Alperen hadn't been able to sleep all night.
His body ached. Reaching Level 1 hadn't been easy. Every muscle, every bone, every cell felt like it had been reshaped. But now... he
was strong.
He clenched his fist. He felt the power between his fingers. He picked up a stone and squeezed it—the stone
crumbled. 'Unbelievable. Yesterday I was a normal person. Now...'
"System," he whispered. "Show me my status screen."
DING!
A blue hologram appeared before his eyes:
[SUPREME RULER SYSTEM - STATUS SCREEN]
╔══════════════════════════════════╗ SERVER
INFORMATION:
Name: Alperen Yılmaz
Age: 24
Level: Level 1 - Skin Hardening (Early Stage)
Energy Points: 290 / ∞
╠══════════════════════════════════╣
ACTIVE CIVILIZATIONS:
⚔ Martial Arts Civilization (Low Type) - 5% Development
Science Civilization - 2% Development
╠══════════════════════════════════╣ WAR UNITS:
Martial Artists:
Level 2 (Bronze Bone/Silver Vein/Steel Tendon): 10 units
Modern Soldiers:
None
╠══════════════════════════════════╣ LIFE UNITS:
Scientists:
Nuclear Energy Engineer: 5 units
Mechanical Engineer: 2 units
Weapons Researcher: 2 units
Mathematics Professor: 1 unit
Other:
None
╠══════════════════════════════════╣ STRUCTURES:
Canyon Base (Level 1) - Camouflage Active
Storage Unit (1000 m³) - 5% Full
╠══════════════════════════════════╣ ACTIVE
MISSIONS:
None
╠══════════════════════════════════╣ RECOMMENDED
TARGETS:
Find the First Mineral Source
Reach Level 2 (Requires: 150 Energy)
Complete the Qi Reactor Prototype
╚══════════════════════════════════╝
Alperen examined the screen. 290 energy points. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
"System, show me the summoning costs. Detailed."
DING!
A new screen opened:
[UNIT SUMMONING COSTS]
═══ WAR UNITS ═══
Martial Artists: ├─ Level 1 (Skin Hardening) │ ├─ Early: 10 energy │ ├─ Middle: 20 energy │ └─ Late: 30 energy ├─ Level 2
(Bone/Vein/Tendon Purification) │ ├─ Bronze Bone: 50 energy │ ├─ Silver Vein: 80 energy │ ├─ Gold Vein: 120 energy │ ├─
Jade Bone: 200 energy │ └─ Steel Tendon: +30 energy ├─ Level 3
Level (Blood Refining) │ └─ Silver Blood: 500 energy └─ Level 4 (Golden Body) └─ 1500 energy
Modern Soldiers: ├─ Basic Infantry: 15 energy ├─ Heavy Armored Cavalry: 5 energy ├─ Elite Soldier: 40 energy ├─ Sniper: 60
energy ├─ Heavy Weapons Specialist: 80 energy ├─ Commando: 150 energy ├─ Cyborg Soldier: 300 energy ├─ Exo-Suit Soldier:
500 energy ├─ Drone Operator: 100 energy ├─ Tank Crew: 800 energy └─ Helicopter Pilot: 1000 energy
═══ LIFE UNITS ═══
Scientists: ├─ Technician: 20 energy ├─ Engineer: 50 energy ├─ Specialist: 100 energy └─ Professor: 200 energy
Other Professions: ├─ Farmer: 10 energy ├─ Miner: 10 energy ├─ Worker: 10 energy ├─ Doctor: 50 energy ├─ Merchant: 10
energy └─ Diplomat: 10 energy
Alperen whistled. "Heavy Armored Cavalry only costs 5 energy? That's... very cheap."
[NOTE: HEAVY ARMORED CAVALRY IS A NORMAL-LOOKING UNIT IN THIS WORLD. IT DOESN'T
DRAW ATTENTION LIKE MODERN WEAPONS. IT'S IDEAL FOR MULTIPLE SUMMONS IN THE EARLY
STAGES.]
"Makes sense. We'll use the tanks and helicopters later."
Alperen thought. 290 energy. He needed to kill the Iron-Clawed Bear. But would going with 10 martial artists be enough?
"01," he said. He called the soldier waiting outside.
01 entered. His face was expressionless, but his posture was that of a
warrior. "Sir."
"What do you know about the Iron Clawed Bear?"
