The hero appears

"Where am I?" Mari thought, her mind foggy as she gradually opened her blurry eyes. Darkness enveloped her, thick and suffocating, with no trace of light to guide her. She felt a heavy weakness settling in her limbs, making it difficult to gather her thoughts.

As she attempted to rise, pushing against the ground with all the strength she could muster, she realised her hands were tied tightly at her sides, rendering her completely vulnerable. Panic surged through her as she struggled, the restraints biting into her skin. Desperation clawed at her throat, and she knew she had no choice but to scream for help, her voice trembling with fear.

"Please, someone help me!" Mari cried out, the rawness of her plea echoing hauntingly in the oppressive silence, but the stillness swallowed her words, leaving her feeling even more isolated.

With each unanswered call, her desperation deepened, a sense of dread tightening around her. When she thought hope was lost, a voice broke through the darkness.

"It's no use; no one is coming. No one comes around this area of the sanctum," the voice said, attempting to reassure Mari but only deepening her dread.

Unable to see the source of the voice, Mari felt tears welling up and spilling down her cheeks, starkly contrasting the cold darkness surrounding her.

"Why are you doing this?" she called out, her voice shaking as she turned toward the direction from which the voice had come, searching for any sign of comfort.

Then, a strange figure stepped forward, emerging from the shadows like a nightmare made flesh. The dim light barely illuminated Nabi's form, cloaking him in an unsettling aura. Mari strained her eyes, but the darkness obscured most of his features. She could make out his hunched silhouette; his movement was almost predatory as if he revelled in her fear. His face was obscured by a black cloth, leaving only a hint of a twisted grin visible in the gloom.

"It's because you are beautiful, Mari," he said, his voice dripping with a lustful tone that slithered through the air and sent chills racing down her spine. The malice behind his words was palpable, a sinister intent radiating from him that made her skin crawl.

Fear surged through Mari, her heart pounding wildly against her ribcage as the horrifying reality of his intentions settled in. She felt trapped, utterly exposed, and completely terrified.

As Nabi stepped closer, Mari curled up in the corner, fear coursing through her.

"Stay back," she pleaded, her voice shaking as tears streamed down her face.

Nabi kept moving closer, his intensity palpable. He couldn't mask his desire as his gaze locked onto her, fixated and hungry.

"I wonder how you taste," Nabi said, his voice quivering with lust.

Mari had nowhere to run; she couldn't free herself.

"I said stay back," Mari said while striking Nabi's right leg with a low kick, trying to resist Nabi's ill intent.

Nabi stumbled and fell, his face colliding with Mari's right knee. She felt a slight pain, but the damage to Nabi was far worse. Blood poured from his nose as he instinctively held it, trying to stem the flow.

Nabi became furious; he struck Mari in the stomach with his fist. Mari grunted in pain; Nabi continued to attack her multiple times till she stopped resisting; the pain became unbearable to Mari.

"Yes, that's a good girl," Nabi said, his anger dissipating as lust surged within him once more.

"Someone save me," she whispered, the words barely escaping her lips before she slipped into unconsciousness.

Before Nabi could react, he heard the door handle rattling.

"Impossible," he muttered. "No one is out this late around here."

Nabi observed everyone and everything around him, his mind working to execute a carefully laid plan. Every detail had been meticulously considered, and each move had been calculated to ensure his success.

He stared at the door, waiting, but nothing happened.

"Maybe it's just my mind playing tricks on me," he thought, glancing back at unconscious Mari, ready to continue his twisted intentions.

Suddenly, the door flew open, slamming against the wall as Kenji kicked it in. The wooden door couldn't withstand the force of his attack.

Nabi was shocked to see Kenji.

"What is he doing here?" Nabi thought, panic rising within him.

Kenji was familiar with the sanctum; he moved swiftly to the switch on the wall nearby.

A bright white light flickered on, illuminating the scene and revealing the chaos before him.

Kenji has been absorbing the system information and details about his skills for the past few days.

"The more you use a skill, the more it increases in grade, and the higher the grade, the better your chances of survival," he thought as he moved down the dimly lit hallway, eager to start his night training.

Kenji's heightened sense, initially at a low level of E-rank, had progressed to an E-rank mid-level. While the skill physically strained him, the Adapt skill helped reduce its side effects. As a reward for levelling up, new features were added, including echolocation and heightened smell.

He navigated his daily routine with the skill activated.

Even tho Nabi had sealed off every part of the room to prevent any sound from escaping—an effort that would be futile against Kenji. After all, he was no ordinary human; he was advanced.

Catching Nabi in the act made Kenji's face contort with disgust. As soon as Nabi noticed him, he scrambled to his feet, panic evident in his eyes.

