BOOOOOOOM!
The ground trembled violently as the Iron Titan raised its enormous fist from the crater it had created.
Dust and debris filled the air. Several military vehicles had been overturned, while terrified students and teachers ran in every direction.
Destiny crouched behind an overturned military truck, gripping his combat knife tightly.
Beside him, Daniel was breathing heavily.
"Commander, what the hell are we supposed to do against that thing?"
Destiny glanced at the enormous monster approaching the evacuation zone.
"I honestly don't know."
[DING!]
[EMERGENCY ALERT!]
[THE IRON TITAN HAS ENTERED THE EVACUATION ZONE.]
[MONSTER RANK: D-RANK]
[MONSTER LEVEL: 15]
[HOST LEVEL: 3]
[WARNING! THE DIFFERENCE IN COMBAT POWER IS EXTREMELY HIGH.]
[RECOMMENDATION: RETREAT IMMEDIATELY.]
Destiny frowned.
"Retreat? Where exactly are we supposed to go?"
He looked around.
Hundreds of survivors were trapped inside the school compound. Several injured students were lying on the ground, while soldiers struggled to reorganize their defensive formation.
If the Iron Titan reached the evacuation trucks, everyone would be in danger.
Destiny clenched his fists.
"System, is there any way to increase my strength quickly?"
[DING!]
[HOST CURRENTLY HAS 500 MILITARY POINTS.]
[AVAILABLE OPTIONS:]
[1. BASIC MILITARY TRAINING: 100 POINTS.]
[2. ATTRIBUTE ENHANCEMENT: 200 POINTS.]
[3. BASIC WEAPON SUPPLY CRATE: 300 POINTS.]
[4. EMERGENCY RECOVERY PACKAGE: 500 POINTS.]
Destiny immediately selected attribute enhancement.
[DING!]
[ATTRIBUTE ENHANCEMENT ACTIVATED.]
[HOST MAY DISTRIBUTE 10 ATTRIBUTE POINTS.]
Destiny opened his status window.
[HOST STATUS]
NAME: DESTINY
AGE: 17
RANK: RECRUIT
LEVEL: 3
STRENGTH: 8
AGILITY: 12
VITALITY: 6
INTELLIGENCE: 10
FREE ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 10
MILITARY POINTS: 300
Destiny considered his options.
The Iron Titan possessed incredible strength and defense. He couldn't compete with its physical power, but he could use his speed and intelligence to exploit its weaknesses.
"Put five points into agility, three into strength, and two into vitality."
[DING!]
[ATTRIBUTE DISTRIBUTION COMPLETED.]
[STRENGTH: 11]
[AGILITY: 17]
[VITALITY: 8]
A powerful sensation spread throughout Destiny's body.
His muscles tightened, and his movements became noticeably faster.
He stood up and looked toward the monster.
"Daniel, how many soldiers do we have in our squad?"
Daniel glanced at the system notification visible only to Destiny.
"Just the two of us, Commander."
Destiny nodded.
"Then let's find more."
Before Daniel could respond, a terrified scream came from the other side of the truck.
"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
Destiny immediately turned around.
A young girl wearing a school uniform was trapped beneath a fallen metal pole. Two small monsters were approaching her.
"Daniel, stay here!"
Destiny rushed toward the girl.
The first monster noticed him and immediately leaped forward.
Destiny ducked beneath its claws and drove his combat knife into its side.
The creature collapsed.
The second monster turned toward him.
Destiny quickly grabbed a broken wooden plank and struck its head.
CRACK!
The monster fell to the ground.
[DING!]
[MONSTER ELIMINATED.]
[EXPERIENCE POINTS: 25]
Destiny rushed toward the trapped girl.
"Are you alright?"
The girl nodded nervously.
"My leg... I can't move it."
Destiny grabbed the metal pole and lifted it with all his strength.
The pole shifted slightly.
He pushed harder until the girl could pull her leg free.
"Thank you!"
"Don't mention it. Can you walk?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Good. Head toward the military trucks and stay with the soldiers."
The girl nodded and hurried away.
Destiny watched her disappear into the crowd.
[DING!]
[HIDDEN OBJECTIVE COMPLETED.]
[YOU HAVE RESCUED A SURVIVOR.]
[REWARD: 50 MILITARY POINTS.]
Destiny smiled.
At least he was making progress.
Suddenly, a loud voice came from behind him.
