While chaos echoed through the forest from various ongoing battles, Xandros sat casually atop a heap of slain beasts. Their blood had dried into dark, cracked patterns beneath him, their bodies piled like discarded props in a stage play. He held a golden staff lazily across his shoulders, one leg crossed over the other, gaze scanning the forest canopy above like he was on a picnic break instead of an academy-wide survival assessment.
His usual regal attire was gone—no silver cape, no floating crown. In its place was a sleek black and gold nano suit, designed by none other than himself. Flexible, reinforced, pressure-adaptive—tailored for combat without drawing too much attention. Well, theoretically. His presence still screamed deity among mortals.
[A/N: Alright enough glazing]
He gave his staff a gentle spin, its gold catching rays of sun that filtered through the trees.
"This staff is strong and surprisingly durable," he muttered, admiring the smooth momentum of his swing. "But paired with my martial arts, it's almost there. Good balance… not bad, Layla."
The staff was one of his rewards from a daily mission—crafted from mythic alloys, imbued with high-tier enchantments, and modeled after the Monkey King's legendary weapon. Except, of course, this one was stronger. It had to be. Layla wouldn't tolerate mediocrity when it came to arming him.
He stood, cracking his neck with a satisfied sigh and checking his wrist terminal.
[Assessment Points: 9500]
He blinked at the number.
"…Huh. Guess I was having more fun than I thought," he murmured, genuinely surprised.
The average student was hovering around the low hundreds. Some hadn't even hit triple digits yet.
"Oh well," he said with a small grin. "Time to find some real fun. King-class beasts should do."
He turned and made his way deeper into the forest, drawn by the pulsing of stronger mana signatures. The air thickened with energy, and the trees grew denser. Then came the sound—thundering steps and a panicked voice.
"RUN! Run, dude, it's a King-class beast! I'm too young to be turned into banana pudding!"
Xandros paused. A blur of flailing limbs shot through the foliage, a person sprinting like his soul was two steps ahead of his body.
It was Jason.
Jason Arkus, the would-be binder of protagonists, was running like a man possessed. Or hunted.
Behind him, tearing through trees with alarming speed, was a massive red gorilla, its eyes glowing crimson with berserk rage. Each stomp cracked the ground.
"Hey!" Jason yelled, spotting Xandros. "Dude, move! What are you doing just standing there?! That thing's gonna turn us into protein shakes!"
Xandros tilted his head. "Oh, that one? Yeah, I noticed."
Jason slowed mid-stride, wheezing, then suddenly recoiled in recognition.
"…Wait. Wait a sec. It's you."
Xandros gave him a wry smile. "Yup. Me."
Jason's brain short-circuited for a second. Okay, okay, don't panic. He hasn't vaporized you yet. Maybe he's not as terrifying as he looks. Maybe he's chill. Please be chill.
"I, uh, I'm Jason. Jason Arkus. Nice to officially meet you, uh… prince?" he offered weakly, hands half-raised in greeting.
"Not a prince. Just Xandros. Xandros Darkhaven," came the cool reply.
Jason nodded too fast. "Right. Totally normal name. Totally normal guy. Yup."
Xandros's smile widened, almost playfully. "Why don't we cut the introductions short and talk after I'm done with that beast?"
Jason blinked. "Wait, you're gonna fight it? Alone?"
"Mm-hmm."
Jason's lips parted like he was about to argue. Then he closed them, reconsidered, then opened them again. "Okay, okay… just checking. Because, you know, that thing back there? It bench-pressed a tree. With me in it. And you're gonna solo it."
Xandros shrugged. "I haven't enjoyed any of my fights so far. This one looks mildly promising."
Jason ran a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. "Mildly promising. Man says that like he's ordering extra hot sauce on a burrito."
Xandros stepped forward, muscles loose and relaxed, twirling the golden staff once more. His expression had changed—calm, but with a sharp edge. The air around him vibrated subtly.
Then, suddenly, a loud hiss cut through the forest. A second beast—this one serpentine, easily thirty meters long, slithered into view. Gleaming scales, glowing fangs, and the unmistakable aura of another King-class.
"Oh, come on!" Jason cried out, throwing his arms in the air. "What is this, a boss rush?"
Xandros tilted his head and muttered, "This might actually be getting interesting."
As if the universe wanted to play along, another bestial roar rumbled from deeper in the woods. This one heavy, gravelly, and resonant. A third King-class monster lumbered into view—something between a rhino and a bear, armored and massive.
Jason was already backing away, jaw hanging open. "Three… THREE? Three King-class beasts. Man, what is your life?"
Xandros turned to look at him over his shoulder, eyes glowing faintly. "This just got more fun."
"Dude," Jason said, waving both hands in a panic, "most of us are out here trying not to get bitten by giant rabbits. You? You're trying to aggro a raid boss trio. Are you okay? Like, mentally?"
Xandros chuckled as he didn't find it rude; he knew what type of person Jason was. "Perfectly fine."
"Alright, then I'm out. I'm not gonna be that one idiot in the comic relief role who dies screaming in the first act."
Xandros turned his gaze back toward the incoming beasts. "You're smarter than you look, Jason."
Jason gave him a thumbs up as he started backing away, never taking his eyes off the monsters. "Damn right I am. You stay alive, king-slayer. I'll be over there, surviving. Preferably behind someone with a worse cardio score than me."
Then he sprinted off into the trees, muttering something about not signing up for a suicide side-quest.
Xandros exhaled slowly and gripped his staff. The three beasts were beginning to encircle him. The ground trembled under their combined weight. Their roars layered like drums of war. And yet, Xandros smiled.
With a quick breath, he shifted into his stance—legs angled, center lowered, staff tucked close to his back. It wasn't any modern martial art, nor an ancient technique known in books. It was something he had developed across lifetimes. Based loosely on a style known once as Supreme Taekwondo—but adapted, refined, and perfected.
He created this Martial arts just to throw hands and go kick for kick with opponents.
And it was deadly.
The red gorilla lunged first, fists smashing down with bone-crushing force.
Xandros moved like a ripple on water—graceful, impossibly fast. He pivoted, planted a heel into the beast's chin, spun, and brought his staff around in a wide arc, cracking the gorilla's jaw with a thunderous boom. The beast was flung backward, its massive frame skipping across the forest floor like a tossed boulder.
The serpent hissed and lunged, fangs extended.
Xandros flipped over the strike, landed on the creature's back, then slammed his staff downward with focused battle intent, sending a shockwave through its spine.
The third beast—still lumbering—roared and began charging, head down.
Xandros smiled wider, golden eyes glowing with wild delight.
"Now this is more like it."
From the treeline, Jason peeked out, one eye wide, the other twitching.
"Okay," he whispered. "He's not just built different. He's built wrong."
Then he promptly ducked back behind a tree, pulled out a protein bar, and muttered, "No way I'm missing this. Dude's about to throw hands with three King-class monsters, and I need front-row seats."
He took a bite. "God-tier battle and snacks. Best apocalypse ever."
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Hey guys, how do yall like this chapter?
I'm open to ideas and criticism.
Please throw Power stones!!!