When Zeth said in heaven that he would dance naked, he wasn't telling the truth. Or at least, that's what he thought until he found himself standing on the roof of the bungalow, completely naked, facing a hideous monster that wanted to eat him alive.
"Let peace grant upon thee, and let the cycle of reincarnation continue..."
Thunder roared in the sky as black clouds devoured the sun. Each of Zeth's words echoed heavily like a divine proclamation.
"Holy and invincible, absolute and eternal, I call upon... the God of Death!"
A divine, pitch-black thunderbolt tore through the sky above and struck Zeth. The roof beneath his feet cracked, and his body flowed with divine energy. It was soothing and warm, like the embrace of heat in freezing cold.
The monster remained frozen, not daring to approach him.
[You have been accepted as an Intern of Death... Choose your path.]
[Benevolence] [Malevolence]
Zeth's lips curled. Thanks to his earlier conversation with Death, he already knew what he had to choose.
"Malevolence."
The divine energy surged through his muscles and veins, rebuilding every fiber of his body, making it sturdier and stronger. The weight of exhaustion lifted off him, and new strength surged through his mind.
[You have received the Blessing of Death. No poison, illusion, curse, or time can bind you.]
[You have been bestowed with Heaven's Eternal Body. Your physique surpasses human limitations.]
[You have been assigned the job class 'Intern Necromancer.']
[Advantage of the Internship Program: You have received the active skill 'Reaper's Breath.' You have received the passive skill 'Taunt.']
Information flooded Zeth's mind as his eyes snapped open. He didn't need to look for the skill descriptions, as they had already entered his brain like instinct.
"Now, ugly bastard, ready for round two?"
The smile on Zeth's face widened as he taunted the monster. With the black thunder gone now, there was no reason for it to be afraid of Zeth. The monster charged, roaring in anger, curling its hands into claws, ready to tear the man apart.
The claws struck, but Zeth swiftly jumped to the side, avoiding the attack. The monster charged again, joining both its hands together to deliver a hammer blow, but its advantage of overwhelming stats was gone. Zeth could see its movements clearly.
He jumped back, and the ground beneath cracked open. Seizing the opportunity, Zeth delivered a punch. His fist connected with the monster's skull, sending it a step back.
'The difference in strength is still too much...'
Zeth avoided another attempt to crush his head, then another strike at his feet. He dodged and punched again. Even though his attacks were much more powerful than before, they didn't deal much damage to the hobgoblin.
"Status."
[Bruh!]
At this rate, he could punch all day, and the monster wouldn't budge. Zeth looked around and spotted a broken piece of a metallic blade from the chopper that had somehow flown onto the roof. The monster attacked again, but its movements were slower. Zeth was not the only one exhausted.
After another strike, the monster paused to catch its breath, and this one-second gap was all Zeth needed. He bolted toward the metallic blade, the hobgoblin quickly following his direction.
Zeth grabbed the blade and turned around. The monster was almost upon him. He was ready to slash when he felt the weight of the blade suddenly increase... twofold, or even tenfold. It slipped from his hands and fell to the ground. At that moment, a screen materialized before his eyes.
[In order to wield the power of death, let go of all materialistic attachments.]
'I fucked up.'
There was no time to grieve, as it was already too late. The blade slipped from his hand, and power surged back into his body, but the monster had already grabbed him by the waist before lifting him up and smashing him onto the roof.
The already cracked concrete broke apart as the monster slammed his body again and again. The air was knocked out of Zeth's lungs. His back was numb, and his ribs felt like they were broken. Adrenaline suppressed the pain, yet it was still too sharp to bear.
The monster slammed him again, and he coughed blood out of his mouth. If he didn't do something quickly, death was certain. The monster lifted his body again. Tired as it breathed heavily, it was ready to slam Zeth again, but before it could, Zeth took a deep breath. Black smoke blew from his mouth and hit the monster's face.
"GRRAAAAAAHHHH!!"
The monster cried in agony as its eyes darkened and its face burned. Zeth found himself free from its grip again. He quickly rose back to his feet and punched the monster in the groin three times in a row.
The blinded monster tried to grab its enemy, disoriented, when Zeth appeared behind it and struck with his elbow, followed by a kick. But no matter what he did, he couldn't find a way to end the monster's life.
The effect of 'Reaper's Breath' would only last a few more seconds. Zeth avoided the attacks, forcing his brain to think. He could only see one possible solution to end this.
"Clanker, use Taunt!"
He yelled, but the system didn't respond. Unlike active skills, he couldn't control passive skills at will, and thanks to the clanker, he needed to figure it out himself.
"Monster, come at me if you've got balls!"
Nothing happened.
"Oi, you hideous green goblin on steroids, looking for me?"
He threw another insult, but the monster remained cautious, looking around itself. The insult clearly didn't work. He gritted his teeth, thinking of something bigger.
"You sexually frustrated muscle-headed idiot, I bet your wife sleeps with an orc!"
The skill didn't activate yet again. Zeth's shoulders slumped as he stood at the edge of the roof. He whispered,
"Just fuck me at this point."
[Passive skill 'Taunt' has been applied.]
The blind monster looked in his direction, its eyes raging with anger as it bolted toward Zeth. Preparing a punch, the monster hit the concrete beneath him. Zeth jumped up to avoid the attack, and the monster stood near the edge. Zeth used all his strength in one last kick and pushed the creature over the edge.
"Grraaaahhhh!"
The monster screamed as it fell from the fourth floor, its cries instantly silenced by the metallic streetlight that pierced through its back.
[Damn...you killed that monster.]
A screen appeared before him. Zeth fell onto his back with a radiant smile. When was the last time he had felt this happy? He didn't know. But it was definitely something worth celebrating.
Zeth stood up and jumped to celebrate his victory, inconsiderate of the crumbling roof that barely remained intact. The poor roof finally gave way under his weight, and Zeth found himself falling to the ground.