Boomer stood with his arms crossed, the arrogance on his face almost tangible. His voice boomed across the park, filled with pride. "I am one of the top 10 System Bearers in the world! Don’t get cocky, kid," he barked, his grin never faltering as if he expected Klein to back down just from hearing his rank.Klein didn’t even flinch. He eyed Boomer up and down, unimpressed. "Cocky?" he said, his tone sharp with disdain. He clicked his tongue, his arms crossing over his chest as he straightened up. "You’re the cocky one." His gaze didn’t waver, making it clear that titles and ranks didn’t intimidate him.Boomer’s grin twitched, clearly not used to being talked down to, but before he could respond, Klein shot forward, closing the gap between them. They clashed again, fists flying, each hit reverberating through the park like mini-explosions. Boomer swung his fist, a brutal haymaker aimed straight at Klein's head, but Klein dodged it effortlessly, his Archfiend scales shimmering as h

Klein stood in front of the Titan's Fist Guild Hall, taking in the sight.Unlike the Garrison Whites' pristine white building, this place looked rough around the edges. The structure was made of dark stone, with cracks running along the walls and scorch marks decorating the entrance. A massive stone fist jutted out above the doorway, flames carved into its knuckles."Fits Boomer's personality," Klein muttered, walking toward the entrance.The doors swung open before he could knock, revealing a muscular woman with short red hair and a scar across her nose. She wore simple combat gear and had her arms crossed, looking him up and down with sharp green eyes."You're Klein?" she asked bluntly."Yeah.""Good. Follow me." She turned and walked inside without waiting for his response.Klein followed her through the dimly lit hallway. The walls were covered with battle trophies, monster skulls, broken weapons, and framed photos of guild members standing over defeated beasts. The place felt

Klein circled Seris carefully, his mind racing. Every attack he'd tried so far had either been dodged or absorbed. She wasn't just strong, she was on a completely different level."You're thinking too much," Seris said, her golden eyes tracking his every movement. "In a real fight, hesitation gets you killed."She moved again, faster than before. Klein barely raised his arms in time to block her kick, but the force sent him crashing into the wall. The stone cracked behind him, debris raining down."Damn it," Klein muttered, pushing himself out of the crater. His scales had absorbed most of the impact, but he still felt it. Seris wasn't holding back.The guild members watching from the sidelines murmured among themselves. Klein could hear snippets of their conversations."He's getting destroyed...""Seris is way too strong for him.""Think he'll last five minutes?"Klein clenched his fists. He'd come here to prove himself, not to be humiliated. He needed to change his approach."Dra

Klein's rise through the ranks didn't go unnoticed. By his second month at Titan's Fist, he'd reached Rank 22, and his name was spreading beyond the guild. News outlets picked up stories about the "Divine Archfiend who conquered poverty," and social media buzzed with speculation about his potential.But Klein ignored most of it. He had more important things to focus on."Klein!" Boomer's voice echoed through the training hall one morning. "Get your ass over here!"Klein finished his sparring match—a quick victory against Rank 24—and jogged over to where Boomer stood with Seris and Raze."What's up?" Klein asked.Boomer's expression was serious, which was unusual for him. "We've got a situation. A new Dungeon Gate opened up downtown, and it's rated A-rank."Klein's eyes narrowed. "A-rank? That's high.""Too high for most guilds to handle alone," Seris added. "The Council of Ascendants is organizing a joint raid. Multiple guilds will be working together.""And you want me to go?" Kle

Klein woke the next morning with his body still aching from the previous day's battle. He stretched carefully, feeling the soreness in his muscles. Fighting a Level 15 Corrupted Elder Dragon had taken more out of him than he'd realized.He pulled up his system interface, eager to examine the loot he'd received. The Corrupted Dragon Scale and Elder Dragon's Heart Fragment sat in his inventory, their icons glowing with a legendary quality that made his other items look dull by comparison.Klein selected the Corrupted Dragon Scale first.CORRUPTED DRAGON SCALE (LEGENDARY)Description: A scale torn from a Corrupted Elder Dragon. Contains immense chaotic energy. Can be used for crafting armor, weapons, or consumed to permanently enhance existing abilities.Warning: Consuming this item carries significant risk. The chaotic energy may overwhelm the user.Klein frowned at the warning. His system had the Chaos attribute, which should make him more compatible with chaotic energy than most Sys