Kael barely caught his breath as the shadowy figure receded into the night. His hands trembled—not from fear, but from raw power surging within him. The System pulsed:
"New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Strike. Power +15%."
Kael flexed his fingers, testing the ability. With a flick, tendrils of darkness shot forward, slicing through an old training dummy in the hallway. Not bad… better than yesterday.
A soft, melodic voice echoed nearby. Kael turned—and froze. A girl, silver hair cascading down her shoulders, watched him with piercing violet eyes.
"You're… different," she said, stepping closer.
Kael's heart skipped a beat. Not from fear, but curiosity. Different how?
The System beeped again.
"Romantic subplot unlocked: Female Lead detected. Interaction bonus +10%."
Kael smirked. So she's part of this game too…
Before he could speak, alarms blared. Another wave of creatures was approaching. Kael grabbed his blade and readied himself.
"Looks like we'll get to know each other the hard way," he muttered.