The first punch came from behind.
Alpha Phantom didn't see it — he felt it. Bone rattled. Teeth clicked shut just in time. His vision burst white, then red, then darkness threatened to swallow everything.
He staggered forward, boots scraping against wet concrete.
Rain. Of course it was raining.
"Stay down," someone said behind him. A voice he knew. A voice he trusted.
Alpha laughed — a dry, broken sound. "You always talk too much, Kane."
The alley smelled like rust and trash. A flickering streetlight buzzed overhead, throwing broken shadows against graffiti-stained walls. Phantom's blood dripped onto the ground, mixing with rainwater, running into the drain like it was ashamed to stay.
Kane stepped into view.
Same jacket. Same chain. Same smile Alpha had shared food with when they were both starving.
Only now, that smile was sharp.
"You weren't supposed to get up," Kane said. "Makes this messy."
Behind Kane, two more figures blocked the alley entrance. Broad shoulders. Heavy hands. Not amateurs.
Alpha wiped blood from his lip with the back of his hand and looked at Kane properly.
"So this is it?" he asked calmly. "They pay you enough?"
Kane didn't answer right away. He shifted his weight, eyes avoiding Alpha's. That told Alpha everything.
Not enough. Never enough.
"They want you gone," Kane said finally. "You're bad for balance."
Alpha nodded slowly.
Balance. That's what they always called it when the wrong people started winning.
He'd seen it coming. The whispers. The way deals stopped going through him and started going around him. He'd climbed too fast for someone with no backing.
No family. No money. No protection.
Just results.
One of the men cracked his knuckles. "We done talking?"
Kane hesitated.
That hesitation hurt more than the punch.
Alpha exhaled and rolled his shoulders. Pain screamed through him, but his mind was clear. Sharper than ever.
"Do it then," Alpha said. "Let's see who lives with it."
The first man rushed him.
Alpha moved.
Not fast enough.
A fist slammed into his ribs. Something cracked. Air tore from his lungs as he crashed into the wall. Another blow followed — then another. Precision. They knew where to hit.
He dropped to one knee.
Rain plastered his hair to his face. Blood blurred his vision. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, heavy and uneven.
Kane stepped closer.
"I didn't want this," Kane muttered.
Alpha looked up at him, eyes dark and steady.
"You chose it."
Kane's jaw tightened.
Then he kicked Alpha in the stomach.
The world folded.
Alpha hit the ground hard, breath gone, chest screaming. Footsteps retreated. The alley grew quiet except for rain and the buzz of the streetlight.
He lay there, staring at the sky between buildings.
So this was how it ended.
Not with glory. Not with revenge. Just discarded like trash.
Something inside him snapped.
Not anger.
Decision.
Never again.
The rain seemed to pause.
Then—
[Detecting Extreme Survival Intent…]
[Compatibility Confirmed.]
[Phantom Cultivation System Initializing.]
Alpha's pupils shrank.
A cold presence wrapped around his consciousness, sharp and absolute.
[Host Condition: Critical.]
[Time Remaining: 10 minutes.]
A translucent interface burned itself into his vision.
[Objective: Survive.]
[Reward: Entry into Body Tempering Realm.]
Alpha smiled.
Bloodied. Broken. Alive.
"Ten minutes," he whispered.
His heart beat once.
Hard.
[Pain Suppression: Limited — Activated.]
[Emergency Cultivation Route: Shadow Meridian — Locked.]
Alpha pushed himself to his feet.
The alley no longer felt the same.
The rain sounded louder. The shadows felt closer.
And somewhere in the city, the people who betrayed him were walking away, believing the job was done.
They had ten minutes.