Ascension of the strongest God

Kieran's senses sharpened.

His instincts screamed danger as a chilling presence loomed behind him.

He turned sharply, his body coiled with tension.

He meet a pair of blood-red eyes glaring at him from the shadows.

His heart pounded, each beat echoing like a war drum in his chest.

His muscles tightened, adrenaline surging through his veins as he locked eyes with the creature.

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

'What the hell is that?' he thought, his throat suddenly dry. 'Shit… what do I do?'

A rustling sound snapped him from his panicked thoughts.

The creature emerged from the thick underbrush, stepping into the moonlight.

Leaves and twigs crunched under its feet as it moved forward, its grotesque form finally revealed.

It was short, barely reaching his waist, but its thick, wart-covered skin pulsed with an eerie green glow.

Muscles, knotted and dense, rippled beneath its flesh.

The air carried a foul stench, a mix of decaying leaves and something far more putrid.

Kieran fought the urge to gag.

The beast's deep-red eyes gleamed with malice, locked onto him like a predator savoring its prey.

In its gnarled hand, it flexed a crude wooden club, its jagged edges stained dark—whether with dried blood or filth, Kieran didn't know.

Long strings of saliva dripped from its large canines, stretching to the forest floor in thick strands.

The creature's breath came in ragged huffs, its nostrils flaring as though it relished the scent of fear.

Then, the system rang in his mind.

[Ding! System update complete.]

[Host stats have been updated!]

[Ding! Fodder-class beast encountered!]

[Beast type: Troll]

[Difficulty: Average]

[Mission: Kill Patrol!]

[Description: Earn stat points from killing beasts!]

[To get more information on the uses of 'stat' points, the host should check stats!]

A wave of information crashed into Kieran's mind, but he had no time to fully process it.

His breath hitched.

'A troll… so I was right. This is still just a test realm gate,' he thought, feeling a flicker of relief.

But that relief was short-lived.

Test or not, this thing could kill him.

Since this was part of the academy's training, the officials carefully selected the monsters within these gates.

Typically, they only contained lower-tier beasts—two elites at most, or, in rare cases, a single alpha beast.

Kieran quickly reassessed the troll, exhaling slowly.

He had expected this.

But something gnawed at him.

'Why are the system's rankings different…?'

Before he could dwell on the thought, the troll lunged, covering the distance with shocking agility.

His reflexes kicked in.

He barely dodged to the side as the club came crashing down where he had stood moments ago.

A deafening thud sent a tremor through the ground, dirt and splinters flying into the air.

'Damn, that was close!'

He didn't have a chance to counter.

The beast growled and swung again.

He threw himself backward, narrowly escaping as the club scraped his vest.

Alexa, standing a few feet away, watched with an impassive expression.

She briefly glanced at Kieran before shifting her gaze elsewhere.

Her crimson eyes gleamed under the faint light, scanning the vast, darkened expanse before her.

'A shattered realm… an unawakened demigod who doesn't know his parentage… and then there's that…'

Her gaze locked onto something in the distance, far beyond the battlefield.

The depths of the darkness stirred.

A presence.

Watching.

As if sensing her awareness, the shadow flickered and vanished.

A phantom in the night.

Only then did Alexa return her focus to Kieran.

The troll was relentless.

Fast and unnervingly strong.

It swung again, aiming to shatter Kieran's legs.

He barely avoided the strike, the club smashing into a tree instead.

The impact sent shockwaves through the trunk, splintering the bark with a sickening crack.

Kieran's breath came in ragged pants.

'I've only dodged three times, and I already feel exhausted? If that thing lands a hit, I'm done for.'

The troll snarled, seemingly uninterested in Alexa's presence.

It was focused solely on him.

'Is it ignoring her? Or does it somehow know I'm weaker?'

His gaze flickered toward Alexa.

She stood still, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

But something about her eyes—bored, almost disappointed—told him everything he needed to know.

She had no intention of helping him.

"If you die now, it saves me the trouble… and makes things easier for me," she said flatly.

Kieran grit his teeth.

He knew she couldn't kill him herself, not with their connection established.

But if he died from an external threat, she'd barely feel a thing—just a slight sting before she was free.

'Figures… not like I was expecting her to help anyway.'

His grip tightened, his eyes hardening.

'All I asked for was a second chance. I have it now. I won't die. Not until I've gotten my revenge.'

Something flickered in Alexa's gaze. Just for a second.

'That determination… Just like him…'

She smirked slightly, crossing her arms.

'Fine. Let's see what you can do.'

Kieran barely dodged another strike. He was running out of time. His mind raced.

'If I use my second talent…'

He dashed into the thicker brush, forcing the troll to follow.

'Just need to buy time…'

Alexa's eyes narrowed slightly.

'What's he planning now?'

{10× Rebate Activated!}

{Active Summon: Immortal Phoenix}

{Ability Type: Flames}

{Which ability would you like to choose?}

^Flames of Healing

^Flame Burst

Kieran ducked behind a tree, heart pounding.

'So I can only use the abilities she's used before…'

The troll caught up quickly, even faster than before.

Even if the system called this 'average' difficulty, he knew trolls weren't that simple.

They had stamina that outlasted most fighters, their numbers usually swarmed prey, and worst of all—they could regenerate.

There were only three ways to kill them.

And one of them… was fire.

The troll struck the tree in frustration.

Splinters flew as it howled in rage.

"Krrn kaach cahh!"

It had failed to land a hit again, and it was getting desperate.

Kieran knew he had seconds.

His fingers clenched.

'Flame Burst… that was the ability she used against me. That's what I need!'

Ding!

^Flame Burst selected!

Ding!

{System check!}

[Synchronization with summon: 100%]

[All conditions met.]

[Warning: Risk of overload!]

'Conditions? Warning?'

He barely had time to process it. His foot caught on a root.

He tumbled backward.

The troll roared in triumph.

Its club rose high.

Its eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction as it brought the weapon down.

At that moment—

{10× Flame Burst = Flame Explosion.}

{Skill Flame Explosion activated!}