Chapter 12：The Feeling of Combat

Nolan Price, 25 years old, worked a desk job at the Aegis Operations Division, specializing in Soul Corruption. His expertise lay in identifying and preventing it.

He'd started interning at Aegis during the summer after his junior year of college, gradually getting familiar with the dangerous and unpredictable world he now found himself in.

Today, like any other day, he wrapped up his work and was heading home.

The streets were nearly empty, the night deepening, and there was a strange tension in the air.

As he passed a dimly lit alley, something happened that made his heart race—a grotesque skeletal claw shot out from the shadows, grabbing two kids off the street and dragging them into the darkness without a second thought.

Nolan's mind went blank. Almost on instinct, he rushed forward, trying to stop it.

But he was too slow. The claw, along with the two kids, vanished into a crack in the Boundary Passage.

There was no time to think. Acting purely on reflex, Nolan leapt forward, following the kids as they were pulled into the Boundary Passage.

The Boundary Passage—a place filled with the unknown and terrifying—was usually where Anomalous Creatures escaped into the real world to wreak havoc on humanity.

But today, something unheard of had happened: an Anomalous Creature had dragged humans into the Passage.

Nolan's heart pounded in his chest, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

He kicked away the ghostly arm that had grabbed the kids, shielding them behind him, only to realize he was now in serious trouble.

He was just a desk worker. His daily tasks involved paperwork and data, not situations like this.

To make matters worse, he had no protective gear on him, leaving him completely exposed to the Soul Corruption of the Boundary Passage—a contamination that was irreversible.

He gritted his teeth, cursing himself for being so reckless.

After all, he wasn't the same eager 20-year-old he used to be.

Years of desk work had dulled his combat skills, and his stamina wasn't what it once was.

Now, he had to rely on instinct and whatever little experience he had to get through this crisis.

"Damn it!" he muttered under his breath, quickly scanning the area for any possible way out.

He glanced at the two kids behind him, a determined look flashing in his eyes.

He quickly tapped his vibranium wristwatch, which emitted a faint glow, briefly illuminating the surrounding darkness.

"Take this," he said, handing the watch to the kids, his voice low but firm.

The watch's light would protect their minds for a short time and continuously send out a distress signal.

But in the Boundary Passage, the chances of rescue were slim to none.

Nolan knew that keeping the watch for himself wouldn't help much. It was better to give the kids a fighting chance.

He took a deep breath and looked around.

The crack he had entered through should've still been there, leading back to the real world. But now, all that remained was a smooth wall. The exit was gone.

Nolan's gaze locked back onto the ghostly figure.

In the Boundary Passage, visibility was severely limited—he could only make out what was within thirty feet. Beyond that, it was an abyss of impenetrable darkness.

The ghost was tall and gaunt, its skeletal frame radiating an unsettling sense of power. In its hand, it held a scythe, its blade gleaming with a deadly sharpness that sent a chill down Nolan's spine.

It hovered in the air, and from its aura, Nolan could tell it was at least a Tier 1 Apprentice - Stage 2 entity.

His mind flashed back to his college days.

At eighteen, he had entered university full of hope, dreaming of becoming a combat operative.

Freshman year, he laid a solid foundation. By sophomore year, under the guidance of his mentor, he had successfully hunted a few low-level Anomalous Creatures.

During the end-of-year assessment, he had even managed to take down a Tier 1 Apprentice - Stage 1 creature on his own.

But fate hadn't been kind to him. Despite all his hard work, he never managed to break through the barriers and become a combat operative.

After sophomore year, he had no choice but to pivot to a desk job. Now, he was just another ordinary employee at the Aegis Operations Division.

The ghost let out a low, guttural chewing sound, blood still smeared around its mouth. It seemed to be digesting its previous prey, not in any rush to attack.

Nolan kept his eyes fixed on it, searching for any sign of weakness.

The ghost's six eyes glowed eerily in the darkness, its body floating effortlessly, as if ready to strike at any moment.

"Six eyes, floating… ghost-type creature," Nolan muttered to himself, his mind racing as he analyzed its potential weaknesses.

He took a deep breath, his fists trembling slightly.

Two white cloth strips slid from his sleeves, wrapping deftly around his hands. He tightened them with swift, practiced movements, as if preparing for the fight of his life.

His expression hardened, and a cold, lethal intent flickered in his eyes. In that moment, he was no longer the desk worker he had become, but the young man from years ago, ready to face death head-on.

Plop—

A chunk of flesh fell from the ghost's body, hitting the ground with a soft thud. The sound was like a battle horn, igniting the tension in the air.

Nolan and the ghost moved at the same time, both of them charging forward like lightning, the air thick with the promise of violence.

Nolan's fist barely grazed the edge of the scythe's blade, the icy wind from the weapon whistling past his head.

He ducked low, his right fist coiling with power, and drove it hard into the ghost's abdomen.

The punch landed solidly, and without missing a beat, he twisted his body, his left fist shooting upward like a rising dragon, aiming straight for the ghost's jaw.

That familiar feeling of combat surged back into his body in an instant.