2026-01-18 15:28:05Red and blue lights at the end of the alley grew brighter, their reflections slicing through the rain, breaking the puddles on the ground into uneven lines. Darin recognized the pattern. The police were not coming alone. They would seal off two access points, then advance slowly, careful and methodical.
He had to leave.
Now.
But the boy’s body was still in his arms, light, yet carrying a weight he could not simply set down. That small, broken breathing was still there, uneven but real.
The sirens were not the only sound drawing closer.
Footsteps slipped through the rain. Steady. People who knew exactly where they were going.
Darin turned toward the opposite end of the alley, away from the police.
The darkness there was thicker, and it moved.
“Move,” he whispered, mostly to himself. He shifted the boy so he was propped against the wall, shrugged off his jacket, and pressed it against the crudely sealed wound. His movements were not gentle, but precise, like handling something fragile that would shatter if held wrong.
The boy winced. His hand moved on reflex, clutching the fabric of Darin’s jacket, but he did not scream.
Darin straightened. His shoulders felt heavy, as if an extra weight had been deliberately hung from them. The wound in his chest throbbed faintly, reminding him that this body was not fully his anymore.
[You are two minutes late.]
The voice appeared, calm.
[They are not waiting for the police.]
“Of course,” Darin muttered. “Cartels never do.”
Three figures emerged from the dark.
Not random thugs. Thick jackets, work boots, tattoos not meant to be displayed but obvious if you knew how to look. One carried a short machete with a dulled blade. Another let an iron chain hang loose from his hand, its metal occasionally kissing the ground with a wet clang.
The man in the center stopped a few steps from Darin, his eyes immediately recognizing him.
“Darin,” he said, confirming it.
“The boss thought you were dead.”
Darin did not raise his knife. Not yet.
“Not yet,” he replied flatly.
The man’s gaze slid to the boy against the wall. A thin smile formed.
“That’s a shame.”
Darin shifted half a step, an old reflex kicking in without being asked, blocking that line of sight with his own body.
“Leave,” he said. “The police are close.”
A short laugh answered him.
“We know,” said the one with the chain. “That’s why we’re fast.”
The distance closed.
Darin calculated angles, spacing, retreat paths that no longer existed. Old instincts stirred, trying to take control, but his body was slower than it used to be. Every breath felt insufficient. There was a slight delay between intent and movement.
And he was not alone anymore.
[This is the interesting part,] the system commented, flat.
[Normally, you would attack now.]
“I still can,” Darin answered in his mind.
[You can kill, yes.]
[But can you protect?]
The man in the center lifted his hand slightly. A subtle signal. The other two spread out, forming a half circle.
They knew how Darin worked.
The police sirens drew closer. Too close to escape far, too far to be used as cover.
“Let’s finish this,” said the tattooed man. “The boss doesn’t like loose ends.”
The machete rose.
The chain stopped swinging.
That was when the system panel appeared again. Not bright, as if it had been waiting for this moment all along.
[I kept something for you, not a reward, more like a reminder of who you are.]
A single option appeared, unhighlighted.
[Berserk Instinct (Locked)]
[Can be unlocked under extreme threat to the target.]
Darin swallowed.
He knew that feeling. Raw instinct that had saved him many times before, and always took something with it afterward.
“I won’t be able to stop if that activates,” he murmured.
[I know,] the system replied.
[That is the test.]
Behind him, the boy shifted slightly. Small fingers clenched the hem of Darin’s pants, silent.
A light touch.
But enough.
Darin exhaled slowly.
“Fine,” he said. “But listen.”
[Oh, I have been listening from the start.]
Darin’s gaze hardened.
“If I die after this,” he continued, “you make sure he lives.”
There was a brief pause, almost imperceptible, but real.
Darin stepped forward.
The man with the machete charged first, his steps heavy, full of confidence that one swing would be enough. The dulled blade swept toward Darin’s neck.
For a fraction of a second, Darin was late.
The wind of the blade brushed his skin.
Then his body moved.
Not because he was stronger.
Not because he was invulnerable.
His reflexes moved ahead of thought.
He ducked too low, his shoulder nearly scraping the wet asphalt. The broken knife in his hand drove into the attacker’s side, not deep, but precise. His wrist twisted, yanking the blade free in a short, brutal motion.