"YOU! YOUNG MAN!"
Destiny turned around.
A tall military officer wearing a camouflage uniform was approaching him. He carried a rifle and had a deep scar running across his left cheek.
"Are you the one who eliminated those monsters?"
Destiny nodded.
The officer looked at the dead creatures before turning his attention toward the combat knife in Destiny's hand.
"What's your name, soldier?"
"Destiny, sir."
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen, sir."
The officer raised an eyebrow.
"Seventeen? And you managed to kill those creatures?"
Destiny remained silent.
The officer studied him for a moment.
"I'm Captain Marcus, commander of this evacuation unit. We need every capable fighter we can get."
Destiny immediately recognized an opportunity.
"Sir, I can help you defend this evacuation zone."
Captain Marcus stared at him.
"Do you even understand what we're fighting?"
"Yes, sir."
"That creature outside is a D-Rank monster. Our bullets are barely penetrating its armor. Several trained soldiers have already been killed."
Destiny looked toward the Iron Titan.
"I know, sir. But we can't abandon these people."
Captain Marcus remained silent.
For a few seconds, he simply stared at the young boy standing before him.
Then he nodded.
"Very well. But you will follow my orders."
Destiny smiled.
"Understood, sir."
[DING!]
[IMPORTANT CHARACTER DETECTED.]
[NAME: MARCUS ANDERSON]
[AGE: 38]
[RANK: CAPTAIN]
[COMBAT EXPERIENCE: 15 YEARS]
[COMBAT POTENTIAL: HIGH]
[RECRUITMENT STATUS: AVAILABLE]
Destiny's eyes widened slightly.
A captain?
The system was giving him the opportunity to recruit an experienced military officer.
However, he quickly dismissed the notification.
Captain Marcus was already a member of the Nigerian military. Recruiting him without permission would be disrespectful and potentially dangerous.
Instead, Destiny focused on the immediate threat.
"Sir, what is the current situation?"
Captain Marcus pointed toward the Iron Titan.
"Our bullets are ineffective against its armor. We need to distract it long enough for the evacuation trucks to leave."
Destiny studied the creature carefully.
The Iron Titan was slowly approaching the main field. Every step it took created cracks in the ground.
Its enormous fists were covered in thick metallic scales.
Then Destiny noticed something unusual.
A glowing blue crystal was embedded in the center of its chest.
"Sir, do you see that crystal?"
Captain Marcus raised his binoculars.
"Yes. What about it?"
"I think that's its weak point."
The captain examined the creature again.
"Possibly. But getting close enough to attack it would be suicide."
Destiny smiled faintly.
"Then we'll need to distract it."
Captain Marcus stared at him.
"What exactly are you planning?"
"Give me a few minutes, sir."
Before the captain could respond, Destiny opened his system.
"System, show me the available combat skills."
[DING!]
[AVAILABLE COMBAT SKILLS]
[1. BASIC MILITARY COMBAT]
[2. COMBAT PREDICTION]
[3. SOLDIER'S WILL]
[NEW SKILL AVAILABLE: TACTICAL ANALYSIS]
[SKILL DESCRIPTION: ALLOWS THE HOST TO ANALYZE ENEMY MOVEMENTS, IDENTIFY WEAKNESSES, AND DEVELOP COMBAT STRATEGIES.]
[UNLOCK COST: 250 MILITARY POINTS.]
Destiny immediately purchased the skill.
[DING!]
[TACTICAL ANALYSIS SUCCESSFULLY UNLOCKED.]
[SKILL ACTIVATED.]
A translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes, displaying the Iron Titan's physical structure.
Several red markings appeared across its body.
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE.]
[PRIMARY WEAKNESS: ENERGY CORE.]
[CORE LOCATION: CENTER OF CHEST.]
[SECONDARY WEAKNESS: LEFT KNEE JOINT.]
[WARNING: DIRECT ATTACKS AGAINST THE ENERGY CORE WILL REQUIRE EXTREME PRECISION.]
Destiny smiled.
He now had a plan.
"Captain, I need three things."
Marcus crossed his arms.
"What are they?"
"An explosive weapon, a military vehicle, and five soldiers who are willing to follow my instructions."
The captain stared at him in disbelief.
"You're planning to attack that thing?"
"Yes, sir."
"You're either incredibly brave or completely insane."
Destiny chuckled.
"Maybe a little of both."
