The man let out a mocking laugh as he spotted the dagger in Daniel's hand.
"That's your weapon?" he scoffed.
But before he could finish sneering, Daniel launched forward, activating his Dash Skill with incredible speed—his form a blur as he closed the gap between them in an instant.
The man's smile widened. "Kid," he said, calmly stepping to the side, "you're not the only one with a dash skill."
With that, he vanished—only to reappear behind Daniel with his own burst of speed.
But just as they clashed mid-motion—
[Congratulations! You have leveled up. Level 3 unlocked.]
A faint shimmer of energy pulsed around Daniel's body.
A subtle grin touched his lips. Perfect timing.
He dropped low, dodging beneath the incoming strike, and slid forward with grace. As he passed, he slashed at the man's ankle with his dagger.
The blade met its mark, drawing blood.
The man hissed but didn't stop. He twisted his body in a tight pivot and brought his elbow crashing toward Daniel's side.
The strike landed, grazing Daniel's abdomen.
Daniel stumbled back, clutching the side of his stomach as a thin line of blood trickled down. He gritted his teeth and slapped a hand over the wound to stop the bleeding, wiping it away quickly with the edge of his sleeve.
It wasn't deep.
He could still fight.
The man laughed again, stepping forward to deliver another Dash-infused attack—
—but then froze.
His vision blurred.
His steps staggered.
He blinked hard, confusion setting in. "Poison…?"
He touched his eye as if trying to steady his senses.
Then—unexpectedly—he burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Pffft—HAHAHAHAHA!"
"HA HA HA HA HA!"
Daniel stared at him with furrowed brows.
Did he just lose it? Did the poison hit his brain?
But Daniel didn't lower his stance. He knew better.
The real fight was just getting started.
The man chuckled darkly. "You thought that would be enough to stop me?"
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed from his body.
Daniel's eyes widened as thick, curved horns erupted from the man's skull. His skin began to shift—turning green, rough, and cracked like stone. His muscles bulged grotesquely, his frame doubling in size as his shirt tore apart at the seams. A faint, toxic green aura radiated around him, humming with raw, demonic energy.
He wasn't human.
He was an Asura—and now, he had shed his disguise.
Daniel swallowed hard, the lump in his throat catching for a second. But then, a crooked smile tugged at his lips.
"I was waiting for you to stop hiding," he said with excitement glinting in his eyes. "Now we're talking."
The tension in the room shot up like a crackling storm. This wasn't just a fight anymore—it was war.
And as if on cue, the other three intruders reappeared. Even the one Daniel had struck earlier—he looked healed, no longer limping, no longer bleeding.
Daniel's jaw clenched.
Damn it, he thought. They had to show up now?
But the Asura raised a hand and signaled them to stay back.
"This one's mine," he growled, his voice layered with a guttural echo that sent chills through the air.
Daniel didn't need confirmation. This wasn't just some minion.
This was the mastermind.
From the way he stood, the way the room pulsed around him—it was clear. Everything that had happened in the museum, the infiltration, the stolen artifact… it had all been orchestrated by this Asura.
Daniel's mind raced.
I need to finish him fast and get out of here… but damn, walking away from a fight this epic? That's not really my style.
Besides… this might be the perfect chance to level up again.
Without wasting another second, he surged forward, activating Dash Skill—a blur of motion aimed straight at the Asura's core.
But the Asura met him head-on, charging like a juggernaut. Their skills clashed in a shockwave that cracked the walls, their silhouettes colliding mid-air in a blur of steel and green energy.
The Asura was stronger now—faster, heavier, monstrous in every way.
Daniel could barely hold his ground.
He ducked. Rolled. Parried. Countered. Each move barely buying him a second.
Still no level-up? he thought, teeth gritted as he blocked a brutal blow that sent him sliding backwards.
Come on. I'm earning this.
But still… no level up notification.
And Daniel wasn't backing down.
Not yet.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the museum, the battle was just as fierce—if not more brutal.
Three Asuras had engaged the rest of the team, and the atmosphere crackled with chaos and danger.
Alia was exhausted—her breath came in ragged gasps, her limbs heavy as stone. She stumbled under the weight of a blow, tumbling across the stone floor until her body crashed into a sealed artifact chamber, shattering it on impact. A spray of blood escaped her lips as she groaned in pain.