A scream tore through the rain.
The large body stumbled, nearly crashing into Darin before collapsing. Blood poured out, mixing with rain.
Darin gasped. His lungs burned, the pain in his chest screamed for attention. Yet the sensation was muted, as if pressed back behind a thin wall.
[Neural response temporarily restricted,] the system said briefly.
The other two did not hesitate.
The chain whistled through the air. Darin twisted, nearly slipping, dragging Rian farther back. The end of the chain slammed into the wall, spraying water and rust.
Darin caught the chain with his bare hand. The skin of his palm tore open. Heat flared, but again it never reached a scream.
He pulled hard.
The attacker was dragged forward, losing balance. Darin slammed the knife handle into his face. Once. His hand trembled. He forced a second strike.
The body fell.
One remained.
The last man took half a step back. His eyes widened, not with anger, but disbelief.
“You… you should be dead,” he stammered. “The police shot you.”
Darin stood there, breathing heavily, shoulders rising and falling.
“I am dead,” he answered quietly.
Then he moved.
There was no elegant technique. No strength left to spare. Only a final push to remove the threat before his body collapsed on its own.
Seconds later, the alley was silent again.
Only rain.
And ragged breathing.
Darin dropped to his knees.
The knife slipped from his hand, striking the asphalt with a short metallic sound. His body pitched forward. He braced himself with one hand pressed to his chest. The gunshot wound opened slightly, blood seeping out, thin but real.
The boy stared at him from behind. His small face was pale. His lips trembled, eyes glassy, but he did not cry. He was too confused.
Darin turned slowly. “Hey… what’s your name?”
The boy hesitated, then answered in a small voice. “Rian.”
“You…” Rian swallowed. “You’re a monster.”
Darin did not argue.
He sat back against the wall. Rain soaked his hair and face. The world felt slower, as if time itself was reluctant to move normally.
Several seconds passed before the system spoke again.
[Immediate threat neutralized.]
No fanfare. No large numbers.
[Second Mission: Complete]
[Sin reduction: 200 points]
Darin let out a short laugh. “Cheap.”
The system did not respond.
Silence settled, heavier than before.
“Why…” Rian’s voice was small, raw, full of emotions that had not yet found shape. “Why did you protect me?”
Darin opened his eyes slowly. He looked at the boy this time, without turning away.
“Because if you die,” he said honestly, “I die too.”
Rian clenched his fists. Tears finally fell. “So my life is just… a tool?”
The words cut sharper than the machete.
Darin stayed silent for a long time.
“I didn’t say it was fair,” he finally said. “I said it was real.”
Rian shook his head hard. “I hope you die.”
Darin accepted that without reaction.
A few seconds later, the system spoke again, calmer.
[Subject Darin. Larger scale hostile movement detected. Not at this location.]
Darin stiffened. “Where.”
[It is not time for you to know the details.]
A small panel appeared.
[Further Instructions (Optional)]
[Leave the area. Police arrival in less than one minute.]
The red and blue lights were now clear at the end of the alley.
Darin rose slowly. His legs wavered. Pain began to creep back in, faint but certain.
[Pain suppression effects will fade,] the system added.
[Use your time wisely.]