01's eyes flashed for a moment—data stream. "A Level 2 Mid-Stage monster. Not Bronze Bone level, but Silver Bone level. Its claws
are as hard as steel. Weight: 800 kilograms. Speed is 30% slower than a normal Level 2 martial artist
but its strength is 200% greater. Weak points: eyes and abdomen." Alperen scratched his head.
"Silver Bone? So it's stronger than my soldiers."
"Yes, sir. If I go alone, I have a 40% chance of winning. If we go with 10 soldiers, we have a 95% chance." "But could there be
casualties?"
"Probably 2-3 soldiers will be injured. The risk of death is 10%."
Alperen thought silently. Losing 2-3 soldiers... and it would take 150-450 energy to summon them again.
"What if we call for backup?"
DING!
[SUGGESTION: CALL IN 20 HEAVY ARMORED CAVALRY. TOTAL COST: 100 ENERGY. BY SETTING UP AN
ENCIRCLING ATTACK FORMATION, YOU HAVE AN 85% CHANCE OF VICTORY WITHOUT LOSSES.
Alperen smiled. "20 cavalry. 100 energy. 190 energy remaining... yes, we can do this." "System, call 20 Heavy
Armored Cavalry."
DING!
[APPROVED]
[100 ENERGY POINTS WILL BE SPENT]
[REMAINING ENERGY: 190]
Blue lights flashed outside the base. And a moment later... sounds came.
Horse whinnies.
Armor clanging.
Alperen stepped
outside.
Twenty cavalrymen were lined up before him. Each was two meters tall, clad in thick steel armor. Helmets on their heads, long spears
and shields in their hands. Their horses—giant, black warhorses—stood silently waiting.
And most importantly... they had no faces. Behind the helmets, there was only darkness.
"Sir," said the cavalryman at the front. His voice echoed, sounding strange. "The 1st Cavalry Regiment is ready. Awaiting your orders."
Alperen swallowed hard. 'These are artificial too. All of them are artificial. But... they look so realistic.'
"Very good," he said. He tried to steady his voice. "Get ready. At dawn tomorrow, we're heading to Iron Mine. Our target: Iron
Claw Bear."
Twenty cavalrymen simultaneously struck their fists against their chests.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
"YES, SIR!" they shouted. The sound echoed through the forest. Alperen turned
around. 01 and the other 9 martial artists were also preparing. Dr. Kain came over to
him. He adjusted his glasses.
"Sir, if you kill the bear... bring me its body. I need to examine its Silver Bone structure. It's critical data for the Qi Reactor."
"Understood. Anything else?"
Dr. Kain paused. "One more thing. If there's any old equipment in the mine... scrap metal, old tools, whatever you find, bring it.
We'll need it for the prototype."
"Alright. We'll be back by tomorrow evening."
Dawn - Departure
Before sunrise, Alperen and his army set out.
Ten martial artists ran ahead. They were fast—five times the speed of a normal person. Alperen was among them. Thanks to
Level 1 Skin Hardening, he could keep up, but it was difficult.
Behind them, 20 cavalrymen advanced silently. The horses never tired. The cavalrymen didn't speak.
30 kilometers. A journey that would take days for an ordinary person. But Alperen and his unit reached it in just 3
hours. And finally... they saw it.
An abandoned mine.
At the foot of a huge mountain, a black hole. The cave entrance. Around it were old equipment, broken cars, rusty tools. And... tracks.
Giant claw marks.
Bloodstains.
01 bent down and examined the blood. "Fresh. No more than
two days old." "What did it hunt?"
"A deer. Maybe a human. There are bone fragments."
Alperen swallowed hard. 'Stay calm. Follow the plan.'
"01, you and four soldiers will come with me. We'll enter the cave, provoke the bear, and lure it out. The other five soldiers and twenty
cavalrymen will set up a perimeter outside. When the bear comes out, we'll close the circle and kill it."
"Understood, Sir."
Alperen took a deep breath. He could feel his heart pounding. He was scared.
But he couldn't turn back.
"Let's go," he said. "Let's begin."
And he stepped into the dark cave.
The darkness was suffocating.
Alperen's eyes were trying to adjust, but the cave was deep and dark. There was only a faint light coming from the entrance.
Footsteps echoed. Water dripping. From afar... breathing sounds.
Heavy. Slow. Deep breathing sounds.
"Sir," whispered 01. "200 meters inside. He's asleep."
Alperen's hand was shaking. He picked up a stone. He squeezed it. 'Calm down. You're Level 1 now. You're not a normal
human.' But deep down he knew - Level 1 was nothing against Level 2.
