Chapter 26 – Void Dance
The wind howled across the broken rooftops, scattering ash like snowflakes in the sun. Auther sat atop a rusted water tower, eyes fixed on the distant skyline. He held the ancient scroll in his hands — the one titled Void Arc Style – Phase 1.
Its parchment was cracked and yellowed with time, but the mana-infused ink still shimmered with eerie clarity.
The first page bore no diagrams, only a single line:
> "To walk the void, you must abandon form. Motion without pattern. Strike without thought. Let the body remember what the mind forgets."
He read the sentence five times.
Then again.
It didn't read like a normal technique.
It felt… instinctual. Like it wasn't meant to be memorized, but understood.
Auther activated Neural Reinforcement, letting his focus deepen. With the aid of the enhancement, he slowly traced the flowing diagrams that followed — a series of loose stances and angled cuts interspersed with footwork that appeared chaotic at first glance, but revealed rhythm the longer he stared.
It wasn't just swordsmanship. It was a dance.
A movement art designed for speed, misdirection, and impact from awkward angles.
He stood slowly, stepping out into the open air of the rooftop.
No mutants in sight.
He slid into the first stance.
Weight low, body angled, blade relaxed.
Then — motion.
He moved in a slow arc, mimicking the stances, spinning once, lunging, then leaping back.
Not elegant.
But it felt right.
He tried again.
Faster.
Spin, drop, slide, twist, slash.
It wasn't just about attacking — it was about denying prediction. Breaking line of sight. Baiting reactions.
After nearly an hour, sweat dripped down his jaw and neck. His calves burned. But he was grinning.
"This could work."
He opened Skill Creation, hands already typing out a new concept based on the form.
---
> Name: Voidstep Slash
Description: "A hybrid movement-combat technique inspired by the ancient Void Arc Style. Allows user to move unpredictably with short bursts of acceleration and spin momentum to strike from awkward angles. Enhances evasion and timing."
Rank: F8
Cost: 22 SP
---
Not cheap.
But not impossible.
He confirmed the creation.
---
[Skill Created: Voidstep Slash (F8)]
[Skill Points Remaining: 9]
---
The moment it settled into his body, he felt it.
A shift.
His muscles tingled.
His center of gravity recalibrated, subtly shifting the way he stood.
He took a few practice steps — then triggered the skill.
He surged forward in a blur, twisted mid-stride, and sliced through the air from an odd angle that would normally leave him exposed.
But he landed perfectly balanced.
"That's dangerous," he muttered.
Not just for enemies — but for him, too. He'd need to practice or risk tearing a tendon mid-spin.
But the potential…
This was a killer's technique.
He sheathed his blade and climbed down the tower, planning his next move.
He needed more cores. Stronger enemies.
And he knew just the place.
A few kilometers beyond the city's ruins lay a broken nature reserve. Once a sanctuary of flora and fauna, now a mana-corrupted wilderness filled with beasts mutated by concentrated leyline energy.
Rumors passed among scavengers called it "The Bone Garden."
And it was said to be guarded by a creature far stronger than normal mutants.
An E5 predator that fed on awakened beings.
That's where he was headed.
He packed supplies — water, protein bars, a few scavenged medical kits — and strapped his blade tight to his back.
He moved at dawn.
The path was rough. Rubble-strewn highways became overgrown roads. Craters marred the terrain. Mana density increased steadily, forcing him to activate Starwave Breathing constantly to stabilize his body.
By noon, he arrived at the outskirts of the Bone Garden.
It was eerily silent.
No birds.
No wind.
Just the sound of mana pulsing through the ground like a heartbeat.
He stepped onto the cracked cobblestone path that led deeper into the woods.
And almost immediately, something moved.
A blur shot from the underbrush — a six-legged deer-like creature, its head split with dozens of eyes and glowing antlers crackling with blue lightning.
Auther ducked just in time as a bolt of electricity scorched the ground where he'd stood.
"Fast."
He countered with Voidstep Slash, twisting to the side and cutting across the beast's flank.
The blade bounced off — but left a mark.
The creature shrieked and bolted, vanishing into the brush.
He didn't follow.
Not yet.
He moved cautiously deeper, senses expanded.
The trees here were bone-white, bark stripped by mana winds. Vines pulsed with green veins. The very air vibrated.
He saw it before it saw him.
A massive quadruped — like a lion mixed with a lizard — lounging on a flat stone. Its body was plated with black crystal, and a long scythe-like tail swayed slowly behind it. Three eyes blinked lazily from its head.
E5. Maybe more.
Its aura was massive — and steady.
But not insurmountable.
Auther lowered his breathing. Focused.
Activated:
Neural Reinforcement
Reflex Sync
Voidstep Slash
Mana Edge
Fighting Mastery
Then he struck first.
He dashed forward, disappearing in a flicker.
The beast's eyes snapped open just as Auther appeared on its left flank and slashed downward.
Sparks flew.
He rolled under a tail swipe and activated Mana Thread Injection—targeting the joint at the back knee.
It dug in.
The beast roared, spinning with insane agility, snapping its massive jaws.
Auther leapt backward just in time—but the shockwave of its roar hit him like a truck.
He smashed into a tree, pain flaring in his spine.
But he rose.
Bleeding, yes.
But alive.
"Can't brute-force it. Need to drain it."
He began a hit-and-run rhythm.
Slash. Evade. Inject. Redirect. Dash.
Over and over.
Until finally—
He spotted it.
A faint red glow pulsing in its chest beneath the scales.
Its core.
He needed one clean shot.
He triggered Voidstep Slash again, moving erratically—left, right, feint, spin—before appearing directly below its chest.
He jumped—twisting midair—and stabbed upward with everything he had.
The blade pierced.
The beast convulsed, shrieked—and exploded in a burst of mana light.
Auther flew backward, rolling to a stop near a shattered stump.
Everything went quiet.
Then the light faded.
And in the creature's ashes lay a shimmering red crystal core… and a floating object.
A single bracer made of scaled silver, glowing faintly.
---
[Enemy Defeated – Abyss Fang E5]
[Skill Points Gained: +15]
[Current Total SP: 24]
---
He staggered forward and picked up the bracer.
A screen popped up.
> Item Acquired: Bracer of the Hunt (F9)
Effect: "Increases movement speed by 8%. Enhances sensory perception slightly. Can evolve."
He stared at it.
Gear that could evolve.
Likely created by the dungeon or leyline itself — not manmade.
It slid perfectly onto his wrist.
And he could feel it instantly — the wind seemed to part more easily, sounds became clearer, and his legs felt just a little lighter.
A grin spread across his face.
His first real item.
His first major solo kill above his level.
And it wasn't luck.
It was growth.
Earned. Fought for.
He looked up at the white trees swaying in the unnatural wind.
"This world's not ready for me," he whispered.
"But I'm ready for it."