Era of Players: Death God

Noah activated his Presence Detection, allowing a three-dimensional map of his surroundings to form in his mind. Shapes and movements became clear, and soon, he locked onto a powerful presence not too far from his location. He moved swiftly, the icy wind whipping against his cloak as he approached. The terrain was rugged, covered in thick layers of snow and jagged ice formations. And then—he saw it. The creature stood at an imposing four meters tall, its muscular frame covered in thick, frosted blue skin that looked as hard as glacier stone. Its broad shoulders and massive arms were layered with natural ice armor, jagged and crystalline, forming spiked protrusions across its back and forearms. Its face was monstrous, with deep-set, glowing white eyes, a flat nose, and razor-sharp teeth jutting out from its lower jaw. Frosted horns curved back from its skull, covered in a thin layer of ice that emitted a chilling mist. In its massive hands, it gripped a colossal ice-club, the weapon nearly as large as Noah himself. The edges of the club gleamed with a sharp frost, coated in an aura of freezing energy that could likely shatter bones with a single strike. As Noah stepped into its line of sight, the ogre exhaled deeply, releasing a cloud of freezing mist that crystallized the air around it. The temperature plummeted as the beast let out a thunderous roar, shaking the ground beneath its feet. Noah smirked. "Perfect. Now, let's see what this new power can do." Without hesitation, he activated Gigantification. The shockwave from their clash blasted outward, sending snow and ice flying in all directions. Noah's enlarged arms met the ogre's colossal ice-club in a devastating impact that shook the very ground beneath them. CRACK! The sheer force of their collision sent cracks spiderwebbing across the icy terrain, and Noah felt the weight of the ogre's raw power pressing down on him. The creature snarled, its glowing white eyes burning with primal fury as it pushed forward, trying to overpower him. But Noah held his ground. "Not bad," he muttered, his lips curling into a grin. With a sudden burst of strength, he twisted his body, redirecting the ogre's attack and deflecting the massive club to the side. The monster stumbled slightly, its balance momentarily broken. Now! Noah capitalized on the opening, pulling back his gigantic right fist before swinging it forward with all his might. BOOM! His fist slammed into the ogre's chest like a battering ram, the force of the blow sending the beast skidding backward, its feet carving deep trenches into the ice. Frost and shattered ice exploded into the air, and the ogre let out a deep, guttural growl, steam rising from its mouth as it recovered. But it wasn't done yet. The ice ogre roared, its breath freezing the very air, and slammed its foot down, causing the ground to tremble. Ice spikes erupted from the earth, shooting toward Noah in a deadly formation. Noah's Unprecedented Sense kicked in, his instincts screaming at him to move. Shadow Steps! He twisted his body, vanishing into a blur of speed, dodging the incoming ice spikes by a hair's breadth. But the ogre was already charging again, raising its massive club high. Noah's mana was draining fast—Gigantification wasn't something he could maintain for long. He had to end this. "Fine then, let's go all out!" Summoning his black sword, Nemesis, he deactivated Gigantification on his right arm and infused his blade with Hellfire. Dark crimson flames erupted along the blade's edge, the heat clashing against the icy cold of the environment. The ogre swung down its club, aiming to crush him in a single strike. Noah dashed forward, his body low, his sword humming with power. At the last second, he sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow. The club smashed into the ground, sending a shockwave through the ice. Noah was already moving—his blade flashing like a streak of fire in the frozen world. "Splitting Ripple Slash!" He swung upward, his sword cutting clean through the ogre's thick icy armor. A deep, jagged gash appeared across its torso, Hellfire searing the wound and preventing it from regenerating. The ogre bellowed in agony, staggering backward as smoke and steam billowed from its wound. Its body trembled, struggling to keep fighting despite the searing pain. Noah didn't give it the chance. With one final burst of speed, he leaped into the air, sword raised high. His black coat billowed, his eyes gleaming with deadly focus as he brought his weapon down. "Fangs of Insanity!" SHINK! His blade sank deep into the ogre's skull, slicing straight through the thick bone and into its brain. For a moment, the creature remained still, its glowing eyes flickering… then, with a final, pained grunt, its massive body collapsed, shaking the entire landscape. Noah landed smoothly, exhaling sharply. His mana reserves were low, and his body felt drained from using Gigantification, but— He had won. A notification flashed in his vision. [You have defeated the Ice Ogre – A-rank monster!] [Soul Ascension activated! Gained a portion of the enemy's stats.] [Strength +5, Intelligence +3] Noah grinned, gripping his sword tightly before sheathing it. "Not bad… but I'll need to conserve my mana better next time." Glancing at the fallen ogre, he decided to check if the beast had dropped anything useful before moving forward. There was still much to explore in this frozen dungeon, and he was only getting started. Noah exhaled, letting the cold air fill his lungs as he caught his breath. The battle had drained him, but the surge of power from Soul Ascension was undeniable. Summoning his status window, he scanned his updated stats. ■ Status Window Name: Noah Adler Rank: Master Level: 64 → 65 Class: Angel of Death Title: Goblin Slayer ☆ Stats ☆ • Mana: 197 → 202 • Strength: 200 → 205 • Intelligence: 155 → 158 • Dexterity: 195 • Luck: 130 Stat Points Available: 6 Coins: 20.060 G ◇◇◇◇◇ ☆ Skills ☆ Common Skills: {Basic Swordsmanship}, {Basic Close Combat}, {Presence Detection}, {Master of Weapons}, {Mana's Armor Lvl 1}, {Shadow Steps Lvl 1}, {Blood Flowers}, {Splitting Ripple Slash Lvl 1}, {Fangs of Insanity}, {Flame Art}, {Telekinesis Lvl 2}, {Unprecedented Sense Lvl 1}, {Super Regeneration Lvl 2}, {Basic Poison Resistance}, {Mind Acceleration} Exclusive Skills: {Seal of Death}, {Night of Death}, {Lord of the Night}, {Hellfire}, {Soul Ascension}, {Soul Absorption} ◇◇◇◇◇ ☆ Runes ☆ {Basic Strength}, {Basic Speed}, {Angel of Death}, {Darkness}, {Giant's Blood} "Damn… this skill really is broken." Noah smirked as he analyzed the changes. Soul Ascension had granted him a solid boost in Strength and Intelligence, which would make him even deadlier in battle. Leveling up had also increased his base stats, giving him extra points to distribute. He considered where to allocate his free stat points. • His Mana was steadily increasing, but he felt he had enough for now. • Strength was already high, but more power never hurt. • Dexterity was crucial for speed and agility, something he valued in battle. • Luck was often overlooked, but it had saved his life before. Decision made, he quickly distributed his stat points: • Strength +2 • Dexterity +3 • Luck +1 Updated Stats: • Strength: 205 → 207 • Dexterity: 195 → 198 • Luck: 130 → 131 Closing his status window, he stretched his arms, feeling the raw power coursing through him. The battle with the Ice Ogre had been a solid test for his new Gigantification skill, but he had to be careful—the mana drain was steep. He'd need to figure out how to use it more efficiently before facing stronger foes. For now, though, he needed a short rest. His gaze drifted across the frozen landscape. There was still a long way to go in this dungeon, and if this was only the first floor, he could only imagine what awaited him deeper inside. A grin spread across his face. "This is gonna be fun." After catching his breath, he stood up, ready to push forward into the unknown.