The mist was thicker than ever.
It swallowed the treetops. It blurred every edge. And yet, Alex saw everything .
With his Chaos Dragon Eyes active, even for a few precious seconds, the fog didn't exist. The trees were skeletal veins. The wind curled like ink across open space. But more importantly
He saw them .
Three men. One woman. Bandit scouts, armored in mismatched leather and steel. Each of them pulsed with a faint red aura, visible only through the lens of his eyes.
Gorrin wasn't with them.
Good.
He wasn't ready for that monster yet.
But this group?
He could kill them.
[Targets Identified – Black Hollow Scouts (Tier F+ to E-)]
Formation: Diamond sweep pattern – standard recon layout
Weapons: One bow, one longsword, two short-blades
Alert Status: Low
Advantage: Absolute
Alex crouched low, motionless in the underbrush. The mist wrapped around him like silk. He waited. Not rushing. Not greedy.
He was an executioner , not a brawler.
Then movement .
The archer, a wiry woman with a half-burned face, stepped further ahead, separated from the others by a stretch of wet bramble.
[Initiate Skill: Predator's Grasp]
A red flash surged down his spine.
He burst from the mist like a shadow torn free from its master.
One hand on her mouth.
Dagger in the other up through her jaw, into her brainstem. Her body went limp mid-scream, eyes rolling white.
He dragged her down and rolled under a fallen log in a single fluid motion.
[Kill Confirmed – Silent Execution]
[Bonus Applied: Stealth Multiplier]
[Soul Fragment Acquired – Minor]
[Precognition Window Active – 3 seconds]
Time shuddered .
His vision flickered.
In his mind, he saw it the immediate future: one of the men turning, noticing the missing fourth, drawing steel.
He moved before it happened.
Alex sprinted forward, low and fast.
The scout with the longsword barely got out a curse before Alex's shoulder slammed into his chest like a battering ram, knocking him backward. The blade missed by inches.
Alex parried the follow-up swing with his forearm, letting the flat of the blade scrape against his reinforced bracer then countered with a low stab to the thigh.
The man screamed.
The second scout lunged from behind.
Too slow.
Alex twisted, using the wounded man's body as a shield. The short-blade pierced his comrade's back, getting stuck in bone.
Before the attacker could pull back, Alex struck high with his elbow, smashing the man's nose flat. Blood sprayed. The scout reeled too stunned to dodge the dagger that came up under his jaw.
A burst of arterial spray painted the mist red.
[Double Kill Achieved]
[Executioner Progress: +6%]
[Skill Synergy: Blood Memory Triggered – Reflex Efficiency Up 10% (Temporary)]
Only one remained.
He turned.
He ran.
Alex let him.
Just for a moment.
Then
[Activate Skill: Chaos Surge]
WARNING: Muscle Stress Incoming…
A surge of molten energy ripped through his limbs. His legs burned. His heart thundered like war drums.
He exploded forward.
Trees blurred past. The wind screamed in his ears.
Twenty feet. Ten. Five.
He reached the fleeing scout and tackled him through a tree .
Wood shattered. The man hit the ground hard, coughing blood, ribs clearly broken.
Alex stood over him, panting. The crimson light still dancing in his eyes.
The man raised his hands. "P-please! I didn't "
"Name," Alex said.
The scout choked. "G-Gerran…"
"Gerran." He knelt beside him. "You were with Gorrin when they killed the girl."
The man's face paled. "I I didn't touch her. It was just Gorrin. I just held the "
Alex grabbed his face.
And activated Memory Theft .
A red shimmer bled from Gerran's eyes into Alex's. Images flashed
Gorrin laughing as he held Mia down.
Gerran standing outside the shack, pretending not to hear her scream.
Looting her corpse for jewelry after.
Alex's hand tightened .
"No gods here," he whispered.
And twisted the man's neck until it snapped.
[Target Neutralized]
[Memory Theft – Completed]
Information Acquired: Camp Guard Rotation | Hidden Supply Tunnels | Gorrin's Daily Route
[Bloodline Response: Resonance 9%]
Alex stood, chest rising and falling.
His muscles trembled. Not from fear.
From restraint.
[Bloodline Mutation Point Reached: Chaos Surge Now Evolvable]
He wiped the blood off his face. He didn't bother burying the bodies.
Let the camp find them.
Let them know something worse than bandits was coming.
He turned toward the northern ridge where Gorrin would be by dusk.
And for the first time in weeks
He smiled.