Captain Marcus studied him before turning toward a nearby group of soldiers.
"Sergeant! Bring me five volunteers and prepare the armored vehicle!"
A few minutes later, five soldiers assembled beside Destiny.
They were all armed with rifles, grenades, and protective equipment.
Captain Marcus introduced them.
"Sergeant Williams, Corporal James, Private Ethan, Private Robert, and Private Samuel."
Destiny nodded.
"Thank you, sir."
He turned toward the soldiers.
"Listen carefully. We're going to distract the Iron Titan and create an opening for the evacuation vehicles. Nobody attacks without following the plan."
Sergeant Williams looked skeptical.
"With all due respect, young man, who put you in charge?"
Captain Marcus stepped forward.
"I did."
The sergeant immediately straightened.
"Understood, sir!"
Destiny quickly explained his strategy.
The armored vehicle would draw the Iron Titan's attention while the soldiers attacked its left knee joint.
Once the monster lost its balance, Destiny would attempt to reach its chest and destroy the energy core.
It was an extremely dangerous plan.
But it was the only opportunity they had.
[DING!]
[TACTICAL MISSION ACTIVATED.]
[MISSION: DEFEAT THE IRON TITAN.]
[OBJECTIVE 1: DISTRACT THE MONSTER.]
[OBJECTIVE 2: DAMAGE ITS LEFT KNEE JOINT.]
[OBJECTIVE 3: DESTROY THE ENERGY CORE.]
[REWARD: 1,500 MILITARY POINTS.]
[ADDITIONAL REWARD: ADVANCED MILITARY TRAINING.]
Destiny closed the notification.
"Everyone, get ready!"
The soldiers climbed into the armored vehicle while Destiny and Daniel positioned themselves near the evacuation trucks.
Captain Marcus raised his radio.
"All units, prepare for coordinated assault!"
The armored vehicle's engine roared to life.
It accelerated toward the Iron Titan.
The monster turned its enormous head toward the approaching vehicle.
"FIRE!"
A series of explosions erupted around its legs.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Iron Titan roared furiously.
Its enormous fist slammed into the ground, sending a powerful shockwave across the battlefield.
The armored vehicle swerved sharply to avoid the impact.
"IT'S WORKING!" Daniel shouted.
Destiny watched carefully.
The monster had shifted its attention away from the evacuation trucks.
"NOW!"
The five soldiers opened fire.
Bullets struck the Iron Titan's left knee, while several explosives detonated around its joint.
BOOOOOOM!
The monster staggered.
Its enormous body tilted slightly to one side.
[MISSION OBJECTIVE COMPLETED.]
[IRON TITAN'S LEFT KNEE DAMAGED.]
[MONSTER MOBILITY REDUCED BY 20%.]
Destiny's eyes lit up.
"Excellent!"
But the monster wasn't finished.
The Iron Titan suddenly raised its head and released an earth-shaking roar.
ROOOOOOOOOAR!
A powerful wave of energy spread across the battlefield.
The soldiers were thrown backward, and the armored vehicle overturned.
"SERGEANT WILLIAMS!"
Destiny rushed toward the fallen vehicle.
Smoke poured from its damaged engine.
The soldiers struggled to escape.
Destiny grabbed the vehicle's damaged door and pulled it open.
"EVERYONE, GET OUT!"
Sergeant Williams crawled out first, followed by the other soldiers.
Unfortunately, the Iron Titan had already turned toward them.
Its golden eyes glowed intensely.
[DING!]
[WARNING!]
[MONSTER SKILL DETECTED: EARTHQUAKE STRIKE.]
[HOSTILE ATTACK IMMINENT.]
Destiny looked at the ground.
Cracks were spreading rapidly toward their position.
"EVERYONE, RUN!"
He grabbed Daniel's arm and sprinted toward a nearby concrete barrier.
A second later, the Iron Titan slammed its enormous fist into the ground.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The entire battlefield shook violently.
The concrete barrier shattered.
Several soldiers were thrown into the air.
Destiny crashed onto the ground, his body covered in dust and debris.
[HEALTH: 55/100.]
He struggled to stand.
The Iron Titan was approaching.
Its damaged knee slowed its movements, but its enormous strength remained terrifying.
Captain Marcus rushed toward Destiny.
"Young man! We need to retreat!"
Destiny shook his head.
"Not yet, sir!"
He looked toward the creature's chest.
The blue energy core was glowing brighter.
