Chapter 25 – Echoes of the Old World
The cracked skyline of the western ruins loomed in the morning haze, jagged and dark. Auther stood atop a half-collapsed parking structure, his eyes scanning the streets below.
He could feel it—mana in the air was heavier here. The pressure more suffocating. Mutants this deep weren't mindless beasts—they had patterns, group behavior, sometimes even crude tactics.
And that made them perfect for testing his limits.
He had advanced to E3, his core denser and his skills sharper. But power on paper meant nothing if it didn't translate into real survival.
He flexed his fingers.
Reflex Sync pulsed quietly in the back of his mind, like a low hum between his thoughts.
The morning wind blew ash and dust through broken roads as Auther dropped from the ledge to the cracked pavement, landing in a silent crouch.
His steps were quiet. He moved like a shadow between dead vehicles and vine-covered walls.
Minutes passed.
Then the scent hit him.
Rot. Wet iron. Damp fur.
Mutants.
He ducked under a twisted light pole and turned a corner—and stopped.
Half a dozen figures crouched in the center of the intersection. Mutated hounds, at least four of them. Their fur was patchy and half-melted, spines protruding at odd angles. But the real problem was the one standing behind them.
A humanoid mutant.
Its torso was humanlike, but its arms hung too long, and its head was split vertically down the middle with a permanent scream. Blackened veins pulsed with glowing green mana under its skin.
It held a jagged iron pole like a spear and surveyed the hounds with purpose.
"An alpha," Auther whispered.
These weren't wild mutants. They were pack-bound—following a leader. That made them more coordinated, more dangerous.
He ducked into a broken storefront and crouched behind the counter, breathing slow.
He needed to isolate them. Drawing the whole pack at once was suicide.
He reached into his satchel and pulled out a shard of reflective glass, angled it toward the alley, and waited.
The alpha began pacing.
It pointed with its spear. One hound peeled off and padded down the alley.
Auther smirked.
Perfect.
He retreated deeper into the building, using Phantom Echo to create a decoy sprinting out the side entrance.
The hound reacted instantly—turning and chasing it.
As it passed, Auther moved.
Burst Step flared, and he appeared behind it in a blur of motion.
Mana Edge sliced downward in a clean arc.
The blade connected—then Edge Pulse activated mid-swing, releasing a shimmering arc of energy that struck the hound's skull.
It dropped without a sound.
Auther exhaled and dragged the body into the shadows.
---
[Enemy Defeated – Mutated Hound E3]
[Skill Points Gained: +5]
[Total SP: 16]
---
He nodded.
He waited five minutes.
When no alarm was raised, he made his way onto the roof and circled the block to get a new angle.
From above, he could see the alpha adjusting its formation.
Two hounds near the front. One guarding its rear. The alpha in the center—unmoving now, perhaps sensing something was off.
Time to break them apart.
Auther created another Phantom Echo—this one mimicking his previous scent trail. He tossed a small piece of meat scavenged from a mutant deer near the echo.
Then he threw a stone.
It clattered near the meat.
One hound moved to investigate.
Auther crouched.
Waited.
It separated from the group.
And when it was two buildings away—
He dropped from the rooftop and impaled it from above, driving Mana Edge through the base of its neck and out its chest.
He rolled on landing, grabbing the corpse and sprinting into a nearby sewer entrance.
Thirty seconds later, he heard them sniffing near the grate above.
But no one found him.
---
[Enemy Defeated – Mutated Hound E3]
[Skill Points Gained: +5]
[Total SP: 21]
---
He moved quickly now.
This was war. Silent, surgical warfare.
He ambushed the third hound in an alley, leaving its twitching body beneath a crushed van.
Now only one hound remained. The alpha stood alone beside it, its hands twitching.
It knew something was wrong.
It howled—a sharp, unnatural sound that echoed through the streets.
Auther didn't give it time to prepare.
He moved like a storm.
Burst Step. Fighting Mastery. Neural Reinforcement.
He blitzed toward the final hound—used Mana Thread Injection to disable its leg mid-charge—then rolled under its flailing limbs and cut its throat.
Blood hissed into the dirt.
Only the alpha remained.
It screamed.
Then it charged, spear raised high.
Auther grinned.
"Let's go."
The spear came fast—thrusting low, then sweeping high.
Auther blocked with Mana Edge, redirecting the blow using Kinetic Redirection. The momentum shifted into his feet, pushing him back—but not off-balance.
He spun and slashed. The alpha dodged, surprisingly nimble.
Then it leapt—and mid-air, it roared.
Its body glowed green, and spikes shot from its spine in all directions.
Auther crossed his arms and activated Reactive Guard.
A translucent barrier flared just in time to deflect the incoming shrapnel.
He winced as the force still pushed him back, scraping across the asphalt.
This thing had multiple attack modes.
"Let's try something new," he muttered.
He activated Edge Pulse again, this time mixing it with a downward feint and a sudden reversal slash.
The energy arc caught the alpha mid-dodge, slicing into its shoulder.
It howled in pain.
Auther pressed the advantage—chaining strikes, moving in a blur, feinting left and slashing from the right.
Reflex Sync made every motion tighter.
Finally, he ducked under a wild swing and stabbed his blade directly through its chest.
The alpha shrieked once more—then disintegrated into mist.
Auther stood over the ash, breathing hard.
---
[Enemy Defeated – Mutant Alpha E4]
[Skill Points Gained: +10]
[Total SP: 31]
---
He wiped blood from his face and looked up.
The ruined city loomed around him—silent once more.
But something nearby caught his eye.
An old cathedral, half-swallowed by vines, stood a few blocks away. Its stained-glass windows shimmered with faint mana light.
He felt… drawn to it.
He walked slowly, cautiously.
Inside, the pews were shattered, and the altar cracked.
But behind the altar was a sealed chamber. Its door covered in ancient runes.
He pressed his hand to the surface.
It glowed—recognizing him.
The door hissed open.
Inside were dusty shelves filled with scrolls and crystalline data tablets. A hidden cache.
Left behind by someone long dead.
He picked up the first scroll and read the faded title.
"Void Arc Style – Phase 1"
His breath caught.
It was a martial skillbook.
Not system-generated. Not artificial.
A manual—created, refined, and passed down.
He grabbed another.
"Breath of the Black Flame – Forbidden Variation"
Auther's heart pounded.
This was an ancient collection—maybe even pre-System era.
And they were still intact.
"These could change everything," he muttered.
But he wasn't ready for most of these.
Not yet.
He sealed the vault again and marked the location on his mental map.
One day, when he was stronger, he'd return and learn them all.
For now—he walked back into the street, the echoes of the past whispering behind him.