Cronus' system: Against the gods

"Take cover! Take cover!!" a man shouted, his voice strained with urgency as he sprinted toward a massive tree. Behind him, two jaguar-like creatures raced in pursuit, their black fur gleaming under the dim forest light, eyes glowing with a menacing amber hue.

At first glance, they resembled ordinary jaguars, but these beasts were far larger than lions, their muscles rippling with unnatural power.

"Damn it, can't transform…" the man muttered through clenched teeth, frustration gnawing at him. His body was already at its limit, drained of energy from earlier fights. If he had any strength left, this would've been over in seconds.

"Grr!" He let out a guttural growl, willing himself to move faster. He had one shot at survival—if he could just make it to the crystal-powered bomb planted by the tree, he could eliminate the two creatures in one go.

One of the beasts, faster than its partner, crouched low before launching itself into the air with a ferocious leap, claws crackling with arcs of lightning. The man's eyes widened as the beast closed in, its deadly claws aimed directly for his throat.

Without thinking, he dropped to the ground and rolled to the side just in time. The creature's claws slashed through empty air, landing with a loud thud several feet ahead of him.

"Close. Too close…" he muttered, quickly pushing himself back onto his feet. He didn't have time to dwell on it. The second jaguar-beast was already closing the distance, and the first was recovering fast.

Panting heavily, the man darted toward the tree. He reached into his belt pouch and pulled out a small device—a trigger for the bomb. His fingers trembled from exhaustion as he pressed the button.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion rocked the forest as the bomb detonated, engulfing the area in a blinding flash of light and a shockwave that sent debris flying. The jaguar-beasts screeched in pain, their forms consumed by the blast. When the dust settled, only silence remained, save for the faint crackling of energy dissipating into the air.

The man coughed, waving a hand in front of his face to clear the lingering smoke. He leaned heavily against the tree, every muscle in his body aching. He had survived, but barely.

"Captain, are you okay?" a voice crackled through the comm crystal embedded in his wrist. It was one of his teammates.

"Yeah… I'm fine," he rasped, catching his breath. "Took care of two more. I'll catch up with you in a bit."

"You sure? You don't sound fine."

"I'll live. Just set up camp. I'll be there soon."

With that, he cut off the connection and straightened up, his body protesting with every movement. He was their captain, after all, and he couldn't afford to show weakness, even if he was completely drained.

Later that night…

The campfire crackled softly, casting a warm glow across the makeshift campsite. The team had chosen a small clearing surrounded by thick trees for shelter. Their tents were pitched in a semi-circle, and supplies were neatly stacked to one side.

Still weary from the earlier fight, the man sat down heavily on a log beside the fire, rubbing his sore shoulders. His teammates gathered around him, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames.

"Well, Captain," one of them said with a grin, holding up a large pouch. "We did pretty well today."

"Yeah?" the captain replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep! We counted everything. Total haul: 1000 common beast crystals, 500 greater beast crystals, and…" The teammate paused dramatically, pulling out a smaller, darker crystal. Its surface shimmered faintly with an ominous red hue. "...one lesser demon crystal."

The captain's eyes narrowed at the sight of the demon crystal. "A demon beast, huh? That explains why the other creatures were so aggressive. They must've been drawn to its presence."

"We were lucky to come out in one piece," another teammate added, tossing a piece of wood into the fire. "If we'd run into a greater demon beast instead, we wouldn't be sitting here right now."

"True," the captain agreed, his gaze fixed on the crystal. "Still, a haul like this will fetch a good price. The guild will be pleased."

Here's the improved continuation:

The captain reached into his pocket and pulled out two dark-blue crystals, their surfaces faintly crackling with residual energy. These weren't ordinary beast crystals—their deep color indicated they had come from tier-three greater beasts, ones with lightning-infused abilities. He handed them over to the team's purse-keeper.

"These are from the two tier-three greater beasts I took down earlier. They'll fetch a good price. Add them to the team purse, not the guild."

"Copy that, sir!" the purse-keeper responded with a grin, carefully placing the crystals into the enchanted pouch. The pouch shimmered briefly as it absorbed the new additions, designed to securely store beast crystals without leaking energy.

Almost immediately, the hunters began murmuring among themselves.

"Wow! Cap really took down two peak-level greater beasts by himself?" one whispered, eyes wide with awe.

"As expected of a tier-three advanced-level hunter!" another said, his voice tinged with admiration.

"He's incredible!" a younger hunter chimed in, clearly star-struck.

"Pfft. Cocky fool," muttered a lone voice from the corner, though it lacked any real venom. It was more out of habit than anything—everyone knew the captain's skills were beyond question.

"Oi, someone toss me that ham!" another hunter called out, breaking the tension as a slab of cooked meat was flung across the campfire, much to the amusement of the others.

The captain chuckled quietly to himself, shaking his head as he listened to the chatter. Despite their exhaustion, the team was in high spirits. They had survived another dangerous hunt, and their haul was more than respectable. Nights like these were rare, and he was glad his team could relax, even if only for a short while.

"Alright, enough with the chit-chat," the captain said, his voice firm but not harsh. "Eat up and get some rest. We leave at first light."

"Yeah! We'll finally get some rest after a week of hunting!" one of the hunters cheered, stretching his arms lazily.

"I can't wait to see my wife!" another added, grinning widely.

"Oh, look who suddenly remembered he has a wife," Parker, the team's habitual joker, quipped with a mischievous smirk. "Didn't hear you mention her when you were flirting with the barkeep back in the last town."

"Hey, hey! That was just… professional courtesy!" the hunter stammered, his face turning red.

"Uh-huh, I'm sure complimenting her 'excellent curves' was purely professional," Parker teased, earning a round of chuckles from the group.