"Daniel! Can you still fight?"
Daniel struggled to his feet.
"Of course, Commander!"
Destiny smiled.
"Good. We're going to finish this."
He activated Soldier's Will.
[DING!]
[SKILL ACTIVATED: SOLDIER'S WILL.]
[PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE INCREASED.]
[ENERGY DURATION: 30 SECONDS.]
Destiny immediately sprinted toward the Iron Titan.
The monster noticed him and swung its enormous arm.
Destiny ducked beneath the attack and leaped onto its damaged knee.
He climbed along the creature's armored leg, searching for an opening.
The Iron Titan roared and attempted to shake him off.
Destiny held tightly to one of its metal-like scales.
"JUST A LITTLE MORE!"
He reached the creature's chest.
The blue energy core was directly in front of him.
Destiny raised his combat knife.
But before he could strike, the Iron Titan grabbed him with its enormous hand.
"DESTINY!"
Daniel screamed.
The monster lifted Destiny high into the air.
Its enormous fingers tightened around his body.
[WARNING! HOST IS TRAPPED.]
[HEALTH: 35/100.]
Destiny struggled desperately.
The Iron Titan slowly brought him toward its mouth.
For the first time since activating the system, Destiny felt genuine terror.
"System! Help me!"
[DING!]
[EMERGENCY FUNCTION ACTIVATED.]
[HOST MAY SACRIFICE 300 MILITARY POINTS TO ACTIVATE TEMPORARY POWER BURST.]
[WARNING: POWER BURST WILL CAUSE EXTREME PHYSICAL STRAIN.]
Destiny didn't hesitate.
"ACTIVATE!"
[DING!]
[300 MILITARY POINTS CONSUMED.]
[POWER BURST ACTIVATED.]
A powerful surge of energy exploded through his body.
Destiny's muscles tightened as he forced the monster's fingers apart.
The Iron Titan roared in surprise.
Destiny slipped free and fell toward the ground.
He landed heavily on the creature's shoulder, rolled forward, and grabbed one of its horns.
The blue core was only a few metres away.
He tightened his grip on the combat knife.
"THIS ENDS NOW!"
Destiny leaped toward the core and drove his knife into its glowing surface.
CRAAAAACK!
A bright blue explosion erupted from the Iron Titan's chest.
The monster released an enormous roar.
Its entire body began shaking violently.
[DING!]
[CRITICAL HIT!]
[IRON TITAN'S ENERGY CORE DAMAGED.]
[MONSTER HEALTH: 20%.]
Destiny was thrown away by the explosion.
He crashed onto the ground and rolled several metres before finally stopping.
[HEALTH: 10/100.]
Daniel rushed toward him.
"COMMANDER!"
Destiny struggled to open his eyes.
The Iron Titan was still standing.
Its chest was glowing with unstable energy.
Captain Marcus shouted through his radio.
"ALL UNITS, FALL BACK! THE CREATURE IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE!"
Destiny stared at the monster.
The damaged core was beginning to crack.
He suddenly realized something.
If the energy core exploded, the entire school compound could be destroyed.
Thousands of survivors were still trapped nearby.
He struggled to stand.
"Daniel..."
His friend immediately turned toward him.
"Yes, Commander?"
"Get everyone away from here."
Daniel shook his head.
"What about you?"
Destiny looked toward the Iron Titan.
"I'm going to finish it."
Before Daniel could protest, Destiny charged toward the monster one final time.
[DING!]
[HOST HAS ENTERED A CRITICAL COMBAT STATE.]
[HIDDEN SKILL UNLOCKED: COMMANDER'S RESOLVE.]
[DESCRIPTION: TEMPORARILY INCREASES THE HOST'S COMBAT ABILITY WHEN LEADING ALLIES THROUGH AN EXTREME BATTLE.]
[SKILL ACTIVATED.]
Destiny felt a new wave of strength surge through his body.
He jumped onto the Iron Titan's damaged knee and climbed toward its chest.
The monster attempted to strike him, but its movements had become increasingly unstable.
Destiny reached the damaged energy core.
He raised his combat knife and drove it into the largest crack.
"DESTROY!"
CRAAAAAAACK!
The energy core shattered.
A brilliant blue explosion engulfed the Iron Titan.
The enormous creature released one final roar before collapsing onto the battlefield.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The ground shook as its massive body crashed to the earth.
