Deep within the forest, far from the bustling city, trees towered with trunks as thick as the embrace of three grown men. They stood apart from each other, yet each radia ted an ancient aura, as if they had witnessed millennia of destruction. A thin mist crept between the massive roots that stretched like tentacles over the damp earth, as if ready to snatch anyone who let down their guard.
The air was heavy. Humid. Thick with the scent of wet soil mixed with something deeper… fouler… like a corpse buried in a half-hearted grave.
The clang of metal echoed again and again—clashing swords, shattering shields, and occasionally, stifled screams.
Amidst the mist, nine awakeners fought desperately against hundreds of armed skeletons, surging like a legion from hell. Six men and three women moved like war machines. They weren't amateurs. Every motion was precise, coordinated, deadly.
One man leapt high, and in an instant, one of the women beneath him raised her hand. An invisible aura lifted his body into the air, making him hover like a god of war.
His mouth widened, and from deep within his throat, a massive burst of fire erupted, sweeping across dozens of skeletons below. They disintegrated in a blazing inferno of red flames, blinding to the eye.
The man landed steadily, satisfied with the destruction he'd left in his wake. That was his ability: Dragon's Breath. That's it. A fiery discharge. But because of that limitation, he trained his body endlessly for close combat. And luckily, he was damn good at it.
"Nice job, Lim!" shouted another man before charging into a crowd of skeletons with his fists. His movements were wild and brutal—not the result of elegant training, but more like a wild animal that knew exactly when to tear.
Each punch shattered skulls, and with every broken skull, another skeleton died, the purple glow in their eyes—the source of the binding magic—fading instantly.
"I think we can pull this off!" he shouted. "What about the rift? Is it open yet?"
"Still red," one of the frontliners replied, shaking their head slightly.
"Shit…"
"These skeletons just won't stop coming!"
"What about Adam? Anyone seen him?"
"Nope."
"Same here."
"Ahh, that useless shit!"
Without further words, they continued the slaughter.
---
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest…
[New Combat Skill Acquired: Swift Dash]
[Description: Performs a short dash in a chosen direction, increasing evasion speed by 20% for 1 second]
Ronan grinned. His eyes locked sharply onto a three-meter-tall skeleton gorilla before him—a monstrous figure with jagged fangs and arms the size of a grown man. But now, its limbs were detached from their magical bindings, lying helpless on the ground—all thanks to his heavenly weapon: vinegar.
"Now… let's end this," Ronan muttered, his grin widening with intent.
His right fist ignited with Starflame—a stellar fire that burned quietly but scorched from within. In one calculated motion, he struck straight into the creature's skull.
CRACK! A small explosion rang out. Fractures spread rapidly before the skull burst apart, bone fragments scattering.
[2-Star Creature Eliminated. Gained 20 Skill Points.]
Ronan exhaled. His chest rose and fell slowly. He was now just one step away from reaching 100 Skill Points. One more upgrade. But that wasn't his focus right now.
He picked up two soul stones from the ground—mid-tier, it seemed. Then his eyes scanned the area. Five more soul stones… not from his own doing.
His steps carried him toward their source: a man lying behind a low bush. Maybe four or five years older. His armor was cracked and punctured in places, his body smeared in blood, and one leg was bent at an unnatural angle. One of his arms was bleeding heavily, clearly broken and unmoving.
As Ronan approached, the man's eyes sharpened, struggling to stay conscious. His voice came out raspy.
"Your ability's amazing… But… I'm the one who weakened that skeleton. I killed most of them. So… a few of those soul stones are mine," he said softly, his breathing labored.
Ronan didn't respond. His steps were calm and steady. His face unreadable, almost devoid of emotion.
"Can you move?" he asked flatly.
The man swallowed hard, clearly nervous. "My left leg's broken. My elbow too—got hit hard. Can't move it. Lost too much blood already… If it weren't for this armor, I'd be dead."
Ronan gave a slight nod. "Nice information."
The man's brow furrowed. His tone shifted, more cautious now. "Don't do anything stupid!"
"Like what?"
He didn't lower his guard. "My name is Adam Luther. I'm from the Silent Will Order. If you lay a finger on me… it won't end well for you. My friends will coming and you will be in trouble!"
