“[Ruin Flash],” Cole said. This skill had the same first name as his [Ruin Gust]. He wondered if both skills were related to each other.

Cole shrugged and put the thought aside. He would find out eventually. For now, he read the description of the skill.

Skill: [Ruin Flash]

Effect: When the user synchs their attack with their soul, there’s a slight chance to imbue ruin lightning within their attack, dealing three times of normal damage.

Cole’s eyes widened. Three times of normal damage was a lot. He really fancy this skill because he lacked offensive skills. Furthermore, he could control this skill if he concentrated enough, unlike [Ruin Gust] that could only be triggered if he was under attack.

Cole looked at everyone and waited for their approval. They all smiled and nodded at him. His face beamed, and he absorbed the passive skill card in honor.

The card disappeared, and his body shone. At the same time, an indifferent voice spoke in his mind.

You have put [Ruin Gust] into your third passive skill slot.

Cole looked at his body and noticed no change, but he instantly knew he could use [Ruin Gust]. His soul engraved the feeling of knowing the usage of the skill.

“How are you feeling, Cole?” Lisa asked curiously.

“I feel… normal. Well, it was a passive skill card, and the effect isn’t visible.”

“How disappointing,” Mark blurted.

Jeff lost interest in Cole’s skill anymore and walked to the entrance again, confirming the outside was safe. The rabbits once again spread throughout the field without giving the sign of berserk. Looking at them, he knew this was the chance to hunt again. “Everyone, let’s hunt again. We can’t waste time anymore.”

Mark shrugged. “Old man really doesn’t know how to rest. Let’s go all.”

They all followed Jeff to the field. The others immediately went to the usual corner as the old man was luring all rabbits again. They were waiting until those mammals formed one long line.

After a while, Cole was the first to approach the line. As usual, he attracted two rabbits. Ideally, he should have lured one so he could concentrate on triggering his new skill, but he didn’t want to have it easy. If he could do something with maximum effort, he would do it.

Cole was already familiar with the rabbits’ attack patterns. Even if the creature came from behind, he could sense the change in the air and evade the attack. After attacking, the rabbits usually had to stop their movements, and that was when he took the chance to hit it.

Each time Cole attacked the rabbit, he tried to figure out how to synch his attack with his soul, but he couldn’t feel it even after hitting his opponent several times.

Cole didn’t give up. He kept thinking how to synch his attack. He even stopped attacking and pondered about the answer while dodging their attacks. In the end, a thought flashed through his mind. To synch his attack with the soul, he needed to pour his strongest emotion in his attack.

Cole shook his head after his attack hit it. He felt no synch with his soul. To reach the state, he had to match his attack with powerful emotion.

Cole didn’t need a long time to figure out what his strongest emotion was. In his heart, there was a sleeping emotion, and it would only awake when he was fighting. This desire was none other than his wrath. It had been inside him for a long time.

Even at the moment, it was chirping like a nestling, desiring food into its hungry stomach. Cole knew about its food. Blood. It wanted to feast on blood. To synch his attack with his soul, he needed to comply with its desire, so he laughed maniacally and shouted, “As you desire!”

Cole roared as he swung his sword. Suddenly, a miracle happened. Everything became slower in his eyes. He could see the rabbit slowly falling onto him. Even the gust of the wind caressed his skin slowly. The same phenomena affected him as well, slowing his movement, making him wonder what happened.

However, Cole didn’t have time to think about it because another miracle suddenly occurred at the same time. His greatsword suddenly emitted sparks of red lightning, and he suddenly became aware it was the effect of [Ruin Flash].

This skill had the hidden effect to make everything slow in his eyes. Cole named this hidden effect the slowed perception.

As everything became slower in his eyes, Cole used this chance to direct his greatsword toward the rabbit’s neck.

When his perception turned normal again, his greatsword had severed the rabbit’s neck, and his slash left a trail of red lightning.

This skill’s might surprised him. Not only he could deal three times of normal damage, but he could use the slowed perception to target the enemy’s vital area, dealing another critical damage.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“That was great,” Cole said with a wide grin. He suddenly jumped to the side when the second rabbit was leaping at him. After that, he rushed to the rabbit.

Cole slashed the rabbit’s ribcage with a normal attack. As he had expected, he couldn’t trigger the skill anytime he wanted it. The last time he did it was due to luck. If he wanted to master [Ruin Flash], he needed to burn his powerful emotion, and let his opponent feel the heat.

Cole laughed like a madman and dealt consecutive attacks. He focused on attacking the monster and almost neglected his defense. A claw almost hit him, but he evaded it a strand of hair away.

Cole needed to burn his emotion while keeping his defense too. It was difficult, but there was nothing impossible. Even if he failed ten thousand times, he would eventually master it if he didn’t give up.

Many times he had evaded close attacks, and many times he had failed to trigger [Ruin Flash]. However, his focus didn’t wane even a bit. His berserker nature kept burning.

After many trials and errors, Cole finally got a feeling he could make it in the next attack. He jumped, spun his body in the air several times, and slashed the rabbit’s skull. His sword was emitting red lightning sparks and leaving a trail as his blade was swinging.

[Ruin Flash]!

The rabbit turned into smoke, and some residues turned into cards. After killing the rabbit, Cole took the dropped cards and looked at Mark and Lisa, who were giving him applause.

