Kyle watched her struggle, pushing herself up, fury warring with pain in her eyes. The damp towel offered little modesty, but dignity seemed irrelevant now. Survival was the only currency left."So, who sent you?" he asked. His voice was level. Quiet.Her jaw clenched. Silence. Defiance flickered in her gaze, even now.He sighed, a sound devoid of actual emotion. "I am sure you remember my ability?" He pushed himself off the bed, the movement fluid. "Well, let’s just say it has been upgraded."He walked over to her, stopping just before her kneeling form. He reached down slowly.His fingers brushed her temple. Cool touch."Now I can do this."It began subtly. A pressure behind her eyes. Then, a coldness seeping into her very core. Not absorption. Something... different. Something colder.Where did this even come from?Her breath hitched. A silent scream built behind her eyes. Agony beyond physical limits flooded her senses. Her very essence felt like it was being torn apart, shredded

Derek didn’t speak as they got back into the car. He kept glancing sideways at Kyle, then quickly away. The suspicion was still there, but now it was mixed with something else. Unease. Maybe even a sliver of fear.The spoon incident seemed to have recalibrated his assessment.Kyle watched the roadside diner shrink in the rearview mirror. Bandits. Desperate men pushed to violence by circumstance.Just like the ones who’d jumped him in that alley. Just like he could have become.His life felt like a different planet compared to just a few months ago. It seemed almost quaint now. Queens, Creators, Mana Cells, pocket dimensions... it was absurd.He thought about the world outside the city walls. The world that had suffered since monsters started appearing three years ago. People left to starve, to fight over scraps, while cities like Necrus, and apparently Velerius, thrived behind reinforced barriers.It wasn’t right. But what could he do? Lecture a Creator? Overthrow the Guilds?’Not now

The moment Kyle's aura flared, the heavy door behind him hissed open. The S-rank guard moved. Not walking, just... appearing inside the room, a blur of black armor moving with impossible speed. A fist wreathed in crackling black energy lashed out, aimed straight at Kyle's head. Kyle dodged purely on instinct, leaning back, the blow whistling past inches from his face. The air crackled where the fist passed, raw destructive power radiating from the missed strike. His senses screamed. This wasn’t the brute force of the beastmen; this was refined, lethal energy. He skidded back across the floor, landing lightly in a low crouch, the green light in his eyes burning brighter. The initial shock faded, replaced by something else. A cold, sharp thrill. A real fight. Killing intent, raw and potent, poured off him, a tangible pressure joining his already overwhelming aura. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. The S-rank guard remained unfazed by the killing intent. He dre

Natalie hummed softly, tapping her chin as she compared two ridiculously oversized novelty mugs in the brightly lit gift shop. Kyle's birthday was just around the corner, and finding the perfect gag gift was crucial.He needed cheering up, especially after that whole dungeon mess and his weird recovery. Maybe the one shaped like a grumpy cat? Yeah, that was about it.She paid for the mug, tucked the brightly wrapped box under her arm, and pushed open the shop door, stepping out onto the busy afternoon sidewalk. The city hummed around her, a familiar symphony of traffic, chatter, and distant sirens.Time to head home, maybe try cooking something that wouldn’t set off the smoke alarm tonight.As she turned towards her usual bus stop, a flicker of movement caught her eye. Across the street, two men in dark, impeccably tailored suits stood watching the shop entrance. Their stillness amidst the surrounding bustle felt... wrong.Natalie frowned, her steps faltering. Probably just waiting fo

Natalie slumped back against the seat, the effort leaving her trembling, the sharp tang of blood thick in her mouth. The world swam slightly, a nauseating mix of pain and the car’s smooth motion.Okay, signal sent. Maybe. Assuming the cheap thing even worked after all this time, assuming Kyle wasn’t halfway across the country, assuming he could even do anything against these professional thugs and whatever Association hellhole they were dragging her towards.Assuming a lot. But it was done. Now what?She couldn’t just sit here and wait for whatever horror awaited her at the end of this ride. Stalling them, that was the only way, she needed a distraction, something to slow them down, buy Kyle time... if he was even coming.Her eyes darted around the sterile interior, landing on the impassive face of the suit beside her. An idea sparked, stupid and desperate, but maybe, just maybe..."Hey," she mumbled, her voice thick and distorted by her swollen jaw. "I... I gotta pee."The suit didn’