2025-05-06 19:16:41The night air was cool as Ali walked home, his muscles still humming from the intense training session with Malik and Laith. The streets were quiet, the occasional flicker of a streetlight casting long shadows. He rolled his shoulders, replaying the drills in his mind, until a sharp, unfamiliar sensation prickled at the back of his neck. He sensed danger.
His screen showed before his eyes a silent alert flashing in his vision [Threat Detected, Proximity meters.] Ali froze, scanning the dimly lit alleyways. Was this part of the training? But no, this felt real. The system guided him, pulling his attention toward a narrow side street. Heart pounding, he moved silently, every sense heightened. Then he heard it, a muffled gasp, the sound of fabric tearing. Peering around the corner, he saw a woman leaning over a man pressed against the wall, her fingers curled possessively around his collar. The man’s eyes were wide with terror, his breath ragged. Wait… something’s wrong. He thought to himself. The woman’s face twisted unnaturally, her features melting like wax. Her limbs elongated, fingers sharpening into claws. The man whimpered as the creature’s mouth stretched into a grotesque grin, rows of jagged teeth glinting in the dim light. It was a shapeshifter. Ali’s instincts kicked in. He stepped forward, voice cutting through the darkness. "Hey!" The creature’s head snapped toward him, its hollow eyes locking onto his. The man took the chance to stumble back, gasping. The Ghoul hissed, its voice a guttural mockery of human speech. "Another snack?" Ali clenched his fists, adrenaline surging. The system flashed again. [Engage with caution. Target: Shapeshifter. Weakness: Strike before full transformation.] He didn’t hesitate. He immediately actived the armor "White armor Activate" he declared. As soon as he was in his armor he lunging forward, he waved his sword at the Ghoul’s half-formed face. It cut him but the Ghoul managed to step away and regenerate, regaining its original form. The man scrambled away, shouting, "What the hell is that thing?!" "Run!" Ali barked, dodging a swipe of the Ghoul’s claws. The creature snarled, now fully monstrous—spindly limbs, jagged bone protrusions, a mouth too wide for its face. Ali ducked another attack, countering with a sharp kick to its ribs. It staggered but recovered fast, slashing at him. Pain flared across his arm, but he gritted his teeth. He knew he must focus. Remembering his training, he feinted left, then drove his elbow into the Ghoul’s throat. It gagged, its movements faltering. Seizing the opening, Ali grabbed a nearby metal pipe and swung with all his strength. CRACK. The Ghoul crumpled, it fell down to his knees. Panting, Ali stared at the empty space where it had been. The system updated: [Threat Neutralized. Combat Experience +10.] The man was still trembling a few feet away. "You—you saved me. What was that?!" Ali exhaled, wiping his brow. "Something that shouldn’t exist." He pulled out his phone, quickly messaging Malik and Laith: "We have a problem. Ghouls in the city. Just fought one." The response was immediate. Malik: "Stay where you are. We’re coming." Ali looked back at the shaken man. "You okay?" The man nodded shakily. "Thanks to you." The black smoke from the defeated Ghoul began to swirl unnaturally, coiling back together like a sinister vortex. Ali’s eyes widened as the creature’s laughter rasping and cruel echoed through the alley. "You’re just a small fry," the Ghoul sneered, its voice guttural yet mocking. "But I’ll have fun with you." Before Ali could react, the creature’s body twisted, bones cracking as its form expanded. Scales erupted across its skin, wings tore from its back, and in seconds, a dragon-like monstrosity loomed over him, molten fire glowing in its throat. "Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!" Ali barely leapt aside as a jet of searing flames blasted where he’d stood, the heat singing his clothes. The dockyard crates behind him exploded into splinters and embers. Think. Adapt. Laith’s voice echoed in his mind. "Fear gets you killed. Strategy keeps you alive." Ali forced his breath steady. The Ghoul was stronger, yes, but it was arrogant. And arrogance could be exploited. Dashing behind a stack of cargo containers, Ali activated Stealth, his form blending into the shadows. The dragon-Ghoul snarled, its massive head whipping side to side. "Hiding won’t save you, little insect!" Ali didn’t answer. Instead, he moved silently toward the waterfront, leading the creature away from the city. The Ghoul took the bait, stomping after him, its massive tail smashing through lampposts. Then, just as Ali hoped, the creature’s form flickered. Maintaining such a powerful transformation was draining it. The dragon’s scales melted away, shrinking back into the slender, humanoid figure from before. Now was his chance. Ali lunged from the darkness, swinging a heavy chain he’d ripped from a nearby docked boat. The Ghoul hissed as the metal links wrapped around its torso, binding its arms. "Clever," it spat. "But not enough." Ali drove his knife straight into its chest. The Ghoul shrieked, its body convulsing as black ichor spilled from the wound. With a grunt, Ali heaved it off the pier and into the churning sea. The water hissed where the creature’s flesh touched it, bubbles erupting before the Ghoul dissolved into nothing. [Target Eliminated.] Panting, Ali collapsed to his knees as the system flared before him: [LEVEL UP!] [New Ability Unlocked: Light Sword] [+3 Strength] [+4 Stamina] [+5 Battle IQ] A grin tugged at his lips. He’d done it alone. Then his phone rang. Malik’s voice was uncharacteristically urgent. "Ali! Are you ok?" Ali tapped the device. "Yeah, Ghoul’s down. But we’ve got a bigger problem." "We’re tracking you now," Laith cut in. "Stay sharp. If one’s here, more are coming." Ali exhaled, flexing his fingers. The night was far from over. And now, he had a new weapon to test. The Light Sword hummed to life in his grip, a blade of pure energy, glowing like a sliver of the sun. And he was ready to test it.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 391 The Loudest Silence
