Ethan Smirk returned , but this time it lacked usual arrogance,
Then he vanished from where he was standing,
'Shit, I didn't want to fight.'
Before Ash could react, a fist slammed into his stomach.
Pain exploded through his ribs, raw and searing. His breath hitched—his vision blurred for a fraction of a second.
His body staggered back, the impact nearly sending him to his knees.
But Ethan didn't give him time to recover.
Another strike came—a fist aimed straight at his face.
Ash barely managed to tilt his head, the punch grazing past him. His instincts screamed at him to counter, and he did.
Four lightning spheres crackled to life around him—bright, destructive, hungry.
Without hesitation, he hurled them straight at Ethan.
But—
He vanished again.
'Fuck—I forgot this bastard has a Shadow based trait. And with the sun down and the moon up, his Assassin class is at its peak,' Ash seethed internally.
The lightning orbs slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave through the clearing. Dirt and dust erupted into the air, obscuring the battlefield.
"Cough… cough…"
Ash spat blood, wincing.
'That hurt like hell.'
But he didn't stop. He had no choice but to use the temporary cover.
He moved.
His hand crackled with lightning as he sprinted through the dust, heading straight for where Ethan had been.
Except—
There was no one there.
Ash's eyes narrowed.
'Right. He has a concealment trait too. And it's high rank.'
'Unless I'm stronger than him, I won't be able to sense him.'
Then—his instincts screamed.
He rolled to the side—just in time.
A kick whistled past the space where he had stood a second ago, slamming into the ground with a force that cracked the earth.
A voice cut through the clearing as the dust settled.
"Aren't you quite sensitive?"
Ethan emerged from the haze, his red eyes glinting in amusement.
Ash clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain steady.
He needed time.
"Don't you think you should use some kind of handicap?" he asked, keeping his voice measured. "You're obviously stronger than me."
Ethan scoffed. "I believe one should fight with everything they have. And I'm not some chivalrous fool who cares about honor."
Ash remained silent for a moment, then exhaled.
"Then why are you even fighting me? You already said I'm weak. There's no reason for you to bother."
His voice was unsteady, but he forced the words out.
His body screamed in protest.
Every muscle burned, his strength drained, his vision hazy.
He just needed a moment.
'Guess, I have no choice...'
Then—he gritted his teeth and forced mana into his body.
His limbs tingled as energy surged through them. The trembling in his stance faded.
Strength returned, his breath steadied.
'I can move for at least 10 more minutes before my mana is exhausted. After that, I won't be able to fight.'
Ethan's gaze darkened. "You already know why."
Ash felt a flicker of irritation.
'He's getting on my nerves…'
'Now? Now, I don't care what happens.'
Ash took a defensive stance, his gaze cold.
Then—he smirked.
"From what I remember," he said casually, "I didn't touch your mother after that fateful night."
A split second.
That was all it took.
Ethan's expression snapped.
His body blurred—moving instantly—a fist heading straight for Ash's face.
But this time—Ash was ready.
He blocked the strike with both hands.
Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Surprise, motherfucker," he spat.
Ash lunged, driving his knee toward Ethan's crotch. But Ethan vanished once more.
"Tsk, it should have connected," muttered Ash under his breath.
Fury exploded in Ethan's voice as he reappeared, red-faced and shouting, "Bastard, how dare you attack someone in that region! Don't you have any shame?"
'Dumbass', Ash thought, his mind racing.
"I... believe…One… should fight… with everything… they have...And…I'm… not some chivalrous fool… who cares about shame…", he transferred his words back to him with a weak voice,
Ethan's face twisted in anger. His red eyes burned with fury, his entire body trembling with unrestrained rage.
Ethan's voice cracked with rage. "This—this bastard! First, he was traveling with Melissa, my fiancée, and now he's asking what he did wrong?!"
'What?'
Then—click.
'Oh'
'So that's why this guy was after me.'
"Oh, that? "I was... just taking a lift... if you know what that means." Ash replied matter-of-factly.
"And besides, I.....was forcefully taken by them. That bitch—oops, I mean, Melissia—is unreasonable."
"It was forced, you know… and I have no interest in a girl who doesn't use her brain," Ash added, his voice trailing off.
