I was hurled back with a force that felt like being smacked by a lorry. I ended up crashing into a container that knocked the wind out of me. It took a few moments to regain my composure amidst the haze and smoke. Every breath was a hacking cough; bloody painful, too. I'm pretty sure I broke a few ribs. I tried to shield my face, but agony shot up my arm for a moment and ebbed away. Just as I was about to lose my marbles over what just happened to me right now, something else caught my eye.

The dock around us was transformed into something out of Hell. Devastation everywhere: mangled cars, some aflame, others reduced to ash – particularly those at ground zero. Bodies of the escorts littered the ground, their corpses were blown apart. Some missed an arm, others a leg, some were gone, leaving their ashened imprint on the ground. It felt like a fucking nuke hit us.

I began feeling the ground, attempting to get my bearings. My vision was still impaired by the smoke. My fingers brushed against a cottony texture that squished. Clearing the smoke from the area revealed the worst sight of the day: Viktor, lying face down, his back a gruesome mixture of burns and blood. Bloody hell. I wiped the blood from my finger.

Pushing past my shock, I tried to find the others. But seeing through the dense smoke was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Breathing without inhaling the soot was another ordeal. I needed to get out, to find clean air.

A notification sound rang in my head.

Escape the dock!

Rewards - +10 free stat points.

The sudden sound of sword clashes and gunshots caught my attention. Clearly, a fight was unfolding. Not knowing who was involved, I chose not to stick around and find out. Instead, I hastily made my way in the opposite direction of the commotion.

I tried to bolt but ended up stumbling and face-planting. Gritting my teeth, I heaved myself up, refusing to let a simple fall stop me. I looked ahead trying to find an escape route. My eyes landed on a narrow alley wedged between two towering container columns. There wasn’t anybody there, which was perfect.

I made my way into the alley before anyone could catch on. As I ventured deeper into the alley, the smoke began to thin, easing my labored breathing. Once I reached a point where the air was clear, I took a deep, refreshing breath that felt amazing.

However, the crunch of gravel and echoing footsteps pulled me back to reality. Panicking, I retreated into the smoky haze and pressed myself against the cold metal of a container.

Through the muffled sounds, I caught bits of distant chatter, accompanied by more footsteps. I wasn't alone.

Dropping into a crouch, I tried to focus on the voices, attempting to discern their words. Amid the background noise, tuning in was a challenge, but I managed to catch snippets. "He's... find him now," was all I heard before an unexpected notification diverted my attention.

Perception has increased to 6.

Wha- this didn’t make sense. Perception is my vision, how is it my hearing?

The system measures perception systems differently than how normal human beings do. Perception is your ability to perceive your surroundings and reality and it is affected by your 5 senses. Sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste. Using one or more senses increases your perception stat.

It seems this system uses a different set of measurements for stats than I anticipated. However, I shelved that thought and focused on the words again. While the background noise had been quite pronounced earlier, it had faded to a soft, muted silence.

Notifications started to appear in my peripheral vision, becoming clearer and more distinct as the background noise died down.

“He’s likely hiding around here,” one of them said. “I just got off the call with the team leader. He wasn’t at the place he landed, and neither was the Russian who's with him.” He paused, peering into the alley of containers next to mine. “They could be anywhere in this vicinity.”

The voice was gentle, not quite feminine. Likely a man's. Moving stealthily, I approached a group of five, all dressed in maroon suits, black shirts, and black formal shoes. Each wore an Oni mask. I had to admit, they had some style.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

But something in their conversation stuck out. Viktor was gone. It didn’t make any sense. It was only a few moments ago that Viktor was down on the floor. How could he disappear with an injury like that without making a noise? I switched my attention back to the group approaching me.

“Can we take him alive, oppa?” one woman inquired.

He exhaled slowly. “The young one, maybe. But the Russian? He's a Martial Gold 1st Stage like me. He won’t be a walk in the park for you or me.”

“But he’s injured,” another woman argued. “He can't be as formidable as before.”

The Martial Gold met her gaze. “Never underestimate the enemy.”

A notification rang. I willed it open.

Escape the Cheomyeon Clan foot soldiers.

+15 free stat points, Uncommon Item.

I patiently waited as they strolled past the containers. The plan was simple: if I could just give them enough lead, I'd slip unnoticed into the narrow alley sandwiched between the containers.

And that’s precisely what happened. After a brief moment, I seized my chance and made my way into the alley. From there, freedom beckoned. Just have to keep it together.

