sound of water splashing against the lake's surface echoed through the night air. After a few moments, Olivia took the plunge and submerged herself in the tranquil waters of the lake, which were illuminated by the shimmering moonlight. Meanwhile, Ethan remained vigilant, calling on Fang to keep a watchful eye by surveying the surrounding area."Ethan Oppa…"A few drops of icy water splashed against Ethan's cheeks, quickly evaporating in the chilly wind. Suddenly, Ethan was jolted from his thoughts by the sound of Olivia's voice, much softer than usual."Oppa..." she repeated, her tone less cheerful than usual. "Are you alright?" he said.Maybe thi
The Beastmaster members were resolute in their determination; they refused to give up until their goal was reached. Despite the fact that their target was only two people, they had assembled a large crowd. Olivia had reached her limit. Another fight he fought would completely put his life in danger. Meanwhile, Ethan was sure that they would not back down in the slightest after learning that two of their comrades had also lost their lives at Olivia's hands. "Olivia, can you go save yourself?" Ethan attempted to whisper to Olivia, who was kneeling behind him, having just engaged in a fierce battle with three opponents. He was proud of the fact that she had managed to survive thus far on her own; however, despite his trust in Olivia, he recognized the limits of what one person could accomplish, especially considering Olivia had exhausted much of her strength while taking down two adversaries at once. Olivia drew newfound power from her most recent conflict. Ethan believed that was amp