Without a moment to hesitate, I moved.
The world blurred around me as I dashed forward, faster than I'd ever moved before—like gravity itself bent beneath my feet. The air cracked from the pressure, the stone beneath me shattering as I launched myself.
The Stone Golem barely had time to react.
My fist, now wrapped in burning red energy and reinforced with mythical might, slammed directly into its jagged cheek.
CRACK!
The impact echoed like thunder. The massive creature reeled—its head snapping to the side as shards of stone exploded from the point of contact. Its colossal body stumbled back, its footing shattered by the sheer force of my strike.
I stood there, arm still extended, my breath steady.
That punch felt like truth. Like fate answering back.
Without a moment—
System, I shouted.
System: Hero's Path access granted. Displaying available skills…
A glowing interface blinked open in my vision, hovering midair. Rows of symbols and names filled the screen, organized under categories I barely understood. My heart pounded, my eyes scanning through it.
I had three unlocked skills—all marked Basic.
The rest? Grayed out. Locked.
A small note blinked beside each one:
> Requirement: Level 10. Level 15. Unique Trial.
"Tch." I scrolled sideways. More skills. All locked. Some had names that looked insane—Heaven Piercer, Hero's Might, Last Stand. But they were out of reach… for now.
I flicked over to my Subpath tab.
Class: Godhand Tyrant (Legendary Fist-Class)
Two skills. Both Basic. One focused on enhancing raw strikes—Titan Blow. The other was a movement-based strike—Flicker Step.
> Requirement to unlock further: Level 5 Subpath Progression Initiated.
I gritted my teeth. "So I'm strong, but still just scratching the surface."
The system beeped again as the Stone Golem steadied itself, its glowing core pulsing with rage. I shut the interface with a thought, feeling the skills settle into my body like instincts waiting to be triggered.
Two paths. Dozens of skills.
And I'd barely even started.
"And to be strong…" I muttered, my eyes locking onto the recovering Stone Golem. "…you need experience."
I clenched my fists.
"Flicker Step."
The world snapped.
In less than a blink, my body vanished—reappearing mid-air, just above the Golem's head. Time seemed to slow for a heartbeat. The wind rippled around me as I raised my fist, power surging through every fiber of my arm.
"Titan Blow!"
My punch came down like a meteor.
The impact was earth-shattering. A crimson shockwave burst out from my strike, flattening the grass and shaking the nearby trees. The Golem's skull-like head cracked wide open, stone fragments flying like shrapnel. Its entire body lurched, slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash that left a crater beneath it.
Dust clouded the air. The sound echoed like a cannon blast.
I landed, skidding a few feet, steam rising from my arms. The ground behind me was torn like a battlefield.
"That," I breathed, straightening, "is how you grind."
The dust hadn't even settled when I heard it.
"Yuhei!!"
It was Mom—her voice cracked through the chaos.
I turned, heart still hammering from the blow I'd just landed. My transformation's afterglow shimmered faintly on my skin. Behind me, the Stone Golem lay broken in the dirt—but in front of me, my family stood frozen.
Mom. My two little sisters. All safe—for now.
"We… we heard the voice too," Mom said, clutching her chest, eyes wide. "The same system… it gave us classes."
"Yeah!" my youngest sister cried, holding back tears. "It said I'm a Healer, but… I don't know how to use it…"
My other sister sniffled, brushing her bangs from her face. "I got Archer, but my stats are so low..."
They looked lost. Scared.
I walked to them, my armored boots crunching over cracked stone and soil. "You're okay," I said quietly. "Basic or not… it's something. You're alive. And we'll figure this out together."
Mom looked up, studying me—really seeing me for the first time since all this started. "Yuhei… what's your class?"
I exhaled slowly, my eyes scanning the horizon, where other anomalies still bloomed in the sky.
"Hero," I said.
The word hung there like thunder.
Their expressions shifted—from fear to awe, to the tiniest flicker of hope.
"Hero?" Mom repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You?"