Ethan was so enraged he couldn't form another word; instead, he vanished once more.
This time,
Ash was not able to react,
Ethan's fist connected with Ash's face—blood and a tooth erupted as Ash was sent flying backward.
His mind spun; his body lost control, slamming violently into a tree.
The impact shattered the trunk, pinning Ash against the splintered wood.
Darkness overtook him as,
He lost consciousness..
***
In the control room, Elva sat with legs crossed, her eyes fixed on the live feed.
Her usually unreadable expression flickered for a moment as she watched Ash crash into the tree.
"Tch," she murmured, tapping her nails rhythmically against the armrest.
"I knew he was reckless from his previous verbal sparring... I was hoping he'd have some hidden weapon up his sleeve, but look at him—knocked out."
She let out a slow breath, her fingers twitching ever so slightly.
The commentators were talking.
The audience was probably cheering or gasping in shock at the things Ash Said,
"What a waste"
Her Violets flickered to another figure on the screen—Ray Dawson.
Are you going to intervene or just watch? she wondered with a playful yet commanding glint in her eye.
A small, enigmatic smile played on her lips as she remarked softly, "Hmm… it's getting interesting. The fight is just beginning."
**
Ray stood on the edge of the battlefield, golden eyes glowing under the moonlight.
His grip on the hilt of his sword tightened.
He had been watching.
He hadn't planned to interfere.
It was not his fight after all.
He had more important things to do.
**
> [Quest: Reach the Mountain]
> Objective: FIND ?????
> Reward: New Affinity Unlock
**
But—
His fingers twitched. His heart pounded.
He had told himself that he wouldn't get involved. That he couldn't save everyone.
But now, looking at the bloodied figure pinned against a shattered tree…
Something inside him cracked.
For a moment, he saw another boy.
A younger one.
Crying.
Broken.
The memory was suffocating.
His parents, reaching for him.
And him—too weak to do anything.
His breathing turned ragged.
The demons had taken everything from him.
He had sworn never to let it happen again.
Ray closed his eyes.
Took a deep breath.
When they opened again, they burned with resolve.
'Now I have power—I must help the weak. And from their previous exchange, Ethan's actions have been utterly unreasonable'
Thus,
He moved.
In a flash, Ray leaped from his position.
His blade sang as it left its sheath—the moonlight catching its razor-sharp edge and glinting brilliantly.
Ethan barely had time to react before vanishing into the shadows, his movements seamless as he slipped away.
Moments later, Ethan reappeared a short distance from Ray, blood gushing from his chest in steady, alarming waves.
"Tsk, one loser coming to save another loser," Ethan muttered, his tone laced with bitter amusement and underlying pain.
Ray remained Silent, watching the blood coming out of his chest in waves,
"—What? Not gonna reply?" Ethan snapped, his voice rising in anger as he tried to mask his own vulnerability.
Ray merely shifted his weight, then stepped toward Ash, who lay unconscious nearby
'I am glad healing potions were allowed in the test' he thought.
He retrieved a healing potion from his inventory and carefully administered it to Ash's prone form.
Almost immediately, the healing potion surged through Ash's injuries, knitting flesh and bone back together.
Seizing the opportunity, Ethan also downed a healing potion, he took out from his space ring.
His bleeding stopped, and his composure returned.
'That was close. He's clearly still at novice rank—then why the hell couldn't I sense his attack earlier? Does he also have perfect foundation?' Ethan's mind churned with frustrated curiosity.
Before he could dwell further, Ray's calm, measured voice cut through the tension:
"You are strong, but that doesn't mean you should bully the weak. If you want to fight like a man, fight someone of your own rank."
Ray advanced slowly toward Ethan, mana swirling around him like a luminous aura.
'Is he breaking through right now?' Ethan wondered, releasing his Apprentice Rank aura as he prepared himself for a true contest.
"Let's change places, shall we? There are injured people here," Ray muttered, his voice strained but firm.
Ethan didn't respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on Ray, who stood there, mana swirling around him like a gathering storm.
The air crackled with tension, a silent challenge hanging between them.
Then, without a word, Ethan turned and started walking toward a different part of the forest, his figure melting into the shadows.
Ray exhaled, his golden eyes narrowing before he followed.
Silence settled over the clearing.
***