The Ashen Woods had a way of swallowing sound, but to Cain's heightened senses, the forest was screaming.
The rhythmic crunch of boots on dry leaves—three sets. The metallic clinking of high-grade chainmail. The whispered curses of men who thought they were the hunters.
[Enemy Detected: Thorne Clan Enforcer (Level 10) x3]
[Status: Alert. Formation: Delta (Triangular Search)]
[Host mana: 15/15. Stamina: 52/60]
Cain didn't stay on the ground. With his increased Agility, he leaped, catching a thick, blackened branch and pulling himself into the canopy. He moved with a ghostly grace, aided by his [Shadow Veil] passive. To the guards below, he was just another shifting shadow in the mist.
"Found the wolf carcasses," a gruff voice echoed.
A tall man with a scarred lip stepped into the clearing. He poked a shriveled wolf husk with his sword. "The boy didn't just kill these. He drained them. The Second Elder was right—this is demonic energy."
"He's Level 1, Captain," another guard scoffed, adjusting his helmet. "How much trouble can a malnourished orphan be?"
"The Stone exploded, Kael," the Captain snapped. "Don't be a fool. Find him, break his legs, and signal the Elder. We aren't here for a fair fight."
Cain watched from fifteen feet above. His cold, slitted eyes locked onto the Captain. The man was carrying a bronze tube at his belt—a Flare Talisman. If that hit the sky, Cain's training arc would be over before it truly began.
I need to separate them, Cain thought.
He reached into his pouch and pulled out a small stone. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it thirty yards to the west.
Clack.
"Over there!" Kael shouted, immediately breaking formation.
"Kael, wait!" the Captain barked, but the third guard had already followed.
The moment the Captain was alone, Cain dropped.
He didn't scream a battle cry. He fell like a silent executioner. The [Stalker's Fang] was gripped in a reverse hold, glowing with a faint, hungry violet light.
The Captain's instincts, honed by years of service, saved his life. He felt the ripple in the air and rolled forward. Cain's bone dagger hissed through the air, missing the man's neck by an inch and carving a deep line through his leather pauldron instead.
"You!" The Captain scrambled to his feet, drawing a heavy broadsword. "You little rat!"
[Skill Triggered: Gluttony's Touch (Focused)]
[Effect: Analyzing Enemy Weakness...]
[Target has a hairline fracture in his left knee. Mana flow is stagnant in the right shoulder.]
"Your form is wide open," Cain said, his voice sounding like two stones grinding together.
The Captain roared and swung. The broadsword carried the weight of a Level 10 warrior—enough to shatter Cain's ribs even if he blocked. But Cain didn't block.
He used [Shadow Dash Fragment (Active)].
For a fraction of a second, Cain's body became a blurred smudge of darkness. He slid under the arc of the broadsword, his bone dagger trailing a line of violet energy.
Puchi.
The dagger sank into the back of the Captain's knee—the exact spot the System highlighted.
"AGH!" The Captain fell to one side, his leg buckling.
Cain didn't hesitate. He lunged for the Captain's belt, his fingers closing around the Flare Talisman. He didn't just take it; he crushed it in his hand, letting the Void-Eater bloodline devour the concentrated fire mana inside the tube.
[Fire Mana Consumed.]
[Temporary Buff: Your next attack deals +15 Fire Damage.]
"Captain?" Kael's voice shouted from the brush. They were coming back.
Cain looked down at the fallen Captain. The man saw death in Cain's golden eyes.
"Wait—I was just following orders!" the Captain pleaded, reaching for a knife.
"The predator doesn't listen to the excuses of the prey," Cain said.
He drove the [Stalker's Fang] into the Captain's throat.
[Target Defeated: Level 10 Warrior.]
[Massive EXP Gained: +450!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Current Level: 6]
Cain felt a surge of raw power. His wounds from the wolf fight closed instantly. He turned toward the bushes where the other two guards were about to emerge.
"Two left," Cain whispered, a dark, terrifying smile stretching across his face.
[New Skill Unlocked: 'Devourer's Aura' (Rank E)]
[Description: Release a pressure that slows the movement of enemies within 5 meters.]
The bushes parted. Kael and the other guard froze. They didn't see a Level 1 orphan. They saw a monster standing over the mangled corpse of their leader, draped in shadows and radiating a pressure that made their very blood turn to ice.
"Who's next?" Cain asked.