The hospital room was quiet except for the steady beep of monitors and the soft whisper of the ventilation system. Ghassan lay in his bed, his face pale against the white pillow, his eyes fixed on Ali with an intensity that belied his weakened state.Ali had come alone this time. He pulled the chair close to the bed and sat down heavily, the weight of the past few days evident in every line of his face."I talked to someone," Ali began quietly. "Someone who knows things about Ghouls. About what might be happening to you."Ghassan's eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing."His name is Abu Jumana. He's... he's not well. He's in prison. But he knows more about Ghouls than almost anyone alive." Ali chose his words carefully. "He read ancient texts. Ghoul texts. And he said something important.""What?" Ghassan's voice was a whisper."He said the Ghouls don't transform humans. They don't want to. They think we're beneath them." Ali leaned forward, holding the boy's gaze. "The voice you
Chapter 390 The Madman
Ali's footsteps echoed through the sterile corridors of Ali's company as he made his way to Professor Riyad's office. The old professor was exactly where Ali expected to find him—hunched over a stack of papers, his thick glasses perched on his nose, a cup of tea growing cold at his elbow."Ali." Riyad looked up as Ali entered, his eyes sharp despite his age. "You look terrible. What happened?"Ali collapsed into the chair across from Riyad's desk and told him everything—Ghassan's condition, the voice in his head, the visit to George, the talk about the Bridge between human and Ghoul natures. Riyad listened without interrupting, his expression growing more serious with each word.When Ali finished, the professor was quiet for a long moment. Then he leaned back in his chair and removed his glasses, polishing them slowly."George gave you legends and rumors," Riyad said. "You need facts. Historical records. Original texts.""I've read everything we have on Ghoul biology," Ali said tiredl
Chapter 389 Fragile Hope
The fluorescent lights of the hospital ceiling hummed overhead, a steady, mechanical drone that seemed to pulse in time with the throbbing agony in Ghassan's shoulder. He drifted in and out of consciousness, the boundaries between waking and dreaming blurred by pain and whatever drugs the doctors had pumped into his system.When he woke fully, he saw nothing but darkness.The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of monitors tracking his vitals. His shoulder screamed with every heartbeat, a deep, burning pain that radiated down his arm and across his chest. He tried to move, to cry out, but his body felt weighted down, unresponsive.Then he heard the voice."Run."It wasn't a sound. It was more like a thought inserted directly into his mind, cold and slithering, ancient and wrong."Run, little human. They will make you a lab rat."Ghassan's eyes darted around the room, searching for the source. There was nothing, only shadows, the sounds of machines and the faint outline of the door
Chapter 388 The Brave fool
Samir and Sami were walking toward school, backpacks slung over one shoulder, moving with the particular lazy gait of teenagers who had already mentally checked out of the academic day ahead. The streets were busy with the usual morning chaos, vendors setting up their stalls, mothers herding smaller children, the distant honk of traffic.As they rounded the corner near the market, they spotted a group of their schoolmates gathered near a juice stand. The group was larger than usual, and at its center, holding court with theatrical gestures, was Ghassan.Sami and Samir exchanged glances. Ghassan was known for many things—loudness, boastfulness, and an uncanny ability to insert himself into any conversation, but he was not known for honesty." and then I grabbed him by the throat!" Ghassan was saying, his voice carrying across the square. His audience, a mix of younger students and a few curious adults, leaned in. "The Ghoul thought he could take me, but I've been training for years. Y
Chapter 387 Best Bros
Ali was deeply focused on a microscopic component, tweezers in hand, when the door burst open with enough force to rattle the schematics pinned to the walls."Traitor!" Laith's voice thundered through the room.Ali nearly dropped the component. He spun around, tweezers still raised defensively, to find Laith standing in the doorway with his arms crossed and a theatrical scowl on his face. Behind him, two junior Knights who had clearly followed him out of curiosity peeked around the doorframe before quickly disappearing when Ali caught their eye."What?" Ali demanded, lowering the tweezers. "What did I do?"Laith strode into the room, his movements carrying that particular fluid grace that came from years of martial training combined with natural athleticism. He stopped directly in front of Ali's desk, looming impressively despite the fact that Ali was still seated."I heard," Laith announced dramatically, "that you're making new armor for everyone. Everyone except me. You forgot I exi
Chapter 386 A Strong Faith
Ali's office was a sanctuary of precision and order. Schematics lined the walls, pinned to corkboards with color-coded markers. Prototype components sat in labeled trays on a long workbench. The computer monitors displayed complex 3D models rotating in slow, silent simulation. Everything was exactly where it belonged, organized and controlled.Everything except Ali's mind.He sat in his chair, staring at the ceiling, the third cup of cold coffee untouched on his desk. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city sparkled with the million lights of late night—or early morning, depending on perspective. He had lost track hours ago. The digital clock on his monitor read 3:47 AM.Marwan's words echoed in his skull like stones dropped into a deep well, the ripples spreading endlessly."You're building crutches. You're building suits so powerful, so automated, that the person inside stops being the fighter.""Whose hands do these suits end up in? Eventually, one of them will end up with s
You may also like
MASON WILLIAMS AND THE CELESTIAL SYSTEM
Bigsnowy 31.9K viewsMy Money Spendrift System
R. AUSTINNITE44.2K viewsMyriad Returning System
Rex Magnus43.7K viewsCrash-landed On An Island With Nine Beauties
Zuxian205.6K viewsTHE HIDDEN HEIR'S VENGEANCE
Sally Diandra312 viewsMAGE ACADEMY : LEO'S FRACTURED SYSTEM
CoachVictordaniels 690 viewsRise With Underdog System
aleyatoryss1.4K viewsWake Up With Apocalypse Survival System
hotaka katsuo4.6K views