The man in the white shirt stepped forward, boots sinking into the wet mud. The dagger at his belt gleamed under the rain. He reached down, unclipped it without a word, and pointed it toward Ren.
A challenge.
Ren grinned despite the pain lacing his limbs. His stolen blade trembled in his grip, rain dripping from the edge.
"Didn't expect the system's pet dog to look this plain," Ren muttered, lifting his sword with mock arrogance. "What's next? A training manual and a speech about justice?"
The man blurred.
CRACK!
Ren barely twisted aside. The blade missed his neck by inches, slicing through air—and then steel. Sparks burst across the alley as their weapons clashed.
He's fast—
Too fast.
Ren slid back, boots scraping against wet stone. His arms stung from the impact. He activated Echo Vision mid-swing.
[ECHO VISION – ACTIVATED]
Glitches of glowing lines wrapped around the man's body… but flickered violently.
Too distorted.
Too unstable.
"Even with the skill activated," Ren growled, blocking another strike, "I can't see him properly—!"
The man lunged again.
A storm of slashes forced Ren to backpedal, parrying wildly, mud splashing beneath their feet with each shift.
CLANG! CLANG! SPLASH!
Their blades danced in the storm, but Ren was slipping. Losing ground. The man's movements weren't just fast—they were impossibly precise, every cut aimed to cripple.
Suddenly, the man leapt back.
His dagger began to glow—pale violet light gathering along the blade's edge, crackling like lightning held in metal.
[WARNING – HEAVY MANA WAVE DETECTED]
Mana flooded into the blade.
"Shit."
Ren braced himself.
WHOOSH!
He vanished.
No—moved. It was a flash-step. A blink.
Then pain.
SHHK—SHHK—SHHK—SHHK!
Hundreds of thin cuts burst across Ren's arms, legs, torso. His cloak shredded. Blood sprayed into the rain.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION] HP dropped to 70.
HP dropped to 60.
HP dropped to 50.
[ECHO VISION – DISABLED]
System instability detected. Echo skill forcibly deactivated.
His knees buckled.
He dropped to one knee, coughing up blood, his vision tilting.
The white-shirted man stood over him, rain dripping down his arms, dagger humming softly.
"I was going to leave you alive," he said coldly. "But you pissed me off."
He raised his dagger.
"Die."
Ren looked up, blood in his mouth, and smiled.
"Not today."
His fingers twitched.
[FORCED ACTIVATION ]
[SWORD OF AETHERLIGHT– ACTIVATED]
Duration: 30 Seconds (MAX OVERRIDE)
The system screamed.
And the sword in Ren's hand—cracked, chipped, and soaked in blood—exploded with light.
Aetherlight roared through the blade like a second sun bursting into existence. Pale gold fire wrapped around the steel, eating the rain, burning even the wind.
The air warped.
Steam hissed from the mud where the blade touched ground.
The man paused, eyes narrowing.
Ren stood, trembling—but now his steps cracked the stone beneath his boots.
"Come on then," he said through bloodied teeth. "Let's dance."
They clashed.
BOOM!
The first blow shattered the air like a cannon. Aetherlight met dark mana, sending shockwaves ripping through the alley.
CRASH!
THOOM!
Mud splattered in every direction. Windows shattered. Power lines snapped overhead.
Ren was faster now—unnaturally so. The light boosted his every movement, pushing his already sharp instincts into overdrive. He struck with rage. With fire. With pain.
But each strike burned.
His muscles tore with every motion. The sword's glow cost him—each second was agony.
But it didn't matter.
He was winning.
The man parried, teeth clenched. "What the hell kind of skill is this!?"
Ren didn't answer.
He pushed harder.
The white-shirted man released another skill—a blur of afterimages, slashing from every direction.
[ENEMY SKILL DETECTED: MULTI-STRIKE]
Ren blocked. Deflected. Took hits. The light shielded some—but not all.
Blood poured from his arms.
10 seconds remaining.
They tore through the street, crashing through walls, slicing apart stone and steel.
5 seconds remaining.
The enemy flickered—clearly slowing.
Ren coughed blood but raised the glowing blade again.
2 seconds remaining.
"END—THIS—!"
He poured everything into the last swing.
The blade howled through the air, a burning arc of gold light crashing down.
0.56 seconds left.
FLASH.
The entire district lit up like sunrise. For a moment, even the darkest slums saw the light.
Then—silence.
Rain fell.
Smoke curled off the shattered street. Rubble lined the alley. Craters burned with fading gold.
The white-shirted man lay broken, unmoving. His dagger was snapped in half. His body smoldered with burns and fractures, unmoving.
Ren dropped the sword.
His body shook. Blood streamed from his mouth. The Aetherlight faded, the cracked blade turning dull once more.
He dropped to one knee.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Victory Achieved.
Hostile Neutralized: UNKNOWN CLASS.
+1,000 EXP
+Weapon Proficiency Increased
+Permanent Stat Bonus: +2 Strength, +2 Vitality
+New Title Acquired: Slumborn Survivor
Skill Evolution: Echo Vision (Lv. 2 – Stabilized)
Then another notification.
New Skill Detected: Do You Want to Copy
"Multi Strike (Lv. 1) "?
[YES/NO]
Ren collapsed back, eyes barely open.
He muttered under his breath, "Yes."
Above, the sky rumbled with thunder.
The rain didn't stop.
But somewhere—deep in the dark corners of the city—someone saw that light.
And they weren't happy.