When I opened my eyes again, a powerful wave of determination surged through my chest, as if every last doubt had been swept away. My thoughts were aligned—clearer than ever. I was going to do this. I was going to kill that thing. It wasn't human. And if I hesitated, I'd be the one to die.
Maybe that's why I felt the cold bite of my dagger slide across my hand—a silent, chilling reminder of what I was about to do. With a single thought, I opened my status window, my gaze locked on one particular point, absorbing every detail. Mana: 90/125.
I had expected it, but seeing my mana lower than the last time I checked drove home the fact that I had really been using abilities. Seeing it drop to 90 out of a total of 125, I figured the combined cost of the two abilities had to be 35 points.
There was no specific indicator for how much each skill consumed, but I just knew that [Presence Detection] used about 30, and [Identify] took around 5. I had no idea why—I just knew. The knowledge was there, as if it had always been part of me.
Shaking off the idle thoughts, I focused on what really mattered. Quietly, I concentrated on the name of the skill I wanted to activate: [Silent Steps]. It was designed to mask my movements, allowing me to approach my target without being noticed.
The moment I activated it, a strange sensation washed over me. My body felt lighter—but not in a way that made me faster. It was different. It was like my presence was fading, melting into the space around me. The air and I seemed to blend into one, and without needing an explanation, I instinctively understood what was happening.
If I moved carefully, I would be nearly undetectable. I glanced at Oliver beside me and caught a flicker of surprise on his face as he looked at me. I was curious what he was seeing, but I decided to save that question for later.
With slow, deliberate movements, I slid along the wall, each step calculated to stay completely silent. My movements were smooth—almost invisible—like a soft breeze slipping through unnoticed, or a drop of water falling from an old, rusted pipe.
Speaking of pipes, I decided to climb up onto them to approach from above. It felt safer than sneaking up from behind. I focused on one of the overhead pipes—it looked big and sturdy enough to hold my weight.
I took a deep breath and pushed off the ground to grab it. I couldn't help but be surprised by how light I felt as my feet left the floor. With one fluid motion, I reached the pipe—at least two and a half meters above me—with ease.
I shook my head, pushing aside the distracting thoughts, and turned my focus back to the giant rat ahead. Carefully and quietly, I moved along the pipes, taking each step with as little sound as possible. From where I was, I couldn't hear anything—not even my own steps. It felt like I was floating, weightless, completely silent.
Of course, I was moving painfully slow—slower than usual—and even though the rat was less than five meters away, it felt like time was dragging, stretching each second. But honestly, what else could I do? The more careful and precise I was, the better. Eventually, I stopped once I was directly above the giant rat. I could see it more clearly now.
Its massive, distorted body looked like something straight out of a nightmare—something from a horror story. Huge claws extended from its paws, sharp enough to rip through anything in its path. Its teeth were long and grotesque, like they could tear a human in half without effort.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady the storm in my chest. It wasn't quite fear I felt—it was more like a growing anxiety, the weight of the situation becoming more real with each second. I raised my dagger, its metallic glint reflecting the intensity in my eyes.
The sense of power was real as I tightened my grip on the handle—more firmly than ever before—like the blade and I were now one, fused with a single purpose. In the silence of my mind, I whispered the name of my ability. The moment [Precise Strike] activated, my eyes locked onto the dagger. It now glowed with a vivid light—a deep red that pulsed with its own energy.
But the red didn't cover the whole blade. There was something mesmerizing about the way the metallic shine blended with the crimson glow, creating a contrast that felt both eerie and otherworldly. And instinctively, I knew that red wasn't just for show.
If I could land a clean hit on the giant rat with that strike—it would die instantly. The skill's description had been clear: as long as I remained undetected, enemies would fall with a single blow—no chance to react. I looked around, gauging the distance and timing.
Maybe there wouldn't be a better moment than this to find out if the theory was true. I closed my eyes for a second, letting a deep breath settle my thoughts. When I opened them again, I glanced over at Oliver, who was totally focused on the massive rat below me.
His expression was sharp, almost stiff, as his hand gripped his bow tightly, the arrow already drawn and aimed at the creature. For a second, I wondered if Oliver even knew how to use a bow—if he had any real experience with it. But in the end, all I could do was wait. I could only hope this shot was enough — That he could bring that thing down with a single, perfect hit.