The Asura she faced towered over her, far more powerful than anything she'd anticipated. His strikes were relentless—each one heavier, faster, more vicious than the last. She couldn't match his strength, and now… she could barely stand.
Venessa wasn't faring much better. She was barely holding off her opponent, blocking with precise technique, but every clash pushed her closer to the edge. The Asura before her was a brute, forcing her on the defensive with each step.
Only Justin seemed to be holding his ground. He matched his enemy's ferocity blow for blow, a fierce fire burning in his eyes, refusing to back down. His aura crackled with defiance as he slammed his sword into the Asura's guard, refusing to yield.
But Alia… she was running out of time.
The Asura above her chuckled—low and menacing. Then, with a sudden shimmer of dark magic, a glowing spear materialized in his hand. His grin widened.
With calm cruelty, he began to approach her, the spear gleaming with fatal intent.
Alia's body trembled. She could barely lift her arms. Her vision blurred as the world swayed.
She watched the Asura closing in, the spear aimed at her heart.
And then, with a faint smile—resigned, yet proud—she whispered through her bloody lips, "Looks like… this is the end for me."
Her voice was soft. But steady.
She didn't scream.
She didn't beg.
She accepted.
But fate, as always, had its own plans…
Justin froze the moment he saw the Asura advancing toward Alia, spear drawn, menace glowing in its eyes. Panic surged through him like wildfire. A cold, sharp fear gripped his chest—What if she dies? What if I lose her right here?
Desperation made him reckless.
In a split second, he turned away from his own opponent and lunged toward the Asura threatening Alia, determined to end the fight before it was too late. But the moment of haste cost him.
His enemy seized the opportunity. With a guttural roar, the Asura slashed at Justin, his blade cleaving through the air with brutal strength. Justin barely managed to raise his sword in defense, the metal clanging with a deafening impact.
The sheer force of the blow sent a violent shockwave through his body. His arms trembled. His knees buckled. His vision blurred.
This is it, Justin thought as darkness began to eat at the edges of his consciousness. I'm going to die… and the worst part is—I knew. I knew this place was going to be attacked. I knew the Asuras were coming. Maybe I shouldn't have wasted that wish… Maybe if I'd known there would be more than one of them...
His eyes began to close, and all light faded.
But then…
A voice.
Soft.
Innocent.
"Big brother…"
A giggle followed—sweet, bright, full of life.
"Big brother…!"
Justin's heart clenched. His breath caught.
No.
His mind ignited like a spark on dry leaves.
No… I refuse to die. Not like this. Not so pathetically.
His eyes snapped open, filled with renewed fire.
This time, I will save everyone. This time… I won't waste my wish.
And in that moment, something awakened inside him.
A brilliant blue light burst forth from his body, engulfing him in a radiant aura. Power surged through his veins like lightning. His grip tightened on his sword's hilt as his feet lifted off the ground.
He spun through the air with impossible speed and grace, slashing downward just in time—his blade slicing clean through the neck of the Asura poised to strike Alia. Its head separated from its body in a single stroke, vanishing into a puff of black mist.
Justin landed beside Alia with the soft thud of a warrior reborn.
His eyes glowed an intense sapphire blue, his entire body surrounded by crackling energy. His very presence radiated unshakable strength.
Alia, wounded and gasping, looked up in shock. "J-Justin…?" she whispered, awestruck.
But he was already moving.
With a flash of speed rivaling lightning itself, Justin vanished and reappeared beside Venessa—just as the Asura attacking her raised its claws.
His blade flashed once.
A scream.
The creature's arm tumbled through the air, severed.
Venessa didn't waste the opening.
Channeling her magic, she pulled her blood into the air—streams of crimson twisting and swirling, morphing into jagged crystalline spikes. She thrust them toward the reeling Asura.
The blood-forged shards pierced through its throat and skull like hot knives through butter.
The Asura collapsed in a crumpled heap, dead before it hit the ground.
Justin and Venessa stood tall, bloodied but unbroken, side by side in the flickering blue glow of Justin's awakened power.
The tide of battle had shifted.