Chapter 11: No Mana, Only Mastery

The Revenant's claws crashed down toward me. With a last-second burst of adrenaline, I grabbed the spear and twisted my body, deflecting her attack in a shower of sparks. The sheer force of her strike sent vibrations up my arms, but I managed to stay upright.

Her jagged smile twisted in surprise. "How—?"

"You're strong," I admitted, panting heavily. "But it's over now." I spun the spear in my hands, the familiar weight reassuring. "You see, I've got this now."

She tilted her head and let out a guttural laugh. "You really think that little stick is going to save you? You've been nothing but a punching bag this whole fight. Where's your magic, huh? No flashy abilities, no spells… Either you've got no mana, or you're some kind of defect!"

I smirked, wiping the blood from my lips. "And yet, here I am, still standing."

Her laughter stopped. Her glowing eyes narrowed, and her twisted body began to shift again. Her voice dropped to a venomous growl. "You mock me, human?" Black veins pulsed beneath her pale, mutated skin as her form expanded.

Her small frame grew grotesque, towering over me as new limbs sprouted like tendrils from her back, flailing wildly. Her jaw unhinged, and her laughter turned to a shrill screech. "This is my true form! Let's see how long you last."

"Yea... No thanks, you're not my type." I responded mockingly with a smirk.

The tendrils lashed out, tearing through the air with terrifying speed, but something inside me had changed. My body felt lighter, my mind sharper.

I've come to realize that my Weapon Mastery talent is far more than it appears. It doesn't just sharpen my skills with weapons—it transforms my body itself, refining it to perfectly complement the weapon I use, as if my very being has become the spear.

[Alert: Hostile Entity Has Entered Full Mutation State.]

[Warning: Survival Probability: 7%]

"Shut up," I muttered to the system as I gripped the spear tighter. "I don't need you to tell me the odds."

The first tendril shot toward me, aiming for my head, but I stepped to the side with ease, the movement almost instinctual. Another came, and I parried it with the spear, the blade slicing through the writhing flesh like butter.

I didn't need the system anymore. Every nerve in my body was screaming, but I knew what to do.

The next time her tendrils lashed out, I didn't just dodge—I moved forward, closing the distance in an instant.

"What—" she started, but her words were cut off as my spear thrust forward.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a wet, sickening sound, the tendrils she'd unleashed vanished. A large, gaping hole appeared in her chest, and black Liquids spilled out.

She stumbled back, clutching at the wound. Her glowing eyes widened in disbelief. "What… what just happened?"

I spun the spear in my hand, pointing it toward her. "Your tendrils are quick, but I'm quicker."

Her lips twisted into a snarl. "You still haven't used any magic. No mana… no abilities. You're nothing but a miserable little human with a sharp stick. How are you doing this?"

I shrugged. Maybe the system—or fate, or whatever—is screwing me over. "No mana, no flashy powers. But who cares? I will survive at any costs. I'll even thrust this spear right through fate itself if I have to." I said metaphorically, pointing the spear at her again. "No mana, only mastery."

For a moment, there was silence. My words seemed to hang in the air, heavy and unshakable.

Her anger boiled over, using her power to mutate her wound, healing it.With a guttural roar, she charged, her mutated body moving even faster than before. Black tendrils shot out from her limbs, the walls around us twisting and warping under her influence.

But I wasn't the same as before.

Her movements, once impossible to track, seemed slower now. I could see every angle, every opening.

The system chimed in again:

[Alert: Hostile Entity Preparing Multi-Angle Assault.]

[Recommendation: Maintain Distance and Defend.]

"Quiet," I growled. I didn't need the system to tell me what to do.

She lunged, her claws slashing downward, but I sidestepped with precision and thrust my spear forward.

The air itself seemed to split as the spear connected. Three precise holes appeared in her torso, black liquids pouring from the wounds. She stumbled back, coughing violently, blood spurting from her mouth.

Her glowing eyes flickered. "How… how are you this fast?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I took a slow step forward, my spear pointed at her throat.

"Come at me how many time you like, do you think the outcome will change?" I asked, my voice steady.

She laughed weakly, her body trembling. "You think this will stop me? I can regenerate endlessly! I'll rip you apart piece by piece!"

But as she tried to heal, nothing happened. Her wounds remained, the blood still pouring from her broken body.

Her eyes darted around in panic. "Why… why isn't it working?"

I tilted my head, pretending to think. "Maybe because my spear isn't just sharp. It's precise. Every thrust I make hits the exact point it needs to. Maybe your body can't heal when it's been… disrupted."

She stared at me, her expression twisting from anger to fear. "That… that's impossible."

"Impossible?" I echoed, stepping closer. "Ever since this nightmare started, I've been doing the impossible just to stay alive. So, what's one more impossible thing?"

She fell to her knees, trembling. "You… you're not like any Runner I've faced before. What are you?"

I smirked, spinning the spear once more before pointing it at her again. "Just a miserable and lonely guy who refuses to die."

Her body trembled as I loomed over her, my shadow casting her in darkness. "Now," I said, pressing the blade of the spear to her neck, "you're going to answer some questions."