The embarrassed hunter pointed an accusatory finger at Parker. "You're one to talk! Weren't you the one who said you'd 'settle down' if the innkeeper's daughter gave you half a smile?"

"That was different," Parker shot back with a shrug. "I don't have a wife to get killed by when I get home."

The whole camp burst into laughter, some of the hunters nearly choking on their food.

Suddenly, a grotesque, sticky appendage shot out of the shadows, wrapping around Parker's torso before he could react.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Ahh!" Parker's shout was abruptly cut off as the beast yanked him with brutal force, his bones audibly cracking.

"PARKER!" one of the hunters yelled, but the only response was a sickening crunch from the darkness as the beast devoured its prey.

"Damn it!" another hunter cursed, gripping his plasma rifle tighter.

"Eyes sharp! Don't lose focus!" the captain roared, his voice cutting through the tension. He activated his comm device, a small flicker of blue light appearing on the side of his visor.

"Switch to high-output mode! Target its core, we take this thing down, or we die trying!"

A chorus of affirmations crackled through the comms. The hunters quickly adjusted their rifles, switching to higher energy output. Blue lines illuminated the sides of their sleek black weapons, indicating maximum charge.

The beast emerged from the shadows, its slimy, amphibian-like body gleaming under the moonlight. Water dripped from its armored hide, pooling beneath its massive claws. Its blue, bioluminescent eyes gleamed with feral intelligence, while small ripples of energy pulsed around its body.

"That thing is.....

"It's not invincible," the captain barked, gripping his own rifle tightly. "We've taken down worse. Remember your training. Follow my lead, and don't let up!"

The beast charged.

"FIRE!"

A barrage of plasma rounds lit up the forest like daylight, beams of concentrated energy tearing through the air toward the beast. Some of the hunters used specialized gauntlets to launch energy projectiles, while others activated personal shields that shimmered faintly around them. High-tech grenades were lobbed, detonating in brilliant flashes of fire and shrapnel.

The beast roared in pain as the first wave of plasma shots struck its thick hide. Parts of its armored body began to char and crack, but it didn't slow down. Instead, it opened its maw and unleashed a high-pressure blast of water, slicing through trees and vaporizing the ground in its path. Find exclusive stories on empire

"Dodge left!" the captain shouted, rolling to the side as the water blast narrowly missed him, obliterating a massive tree behind him. The hunters scattered, but not all were fast enough. Three of them were caught in the torrent, their screams cut short as they were torn apart by the sheer force of the water.

"We're losing people fast!" someone shouted over the comms, panic creeping into their voice.

"Keep your head in the fight!" the captain snapped. He fired several rounds toward the beast's head, the plasma bolts striking its eyes and causing it to reel back momentarily.

But it wasn't enough. The beast, now enraged, released a deafening roar and slammed its clawed limbs into the ground. Pulses of water energy erupted outward in waves, crashing into the hunters like a tidal surge. More hunters fell, their shields unable to withstand the impact.

"Captain, what do we do?!" the purse-keeper shouted, clutching his rifle with trembling hands.

The captain clenched his jaw, his mind racing. His team was getting slaughtered, and they couldn't hold out much longer. Ordinary weapons weren't enough against a beast of this level. He knew there was only one option left.

"Fall back!" the captain ordered. "Get out of range. I'll handle this."

"But Captain—"

"NOW!" he bellowed, his eyes blazing with resolve.

The remaining hunters reluctantly obeyed, retreating behind a nearby ridge. The captain took a deep breath, his muscles tensing as he activated his ability. A faint blue light enveloped his body, his veins glowing as his transformation began.

"Let's see how you like fighting your own kind," he muttered.

His body shifted rapidly, muscles bulged, bones cracked and reshaped, and his skin was replaced by sleek, black fur. His hands transformed into powerful claws, and his eyes turned a fierce electric blue.

Within seconds, he had fully transformed into the jaguar-like beast he had fought earlier, complete with lightning-infused claws.

The beast roared in response, recognizing its opponent as a threat. Sparks crackled around the captain's claws as he flexed them, electricity surging through his transformed body.

"Round two," the captain growled, his voice now a low, bestial snarl. Without hesitation, he charged, moving faster than the eye could follow. In an instant, he was upon the beast, slashing at its side with lightning-coated claws. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, and the beast screeched in pain as electricity coursed through its body.

The captain didn't let up. He darted around the beast with inhuman speed, landing blow after blow. Sparks flew as claws met armored hide, each strike leaving scorched marks on the beast's body.

For a moment, it seemed like he might win. The beast staggered, its movements becoming sluggish as it struggled to keep up with the captain's relentless assault. But then, with a desperate roar, it unleashed another pulse of water energy, this one far stronger than before. The wave struck the captain head-on, sending him crashing into a nearby boulder.

"Ugh!" he grunted, pain shooting through his body as he struggled to stand. His energy was almost depleted, and he knew he couldn't keep this form for much longer.

But he wasn't done yet. With sheer willpower, he forced himself back onto his feet. Sparks flickered weakly around his claws as he prepared for one final attack.

"This ends now…" he muttered, his eyes blazing with determination. Gathering the last of his strength, he lunged at the beast, aiming for its head.

The beast roared, its tongue shooting out once again. The captain slashed at it mid-air, severing the appendage in a shower of sparks and blood. But as he closed in for the killing blow, the beast twisted its massive body and struck him with a powerful swipe of its claw.

The impact sent the captain flying, his transformed body crashing into the ground with a thunderous boom. He coughed, blood trickling from his mouth as he tried to push himself up, but his body wouldn't respond.

The beast loomed over him, its blue eyes glowing ominously as it prepared to finish him off.

"Damn it…" the captain whispered, his vision fading.