Cronus' system: Against the gods

The dense forest was unnaturally silent, the air thick with an eerie tension. Rex Xander stood in the middle of a clearing, his cocky grin unwavering despite the very obvious problem he faced: twenty Medusas encircling him, their glowing green eyes fixated on him like a pack of hungry wolves. Each one was armed with razor-sharp claws, serpentine hair writhing as if alive, and an aura that screamed "instant death."

"Well, well," Rex said, cracking his neck and pretending to inspect his nails. "A welcoming committee? You shouldn't have. Though, for the record, I'm more of a 'one Medusa at a time' kind of guy. Too many snakes, and it gets... complicated."

Cronus, the ever-sarcastic voice in his head, chimed in with a mockingly enthusiastic tone.

"Oh, how quaint. Twenty angry Medusas and you, the great Rex Xander, master of bad decisions. I'd grab popcorn if I had hands. This is going to be delightful."

Rex groaned inwardly. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Cronus. Remind me again why you're stuck in my head and not in a retirement home for useless Titans?"

"Because, dear boy, the gods find it amusing to let mortals like you stumble through life while I provide color commentary. Now, do try not to die. I'd hate for this show to end so soon."

The Medusas hissed in unison, their voices like nails on a chalkboard. One of them slithered closer, her claws gleaming in the dim light. Rex raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Ladies, ladies! Let's not all hiss at once. I only have two ears, and one of them is sensitive." He sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Guess it's time for a little snakey smackdown."

As the first Medusa lunged at him, Rex's eyes glowed faintly, his Aether energy flaring to life. He smirked and snapped his fingers. The world froze. The birds halted mid-flight, leaves hung suspended in the air, and the Medusas were statues of pure rage.

"Five seconds," Rex muttered to himself. "Let's make it count."

He dashed toward the nearest Medusa, his movements a blur. His fist crackled with Aether energy as he drove it into her chest, shattering the stone-like exterior. Spinning on his heel, he delivered a roundhouse kick to the next one, sending her crashing into a tree.

Cronus' voice cut through the stillness.

"Two down. Only eighteen to go. My, you're efficient when everyone else is frozen."

"Yeah, yeah," Rex replied, flipping another Medusa onto her back with a quick sweep of his leg. "Remind me to thank you for your sparkling commentary later."

The five seconds ended, and time resumed.

The Medusas hissed in confusion as three of their number crumpled to the ground, reduced to shattered remains. Rex stood in the center of the chaos, dusting his hands theatrically.

"Oops! Did I break something? My bad," he said with a cheeky grin.

The remaining Medusas weren't playing games anymore. They swarmed him, claws slashing and venomous hair striking like vipers. Rex's reflexes kicked into overdrive as he dodged and weaved through the onslaught.

"Alright, enough of this snake pit," Rex said, focusing his energy.

With a surge of power, he slowed time around his attackers. The world became a sluggish blur, the Medusas' movements reduced to molasses-like speed. Rex grinned as he sidestepped a claw aimed at his throat, ducked under a tail swipe, and delivered a series of rapid punches to the nearest Medusa.

"Feels like I'm playing an old-school video game," Rex quipped, knocking another Medusa into her friend. "All that's missing is the 8-bit soundtrack."

"Ah, yes," Cronus chimed in. "You're truly the hero of this tale, Rex. Slapping snakes in slow motion while making terrible jokes. A legend for the ages."

Rex ignored him, spinning around to hurl a ball of Aether energy into the ground. The glowing sphere expanded, enveloping him in its protective embrace. The few Medusas that managed to attack were repelled by the barrier, their claws glancing harmlessly off its surface.

Inside the ball, Rex took a deep breath, the soothing energy knitting together the cuts on his arms. "Alright," he muttered. "Healing? Check. Defense? Check. Swagger? Always check."

"Might I remind you," Cronus said dryly, "that your little ball of Aether only lasts thirty seconds? Better make it count."

Rex grinned. "Thirty seconds is all I need."

As the Aether ball faded, Rex burst out with renewed energy, his fists glowing with power. The remaining Medusas hesitated for the first time, sensing the shift in momentum.

"Now it's my turn," Rex said, his voice cold and confident.

He darted forward, faster than the Medusas could react, his fists and feet striking with precision. One by one, they fell, their stone-like forms crumbling under the force of his blows.

"Eight left!" Rex called, delivering a spinning kick that shattered another Medusa. "Seven! Six! Five!"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The last few tried to flee, but Rex wasn't about to let them off the hook. He paused time again, savoring the moment as he dispatched the remaining Medusas with a series of well-placed strikes.

When time resumed, the clearing was silent once more, the ground littered with the remains of his enemies. Rex stood in the center, breathing heavily but victorious.

"Twenty Medusas," he said, wiping sweat from his brow. "And I still look this good."

"Yes, truly an inspiring tale of courage and vanity," Cronus said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Though I must admit, I was almost entertained."

"Almost?" Rex asked, feigning offense. "Come on, Cronus. That was top-tier hero stuff!"

"If by 'top-tier,' you mean barely surviving while cracking terrible jokes, then yes," Cronus replied. "A true inspiration to idiots everywhere."

Rex chuckled, shaking his head. "You're lucky I find you funny, old man. Otherwise, you'd be stuck narrating someone way more boring than me."

As he turned to leave the clearing, a warm surge of energy flooded through his body. A notification flashed in his mind, accompanied by Cronus' amused voice.

"Congratulations, Rex. You've leveled up. Your reward? Slightly less mediocrity."

