Cronus' system: Against the gods

"Arrgh!!" Rex groaned as he slowly sat up in the bed, his body protesting the movement. His back felt like it had been run over by a herd of stampeding bulls the previous day after his fight with the Valenbrook family.

"Harbinger, thou art finally awake!" Cronus' voice rang out with an all-too-familiar cheer.

"Here comes the yapper..." Rex thought, slapping a hand to his face.

Cronus chuckled in response. "Surely, thou know that I hear thy thoughts."

Rex dragged his hands down his face dramatically, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You'd think by now I'd be used to it."

He tried to get up, taking a careful step, but a sharp crack echoed through the room as his leg gave a protest. "Dammit!" he cursed, wincing as his joints creaked like an old door. "I feel like I've been used as a human punching bag."

Rex hobbled over to the bathroom, muttering under his breath, "Guess this calls for a massage... or a new body."

"Surely, thou art a perverted young one!" Cronus' voice boomed in his head, as the ancient being caught wind of the word 'massage.'Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Rex paused mid-step and glared at the ceiling. "You're a perv, too, you know that?"

"I merely speak the truth," Cronus responded smugly. "Thine thoughts betray thee."

"Not my fault you've got the hearing of a hundred hawks!" Rex grumbled as he limped into the bathroom. His muscles groaned in protest with every move.

Rex turned on the shower, the hot water cascading down over him. He tilted his head back, letting the streams wash over his face as a deep sigh escaped his lips. The soothing sensation of the water against his skin helped ease the aches from his earlier battle, but his mind was still racing.

"Come to think of it..." Rex mumbled, his gaze drifting upward. "Today's the day I get the second reward that general talked about."

He smirked as he tapped into his system, the familiar glowing letters materializing before him. He scrolled through his stats, frowning at the XP bar.

"I did get a lot of XP from taking down Wallen and his crew, but it's still not enough to level up..." He grumbled, eyeing the numbers.

Name: Rex Xander

Level: 39

XP to Next Level: 1,700,540/2,000,000 XP

Race: Human (Hero of Time)

Class: Cerberus Slayer (Effect: Gains 2x more XP from wolf-like creatures)

Strength: 260

Agility: 289

Endurance: 196

Intelligence: 236

Aether: 185/185

Available Ability Points: 0

Rex stared at the screen, clicking his tongue. "Guess I'm still a bit short. Need more grind."

He rubbed his forehead, thinking through his options. "This calls for more time in Tartarus!" His eyes flashed with determination. "Now that I've got both noble families chasing after me, I need to get as strong as possible!"

His mind raced through the possible dangers that lay ahead. The Valenbrook family had already failed once to take him down. But that failure wouldn't stop them. No, they'd only send stronger people next time, and who knows what kind of tricks they might pull? Luck wouldn't be on his side forever.

Rex grit his teeth as his resolve hardened. "No more relying on luck. I'll make my own fate, and if anyone thinks they can take me down, they've got another thing coming."

"Speaking of growing stronger, thou would clearly need to meet Jefferson for more lessons, to help thee control Aether perfectly!" Cronus's voice echoed through the room, disrupting the calm.

Rex froze mid-step. His heart skipped a beat as the weight of the words settled in. His eyes widened in realization—he hadn't checked up on Jefferson since the whole Zeus and Lucius debacle. It hit him like a punch to the gut.

Oh no.

His stomach twisted, guilt clawing at him. I haven't even thought about him since that mess! Jefferson had been a lifeline, a mentor, someone who helped him navigate the aftermath of the chaos.

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Not only had Jefferson helped him control Aether, but he'd also been there to cover up the mess left by the death of Austine Voss, saving Rex from a catastrophe.

"Dang it!" Rex cursed under his breath, pacing back and forth. I owe him...big time. "Good thing he was taken to the military hospital..." He exhaled, the tension in his shoulders loosening slightly. I'll check on him after collecting my reward.

His body surged with purpose, and in that moment, something in him shifted. I'll fix this. I'll make it right.

He rushed out of the bathroom, but as his feet hit the ground, Rex felt something unexpected—his legs didn't ache anymore. The dull, gnawing pain from his earlier battle had faded, replaced by the fire of determination burning in his chest. It was almost as if his body was telling him, You're not done yet.

