Obsidian Order

The hum of the city at night was different, quiet but alive in its own way. Leo's flat was on the edge of a modest neighborhood, where narrow streets wound between brick buildings, and dim streetlights cast long shadows across the cracked sidewalks. A distant siren wailed somewhere in the city, but the rest of the world seemed still as Leo drifted into a heavy sleep.

Hours later, at exactly 2:30 AM, he was jumped awake.

A loud thud echoed from somewhere outside, followed by muffled voices. Leo sat up on the couch, his heart pounding. The room was dark except for the faint light of a streetlamp filtering through the window. Rubbing his eyes, he grabbed his jacket and peered outside. The source of the noise was just a block away, down an alley that cut between two rows of buildings.

The street itself was eerily empty, but something about the faint sound of scuffling made his skin crawl. Instinct kicked in. He slipped on his sneakers, grabbed his keys just in case, and stepped out into the cold night air.

Alley was narrow, littered with old cardboard boxes and trash bags piled high against the brick walls. The faint glow of a flickering overhead bulb illuminated the scene: two men in black suits standing over another man on the ground.

The two men were tall and broad, their faces completely obscured by sleek black masks that covered their heads entirely, leaving no features visible except for two glowing blue slits where their eyes should be. Their suits were pristine, black with silver linings, and the faint shimmer of magic seemed to radiate off their bodies, marking them as awakened ones.

On ground, however, someone was in bad shape. He had a strong, muscular build, someone who'd clearly seen his share of fights, but blood soaked his torn shirt, and his breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps. His short black hair was matted with sweat, and his arms hung limp at his sides, too weak to defend himself.

One of the masked men spoke, his voice cold and distorted. "Return the potion you stole. Now." The man on the ground coughed, spitting blood onto the pavement. "I don't have it anymore," he rasped, glaring up at them defiantly.

Other masked figure knelt beside him, pulling out a dagger. The blade glowed faintly, clearly enhanced with magic, and its edge shimmered like it could cut through steel. "Liar," he said, his voice low and menacing. "Last chance."

Leo's eyes darted to the object clutched tightly in the bleeding man's hand, a small vial with a swirling golden liquid inside. It was no ordinary potion. The liquid seemed alive, moving and twisting inside the glass like molten light. Even from where Leo stood, he could feel the faint aura of power radiating from it.

Man on the ground tightened his grip on the vial and spat again, this time at the suited figure's feet. "You're not getting it," he growled, though his voice was weak.

The kneeling man stood and raised the glowing dagger high above his head, ready to deliver the final blow. "Then you'll die with it."

Leo didn't think. He acted.

"Enough!" His voice rang out, sharp and clear in the stillness of the alley.

The two masked men froze, their glowing eyes snapping toward him. The man on the ground turned his head slightly, struggling to see who had spoken. Leo took a step closer, his heart pounding but his fists clenched. "Back off."

One of the men tilted his head, the blue slits in his mask narrowing. "Don't get involved!"

Leo didn't answer. Instead, he felt a familiar warmth spread through his chest. The system's interface appeared in the corner of his vision.

[Threat Detected: Two Awakened Opponents. Suggested Action: Caution!]

Leo ignored the warning. "I don't know what he did to you, but I'm not going to let you kill someone in cold blood" 'what the hell is happening to me? Why am I helping someone with my life on line?' Leo thought after saying those words heroically.

One of the masked man started laughing "you don't want to see the sun again?"

Leo wasn't sure where this sudden courage had come from, maybe it was the system, or maybe it was just his gut, but he knew he couldn't walk away.

"Fine. You die first."

The man with the dagger took a step toward him, the blade still glowing in his hand.

Leo's hand instinctively reached out, summoning his sword from his inventory.

[Standard Blade Equipped!]

They stopped, their body language shifting slightly. They hadn't expected him to be awakened, much less armed.

Leo took a deep breath and raised his sword, his voice steady "Try me."

Silent for a moment, the tension thickened. Without a word, one of the masked men rushed at him, his movements unnaturally fast like a shadow streaking through the dim alley.

