The night thickened like ink, wrapping everything in shadow. The scattered campfires were the only beacons of light in that maze of ruins, where every step could be a trap… or an opportunity.
Kairo, Robert, and Racher moved with a coordination born of necessity. Their bodies were already used to tension, to held breaths, to the silent language of hands.
Upon reaching a fork between crumbling walls, Racher stopped and knelt to the ground. He touched a fresh footprint in the damp soil and frowned.
"Damn," he whispered. "They're coming this way."
Robert narrowed his eyes. "A patrol?"
"Looks like it. At least five or six men, and they're close."
Kairo stepped forward without thinking. "We can ambush them if we move fast. That gap between the rubble…" He pointed to a narrow passage between two half-collapsed stone blocks. "We could force them through there and take them down one by one."
Racher raised an eyebrow, surprised. It wasn't a bad idea. In fact, it was a good one. A very good one.
"Since when do you think like that?" he asked, half-joking.
"Since I realized that if we don't use our brains, our muscles will die," Kairo replied with a half-smile.
There was no time to waste. They took position quickly. Kairo crouched just behind a rock at the entrance of the passage, Robert a few meters behind, and Racher atop a boulder, dagger in hand ready to throw.
The footsteps approached.
One, two, five… seven enemies appeared, speaking in low voices. One carried a torch. Another held a rusted spear. The rest had swords and clubs. They walked confidently. Calmly.
The first to enter the passage was met with a clean slash to the abdomen. He fell silently. The second fared no better—Kairo spun and smashed his jaw with the hilt of his sword, then drove it beneath his ribs.
The rest grew alert, but the passage was too narrow. They could only advance one at a time.
That's when the middle bandit shouted:
"Ambush! This way, quick!"
One of them bolted in the opposite direction.
"He's going to raise the alarm!" Robert yelled.
But before he could move, a shadow leapt over the wall. It was Kairo.
He hadn't thought. He hadn't calculated. He simply acted.
He landed in front of the fleeing enemy, rolled on the ground, and with an improvised move—far from elegant but effective—he slashed the man's legs from behind. The bandit fell face-first, screaming in pain. Kairo got to his feet with difficulty, panting.
And then, with a cold, determined gaze, he drove his sword into the man's back.
Silence returned. Robert and Racher emerged from the passage, looking at the body in front of Kairo.
"How'd you get there so fast?" Robert asked.
Kairo didn't even answer. He simply looked at his watch, which vibrated:
+70 EXP.
Experience (EXP): 25 / 200 (+70 EXP.)
Level Up!
Level: 3
Rank: F
Health (HP): 120 / 120 (+10)
Energy (EP): 60 / 60 (+5)
Strength: 10 (+1)
Agility: 11 (+1)
Vitality: 10 (+1)
Intelligence: 12 (+1)
Defense: 9 (+1)
Speed: 11 (+1)
Skill Unlocked: [Surge Instinct] – When you're in extreme danger, gain a brief boost to agility and reflexes.
"I leveled up," he said simply.
Racher whistled low. Then he glanced at Robert with a raised eyebrow.
"You know," he said, "I'm starting to think this kid isn't as ordinary as he seemed."
"He's not," Robert admitted, still impressed.
Racher crossed his arms.
"I've seen a lot of rookies," he said quietly. "Some cry. Others freeze. Others give up before the fight even starts. But Kairo… he's different. He's weak, sure—at least compared to us. But he doesn't stop. He doesn't wait for orders to save him. He acts. And every time he does, he gets better."
Robert nodded with a smile.
"He's got potential. He may not be the strongest… but he gives it his all, without giving in to fear."
Racher looked up at the night sky, where only a few stars shimmered."And in this job, that's worth more than any power."
Kairo, still unaware of what they were saying, wiped the blood from his face and looked toward the distant fortress. Now, the silhouette of a larger tower stood out from the rest. From there, new shadows were rising. Other figures—bigger, better armed.
And among them… a voice roared from the tower:"Who's killing my men?!"
Kairo raised his gaze."That must be Trid."
The real fight was about to begin.And there wouldn't be enough shadows to hide from what was coming.
"They're coming this way," Racher warned, frowning, the blade of his dagger gleaming under the light of a distant torch.
Kairo turned his head. He could see them—a new patrol, much larger. Ten men coming down the slope, well-armed and alert. This time, they weren't careless bandits. They were coming ready to kill.
"They've spotted us," Robert murmured, clenching his fist.
Kairo felt a chill run down his spine. There was no time to run. No safe place to flee. The only option left was to fight.
"This is where stealth ends," he said firmly. "Now it's all or nothing."
Racher gave him a quick glance and nodded.
The three took position without a word, back to back, as the enemy silhouettes approached like devouring shadows.
The final battle against the Graviton bandits was about to begin.