Pause System: Harem In The Apocalypse

Delta's bird soared through the air above the clouds, giving her a spectacular view from the city above. 

Before the apocalypse, before everything had gone to shit, the view would have definitely been breath-taking. 

Now it was breath-taking, but in a completely different way. 

Pollution and destruction everywhere, it was infested with monsters everywhere and to make things worst... 

Another war was ongoing. 

"Why? Why must there be destruction everywhere?" She questioned in the air. 

'What did the humans do to deserve all of this? And just how many were left?' 

As the thought flashed by, she began to descend, spotting the first of the two remaining underground bases from the air above. 

The bird flapped it's wings before bursting downwards with immense speed. 

Delta narrowed her eyes as they drew closer and closer to the ground. 

Her one and only hope was that the people had all made it here safely, there was nothing else she wanted more. 

- 

- 

- 

Complete an utter silence. 

There Gray stood in the middle of a bombardment of attacks. 

To his left, large chunks of rocks alongside razor sharp leafs rested. To his right, Glowing beam-like attacks shifting even the air around it to emphasize on it's powers, could also be seen. 

The ground beneath his legs were almost pulling it in to prevent him from moving away, it had become all slimy and muddy resembling quick sand. 

Meanwhile from above, abilities manifested as weapons rained down upon him. 

They were all, just a second away from contact. 

'They sure didn't hold back.' 

It was only expected that they wanted to blow him to smithereens, he had blitzed through their entire ship on his own. 

But despite seeing all these attacks, Gray didn't look shaken at all. 

He glanced over to the far end of the room where their leader was. 

Again, still expressionless. 

Gray's excitement was starting to dim down. 

'He's the final boss?' 

The pattern on his forehead began to glow brighter and brighter before eventually taking shape. 

A glowing puzzle manifested on his forehead, it rotated at a constant rate whilst attempting to solve itself. 

This was the mark of the king. 

[Mark Of the King First Stage: Activated.] 

[All stats are to receive a temporary boost.] 

'Level up options.' 

[Level Up Options.] 

[1 - Full Body Recovery.] 

[2 – 100 Coins.] 

[3 – Three stat points.] 

[4 – Stat Boosting Pill (50% Increase).] 

'Option three.' 

[Option 3 Selected.] 

[Received: 3 Stat points.] 

[SP: 22] 

'Options close.' 

The menu disappeared. 

[Time remaining until time un-pauses: 5 seconds.] 

[Time remaining until activation ends: 6:58] 

'Refer to the captains as Kessho's so the notification isn't long.' 

[Confirmed: Kessho captains shall now be referred to as Kessho.] 

'Time shall once again flow...' He muttered. 

[Time resumed.] 

*BO-BOO-BOOOOOM!* 

Explosions echoed throughout the large room. Both the Kessho's and Kessha's who were close to the collision burst away. 

Some of them were impaled by the attacks and injured but most were unharmed. 

*Fwoosh!* 

Through a small dust cloud created, the dark silhouette of Gray's figure could be seen. A strange glowing yellow pattern rested on his forehead and a quite sizzling noise resounded amongst them. 

They all watched, stunned at how he was uninjured. 

The first one to make a move on the other hand, was the one with the [swapping place] ability. 

[Swap] 

Gray's position swapped with one of the Kessho's amongst the crowd. 

The Kessho's all adjusted to his position swap, launching their abilities at him. 

*WHAM!* 

The sole of Gray's feet rammed into the chin of the two Kessho's beside him as he leapt up to avoid the one that came charging at him from behind. 

As their heads cocked back, Gray's right foot, rose up before striking down the Kessho beneath him in an an axe. 

*CRASH!* 

The Kessho's head crashed into the ground, instantly cracking in the process. 

*Stomp!* 

*Crunch.* 

Gray stomped down as he crouched, causing the Kessho captain's head to break, as he avoided the dark glowing palm of a captain behind him. 

[You have killed a Kessho] 

[You earned 140 XP] 

[Dark Palm: Instant-] 

The ability was interrupted as it had missed Gray completely, as he swung his palm down to hit Gray's crouched figure, his eyes widened. 

Gray had thrust his leg up at him faster than he could react, ramming it right into the bottom of his chin. 

His body raised off the ground before being blown away. 

It spun backwards through the crowd being caught by another captain who had caught him. 

The other Kessho captains leapt at Gray, one managing to grab his left arm even. 

[Acid Manipulation...] 