Rex grinned. "Level up? Nice. What's next? Do I get a cool sword or something?"

"No, but you get the privilege of not dying. That's reward enough, wouldn't you say?"

"Fair point," Rex said, stretching his arms. "Now, where's the next party? This one's dead."

hisssssssssssssssssss

"M....mortsssss.....al.ssss" A snaky voice sounded from behind Rex as he flinched and turned around "Whoa, I thought I'd gotten rid of the hissers"

"Perhaps thou should be more perceptive next time but great! This calls for more entertainment!! Free at that!!" Cronus chuckled

"Damn you Cronus!" Rex cussed as he examined the Medusa before him.

Unlike the rest, this one was much larger and had sparkling green eyes that seemed like it could petrify anything it saw.....and yes! Of course!! That was the truth.

The snakes on her head all hissed in unison at Rex, their long fangs glowing with a green hue. Their voices were as ghastly as their mother...or sister....or their Leader perhaps? Oh....my bad! It's her hir so it's their owner!

"Tresssspassserssss....musssst die....!" Medusa screeched and then followed by her headed sisters...oh her hair! Dammit!!

"Yeah well....let's get this over with!" Rex summoned a sword made of pure Aether energy. "I didn't come here to watch a family choir" Rex swung the sword sideways

Medusa's glowing green eyes flashed dangerously as she hissed, "Your arrogance will be your downfall, mortal." The clearing seemed to darken, the shadows stretching unnaturally as if the very forest bent to her will. Her snakes lashed out, venom dripping from their fangs like acid, sizzling as it hit the ground.

Rex gripped his glowing Aether blade tightly. "Nice trick, but I've dealt with worse. You don't scare me, Noodle Head."

Cronus chuckled. "Oh, excellent insult, Rex. Truly cutting-edge. I'm sure she's devastated."

Rex rolled his eyes. "You know, you could be a little more supportive."

With a flick of her wrist, Medusa unleashed a volley of venomous projectiles. Rex dodged and parried with his blade, but one glob of venom grazed his arm, burning through his sleeve.

"Hot damn! That stings!" Rex yelped, shaking his arm wildly. "Lady, you need to switch to decaf or something!"

Medusa lunged, her claws glowing with an eerie green light. Rex barely ducked in time, her swipe slicing through a nearby tree trunk like butter. The massive tree toppled with a deafening crash.

"Okay, note to self: Don't let her get too close," Rex muttered.

He retaliated with a series of quick strikes, his Aether blade singing through the air. Medusa dodged most of his attacks with inhuman agility, her snakes snapping at him whenever he got too close.

"Is this the best you've got, mortal?" she taunted, her voice dripping with disdain. "You are nothing but a child playing with power you do not understand."

"Oh, I understand plenty!" Rex shot back. "For instance, I understand that you're overdue for a haircut!"

With a roar, Medusa slammed her tail into the ground, creating a shockwave that sent Rex flying into a tree. He groaned, pushing himself up as leaves rained down on him.

"Alright," Rex grumbled, "time to turn up the heat."

His eyes glowed brighter as he channeled more Aether energy into his blade. The sword expanded, crackling with raw power. He dashed forward with renewed speed, the ground beneath his feet cracking from the force.

Medusa countered with a flurry of strikes, her claws meeting his blade in a shower of sparks. The clearing echoed with the sound of clashing energy and hissing snakes. Rex was forced onto the defensive, barely keeping up with her relentless assault.

"Having trouble, hero?" Cronus quipped. "Maybe you should have brought a flute to charm the snakes."

"Not now, Cronus!" Rex growled, narrowly dodging a venom-laden swipe. He countered with a spinning slash that clipped one of Medusa's snakes, eliciting an enraged screech from her.

"You'll pay for that!" she hissed, her eyes glowing ominously.

Rex felt his body stiffen as her petrifying gaze began to take hold. He clenched his teeth, summoning every ounce of willpower to resist.

"Oh no, you don't!" he shouted, channeling Aether energy into his body. The glow spread over him like armor, shattering the petrification.

"Impressive," Medusa admitted, circling him warily. "But you cannot keep this up forever."

"Watch me," Rex shot back, his grin returning. "I've got stamina for days, lady."

Medusa lunged again, her speed even greater than before. Rex met her head-on, their attacks colliding in a blinding flash of light. For a moment, they were locked in a deadly dance, neither gaining the upper hand.

Then, with a sly smirk, Medusa coiled her tail around Rex's legs, yanking him off balance. He hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of him.

"You're finished," she sneered, raising her claws for the killing blow.

Find your next read at empire

But Rex wasn't done yet. "Not today!" he shouted, summoning a burst of Aether energy that blasted her back. He rolled to his feet, panting but defiant.

"Alright, let's wrap this up," he said, gripping his sword tightly. "I've got places to be, and you're not on the itinerary."

He activated his trump card, pouring all his energy into his blade. The sword transformed into a massive, glowing weapon, humming with destructive power.

Medusa hissed, her eyes narrowing. "You cannot defeat me!"

"Watch me," Rex said with a wink. He charged, his sword cutting through her defenses like butter. With a final, powerful strike, he drove the blade into her chest, the Aether energy exploding outward.

Medusa let out a final screech as her form disintegrated into green mist, her snakes writhing before vanishing completely.

The clearing fell silent once more. Rex stood there, breathing heavily, his sword dissolving into sparks.

"Well, that was fun," he said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Guess I'll add 'snake wrangler' to my résumé."

THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM