[The Weapons Shop – Morning]
The old man placed a long blade before my eyes. It wasn't like the old blade I had bought yesterday; this one was carefully polished, heavy, and its hilt was covered in rough leather to prevent slipping.
"This is for you, Ray..." the old man said, wiping sweat from his brow. "There is a spot in the eastern forest, behind the Rust Waterfalls; no one will disturb you there. Go and train, and I will take care of the shop in your absence."
I took the blade and headed to the forest. There, amidst the giant trees, I began to unsheathe the sword. All my life, my hands were the weapons; I broke bones, tore throats, and used my eyes to end existence. But using an external blade felt heavy, as if there was a barrier between me and my goal. Every time I struck a branch, I felt the vibration recoil in my wrist. "I'm not used to relying on something other than my body..." I whispered to myself, as my eyes glowed with a faint red flicker while I tried to balance the weight of the steel with the speed of my movement.
[Ryumin Gang HQ – Night]
Night fell, so I returned to the city and headed straight to the wolves' den. I entered the cellar with my massive frame and sat among the killers. Silence reigned until Skyro stood in the center with maps spread before him.
"Listen well..." Skyro said, his gaze sharp as a razor. "We received a mission from a noble. A rogue gang in District 4, consisting of 12 members, stole royal jewelry. We will split you into three groups to surround the place. Ray, Nero, and Jina... you are the third group."
I looked at my teammates. Nero was trying to hide the trembling of his hand, while Jina stood in the corner, silent as a grave, her body covered in tight black clothing, her gaze cold and emotionless.
We set off for the site. Nero tried to start a conversation with Jina on the way: "Oh Jina, do you think those 12 people will be easy prey?" But Jina didn't give him a glance; she moved with the agility of a wild cat, her eyes watching the rooftops. As for me, I was the calm one, observing the distribution of breaths in the area.
[District Four – Moment of Impact]
We reached the agreed-upon location, an abandoned underground warehouse. We were supposed to find 12 people, but as soon as we set foot in the arena, more than 20 armed men emerged from the shadows. The other groups hadn't arrived yet, and we had fallen into a trap.
"Curse it! They're an army, not a gang!" Nero shouted, unsheathing his blade.
There was no time for words. The massacre began. Jina shot forward like an arrow, and with an acrobatic move, she snapped the neck of the first before he could draw his sword. Nero, despite his fear, lunged at the second and strangled him with the strength of despair.
As for me... this was the true test. I unsheathed the heavy blade, and instead of using it as a merchant, I used it as a harvester of souls. In a few seconds, three men were lying before me; I split the chest of the first, the head of the second flew off before he realized I was there, and my blade pierced the heart of the third from behind.
The sound of clashing steel and the screams of men filled the place, and blood began to stain the wooden floor. I looked around; the gunmen surrounded us from every side, and the numbers were increasing.
"It seems the training in the forest is starting to take effect now..." I said, as my eyes began to glow, seeing every movement of my opponents before they even thought of it.
[District Four – Inside the Abandoned Warehouse]
Dust flew with every movement, and the smell of blood began to dominate the place. Nero and Jina fought fiercely, but I was in another world. I wasn't fighting; I was harvesting. The heavy blade I had trained with in the forest began to feel like part of my arm. With a quick maneuver, I cut the arm of the first, and with a recoil motion, I slit the throats of two at once.
The noise ended suddenly. The twentieth body fell to the ground, and a heavy silence prevailed, broken only by the echo of Nero's rapid breathing.
I looked around; there were twelve bodies lying in my path, all killed with precise and lethal strikes. Meanwhile, Nero and Jina split the remaining eight.
Jina stopped wiping her blade and looked at me with an intense, probing gaze, as if trying to read what lay behind this massive body. As for Nero, he fell to his knees, wiping sweat from his brow, and spoke in his usual trembling voice: "Thank God... thank God you're on our team, Ray! If you were our opponent, our heads would be decorating the shelves by now."
Suddenly, the rest of the Ryumin followers stormed the place, swords drawn. "Where are they?" one shouted, then froze in place as he saw the mounds of corpses. "We've been tricked... they sent us to another location and we found no one; it seems they all gathered here!"
The followers looked at each other in shock, then one asked: "Did you kill them all by yourselves? You're only three!" Jina pointed silently toward me, while Nero said with a proud smile: "He... the beast Ray is the one who handled the majority. We only gathered the remains."
[Ryumin HQ – An Hour Later]
We returned to the HQ with the stolen jewels in a leather bag. We placed them before Skyro, whose eyes glinted with greed and satisfaction.
"An enjoyable and quick liquidation mission..." Skyro said, weighing the jewels in his hand. "Yes... this is the team I was aspiring to."
Skyro pulled out bags of gold. "Nero, Jina... 80 gold pieces each." Then he turned to me and threw a heavier bag: "As for you, Ray... you have 150 pieces. The effort you put in today deserves a special reward. Keep up this performance, and you'll become my right hand soon."
I took the gold in silence. For me, this experience wasn't just about money; it was live training in organized killing, and a powerful gain that saved me years of searching.
[Passage of Days – The Deadly Routine]
Five days passed, each a cycle of evolution.
In the morning: I stand in the old man's shop, selling blades and swords, observing the passersby and analyzing their weaknesses with the "Eye of the Dissector."
At noon: I disappear into the eastern forest, shattering trees with my blade, forcing my new body to harmonize with the speed of my thoughts.
In the afternoon: I return to the shop, listening to the stories of fighters and learning news of the "Great Arena."
At night: I wear the black scarf, set off with "Ryumin" to carry out assassinations, and return to the inn with gold filling my pockets.
I was living three lives at once, and the city began to feel my shadow in every corner.
[The Weapons Shop – Night of the Tournament]
The sun was setting, and the sky was stained the color of blood. I placed the polished blade on the table and felt its sharpness for the last time. The old man entered, carrying new combat clothing.
"Are you ready, Ray? Tomorrow thousands will gather... tomorrow Draka will know who you are."
I looked at the moon starting to become full in the sky, and whispered to myself:
"Only 24 hours left... until the true massacre begins."