Daniel's fight against the Asura Leader had become a brutal war of attrition. Both combatants were bloodied, their movements slower but just as deadly. Cracks in the ground, splatters of blood, and the sound of clashing steel filled the air like a war anthem. Daniel, now fully awakened in Level 3, had begun to close the gap between them. Blow by blow, he was forcing the Asura Leader onto the backfoot.
And the Asura Leader knew it.
With a subtle hand signal, he called for his remaining lieutenants.
In a flash, three more Asuras broke away from the shadows and launched themselves at Daniel, weapons gleaming with murderous intent.
Tch.
Daniel's eyes narrowed. He immediately stepped back, pivoted mid-air, and brought his blade up in a sweeping arc to deflect the oncoming blows. Sparks flew. The impact forced him to skid backward.
"Tch... Where's your warrior spirit now, Greenhorns?" he taunted, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.
One of the Asuras lunged forward, snarling, "In the end, winning is everything."
Dodging gracefully, Daniel replied with a sharp laugh, "I've seen your kind before. All bark, no bite. You act tough when you're cornered, but deep down, you're just scared little dogs... Honestly, this is getting boring."
He ducked under a horizontal slash, rolled forward, and tried to create distance. But the Asuras weren't giving him that luxury. Before he could reposition, they had encircled him completely.
And the worst part?
The path he was retreating toward... already had another Asura waiting.
This one stood tall, silent, and eerily composed. He wasn't rushing. Instead, he raised a massive twin-bladed axe, its edge glinting like a crescent moon under the battlefield's eerie glow. His presence screamed death.
Daniel came to a halt.
Trapped.
Three Asuras behind him, and a hulking axe-wielder in front.
"So... this is how it is," Daniel muttered, his grip tightening on his sword.
A faint smirk returned to his lips.
"But you've made one mistake... cornering the wrong prey."
In that instant, the air around him shifted.
---
While chaos erupted across the battlefield, the final surviving Asura circled back—eyes locked onto Justin once more.
He had witnessed Justin's terrifying surge of power and knew he couldn't overpower him head-on. So, the Asura adopted a more defensive stance, weaving and dodging, testing Justin's movements instead of committing to a full-on clash. The fight stretched, neither of them landing a finishing blow.
Justin's blade flashed in the air, his strikes growing sharper, faster—but the Asura was adapting, learning with every passing second.
Then, something shifted.
The Asura's eyes flicked to the side—just in time to see his comrade fall. Venessa stood tall, bloodied but victorious, her body surrounded by a mist of crimson energy. The other Asura lay dead at her feet.
Panic flared across the surviving Asura's face.
Retreat.
He spun on his heel, ready to flee.
But he never made it.
In a flash, Justin appeared behind him. A single, precise slash—clean and brutal—sliced through the Asura's leg, severing it at the knee. The creature screamed, falling forward, only for Justin to drive his sword forward in the same motion.
The blade pierced through the Asura's back, impaling him straight through the heart. The tip of the sword exploded out his chest, glistening with dark blood.
The Asura choked—blood spewing from his mouth—as his body collapsed forward, twitching one last time before falling still.
Justin stood over the corpse, his expression cold.
With one swift motion, he yanked his sword free.
He raised it high into the air—its blade now glowing faintly with blue energy—and with a calm but resolute gesture, he signaled his victory to the skies above.
---
Daniel's eyes lit up with excitement the moment he spotted the opportunity. Without hesitation, he dashed forward—his movements sharp, focused, lethal.
Suddenly, a green glow enveloped his body.
It slithered around him, coiling like a serpent.
[Serpent God's Heart: You possess the heart of the Serpent God.]
→ Combat abilities temporarily boosted for 1 minute.
His pupils narrowed.
A grin crept across his face as he reached inside his jacket and drew a second dagger. Twin blades now in hand, he lunged at the Asura before him.