'Why am I not scared?' Leo thought, holding the sword with tight grip.

The first strike, a sweeping arc of the masked man's enchanted dagger aimed at Leo's torso. But Leo stepped back just in time, the blade narrowly missing him. Without missing a beat, the masked man followed up with a second slash aimed at Leo's neck.

[Enemy Attack Pattern Detected. Evasive Maneuver Recommended.]

The system's guidance flashed in the corner of his vision, and Leo ducked low, feeling the wind of the blade grazing overhead. His sword felt heavy in his hands, but the system's energy coursing through him gave him a burst of speed.

Leo countered with a quick horizontal slash, aiming for the man's torso. The masked man twisted, narrowly avoiding the blow, but not before the edge of Leo's blade nicked his suit, leaving a faint glowing trail across the fabric.

"Not bad" the masked man said, his voice cold and mechanical. He lunged again, faster this time, his dagger glowing brighter. Leo sidestepped, barely keeping up with the man's speed.

The system chimed again.

[Skill Available: Blade Surge. Activate?]

"Yes!" Leo shouted.

In an instant, his sword glowed brighter, and he felt a surge of power rush through his arms. His movements became sharper, faster, and more precise. He charged forward, catching the masked man off guard. Their weapons clashed, sparks flying as the two exchanged blow after blow.

His blade moving with newfound agility. He feinted to the left, then spun to the right, bringing his sword down in a powerful arc.

The masked man raised his dagger to block, but Leo's strike was too strong. The sword slammed against the man's arm, and there was a sickening crunch.

"Shit!"

The masked man let out a muffled grunt as Leo's blade sliced through the fabric of his suit and into his forearm. The glowing dagger clattered to the ground as the man stumbled back, clutching his bleeding arm.

Before Leo could catch a single breath, the second masked man joined the fray, moving just as fast as the first. His movements were more aggressive, his strikes heavier. Leo blocked the first attack but was forced to take a step back as the man pressed forward, his fists glowing with faint black energy.

Now it was two against one.

Both of them coordinated their attacks. One struck high, the other low, forcing Leo to pivot and block from every direction. His arms burned from the effort, but he refused to back down.

[Skill Available: Healing Surge. Activate?]

"Not yet!"

With a sudden burst of speed, Leo sidestepped the second masked man's punch and delivered a quick upward slash, forcing him to retreat. Then, without missing a beat, Leo spun and delivered a brutal kick to the first man's injured arm. The man let out another muffled cry, stumbling back against the alley wall.

The second man charged again. Leo raised his sword and met the attack head-on, their weapons colliding with a deafening clang. Using the momentum, Leo twisted his sword downward, knocking the man off balance.

Seizing the opportunity, Leo slammed the hilt of his sword into the second man's chest, sending him staggering backward. Both masked men were now on the defensive, their movements less precise as they tried to recover.

"You've got some balls" one of them hissed, his voice bit cracked but laced with anger. He glanced at his injured partner, then back at Leo.

"This isn't over until we cut those balls" the second man said.

The two exchanged a quick nod before retreating into the shadows of the alley, their forms disappearing into the night.

Leo stood there, his chest heaving as he watched them vanish. The faint glow of his sword began to dim as the system's voice chimed softly in his mind.

[Combat Successful. Threat Neutralized for now!]

"come, I'll take you to my apartment, I got few healing potions which might be useful"

Leo turned toward the man on the ground. He was still clutching the glowing potion, his breathing shallow but steady. Blood pooled around him, but his eyes were focused on Leo.

"You… saved me," the man muttered, his voice weak.

Leo knelt beside him, exhaustion finally setting in. "Yeah, well… you looked like you could use the help."

The man managed a faint, pained smile. "You don't know what you just got yourself into."

"Maybe" Leo exhaled, glancing at the faint trail of blood leading out of the alley where the masked men had fled. He had a sinking feeling that the man was right.

'But somehow… I don't feel any fear?'

[Grimfat wants to say something!]

"?"

[I hope they get your balls!]

"This…fucker!"