The city no longer felt like a place meant for humans.
Eli walked slowly through the cracked streets, his footsteps echoing against broken concrete and shattered glass. Smoke still rose from distant fires, and the sky remained an unnatural shade of dim red—as if the world itself had been stained.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "Definitely not Earth anymore."
Or maybe it was.
Just… ruined.
He tightened his grip slightly, feeling that faint, lingering energy inside his body.
It was still there.
Weak.
But real.
"…Residual Absorption," he whispered.
The name sounded cool.
The effect?
Even better.
[STATUS]
Level: 2 → 3 (Pending EXP)
Core Skill: Shadow Fracture (2%)
Trait: Residual Absorption (Minor)
Eli exhaled slowly.
"I need more."
Not food.
Not rest.
Power.
Because one thing was painfully clear—
If he ran into Veyr again like this…
He'd die.
No second chance.
No lucky system interruption.
Just death.
A low growl echoed nearby.
Eli froze.
"…Right on cue."
From behind a collapsed bus, something moved.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Watching him.
Eli stepped back slightly, raising his hand instinctively.
"Okay," he whispered. "Let's not mess this up."
The creature emerged.
It was bigger than the last one.
Much bigger.
Its body was twisted, covered in jagged black armor-like skin. Its limbs were too long, dragging slightly as it moved. Its glowing red eyes locked onto Eli with predatory focus.
"…Yeah," Eli said. "You're definitely stronger."
The creature tilted its head—
Then lunged.
Fast.
Too fast.
"—!"
Eli barely reacted in time, throwing himself sideways.
The ground where he stood exploded as the creature slammed into it.
"Okay—definitely faster!"
He rolled, jumped to his feet, and raised his hand.
"Shadow Fracture!"
A ripple shot forward—
It hit.
The creature froze—
But only for half a second.
"…That's shorter," Eli muttered.
The creature roared and swung its arm.
Eli blocked instinctively—
Bad idea.
"GAH—!"
The force sent him flying into a nearby car.
Metal crumpled on impact.
Pain exploded through his body.
"Okay," he groaned, struggling up, "new rule… don't block."
The creature charged again.
Eli forced himself to focus.
Intent.
Take its power.
Not panic.
Not reaction.
Control.
He stepped forward this time.
Not back.
The creature lunged—
Eli moved at the last second.
His hand shot out—
And grabbed its arm.
[POWER LINK ESTABLISHED]
[STEALING: 0.5%]
"Yes!" Eli grinned.
Energy flowed into him instantly.
Stronger than before.
Not Veyr-level.
But close enough to matter.
The creature shrieked violently, thrashing.
Eli held on.
"Not so tough now, huh?!"
The creature slammed him into the ground.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Eli coughed, vision shaking.
But he didn't let go.
"Stay—still—!"
[STEALING: 0.8% → 1.1%]
The creature's movements slowed.
Its strength weakened.
Eli felt it clearly.
Like draining water from a tank.
"…This is insane," he whispered.
Then—
CRACK.
The creature's body shattered.
Gone.
Just like that.
[ENEMY DEFEATED]
[+45 EXP]
Eli lay there for a moment.
Breathing heavily.
"…Okay," he said. "That… worked better than expected."
He slowly stood up.
His body still hurt.
But—
He felt stronger.
Not just a little.
Noticeably.
[LEVEL UP]
Level: 3
Eli blinked.
"…Oh."
A faint warmth spread through his body.
The pain eased slightly.
His breathing stabilized.
"…Okay," he said. "I like that."
He flexed his hand.
Energy flickered faintly around it.
More stable now.
Less chaotic.
"…So leveling up actually helps."
Good.
Because he was going to need a lot more of that.
Minutes Later
Eli moved through the streets more carefully now.
Not running.
Not panicking.
Hunting.
The shift in mindset was subtle.
But important.
Before—
He was trying to survive.
Now?
He was trying to grow.
A distant scream echoed.
Eli froze.
"…That's new."
That wasn't a creature.
That was a person.
Alive.
He hesitated for a moment.
Then sighed.
"…Of course."
He ran toward the sound.
Two Streets Away
A girl was trapped.
Pinned against a wall by another creature.
Smaller than the last one.
But still dangerous.
She held a metal pipe, shaking.
"Stay back!" she shouted.
The creature didn't listen.
It lunged.
Eli moved instantly.
"Hey!"
The creature turned—
Too late.
"Shadow Fracture!"
The ripple hit.
The creature froze mid-air.
Eli dashed forward—
Grabbed it—
[POWER LINK ESTABLISHED]
[STEALING: 0.4%]
"…And done," Eli said.
The creature struggled weakly—
Then collapsed.
Gone.
[ENEMY DEFEATED]
[+20 EXP]
Silence fell.
The girl stared at him.
Wide-eyed.
"…What… are you?" she whispered.
Eli blinked.
"…Wow," he said. "Not even a 'thank you' first?"
She flinched slightly.
"…You just… killed that thing."
"Yeah," Eli said. "That's usually how saving works."
She hesitated.
"…You're not like them."
Eli smirked slightly.
"Good," he said. "I was worried for a second."
She lowered the pipe slowly.
"…Thank you."
"There it is," Eli nodded. "Much better."
She looked at him more carefully now.
"…How did you do that?"
Eli paused.
"…Honestly?" he said. "I have no idea."
Not entirely true.
But close enough.
He turned slightly, scanning the area.
"…You shouldn't stay here," he said. "It's not safe."
"…Neither is anywhere," she replied quietly.
Eli didn't argue.
Because she was right.
Footsteps echoed faintly in the distance.
Heavy.
Slow.
Familiar.
Eli's expression changed instantly.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "That's my cue."
The girl noticed.
"What is it?"
Eli stepped back.
"You need to hide," he said.
"What? Why—?"
"Just trust me," he said. "If you see a guy in black armor—run."
Her face paled.
"…You're not coming?"
Eli looked toward the sound.
His grip tightened slightly.
"…No," he said.
This time—
He wasn't running.
"Stay alive," he added, before turning away.
Rooftop Above
Veyr stood silently, watching.
"…Helping others now," he murmured.
His gaze remained fixed on Eli.
"…Interesting."
Dark energy pulsed faintly around him.
"Grow stronger," he whispered.
His voice carried softly through the air.
"Struggle."
"Fight."
"Steal."
A faint smile appeared.
"Because in the end…"
His eyes gleamed.
"…you will face me again."
Back Below
Eli stepped into the open street.
The air felt heavier.
More dangerous.
But this time—
He didn't hesitate.
"…Alright," he said quietly.
"No more running."
His eyes hardened.
"Next time…"
He clenched his fist.
"…I'll take more."