My younger sister squinted suspiciously. "Wait… like the hero? With the armor and the glowing and the dramatic punch?"
The other one laughed, wiping her tears. "That's so rigged. All you do is play games and scream at your screen. How'd you get Hero?"
"Yeah!" the little one chimed in. "I saw your stream once—you died to a slime in a tutorial dungeon!"
"It lagged," I shot back, raising a hand. "And the slime was bugged!"
Mom crossed her arms, pretending to be serious. "So let me get this straight. My son, who couldn't take the trash out without complaining, just punched a giant stone monster into a crater?"
"It was a Titan Blow," I muttered, trying to look cool.
All three of them burst out laughing.
For a second—just a second—the fear faded. The black sky, the monsters, the system… they could wait. Right now, it was just us. And that stupid warmth that always came from getting roasted by the people who knew you best.
"Alright, Hero," Mom said, smirking as she nudged me. "Save the world. But don't forget—you're still doing the dishes when this is over."
I groaned. "Seriously?! Even after I transformed?"
"Especially after you transformed."
"Mom," I said, voice firm but low, "seriously—you should go to Grandma's house. It's safer there. Take the girls."
Her smile faltered. Just slightly.
"And what about you, Yuhei?"
"I'll catch up. I just… I need to see what's happening out there. I can help."
She stepped closer, her eyes glossy but sharp. "I already lost your father in an accident. I'm not losing you too."
The words hit harder than the Golem ever could.
I looked at her, really looked at her. The lines around her eyes from stress. The way she stood in front of my sisters without even realizing it. Always protecting. Always worrying.
"Mom…" I swallowed hard. "You saw what I did back there. What I'm capable of."
She didn't speak, so I kept going. "This class—Hero—it's not a mistake. I think I was given this for a reason. Maybe… maybe I can stop this. Or at least keep you all safe."
Silence.
Then she looked at me the way only a mother can. Like she was seeing both the little boy who cried over scraped knees and the young man who just punched a monster into rubble.
She nodded, slowly. "Alright. But promise me something."
"Anything."
"Don't try to be a hero just because the system told you to. Be one because you choose to be."
I blinked.
Then nodded, more sure of myself than I'd ever felt.
"I will."
I watched as Mom hurriedly packed bags, grabbing the essentials, and ushering my sisters out the door. The house felt colder without them, but I knew it was safer this way. The chaos outside was only getting worse.
"Remember," I called to my mom as she reached the door, "go straight to Grandma's house. Don't stop for anything."
She nodded without turning around, but I saw the worry in her posture. "Stay safe, Yuhei. Don't do anything reckless."
"I won't," I promised. Though, even I wasn't sure if I could keep that promise. Not when the world was collapsing in front of me.
My younger sister looked at me over her shoulder. "Hero, huh?" she said, half-joking, half-intrigued. "Don't go dying or anything."
I managed a half-smile. "No promises."
They left, disappearing into the distance. My heart clenched. But now, it was time for me to face what was coming.
I turned back inside, eyes narrowing as the system pinged in my mind.
System Notification:
You have defeated a Stone Golem.
Experience gained: 50
Level Up!
A wave of energy surged through me. I felt the system coursing through my veins, unlocking something new inside of me. The world around me seemed to blur for a moment, like everything was shifting into focus.
System Notification:
Level 2 Achieved.
Stat Points Available: 5
I paused, taking a breath. This was it. Time to grow stronger.
A menu appeared before me—an interface I had already seen in my mind a dozen times by now.
I eyed my stats for a moment. I had five points to allocate. My thoughts raced. I needed to make sure I was strong enough for what was coming, but I didn't want to neglect other parts of my abilities.
I tapped on the first stat—Strength. It was already the highest. The Hero class needed it. But I also needed to keep in mind that I couldn't rely solely on raw power.
Strength +2.
Agility +1.
Luck +1.
Intelligence +1.
I confirmed my selections and watched as my stats shifted. The surge of power felt satisfying—like I was more capable, more prepared.
The world outside was still trembling. Monsters were crawling from the cracks in the sky. But I was ready.