Crouched low, I shuffled forward. The last thing I needed was my footsteps giving me away. Nearing the end of the alley, I tip-toed, even holding my breath to reduce any noise. Should I wait for them to move further? But a quick glance told me they were heading for a dead end.

Taking a deep breath, bolstered by a newfound confidence, I began my silent walk into the open. One foot after the other, I sneaked past them. I also made a note mentally to putting pressure on the ground to avoid making any crunching noises with the rocks and debris that littered my path.

With their backs towards me it was easy to sneak past them. Usually people can pick up things pretty easily in their peripheral vision. A fact expressed by bong in one of his lectures last year. He explained that the big cats, Lions, Tigers, Cheetahs and Leopards prefer hunting their prey from behind as it provides them a better opportunity to hide from their prey. Damn Hanul was right, I am missing Bong.

"It's a dead end. Let's turn back and find another route," Martial Gold suggested.

Ice ran through my veins, and my heart did a frantic dance. I was in the middle, out in the open in the crouching position. They'd spot me in a moment when they turned.

Running was a no-go, but standing still made me a sitting duck, perfect for slaughter. In a fit of desperation, I attempted a 'tiptoed sprint', if that's even a thing. Taking three tip-toed strides into the alley, before they caught on to me. I didn’t care about making a noise at this point, as my foot grinded the rocks beneath. I threw myself forward, and that created a noise on which they latched on.

“What was that?” one of the women shouted. “Who's there?”

“Did you hear something?” the second woman asked.

The first woman sprinted back to where I'd darted between containers and stopped, scanning the area. She looked left and right, trying to find me. I pressed myself flat against the container, hands splayed, eyes shut.

Even though there was minimal smoke around, visibility was still limited to a meter or two. If she ventured a few more steps in my direction, she’d definitely see me. My heart raced as she moved closer.

She took another step, and I felt my heart ready to leap out of my chest. Sweat formed quickly on my skin, and I felt a chill. Every step she took towards me made my heart race even faster, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

“Hey, I think I heard something over there,” called out Martial Gold.

She paused, a mere two meters away. She hesitated, probably torn between trusting her instincts or her teammate. Eventually, she retraced her steps and disappeared. I didn’t let myself breathe until the sound of her footsteps faded into the distance.

That was way too close. I had no idea who they were, but if they were anything like Kira and her band of terrorists, I was better off avoiding them at all costs.

I stood up. There was no need to stay low; I felt they were far enough away to not hear me run. They were probably headed in the opposite direction, trying to chase down that random noise.

With a newfound urgency, I sprinted straight ahead. Freedom felt just moments away. Just a bit further and I’d be free from captivity, torture, and a day’s worth of hell. So much had happened recently that it all felt surreal.

“Found you.”

A solid punch sent me flying a few meters, and I found myself sprawled on the ground. Instinctively, my hand flew to the right side of my face, where the blow had landed. Blimey, that hurt. I tentatively touched the sore spot, confirming the inevitable bruise.

“Thought you could run away?” It was the second woman, the one who'd spotted me darting between the containers.

I stammered, “I–I did think I could run away. Clearly, I was mistaken.” I added a weak chuckle for good measure.

She wasn't having any of it. Swiftly, she grabbed my neck, launching me forward like a discarded ragdoll. As I tumbled, it became clear: she was just as aggressive as the rest of her mates.

The woman – let's call her 'Woman Two' – nodded towards the imposing figure I now realized they called Martial Gold. “That distraction was a good move, Boss. Caught him right off guard.”

Then, as if I hadn’t had enough, she slapped me hard. She seemed to have an unsavory penchant for pain, even more than that Kira bloke. And before I could recover, she threw a series of punches my way. I attempted to shield myself, but my feeble defense seemed more amusing to them than effective.

“Look at this little shit,he thinks he fends us off,” she sneered.

Another woman – 'Woman One' – intervened, grabbing her companion's wrist. “Ease up! We're meant to nab him in one piece. The clan leader did say a few scratches were fine, but let’s not push our luck.”

Martial Gold weighed in, “She’s right. Bind him and let's move.”

With a huff, Woman Two yanked her arm free and pulled a thick rope from her jacket pocket. How on earth did that fit in there? I wondered.

Just as she approached, a sudden projectile whizzed towards Martial Gold. He deftly deflected it, without noticing, sending it skidding to my feet, releasing a plume of smoke that brought tears to my eyes.