Morning came too quickly.
Kieran's muscles ached from yesterday's training, but the ache wasn't pain — it was proof.
He stepped outside his apartment building, intending to go back to the warehouse, but—
A notification flashed.
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Danger Perception (Passive): Minor Awareness Activated
───────────────
He froze.
Someone was watching him.
He scanned the rooftops instinctively.
Nothing. Just morning light and pigeons picking at trash.
But the feeling lingered —
a cold pressure prickling at the back of his neck.
The assassin from before?
Fine.
If they wanted to watch him—
They could watch him train.
✦ OLD TRAINING GROUNDS ✦
This place used to belong to the city guard before they upgraded to modern weaponry.
Rusting poles stood upright in cracked concrete.
Some had blunt training spears still strapped to them.
Kieran grabbed one.
The wooden shaft felt rough but balanced.
A familiar chime vibrated in his head.
───────────────
New Skill Detected: SPEAR (Untrained)
Proficiency: 0%
───────────────
He tested a thrust, awkward and slow.
───────────────
Spear Proficiency +0.1%
───────────────
He frowned.
Weak. Shallow. No strain.
He tightened his grip, inhaled, and imagined yesterday's strain when lifting crates.
Then he thrust harder.
───────────────
Spear Proficiency +0.3%
───────────────
Better.
He stepped forward, twisted, and thrust again with full body momentum—
CRACK!
The old pole he struck split down the middle.
A notification blinked:
───────────────
Condition: Effort Recognized
Proficiency +0.6%
───────────────
A rhythm formed.
Step.
Rotate hips.
Drive the spear forward.
"Your stance is too open."
The voice came from behind him.
A shadow dropped from a rooftop, landing without a sound.
It was her.
The assassin.
Same dark cloak. Mask hiding her face.
Kieran reflexively pointed the spear at her.
She didn't even flinch.
"I could kill you before you blink," she said calmly.
He swallowed, keeping the spear raised.
"Then why haven't you?"
She walked in a slow circle around him, examining his posture.
"Your system interests me," she murmured.
"No talent. No bloodline. No sponsor.
Yet your growth curve is… abnormal."
Kieran's grip tightened.
"Say what you want and leave."
"I'll leave," she said, "after I've tested something."
In an instant she moved.
Faster than his eyes could track.
A blur of motion—
cold metal against his neck—
his spear torn from his hands—
his back slammed against a pole.
Pinned.
Her dagger rested lightly against his throat.
"You have no technique," she said softly.
"A spear isn't a stick you poke with. It's a killing instrument."
He couldn't breathe.
She pressed the spear back into his hands.
"Try again."
The tone wasn't mocking.
It was… instructive.
She stepped back, stance loose and ready.
"Thrust at me."
He thrust.
She dodged effortlessly.
───────────────
Spear Proficiency +0.8%
───────────────
Again.
Missed.
───────────────
Spear Proficiency +1.0% (Strain Bonus)
───────────────
Again.
Sweat rolled down his chin.
She slipped past each strike like she was made of mist.
"You hesitate," she said.
"Your body moves. Your mind stays still."
He thrust again, this time snapping his hips and pulling back immediately.
She blocked it with one finger.
"One more," she whispered.
He charged.
Full commitment.
All strength.
All will.
He thrust with everything he had—
—and she vanished.
He stumbled forward, nearly falling.
When he regained balance, she stood several paces away, unreadable behind the mask.
And then:
───────────────
Spear Proficiency 100%
Skill Level Up → SPEAR (E+)
───────────────
───────────────
Skill Unlocked: Pierce
A focused thrust that ignores weak defenses.
───────────────
Kieran stared at the notification, chest heaving.
He had leveled a combat skill.
He didn't feel victorious.
He felt hungry.
The masked woman tilted her head slightly, as though analyzing him.
"You push yourself into strain on instinct…"
She turned to leave.
"…no wonder someone placed a kill order on you."
Kieran's pulse froze.
"…kill order?"
She looked back once, voice like a whisper of steel:
"Only things that threaten the world evolve without limits."
And then she was gone.
End of Chapter 5