A Mysterious Man

The store was swallowed in darkness, the only light flickering from a damaged refrigerator at the back.

Shadows twisted and crawled as the goblins surged forward, their guttural snarls filling the air. Jiho could barely make out their warped, grinning faces—eyes gleaming with hunger, crude weapons raised.

He had no time to hesitate.

Jiho tightened his grip on the sword, forcing his body into motion. He needed to cut them down fast before more arrived. The longer the fight dragged on, the worse their chances became. Without hesitation, he activated [Energy Harmony…], determined to end the battle swiftly.

[Energy Harmony…]

A pulse coursed through his limbs, a raw, unrefined power that sharpened his senses. The weight of the sword in his hand felt lighter, his movements smoother—faster. The first goblin lunged, its jagged dagger aimed at his side. Jiho sidestepped effortlessly, his sword carving through the creature's throat in a single stroke.

A wet gurgle. Blood sprayed onto the tiled floor.

Another came from behind. Jiho pivoted, bringing his sword up just in time to deflect a rusted mace. Sparks flashed in the dim store as steel clashed, but Jiho followed through with a brutal kick to the goblin's chest, sending it crashing into a shelf.

More were closing in.

"Jiho! Behind you!" Kalyira's voice rang out through the chaos.

He spun just as another goblin pounced. Too close. He barely managed to twist his body to avoid a direct hit, but the creature's jagged dagger sliced into his shoulder, pain flaring through his nerves. He drove his sword upward, impaling the monster through its ribcage before ripping the sword free in a violent motion. The goblin crumpled.

Kalyira rushed to his side, eyes scanning the incoming goblins. Without hesitation, she yanked a rusted mace from the hands of a dying goblin, gripping it tightly with both hands. Her stance shifted—ready to watch Jiho's back and strike if necessary.

"Can you use your healing skill again?" Jiho asked, stepping back as more goblins poured into the store.

"I can't! My skill needs plants to work! There's nothing here I can use as a source!" Kalyira shouted, her voice urgent as she kept her eyes on the goblins, ready to react.

Damn it.

A goblin shrieked and lunged with a jagged dagger, but Jiho ducked low, slashing its legs out from under it. His breathing was growing uneven, his arms beginning to ache, but a strange exhilaration crawled up his spine. His sword flashed again—another goblin fell. Then another.

More goblins were coming.

Jiho steadied himself, exhaling sharply.

He pressed forward, his sword cutting through flesh and bone as he carved a path toward the exit. Each swing was precise, each step deliberate. The more he fought, the more natural it felt—the blade an extension of his will.

A goblin screeched, raising its rusted mace, but Jiho was faster. His sword cleaved through its torso, sending it sprawling to the floor. Another leaped at him from the side—he sidestepped, driving his blade through its skull without a second thought.

The more he killed, the lighter he felt.

It was fleeting, a sensation that flickered through him like a spark before vanishing into the void. He remained unaware of the way his lips almost curled, the fleeting trace of something unrecognizable flickering across his face before it disappeared completely.

He moved forward, cutting down the last goblin in his path. The store was nearly cleared, but the noise had surely drawn more. They had to move.

"Kalyira, let's go!" he called, stepping over the bodies as he pushed toward the exit.

And he wasn't done yet.

Beyond the store, monsters filled the night. Not just goblins—shadow beasts as well, their dark, writhing forms slinking between the alleys. But something was off. They weren't advancing. Instead, they were fleeing, their movements frantic, as if trying to escape something far worse.

Then, they heard it—the clash of steel, the sound of flesh being torn apart. And amidst the chaos, a lone figure moved.

A man in sportswear, his black hair disheveled, and cold-blooded red eyes gleaming under the dim light. His blade was a blur of motion as he cut through the fleeing monsters with terrifying efficiency. The goblins and shadow beasts alike fell before him, their bodies crumpling under the relentless assault. His frame, similar in height to Jiho's current body, moved with an effortless, calculated precision—every strike merciless and absolute.

Jiho and Kalyira stood still, watching, unable to look away. The man fought with an ease that shouldn't have been possible at this stage.

