The alley exploded.
Eli barely had time to react before a wave of dark energy slammed into him, throwing him backward like a ragdoll.
"GAH—!"
His body hit the ground hard, air rushing out of his lungs.
Pain shot through his ribs.
Everything hurt.
"…Okay… still not used to that…" he groaned.
He rolled onto his side just in time to avoid another blast.
The wall behind him shattered instantly.
Dust and debris filled the air.
"You're slower now," Veyr's voice echoed, calm as ever. "Fatigue already?"
Eli pushed himself up, breathing hard.
"Yeah, well," he muttered, wiping blood from his lip, "I didn't exactly sign up for this."
Veyr stepped forward slowly, each step deliberate.
Measured.
Like he was studying Eli.
Not just trying to kill him.
That made it worse.
Eli swallowed.
He's not even trying seriously.
That realization hit harder than the attacks.
[SKILL READY: SHADOW FRACTURE]
Eli glanced at the faint blue screen hovering at the edge of his vision.
"Alright," he whispered. "Let's not mess this up again."
Veyr raised his hand.
Dark energy gathered once more, thicker this time. Denser.
More dangerous.
"You adapted quickly," Veyr said. "But it won't matter."
Eli clenched his fist.
Intent.
That's what the system said.
Not panic.
Not random movement.
Focus.
What do I want?
His eyes locked onto Veyr.
I want his power.
The moment that thought solidified—
Something shifted.
The energy around Eli changed.
Subtle.
But real.
"Shadow Fracture," Eli muttered.
He thrust his hand forward.
A ripple of dark energy shot out—
Faster than before.
Cleaner.
It struck Veyr again.
This time—
The effect lasted longer.
Veyr staggered slightly.
His aura flickered violently.
"…Interesting," Veyr murmured.
Eli didn't wait.
He ran forward instead of away.
"What—?" Veyr's eyes narrowed.
Eli swung his fist.
A stupid move.
A completely irrational move.
But—
The moment his fist connected—
Something surged through him.
Like grabbing a live wire.
Power.
Raw.
Violent.
Uncontrolled.
"AH—!"
Eli screamed as energy flooded his body.
[POWER LINK ESTABLISHED]
[STEALING: 1.3% → 1.7%]
Eli's vision blurred.
Everything felt sharper.
Faster.
Stronger.
He could feel the energy around Veyr.
Like it was something tangible.
Something he could take.
Veyr reacted instantly.
He grabbed Eli by the throat and lifted him off the ground.
"Enough," he said coldly.
Eli choked, clawing at Veyr's hand.
But—
The power didn't stop.
[STEALING: 2.0%]
Veyr's eyes darkened.
"You're not supposed to have this."
Eli grinned weakly despite the pain.
"Yeah," he rasped. "I get that a lot."
BOOM.
Veyr slammed him into the ground.
The connection broke instantly.
Eli coughed violently, gasping for air.
Everything hurt even more now.
But—
He felt it.
The difference.
Even after the connection ended—
Something remained.
A trace.
A fragment.
"…I kept some…" Eli whispered.
[PASSIVE RESIDUE DETECTED]
Veyr stepped back slowly.
Not attacking.
Watching.
Analyzing.
"That ability…" he said. "It shouldn't exist."
Eli pushed himself up, shaking.
"Yeah," he said. "I'm starting to like it."
That earned him a faint smile.
Not friendly.
Never friendly.
"You will die for it," Veyr said.
"Yeah," Eli replied, "probably. But not today."
He turned—
And ran again.
Ten Minutes Later
Eli didn't stop until his legs nearly gave out.
He ducked into a collapsed building, breathing heavily.
"…Okay… okay… think…"
His mind raced.
I can steal power.
Not all of it.
But some.
And I keep a little afterward.
He looked at his hands.
They trembled.
Not just from exhaustion.
From something else.
Energy still lingered there.
Faint.
But real.
"…This is insane," he whispered.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE UNLOCKED]
A larger screen appeared in front of him.
Name: Eli
Level: 2
Core Skill: Shadow Fracture (1–2%)
New Trait: Residual Absorption (Minor)
"…Okay," Eli said slowly. "Now we're getting somewhere."
He focused on the new trait.
[Residual Absorption: Small amount of stolen power remains after contact]
"…So I can get stronger."
That changed everything.
Footsteps echoed faintly in the distance.
Eli froze.
"…He's still coming."
Of course he was.
Why wouldn't he be?
Eli stood up slowly.
"…Alright," he said quietly.
"No more running blindly."
He stepped toward a broken window, looking out at the ruined city.
Fires still burned.
Creatures still roamed.
Danger everywhere.
"…If I want to survive…"
His eyes hardened.
"…I need more power."
An Hour Later
Eli found his next target.
A shadow creature.
Smaller than the ones before.
Still dangerous.
But manageable.
It prowled through the street, unaware of him.
Eli crouched behind debris, watching.
"…Okay," he whispered. "Let's test this."
His heart pounded.
Not from fear this time.
From anticipation.
If I can steal from Veyr…
This should be easy.
He stepped out.
"Hey!"
The creature turned instantly.
Its red eyes locked onto him.
And it charged.
Fast.
Eli didn't move.
Not immediately.
Intent.
Focus.
Take it.
The creature lunged.
At the last second—
Eli raised his hand.
"Shadow Fracture."
The ripple hit.
The creature froze mid-motion.
For just a second.
Eli stepped forward—
And grabbed it.
[POWER LINK ESTABLISHED]
[STEALING: 0.3%]
"…Wow," Eli muttered. "That's… a lot weaker."
Still—
Power flowed into him.
Small.
But noticeable.
The creature shrieked.
Struggled.
Eli tightened his grip.
"Yeah," he said. "Not so fun now, is it?"
The creature lashed out—
Clawed his arm—
Eli winced but didn't let go.
"Stay still!"
He focused harder.
Take it.
The energy surged—
Then—
The creature collapsed.
Gone.
[ENEMY DEFEATED]
[+15 EXP]
Eli stepped back, breathing hard.
"…Okay," he said. "That works."
He looked at his hand again.
The power felt… slightly stronger.
Not a lot.
But enough.
"…This is it," he whispered.
"This is how I survive."
Elsewhere
Veyr stood on a rooftop, overlooking the city.
His gaze locked onto Eli in the distance.
"…Growing already," he murmured.
A faint smile appeared.
"Good."
Dark energy swirled around him.
"Steal all you want."
His eyes gleamed.
"In the end…"
The air trembled.
"…it will all return to me."
Back to Eli
Eli exhaled slowly.
"…Alright."
He clenched his fist.
"No more running."
His eyes hardened.
"Next time…"
He looked toward the direction Veyr had been.
"…I'll be ready."