Cronus' system: Against the gods

The clouds instantly turned dark, almost like the shadows were creeping into the heavens. The darkness covered a part of the sun, casting darkness on the ground. The citizens of Astral City cowered in fear upon this marvel.... No! The whole world cowered in fear at this marvel.

Yes! They shall all tremble before the most powerful one, the abyss itself, the embodiment of darkness. "All of you shall witness the might of a true god!" Lucius widened his hands as he descended to the ground slowly but steadily.

"Whoa! I'm sure he really watched a lot of anime, hence his dramatic approach. Honestly, what a guy!" Rex facepalmed as he saw Lucius descending from the sky "Wait, he's flying with a device right?" Rex rubbed his eyes, unsure of what he was seeing.

Surprisingly, there was no device on his back. He was literally flying on his own. Rex couldn't believe his eyes. The ability to fly was actually very rare even in a world where almost everyone had abilities. Only one in a thousand could awaken flight so seeing it in person left him dazed.

"Careful Harbinger!! If he can fly, then what are those shadows behind him?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Rex saw the shadows behind Lucius. They seemed to be alive as they continued swirling behind him.

"And besides! Canst thou not sense the power which he emanates? It's above that of a demi-god" Cronus panicked.

"Really?! How the hell was I supposed to sense it though?"

Cronus sighed "Guess you can't still sense Aether yet, I see!"

Jefferson, unfazed by the dramatic entrance, gave Lucius a cold stare that could freeze even ice itself. "How are you in two places at a time, Lucius?"

The shadows surrounding Lucius danced forward, tendrils of energy forming a large carpet on the ground which Lucius gracefully stepped on as he landed. "For a god, anything is possible!" Lucius replied, not even raising his head to look at Jefferson.

"A god, you say?... Truly, you don't think you're a god, do you?" A slight smirk appeared on Jefferson's face.

Lucius' confident demeanor faltered as he suddenly thought of the hooded man who had given him this power. That man had made him a god and had also defeated him even when he became a god. Just what level was that man then?

"Hmph!" Lucius sneered, raising his eyes to meet Jefferson.

Rex gasped as he saw Lucius' face. It was a lot like something straight out of a Vampire movie. His face was pale and hollow-like. It was also filled with cracks, almost like pieces of his face were falling apart. Shadows coiled around his arms, giving him an eerie feel.

"Shit! Just what is he?!' Rex screamed out. "And what do you mean by two places at the same time?"

"My master is currently fighting another Lucius... this is getting confusing but my eyes tell me that this is the real one and his aim here is to fulfil a final request"

"Request?"

Jefferson cracked his knuckles and then tossed a device to Rex "Take it! It'll take you to the academy!"

"Hmm?" Rex was a bit confused.

Jefferson, sensing Rex's confusion continued "I'm sure you must've noticed that this foe is way out of your league! Only I can take him on! Right now, all I need you to do is go over there and assist the soldiers in safeguarding Seraphina and Brenda! Bodyguard duties shouldn't be too much for you to handle"

Rex gave an unamused look, "Yeah, that was my original plan before but hearing the way you put it..... it makes me feel like I'm worthless and would only get in your way"

"Exactly, you're worthless right now" Jefferson replied bluntly, his expression stoic.

Rex's jaw dropped as Jefferson's words echoed in his ears. "Wow," Rex muttered, holding up the device. "You really know how to boost a guy's morale. Thanks, Coach!"

Jefferson's eyes didn't waver. "I only speak the truth. You're not ready for this fight."

With a sigh, Rex activated the teleportation device, but not before glancing at Austine whom he'd done in recently.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of that" Jefferson said, also glancing at Austine. Truth be told, it was his fault. He should've warned Rex not to reveal his powers outside but well... Thanks to him, they had won the battle against the Hydra but even he couldn't still deny that he didn't know everything about Rex.

Just as Rex's figure flickered away, Jefferson turned to Lucius but before his line of sight could land, he was sent reeling backward by a punch so heavy that he felt it could crush a mountain.

uwaaaaaak!!!

Jefferson coughed out blood as he kept on rolling on stumbling backwards. He clenched his stomach tightly. Luckily, he had covered his chest just in time with an armor made of Aether just in time.

"That's for taking your eyes off of me!" Lucius spoke, his voice sounding like that of a thousand men. It reverberated loudly in the surroundings.

"grr," Jefferson clutched his aching ribs. Even with the aether armor on, he still received this much damage?"

Lucius walked forward, taking slow steps like a wise old monk "Didn't you say you were a demi-god? Rise up and let me show you the difference between a demi-god and a god!" He yelled out.

Jefferson stood up, still clutching his ribs but with a smirk on his face. "Who said I was a demi-god or even if I am, who says I can only remain at that level?"

Lucius was taken aback "What...what do you mean?"

