Angels (I)

Just as Vlad was about to reach the stairs, one of the monsters jumped through, appearing in front of him. Vlad and the monster locked gazes for less than a second, sharing the same intent in their eyes.

Kill.

The rat monster lunged toward Vlad, its maws opened, and at that point, a flash of surprise appeared in the young man's eyes. As the rat monster lunged toward him, he saw this one moving in slow motion.

However, Vlad soon understood it was not just the rat but everything, including himself. Although it was a shocking and disturbing feeling, Vlad was going to use it, taking advantage of his enhanced reaction speed to counterattack. 

The rat monster expected to taste another bloody meal. Yet, it was taken by a horrible surprise as the young man sent forward a kick that landed straight on its lower jaw, sending it toward the ceiling.

Even without Force, Vlad's body was much stronger than before, so a single full-power kick was enough to stun the rat monster. Just as the monster crashed back onto the floor, Vlad dashed forward with his knife, driving it into the eye with so much force that it immediately reached the brain.

Just like the last time he killed one of the monsters, a wave of bright golden energy emerged from this one and flashed toward his body. Vlad's eyes narrowed as he noticed that the amount of Origin Force he obtained this time was but a fifth of what he received from the first monster.

'Does it give me less because I am stronger, or was it just the first time special?'

Vlad didn't waste time pondering those thoughts, instead focusing on the Origin Force. With a single intent, the bright golden energy flew to the Sea of Consciousness, generating more Force Water.

A small smile appeared on Vlad's face as he found a way to grow stronger quickly. He then proceeded down the stairs immediately.

"¡BOOM!"

Just as Vlad reached the first floor, he heard the sound of a wall cracking, and he looked to the side. The next second, a monstrous bear broke through the concrete wall and lunged toward him.

Vlad's eyes widened, but just like before, his reaction speed rose exponentially. A sharp light appeared in them as Vlad triggered his Force just as the bear monster was about to crash into him. The next instant, Vlad felt like a truck had hit him and was sure that if not for the Force covering his body, several of his bones would have broken.

Yet, he was not out of danger, as the bear monster pushed him against the wall. Immediately, coldness appeared in Vlad's eyes, knowing that if he crashed against the wall, it would crush his backpack containing Jormungandr.

"¡AHHHH!"

Vlad shouted as he increased the amount of Force covering his body, enhancing his strength before putting one foot back and lowering his stance, stopping the bear monster's charge. Just as he did that, a feeling of absolute danger assaulted him as the bear monster opened its maws and bit toward his head.

The young man managed to move at the last second, pulling to the side before grabbing his knife and burying it into the back of the bear monster's head. Once it was covered with his Force, Vlad's knife could pierce through a metal door without a problem, yet it took a lot of strength to bury it into the monster's head, despite Vlad striking a point where there should be no bones.

'A small caliber gun would find it hard to damage this monster.'

Vlad couldn't help but take a cold breath as he thought of that and withdrew his knife from the bear's head, letting the monster fall to the ground dead. Like before, bright golden energy emerged from it and flashed into his body.

This time, the Origin Force was nearly three times more than what he had obtained from the second rat monster, and Vlad sent it all toward his Force Water, increasing the total amount and recharging it.

Before taking another step, Vlad focused on his backpack and heard a beating heart, so he was sure Jormungandr was fine. While the stats screen only showed strength, agility, and vitality, his body had improved holistically, including his senses.

That was how Vlad was able to hear the bear monster breaking through the wall from the other side. In the future, his senses might grow powerful enough and act like a sonar. 

Taking a deep breath, Vlad looked at his surroundings. After seeing no immediate threat, he made his way through the building's gates and appeared in the garden that surrounded the college.

There was chaos, mayhem, and death all around him, something that would have overwhelmed him before, but his experiences from his previous life helped him overcome the shock, keeping his mind on the task at hand.

"RUMBLE!"