I exhaled slowly, my heartbeat still hammering in my chest. The air smelled of iron, the ground slick with blood.

  Then, the system buzzed violently in my skull.

  I blinked as the glowing text flickered in front of me.

  I leveled up.

  I barely processed it at first, but then I saw the numbers shift.

  I had needed 60 EXP to reach Level 2. Killing the first guy pushed me forward, and the next two kills shoved me even closer to the next level.

  It was working.

  I was getting stronger.

  Another system prompt flickered to life.

  I froze.

  "What?"

  My hands clenched as I read the last few lines again.

  I was supposed to get a new swordsmanship skill. But instead, the system had glitched and thrown some useless low-grade healing spell at me.

  I gritted my teeth. "Fucking system."

  I had no time to waste on spells I couldn’t even use. My mana was still locked.

  But I couldn’t stand around.

  The village center—that’s where I needed to be. If there were more enemies, I had to help.

  But my eyes flicked back to Elira.

  She was inside, but that wasn’t safe. Not really. If more of them slipped past, she’d be an easy target.

  She’s safer with me than without me.

  I exhaled sharply. I couldn’t just ask her to come with me—not without raising suspicion—but if I moved carefully…

  Making my decision, I slipped back inside the house.

  “Elira,” I said quietly, keeping my tone steady. “I need you to follow me.”

  She frowned. “Follow you? Where?”

  “Just trust me.”

  She hesitated, but something in my expression must have convinced her. With a nod, she pulled a cloak over herself. I positioned her behind me, keeping my stance loose but alert.

  “Stay close. Stay low. And don’t make a sound.”

  Without another word, I led her out, moving quickly but carefully through the village streets.

  By the time we reached the center of the village, the first thing I noticed was the silence.

  No fighting. No screams. No lingering footsteps.

  And then I saw why.

  Bodies.

  Piles of them.

  Cloaked figures lay scattered across the cobbled ground, limbs twisted, blood pooling beneath them. The sheer number of dead should have made my stomach turn.

  But my eyes weren’t on them.

  They were on the man standing in the middle of it all.

  Cael.

  He hadn’t moved from his spot. His blade dripped with fresh blood, his stance relaxed, his breathing steady—like this had been nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

  How strong is he really?

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  A choked gasp pulled my attention.

  One of the dying enemies, barely clinging to life, twitched on the ground. His eyes flickered toward Cael, filled with something between agony and disbelief.

  With ragged breath, he managed to rasp out—

  “Why… are you still here…? You’re not supposed to be here…”

  My blood ran cold.

  Not supposed to be here?

  I had already suspected that in my dream—Cael hadn’t been in the village when it was attacked.

  But this? This confirmed it.

  I barely had time to process before my system buzzed violently.

  I stiffened.

  The system was changing the mission.

  What the fuck is about to happen?

  Is it because Cael is here?

  That dying bastard’s words echoed in my head—"You're not supposed to be here."

  Then—

  BOOM.

  The explosion tore through the village.

  Flames erupted in the distance, swallowing a row of houses in a violent inferno. The shockwave sent debris flying, the force shaking the ground beneath my feet.

  And then—

  The screams began.

  The villagers who had been hiding—silent, afraid—were now crying out in terror, their voices sharp with panic.

  I gritted my teeth, my grip tightening on my sword.

  I could feel them now.

  At least ten presences. Moving fast.

  And three of them—strong.

  Cold sweat ran down my back.

  Two of them—maybe even as strong as Cael.

  The weight of that realization settled in my gut like a lead brick. I turned to glance at Cael, expecting some sort of reaction, some change in his expression—

  Nothing.

  His face remained the same. Calm. Unbothered. Like none of this mattered.

  Then, before I could even blink—

  Swish

  He was gone.

  One second he was standing beside me—

  The next, he was in front of the two strongest enemies, his blade already slashing toward their throats.

  The sheer speed of it sent a sharp gust of wind through the battlefield, kicking up dirt and embers. His sword glowed with mana, the edge burning blue as it cut through the air, a strike so fast my eyes barely kept up.

  CLANG!

  Both enemies reacted just in time, their blades flashing up to block his attack. Sparks burst into the air from the impact, a shockwave rippling through the ground beneath them.

  But Cael didn’t stop.

  The moment his first strike was deflected, he was already moving, his body twisting with inhuman precision. His second attack came from below—a sharp upward slash, aimed directly at the enemy on the left.

  The man barely managed to sidestep, but Cael anticipated it. Before the enemy could counter, Cael shifted his footwork, sliding into his blind spot.

  His sword came down like a guillotine.

  The enemy had no choice but to abandon his footing and leap back. But as he did, Cael lifted his free hand—

  A pulse of pure mana erupted from his palm.

  The invisible force slammed into the enemy mid-air, sending him crashing into the ground like a meteor.

  The other fighter didn’t hesitate—he lunged at Cael’s exposed side, his sword crackling with black energy—

  But Cael merely turned his wrist, tilting his blade at an impossible angle.

  Clang!

  A single flick of his sword, and the attack was redirected—not blocked. Redirected. The enemy's own force sent him stumbling forward, off-balance.

