The silence in the alleyway was heavy, broken only by Aryan's ragged, uneven breathing. As he tilted his head back, forcing the shimmering blue liquid of the health potion down his throat, a scene of pure nightmare unfolded behind him.
The four mangled bodies I had just slaughtered did not rot or remain. Instead, they began to liquefy into a dark, viscous purple mist. These ethereal tendrils rose from the pavement, swirling like hungry ghosts before being violently sucked into the blood-red flame tattoo on my arm. In a matter of seconds, the alley was spotless. No corpses, no evidence—only the lingering scent of ozone and the cold, metallic taste of death in the air.
"Rudra... what... what was that?" Aryan's voice was a fragile whisper. He looked at me, his eyes wide with a terror that hit me harder than any punch. He had known me for seventeen years as the soft-spoken kid everyone stepped on, but today, he saw a predator wearing his friend's skin.
I tried to reach out, to tell him I was still me, but a white-hot spike of pain suddenly drove into my skull. My vision fractured into static.
[Warning: Host has exceeded Physical and Mental Synchronization Limits.]
[Emergency Shutdown Initiated to Prevent Neural Collapse...]
The world tilted, the purple sky turned to ink, and I collapsed onto the cold concrete.
I woke to the sterile, sharp scent of antiseptic and the steady beep-beep of a heart monitor. My entire body felt like it had been put through a meat grinder. To my right, separated by a thin curtain, Aryan lay asleep—the potion had saved him, leaving only faint pink scars.
Suddenly, a dark, translucent interface flickered to life in the air.
◢◤ SYSTEM PROFILE: THE AWAKENING ◥◣
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
✧ NAME: Rudra
✧ LEVEL: 3 (Level Up! +2)
✧ CLASS: Shadow Devourer
✧ RANK: E (Newbie)
✧ TITLE: Silent Killer
✧ STATUS: Recovering (Fatigue: 88%)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
⚡ SYSTEM VERDICT:
"In this battle, your heart remained frozen while your hands moved with lethal intent. You have been categorized as a Cold Blooded - Silent Killer."
⚡ BATTLE LOG: ALLEYWAY SLAUGHTER
(Ranked by Brutality)
▬ Thug 1 » Eye-Gouging [Rank S] » +50 KP
▬ Thug 2 » Spine Fracture [Rank A] » +30 KP
▬ Thug 3 » Pole Smash [Rank B] » +20 KP
▬ Boss » Decapitation [Rank S+] » +100 KP
[TOTAL KILLING POINTS STORED: 200]
⚡ ATTRIBUTES & GROWTH
(Level Bonus: +1 to All Stats per Level Up)
▬ Strength (STR) : 3
▬ Agility (AGI) : 3
▬ Intelligence (INT) : 3
▬ Stamina (STA) : 3
▬ Perception (PER) : 3
▬ Luck (LCK) : 3
[RESERVED STAT POINTS: 15] (+5 per Level)
⚡ HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENTS UNLOCKED
✥ Quest 1: The Untouchable Predator » 10,000 Crystals
✥ Quest 2: Seeker of Truth (Curiosity) » 5,000 Crystals
[TOTAL WEALTH: 17,000 CRYSTALS]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
I stared at the numbers. Seventeen thousand crystals. A power I couldn't yet explain. I navigated the menus, feeling the Dominance skill actively suppressing the cold pressure of the Stone.
Aryan stirred in his sleep, his hand twitching. I immediately dismissed the system screen, the room returning to its dim hospital glow. I reached for the remote on the nightstand and turned on the wall-mounted TV, keeping the volume at a low hum.
ThenWhat I saw on the news made the blood in my veins turn to ice.