Gray's eyes widened, he instantly slashed off the head of the Kessho with his right hand's sword. 

He looked over at his left arm and noticed that it had began to melt. 

*Slash!* 

The melting was spreading up his arm so he cut it off before it could progress even further. 

The other Kessho captains used this ability to attack, they just needed to land one hit, that was all they were aiming for. 

[Fast-forward.] 

*Swoosh* 

Their hands passed through thin air, Gray's figure had disappeared. 

Looking up, they felt chills rush down their spines as Gray appeared above them. 

He was spinning in the air while upside down with the Katana thrust out. 

*SLING!* 

*Splash!* 

Blood spurted out and around after Gray completed just one rotation from the spin. 

He slashed off all of their heads in just a single motion. 

[You have killed 6 Kessho.] 

[You have earned 690 XP] 

It was after that, that all hell broke loose. 

Gray began burst through the groups of Kessho captains, slaying as many as he could with clean and accurate swings to their heads. 

[Swap.] 

Even when swapping places, he'd only use it to his advantage, killing all the Kessho's in the area around where he had been teleported to. 

[Pause.] 

[Pause Step.] 

He had completely changed, he was not only faster but stronger, he was using his abilities a lot less frequently than before. 

Instead he was only focused on killing. 

[You have killed 8 Kessho's.] 

[You have earned 950 XP.] 

[You have killed 5 Kessho's.] 

[You have earned 680 XP.] 

[LEVEL UP!] 

[You have killed 4 Kessho's.] 

[You have earned 530 XP.] 

The notifications were ringing on the inside of his head non-stop. 

The mark of the king was no joke, they might as well have been moving in slow motion for him with their speed. 

[Swap.] 

*SLASH!* 

Still it wasn't entirely one sided, injuries were forming all over Gray's body as the fighting continued. Even with the mark healing him, there was still limits to it's speed and effectiveness. 

But that didn't stop Gray. Throughout the massacre, Gray couldn't stop himself from smiling. 

The level up and the experience points he was getting, it would surely bring him to new heights. Not to mention. 

[You have killed 4 Kessho's.] 

[You have earned 410 XP.] 

[You are approaching Level 10.] 

The notification completely slipped past Gray's mind. 

He was completely lost in the battle. 

*Step* *Step* 

He staggered, a visible grin growing on his face as he approached one of the last remaining Kessho captain's. 

This was the one he was looking forward to killing the most. 

Long Green brown hair reaching down to his waist, and crimson red eyes. His expression grew more contorted and fearful with every step that Gray took towards him. 

In his eyes, Gray resembled the devil himself, a madman who would stop at nothing to kill him. 

He was scared, he had witnessed the massacre himself. 

He couldn't believe his eyes. 

Gray pointed at where his left arm was supposed to be whilst he stared him in the eyes. 

"I lost my arm because of you..." He muttered. 

He took one more step forward, before kicking off and charging at him. 

The Kessho almost pissed himself, he looked over at the Kessha with the combo manipulation who was one of the few remaining on the other side. 

She too was speechless, and horrified. 

[Swap.] 

He swapped places with her, causing her to be the one Gray was charging at. 

'I-I did it...! I got awa-' 

His thoughts were interrupted as the world suddenly spun upside down. 

His head flopped to the floor, his heart stopped beating. 

He was killed in a single swing. 

[You have killed a Kessho] 

"Pause step..." Gray muttered as he swung his blade. 

*Splatter* 

His blade was dyed red from all the blood it had taken, it was a surprise to see it had even lasted this long. 

It was truly a durable blade. 

[Horned One's Blade.] 

[A common blade crafted by the horned ones for their army's. It is incredibly durable.] 

[+5 Attack.] 

Gray's brow raised slightly, it was the first time the system had given a description of a weapon. 

Another perk of it having evolved, he assumed. 

He looked over at the combo manipulation Kessha captain. She was on her knees and trembling in fear. 

She had lost the will to fight. 

He looked around only to find another two remaining Kessho captain's. 

They too had lost the will to fight, and were on their knees almost begging him to spare them. 

But would he spare them? 

He was disgusted. 

*Tsk* 

He clicked his tongue. 

"Get up..." Gray muttered. 

"The people your race has killed in the invasion showed no mercy to ours... Stand proud and fight till your last dying breath." 

"Isn't this what you all wanted?" Gray asked. 

He thrust his katana into the ground before sending a glare at the their leader at the very end of the ship. 

"This is war."