Chapter 17: Murderer.

"Level up…? Ha! Hahaha!"

Laughter erupted from the group, their mocking voices echoing through the clearing. None of them took him seriously.

"Lamia, looks like you've brought us a comedian," sneered the man with the most scars out of them all, his muscular arms crossed over his chest. His presence alone radiated authority, marking him as their leader. "Do you even know who I am?" 

…?

He took a step forward, the smugness in his tone unmistakable. "Ex-convict on death row—William Mires. You know what that means, don't you?" His grin widened, his eyes gleaming with arrogance. "I've killed more people than you can—"

"You talk too much," Kael interrupted, his tone flat.

A tense silence fell over the group as Kael took a slow step forward, his eyes locking onto William.

"Garve, Norvyn, Alysha—stay on the defensive and watch. Don't interfere," he instructed his allies without turning back.

It wasn't for their safety. No, Kael wasn't concerned about that. He simply wanted every last drop of experience for himself.

William let out a low chuckle. "Whoa, big scary guy." He raised a hand lazily, his smirk still in place. "Boys… kill him."

At his command, a hulking warrior—built like a moving wall of muscle—lunged at Kael, his massive sword swinging down in a brutal arc.

Kael sidestepped effortlessly. The blade slammed into the ground with a dull thud. Before the warrior could recover, Kael twisted past him, his dagger flashing.

A crimson arc painted the air.

The warrior staggered, eyes wide in shock. A gurgling sound escaped his lips as blood spurted from the gaping wound in his neck. He collapsed like a felled tree, his body twitching before going still.

It was over in an instant.

Kael didn't stop. He was already moving.

A ranger, still in the process of drawing his bow, barely had time to react before Kael closed the distance. With a single leap, he plunged his dagger between the man's brows. The ranger's eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the ground without a sound.

William's cocky expression finally shattered.

But Kael wasn't done yet.

He darted toward the second ranger, only to be intercepted by a rogue—fast and sharp, moving in a blur as he parried Kael's strike with Quickstep.

Kael, however, was faster.

His other hand flicked forward in a feint, baiting the rogue into raising his blade to block. But Kael never followed through. Instead, he dropped low, sweeping the rogue's legs out from under him.

The rogue hit the ground hard.

Before he could react, Kael drove his dagger straight into his chest, pinning him to the dirt. The rogue's breath hitched—blood bubbling from his lips before his body slackened.

An arrow whistled through the air, aimed at Kael's head.

He tilted his head at the last moment, the arrow missing by a hair. In the same motion, he hurled his remaining dagger toward the ranger who had fired.

Pierce!

The dagger embedded itself cleanly between the ranger's eyes. He dropped, lifeless.

From behind the falling corpse, another swordsman charged forward, his build smaller than the first warrior but his intent just as lethal. His blade cut through the air in a vicious arc aimed straight for Kael's neck.

Kael—now unarmed—watched him with an almost bored expression.

At the last moment, he ducked. The blade whooshed harmlessly overhead. With a flick of his foot, he tripped the swordsman, sending him sprawling face-first into the dirt.

The swordsman scrambled to his feet, growling, and attacked again—his swings frantic, desperate.

Kael didn't even need to try.

He weaved past each strike, his body shifting with the barest movements, his expression indifferent.

"…Ah, right," Kael mused, sidestepping another clumsy swing. "It's only been a day since we were transported here, huh?" He exhaled, shaking his head. "Most of you have never even held a blade before. Back on Earth, it was all guns, wasn't it?"

The swordsman's grip on his weapon trembled.

Kael sighed. "How boring."

BAM!

Without warning, Kael's fist crashed into the man's solar plexus. The swordsman wheezed, his body freezing from the sudden loss of air. Kael followed up with a brutal right hook to the chin.

CRACK!

The sound echoed like a gunshot.

The swordsman hit the ground, dazed. Kael wasted no time. He mounted him and began to rain down punches, each one landing with sickening force.

The man's face turned into a bloody mess within seconds. He struggled, weakly attempting to resist, but it was no use. Kael didn't stop. Not until the light in his eyes faded completely.

Four bodies now lay motionless in the clearing.

Kael slowly rose to his feet, his cold eyes locking onto William.

The ex-convict—who had once stood so proudly—was now as pale as a corpse. His body trembled. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

Lamia, too, took a shaky step back, stumbling when Kael's gaze flickered toward her.

"A-A-Ah…" Her voice failed her.

William swallowed thickly and instinctively stepped backward. He was the only one left. The last survivor.

Kael bent down, retrieving his daggers.

"What was it you said?" he asked, his voice eerily calm. "Ex-convict?" He took a slow step forward. "Let me tell you something, William—what you were on Earth? Means nothing here. You think being a killer makes you strong? You wouldn't have lasted long in this world even if I let you go."

William's breath hitched. Then, out of desperation, he spun on his heel and bolted.

"Fuck this—"

A dagger whistled through the air. William barely managed a step before collapsing, a blade embedded deep in his leg.

"GAAAH!" he howled, clutching at the wound, agony twisting his features.

Kael sighed as he approached, watching the man writhe. "Come on, William. You were their leader, weren't you? Leaders are supposed to stand their ground, not run."

William's breath came in ragged gasps. "W-Wait, p-please… I'll—"

Kael didn't let him finish.

The dagger plunged straight through his skull, cutting off his plea in an instant.

Kael exhaled, flicking the blood from his blade. "One left."

Lamia's breath hitched as Kael turned to her. She scrambled backward, crawling in the dirt, only to find herself trapped against a tree. Tears streaked down her face as she looked up at him, her body shaking violently.

"Wait! They forced me! Please! I had no choice!" she sobbed, her hands raised in surrender. "I-I swear—"

Kael crouched in front of her, his cold, lifeless eyes boring into hers. "Why shouldn't I kill you?"

"B-Because I didn't have a—"

"Wrong answer."

Steel flashed. Blood splattered against the tree trunk. Lamia slumped over, lifeless.

Kael exhaled, rising to his feet. His bloodied silhouette turned toward the group, who had stood frozen the entire time, watching in horrified silence.

"Kael… you…"

Their expressions were unmistakable. Fear. Kael recognized it well. But he didn't care. He walked past the corpses, his face unreadable, until—

Ding!

You have slain [Human - Lvl 1]!

Experience Points Gained.

170 Survival Points Acquired.

You have slain [Human - Lvl 0]!

Experience Points Gained.

40 Survival Points Acquired.

You have slain…

The notifications flooded his mind, but he barely paid attention—until the next chime rang out.

Ding!

Race [Human] has reached Level 3!

Ding!

Class [Rogue] has reached Level 3!

A slow grin spread across Kael's face.

Finally, I levelled up!

He turned back to the group, stretching his arms as though he had just finished a light workout. "Alright, let's head back. I'm in a really good mood now."

He strolled off, unable to suppress the satisfied smile creeping across his lips.