Chapter 7: Battle Ready

Kane eyed his dagger, slick with wyrm blood, barely shining in the dim forest. It'd scraped by against that wyrm—Strength: 790, Mana: 0, he'd clocked with Aura Sight. He'd only snagged 300 'cause it was half-dead—troll softened it up first. "Injured kills don't pay full," he grumbled, glaring at his blood-soaked clothes, stinking and nasty. "I need a sword. Something real."

He trudged back toward Alderon, boots crunching twigs. Dawn slipped through the trees, soft light warming the air. Kane was trashed—days of hunting, no sleep, caked in gore—but he kept moving, too stubborn to quit. He hit a small lake, water glinting under the sun. Those same kids were there, splashing around. They froze when they saw him—blood-drenched, wild, like a monster stepping out. Fear flashed, but the coin-grabber kid squinted, then grinned. They knew him.

The boy yanked off his shirt, thrusting it out fast. Kane chuckled, rough and tired. "Hold it for me, kid," he said, waving a hand—then froze. Wait, kid? He was their age—barely thirteen, maybe fourteen. Forgot that part. "Gotta clean up first," he muttered, shaking it off. He knelt by the lake, splashing cold water on his face, scrubbing off the blood. The wyrm's poison washed away too—dagger clean now, no bite left. Felt good, like he wasn't a total wreck.

Then—a rumble. Deep, loud, shaking the dirt. Sense of Danger stabbed him—sharp, right in the chest. Kane shot up, water dripping, dagger gripped tight. The kids screamed, pointing at the trees. Kane spun, heart slamming.

A troll stomped out—huge, gray, uglier than sin. Claws like shovels, teeth all crooked, reeking of mud and rot. Kane tensed. This thing wasn't beat-up—it was fresh, mean, ready to smash anything dumb enough to blink. The kids wailed, trembling, too scared to run.

Kane didn't know what to do. He could bolt—save himself—but that'd leave them dead. His gut yelled run, but his eyes locked on their shaking forms, and his legs moved first. He stepped between the troll and the kids.

Its claw slammed down like a hammer, aiming to crush him. Kane dove aside—barely—the punch blasting the ground, dirt exploding high. He landed hard, shoulder scraping a rock, but he shook it off, gripping his dagger. Every instinct screamed escape—he couldn't win. But a stubborn fire flared inside. If he ran now, he'd never live it down.

"Think, Kane. Think!" he hissed, teeth gritted, mind racing. The troll's moves—big swings, slow turns—clicked fast. It charged again. Kane dodged left, ducking a swipe, and stabbed its leg. The blade bit—shallow. Green blood trickled, but the troll didn't flinch.

It spun, eyes burning rage, locking on him. Kane darted back, but the troll was too quick—its fist smashed into him like a battering ram. He flew, crashing into a tree—wood splintered, pain exploding across his back. Blood oozed from a gash on his side, soaking his shirt. He groaned, gasping, pushing up on one elbow. Vision blurred, he saw the troll turn to the kids.

"No… not them…" he rasped, voice fading. He tried to stand—body wouldn't budge.

The kids froze, tears streaming, as the troll lumbered closer—one roared louder than the rest, "We're gonna die!"

Kane grabbed his dagger with shaky hands and threw it—aim wobbly, but it hit the leg wound dead-on. The troll roared, staggering, then whipped back to him, fury blazing. Kane's heart sank. That didn't stop it—just made it madder.

He was done—exhausted, vision blurring as the troll loomed, claws up. The thought hit like a brick. He'd given all he had, and it wasn't enough.

Then—words glowed faint:

[System of IRITH: Emergency Alert. Access IRITH's Power [Level 1] for 5 minutes. Side effects apply. Proceed? Yes/No]

Kane blinked, breath short. No choice. "Yes," he croaked, voice trembling.

The screen flared, options popping up:

1. Battle Ready (Black Armor for 1000 Strength, Sword of Devil)

2. Berserker (Automatic Non-Stop Killing Mode for 1500 Strength)

3. Dark Wizard (Absorb Life Energy for Dark Magic 50)

Kane jabbed "Battle Ready" without a glance—anything beat dying here.

[System of IRITH: You have activated Battle Ready. Duration: 5 minutes.]

Power surged—hot, wild. Black armor snapped over his battered body—sleek, light, crimson veins glowing. A sword dropped into his hand—long, sharp, humming with dark energy. Kane didn't know what hit him—pain melted, strength roared.

The troll charged, roaring loud enough to shake the lake. Kane met it head-on.

It swung a claw—huge, fast. Kane raised his arm—the armor took it like nothing. He ducked the next swing, lightning-quick, and slashed its gut. The sword tore through— blood sprayed, guts spilling wide. The troll bellowed, stumbling back, eyes wide—scared now. Kane sidestepped another swing, spinning fast, and swung hard—blade sliced its shoulder, claw and arm flying off, slashing through two nearby trees like butter. They crashed down, cracking loud, leaves raining.

The kids screamed louder.Their voices shook, eyes locked on Kane, half-terror, half-awe.

The troll whimpered—backing up, blood pooling fast. Kane didn't stop. He swung again—sword ripped its chest open, then a final slash took its head clean off. The head rolled, blood gushing, body slamming down dead, shaking the ground.

Silence hit, just Kane's ragged breaths. "IRITH," he barked.

The air blazed, words glowing:

[System of IRITH]

[Chart of Kane]

[Strength: 1100]

[Magic: 1]

[Dark Magic: 0]

[Special Ability: Aura Sight (See strength, magic, and mana of others), Sense of Danger (Detect threats nearby)]

[Occupation: Not Yet Decided]

[Mana: 2000]

[Rule: Kill and Gain]

Strength: 1100—crazy! Mana: 2000—like a flood! The screen glitched, then flickered:

[Due to using emergency IRITH power without matching strength, 90% power sealed temporarily.]

The armor vanished. Pain—sharp, searing—tore through his chest, like knives twisting inside. Kane dropped to his knees, choking a scream, fingers clawing the dirt. Blood dripped from his nose, his vision swimming—side effects hit like a truck. It passed slow, leaving him trembling, gasping.

"Crap… that's the catch," he rasped, voice wrecked.

The kids stared, pale, mouths open—coin-grabber whispered, "He's… alive?" Kane hauled up, legs shaking like a newborn foal. "Go home," he said, soft but firm. "It's over."

He turned, glanced at his blood-soaked clothes, and sighed. "Seriously… how many times do I gotta wash this ?"