Stats:
Strength:102
Agility:61
Intelligence:71
Charisma:100
Luck:51
But then—
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
The ground shook harder. I turned slowly, the cocky grin fading into something colder.
Three massive figures emerged from the smoke, twice the size of the last one. Their stone skin glowed with faint magma lines, like veins of burning coal. Each step they took was heavy enough to make the cracked asphalt quake underfoot.
System Notification:
Stone Golem detected (Level 10)
Quantity: 3
"Three of them?" I muttered, squinting. "Now we're talking."
No fear. Just focus.
"System," I growled, "Activate Hero's Awakening."
A surge of light exploded from my chest. My body lifted a few inches off the ground as golden energy wrapped around me like armor being forged by divine fire. My t-shirt dissolved into particles, replaced by gleaming silver-plated armor, etched with crimson lines that pulsed like a heartbeat.
My fists clenched inside gauntlets that shimmered with raw energy. My vision sharpened, every sound becoming clear.
System Notification:
Hero's Awakening: Activated.
I stomped forward, the ground cracking beneath me as the aura surged.
"Hero's Aura—now."
A radiant wave burst outward. The very air shimmered around me, distorting like heat over fire. My strength, speed, and perception skyrocketed.
System Notification:
Hero's Aura Activated.
+30% to all basic stats.
Enemies Intimidated.
Allies gain Morale Boost.
The golems slowed for a moment. Even monsters like them could feel it—the pressure, the presence of something beyond them.
I rolled my shoulders, fists glowing.
"Alright then," I said, eyes locked on the first one. "Let's see if you're sturdier than your friend."
Without a moment to spare, I muttered, "System—Flicker Step."
System Notification:
Skill Activated: Flicker Step
The world blurred. In a flash, I vanished from the golem's path and reappeared thirty meters back, heels skidding across shattered pavement. Dust whipped around me as the three golems turned their heads, slow and stupid.
"Big mistake," I breathed, raising my arm.
My armor responded. Metal shifted and twisted—panels unlocking with a loud clang—as my right gauntlet expanded, transforming into a massive, rune-etched cannon. Energy veins surged red-hot through its frame, humming with building power.
System Notification:
Ultimate Skill Activated: Hyperblast Cannon
Charging... 38%... 64%... 100%
WARNING: Overkill potential detected.
The barrel snapped into position. Crimson energy roared to life, gathering into a blinding singularity at its core.
I aimed dead center.
"Say cheese, rock brains."
The blast unleashed like a wrathful god screaming through a barrel—an earth-splitting beam of annihilation that consumed the street, the golems, the very air in its path. A deafening roar, then silence.
The light faded. Nothing remained.
Only molten craters. And me—steam rising off the barrel, my silhouette glowing red in the dusk.
I turned slightly, muttering just loud enough for the system to hear:
"They send monsters… but I became one first."
The smoking air still crackled with energy. My cannon folded back into armor with a hiss, sealing shut along my arm like it had never been there. I stood still for a moment, heart pounding in the aftermath.
System Notification:
Enemy Eliminated: Stone Golem x3 (Level 10)
Calculating Experience...
You have leveled up!
→ Level 2 → Level 3
→ Level 3 → Level 4
Stat Points Gained: +10
Available Stat Points: 10
Skill Tree Partially Unlocked
Note: Additional skills and evolutions will be revealed upon reaching Level 5.
A low chime echoed in my mind, smooth and satisfying. The screen hovered in front of my eyes, glowing faintly with my updated stats. I could feel it, too—my body lighter, stronger, faster. The air didn't feel so heavy anymore.
I rolled my shoulders, fists clenching with new energy.
"Tch… Feels good."
With a thought, I opened my status screen.
> Yuhei | Class: Hero
Subpath: Godhand Tyrant
Level: 4
Available Stat Points: 10
Stats:
Strength:102
Agility:61
Intelligence:71
Charisma:100
Luck:51
I smiled.
"Let's see how deep this rabbit hole goes."