Without wasting another second, he dashed toward his clothes. Just as he was about to change, his phone, an ancient relic of outdated technology blinked insistently. The sound of it vibrating against the bed drew his attention, and he groaned.

"I really need to get a new phone," he muttered, rolling his eyes as he picked it up. The cracked screen reflected his impatient frown as he flicked it open.

"What'd you got, old buddy?" he sighed, tapping the screen. It flickered to life, showing missed calls from Magnus.

Rex raised an eyebrow, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "What does that red-haired money boy want with me now?" he mused, tossing the phone back onto the bed with a dismissive flick of his wrist.

The phone lay there, still buzzing with an unanswered call, but Rex didn't give it another thought. He had more pressing matters on his mind.

Minutes passed before he finished changing, but with every step, the feeling of urgency heightened. He picked up the old picture frame of his parents from the nightstand, the edges worn and yellowing with time. His fingers brushed over the glass, feeling the weight of their memory. The simple frame held everything that kept him going.

With a soft, almost imperceptible kiss to the glass, he whispered, "I'm gonna make it right, for both of you."

*********

Rex walked through the sleek, metallic halls of the military base, the buzzing hum of machinery filling the air. His mind buzzed with curiosity about the reward the general had promised, but he wasn't sure exactly what to expect. His thoughts wandered as he approached the reception desk.

A soldier looked up from behind the desk, their expression neutral. "Rex Xander?" they asked.

"That's me," Rex replied, a small grin tugging at his lips.

The soldier quickly scanned some data on their terminal and gave a brief nod. "Follow the signs to the equipment room. Someone will meet you there."

Rex nodded in acknowledgment and made his way toward the indicated hallway. The space was quiet, almost eerily so, but it was exactly what he'd expected from such a high-tech facility. His anticipation grew with each step, the doors at the end of the hall coming into view.

When he arrived at the equipment room, the doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a figure standing by a set of displays filled with futuristic gear. It was a woman, dressed in the same military attire, her expression calm and confident. She looked up as he entered.

"You must be Rex Xander," she said. "The general is occupied, so I'll be showing you the gear today."

"Uh....? gear?" Rex arched a brow, clearly confused.

The woman motioned for him to follow her.

"Let's start with this," she said, pointing to a sleek set of armor that gleamed under the lights. It had sharp, angular lines, and the materials looked lighter than they appeared. "This is a stealth armor. It can bend light around you, effectively making you invisible for a short time. It's perfect for infiltration missions or avoiding detection."

Rex blinked in surprise. "Wait, I get armor?" He hadn't expected anything like this, and the thought of invisibility was a game-changer.

She nodded. "Yes. The armor works for about five minutes before it requires a recharge. It's not foolproof, but it gives you a significant advantage in certain situations."

Rex let out a low whistle. "Not bad. I could definitely use that when things get messy."

The woman gave him a small, approving nod and led him to the next piece of equipment. "This is a set of gloves, designed for manipulating energy fields," she explained, picking up a pair of sleek, metallic gloves. "You can create barriers or enhance your attacks with them.

Rex examined the gloves with interest. "Nahh! I already got Aegis of eternity, I need something offensive!"

Next, she moved to a helmet, placing it on a table. "This is a scanning helmet. It uses thermal and electromagnetic sensors to locate hidden targets, even those behind walls. It's perfect for reconnaissance or ambushing opponents."

Rex picked it up, intrigued. "Now that sounds useful. No one can hide from you with this on."

"Exactly," she said, her tone almost approving. "It'll give you the edge in locating enemies that think they're out of sight."

Considering that Aether helmet he had formed the previous day, it seemed to also heighten his senses like this so....this was out of the options too.

"What else you got?"

The soldier seemed to pick up on Rex's eager curiosity and walked him to a new section of the room. This area was quieter, with more secure-looking equipment displayed behind glass cases. The soldier stopped at a case containing a black, metallic object that seemed to shimmer with an ethereal glow.

She hesitated just a moment before activating a hidden panel to unlock the case. As the glass slid away, the object inside was revealed—a sleek, black belt adorned with glowing blue lines, pulsating softly like the heartbeat of some advanced piece of technology.

"This is the Gravity Anchor," the soldier said, tapping a few controls to lift the belt from its casing. "It's designed to manipulate gravitational forces around you, allowing you to alter gravity's effect on both you and the environment."

Rex couldn't help but lick his lips as a grin formed on his face "Ni.....ce"