The room went silent. Lucian's eyes widened, his hands trembling slightly.
"What… what is he saying?" he whispered.
Eurukus scowled, voice low but firm. "Stay calm. Don't let him—"
Quentin didn't wait for anyone to respond. He lunged toward the window, throwing the documents to the floor. "I'M OUT!"
"Stop him!" Eurukus barked.
The three knights quickly moved, positioning themselves between the mayor and the exits.
"We'll secure the mayor!" Tharion said, his voice steady but tense.
Lucian leapt forward instinctively, but Quentin had already scrambled onto the ledge outside.
The city rooftops glinted under the moonlight. Quentin sprinted, using every edge and pipe as leverage. He drew a crossbow from his belt, firing bolts down at the pursuing knights. Sparks flew as they hit the walls, missing their marks.
Lucian ducked behind a chimney, watching the chaos. He's insane… but he's fast.
Eurukus moved with precision, leaping from roof to roof. "Watch your footing! Don't let him corner you!" he shouted at Lucian.
Quentin rolled, kicking a loose tile down the side of a building. One
"Try and keep up, kid!" Eurukus called, dodging a thrown dagger from Quentin.
Quentin disappeared around a corner, swinging a rope across two rooftops. Lucian vaulted after him, heart hammering.
The chase twisted through narrow alleys, over market stalls, and across rooftops. Quentin used smoke bombs, leaving trails of gray mist, slowing their pursuit.
Lucian's thoughts raced. He's not just strong… he knows the city too well. I need to anticipate, not just chase.
Quentin fired another crossbow bolt. Lucian ducked instinctively, feeling the wind cut past his head.
The night echoed with the clash of boots, the twang of bowstrings, and the scrape of metal.
Eurukus' voice called out again. "Ahead! He's near the eastern tower!"
Quentin smirked, glancing back. "Too slow!" He leapt, spinning in midair, and landed onto another roof with the grace of a predator, disappearing into the shadows.
Lucian clenched his fists, breath ragged. I can't let him escape… not now.
Lucian darted across the rooftop, heart hammering.
Quentin's figure moved like a shadow ahead, nimble, precise. He tossed another crossbow bolt; Lucian rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding it.
The arrow embedded itself in a wooden beam with a loud thud.
"Stop running!" Eurukus shouted from a roof parallel to him, sword drawn, moving like water.
Quentin swung a chain from one rooftop to another, swinging with momentum, forcing Lucian to leap over the gap.
He landed hard, scraped his knee, but didn't pause.
Quentin produced a throwing knife, flicked it with sharp precision. Lucian dodged, rolling into a narrow alley, then kicked off a wall to launch himself back onto the roof.
Eurukus closed in, intercepting a knife midair with the flat of his blade, sending it skittering across the tiles. "Focus, kid! Don't let him manipulate your movement!"
Quentin smiled cruelly, flipping backward, landing on the roof silently, then vanished behind a shadowed tower. Lucian followed, tracking the faint gleam of his opponent's crossbow.
They collided suddenly. Quentin lunged, fists striking. Lucian tried to counter, swinging at him, but Quentin's speed was unmatched.
A punch connected with his chest, sending him skidding across the tiles. Another strike, and he barely caught himself on the edge.
He scrambled, trying to use the momentum to tackle Quentin, but the man sidestepped, kicking him with precision.
Lucian hit a stone chimney, cracking ribs. Pain surged through his body, vision blurring.
"Come on, you can't stop me!" Quentin hissed, agile and relentless.
Lucian tried to rise, his hands scraping against the rooftop. He lunged one last time.
Quentin grabbed him, twisted, and slammed him to the roof.
He's too strong...
Lucian gasped for air, every limb screaming.
Then, his vision went black.
The rooftops, the night, Eurukus' shout, it all vanished.
---
Lucian felt weightless, surrounded by darkness.
Chains appeared.
He knew this place. The dark realm.
Death.
The air was heavy and there was a throne before him.
Lucian's body hung limply, but his mind burned with thought.
Lucian felt the cold chains tighten around him, but this time it wasn't panic that filled him.
He opened his eyes to the dark throne room. Death sat there, expressionless, but its presence pressed down on him like a storm.
"You… again," Death said, surprised. "I did not expect you to reach this moment without permission."
"I didn't need it," Lucian replied sharply, struggling against the chains. "I'm human. I survive by thinking, not by your intelligence."
Death tilted its head, intrigued. "You have survived, yet you are here. You did not die."
"I… what do you mean?" Lucian asked. His mind raced. I fell on the rooftops… I hit the tiles hard…
"You didn't actually die," Death explained. "This is your new ability. Your Death Loop… has evolved. When you die in battle, you will not return to a checkpoint in the past. Instead…"
"Instead?" Lucian's voice rose.
"You spawn the moment before your death. You experience your fight in rapid succession. Like retry, learn, and adapt. You can grow stronger faster than any normal being."
Lucian blinked. "You mean… I can fight and die as many times as I want… and learn instantly?"
"Yes. But you must become better on your own. Reliance on me or the system is weak. Your intellect, your skill, your will—that is your weapon."
[Fight Sense Activated] appeared before his eyes.
Lucian's mind scrambled with questions. "So… if I die in a fight, I can retry? Can I fail forever?"
"You may die infinitely," Death said, its voice cold, "but you must feel the pain infinitely as well."
Lucian's mind raced. So every death… every failure… every strike… I feel it, but I live to try again.
This was no longer just a system. This was a trial by fire.
Before he could react further, Death raised a massive spike, taller than a man, its tip gleaming with dark energy. Without hesitation, it was hurled toward Lucian with terrifying speed.
The spike slammed down. Pain exploded through his body. He gasped, screaming, collapsing.
[Revived] appeared before his eyes.
Lucian opened his eyes and instinctively rolled to the side. The spike slammed into the ground where he had just been, sending shards of stone flying.
His hair fluttered, sweat on his brow, but he was unharmed.
He stood, brushing off the dust, and smirked. So this is the real test.
Death's gaze remained fixed on him, a faint curiosity in its expression. "Do you understand now? Each strike, each death… you learn faster, adapt faster, or you perish forever in failure."
Lucian flexed his fingers and shifted his stance. "I understand perfectly." He crouched slightly, eyes locked on Death. "Pain doesn't scare me. Dying doesn't scare me either. I will use this. Every strike you give me, I will survive it and become stronger."
Death's lips almost curled into something like a smile. Then it swung another spike with blinding speed.
Lucian ducked and rolled under it, feeling the rush of air as the tip grazed his shoulder. He countered with a swift kick to the floor, sending stone shards flying toward Death.
Lucian's mind worked with every movement. Every dodge, every strike, every step felt faster. He was learning instinctively. He was alive, and now he could feel the infinite weight of pain, but also the thrill of mastering it.
He jumped back, landing with calm precision, and looked at Death. "I'm ready for everything you throw at me. Let's go again."
Death's eyes glimmered, intrigued.