Reborn Vanguard

Kai stood motionless in the center of the transformed world, his mind struggling to process the whirlwind of events that had just unfolded. The virtual landscape stretched out before him, vast and intricate, yet he felt out of place—disjointed from his surroundings, unsure of what came next. He had died once. He had been reborn. And now, he had a new power, one that might change everything.

The Copy ability pulsed at the back of his mind, a strange, insistent energy that urged him to test its limits. But what did it mean? What could he actually do with it?

He looked down at his hands, his fingers trembling slightly. He felt the hum of power in the air, the static crackling around him. With a deep breath, he focused on the space before him, his eyes scanning for something to test this newfound ability.

There, in the distance, stood a towering tree. Its bark shimmered in the light, the leaves swaying in an almost hypnotic rhythm. It was a simple target, but Kai needed to understand what he could do with this ability. I'll start small, he thought.

He took a step forward, his legs still a little unsteady from his rebirth. He reached out, his hand making contact with the rough bark. As soon as his fingers touched the tree, a flood of information poured into his mind. He felt its strength, its resilience, its very essence, and for a brief moment, it was as if the tree itself had become a part of him.

A small prompt flashed before his eyes.

[SYSTEM: Ability Copied – Enhanced Durability]

The words were simple, but they brought clarity. He could copy the tree's attributes—its strength, its resistance to damage. But there was a catch. As the system updated, Kai felt a tug of strain on his body. The copy wasn't seamless; it required a balancing act. If he took too much, his body would struggle to maintain it.

He could feel the limits already.

A new message appeared, highlighting the boundaries of his new ability.

[SYSTEM: Copy Ability Limit – You can stack two abilities at once. Your body and energy must be on par with the abilities you copy. Overuse will cause strain.]

Two abilities. That was his limit. And balancing them with his physical and mental capacity would be key. If he copied more than two abilities, or if his body couldn't handle the energy required, he would risk overloading, potentially causing harm to himself.

Kai clenched his fist, testing the new power within him. His body felt more resilient, stronger. He could withstand a blow now, but he wasn't invincible.

His attention was drawn to the horizon as a low rumble echoed through the air. The ground trembled slightly, and Kai instinctively took a defensive stance. Something was coming. He could feel it in the air, the change in the environment—the sense of impending danger.

A figure appeared from the shadows, a corrupted player, his body emitting a sickly, dark energy. The player's eyes glowed with an eerie light, a sign that he had succumbed to the Demon King's influence. His movements were erratic, fueled by pure rage and malice. The corrupted player let out a guttural growl as he advanced toward Kai.

Kai's heart raced, and he felt the familiar rush of adrenaline. His mind raced with possibilities. I need to be careful. I can't just copy everything this time.

The corrupted player lunged, his speed unnatural, his strength overwhelming. Kai barely had time to react. He dodged to the side, but the force of the player's strike shattered part of the ground where he had just been standing. The impact sent a shockwave through the air.

No time to hesitate, Kai thought. His body moved on instinct, and in a fluid motion, he copied the Corrupted Fury ability from the player as he narrowly avoided another strike. The power surged through him, filling him with a destructive energy that matched his opponent's. But he held back, feeling the balance of his abilities, the strain on his body.

He couldn't push it too far. The system had warned him about the limits of his Copy ability.

With the Enhanced Durability from the tree still active, he could withstand the force of the corrupted player's blows. But now, he had Corrupted Fury, and he wasn't afraid to use it. Kai stepped forward, meeting the corrupted player head-on with a vicious counterattack.

The air crackled with dark energy as Kai unleashed a punch, fueled by the Corrupted Fury he had copied. The strike hit the player square in the chest, sending him stumbling back with a grunt of pain. The dark energy surrounding the corrupted player flared, but Kai was already closing the distance, pushing forward with controlled force.

The corrupted player, now enraged, tried to strike again, but Kai was faster. His body, powered by Enhanced Durability, allowed him to take the hit without stumbling. He used the momentum to pivot and strike again, this time with a well-placed kick that sent the corrupted player crashing into the ground.

Not bad, Kai thought, wiping sweat from his brow. He could feel the strain on his body, the weariness creeping in. Two abilities. That was his limit. If he tried to stack more, he might end up destroying himself.

The corrupted player struggled to stand, but before he could rise, Kai took a deep breath and focused. He copied Corrupted Fury again, sending another wave of dark energy surging through his body. But it was more difficult this time—the energy felt unstable, like it was too much for him to handle. He could feel his energy reserves draining.

The corrupted player howled, his body twitching as he struggled to resist the overwhelming surge of power. Kai, maintaining control, launched one final, decisive strike, and the corrupted player disintegrated into pixels, vanishing into the ether.

Kai stood there, panting heavily, his mind reeling. He had done it—he had survived. But the victory felt hollow. There was still so much he didn't understand about his powers, about the world around him, and about the Demon King's corruption that was slowly spreading.

He glanced down at his hands. The Copy ability had saved him, but it was a double-edged sword. Two abilities at once. Balance was key.

If I push too far, I could destroy myself. But if I hold back, the world will be lost.

His journey had just begun, and he knew that the challenges ahead would be far more dangerous than anything he had faced so far.

But one thing was certain: He wasn't going to let the Demon King win.

Not this time.