The second stage began the moment Alex finished reading about [Threads of Fate].
A new clone appeared, identical to Kaelios in every way.
It stood motionless at first, its gaze cold and calculating.
Alex could already tell this one was different.
The intensity it radiated was sharper, and its presence felt more dangerous.
This was not going to be simple.
“Alright,” Alex muttered, flexing his claws. “Let’s see what [Threads of Fate] can do.”
He focused, willing the skill to activate.
Ding!
[You do not have enough Destiny Points.]
Alex froze mid-step. “What?”
He quickly reopened his panel, scanning the ability description again.
At the very bottom, the glaring text confirmed what he’d missed earlier:
[Consumes 20 Destiny Points; no cooldown.]
“Destiny Points?” Alex repeated, narrowly dodging the clone’s opening attack.
Its movements were faster than the last clone, its strikes more deliberate.
“What the hell are Destiny Points?” he grumbled, deflecting a blow and jumping back to create space.
From the sidelines, Kaelios chuckled, clearly entertained.
“That’s part of the challenge. You’ll have to figure it out for yourself.”
“Of course,” Alex muttered, his tone laced with sarcasm.
The clone launched another flurry of attacks, forcing Alex to focus.
Despite his curiosity, he had no time to puzzle over the mysterious points.
Every step he took, the clone matched perfectly.
Every strike he attempted, the clone countered.
‘Destiny Points…’ Alex thought, keeping a neutral expression.
He glanced briefly at his panel, trying to pull up more information.
For a split second, the text flickered into view.
[Current Destiny Points: 18/100]
“Oh?!” Alex exclaimed.
The moment he noticed it, his heart leapt.
But before he could delve deeper, the clone capitalized on his distraction, landing a powerful hit.
[You have died.]
Alex was revived instantly, standing back at the start of the stage.
The clone reset as well, waiting silently for him to reengage.
He immediately checked his points again.
[Destiny Points: 0/100]
‘It reset,’ Alex realized. ‘That means I must’ve gained the points during the first stage and this new one.”
He replayed the battle in his mind, remembering every moment.
He’d landed a punch on the clone once before, and his points had gone up.
‘Does hitting the clone give Destiny Points?’
Determined to test his theory, Alex dashed forward.
The clone reacted instantly, but Alex managed to land a clean punch to its face.
[+2 Destiny Points.]
“It works!” Alex grinned.
But that wasn’t enough.
He needed more clarity.
There had to be other ways to earn points.
He dodged an incoming strike, stepping aside at the last second.
[+1 Destiny Point.]
“Avoiding attacks gives points too…”
The clone followed up with a kick.
Alex deflected it with his arm before countering with another punch.
[+3 Destiny Points.]
‘Deflecting also adds points.’
From the sidelines, Kaelios couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’ve figured it out already? Impressive.”
Alex didn’t respond, too focused on piecing it all together.
A moment later, more information appeared in his vision:
[Destiny Points are gained when the user manages to change the trajectory, aka destiny, of a battle.]
[You gain them by: attacking (2), defending (1), or avoiding (1).]
[Every single ability from the God of Destiny requires these Destiny Points to function. Without them, you cannot use the skills.]
“Every god has their own unique power system,” Kaelios explained, sipping from a cup as if this were a casual event, “Mine revolves around Destiny Points. I suggest you get used to it quickly.” Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire
“Yeah, no pressure,” Alex muttered, his tone flat.
Now that he understood how it worked, Alex focused on building up points.
The fight became a cycle of strikes, dodges, and deflections, each exchange earning him precious points.
[Destiny Points: 21/100]
Finally, he had enough to activate [Threads of Fate].
But he wasn’t about to rush into it blindly.
The clone, moving in perfect sync with him, likely had just as many points as he did, he counted.
If they both used the skill at the same time, the real challenge would begin.
The clone mastered the [Threads of Fate], while he would go in it blindly, so Alex expected to die a lot at the start.
And that’s exactly what happened.
Threads of Fate!
Golden threads materialized in Alex’s vision, weaving around the clone’s body.
They wrapped around its arms, legs, torso, even its head.
Every thread moved in tandem with the clone’s movements, creating a complex web of possibilities.
But as Alex focused on the threads, his excitement turned to confusion.
‘I… I can’t understand them?’
Despite seeing the threads, he couldn’t interpret what they meant.
One thread around the clone’s left arm shifted, but did that signal an uppercut? A block? A grab?
The clone dashed toward him.
Alex saw the threads around its legs tense, signaling movement.
He braced himself, trying to predict its next attack.
But at the last second, the threads shifted unexpectedly.
Boom!
[You have died.]
Kaelios burst out laughing.
“The clone also activated [Threads of Fate] too. It saw your threads shift the moment you reacted. That’s the real challenge of this stage, outsmarting it means outsmarting me.”
Alex groaned as he stood up again. “Great.”
He threw himself back into the fight, determined to figure out how the threads worked.
But mastering [Threads of Fate] wasn’t as simple as he’d hoped.
The golden threads constantly shifted, their meaning elusive.
Every time he thought he understood them, the clone adapted, landing a fatal blow.
[You have died.]
[You have died.]
[You have died.]
Each death reset him, but Alex refused to give up.
Bit by bit, he started to notice patterns.
Certain threads moved in predictable ways, signaling specific attacks.
Others were more subtle, hinting at feints or counters.
It was frustrating, exhausting work, but Alex knew this was the only way to pass the stage.
Kaelios watched in silence now, his earlier amusement replaced with curiosity.
‘He’s learning faster than I expected,’ the god thought. ‘Most wouldn’t last this long.’
Finally, after nearly a full day of relentless fighting, Alex saw and understood everything.
The clone dashed forward, threads twisting around its limbs.
Alex watched carefully, his eyes darting between the golden lines.
He saw the thread around its right leg tighten, a low kick.
But then, the thread near its shoulder shifted, a feint.
Alex didn’t react. He waited.
The moment the real attack came, he moved.
He ducked under the clone’s swing, pivoted behind it, and delivered a devastating punch to its back.
The clone staggered, golden threads unraveling around it.
‘Got you,’ Alex thought.
With a final strike, the clone shattered into specks of light.
Kaelios raised an eyebrow, “Not bad. Took you less than 24 hours. I’m impressed.”
Alex wiped the sweat from his brow, though his body didn’t feel tired, “I already I told you I can’t waste time. I’ve got a bloodline to acquire.”
“Fair enough,” Kaelios shrugged. “But don’t get too comfortable. This is only the beginning.”
Alex nodded, turning his attention to his panel.
He knew the next stage was waiting, but first, he needed to fully master the next skill.
[3 days 20 hours 58 minutes left.]
It took him a little bit more than 3 days to master the first two stage, so he truly hoped that the others would be easier to master, otherwise it was over for him.