Silence followed.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then a notification appeared before Destiny's eyes.
[DING!]
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DEFEATED A D-RANK MONSTER.]
[MONSTER NAME: IRON TITAN.]
[EXPERIENCE POINTS ACQUIRED: 2,000.]
[LEVEL UP!]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 5.]
[FREE ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 10.]
[MONSTER CORE ACQUIRED.]
[MISSION COMPLETED.]
[REWARDS RECEIVED: 1,500 MILITARY POINTS.]
[ADVANCED MILITARY TRAINING UNLOCKED.]
Destiny smiled weakly.
He had done it.
He had defeated a D-Rank monster.
But before he could celebrate, his body suddenly gave way.
He collapsed onto the ground.
"COMMANDER!"
Daniel rushed toward him and knelt beside his body.
Captain Marcus and the other soldiers quickly followed.
"Is he alive?" Marcus demanded.
Daniel placed a hand against Destiny's chest.
"He's breathing!"
Captain Marcus immediately called for medical assistance.
Within minutes, Destiny was carried toward one of the military medical vehicles.
As the soldiers treated his injuries, the system continued displaying notifications inside his mind.
[DING!]
[HOST HAS ACHIEVED A MAJOR MILESTONE.]
[NEW MILITARY RANK UNLOCKED: SECOND LIEUTENANT.]
[HOST CAN NOW COMMAND UP TO 50 RECRUITED SOLDIERS.]
[NEW FUNCTION UNLOCKED: MILITARY BASE CONSTRUCTION.]
[NEW FUNCTION UNLOCKED: SOLDIER TRAINING FACILITY.]
[NEW FUNCTION UNLOCKED: MILITARY INVENTORY.]
Destiny slowly opened his eyes.
He was lying inside a military medical vehicle.
Daniel was sitting beside him, while Captain Marcus stood near the entrance.
"You're finally awake," Daniel said with a relieved smile.
Destiny attempted to sit up.
"How long was I unconscious?"
"About thirty minutes," Marcus replied.
Destiny looked outside.
The Iron Titan's enormous corpse was lying in the middle of the school compound.
Soldiers were gathering around it, while the remaining survivors were being evacuated.
"Did we save everyone?"
Captain Marcus nodded.
"Most of them. Your actions gave us enough time to evacuate the survivors. The military command will want to speak with you."
Destiny smiled faintly.
"That's good."
[DING!]
[NEW MAIN MISSION ACTIVATED.]
[MISSION: ESTABLISH YOUR FIRST MILITARY BASE.]
[OBJECTIVE 1: RECRUIT 10 SOLDIERS.]
[OBJECTIVE 2: SECURE A SAFE LOCATION.]
[OBJECTIVE 3: CONSTRUCT A BASIC TRAINING FACILITY.]
[REWARD: 3,000 MILITARY POINTS, ADVANCED WEAPON CRATE, AND A RANDOM MILITARY SKILL.]
Destiny stared at the notification.
His journey was only beginning.
He had survived the first day of the apocalypse, defeated powerful monsters, and recruited his first soldier.
But the system had shown him something even more important.
There were countless monsters in the world, and many of them were far stronger than the Iron Titan.
If humanity wanted to survive, someone would have to lead the fight.
Destiny slowly clenched his fist.
He was determined to become that person.
Suddenly, another notification appeared.
[DING!]
[GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT.]
[THE FIRST D-RANK MONSTER HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.]
[HOST DESTINY HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO HUMAN SURVIVAL.]
[GLOBAL MILITARY RANKING SYSTEM ACTIVATED.]
[CURRENT GLOBAL RANK: 9,847.]
Destiny's eyes widened.
A global ranking system?
Before he could examine it further, another message appeared.
[WARNING!]
[AN UNKNOWN ENTITY HAS DETECTED THE HOST'S MILITARY SYSTEM.]
[THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN.]
[RECOMMENDATION: INCREASE HOST'S COMBAT POWER IMMEDIATELY.]
Destiny froze.
For a moment, he could barely breathe.
Something had noticed him.
Something powerful enough to recognize the system.
He looked through through the window toward the darkening sky.
Far beyond the ruined city, an enormous shadow moved behind the clouds.
Two gigantic red eyes suddenly opened in the darkness.
And a terrifying voice echoed inside Destiny's mind.
"INTERESTING... A HUMAN HAS AWAKENED A MILITARY SYSTEM