I nodded.
"I had expected more," I said quietly. Then I looked at him again. "What is your name?"
"Rudy."
"Alright Rudy, you were very cooperative. Can you tell me why?"
"Because I don’t like pain and don’t wanna die," he said immediately. "See, I told you everything you wanted to know. If you succeed, I’ll stay in this city and work under you. If you lose, then... well, you’ll die and I’ll be free."
"Very straightforward of you, Rudy," I said. "But you are a believer. Won’t living under me affect you?"
He exhaled and nodded.
"It will. If I’m not trying to defeat Defiers, the experience I gain from kills will be reduced by half. Which means I’ll level up slower... but at least I’ll be alive."
I nodded and stood up.
"I understand. But I’ll have to put you down till I’m done here."
I didn’t wait for his response. I knocked him unconscious again and walked downstairs.
Once below, I opened my status panel.
[Status]
—-----------------------------------
Name: Ryan Heavens
Level: 39
Class: Radiant Destroyer
Talent: Overdrive
Designation: Defier
Combat Points (CP): 110
Influence Points (IP): 1560
Stats:
Vitality: 107
Strength: 159
Dexterity: 108
Intelligence: 70
Endurance: 70
—-----------------------------------
"Maybe four or five more levels... then I should be able to take their level fifty boss down," I muttered.
I didn’t bother hiding anymore.
The moment I stepped out of the house, I did so openly. The city was already alert, movement picking up in every direction, but this time I didn’t avoid it.
After taking a turn into a narrower street, I slowed just enough to scan ahead, and two figures came into view walking toward me, their white robes clear even in the dim light between the buildings. They noticed me at the same time I noticed them, both of them stopping mid-step as their eyes locked onto the hood covering my face.
For a brief second, no one moved.
Then one of them shouted.
"He’s here!"
A grin spread across my face under the hood, and I moved.
The distance closed instantly as I rushed forward, my grip tightening around the axe while both of them reacted, their greatswords coming up in defense. The first one stepped in and brought his blade down in a vertical strike but I shifted slightly to the side, letting it pass just off my shoulder, and in the same motion my axe came across.
The blade cut through his neck cleanly. He dropped without a sound.
The second one froze for a fraction of a second before turning to run, his body already twisting away. I pulled my arm back and threw the axe.
It spun through the air in a tight arc.
Then struck.
The blade buried itself deep into his back, the force driving him forward as he stumbled and fell hard onto the ground, his body going still a moment later.
I walked up to him, pulled the axe free, and as I straightened I heard multiple footsteps rushing in. I tightened my grip and stayed where I was.
Four of them turned into the street a moment later, their intent clear the moment they saw the bodies on the ground.
[Believer Human – Level 35] [Believer Human – Level 30]
[Believer Human – Level 30] [Believer Human – Level 30]
The one in the center Level 35 stepped slightly ahead and was about to speak.
I didn’t give him time.
"Impact Burst."
The energy gathered around my legs, the faint yellow glow flaring as it released, launching my body forward in a straight line. I crossed the distance before they could adjust, my knee driving straight into his chest.
The impact was brutal.
His body lifted and flew backward, crashing through the street and slamming into the ground nearly twenty feet away, the force folding him in on himself as he hit.
I landed and turned immediately. The other three were already on me.
I stepped forward and swung.
The axe cut in a wide arc, the yellow glow trailing along its edge as it passed through two of their necks in one clean motion, the momentum carrying through without resistance. Their bodies dropped almost at the same time.
The last one reached me.
His sword flared faintly with a silver glow as he swung horizontally, the strike was fast. I brought my axe up to meet it, the blades colliding with force that pushed through my arms, the impact heavier than the others had been.
"That’s a skill..." I muttered under my breath.
He stepped in again, following with another strike, but I shifted inside his range this time, letting the blade pass just behind me as I moved forward, closing the gap completely.
My axe came up. Then down.
The blade sliced through his neck cleanly. He dropped where he stood.
I turned without pause and walked toward the one I had sent flying earlier. He was still alive, barely, his body broken against the ground, ribs visible where the impact had torn through.
I stood over him for a second. Then swung once putting him out of his misery.
[Level Up]
[Level 39 → 40]
[Combat Points +250]
[Influence Points +0]
I left the narrow street without slowing and pushed toward the main road.
The moment I stepped out everything shifted.
My danger sense flared violently, sharp enough to force my body to react before thought could catch up, and I turned instantly, bringing the axe down in front of me just as something struck it.
The impact felt like a bullet.
A sharp, focused force that hit the blade dead center, sending a shock through my arms before I could adjust. The next instant my footing was gone, the force carrying through me as my body lifted off the ground and flew backward.
The world blurred.
My back slammed into the wall of a house along the main road, the wooden structure breaking under the force as I crashed straight through it, splinters and debris bursting outward while my body tore into the interior. I hit the ground hard, sliding across the floor before coming to a stop, the air forced out of my lungs as the dust settled around me.
"Damn that hurts," I groaned, forcing myself up as the ringing in my ears dulled everything else for a moment, my vision slightly blurred as I shook my head and tried to steady it.
The air inside the broken house was thick with dust and splinters, the remains of the walls barely holding together after the impact, and then the sound outside began to push through.
Shouts.
"Fire in the house!"
The words reached me just as I turned, and my eyes caught it, a flaming arrow cutting through the air.
Then another.
And another.
They pierced through the broken structure and landed inside, embedding into the scattered wood, flames spreading instantly as the dry planks caught without resistance. The fire climbed fast, crawling across the debris, the heat rising in seconds as the air shifted from thick to suffocating.
My eyes widened slightly.
"Oops."