Ronan seemed intrigued. His head tilted slightly. "Your friends… are they loyal?"
Adam remained still, tension in his eyes. "Of course. They're probably looking for me right now. If you kill me, they'll come for you. You'll be hunted. Tracked."
Ronan gave a faint smile, though there was no laughter in his eyes. "Too bad."
His left hand reached into his pack. A dagger appeared—Grade B, sharp and elegant, a gift from Alistair.
Adam's expression shifted drastically. "Hey, hey, hey! Don't do anything stupid! Didn't you hear what I just said?! If you kill me, they'll—"
Ronan kept walking forward, ignoring Adam's frantic words. His mind was locked onto a single question—if he killed an awakener, would he gain skill points? That thought had lingered in his head for days.
And now, he had the perfect chance to find out.
"... I'll give you a skill scroll!" Adam blurted.
Those words made Ronan pause. A flicker of interest crossed his face. Adam saw it—and latched onto the opportunity with a glimmer of hope.
"Yeah! A real skill scroll. Bound type, not cheap junk. In exchange for my life. You can have all the soul stones. I won't complain," he said quickly, voice trembling with desperation.
"Show me."
"Swear you won't do anything to me," Adam demanded.
"I've never sworn in my life," Ronan replied.
Adam clenched his teeth, clearly sensing Ronan's murderous intent. And in his current condition, he'd likely die. But he knew this was his only shot—he had to gamble with fate.
With trembling hands and what little strength he had, he reached into his pack and pulled out a black scroll.
"This… bound-type skill scroll, one use only: Phantom Shift. Absolute dodge for 0.5 seconds. Teleports 10 meters. But there's vertigo side effects. I swear, it's powerful."
Ronan eyed the scroll. "So kind of you."
Adam felt a chill crawl up his spine. "Wait, you—"
Ronan's dagger stabbed straight into his solar plexus.
The sound of the blade sinking in was disturbingly soft, like tearing wet cloth beneath the silence of the forest.
"That's why I never swear," he whispered.
Adam's eyes widened in disbelief. His final breath hitched in his throat as his body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Ronan slowly pulled the dagger free, his hands trembling despite his effort to steady them. He had killed before—Liam, Ryan, Jake—but those deaths had come under the numbing haze of the Devil's Covenant. Back then, the skill had dulled his senses, muted his conscience. He hadn't felt... human.
But this time was different.
This time, it was all him.
The weight of it pressed down on him—not crushing, but present. A faint tremor of guilt, of something close to fear, stirred in his chest. Yet he didn't look away.
He knew he had to get used to this. Not because he craved blood or wanted to become some cold-blooded monster. No.
He simply wanted to survive.
In a world where power ruled, mercy was a luxury he couldn't afford. And to live, he had to evolve—no matter what it cost him.
[Awakener Spirit Realm Level 2 Eliminated. Gained 25 Skill Points]
Ronan smiled. The shock melted away the moment he saw the system notification—his guess had been right. Killing an awakener granted him skill points.
It was a brutal confirmation, but also a thrilling one.
"Not to mention this looting," he said with a smirk, eyeing the backpack and skill scroll on the ground.
Without hesitation, he grabbed what he deemed important—starting, of course, with the skill scroll. He stared at it for a moment. This was his first time holding a scroll… and he'd gotten it for free.
"Lucky me," he said, slipping the scroll into his pocket, ready for when it might be needed.
He dug through Adam's bag, finding a few potions he didn't recognize—he'd check them later—then found seven soul stones, one of which he was certain was high-tier. That made him grin in satisfaction.
But his excitement froze when he found another scroll—this one golden.
His grin stretched wider, followed by a laugh. "Damn, I'm really lucky today!"
He shoved everything into his pack, and now his eyes fell on Adam—his jackpot. He wouldn't leave the body behind. That would be the same as leaving evidence, and with awakener detectives, there was no doubt this could be investigated and eventually traced back to him.
"Goodbye, my jackpot," he muttered.
Starflame ignited, and Adam's body was consumed by bright red fire—leaving no trace behind.
Ronan turned and walked away from the site—stronger, sharper… and just a little darker than before.