Chapter – 3
Awakening of Level Two
The jungle went silent after Damian's desperate throw.
The spear, glowing faintly with the last of his strength, tore through the wolf-beast's chest in a clean line. It didn't stop there—its momentum carried it forward, splitting bark, cutting through smaller trees, until it finally lodged deep into a massive stone boulder with a thunderous crack.
Damian stood frozen, wide-eyed, chest heaving. The beast staggered once, coughed blood, and collapsed heavily onto the ground, lifeless.
For a heartbeat, all Damian could do was stare. His hands trembled, his knees threatening to buckle. He had meant to wound it, maybe slow it down—but that single throw had unleashed power far beyond what he thought possible.
"…I… I killed it."
The memory of the spear ripping through the beast replayed in his mind like a nightmare.
Then—
The spark inside his chest ignited like a firestorm. Heat spread through every nerve, overwhelming, almost painful. Damian staggered back, clutching at himself.
"Wh-what's happening?!"
Light flared, washing over him. Strange, translucent text appeared in his vision—like words written across the air itself:
[Level Up – Creator Rank 2 Achieved]
His breath caught. "Level… up?"
Before he could even process, a voice rang inside his head. Smooth, calm, and mechanical, yet strangely human.
"Synchronization complete. Creation Authority Level 2 unlocked."
Damian nearly fell backwards.
"Wh-who—who the hell is that?!"
"Designation: System Support AI"
"Purpose: assist Creator in managing power usage and efficiency."
He blinked rapidly, heart racing.
"You're… in my head."
"Affirmative. Level 2 upgrade grants user a guiding interface. I am your assistant."
Damian stared at his bloodied hands, then at the spear wedged deep into stone. Slowly, new lines of glowing text appeared:
[Update: Created Objects – Durability increased x10]
[Update: Creator Synergy – User gains strength proportional to usage of created objects]
His eyes widened. Ten times stronger…?
He walked toward the boulder, placing his hand on the spear's shaft. Even lodged in stone, the weapon hadn't splintered or bent—it looked as sharp and flawless as when he had first formed it.
He pulled, and to his surprise, it came free easily, as if it recognized him.
The moment his fingers gripped it, strength surged into his muscles. His breathing steadied, his body felt lighter, faster. It wasn't just the weapon that had grown stronger—he had too.
"Note: Dependency detected. Creator must also develop physical conditioning. Over-reliance on creations without body training will result in imbalance."
Damian frowned, wiping sweat from his brow.
"So… I get stronger using the things I make… but if I don't train my body, I'll fall behind?"
"Affirmative. The Creator's path demands balance between creation and self."
Damian's lips pressed into a thin line. He gazed at the beast's corpse, then back to his spear. A mix of fear and determination coursed through him.
Not only could his power evolve—his creations themselves would now carry him forward, amplifying his growth. But at the same time, this world demanded sweat, blood, and effort.
If he wanted to survive, he couldn't just rely on magic.
He had to forge himself.
"…Then I'll do it. I'll train. I'll grow."
The fire beside him crackled, shadows stretching across the blood-soaked ground. The jungle was silent once more—but Damian knew peace wouldn't last.
Because now he understood something vital:
The stronger he became, the stronger the challenges ahead would be.
And with every step forward, he was carving the first lines of his own legend..
To be continued..