The Sixth Shadow!
The ruins of Vedangiri burned with battle.
Screams, the clash of steel, and the heavy breathing of warriors filled the air. Dust swirled in the fading twilight, illuminated by flickering flames and the occasional glint of silver. The ground was littered with debris—broken weapons, shattered stone, and the bodies of the fallen.
The assassins were relentless, pushing them back, their attacks calculated and deadly. The students who had come here for training were now fighting for survival.
Some were strong. Others… weren't.
And the assassins knew it.
Aamir gritted his teeth, his muscles burning with exertion. His opponent, the assassin clad in dark cloth, stood before him with a stance so perfect it looked effortless. His movements were sharp, refined, lethal—the discipline of a master fighter.
No wasted steps. No unnecessary strikes.
Aamir had faced strong enemies before, but this was different. This wasn't a battle of power. This was a battle of skill.
Then—
Ding!
Special Task:
Defeat your enemy
Reward: ??
Aamir blinked. A mission? Now?
"What does the question mark mean?" he asked Luman in his mind.
Luman's voice hummed. "Probably something special. I don't know."
Aamir exhaled sharply. "Then I'll just have to beat him and find out."
His adrenaline energy surged through his body, lighting up his nerves with power. His heartbeat slowed, his senses sharpened, and time itself seemed to stretch.
The assassin noticed the change. His stance shifted slightly—a silent acknowledgment of the challenge.
Aamir smirked. Now they were even.
The assassin struck first.
A blur—a precise, lightning-fast palm strike to Aamir's ribs.
Aamir twisted, barely dodging, then countered with a powerful knee strike. The assassin blocked with his forearm, the impact echoing through the air.
Neither moved.
Then—an explosion of speed.
They clashed—Aamir's fists versus the assassin's iron-hard strikes. Punches, elbows, kicks, all exchanged in a dance of pure combat.
Aamir could feel it. This man was no ordinary fighter.
Every counter, every block, every feint—perfect.
But Aamir had something more.
He let his adrenaline energy burn hotter, faster. His body moved beyond instinct, reading the assassin's next move before it even happened.
And then he saw it—a single mistake.
The assassin shifted his weight slightly, preparing for another devastating kick. Too predictable.
Aamir twisted, stepping inside the attack, and slammed his elbow into the assassin's ribs. A satisfying crack followed.
The assassin staggered.
Now.
Aamir launched into a full spin—his foot colliding with the assassin's temple.
CRACK.
The assassin collapsed. Unmoving.
Aamir exhaled, sweat dripping down his face. He looked down at his fallen opponent.
"Tough bastard," he muttered.
Ding!
Task Completed.
Reward: ??? Unlocked.
A sudden rush of energy flooded his veins. His body pulsed with power. Something inside him shifted, something changed.
Although his strength won't grow but his body getting stronger by each level up and he can feel it
But before he could process it—
A sharp, chilling presence made the hair on his neck stand on end.
Aamir turned—his gaze locking onto him.
The Sixth Shadow.
Watching. Still. Silent.
But his eyes…
His eyes were locked onto Kunal.
And Kunal?
He wasn't afraid.
He was awake.
Seenu's fingers curled around the hilt of his katana.
To anyone else, it was a broken piece of junk—rusted, cracked, barely holding together. But Seenu knew better.
And so did his opponent.
The masked assassin wielded a flaming nodachi, his presence commanding, overwhelming. The heat from the blade distorted the air, waves of fire rippling around it.
"This is no ordinary sword," the assassin said, his voice muffled behind his mask.
Seenu grinned. "Neither is mine."
He shifted his stance. His body lowered, perfectly balanced, like a coiled spring ready to explode.
The assassin lunged, his flaming blade slicing through the air.
Seenu vanished.
A burst of fire erupted where he had stood.
In an instant—he was behind his opponent.
His katana moved like lightning.
A single slash.
The assassin barely managed to block, the impact sending him skidding backward. His flames flickered.
Seenu rolled his shoulders, his own fire igniting his body. His katana, once rusted and dull, now gleamed—a blade of pure flame.
"Not bad," Seenu smirked. "But let's see if you can handle this."
And then he attacked.
A blur of flames and steel.
His movements were fluid, unstoppable, relentless. His katana carved through the air in blazing arcs, each strike flowing into the next like a deadly dance.
The assassin struggled. His nodachi, once dominating the battlefield, now barely kept up.
Seenu was faster. More precise.
And then—
A single, perfect strike.
His katana pierced through the assassin's flames, slicing through his armor and cutting deep.
The assassin stumbled, clutching his wound. Defeated.
Seenu flicked the blood off his blade and sheathed it.
"Too slow," he said.
Near the ruined temple, Aafreen held her ground.
She didn't need magic.
She didn't need tricks.
She was the strongest fighter in Vedangiri.
The assassins who faced her soon realized their mistake.
Her sword danced.
Every strike was flawless, every movement perfectly calculated. She moved like water, her attacks flowing seamlessly, each swing of her blade elegant yet fierce.
But she wasn't just graceful.
She was unstoppable.
The assassin in front of her lunged. A mistake.
Aafreen sidestepped, her blade cutting through his side before he even realized what had happened.
Blood sprayed.
She didn't stop.
Another opponent charged.
Aafreen's fist glowed—not with magic, but with pure adrenaline energy.
She struck.
A single golden blast erupted from her punch, sending the assassin flying into a crumbling wall.
He didn't get back up.
The students behind her stared—in awe, in fear.
Jai swallowed. "She's… she's not even using magic."
Aafreen exhaled, lowering her sword.
"Stay behind me," she said, voice steady.
Her blade glowed under the dim light, beautiful, deadly, absolute.
Another assassin approached.
Aafreen smirked.
"Come," she whispered.
And the dance continued.
Aamir's vision was still adjusting from the aftermath of his battle when his system screen flashed to life.
Congratulations!
Task Completed.
Reward: Instant Level Up by 3 Levels!
Level Up!
Level Up!
Level Up!
His entire screen was flooded with messages as a warm surge of power spread through his body. His muscles felt stronger, his senses sharper—every fiber of his being had grown.
Then, another notification appeared.
Congratulations, Host!
You have leveled up by three levels.
New Skill Unlocked: [Appraisal]!
Aamir's heart raced. A new skill? He quickly navigated to his status screen, eager to see his progress.
[STATUS]
Host's Name: Aamir Singh
Race: Human
Status: Awakened
Bloodline Purity: 3.2%
[Expanded Details]
Level: 8
EXP Needed for Next Level: 1600
HP: 80/100
Strength: 8
Speed: 8
Agility: 8
Stamina: 8
IQ: 4
[Skills]
1. Appraisal (Level 1)
2. Permanent Copy (???)
[Techniques – Adreno Arts]
1. Dragon's Blade
2. Garuda's Glide
3. Hastraksham
4. Iron Body
Aamir nodded, satisfied. This was solid progress.
But then his eyes landed on something that made him freeze.
IQ: 4.
Aamir stared at it. Blinked. Stared again.
"Wait… why is my IQ so low?!"
Luman's voice hummed in his head, absolutely deadpan.
"Because you're way too stupid."
Aamir nearly punched the air in frustration.
"Oi! You could've phrased that better!"
Luman chuckled. "Nah, I think that was perfect."