The forest was quiet, too quiet.
Night draped the tall pines in thick shadows. A faint mist curled around Serena's ankles as she stood beneath the dark canopy, the distant hoot of an owl the only sound.
> ⟨System Alert: Hostile system user detected. Estimated range: 80 meters. Arrival in 10 seconds.⟩
Her fingers clenched tighter around the pouch at her side, filled with Low-grade Wind elemental stones. She'd used a handful to recover, not to strengthen—because they weren't strong enough for that. Low stones barely offered healing or stability, much less an edge in combat.
But it was all she had.
Her instincts screamed something was wrong—and she was right.
Cassian was coming.
> ⟨No active combat skills. Current cultivation: Essence Vein Stage 3. Warning: Hostile system tier exceeds user's by 1.⟩
She closed her eyes.
I'm not ready, she thought. But I'll never be ready if I keep running.
The system's passive aura pulsed around her. Thin, subtle, invisible to normal eyes—but she could feel it, like a heartbeat in the air. And she knew Cassian could feel hers, too.
Branches cracked.
A figure stepped into the clearing ahead—Cassian. His red robe fluttered slightly as he stopped ten feet away, his lips curled in a twisted grin.
"I knew you'd come," he said softly. "Like a lamb walking to the slaughter."
Serena didn't answer.
She just took a slow step back, then another, positioning herself near a tree trunk. She had no sword, no weapon. Just her will. And her Wind.
"You healed fast," he added, eyes narrowing. "But not enough. Let's end this."
He moved.
A blur.
Serena ducked just in time—his palm slammed into the tree behind her, shattering bark into flying splinters.
She rolled and launched herself away, drawing on raw Wind essence, unfocused and wild. It exploded beneath her feet, pushing her through the air like a gust, crashing her into another tree—but out of reach.
Cassian laughed. "Still flailing around with half-formed techniques?"
She didn't respond. Her hands dipped into her pouch, clutching two more low-grade Wind stones and absorbing their meager essence. The power flowed into her veins—barely enough to numb her bruised ribs.
He came again. Faster.
She sidestepped, barely dodging his kick, but he followed with a knee to her stomach that sent her flying. She crashed to the ground, coughing blood.
"Just die already!" he growled. "Your system's mine."
Serena wiped her mouth, vision spinning.
He lunged—arms ready to grab her core directly.
At the last second, she twisted, letting Wind erupt around her body. It didn't stop him, but it threw off his aim.
His hand scraped her shoulder instead.
She bit back a scream, then shoved her hand against his chest—where his core flickered faintly, pulsing with blue light.
And gambled everything.
She poured every drop of Wind energy she had left—not as an attack, but as a pulse.
A reckless, instinctive strike. The wind spiraled with the momentum of fear, fury, and survival.
There was a sound like cracking ice.
Cassian froze. "What…?"
His core flickered—then shattered.
> ⟨Fatal impact detected. Hostile system destabilizing… Absorption in progress.⟩
His expression twisted into horror. "No—no! I was chosen—my system—!"
He collapsed, twitching, as his body began to glow with system light. The forest around them dimmed, as if even the stars held their breath.
And then, silence.
> ⟨System Tier Upgraded: Tier 2 Acquired.⟩
⟨Essence Vein Stage 4 reached.⟩
⟨New Passive Skill: Shadow Veil – Conceals user's cultivation and system aura from all non-system beings.⟩
⟨Combat Skill Slot unlocked: Choose 1 of 2 available skills.⟩
⟨Note: Skill limit active. Additional skills require higher system tier.⟩
Serena collapsed to her knees, trembling.
Pain pulsed through her body. Her wounds reopened from the force of absorption. Her breath came in short, sharp gasps. Her robe was torn, soaked in blood and sweat.
But it was done.
Cassian was dead.
His body turned to ash and vanished into the soil—his system fully absorbed, his trace erased. No one would find him. No one would know.
To the outside world, she would return tomorrow looking pale, injured, perhaps the victim of a beast attack.
But only she would know what truly happened.
A life for a life.
A system for a system.
A beginning for a new path paved in blood.
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