Under the Gaze of the Sleeping God

An eye opened in the sky.

Not a real one. Not made of flesh or metal. It wasn’t visible to the naked eye…
And yet, everyone felt it.

Keiji collapsed to his knees, clutching his head, teeth clenched in pain.

Haruka stood frozen. His heart pounded violently—not from fear… but because something was watching him.
No.
Not something. Someone.

📢 [⚠ System Update in Progress…]
📢 [A Higher Entity Has Turned Its Gaze Upon You.]
📢 [“Kaëron’s Gaze” – Passive Status Applied for 1 Hour.]
📢 [Effect: All actions are observed. Rewards adjusted accordingly.]

The sky—always grey and oppressive—had fallen into complete stillness. Even the wind, Haruka’s usual silent companion, refused to move.

Keiji gasped, trembling.

“What… what was that?!”

Haruka opened his system interface. A new icon blinked in the corner—a golden eye, spiral pupil at its center.

“He’s watching us,” Haruka said in a quiet voice.

“Who is?”

“Kaëron. The Creator. The one who built all of this.”

Keiji froze.

“You mean… he’s actually watching us? Like it’s some kind of game?”

Haruka nodded once.

“I don’t think it’s a game. It’s a test. And now he wants to see what we do… knowing we’re being judged.”

He clenched his fists. Power pulsed under his skin—unstable, eager. Electricity buzzed like restless serpents through his arms. It wanted to be unleashed.

And Kaëron wanted to see.

📢 [NEW QUEST: “Under the Gaze of the Sleeping God”]
Objective: Complete a significant combat encounter while under observation.
Reward: +1 instant level / +1 random rare ability
Time Remaining: 59:42

Haruka reread the prompt.

A unique opportunity—one that, like everything in this world, came at the cost of blood.

“Keiji. We need to attract something. Something big.”

“What?! We just fought one of those damn beasts! And you’re not even level five yet!”

“Exactly. If I take out a strong one now, I might hit level 5 immediately.”

Keiji hesitated.

“And if it’s too strong?”

Haruka stared toward the horizon.

“Then Kaëron gets to watch how I die.”

Keiji gritted his teeth, then nodded slowly.

“Got a plan?”

Haruka dropped to one knee, pulling a blackened shard of metal from his pocket—a remnant of the beast he'd slain two days ago. A core fragment.

“These fragments attract scavengers… sometimes even Alphas.”

He embedded it into a dead tree stump, right in the center of a clearing. Then they both took cover in the crumbling remains of an old watchtower.

The trap was set.

Twenty minutes passed.

Then came the rumble.

But it wasn’t the sleek movement of a panther or the high-pitched snarl of a screecher.
This sound was deeper. Heavier.
Like stone… walking.

And then they saw it.

A golem.

But not one of earth.
This one was forged from molten metal and scorched rock. Lava veins glowed across its body like burning scars. Its eyes—two blazing red spheres—locked onto the fragment.

It was at least five meters tall. Every step made the ground tremble.

Keiji’s voice shook.

“We can’t… Haruka, we’re going to die.”

Haruka said nothing.

He was already standing, electricity dancing across his skin like luminous snakes.

📢 [Analyzing target…]
Name: Unstable Golem – Class B
Estimated Level: 7
Weakness: Elemental overload
Resistances: Physical + Fire
Loot: Elemental Core – High Value

The golem lumbered forward, completely ignoring their hiding spot. It reached the fragment, paused.

Haruka grit his teeth.

“Now.”

He launched from the tower.

Mid-air, he called on everything. Power surged through his veins, wrapping his body in electric arcs. A spear of lightning took form in his hand.

“RAIKEN – Form One!”

He hurled the spear—directly at the golem’s head.

Impact.

An explosion of white-blue light tore through the clearing. Keiji shielded his face as the blast sent molten rock flying.

When the dust cleared…

The golem was still standing.

Cracks split its head—but it hadn’t fallen.

And now it was furious.

It slammed the ground. A shockwave erupted, throwing Haruka back like a ragdoll. He skidded across the earth, coughing, pain exploding through his spine.

“H-Haruka!”

“Stay there!” Haruka shouted, gasping.

He forced himself up, legs trembling. His system interface blinked in red.

[Health: 42%]
[Electric Overload: 87% – Risk of blackout]

But he wasn’t backing down.

He had a god to impress.

“Second form.”

He raised both arms to the sky.

A blue aura exploded around him. The air crackled violently. Electricity surged from every limb—his fingers, his back, even his footsteps sparked like firecrackers.

He became a storm.

“RAIKEN – Ascending Strike.”

He charged, lightning hurling him forward faster than sound. A deafening clash—his blow struck the golem’s chest, and detonated from within.

BOOM.

Rocks, flame, and metal erupted outward, crashing through the forest like a cannonball of destruction.

The golem staggered…

And collapsed, shaking the entire forest.

Silence.

📢 [TARGET ELIMINATED – UNSTABLE GOLEM – EXP +2,300]
📢 [LEVEL UP: Level 4 → Level 5]
📢 [UNLOCKED: Passive Skill – Elemental Resistance I]
📢 [QUEST “Under the Gaze of the Sleeping God” – SUCCESS]
📢 [REWARD: Special Talent Obtained – “Lightning Strike – Rank C”]

Haruka dropped to his knees.

He panted hard, blood dripping from his nose. His arms were scorched with internal burns. But he smiled.

“I saw you, Kaëron,” he whispered.
“And now… you saw what I’m capable of.”