Chapter 27: Raising the stakes (Part 3)

Adam’s POV

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Running from Hector would be the obvious choice.

Even Nove had been screaming it into my ear non-stop.

“Alper, escape now. Engage later. Escape now.”

But running wasn’t an option. Not here. Not now.

If we bailed, Hector and his cronies would undoubtedly raid the Midnight Prowlers’ HQ. And I didn’t want to think about how many people would die because of it.

No, I thought, cracking my knuckles. I have to deal with this here and now.

Slipping into my Valkyrie armor would’ve been the best move—crush him before he even knew what hit him. But if anyone else was watching, and I was sure they were, I’d be reported in an instant.

I’ve been watching Hector for a while now. He’s got confidence—too much confidence. His rock armor is impressive, sure, but it’s not flawless. Just because it adapts to his body doesn’t mean it’s impenetrable. A well-placed piercing attack should puncture right through.

Unlucky for Hector, I still had one very special tool up my sleeve.

The Golden Boar Spike Core Node. The intelligence-based node I wasn’t able to sell earlier.

I silently commanded Nove to swap it with the dirt core node in my system.

Updated Stats:

* Intelligence (INT): 43 (+17)

* Endurance (END): 10 (+4)

My intelligence stat was nearing 50 now. Nearly half of the max value.

Ridiculous.

But the best part?

I had a new skill.

(Lvl:1) Rock Skewer: Summon two large spikes made of stone from the user’s side to impale the enemy.

I flexed my fingers, feeling the surge of power in my system. Now all I needed was to give Dara the signal—and she’d activate her Nexus core ability.

Hector was grinning like a bastard, savoring his victory after beating up two teenagers with an axe.

For some reason, it pissed me off.

I rolled my shoulders, taking a step forward. Every movement deliberate, confident.

“You know,” I said casually, as if I were about to take out the trash, “I wouldn’t be smiling if I were you.”

Hector’s eyebrow twitched. “Oh? And why’s that, kid?”

A flicker of my past life flashed before my eyes—memories of cold precision, of silent kills, of the way they used to whisper my name in fear.

A grin spread across my face, slow and predatory.

“Because,” I said, locking eyes with him, “I’ll show you why they used to call me The Reaper.”

For the first time, Hector’s smile faltered.

With a subtle movement, I sneakily gave Dara a thumbs up.

And just like that—everything plunged into pitch black.

The surrounding noises dampened, not completely, but enough to feel eerily unnatural. The faint murmurs of the crowd, the distant clatter of the marketplace—muffled into an unsettling hum.

"What the hell?!" Hector’s voice cut through the darkness, his usual bravado laced with a tinge of panic now.

Unfortunately for him, I didn’t need my eyes to see.

Above him, his health bar still hovered in my vision, bright and unwavering—a beacon in the void. That alone was enough for me to take him down, but then Nove’s calm, analytical voice chimed in my head.

"Due to your enhanced perception, I can generate a predictive outline of Hector's movements based on prior observation."

As soon as she finished speaking, a red silhouette flickered into existence beneath his health bar, tracing the rough shape of his body in real-time.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I whistled under my breath. Oh, that’s pretty cool.

But honestly? I didn’t even need it.

Years of experience in the field had trained me to read body language instinctively—every breath, every shift of weight, the subtle flex of muscle before an attack. This was just an extra layer of reassurance.

Now, I had two options to take him down.

One: Go for his eyes—his only apparent weak spot. When Dix almost burned him alive earlier, his armor had covered every inch of his body except his eyes. That told me everything I needed to know.

Two: Use my new skill, Rock Skewer, and see if it had enough power to punch through his stone defense.

As I debated my approach, Hector’s voice echoed through the darkness once more.

"Is this your plan, huh?! Running away like a damn coward?!" He barked, swinging his axe wildly. "I’ve got the entire security force under my thumb, brat! One word, and I’ll make sure you never see the light of day again!"

Empty threats. I knew he was stalling, trying to mask his growing unease with bravado.

I smirked in the shadows.

But you know, I thought, I'm a little curious... just how accurate is this projection Nove’s showing me?

With that in mind, I started moving silently around him, observing the highlighted red outline closely. It shifted in sync with his erratic movements—his frantic axe swings, his head snapping in different directions, searching for me in the suffocating darkness.

I tested it further, taking slow, deliberate steps to see how quickly the projection would update. It reacted almost instantly, tracking his movements with precision.

Interesting. This could be useful in the long run.

