Bound By Fury:The Forced Path

The air was thick, heavy with tension and the acrid scent of blood. Akira turned to his party, his white, cold eyes scanning them with a sharp intensity.

His presence alone silenced any lingering doubts they might have harbored.

"You need to know something now,"

Akira began in a firm, resolute voice with an almost chilling edge.

"You have my word; every single one of them is going to die."

"But afterwards I'll be completely dry."

He paused for a moment as he looked at the Werehyenas, their numbers now clearly dwindling, and then muttered under his breath

"That will be the case If I don't get enough experience to level up."

The weight of his words fell like a stone among his party.

Victor's jaw clenched.

"Akira , are you saying that after this, you'll have no more mana?"

Anna stepped forward, clenching her staff tightly. "There needs to be other way Victor is to wounded and im the only one with more than half of my mana"

Grido lifted a hand, silencing both of them.

His eyes didn't leave Akira.

"He knows what he's doing,"

Grido said firmly.

"If he's giving us this chance, we better take it."

Victor's fists clenched, his lips thinning into a determined line.

"Fine.""

Akira didn't say a word. He faced the Werehyenas, his cold eyes narrowing. The tension thickened as he stepped forward, pressing deeper into the yellow ocean.

The water rose to his knees, yet he pressed on.

The remaining Werehyenas growled.their predator instincts overcoming their earlier hesitance.

Akira chuckled.

"Come on, then,"

As they lunged toward him, his mind flashed to a memory: a flashback of him scanning with the system the First Mutated Werehyena .

"Lightning."

He thought, the memory snapping into clarity as his boots pushed off the ground.

Time appeared to slow down as Akira jumped into the air, his figure silhouetted against the eerie glow of yellow water below. He raised both hands; his palms crackled with white energy. The air vibrated with a growing hum, static electricity prickling the skin of everyone watching.

"White Lightning."

Akira's voice was low, but authority laced his tone.

A huge bolt of white lightning formed in his hand, its brilliance lighting up the darkened battlefield.

The Werehyenas paused for a moment, their feral instincts sensing the overwhelming power to be unleashed.

With a sharp thrust, Akira directed the bolt straight into the water.

The ocean exploded in a blast of light as arcs of electricity raced outward, as if the vengeful serpents. The Werehyenas writhed and screamed, their agonized cries cutting through the chaos as the electricity coursed through their bodies, paralyzing them.

Akira landed in the water with a splash, his boots hitting the electrified water with calculated grace. His right hand rose again, his fingers twitching as countless smaller bolts of lightning manifested around him like a halo of destruction.

"Let's finish this,"

Akira muttered, his voice low and grave.

The bolts shot forward, each one finding its mark with deadly precision.

The Werehyenas didn't stand a chance...not again their weakness/

One by one, they fell, their lifeless bodies sinking into the murky depths of the yellow ocean.

On the shore, Victor stared, his mouth slightly agape.

"He just...wiped them all out,"

Victor muttered, shock written across his face

Grido merely exhaled noisily through his nose, though.

"Impressive, yeah when it comes to raw power he is a level beyond us"

He said, his voice firm and unwavering.

"But."

His gaze never strayed from Akira's face as he added grimly,

"He's completely drained now."

"He won't have anything left for the boss."

Akira stood amidst the corpses of the slain Werehyenas, his chest heaving up and down in labored breaths. The Soul Infusion skill had run its course, and he was now back to normal.

His body felt heavier, the feeling of power well past a memory.

Yet, even with all that exhaustion, his mind was racing.

"Please...let it be enough. I need to level up. Without it, I won't recover in time for the boss. If I don't, the others won't stand a chance."

His heart was pounding in his chest while he waited for the system's reply as his eyes were hooked to the ghostly light of the holographic glow that appeared within his line of sight.

[System Notification: You have leveled up.]

"YESS"

A wide grin curled Akira's lips as relief washed over him.

"Finally yes!"

In but an instant, he could feel his body surge anew: mana and stamina full once more, strength at peak levels again.

Battered and bruised, the others watched Akira walk back toward them, his expression calm.

"You okay, you crazy brat?"

Grido called out, his voice full of incredulity and admiration.

He shook his head with a slight smirk.

"I think you just shattered your limits back there."

"We really owe you one for that stunt."

Grido stepped forward, extending his hand.

"And let me just say, the rumor on our guild about you being on par with Captain Imzar—and beating him by sheer luck?

"What an understatement."

Akira hesitated for a brief moment before shaking Grido's hand, his grip firm but without pride.

Akira turned to Victor, who had been silent the entire time, watching Akira with an unreadable expression. Victor's lips parted slightly, but no words came.

Instead, he simply nodded, acknowledging Akira in his own way.

Anna came forward next, her steps unsure, her cheeks very slightly red.

She looked up at him, the normal sharpness of her eyes replaced by an unusual softness.

"Are you all right, Akira?"

"You pushed yourself so hard."

"Really, are you all right?"

Akira nodded a little, his face inscrutable.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"For some reason, my mana's back, and I feel. full of energy again."

But his mind betrayed his calm exterior

No one needs to know about my strength or the system.This lie is fine for now.

What-that never happens that shouldn't be possible - Grido spoke full of doubts

"Tell us more what did you feel and how are you recovered like this"

Before anyone could answer, the ground shook hard with a loud noise like a coming disaster. Stones moved and fell into the yellow sea as the whole island looked like it was shaking.

"What the hell is that?!"

Anna cried out, grabbing her daggers

Grido prepared himself, his expression turning grave as he instinctively reached for his gun.

"It's coming."

"The boss is coming!"

Akira's gaze snapped into focus as he drew his Panthosword once more, the blade shining.. The shaking intensified, and the sound of waves crashing and stone breaking filled the air.

"Get ready,"

Akira said, his voice calm but serious.

"This isn't over."