Ethan opened the system interface and placed his summoned beast, Zack Cole, on the left side of the fusion panel. On the right, he slotted in a rare material they had just retrieved from Old Wang—a Dark Gold-rank Shadow Sparrow's Beak.
A system prompt appeared in front of him.
> "Hint: Do you want to perform Infinite Alienation?"
"Confirm: Yes / No"
Ethan didn't hesitate. He hit "Yes."
Next, the system prompted:
> "Select the alienation result:
a. Shadow Attribute – Stealth skill upgraded to Shadow Stealth
b. Piercing Forelimbs – Restraint skill upgraded to Strangle
c. Enhanced Flying – Enables extended flight**"
Ethan chose option A without a second thought. He was determined to transform Zack into the ultimate assassin, a silent killer who could pass through enemy ranks unnoticed. His current stealth wasn't enough—this upgrade was necessary.
> "Alienation successful! Strength +260, Constitution +300, Agility +6300, Spirit +160. New Skill: Shadow Stealth (Purple Rank)"
Shadow Stealth: Allows the user to melt into shadows. Significantly improves stealth capabilities and cannot be interrupted even when attacked.
Now, Zack was no longer the knee-height blade bug he used to be. He had evolved into something far more menacing—a human-sized Sword Mantis cloaked in gray-black exoskeleton armor. Though his forelimbs looked the same, they now shimmered with dangerous energy, and his frame had become more lean and agile.
> Summoned Beast: Gold-ranked Sword Mantis
Level: Mature stage – 18 years remaining lifespan
Strength: 1046 (+1046)
Constitution: 1270 (+1270)
Agility: 10760 (+10760)
Spirit: 260 (+260)
Skills: Gnawing (Green), Shadow Stealth (Purple), Clamping (Blue), Mirroring the Moon (Blue)
Combat Power: 639 Stars
Ethan smiled. Zack's combat power now surpassed the notorious Anti-Bone Boy.
Back at the vault, just before Fairwind had activated the lock with his blood and the energy arc had scanned him, Ethan had summoned Zack—but only his mirror image, not the real one.
He had sensed something was off. Anyone daring to attack the City Lord's Mansion wasn't a regular opponent. It was a gamble, and Ethan won. The mirror image was destroyed, but Zack lived.
Fairwind had said this vault was so durable it would take a rank-three professional one full hour of cutting to break in.
That didn't mean they were safe though.
Inside the vault, they could see outside but couldn't hear anything. That was dangerous.
What was worse—Ethan noticed something chilling.
The butler, the one who had helped raise Fairwind for eight years, had not been attacked. Instead, he had helped the strange enemies destroy Zack's illusion.
That confirmed it. The butler was a traitor.
Fairwind couldn't deny it anymore. The kind old man he had relied on since childhood was on the enemy's side. And his allies?
They weren't even human.
Ethan spotted the short, creepy man walking up to the vault door.
The man pulled out a pitch-black ring and slid it onto his finger. Almost instantly, his hand began to twist grotesquely, reshaping into something drill-like.
But instead of smashing the door, his twisted hand slowly melted into the surface of the vault, like it was merging with the material itself.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. "What kind of ability is that?" All his training, all his knowledge—he had never heard of a profession that could deform its body like that.
It was terrifying. And after witnessing how easily the tall, shark-toothed monster had torn Zack's illusion apart, Ethan had no doubt this smaller man had deadly power too.
And if he got in—Fairwind would be the first to die.
Ethan himself had a skill copied from the principal's grandmother, something called "Spatial Transfer." Before they even entered the manor, he had placed a spatial mark at the car they parked near.
If needed, Ethan could teleport away. But the problem was—he couldn't take anyone with him.
Fairwind would be left behind.
His mind raced.
How do I take Fairwind with me? There must be another way. Ethan stared at his friend, who was still sitting frozen in disbelief.
"Fairwind, snap out of it. Is there any way to get out from here? Anything at all? Can you contact your father?"
Ethan had seen the setup for this whole event. The attack had happened specifically while the City Lord was away, which meant the enemies still feared the lord's power.
If the City Lord could return fast enough, maybe—just maybe—they could survive.
But the short man's fingers were already halfway through the vault door. There wasn't much time.
"Fairwind, any skill, item, scroll, anything that helps you escape—look for it! We need something to stall him."
Fairwind didn't respond.
Ethan's heart sank.
He had underestimated how badly the betrayal had shattered Fairwind's heart.
Fairwind had lost both his mother and father emotionally at a young age. The butler, with his gentle words and fatherly presence, had been the one constant source of affection in his life.
And now? That man turned out to be a monster in disguise.
Ethan clenched his fists. He couldn't let this moment paralyze his friend.
He spoke louder.
"Fairwind, this guy never cared about you. Everything he did was fake. Everything. He fooled you from the start."
"He played with your feelings. Don't you get it? He's been treating you like a tool. A joke."
Fairwind looked up slowly, his eyes wide, glassy.
"Don't you want to kill this traitor with your own hands? Don't you want to make him pay for eight years of lies? If that short freak gets through the vault door, we're dead."
A whisper escaped Fairwind's lips: "It's all fake... it's all fake... it's all fake..."
Then, all at once, he stood up.
His fists were trembling. His eyes filled with tears, but behind them now burned something stronger—fury.
His body shook, and the pain turned into something more dangerous.
Determination.
He had trusted the butler.
He had called him family.
Now he would treat him as an enemy.
---
Bolded Key Events Recap:
Ethan fuses Zack with a rare material, unlocking the powerful "Shadow Stealth" skill.
Zack evolves into a Gold-ranked assassin with 639-star combat power.
Zack's mirror image is used to stall the enemy outside the vault.
The butler is revealed as a traitor, helping enemies instead of defending Fairwind.
Short man uses unknown body-morphing ability to break into the vault.
Ethan realizes he can escape alone but refuses to leave Fairwind behind.
Fairwind is mentally crushed by the betrayal of the butler he called family.
Ethan snaps Fairwind out of it, forcing him to see the truth—"He played with your feelings."
Fairwind rises, tears in his eyes, filled with rage and readiness to fight.
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