The alley fell silent.
Three criminals stood in front of Arata, blocking his path.
The woman they had been robbing quickly stepped back, fear written all over her face.
One of the men looked at Arata and laughed.
"What are you staring at, kid?"
Another cracked his knuckles.
"You trying to be a hero?"
Arata calmly looked at them.
His red eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
Black shadows slowly curled around his fingers.
'So these are my first enemies in this world…'
He took a slow step forward.
The criminals frowned.
The leader pulled out a knife and pointed it at Arata.
"Last warning. Get lost before we carve you up."
Arata tilted his head slightly.
Then he smiled.
"You're mistaken."
The men frowned.
"About what?"
Arata raised his hand.
Dark energy gathered in his palm like swirling smoke.
"I'm not here to save anyone."
The shadows suddenly exploded outward.
The air became heavy.
The criminals froze.
Fear filled their eyes.
'Soul Devour…'
Before they could react, black shadows shot forward like snakes.
One of the criminals screamed.
"WHAT THE—"
The shadow pierced through his chest.
His body froze instantly.
Dark energy drained from him like mist being pulled into Arata's hand.
The man collapsed to the ground.
Dead.
The other two criminals stepped back in terror.
"H-He's a monster!"
"Run!"
They turned and tried to escape.
But the shadows moved faster.
Arata lifted his hand slightly.
Two dark tendrils shot forward.
They wrapped around the criminals' bodies.
The men screamed as the shadows tightened.
Their bodies slowly turned pale.
Their life force was being drained.
The system screen suddenly appeared.
Soul Devour Activated
You have absorbed life energy.
+10 Abyss Energy+3 Strength+2 Speed
Arata watched calmly as the criminals collapsed one by one.
The alley became silent again.
Only the sound of wind remained.
Arata looked at his hand.
Dark energy flowed through his veins.
Power.
Real power.
'So this is how the system works…'
Another notification appeared.
Level Up
Level: 2
New Skill Unlocked:
Shadow Movement
Arata's eyes brightened slightly.
'Interesting…'
Suddenly, he sensed something.
His Demon Sense activated.
Someone was nearby.
Watching.
Arata slowly turned his head toward the rooftop of a nearby building.
A faint silhouette stood in the darkness.
A woman.
Red hair.
A black tactical suit.
Her sharp eyes were focused directly on him.
Natasha Romanoff.
The future Black Widow.
She had witnessed everything.
Arata smiled faintly.
'Looks like things are about to get interesting.'