The alley reeked of piss, blood, and something worse—fear.
Kaien Vale leaned against the rain-slick wall, one eye swollen shut, the other locked on the man holding a jagged knife. Four more surrounded him, street wolves in hoodies and old gang colors, thinking this would be easy.
It was supposed to be.
Kaien spat blood and grinned. "You're gonna need more than five."
The biggest one—scar over his brow, voice full of ego—laughed. "Tough guy act don't work when you're bleeding out, freak."
The others chuckled. They didn't see it. They never did.
[You have taken 72 damage.]
[Auto-recovery: Activated.]
Kaien exhaled slow. The pain receded. Muscles stitched themselves together beneath the skin. His swollen eye opened, and when it did, a faint flicker of violet glowed behind it.
"Let me show you something…" he whispered.
They charged.
[Skill Unlocked: Veinburst — Level 1]
Kaien moved.
Time fractured.
One blow crushed a ribcage. Another shattered a jaw. Blood sprayed against the graffiti. Bodies hit concrete like sacks of meat.
Seconds later, only Scar-Brow was left, crawling backward, eyes wide.
"You're… you're not human," he gasped.
Kaien stepped over him, cracked his neck, and stared at the invisible screen only he could see.
[EXP Gained: +10]
[Level Up!]
[Level: 3 → 4]
"I wish I wasn't," Kaien muttered.
Above him, thunder rolled. Somewhere far off, a siren screamed. And on a rooftop across the block, a silhouette watched with glowing red eyes—hooded, masked, and whispering into a comm.
"Target confirmed. The anomaly is active. Initiate retrieval."
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