The dust was slowly settling in the throne room. Gerhman lay on the tiles, his body marked by the violence of the previous assaults. Blood flowed from several open wounds, soaking the fibers of his white shirt and black vest. Above him, Korgar let out a grunt of satisfaction, seeing the one who had defied him reduced to a heap of bruised flesh.

Gerhman stared at the ceiling. The pain was real, throbbing, but it was nothing compared to the insult that his current situation represented. He, the one who had devoured entities whose mere name made worlds tremble, now found himself at the mercy of a lower-ranked beast. An ironic thought crossed his mind clouded by physical fatigue.

"I am weak," murmured Gerhman, repeating the orc’s words. "How many years has it been since someone said that to me?"

His voice was low. Korgar tilted his massive head, his bloodshot red eyes fixed on the prostrate form of the human. He could not grasp the meaning of these words. For him, victory was assured. He took a heavy step forward, cracking the bone debris that littered the floor.

"What have you been muttering all this time?" asked Korgar.

The orc’s tone was filled with complete misunderstanding. He expected supplications, screams of terror, not enigmatic murmurs. However, instead of submitting to the inevitable, Gerhman began to tremble.

"Ahaha... ahahahahaha... ahahahahahah!" Gerhman suddenly burst out laughing, a laugh that sounded much more like that of a madman, which left Korgar perplexed for a brief moment.

The laughter echoed against the stone walls, a discordant sound. His laugh had nothing of a man facing death. Korgar stepped back, gripping his axe more tightly.

"Ahhhhh... thank you for this little reminder," Gerhman said suddenly as he rose to a half-crouch, both hands on his knees, catching his breath.

He raised his head, his icy gray eyes piercing through the strands of his disheveled hair. There was a gleam of regained lucidity in his gaze. After that, he slowly straightened up until he stood tall, then wiped the blood from the corner of his lips with the back of his hand.

"System," he thought, and a screen appeared before him.

The bluish interface materialized in his field of vision. The numbers and statistics scrolled, displaying his current level and the resources he had accumulated. He observed the twenty-seven characteristic points he had chosen not to use out of pure pride.

"I would like to distribute my characteristic points. Add 7 points to vitality, 5 to agility and 15 to strength."

After giving the order, the system began distributing the points. An intense sensation of heat spread from his solar plexus, surging into his veins like a torrent of lava.

Suddenly, he felt a new strength invade him. The wounds he had suffered earlier were healing slowly, although the blood remained, but unlike before, he was no longer tired. The torn muscle fibers were stitching themselves back together, the density of his bones was increasing, and his senses were sharpening. He opened his fist and closed it, then repeated the movement three times.

Korgar observed the scene, unable to understand the phenomenon, but he perceived the radical change in Gerhman’s aura. The mana pressure emanating from the human was no longer the same as before. It was a heavy, crushing presence.

"What did you just do, human?" said Korgar, not understanding why the atmosphere around Gerhman had changed so much.

The orc’s voice betrayed a slight uncertainty, a feeling he had not experienced for decades spent reigning over this floor. Gerhman did not bother to look at him immediately. He stared at the palm of his gloved hand, savoring the sensation of control returning.

"Earlier, you said I was weak, and I completely agree with you," said Gerhman as he looked at his fist. "I thought I could beat you without using my points, and as a result, I got beaten up."

He let out a disdainful sigh. His arrogance had almost led him to his downfall, a miscalculation he would no longer allow himself. In trying to test the limits of his current body without external help, he had forgotten that this vessel was only a fragile prison.

"What are you telling me..." asked Korgar, his confusion turning into a dull anger. He raised his axe.

"Ahhh... pay no attention to it," replied Gerhman before cracking his knuckles. "Let’s continue what we started." Said Gerhman as he advanced toward Korgar.

He advanced slowly, his boots crunching on the stone with regularity. Korgar let out a furious roar and began a movement to bring down his axe, determined to finish once and for all with this disconcerting intruder.

When suddenly, he disappeared from his vision.

The orc struck the void, his blade crashing to the ground in a shower of sparks and dust. His reaction speed, though exceptional, had become obsolete. Gerhman had not used spatial teleportation magic; he had simply moved with agility. Reappearing on his left flank, Gerhman pivoted on his supports with perfect fluidity.

He delivered a punch charged with mana. But unlike before, the blow struck Korgar and sent him flying far away, crashing against the wall with a crash.

The impact was so violent that the wall tiles shattered. The massive body of the High Orc sank into the tower’s masonry, creating a network of spiderweb-like cracks around the point of impact. A guttural cry of pain escaped the monster’s throat as he fell heavily to the ground, his plate armor pulverized at the flank.

Gerhman remained motionless, his arm still extended, observing his victim with absolute coldness. The balance of power had reversed in a fraction of a second. This was no longer a fight for survival, but an execution.

"As I said..." murmured Gerhman as he advanced toward the Guardian who was struggling painfully to get up. "Thank you for reminding me how weak I was, but this is where it all ends."

[Statistics update ]

Level: 6

Strength: 10 [15]

Vitality: 11 [+7]

Agility: 12 [+5]

Intelligence: 100

Senses: 50

[You have 0 characteristic points to distribute]