Reincarnated With The Degenerate System

Landing atop a half‑ruined building, I crouched in the wreckage and scanned the scene.

Smoke rose from the broken buildings, crushed cars, and fallen bodies, twisting into the sky, and painting it orange.

More Seekers were grouping together. No longer were they scattered individuals or tiny squads trying to scrape by on instinct alone. They were forming small platoons, walls of humanity linking up to cover each other's backs, increasing their chances of survival with sheer numbers.

It was very impressive to watch.

Some were shouting orders, others brandishing weapons like they actually had a plan. And in the middle of the chaos, I could spot a few veterans.

Right now, I could really see that even though they were outnumbered, they were holding their ground using strategy.

One of them controlled the ground to make a wall, blocking a group of monsters. As soon as the wall went up, another Seeker cast some kind of water spell, soaking the monsters. Then, someone else sent a jolt of electricity through the wet creatures, shocking them and making them easy to take down.

Not just that—they were already adapting to the predictable patterns of the monsters.

This was really the only real advantage humans had against beasts: the ability to think on the spot, adjust, and come up with ways to survive under extreme pressure.

'Nice,' I muttered under my breath, shifting until the cracked concrete actually felt comfortable. Or at least comfortable enough to enjoy the view. 'Let's scout them for a while before… 'helping.'

I narrowed my eyes, watching each Seeker like a shepherd sizing up a herd—taking note of who moved well, who panicked, and who looked like they might be a baggage later.

From time to time, I intervened. Not out of kindness, obviously. I wasn't running a charity. I threw shadow knives from the distance, precise and lethal, only when it caught my attention.

Finally, I had a clear picture of everyone's combat abilities. Who could fight, who could follow orders, and who would probably fight for leadership.

"It's time to swoop in like a hero," I said—mostly to amuse myself—while pulling the fabric over my head. The "mask" was really just a black T‑shirt I looted from someone's abandoned apartment earlier, but wrapped tight enough, it made me look mysterious. Intimidating. Cool.

I adjusted the last knot, only my eyes visible—a glowing green slash in the dark.

To top it off, I wrapped myself in Shadow Veil.

'Good enough. Now for the music,'  I muttered.

I didn't have any earphones or speakers, but that didn't matter. I tapped my feet on the cracked concrete, imagining an epic war song swelling in the air—drums pounding, horns blaring, strings slicing through chaos.

Slowly, I stepped onto the edge of the building, feeling the wind whip past me. I cracked my neck once, letting the tension slide away, and then—

"Moon Cycle Downward Strike! — Shadow Expanded!"

My shadow flared like wildfire, snaking along the edge of my weapon as I slammed it into the ground.

BOOOOM!

The impact tore outward with unstoppable force. Bodies were hurled through the air, flames sputtered and died, and the very air rippled from the shock, shaking the ground beneath everything in its path.

A flaming monkey slammed into one of the Seekers, flipping them through the air like someone had just launched an entire barbecue.

I straightened calmly amidst the crater, dust and smoke drifting off me like I stepped out of a dramatic explosion from a movie.

But I wasn't done—not even close.

"Moon Cycling Rotation—Shadow Expanded!"

The world blurred. I twisted, momentum building in my limbs, and then I spun with every ounce of weight, force, I could muster.

A slicing cyclone erupted around me—dark, whirling, serrated. Monsters got shredded, torn apart like someone had thrown them into a blender.

Flaming monkeys leaping mid‑air got sliced into drifting confetti. Screeching beasts charging from the alleys had their claws severed before they even understood the direction of the attack.

The shockwave peeled through the battlefield, scattering flames, smoke, and limbs alike.

When I finally stopped, the world took a second to catch up. Bits of monster remains hit the ground with a delayed slap.

Total silence fell, and every eye was on me. Even the monsters hesitated, circling warily, as if my flashy entrance had carved fear into their mindless head.

Meanwhile, the Seekers closest to me stared as if they'd just seen a living legend in action. Their eyes were wide, mouths slightly open, and their minds struggled to process my overwhelming power.

Then, finally, one of them found their voice.

"An S-rank! We have an S-rank!

Whispers spread through the group, half fear, half excitement:

"Did you see that?"

"He… he just—"

"We might actually survive this…"

Just my existence alone was enough to motivated them.

And just like that, the tide turned.

The monsters that had been pressing them back—suddenly found themselves pushed onto the defensive. Flanks collapsed, formations cracked, and what had been a death sentence became a controlled, organized counteroffensive.

"Thank you for helping us, sir!" one of the female Seekers called out, bowing her head briefly as she unleashed a burst of energy at the oncoming monsters. Sparks of light shot from her hands, striking the enemies with precision as she quickly regained her will to fight.

I didn't bother replying—any answer would probably just turn into me flirting, and right now, there were more important things than being a Casanova.

Repositioning my stance, I let my spear hum under the immense force of my grip, my body moving in perfect sync with the writhing shadows that clung to me.

"Moon Needle Thrust—" I paused, drawing in a deep breath, then lunged forward with the intent to massacre every beast dumb enough to block my way . "Shadow Expanded!"

BOOOOM!

A gaping hole carved itself through the horde of monsters, the ground cracking and splintering under the force. Bodies were shredded, ripped apart in an instant.

I rested my spear on my shoulder, taking a moment to admire my handiwork. Then I lifted one hand and curled my fingers in a lazy challenging gesture.

"All of you monsters—come at me. I'll show you who the real predator is around here."