They advanced. Step by step. 50 meters. 100 meters. 150 meters.
And then... they saw it.
Deep within the cave, there was a huge shadow. Giant. Very giant. A creature at least 3 meters tall and 5 meters long.
The Iron-Clawed Bear.
Its fur was black, but its claws... its claws gleamed metallic. They looked as if they were actually made of iron. Each claw was at least
30 centimeters long.
It was sleeping. Its chest rose and fell. There were bones on the ground—human bones, animal bones. The smell of blood was
unbearable.
"01," Alperen whispered. "Are you ready?" "Yes."
"Provoke it. And run."
01 picked up a stone. And threw it.
CRACK!
The stone hit the bear's head.
A second... nothing happened. Then...
The bear opened its eyes.
Red. Its eyes were blood-red. And it
roared.
ROARRRRRRR!!!
The sound was so powerful that Alperen's ears rang. The cave shook. Rocks fell.
The bear stood up. And... it was much bigger. Standing on its hind legs, it was almost 4 meters tall. "RUN!" shouted 01.
Alperen turned and started running. He could feel his heart pounding. His lungs were burning. The sounds behind him—the sound of
the bear running—were unbearable.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground shook with every step.
50 meters. 40 meters. 30 meters. He saw the light. He saw the cave exit. A sound
behind him—a scream.
He turned. One of the soldiers... had caught the bear. He had it in his claws. And he was squeezing.
The soldier wasn't screaming—he had artificial consciousness, he felt no pain—but his body was breaking. His bones were
cracking.
"Leave him alone!" another soldier shouted. He punched the bear in the eye.
POW!
The punch... had no effect. Silver Bone. Incredible resilience.
The bear charged at the other soldier in rage. Claw... pierced the soldier's chest. Completely pierced it. Blood spurted out. The soldier
collapsed to the ground. 'One dead. First casualty.'
Alperen kept running. He reached the exit. He stepped into the light.
"NOW!" he shouted.
The five soldiers waiting outside sprang into action. Twenty cavalrymen spurred their horses.
The bear burst out of the cave. It looked even more terrifying in the sunlight. Blood dripped from its claws. And it saw the
circle.
Thirty enemies. Thirty enemies surrounding him.
For a second... he paused. He assessed the situation.
Then... it attacked the weakest point. The cavalry.
ROARRR!
The speed was much faster than Alperen had expected. They had said it was 30% slower, but... it was still a Level 2 creature.
It collided with the first cavalryman. The bear tore through the cavalryman's armor with its claw. The cavalryman flew through the air.
The horse screamed. The bear bit into the horse's throat.
CRUNCH!
Blood spattered everywhere.
"ATTACK!" shouted 01.
The soldiers attacked from all sides. Fists, kicks, chokeholds. The cavalrymen lunged with their spears. One spear stuck
into the bear's back. But... it only went in 5 centimeters. Silver Bone was very hard.
The bear turned. It grabbed the cavalryman with its claw. It threw him. The cavalryman flew 10 meters, crashing into the
wall. He didn't move. 'Two down. Three down. Four down.'
The battle was chaotic. Alperen watched. Fear... was now gone. Only cold analysis remained. 'Silver Bone is
very strong. Superficial attacks don't work. Weak points... eyes and stomach.' "01!" he shouted. "Focus on its
eyes and stomach! Don't attack anywhere else!"
01 heard him. He immediately changed his strategy. While two soldiers drew the bear's attention, 01 approached from behind. He
jumped. He climbed onto the bear's back.
The bear began to shake violently. But 01 held on. And... he thrust his fingers into the bear's eye.
ROAAAAARRR!!!
The bear let out its most terrifying roar yet. Blood spurted from its eye. 01 pushed deeper. His fingers were completely inside.
The bear rolled to the ground. It tried to crush 01. 01 jumped away at the last moment.
The bear stood up. It had only one eye left. Blood was flowing. But it was still fighting.
Three soldiers dove together under its belly. Fists. Constant fists. Bronze Bone fists against Silver Bone's belly.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The first 10 punches... no effect. 20
punches... a small crack.
30 punches... the crack widened.
40 punches...
CRACK!
The stomach skin burst. Internal organs were
visible. The bear staggered. It was losing strength.
The cavalry made their final attack. Ten spears at once. All pierced its abdomen. The bear
collapsed to its knees.
01 stepped forward. He looked into the bear's lone
remaining eye. And drove his fist into its head.