  Cael moved to finish him—

  But I had my own fight to worry about.

  I couldn’t just sit here and watch.

  I clenched my jaw, forcing my body into motion.

  And I wasn’t the only one.

  A few of the villagers who knew how to fight had drawn their weapons, joining the fray. They weren’t warriors, but they weren’t helpless either.

  Two enemies rushed toward me.

  I met them head-on.

  The first enemy came at me with a broad swing, aiming to cleave straight through me. I ducked low, my instincts firing before I even had time to think. My feet adjusted—Arc Step activated.

  I slipped to the side, dodging the attack by a hair’s breadth, my body shifting into a perfect counter position.

  Now!

  I lashed out, my sword carving a clean path toward his ribs—

  But he wasn’t alone.

  The second enemy lunged from my blind spot, thrusting forward with a dagger.

  Shit—!

  I had no time to dodge, so I did the only thing I could.

  I pivoted.

  Instead of dodging away, I twisted into him, bringing my sword across his arm just before he could reach me.

  Blood splattered onto the dirt.

  The pain must have broken his focus, because his attack lost momentum.

  I didn’t hesitate.

  With a sharp exhale, I drove my knee into his gut, sending him stumbling back.

  The first enemy recovered quickly, charging at me again, but this time I was ready.

  Arc Step.

  I slid backward just enough to stay out of reach, then immediately lunged forward, closing the distance before he could adjust.

  My sword cut deep into his shoulder.

  He screamed, his weapon clattering to the ground—

  But the second enemy was already moving again.

  I barely had time to react before he spoke.

  "Fuck—why is Cael still here? And we also have other interferences! Split up and reach the well!"

  I froze for half a second.

  The well?

  "The core should be inside at the deepest part after a small pathway—break it and bring it back, unscratched!"

  What the hell were they talking about?

  Something inside the well?

  The words barely had time to settle before—

  Shhk!

  A sharp sting ripped across my side.

  I staggered, my breath hitching as pain flared through my ribs.

  The bastard’s dagger had cut deep.

  My grip on my sword faltered for just a second, my vision blurring from the sudden jolt of pain. But a second was all it took.

  The enemy didn’t hesitate. His blade gleamed under the dim village lights as he raised it high, ready to bring it down on me.

  Shit—I’m not fast enough!

  But just as the sword came crashing down—

  CLANG!

  Two villagers blocked the strike.

  One carried a rusted longsword, his hands trembling but firm. The other wielded a makeshift spear, his stance steady despite the fear in his eyes.

  “Get up, damn it!” one of them barked. “You’re not dying here!”

  The second one pushed forward, forcing the enemy back with a sweeping thrust.

  I gritted my teeth, pressing a hand to my bleeding side as I forced myself up. My legs wobbled, the wound still stinging, but I wasn’t done.

  Not yet.

  The enemy snarled, realizing he was now outnumbered. He lunged at one of the villagers, trying to finish him first.

  Big mistake.

  The moment he shifted his focus—

  I moved.

  I pushed through the pain, surging forward with a controlled slash.

  My blade carved into his back, cutting deep into flesh. He howled, stumbling forward—just as the villager with the longsword drove his weapon straight through the enemy’s chest.

  Shhk!

  The man’s body twitched violently—then slumped.

  Dead.

  I let out a slow breath, my hands still shaking.

  The villagers turned to me, eyes sharp.

  “You still breathing?”

  I exhaled, rolling my shoulder. “Barely.”

  But there was no time to recover.

  Because across the battlefield, Cael was watching me.

  Even while in the middle of a brutal fight, Cael’s eyes were on me.

  His gaze was sharp, calculating. He had already killed one of the two strongest enemies, and his blade dripped crimson. But the second one—the stronger one—was proving to be a real challenge.

  Their battle had torn through the village, leaving trails of destruction in their wake. Cracks split the ground where their swords clashed, debris scattered from their movements. The sheer force of their attacks sent small shockwaves rippling through the air.

  Cael parried a devastating strike, his boots skidding across the dirt. But instead of pressing forward, he suddenly extended his free hand.

  His palm glowed.

  A faint, golden light stretched toward me.

  I barely had time to react before I felt it.

  The sharp pain in my side dulled. The sting faded, the wound knitting together slightly. It wasn’t much—I was still injured—but I could move again.

  I flexed my fingers, exhaling. So Cael could use healing magic too?

  But he wasn’t done.

  As he blocked another attack with a sharp flick of his wrist, he pointed.

  I followed his gesture—

  One of the enemies was sprinting toward the well.

  I didn’t know what was inside. But I knew I couldn’t let him reach it.

  I clenched my jaw and moved without thinking.

  I activated my new skill.

  A reward for learning basic swordsmanship.

  It wasn’t as precise as Arc Step. But it had its own purpose.

  The moment I activated it—

  I moved.

  My body lurched forward, faster than I could react.

  A sharp burn ignited in my legs, pain flaring through my muscles. Unlike Arc Step, this wasn’t a precise dodge or repositioning. It was raw acceleration.

  But I didn’t care.

  I needed to catch him.

  And I needed to stop him.