Auren stood amid the ruins of the camp, his hand bleeding slowly and half of his face covered in blood that had trailed down to his neck. His breathing was heavy and uneven, yet his eyes remained fixed on the Orc Chief seated upon a throne of bones. He exhaled slowly, then opened the system screen.

  [Status: Critical]

  [Level: 22]

  [Strength: 23]

  [Mana: 30]

  [Intelligence: 15]

  His pupils shrank slightly. His stats had risen again, and he noticed that his mana had regenerated after he stopped Ignis. He realized that with every level gained, his physical condition and mana were restored but in return, advancing to the next level became increasingly difficult.

  He closed the screen and raised his head. The Orc Chief looked at him with clear contempt and said,

  "Was all this really for a village of weak half-breeds?"

  Auren did not answer. He dismissed the system window and turned calmly, his gaze clearly saying: You're next.

  At that same moment, the two orcs standing beside the chief moved. The first charged forward with tremendous speed, an axe descending directly toward Oren's head. Oren blocked it with his dagger, his entire body trembling under the impact.

  He said calmly,

  "Good… my physical strength has improved quite well. If I had fought them from the beginning, I'd already be dead."

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  He shifted sideways, the orc's strike slamming violently into the ground. Oren attempted to slash its neck, but the second orc appeared from the side and delivered a powerful blow to his flank, sending him flying. Oren landed on one knee, gasping for air.

  "Damn… I lost focus for a moment. Is the other orc hiding its presence?"

  Before he could finish thinking, the orc appeared again, swinging a spiked wooden club. Startled, Oren tried to evade, but realized that fleeing in his current condition would be fatal. Instead, he lunged forward in a reckless counterattack, striking the orc with his dagger.

  The dagger's effect activated.

  The orc froze as if darkness had swallowed its senses, swinging its club wildly. Oren was surprised, realizing his previous battles had raised the dagger's level without him noticing.

  While considering how much he had grown, he moved swiftly and drove the dagger slowly and precisely into the orc's heart until the body collapsed.

  The second orc stood stunned, hesitating between attacking and guarding against another unseen move.

  At that moment, a system notification appeared:

  [You have leveled up]

  [Level —> 23]

  [Dagger Level Increased —> Level 3]

  [New skill acquired: shadow movement]

  When this skill is activated, you can conceal your presence.

  The orc charged again, its movements faster than before, unleashing rapid consecutive strikes. Oren dodged some and blocked others with his dagger as the two moved in blinding speed.

  Auren activated his new skill Shadow Movement.

  He vanished.

  Then he appeared behind the orc, walking slowly toward the chief as if the battle had already ended.

  The orc shouted,

  "The fight isn't over "

  Before it could finish, a black veil gradually covered its vision. Its perspective tilted, the world seen from below then it realized its head had been severed.

  The Orc Chief laughed as he watched Oren with amusement.

  "This is truly good… I haven't enjoyed myself like this in a long time."

  Auren replied, blood covering his face,

  "I hope you enjoyed the show… because now…"

  He raised his gaze, cold and merciless.

  "I won't kill you like the others. I'll keep you alive, then carve your body apart piece by piece. and when the pain reaches you, I'll make sure you remember every person you once tortured as your playthings."