“I’m feeling the heat, Soto! Doesn’t heat mean you’re almost dead?!” Alex yelled, voice cracking from panic and cold.

  The wind howled between us, snow slashing my face as I held the yeti’s palm at bay. Its hand was enormous—each finger thicker than my arm. The creature pressed harder, forcing me backward inch by inch. The snow under my boots gave way, crunching into powder. Its sheer strength dwarfed mine, and every shove felt like pushing against a mountain.

  “Instant Strength!” I roared, the words igniting a red aura through my body. My arms swelled, muscles throbbing as raw energy coursed through them. For a second, the pressure equalized. My feet stopped sliding. I shoved back, the ground splitting beneath us.

  "Barrage!"

  Then came Barrage—a storm of strikes that blurred the air. My fists slammed into its arms, chest, and face in relentless succession. Each blow echoed through the tundra, but the yeti barely flinched. Its arms crossed to block, white fur singed and skin bruised, but no deeper wounds. My breathing quickened—too much resistance. The cold wasn’t just numbing me. It was stealing my speed, my focus, my strength.

  I leapt back and yelled, “Give me that speed burger!”

  Alex, already trembling, fumbled through the Dimensional Storage and pulled out a glowing cheeseburger—three patties stacked high, cheese colored blue. It didn't taste any different. He hurled it toward me. “Catch, you barbarian!”

  I caught it, bit down hard, and felt mana flood through me. My body lightened, my reflexes sharpened. The burger’s enchantment hit instantly. I was faster. I could almost feel the air bend as I moved.

  Speed wouldn't finish this, however.

  I extended my hand, veins swirling. “Condense.”

  A new technique. One that I got from floor three. Shout. Barrage. Instant Strength. Instant Speed. Condense.

  My body shivered as every muscle fiber compressed inward. It would only compress further. My limbs grew slightly thinner, denser—like compacted steel cords. It multiplied my strength up to eightfold, concentrating every ounce of power into each movement. But there was a tradeoff. My flesh was rigid, my defense gone. If I was hit now, my body would take the full brunt of it. No cushioning, no flexibility.

  The yeti roared, lowering itself into a sprint. Its massive arm swept toward me, tearing through the air. I sidestepped. My movements were razor-sharp but fragile—one mistake, and I’d be done.

  It lunged again. I dodged low, scraping ice. It hurt just to move that much.

  Then it turned toward Alex.

  He froze, whispering, “Oh, no—”

  “Alex!”

  He summoned his item—an ordinary banana. The yeti stomped on it and immediately slipped, its towering frame crashing into the snow with an earth-shaking thud.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Maybe that banana wasn't so ordinary after all.

  I couldn’t help but laugh, even through the burning cold. “Good timing!”

  I sprinted up its fallen back.

  Thirty seconds of condense. My stamina was feeling it after all this time.

  I crouched low, every condensed fiber trembling to explode. I leapt, descending with a roar.

  My fist slammed into its skull with cataclysmic force. The ground trembled. The yeti’s head erupted in a spray of red and steam, the snow around us painted crimson. Its body collapsed, shaking the mountain.

  I stood atop it, panting, blood-soaked and shivering. My skin steamed from the relaxation.

  Alex gagged. “You really look like a barbarian."

  He raised a trembling hand to the sky. “Clean.”

  A faint blue shimmer enveloped him, and in an instant, the blood vanished from his clothes. He pointed weakly at me. “Your turn."

  He pointed at me with a frown. “Seriously, dude, you’re dripping.”

  I need more strength. Sosuke increased his strength by one after a full week of training. I'm going to do it too. I need to protect everyone.

  Oh? A new perk?

  It increased my strength by one. Disappointing.

  I wonder how much better I would be at baseball now.