Cronus' system: Against the gods

The group froze as the sinister voice echoed through the hallway. Rex spun around, his heart pounding as his Aether flared instinctively. Magnus groaned from where he had crashed against the wall, blood dripping from his mouth as he struggled to rise. Rex and Seraphina stood rooted in place, their expressions a mixture of fear and resolve.

"Magnus!" Brenda shouted, rushing toward him.

Meanwhile, Rex turned around and was shocked at whom he saw. Clad in a dark outfit that seemed to match the darkness around him was his dodgeball teammate "Lukas!? What the hell?!"

"You know him?!" Seraphina's eyes were already blazing with rage and she was already in a battle stance. From her composure, one could tell that she could kill Lukas without hesitation.

"Yeah...Yeah, I do.... he's just different from before" Rex said.

Lukas, one of the students from the senior dodgeball team, and the guy whom he had made fun of about him being a good candidate to star in a soap Opera due to his dramatic behaviors.

"Different how?" Seraphina asked

Rex gulped down hard, "I don't know but he's got this creepy feel now, and besides, his ability was supposed to be hardening his body but now, he just shot a shadow blast!"

Meanwhile, Lukas stood still smiling creepily as he stared at Rex with bloodlust "We meet again, lousy mouth" As he spoke, shadows coiled around his body and his eyes turned hollow just like Lucius'.

Seraphina instantly formed two Aether spears in her hand and shot them forward, her eyes blazing with intensity. The spears crackled with energy even more potent than Rex's own. If he were to compare the differences, his was just a tiny candle flame while hers was a house on fire. That's how wide it was.

Lukas barely had time to react as the two blades zapped at his forehead. He shifted his head sideways at the last second, causing only a graze on his cheek. The spears impaled the walls behind him, shattering them instantly

"Hmm" He placed his hand on his cheek, and with his index finger, rubbed off the trickling blood slowly, placing it in his mouth "Now I can see why Master needs you alive! Your ability is out of this world"

"Master?"

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Lukas started walking forward slowly but his heart was surely filled with excitement. First, he could now take revenge on the bastard Rex and then he had been given the go-ahead to do anything he wanted to do to the others, and by anything... it meant anything!

He licked his lips lustfully as he looked at Brenda who was using a certain device to tend to Magnus' wound. "Too bad it wasn't you lady Seraphina!"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Seraphina's Aether surged in response to Lukas' words, her eyes narrowing with icy rage. She stepped forward, her voice calm but laced with venom. "Say another word, and I'll make sure your Master gets nothing but your ashes."

Rex extended his arm in front of Seraphina, trying to keep her from charging ahead. "Wait, Seraphina! Something's off about him. He's not just using shadows, there's something more sinister here. He's... changed."

"Changed or not, he's a threat, and threats get eliminated," she snapped, her Aether energy intensifying as if it had a will of its own.

Lukas chuckled darkly, his form flickering like a shadow caught in the wind. "Oh, I've changed, alright. Your little academy games mean nothing to me anymore. I've been reborn, blessed with powers you can't even fathom." His voice was both mocking and otherworldly, layered with an unnatural echo that sent chills down Rex's spine.

"If I'm correct then last time, his stats were something around tier one intermediate level but right now, let me see" Rex thought as he activated god's eyes

Name: Lukas J Victor

Race: Human

Occupation: Hunter and Student

Class: Tier one advanced ability user

Ability: Metal body(Can make parts of his body as hard as metal) + Shadow abilities

Strength: 150

Agility: 150

Endurance: 120

Intelligence: 100

"I take back my words Sera, there's nothing sinister about him anymore" Rex laughed. "He's still just your average dude"

Immediately Rex saw the stats, he didn't know if to laugh or cry. Honestly, he was expecting something just as godly as Lucius whose stats he couldn't even see but surprisingly, he's just your average tier one advanced user?

Heck! I even outclass him in three aspects : Speed, endurance and intelligence so what the hell was he still putting on airs for. Oh... maybe he thinks I'm still the weak fella from before.... guess today's your worst day

"Uh? You take back your words?" Lukas was confused

Rex couldn't help but smirk, his confidence returning. "Yeah, I take it back. I mean, look at you, Lukas J. Victor, Hunter, Student, Tier One Advanced User with a metal body. Oh, and now you've got shadow tricks? Impressive! But buddy... you're still just a dodgeball player trying to act like the villain in a bad soap opera."

Lukas' shadowy aura faltered for a moment, and he blinked. "W-what? I'm reborn! I've transcended your petty mortal limits!" His voice cracked slightly, ruining his menacing tone.

Rex let out a loud laugh. "Transcended? Dude, your stats are like a barely leveled character in a mobile game. You're not transcending anything except maybe the drama department!"

Seraphina, still holding her Aether spear, raised an eyebrow. "Rex, are you seriously mocking him now?"

"Oh, absolutely," Rex said

"Rex, focus. We still need to deal with him."

"Right, right," Rex said, pointing at Lukas "Okay, Lukas, let's do this. But just so you know, I'm not holding back, even if you cry for a time-out."

"Damn you cocky fool!" Lukas fired another blast toward Brenda's location but before it could reach her, she hurriedly dashed away from the spot with Magnus in her arms

Brenda shot Lukas a glare, her hands trembling but determined. "You creep! Stay away from him!" she shouted.

Lukas' grin widened. "Or what? You'll outrun me, Speedy? Please, entertain me. I'd enjoy the chase."

"Enough talking!" Seraphina launched another Aether spear, this time a double-pronged projectile crackling with fiery energy.

Lukas sidestepped with unnatural speed, his shadow-infused body bending unnaturally as he dodged. The spear exploded against the wall behind him, sending debris flying and lighting up the corridor.

Rex surged forward, summoning Damocles. "You want entertainment? Let's see how you handle this!" He leapt into action, his sword glowing with black flames as he slashed downward. Lukas raised his arm, shadows wrapping around it to form a shield. The clash echoed through the hallway, the force sending both combatants skidding backward.

"He's still pretty strong with all those shadows" Rex observed but before he could act, Seraphina pulled him backward gently, an aether sword forming on her right palm. The sheer brightness and power the sword exuded made Rex gulp down hard

"Step back Rex! I'll handle him" She said, swinging the sword.

Rex didn't even bother to argue with Seraphina as he knew that she had enough power to back up her words. Heck! Her Aether sword radiated even more energy than Jefferson's.

Lukas smirked as he saw Seraphina "A sword fight you want, a sword fight it is!" He laughed as a sword materialized in his hand. The sword gave off a dark chill as it's obsidian blades shone brightly.

The air between Seraphina and Lukas crackled with tension, their swords glowing with opposing energies, one burning with the brilliance of Aether, the other radiating the suffocating chill of shadow. Seraphina didn't waste a second; she lunged, her Aether sword slicing through the air in a precise arc aimed at Lukas' midsection.

Lukas parried with his obsidian blade, the collision sending shockwaves. Shadows coiled around him like living armor, absorbing some of the impact, but Seraphina was relentless. Her strikes came fast and deliberate, each movement calculated to push Lukas onto the defensive.

Lukas roared in frustration, his shadow-infused sword slamming into Seraphina's glowing Aether blade. Sparks and shadows exploded in all directions, the sheer force of their clash shaking the ground. Seraphina's expression remained calm and focused

"You think I'll give in?!" Lukas bellowed, his voice raw with anger. Shadows surged from his body, wrapping around his sword to double its length. He swung with all his might, the blade cutting through the air in a deadly arc aimed at her neck.

Seraphina sidestepped with fluid grace, her Aether sword humming as she redirected the strike with a sharp, upward flick. The counter left Lukas open, and she capitalized instantly delivering a devastating horizontal slash that sent him skidding backward, his shadow armor cracking under the force.

Lukas snarled, clutching his chest. "You're strong... I'll give you that. But strength alone doesn't win wars!" He raised his hand, summoning dozens of shadowy tendrils that writhed like snakes before shooting toward her. The dark appendages converged from every angle, seeking to entangle and crush her.

Seraphina didn't flinch. Her Aether sword flared brighter, and with a single spin, she unleashed a wave of energy that shredded the tendrils in an instant. The corridor filled with the sound of the shadows' screeching dissolution, but Lukas wasn't done.