With a vicious cross-slash, he carved a glowing "X" across the enemy's chest.
The Asura stumbled back, gurgling in shock.
Daniel was already gone.
Without losing momentum, he dashed toward the next target. The second Asura attempted to intercept, but Daniel's dagger thrust into his chest with ruthless precision—piercing his heart and bursting out through his back. The body fell limp before hitting the ground.
No pause. No mercy.
Daniel was already above the third Asura.
He raised his hand—and from his palm, a jet of flame erupted.
The blaze engulfed the third Asura instantly.
Within a single second, all three enemies fell—slain.
The final Asura's body began to convulse.
BOOM!
It exploded into a burst of dark energy, sending shockwaves across the battlefield.
In Daniel's mind, a cold, mechanical voice echoed.
[+100 EXP gained.]
[+100 EXP gained.]
He opened his status window.
"Let's put that to good use."
With a tap, he channeled the EXP into his level progression.
[Congratulations! You've leveled up: Level 4 → Level 5.]
Power surged through him. Muscles tightened. Reflexes sharpened. His entire body thrummed with renewed strength.
Daniel turned slowly—eyes locking onto the Asura leader.
The ground around him crackled with green energy. His aura pulsed, wild and aggressive. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and nose. His head throbbed with pain—but he didn't let it show.
Not for a second.
He kept staring the Asura down, tilting his head with a smirk.
"Come back when you've become a real warrior," Daniel said, voice calm but laced with contempt.
Then, with two fingers raised in a mock salute, he vanished—dashing away before the Asura could react.
The Asura, breathing hard, exhaled in relief.
But that moment of calm didn't last long.
From the shadows, the Heroes' Team appeared—powerful, ready, united.
The Asura's eyes widened.
Without a word, he morphed back into human form and escaped, vanishing just as quickly as Daniel had.
---
In a quiet corner of the museum's garden, Daniel reached behind a tall plant and retrieved his backpack. He quickly unzipped it and carefully placed the stolen artifact inside. A small smirk tugged at his lips as he whispered under his breath:
"Ronin Mode — off."
With that simple command, the sleek combat suit covering his body shimmered and began to retract. It dissolved into streams of digital particles, flowing into the bracelet strapped around his wrist. In a matter of seconds, the suit vanished entirely, leaving Daniel in his regular clothes once again.
---
Outside the museum, a restless crowd was still gathered—spectators, survivors, and tourists whispering stories of the chaos they'd witnessed. Among them stood Daniel's classmates and fellow members of the college's Travel Club.
He slipped into the crowd effortlessly, blending in with the students as if he'd been there the whole time.
After a few minutes of pretending to search, Daniel walked up to Rey and the others, raising his voice just enough to sound believable.
"Man, I've been looking everywhere for you guys! Where the hell were you?"
Rey turned to him, frowning. His eyes scanned Daniel's face and clothes—he looked a little dirty, slightly roughed up, and there were faint bruises near his collar.
"You okay?" Rey asked, concern flickering in his tone.
Daniel gave a casual nod. "Yeah, I was still inside when that Asura attacked. Got stuck near one of the side halls. But then Justin and Alia showed up and started fighting it. While they had it distracted, I slipped out with the crowd."
As Daniel finished speaking, a sudden ripple of excitement surged through the crowd. He turned, following the gaze of the others.
Justin. Alia. Venessa.
The trio stepped out of the museum's grand entrance like heroes emerging from a warzone. Their clothes were scuffed. Faces marked with exhaustion—but they held themselves with the pride of warriors.
Cameras flashed.
Reporters swarmed.
People shouted questions, cheering them on, asking for details of the battle—what the Asura was, how they managed to survive, how they fought it off. Phones were raised. Videos recorded. Social media buzzed.
And in that moment, while the spotlight shined on the three heroes…
Daniel melted further into the crowd, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable.
Only the faint green light flickering in his bracelet hinted at the part he'd played in the chaos.