The forest seemed to hold its breath as Ethan squared off against the grinning bandits. Leaves
rustled overhead, scattering dappled shadows over the dirt path.
But Ethan's mind was already several steps ahead.
"System window," he whispered under his breath.
A soft, blue glow flickered into existence. He flicked through menus, thumb moving so fast the
translucent panels blurred. He opened the [Inventory] tab and scrolled down until he found it:
[Shadowstep Manual]
[Grade: Rare]
[Description: Teaches the skill Shadowstep, allowing the user to merge into local darkness and
teleport short distances. Cooldown: 10 seconds.]
He'd bought it back in the Dark Mage Tower's shop while the others were distracted by his duel. A
little secret investment.
"Perfect timing," Ethan murmured, and pressed [Use].
A cascade of dark runes spilled off the virtual page and spiraled into his chest. The forest seemed
to dim around him for a split second.
[Skill Acquired: Shadowstep]
He snapped his system closed and focused back on the bandits.
The leader was already lunging forward, dagger glinting.
But Ethan's lips curled into a grin.
"Too slow."
The shadows beneath his feet stretched suddenly, coiling around his ankles like living ink. His
form flickered—and vanished.
"Wha—?!" shouted the bandit.
Ethan reappeared behind them, a few meters away, his sword swinging in a wide arc. The wooden
blade cracked against one bandit's skull, dropping him instantly.
Another tried to spin and counter. Ethan ducked, letting the knife whistle over his hair, then drove
his knee into the man's stomach. The bandit folded like paper.
But the remaining two were surprisingly agile. One slashed at Ethan's side while the other aimed
for his throat.
[Dominion Warlord Trait Active – Battle Focus]
The world seemed to slow. Dust particles hung motionless in the sunbeams filtering through the
trees. Ethan could see every twitch of muscle, every glint of steel.
'There!'
He twisted away from the slash, let the second man's momentum carry him forward, then
slammed his elbow into the back of the bandit's neck.
CRACK.
The man crumpled, unconscious before he hit the dirt.
The last bandit staggered backward, eyes wide, blade trembling in his grip.
"Fuck this! I'm out—"
He tried to run. But Ethan's shadow darted forward like a serpent. Ethan vanished and reappeared
in front of the fleeing man, his sword resting lightly against the bandit's throat.
"Stay."
The bandit dropped to his knees and threw his dagger away.
Ethan exhaled, lowering his weapon. His chest heaved as sweat trickled down his jawline.
"All right…" he muttered. "That's done."
He was just about to turn and leave when—
Tap.
A single finger pressed lightly against his chest.
Ethan blinked—and then his entire body felt like it was struck by a charging bull.
BOOM.
He flew backward through the air, crashing into a mossy boulder with enough force to crack the
stone. The air exploded from his lungs. Pain flared through his spine. He slid down, coughing dirt
from his mouth.
"What the… fuck… was that…" he rasped, trying to focus his vision.
Through the settling dust, a lone figure stood among the fallen bandits.
A woman.
She wore a dark, hooded robe drawn tightly around her figure, concealing her features entirely.
Her cloak shimmered faintly with a deep violet sheen, like shadows swirling in silk.
Long tendrils of hair spilled out from beneath the hood—a color like midnight, almost blending
into her cloak. She stared at Ethan from beneath the hood's shadow. He couldn't make out her
eyes, but he could feel them. Sharp. Calculating. Almost… curious.
The fallen bandits began to stir groggily, crawling away from the clearing. None dared approach
her. Even the bandit leader scrambled off, muttering curses under his breath.
The woman tilted her head slightly. She lifted her hand, as though to brush something off her
cloak. Her voice was soft, but carried an edge of cold amusement.
"Interesting. A swordsman… who uses shadow magic."
Ethan blinked, wiping blood from his mouth. He pushed himself up, gripping his sword.
"Who the hell… are you?" he croaked.
She didn't answer. Instead, she turned slightly, letting a single beam of moonlight slide across the
lower part of her face. For just a fraction of a second, Ethan glimpsed full lips curved into a faint
smirk.
Then, without another word, she vanished.
Fwip.
The shadows simply swallowed her whole. One second she was there, the next there was nothing
but the trembling leaves in the wind.
Ethan lowered his sword, panting. He stared at the spot where she'd stood.
"Fuck…" he murmured. "She wasn't a bandit… this much I can tell."
He spat another mouthful of dirt and blood, wiping his chin.
"But who the hell was she?"