BOOM!
Once. Twice. Three times. Four times.
On the tenth punch... the bear's skull cracked. On
the fifteenth punch... the skull shattered.
On the twentieth punch... the brain was
shattered. The bear collapsed to the ground.
He didn't move.
Silence.
Only the sound of breathing. The sound of blood
dripping. Alperen approached slowly. He looked
around.
Five cavalrymen were dead. One soldier was dead. Three soldiers were seriously
wounded. Seven cavalrymen were wounded. But... they won.
DING!
[LEVEL 2 MONSTER KILLED: IRON-CLAWED BEAR] [ENERGY GAIN: 60
POINTS]
[TOTAL ENERGY: 250]
Alperen took a deep breath. His hands were trembling. He felt like vomiting. But... he
smiled.
"We won," he whispered.
01 bent down. He was covered in blood but still standing. "Yes, sir. We won."
Alperen looked at the bear's corpse. It was huge. Terrifying.
"Dr. Kain ordered it. Take the body to the base. And..." He looked at the mine. "Search the mine. Collect any metal, equipment,
whatever you find."
"As you command."
Alperen turned back. The sun was setting. He had completed his first day... his real first day. And he had
learned a lot.
He was silent on the way back to base. The bear's body was being carried by four soldiers. The wounded soldiers were staggering. The
bodies of the dead cavalrymen... had been left behind. They had done what they had to do.
But Alperen didn't forget.
'I lost six units. Because I was unprepared.'
He replayed the battle in his mind. He analyzed every mistake.
Mistake 1: He had underestimated the bear's true power. "Level 2 Intermediate Stage" didn't just mean strong in numbers. Experience,
instinct, savagery... these were also strengths.
Mistake 2: The cavalry's armor was inadequate. Normal steel armor was like paper against Silver Bone claws. Better equipment was
needed.
Error 3: Coordination was weak. The soldiers and cavalry fought separately. If there had been a unified strategy, losses would have
been lower.
Mistake 4: He... had done nothing. He had only watched. Level 1 was not enough. He should have been stronger. "01," he said
as he walked.
"Sir?"
"What did you learn from this battle?"
01 paused for a moment. His eyes lit up—as if he were thinking for the first time.
"Knowing the enemy isn't enough, sir. You have to experience it. I knew the power of the Iron Clawed Bear. But... I didn't really
understand it until I felt it."
Alperen nodded. "Anything else?"
"Numbers aren't everything. Thirty units against one creature. But that one creature wiped out six of my units. Because each of our units
fought separately. If we'd moved like a real army... we wouldn't have lost anyone."
"Correct," said Alperen. There was a new harshness in his voice. "This won't happen again. When we return to base, you will train.
Combined attack formations. Defense tactics. Communication. You will fight like a real army."
"As you command, Sir."
Alperen paused. He looked at the setting sun.
"And I... must become stronger. Level 1 isn't enough. I must reach at least Level 2. Quickly." The system responded
silently:
[LEVEL 2 BRONZE BONE REQUIREMENT: 50 ENERGY] [CURRENT
ENERGY: 250]
[ENOUGH ENERGY AVAILABLE]
Alperen smiled. A bitter smile.
"Alright. But first, I need to compensate for the losses. 5 cavalry, 1 soldier. 75 energy. Remaining 175 energy."
[AWAITING APPROVAL]
"No. Not yet. First... I'll change something." 01 looked at him
in surprise. "Sir?"
"The cavalry's armor is inadequate. I'll ask Dr. Kain. Maybe... we can make something better. From the bear's bones. Silver Bone... we
can use that."
01's eyes lit up. "Brilliant, sir. Silver Bone armor... it would be many times stronger than regular steel."
"Yes. And one more thing..." Alperen paused. He thought. "Modern soldiers. Weapons. This world knows martial arts. But... it
doesn't know bullets. It doesn't know explosives. If I bring modern weapons... I'll have the advantage."
"But Sir," said 01. "Modern weapons attract attention. If this kingdom sees them—"
"They won't," said Alperen. His voice was firm. "Because we'll use them secretly. Only at critical moments. Sniper fire. Night
operations. While they rely on martial arts... we'll use science."
They approached the base. Darkness had fallen. But Alperen's mind was clear. This
world... was ruthless. Brutal. Death... was too easy.
But he... was learning.
And in the next war... he would be ready.
The Openag Kingdom is just the beginning. One day... I will conquer all universes. He looked
into the darkness.
And he kept walking.