Kalyira lowered her voice, murmuring, "That guy… I saw him in the first trial. He killed countless shadow beasts back there…"

Jiho remained silent, his mind racing. Even though the trials were growing increasingly difficult, wasn't this still only the third one? How could someone be this powerful already?

When Jiho first heard about him from Kalyira, he had been skeptical. But now, all his doubts vanished.

Yet, as he watched that man fight, something stirred deep within him. A long-buried instinct, something he had forgotten since arriving in the Soul Realm, resurfaced.

Before, he had only focused on surviving—pushing forward without time for anything else. But now, that old feeling returned. The desire to compete. To test himself. To stand on equal ground.

And for the first time in a long while, his blood burned with excitement.

With that thought, Jiho surged forward, cutting down every monster charging toward them before the effects of [Energy Harmony…] faded from his body. His sword sliced through flesh and bone with relentless precision, each movement flowing naturally, almost as if his body knew what to do before he even made the decision. [Muscle Memory…] kicked in, guiding his actions with the smooth coordination honed over years of disciplined training.

The goblins shrieked, some trying to retreat, but he didn't let them escape. A shadow beast lunged at him—he sidestepped and drove his blade through its throat. Another goblin swung its rusted mace, but Jiho moved faster, severing its arm before delivering a final, decisive slash.

He was faster. Stronger. For as long as [Energy Harmony…] lasted, he would not stop.

One by one, the monsters fell, their bodies piling up around him. After nearly 10 minutes had passed, the energy from [Energy Harmony…] began to fade. His limbs grew heavier, his breath more labored, but Jiho didn't stop. He fought through the exhaustion, cutting down two more monsters with a final burst of strength, each blow sharper than the last.

It was only after the last enemy collapsed at his feet that his movements finally slowed. His body was drained, his mind clouded by fatigue, but deep inside, a sense of satisfaction remained.

[Energy Harmony…] had run out.

From the distance, the man in sportswear turned, his eyes locking onto Jiho. For a moment, an unreadable expression flickered across his face—almost questioning—before he disappeared into the night.

Silence followed.

"Where do we go now?" Kalyira asked, her voice quiet.

Jiho exhaled, glancing at the carnage around them. "We stay here. The number of monsters that died in this area… the scent of blood everywhere… I doubt more will come."

Kalyira nodded. "I was thinking the same."

Before heading back inside, Kalyira stepped toward Jiho. "Hold still," she said. Green light flickered at her fingertips, and vines burst from the cracks in the pavement, reaching toward Jiho. They coiled around his wound, pulsing with a faint energy as warmth spread through his skin. The pain dulled, the injury knitting itself together before the vines withered away, retreating into the earth. "That should help. Now, let's go."

With that, they stepped back inside the convenience store, settling against the wall. The exhaustion of the battle weighed on them, and before long, Kalyira had drifted into a nap. Jiho glanced at her, a rare smile ghosting his lips as his thoughts wandered to a certain girl from his past.

Time passed.

Almost an hour later, the darkness outside began to wane. A faint glow stretched across the horizon, painting the ruined streets in muted gold. The remnants of night faded, giving way to the quiet breath of morning.

At the same time, a black system window materialized in front of Jiho.

[You have completed the Trial…]

[Your reward will always be randomized…]

[You have obtained the Shattered Amulet...]

Jiho blinked, his brow furrowing as the broken amulet materialized in front of him. The item shimmered faintly, but its fractured form—splintered across the middle—made it seem useless. He picked it up, turning it over in his hand. The once-glowing gemstone at its center was now dull, cracked into jagged pieces. It didn't exude any power or significance, only a faint aura of something... dormant.

[Shattered Amulet]

A cracked and broken amulet. Its powers are sealed, and it appears useless for now.

The words in the system window gave him no real clue about its potential, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the amulet held something more.

He reached into his pouch, a void pouch that could hold items of all sizes, and carefully placed the shattered amulet inside. The pouch swallowed the amulet with a faint shimmer, and Jiho closed it with a quiet click.

He didn't know how to use the item yet, and since it wasn't useful for now, he decided to store it away.

End – 21