"Hehehe" Jefferson laughed as he stood upright, a cold smirk playing on his lips "I was hoping I could end this with just my Aether alone but I never thought you'd force me to use my ability"

"Your ability? What's it apart from predicting my movements and those blue spears you throw" Lucius asked

Jefferson wiped a trickle of blood from his lip with his thumb as he replied "Come now" He gestured toward Lucius "Come and let me teach you why even the real gods fear me!"

Target's stats:

Name: Lucius Noctis

Race: Lesser god( I wish there's a level below that!")

god status: Transferred

Ability: Abyssal Shadow-Ice

Strength: 11,000

Agility: 11,000

Endurance: 11,000

Intelligence: 12,000

"god status transferred uh? Just as I suspected, someone gave you these powers!" Jefferson said and then his eyes glowed silver

Ability activated: Pride Of Adams:

All of Target's Physical stats are now yours

"Let's get this party started" Jefferson slammed his fists together, his whole body now brimming with vitality.

"What...what did you do?!" Lucius stuttered. He noticed the sudden spike in Lucius' aura. It was the same as his just that, there was no shadow with Jefferson.

Jefferson dashed forward, the impact leaving massive craters in his wake. One thing about his ability was that he would even be more profound than whoever stats he copied. He threw a punch at Lucius' face. Massive gust of wind erupted from the sheer movement of his fists but Lucius wasn't left to be undone as he quickly summoned a shield made of shadows to defend against it but...

"What?! Just an after-image?!" Lucius gasped

The real Jefferson appeared behind Lucius as his fist slammed into Lucius' back with a force that shattered the air itself. The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, splitting the earth beneath their feet and toppling nearby structures. Lucius was hurled forward, crashing into the remnants of a stone wall. Dust and debris clouded the battlefield.

Groaning, Lucius rose slowly, his shadowy tendrils weaving around him like serpents, shielding his battered form. "You… stole my power?!" he spat, his voice laced with both disbelief and fury.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Jefferson stood tall amidst the destruction, his silver eyes glowing ominously. "Not just stole. Improved. Unlike you, I don't rely on borrowed strength. I refine it, mold it, and wield it better than its original owner ever could."

Lucius snarled, his pride bruised as much as his body. He spread his arms wide, and the shadows around him thickened, creating a dense fog that blanketed the battlefield. From within the darkness, Lucius' voice echoed, cold and menacing. "You may have my strength now, but you'll never match my mastery. You think raw power is enough to win?"

Jefferson smirked, his fists crackling with energy as he stepped into the shadowy fog. "Oh, I don't just think. I know."

Inside the heavily guarded room, Seraphina paced nervously, her footsteps echoing against the cold metal walls. Brenda sat on a steel chair nearby, her arms crossed tightly as if to shield herself from the rising tension. The flickering fluorescent light overhead did little to dispel the oppressive atmosphere. Outside, the muffled sounds of distant destruction reverberated, a chilling reminder of the chaos unfolding.

"Why aren't we moving?!" Seraphina snapped, her voice tinged with both fear and frustration. "We should be doing something, not just sitting here!"

Brenda's gaze flickered toward her, calm but stern. "And do what exactly? You think running into the middle of that" she gestured toward the distant rumble "will help?"

Meanwhile, the soldiers' eyes never left the duo. They were placed here to watch over these two and they would carry out their job effectively.

"This is what you get when you're a....noble" Brenda sighed in frustration. "By the way, you said your clone's already back to your house right? How long does it last?"

Seraphina's eyes widened as she realized her miscalculations "Dammit! The clone must've already run out of energy and dispelled on its own. She quickly brought out a device from her hair and tapped on it. Luckily, it seemed the clone was still active.

If her father discovers that she's still in the school, heck! She didn't even know how he'd react!! Luckily, news about the academy wasn't permitted to be broadcast by newscasters. Even if he somehow found out, as long as he thinks she's not in danger, he wouldn't do anything. Not because he loved her as a father but because of her power.

Suddenly, Brenda grabbed Seraphina's hands. "I think you're right, Sera! From my speculations, the enemy is far stronger than the forces we have! If they need us, then we shouldn't be here! We need to run away from this academy"

"Seraphina's eyes widened as she took in Brenda's words. "Mmm" She nodded her head in agreement "What's your plan?"

**************************************

Rex's figure appeared at the academy stadium where he normally played dodgeball. Now, wasn't this place supposed to be under attack? How come he didn't hear anything? No single sound could be heard.

He observed the surroundings and then proceeded outside. The academy was like a deserted place. No students, nothing! Or could they be in the safehouse? I hope so then... I need to locate Seraphina and Brenda but to get to that safe-house, I need to locate that Central Tower

"To get out of here safely, we need to go to the central Tower" Brenda said to Seraphina.