Chapter 13：Round two

Nolan's lips curled into a slight smile, but before it could fully form, it froze on his face.

The ghost's massive, skeletal hand—like something straight out of a nightmare—swung at him with terrifying speed, knocking his arm aside effortlessly.

The difference in their size was obvious. The ghost stood a towering seven feet tall, while Nolan barely cleared six. The sheer force of the blow sent him stumbling backward, his arm instantly going numb, almost as if it had lost all feeling.

He tried to dodge, but his body just couldn't keep up with his mind's commands.

Yeah, age had definitely slowed him down.

Gritting his teeth, Nolan steeled himself and charged forward again.

They exchanged blows, the ghost's scythe slicing through the air with deadly precision. Every swing was a lethal threat, coming dangerously close to Nolan's neck. One wrong move, and he'd be decapitated. Each dodge felt like dancing on a razor's edge—one slip, and it would all be over.

He could feel a sharp sting on his skin. That was the Soul Corruption from the Boundary Passage, slowly eating away at his soul.

Every second he delayed, his situation grew more dire.

Nolan knew he couldn't keep this up much longer.

Black mist began swirling in his eyes, and the ghost's movements suddenly faltered.

Nolan had activated his ability—Blindness.

It wasn't a particularly powerful ability, but in moments like this, it could buy him the precious time he needed.

Too bad his Spiritual Strength wasn't high enough to get him into the combat division. If it were, he wouldn't still be stuck in a desk job.

Every time a Metahuman used their ability, they gained experience. But ever since he'd switched to a civilian role, Nolan had barely had any chances to use his powers.

Today, though, he knew he had to give it everything he had.

The ghost was blinded again, temporarily unable to attack.

Nolan raised his arm, locked onto the ghost's chest, and threw a textbook-perfect punch.

His fist slammed into the ghost's torso, but the impact left his own arm throbbing with pain, nearly numb from the force.

Black veins began to creep up Nolan's neck. The Soul Corruption from the Boundary Passage was reacting with his ability. After just two uses, his body was already showing signs of strain.

This was the curse of a low-tier Metahuman.

Bam!

The ghost quickly adapted to the blindness, swinging its massive fist and landing a brutal hit square on Nolan's chest.

The force sent him flying, his chest caving in with a sickening crunch.

Even with his combat training, the blow left him gasping for air, barely able to breathe.

"Ugh…" Blood spilled from Nolan's mouth, mixed with bits of his insides. His face was as pale as a sheet.

A Tier 1 Apprentice - Stage 2 ghost was far stronger than the Tier 1 Apprentice - Stage 1 enemies he'd faced before.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath, watching as the ghost charged at him again. Nolan took a deep breath, forcing himself to stand his ground.

There was no time to think. He swung his fist to meet the attack.

Blood splattered, the metallic scent filling the air.

Nolan's fists pounded into the ghost over and over. His own body was battered and bruised, but he didn't back down. Every punch carried the full weight of his strength, and slowly, the ghost's form began to crumble under the relentless assault.

But Nolan was paying a heavy price.

The scythe pierced his collarbone, the blade slicing through flesh and muscle. Blood gushed from the wound as he was sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground. His vision blurred, and consciousness started to slip away.

He lifted his head, his face smeared with dirt and blood. From the moment he'd entered the Boundary Passage, he knew there was no turning back.

His only option was to kill the ghost in front of him and find someone from the Aegis Operations Division to pull him out of this hellhole.

But deep down, he knew the odds were stacked against him.

His chest heaved, his fingers trembling as waves of pain tore through his body. The agony was so intense it made him nauseous, and he had to fight the urge to vomit.

He let out a bitter laugh. Tier 1 Apprentice - Stage 2… just a Tier 1 Apprentice - Stage 2.

For the combat students, creatures of this level were nothing more than practice dummies.

But for him, it was a life-or-death struggle.

When he was 14, he'd watched his family die at the hands of Anomalous Creatures.

At 18, he passed the Aegis Operations Division's test and was originally selected for the combat track.

By 20, at the end of his sophomore year, he was forcibly kicked out of the combat program.

At 21, he started his internship with Aegis as a desk jockey. Four years had passed since then.

The war between humans and Anomalous Creatures had been raging for 18 years.

There was no peace. No fair fight.ity had been losing ground, step by step.

Nolan looked up, his eyes searching the sky.

When the black clouds covered the dark sun, who could still hold on to hope?

Death seemed to be the default state for Metahumans.

He chuckled silently, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small red pill. He slipped it into his mouth.

The black veins spread rapidly, filling his eyes with darkness.

Dense black runes crawled across his skin, radiating an ominous energy. A surge of power flooded his broken body once more.

A twisted grin spread across Nolan's face.

"Round two, you bastard. Let's go."