"It's not what you think, man! We're lovers," Nabi stammered, sweat trickling down the right side of his forehead.

Kenji stepped closer as he spotted Mari lying unconscious on the floor. Bruises marked her face, evidence of the relentless hits Nabi had inflicted. Her hands were tightly bound, a clear sign of her captivity.

"This doesn't look like a lover's scene," Kenji said, glancing at Nabi sharply.

"Shit," Nabi muttered under his breath, realisation dawning.

Nabi instinctively drew his crossbow from his inventory, a flicker of determination in his eyes. He aimed it precisely, the arrowhead glistening ominously, coated in a viscous green substance that promised

danger. Nabi fired the crossbow at Kenji's head.

Kenji swiftly pulled out a battered shield, its surface marred and cracked, just in time to intercept the arrow. The projectile struck the shield with a resounding thud, splintering the wood but failing to penetrate. Nabi's eyes widened in disbelief; he hadn't expected Kenji to block his attack, let alone possess any equipment. In their world, gear was as rare as gold among students.

As the dust settled from the impact, Kenji sheathed the broken shield and drew a gleaming blade, its sharp edge ready for combat. Nabi stared, momentarily stunned by the sudden turn of events.

"Fuck," Nabi cursed under his breath, fumbling to pull out another arrow and reload his crossbow. But before he could react, Kenji surged forward, closing the distance instantly, his determination evident in every stride.

Nabi had no natural battle experience despite his secret practice with the crossbow. It was one thing to hone his skills in solitude; it was another to face someone charging at him with murderous intent. The weight of the situation pressed down on him, his heart racing as adrenaline surged through his veins. The theoretical knowledge he had gained in training felt utterly inadequate when confronted with the raw ferocity of an opponent intent on harm.

Nabi successfully reloaded the crossbow before Kenji got closer to strike; he aimed with a shaky hand and shot again. Kenji dodged to the right, his instincts finely tuned as he tracked the line of Nabi's aim and the telltale sound of the trigger being pulled. Kenji sidestepped the incoming arrow with a fluid motion, his body moving almost instinctively. In the same breath, Kenji launched a swift strike toward Nabi's hand, aiming to disarm him before he could reload.

Kenji sliced through the air with his blade, his movements precise and effortless, as if he were a chef expertly carving through tender meat. The blade glinted in the light as it found its mark, cleanly severing the fingers that gripped the crossbow.

Nabi screamed in agony, his voice piercing the air and echoing throughout the room. Never in his life had he experienced such excruciating pain; it felt as if fire coursed through his veins, leaving him breathless and desperate.

Kenji pressed on with another swift attack, his determination unwavering as he lunged forward, ready to deliver the next blow.

Player Info before

Name: Kenji Mochizuki

Level: 3

Class: Novice

Yin: Locked

Stats/Attributes:

Agility: 13/15

Strength: 7/15

Stamina: 7/15

Intelligence: 13/13

Unique Skills: Adapt, Heightened Senses

Accumulated point awaiting distribution: 10

Player Info after

Name: Kenji Mochizuki

Level: 3

Class: Novice

Yin: Locked

Stats/Attributes:

Agility: 16/16

Strength: 17/17

Stamina: 15/15

Intelligence: 13/13

Unique Skills: Adapt, Heightened Senses

Accumulated point awaiting distribution: 7

["You have reinforced 3 points to your profile"] the system said.

Kenji struck Nabi in the chest with his fist. The impact sent Nabi crashing into the wall, his body slamming against the surface with a force that rattled the room.

Nabi lay on the ground, his back pressed against the wall, breathless and dazed from the impact. Without even giving him a moment to breathe, Kenji threw the blade up as he walked forward to Nabi; when the blade pointed downward, Kenji immediately grabbed the short sword in the air and stabbed Nabi in the right leg.

Nabi lay on the floor, his body trembling as pain coursed through him. His eyes widened in shock, the whites contrasting sharply with the darkened pupils that flickered with desperation. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his brow furrowed, and his muscles tense with agony. A grimace twisted his lips, reflecting the sheer torment he was experiencing, while his breath came in ragged gasps, each inhaling a reminder of his vulnerability.

Nabi tried to move, but his face got bashed into the wall, breaking the wall. Kenji removed his fist gradually, and some of Nabi's teeth fell off.

Kenji stood tall, his gaze shifting to Mari momentarily before he pulled out another weapon, poised to deliver the final blow to Nabi. The tension in the air crackled as he prepared to strike.

"Stop!" Kato's voice rang out, cutting through the silence and halting Kenji in his tracks.