The body hit the ground with a dull thud.
> [Kill Confirmed – KP +40]
[Stealth Subsystem XP +9%]
[Entropy: 4.4%]
Asher stood still, letting the blood soak into the dirt.
Three kills tonight. None of them clean. All of them deliberate.
His Shadow Flicker was improving—fewer stumbles, better precision. But his stamina burned faster with each use. His lungs were starting to hate him for it.
> [Skill Proficiency: Shadow Flicker – 12%]
He crouched beside the corpse, wiped his blade on the cultist's ragged robe, and searched the body.
A cracked amulet. Zalgo's rune etched into bone. Standard.
But something else caught his attention: a metal canister. Sealed. Humming with energy.
> [Item Acquired – Ritual Capsule: Unstable]
[Warning: Contents Unknown]
[Shop Suggestion: Capsule Stabilizer – 85 KP]
He slipped it into his inventory and moved on.
---
The next kill didn't go smoothly.
Asher had followed the trail of blood—fresh, not his—only to find two cultists mid-sacrifice in a clearing. A kid, maybe ten years old, bound and gagged, eyes wide with terror.
No time for stealth.
He dropped into Shadow Flicker, tore across the clearing, and drove his blade through the first one's spine.
The second spun, screeching in tongues.
Asher barely ducked in time.
A ritual sigil ignited, lashing out like a whip of red light. It scorched his coat and sent him flying.
> [Damage Sustained – Moderate Burn, Left Shoulder]
[Activating Minor Healing – 50 KP Spent]
[Remaining KP: 185]
He gritted his teeth, launched forward again, and didn't stop until the cultist was choking on his own blood.
The child sobbed.
Asher froze.
This wasn't in the plan.
Still masked, still bloodied, he cut the ropes, handed the kid a flashlight, and pointed toward the road without saying a word.
The boy ran.
Asher didn't watch him go.
> [Kill Confirmed – KP +55]
[Stealth Subsystem XP +14%]
[Entropy: 4.6%]
---
Later, sitting beneath a rusted railbridge, Asher watched the system interface blink.
> [Stealth Subsystem XP: 51%]
[Skill Progress: Shadow Flicker – 18%]
[Entropy: 4.6%]
[Replay Log – 2 New Entries Available]
[Shop Suggestion: Skill Upgrade – Shadow Flicker II]
He didn't open the replays yet. Didn't want to relive the look in that kid's eyes.
But one thing was certain.
He was getting better.
Faster.
Quieter.
Deadlier.
And somewhere in the woods behind him, the world itself was starting to notice.