“Your skill looks cool, Cole,” Mark complimented.

“Thanks. I feel like celebrating it tonight, but for now, we have to help you guys reach level 12. Let’s go.” After saying that, Cole immediately ran toward the rabbit line.

……

At the end of the day, Cole had helped Mark to reach level 12. Lisa and Jeff had reached level 10. They initially wanted to celebrate Cole and Mark—who had reached level 12, but Jeff ordered them to not do it.

They complied and refrained from celebrating things, so they had the grit and the spirit to push themselves harder than today in tomorrow’s hunt. Tomorrow, they hunted rabbits like madmen, and by the end of the day, all the main team members reached level 12.

They celebrated this joyous occasion, treating everyone to a free meal in the canteen. They were free to drink a glass of beer too, but they had to pay if they wanted more.

Cole never got used to this atmosphere, but he tried to blend in. He was eating and drinking moderately, while many people were partying and having fun. Even the stoic Jeff drank many glasses of beer.

Cole wiped his mouth after finishing his meal. He felt like it was the right time to calm himself by sleeping. He was about to stand and find a corner to sleep in, but Lisa suddenly sat on the opposite chair.

“Brother Cole,” Lisa said with a beaming face. She handed a glass of beer to him.

Cole didn’t want to drink again, so he pushed the glass to her again, making her disappointed. He smiled and said, “I am full.”

Lisa laughed loudly, just like a drunkard. “There is always a room for alcohol. Come on. Take it.”

“Big sister, you are drunk.”

“Big sister? I am still young. Also, I am not drunk.”

“Oh, really?” Cole pointed at the clock behind him. “Can you tell the time?”

“Yes!” Lisa stood up and walked to the clock, and then she pointed her finger at it. “I am not fuck!ng drunk!”

“Pft. You are drunk.” Cole stood up and gripped her shoulders. “You need fresh air. Let’s go outside.”

“Are we going to see stars?”

“Yes. Yes.” Cole pulled her closer and escorted her to the backyard. There were many people in the backyard, but there were still many spaces. He found an empty spot easily and sat with Lisa.

“Look, Cole. So many stars!” Lisa pointed at the starry night. “You see those stars. They are called… what are they called?”

“Beat me. I never learned about astrology,” Cole said, and suddenly Lisa punched him. “Aw. What was that for?”

“You said to beat you.”

“I meant not literally. Duh. Just calm your mind a bit. Take a breath.”

Lisa drew a deep air and exhaled it. She did it several times. Her action made him laugh, and she frowned. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.”

Lisa pinched his shoulder. “You need to tell this little sister.”

Cole laughed again. “Big sister, you are older than me.”

“Huh? How old are you?”

“22.”

Lisa suddenly blinked her eyes. “I am younger than you. I am 18.”

Cole shook his head. It was obvious she told him a lie. Mark had told him about her age. Furthermore, he believed what his master had said: women told lies about their age. However, he played along with her. “Oh, right? You are younger.”

“You are right. How could you mistake me as an aunty? Look at my face.” Lisa pressed her cheeks with her index fingers, and she smiled. “I am cute.”

Cole, however, didn’t respond. He only smiled at her, and it made her blush. “Come on. Why don’t you compliment me a bit?” Lisa pouted, puffing her cheeks.

“You will get your compliment if you show the result of your training.”

“Okay. Deal.” Lisa suddenly put a serious expression and stood up. She summoned her sword and performed graceful movements.

As a superhuman, people could erase the drunk phase. It was a free feature in the system, and Lisa had used it.

Cole’s lips bent upward. It was according to his plan. He took her here, so she could erase her drunk phase. Aside from that, he wanted to see the result of her training too. Cole was her mentor after all.

After she had done performing her movements, he clapped lightly and praised her. “I could see the power in your swing. You have improved, Lisa. I am proud of you.”

Lisa suddenly blushed and averted her eyes, but she regained her courage again in a matter of seconds. Feeling awkward about getting praised by a younger man, she approached him and leaned forward, hoping the man smell her perfume and break his character.

“I am worthy of rewards,” she said with a grin. “As my mentor, can you give me something?”

Cole agreed with her. He had to give his disciple a reward, and he pondered about it. He never gave someone a gift, so he was feeling confused. What was the best gift for this disciple? Cole thought.

“I will buy you something. Do you have anything you want? I can buy an active skill for you.” Cole thought his idea was brilliant. An active skill was a suitable gift for someone who had reached level twelve.

Lisa, however, thought the gift idea was lame. She pouted and blurted what she actually wanted, “I don’t need it. I can buy one myself. I want a thing from Little Mentor Cole. Let’s have a da—”

Before she finished her sentence, Mark’s loud voice called them. His shout superimposed on her whisper. “Cole! Lisa! There you are! We will have a meeting!”

Cole immediately replied, “I will come right away!” He turned back and walked calmly. Even though he put on a composed front, he actually felt relief because he had evaded something unnecessary.

Cole wasn’t dense. He knew where Lisa’s conversation led him to. He was familiar with admiration, but he had his own focus. There was no way to accept such a relationship.

Cole wasn’t worthy to be someone’s significant other. The stench of blood was strong in him, and so he never had thought of living a normal life. His path was that of slaughter and destruction, and he was happy with that.