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 40: The Broken Line
Darin didn’t waste time. The moment he spotted the man’s silhouette waiting at the end of the street, he veered off. Not out of cowardice, but calculation. He slipped into a narrow alley barely wide enough for two people, where the stench of garbage hung thick in the air, a detail lost to the urgency pressing in on him.He lowered his stance, keeping Rian’s body steady in his arms. The boy was still unconscious, fragile, light as cotton.“Wake up…” Darin whispered, barely audible.No response. The System remained silent, even as the pressure in his head grew more insistent. He knew the weight he carried did not come from physical injury, but from the fact that something abnormal was hunting him. There were no footsteps behind him, and that silence only sharpened every alarm in his nerves.Darin quickened his pace, cutting sharply through the alley and leaping over puddles to save time. When he emerged into a wider passage, he was forced to stop short.A dead end. A tall concrete wall
CHAPTER 39: The Chosen Path
Darin did not attack. The step he had just taken stopped halfway between him and the man. Not a retreat, not a full advance, but enough to show he would not act recklessly.The man watched him, a slight change flickering in his eyes. “Your first decision that wasn’t impulsive,” he said quietly.Darin ignored the comment. His gaze returned to the capsule. Rian still did not move. His breathing was steady, but too calm for a ten-year-old who had just been taken.“He’s sedated,” Darin said. It was not a question.The man gave a small nod. “Stabilized.”Darin shifted his position slightly, maintaining a safe distance between himself and the man, while staying within reach of the capsule.“If this is protection,” he said flatly, “explain it now.”The man fell silent for a few seconds, as if weighing something. Then he stepped forward until he stood beside Darin. Not threatening, simply there.“That child,” he said quietly, “should not have survived this long.”Darin did not fully understan
CHAPTER 38: The Point of No Return
Darin did not speak. He had no intention of wasting time. The moment the man finished his sentence, Darin moved. His target was clear, the capsule. Not the man before him, not the room. Only Rian.His body shot across the metal floor. The distance between them was only a few meters, yet it felt like a barrier that had to be broken before everything became too late.The man did not block him directly. He simply shifted one step to the side, and in that instant, the world around Darin changed. Not physically, but the space suddenly felt heavy.Darin’s movement slowed for a fraction of a second, just enough to disrupt his rhythm and make the remaining distance no longer easy to cross. But he did not stop. He forced his body forward, ignoring the pressure bearing down on him. His eyes remained locked on the capsule.Three steps left. Two—Suddenly, something appeared between them.Not a person, not a solid object. It resembled compressed air, forced into a dense distortion.Darin slammed
CHAPTER 37: A Trail That Should Not Exist
Darin did not break into a run.He chose to walk instead, his steps measured and steady. But the calm was only a mask. Behind his expressionless face, he was exerting every ounce of control to keep himself from exploding.The thin line still glowed at the edge of his vision. At times it faded when his focus wavered, only to sharpen again each time he steadied his breathing and slowed his heartbeat. The thread of energy felt alive, pulsing as if urging him to follow.Darin continued the pursuit. He moved through narrow, suffocating alleyways, cut across silent side streets, then turned again. The landscape of the night city began to mutate. The farther he left the city center behind, the fewer streetlights remained. Old buildings stood packed together like sleeping giants, some hollowed out with shattered windows, others occupied only by dark, lingering shadows.There were no people, no voices. Only the sound of Darin’s footsteps striking cold asphalt, and the unwavering compass fixed
CHAPTER 36: What Remains
Silence descended in an instant.Only seconds after everything vanished, Darin remained frozen. He did not rise right away. His body was still locked in an awkward fallen position. One knee pressed against the hard asphalt, while one trembling hand braced his weight to keep him from collapsing completely.The world suddenly felt too real again.The faint electrical hum of the streetlights rang painfully in his ears. A thin gust of wind brushed the back of his neck, carrying the scent of dust and cold asphalt. Somewhere in the distance, at the edge of the city, the faint sound of car horns reminded him that normal life continued, a stark contrast to the madness he had just endured.Darin drew a long breath, trying to fill his constricted lungs. The pain in his chest had not faded. The impact from earlier still pulsed deep within him, a fractured sensation spreading along his ribs. But it was not the physical pain that truly disturbed him.There was a hollow space suddenly yawning open.
chapter 35
Darin looked ahead, the road in front of him appeared normal. Cracked asphalt, a flickering streetlight, but the space in the middle felt wrong. Like an image slightly out of alignment.The system pulsed faintly.[Anomaly increasing.]Darin took one step forward, then another. With each step, the pressure in his chest grew heavier, as if he were walking through something invisible. His eyes narrowed. He raised his hand, touching the empty air in front of him. There was resistance. Thin. Like touching the surface of perfectly still water.Darin did not hesitate. He pushed, the layer rippled and in an instant, reality cracked.CRACK!The sound was not heard by the ears, but felt inside the mind, the scene in front of him shifted.The empty street vanished, replaced by the same space but different. Dimmer. Colder. As if the color had been drained from the world.Darin stood still not surprised. Only observing.Three figures and one small body. Rian.The boy hung limp over a man’s should
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