SSS-RANKED Awakening: Supreme Fate-breaker System

Bristleback Grawls!

Large as boars, their bulky forms bristled with quills like twisted porcupines. Their small, red eyes locked on him with hostile intent.

Ethan cursed under his breath.

He knew these creatures well — they were supposed to be solitary, territorial but not aggressive unless provoked. Their sharp quills? Lethal. Especially the third ones… those carried a sleep-inducing poison strong enough to bring down even Rank Ones like him if they landed clean.

And yet—here they were. Not one. Not two. But a whole pack.

Acting together, unnaturally coordinated.

Another side effect of Loki's interference.

Beasts that shouldn't even be working together were now swarming him.

His heart pounded harder.

He didn't stop running — he couldn't afford to.

Just one quill piercing him, and it would be all over.

His only hope—

'Mana Sense—!'

He flared his mana outward, his awareness stretching in every direction. A web of invisible threads expanded around him in a full fifty-meter radius.

To sharpen his senses further, he closed his eyes — shutting out sight and focusing entirely on the flow of mana around him. Every ripple, every shift… he could feel it.

The Bristlebacks' quills, laced with mana, lit up in his senses like beacons. That was their mistake. If they had been ordinary projectiles, they might have slipped past his guard. But mana-induced attacks?

Those, he could see with his mind.

His speed didn't drop for a second.

His instincts roared—now!

'Ember Slice!'

Mana surged through his blade. With precise, clean motions, Ethan swung—still at full sprint, still eyes closed—his blade intercepting each incoming quill with perfect timing. Sparks flew as metal clashed against spiked projectiles.

One by one, he deflected them all.

Every needle within range was knocked aside, falling uselessly to the ground.

And just like that, it was over.

Within the next heartbeat, the Bristlebacks and their volley attacks were far behind him — shrinking in the distance as he tore through the outlands, never slowing down.

His breath came sharp and ragged, but he didn't dare stop.

Not now.

Not when every step forward was a step away from death.

Ethan ran and ran, not slowing down for even a second. With his speed... the beasts drawn to him weren't given the time they needed to surround him.

It was the smartest strategy against Loki's cursed scheme — keep moving, never let them catch up.

And Ethan, desperate to live, clung to that plan like it was his last lifeline.

If he continues this way, he might actually be able to escape the Outlands and all those beasts on him, but unlike the Author, Ethan wasn't optimistic, not at all.

As he moved, doubt gnawed at his mind.

'Five hours... can I last that long?'

His earlier calculation — that it would take him ten hours to reach Valeron Cross — wasn't based on this pace. Not on this desperate, mana-fueled sprint where every second counted. Before, he'd factored in short rests, moments to catch his breath and recover. But now... this was different. This was survival.

How long could he last, really? This speed came from forcefully channeling mana through his circuits, pushing his body beyond its natural limits. His mana sustained his muscles, fueled his senses, boosted his reflexes.

But at what cost?

He was multitasking too — manipulating mana to keep running, while also spreading his senses outward in case of sneak attacks.

It was like trying to draw a perfect circle with both hands at the same time — impossible for most.

But desperation made Ethan do the impossible.

Even so, his worry grew. All of this consumed mana. And the truth was simple — when his mana ran dry, so did his life.

Suddenly, Ethan's expression darkened as the landscape changed. He crossed into a new zone of the outlands.

All around him now were scattered boulders, large and lifeless, like chunks of earth that had broken away long ago.

His eyes narrowed. His heart sank.

'Oh no…'

This was Stonehide Basilisk territory.

Stonehide Basilisks — beasts with rock-hard, stone-like scales and paralyzing gazes. Aligned with earth, they absorbed its essence and grew stronger in these rocky lands.

Pack hunters. Ambush predators.

They rarely moved — preferring to rest and soak in earth affinity — feeding on rocks, hunting earth affinity beasts but still only when they needed to. Their weaknesses were well-known: the eyes and the soft underbelly. Vulnerable to lightning. But none of that mattered now.

Ben had specifically warned him about this place. Told him plainly: avoid it at all costs.

Step into Stonehide Basilisks grounds, and you were dead meat.

Sure, normally these basilisks wouldn't be attracted to someone like Ethan — he had no earth affinity, so they'd usually ignore him.

Even Loki's curse, which pulled beasts toward him like a beacon, couldn't sway the stonehide creatures.

But the real threat wasn't just the basilisks.

It was their dangerous, mutual allies — the Bluehide Ferrets.

Small, vicious pack animals. Maniacs, really.

They lived in burrows among the basilisks, relying on their paralyzing gaze to weaken prey. Then they'd swarm in, finishing the job.

A deadly cooperation. The Stonehides tolerated them because they helped eliminate creatures that disturbed their rest.

And now, without realizing it, while dodging countless other predators, Ethan had stumbled right into this death trap.

Even worse — among these basilisks, some were rank 2. Savage Beasts. Far deadlier than the rank 1 ferals he'd been dealing with until now.

'Damn it…'

It was too late to turn back. Too late to go around. He had no choice now but to push through — but even he knew, his life was dangling by a thread. Because unlike the Stonehides, the Bluehide Ferrets were drawn to him. And they'd attack in packs, making them even more dangerous.

As Ethan cursed his rotten luck, movement stirred in the field of boulders.

Small, subtle bulges on the stone surfaces began to shift… lids slowly lifting, revealing cold, reptilian eyes beneath.

One by one, more eyes appeared, all locking onto Ethan.

His chest tightened. His pulse spiked.

And then — the gazes hit him.

All at once.