The trees groaned and snapped as something massive pushed through them. The ground split. Roots shattered. A bellowing roar thundered through the clearing as the Ravager of Flesh emerged from the forest's shadow.
It was easily twelve feet tall, walking on four trunk-like limbs with claws the size of broadswords. Its body was wrapped in cracked bone-armor plates, pulsating with red veins of corrupted energy. Its head resembled a boar's skull, complete with iron tusks dripping acidic saliva. Six burning orange eyes scanned the clearing like a predator tracking prey.
[Ravager of Flesh – Level 8]
HP: 800/800
Strength: 67
Vitality: 92
Agility: 35
Resistances: 20% Physical | 40% Magical
Ability: Flesh Rend – Applies bleeding over time on contact
Ability: Roar of Despair – Reduces enemy agility by 30% in a 20-meter radius
Classification: Field Boss – Trial Beast
Kaela didn't move. Her knuckles turned white on her staff as she trembled in place.
"W-We're not supposed to fight this…" she whispered. "Two players at level one—this thing is a raid for groups of five!"
But Tyler didn't wait.
He grinned, lowered his stance, and shot forward in a blur.
SHOOM!
Dust exploded from beneath his boots as he dashed forward with impossible speed—his Agility stat of 100 turning him into a living projectile.
The Ravager roared and swung one massive claw.
CRASH!
Tyler's body twisted mid-air—barely dodging the swipe. The claw tore into the earth, ripping a crater where he'd been half a second ago.
Kaela's breath caught.
"That speed…"
Tyler surged under the Ravager's belly and struck upward with his obsidian blade.
[CRITICAL HIT – 200 DMG!]
A deep gash opened beneath the Ravager's ribs as it howled, stumbling backward.
It lunged forward again, jaws snapping.
Tyler spun to the side—narrowly dodging—and slammed his foot into the beast's side, propelling upward onto its back. He grabbed the cracked spine of its armor and drove his blade downward into its spine.
[CRITICAL HIT – 200 DMG!]
"Not done yet!" Tyler shouted.
The beast tried to buck him off—roaring in rage—but Tyler was faster. He leapt off, flipped in the air, and landed on the Ravager's head, his eyes glowing gold with power.
Strike Three — His blade stabbed down between the beast's eyes.
[CRITICAL HIT – 200 DMG!]
The Ravager thrashed, stumbling. Black blood poured from its head, sizzling as it hit the ground. Its massive limbs trembled beneath it. Kaela still hadn't moved, her eyes wide in disbelief.
Tyler landed in front of the beast as it fell to one knee.
"Time to finish this," he said.
With a sharp inhale, his tattoos flashed blue—glowing through his armor. Energy swirled around his arms as he stepped forward with one last, blinding dash.
Strike Four — A clean horizontal slash through the beast's exposed neck.
[CRITICAL HIT – 200 DMG!]
[Fatal Blow Delivered]
The Ravager's head fell to the side with a massive thud. Its body crumbled like a collapsing tower.
[Boss Defeated – Ravager of Flesh (Lv. 8)]
World Announcement: Congratulations to the duo Tyler Freeman & Kaela Rin for slaying the Ravager of Flesh – the fastest duo to clear a Trial Beast in recorded history!
[Reward Tier Increased]
[First-Clear Bonus Activated]
Two silver treasure chests shimmered into view at their feet.
Kaela finally blinked and collapsed to her knees.
"What… the hell was that…?" she whispered.
Then Tyler's body began to glow.
His entire form was bathed in golden light, his long black hair fluttering behind him in an invisible wind. His jet-black tattoos lit up brilliant blue, glowing like divine runes.
[Tyler Freeman – Level Up x4]
Level 1 → Level 5
Stat Multiplier Activated: Ancient Warrior Bonus – x10 per level
[Updated Stats]
Strength: 500
Vitality: 500
Agility: 500
Luck: 500
Mana: ∞
Kaela stared at the floating numbers with wide, almost terrified eyes.
"…You're not just a player," she said. "You're something the game made room for."
Tyler looked at his hands, the glow slowly fading, and his smile widened.
"No," he said quietly. "I think I'm something this world has been waiting for."
WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT [REPEATED 3X]:
🚨 Congratulations to the duo Tyler Freeman & Kaela Rin for slaying the Ravager of Flesh – the fastest duo to clear a Trial Beast in recorded history (10 seconds).
World Record Established.
Rewards Enhanced.
Event Notified Across All Player Channels.
[Various Locations Across the World of Ancient Apocalypse]
🔥 Ironspire – Capital City of the Warbound Faction
A dozen heavily armored players watched the glowing notification hover in the sky above the capital gates. A man with sharp gray eyes and a glowing crimson axe snarled.
"Tyler Freeman? Never heard of him," growled the Warbound Commander. "Ten seconds?! That's a damn glitch."
An officer next to him tapped on their HUD.
"He's real. Just entered the game hours ago. And Kaela Rin—registered in Greenpath Village."
The commander's gaze sharpened.
"Find them. Bribe, recruit, threaten—I don't care. If that guy can kill a Level 8 boss at Level 1, he's either a dev's bastard child or something more. Either way, he's useful."
Frostreach Guild – Mage Capital of the North
An elf-like woman with glowing blue eyes sipped her tea slowly as she read the alert. She was seated at the top of an ivory tower, surrounded by crystalline tomes.
"Freeman… Freeman…" she whispered. "Ancient name."
She waved her hand. Screens opened around her, displaying his battle replay in fragments.
"A human who glows with divine runes. Tattoos in the shape of the Forgotten Marks…"
She smiled coldly.
"He's either a tool to use or a prophecy to break."