Trevor saw the flashlight shining in his face, and fear gripped his chest.
Instinctively, he pulled out the Eyes of Hades from his deck of cards as he began moving faster, fearing the inevitable.
He wasn't even sure what he was looking at — was it even human? His mother's voice echoed in his head.
Back when she was still an active dungeon explorer, she used to say, "Never trust any human at night. Even your best friend could be an illusion."
Thinking about that, Trevor's heart raced as he quickened his pace. Hopefully, since he'd told his mom he would be back soon, she wouldn't worry too much.
But that also meant he had no help whatsoever.
Just as Trevor took a few more steps forward, he was stopped by a gang of boys, each holding swords and weapons as though they had been waiting for him.
Turning around, Trevor realized he was surrounded. As he tried to make sense of the situation, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows.
Levi.
Looking at him, everything clicked. Trevor's eyes narrowed with hatred. A few moments ago, he might have tried to talk his way out of the situation, but seeing Levi there erased any such thought.
He can't beat me again, Trevor thought. He already took my girlfriend from me. That's all he'll ever take.
He quickly weighed his options. He was severely outnumbered, but he had one advantage — his cards worked both in system-related missions and in real-life situations.
But apart from the Eyes of Hades, he wasn't sure any other card would work right now. After thinking it through, he decided to rely on it. At his current level, he couldn't use two cards at once anyway.
"Well, well, well... Trevor. Nice to see you again," Levi said with a smug smile.
"What do you want from me?" Trevor asked, his voice laced with disgust and urgency as his eyes darted around, calculating his chances.
"I don't want much," Levi said calmly, drawing his sword. He pointed it at Trevor and sneered. "But I guess it's not only Lisa you'll be losing after all."
With that, Levi rushed toward him — and his men followed, attacking from all sides.
Trevor took a deep breath, bracing himself for impact… but something felt strange. Everyone around him seemed to be moving in slow motion — even Levi, whose essence was speed.
What's going on? Trevor thought. He wasn't using magic, and his essence wasn't even combat-related. Still, everything was unnaturally slow.
But he didn't have time to wonder. Around him, the other boys were activating their essences. Some had swords glowing with flames, meaning their power was fire-based.
Levi was still faster than the rest, but even he looked sluggish in Trevor's eyes.
Trevor activated the Eyes of Hades. Instantly, the weaknesses of his opponents became visible to him like glowing marks. He struck the nearest one before the boy could even react, then swiftly sliced his sword through the second attacker's body.
The others froze in shock, too scared to move.
"What are you waiting for? Attack!" Levi shouted, trying to sound furious, but his voice cracked.
Deep down, he was terrified.
How the hell is Trevor doing this? he thought. Only someone with a combat essence could fight like that.
As far as Levi knew, Trevor had never awakened — so how was this possible? Even if he had recently awakened, that still didn't explain his insane growth in strength.
"I'm done with this!" one of the boys cried, dropping his weapon.
"You betrayed us, Levi! You said he was weak!"
Levi's jaw tightened. "He's still weak! If you cowards won't fight, then watch me finish this myself!"
He couldn't back down — not now. Running away would only make him look weak.
Levi knew he couldn't rely on basic school techniques anymore.
This wasn't a classroom. His opponent was far stronger than he looked.
He lunged forward, using what he called the Speed Duplication Art. He dashed across several points at lightning speed, creating multiple illusions of himself.
Trevor watched him come — slower than usual, but many at once. Still, he saw the flaw instantly. The Eyes of Hades didn't recognize illusions.
Swiftly, Trevor moved his body and struck with a solid stick, aiming directly where Levi's real neck would be.
Levi barely dodged it. How on earth can he even see me? he thought, panicking. Even with my illusions, I can't land a hit!
Trevor took another deep breath and lunged again — this time, faster, fiercer, and far more precise. His attacks came relentlessly.
Fear flooded Levi's eyes as he started to question every choice he had made.
Trevor's strikes grew sharper and more brutal, his body moving like a predator cornering its prey.
Levi's speed allowed him to hang on for a bit, but it was clear Trevor had the upper hand now.
The boys watching from the sidelines exchanged nervous glances — it was already obvious Levi wasn't going to win this one.
Trevor's eyes glowed red as he fully synchronized with the Eyes of Hades, adapting perfectly to every increase in speed.
Levi began to panic. He needed to act fast — or this night would end in complete humiliation.
Levi kept blocking frantically, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as he decided to change tactics.
He began mixing his real movements with attacking illusions — maybe, just maybe, Trevor would fall for one.
If Trevor mistook even a single illusion for the real him, the fight would be over.
Speed was already Levi's biggest advantage, and with deception added, victory would be his.
But to his shock, Trevor slipped through every one of his simulations flawlessly. His eyes tracked Levi's every movement like he could see through the illusions themselves.
Then came the hits — clean, heavy, and precise.
Levi staggered back, his defense breaking apart. Things were spiraling out of control, and fatigue was already setting in.
His breathing grew shallow, his muscles tightening with exhaustion.
Then, out of nowhere, Trevor's fist connected squarely with his jaw. The impact sent Levi sprawling to the ground, his back crashing against the dirt as dust scattered into the air.
Trevor walked closer, his shadow looming over Levi's trembling body.
"W–wait…" Levi stammered, trying to crawl backward, but Trevor's cold expression didn't change.
"Well," Trevor said quietly, his voice low and dangerous, "I'm not letting you go just yet."
He no longer cared about the night, the danger, or the creatures that might lurk in the dark.
All he saw was Levi — the person who had humiliated him, stolen from him, and thought he could keep getting away with it.
Trevor dropped the knife beside him with a metallic clang, then leaned down, grabbing Levi by the collar of his shirt and lifting him halfway off the ground.
Levi's eyes widened, fear overtaking the arrogance that once filled them.