I sat in the dark of my apartment, staring at the blue holographic screen of the System.
My hands were shaking. Not just from the Mana Void this time, but from sheer stupidity.
(Why did I say "no hands"? Why? I could have said "I will only use one finger." Or "I will only use a taser." But no, I had to be dramatic.)
I had three days to figure out how to defeat a B-Rank Fire Mage without touching him.
Daichi was an idiot, but he was a powerful idiot. One fireball would turn me into a Roman candle.
"Think, Renji. Think like a scammer," I muttered, scrolling through the Hunter Association's public database on my phone.
I needed dirt.
Most Hunters had their stats hidden, but Daichi was a narcissist. His social media was public.
I spent four hours scrolling through his "HunterGram."
Selfie with a slain Wyvern. Video of him burning a goblin village. Post about how "Ghosts aren't real, and if they were, I'd burn them too."
I paused.
That was a specific denial.
I dug deeper. I found an old forum post from his middle school days. A leaked thread from a former classmate.
"Daichi K. screams like a girl during horror movies. We locked him in a dark closet once and he passed out from fear."
I smiled. It was a cruel, predatory smile.
(Gotcha.)
I opened the System Shop.
[Current Desire Points: 5,120.]
I filtered the search results for "Illusion" and "Fear."
There it was.
[Item: Nightmare Projection Scroll (One-Time Use).] [Rank: B.] [Effect: Projects the target's deepest subconscious fear as a visible reality for 60 seconds.] [Cost: 5,000 DP.]
It cost almost everything I had earned from the viral stream. My retirement fund. My medicine money.
(If I die in the arena, money doesn't matter.)
I bought it.
[Item Purchased. Remaining DP: 120.]
A small, black scroll materialized in my hand. It felt cold to the touch.
"Master?"
The bathroom door creaked open.
I quickly shoved the scroll under my pillow and composed my face into a mask of stoic meditation.
Runa stepped out.
She wasn't wearing her gi. She was wearing one of my oversized white t-shirts, which hung loosely off her shoulders, reaching just mid-thigh. Her hair was damp, sticking to her neck.
Steam billowed out from the bathroom behind her. The scent of soap and warm skin filled the tiny room.
(Oh no. My heart. My poor, fragile heart.)
"I finished cleaning the bathroom," she said softly, clutching the hem of the shirt. "And... I realized something."
She walked over to my futon. Her legs were bare, pale, and toned from years of training.
"You are facing a B-Rank opponent without using your hands," she whispered, looking down at me with wide, dewy eyes. "You are restraining your Yang energy to protect everyone."
"It is a necessary burden," I said, my voice tight.
(Please don't come closer. The System is practically screaming.)
"But... restraining that much power must be painful," Runa murmured. She took a step onto the futon. The mattress dipped under her weight.
She knelt beside me. Her face was flushed.
"My mana capacity is small compared to yours, Master. But... perhaps I can help you 'circulate' the excess energy?"
She placed a hand on my chest. Her palm was hot.
"Let me warm your bed tonight," she whispered, biting her lip. "Use me as a vessel to stabilize your core before the duel."
My blood pressure spiked.
The Mana Void inside me flared—not with pain, but with hunger. It wanted her. It wanted to drain every ounce of mana from her body.
If I said yes, I would get massive DP. I might even cure a fraction of the Void.
But I might also kill her. Or worse, she'd realize I had no Yang energy to give, only a void to take.
I grabbed her wrist.
My hand was trembling, but I made my grip firm.
"No," I said, looking her in the eyes.
Runa flinched, looking hurt. "Am I... not attractive enough?"
"You are a temptation," I lied, pushing her gently away. "And that is why I must refuse."
I stood up, walking to the window to put distance between us.
"My power is a raging fire right now, Runa. If I were to embrace you tonight... I would burn your soul to ash. You are not ready to handle the Sovereign's true form."
(I am literally saving your life. Please put some pants on.)
Runa stared at my back. Silence stretched for a moment.
Then, I heard a soft gasp.
"You... you are protecting me? Even when you are in pain?"
[Target Status: Admiring.] [Desire Points Gained: +200.]
"Go to sleep, Runa," I said, staring at the Tokyo skyline. "I need to meditate."
"Yes, Master! Goodnight, Master!"
She scrambled under the covers on the far side of the room (I had bought a second futon), wrapping herself up like a burrito.
I stayed by the window until I heard her steady breathing.
Only then did I let the mask drop.
I slumped against the wall, sliding down until I hit the floor.
The pain hit me like a truck.
"Cough."
I covered my mouth.
Hack. Wheeze.
It wasn't a normal cough. It felt like something was tearing inside my lungs.
I pulled my hand away.
My palm was covered in blood. It wasn't bright red anymore. It was dark, almost black, and thick like tar.
(Oh god.)
I stared at the black blood.
The doctor said three months. But the stress of the "Sovereign" persona... the constant System usage... it was accelerating the decay.
Three months was a lie.
I wiped my hand on my pants, hiding the evidence.
I looked at the sleeping Runa, then at the Nightmare Scroll peeking out from under my pillow.
I had to win this duel. Not for the fame. Not for the money.
I needed that 1% cure.
Because at this rate, I wouldn't make it to the end of the week.