But playtime was over. It was time to put things to the test.

I rolled my shoulders and clenched my fists.

Let’s see how well you handle the real thing, Hector.

With a thought, I activated Rock Skewer.

Ah… it had been a while since I felt this.

The thrill.

The adrenaline.

The familiar rush of power that came with being the one in control—the one deciding whether someone lived or died.

I couldn't stop myself as I walked toward Hector, my steps deliberate loud, each one echoing through the tense silence like the tolling of a funeral bell.

I wanted him to hear it

I wanted him to hear the death bells toll.

I wanted him to hear the grim reaper approaching.

I activated the skill again as it drilled holes into his legs.

-54 -67

he had less than 40% health left.

Nove’s projected highlight traced Hector’s trembling form, his ragged breathing, the weak, shuddering groans escaping his lips. He was trying to push himself up, his limbs shaking violently beneath him, but he kept stumbling—his body betraying him.

Pathetic.

I could feel it through the projection, the raw fear radiating off him in waves.

He knows it’s over.

Still, I kept moving forward, my footsteps slow but heavy—letting him soak in the dread.

And then, Nove’s voice rang inside my head, soft but laced with something I hadn’t heard from her before.

"Alper… You’re scaring me."

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Reality snapped back into focus like ice-cold water splashed on my face.

Hector’s voice, which I had somehow tuned out, came rushing in like a crashing wave.

“N-No! Please! Don’t kill me! I-I’m sorry! I’ll give you whatever you want!”

He had been screaming for his life—for how long?

I hadn’t even noticed.

My hand instinctively reached up to my face, fingers tracing over my lips. They were stretched into a wide grin—too wide. A smile I knew all too well.

The devil’s grin.

The one I wore in my past life.

My hands trembled slightly as I stared at them, the weight of old habits creeping in like a ghost.

"I…" My voice faltered.

How long had I been slipping back into my old ways? I'd promised myself—I’d live differently in this world. No more crime. No more bloodshed unless absolutely necessary.

But here I was, standing on the edge of that slippery slope once again.

"What am I doing?"

A sharp gust of wind blew past, and the blindness effect wore off. The world came back into view, revealing Hector collapsed in the ruins of a shattered stall. His face streaked with tears, his axe slipping from his shaking hands as he flailed wildly in desperation.

His wide, bloodshot eyes locked onto me.

“Stop! Please stop! I-It was all Bram’s orders! I swear! He wanted your stuff and—” he choked on his words, sobbing, “—he wanted you dead! I was just following orders!”

His pleading voice cut through the air like a blade.

I glanced over my shoulder toward Dix and Dara.

Their eyes weren’t filled with admiration or relief.

They were filled with horror.

As if they were looking at a monster.

A chill crept down my spine.

“I…” I started, but before I could finish, Dix lunged toward me, grabbing my shoulders with a firm grip.

“You have no idea how grateful we are,” he said, his voice shaking with relief. “That bastard deserved everything you did to him.”

“That’s right,” Dara added, stepping forward with a soft smile. I looked at them both, expecting fear, expecting them to see me for what I truly was—a monster lurking beneath the surface.

But they didn’t.

They weren’t afraid of me.

They were afraid of Hector.

I opened my mouth, searching for the right words, but all I could manage was a shaky, “Guys, I... almost killed him without even thinking.”

I felt the weight of my own confession hanging heavy in the air.

But before I could spiral further, Dara stepped closer and wrapped her arms around me in a gentle hug.

I froze.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to do, but then—I let it happen.

My shoulders dropped, and the tension bled out of me as her warmth seeped in.

“Everyone has a dark side,” she whispered softly. “But the fact that you’re scared of it... proves that it’s not who you really are.”

“Nya~ So that’s why he was acting weird nya?” Dix chimed in, scratching his head as Dara pulled away.

She nodded. “Don’t worry, Adam. We’re your friends, right?”

I stared at them both.

How pathetic am I?

I’ve spent years running from my past, burying it deep, yet here I am—being comforted by two teenagers who barely know me.

But… they were right.

One slip-up, and I thought was right back to where I started.

I exhaled a shaky breath, shaking my head with a small smile. “Yeah. You’re right.”

The fact that I’d only slipped up once, despite years of doing this, meant that I was stronger than I thought.

This wasn’t the end. It didn’t have to be. I could do better.

No—I will do better.

Looking at Dara and Dix, I made a silent vow.

I am Adam.

And I will never go back to being the Reaper.