In just a short span of time, Victor had annihilated countless monsters. His movements were sharp and calculated, but in the heat of battle, a lurking foe caught him off guard.
A powerful blow sent him crashing into a parked car, ricocheting into a nearby building, shattering its walls and leaving a gaping hole. From the debris emerged a towering monster with a muscular body, insect-like wings resembling those of a dragonfly, and a crocodilian face twisted in menace.
Victor struggled to his feet, his gaze momentarily fixed on the floor. Using his Sneaky Peak ability, he scanned the building. His vision revealed waves of monsters coming together from every corner, surrounding him. They weren't mindless creatures. They had a plan. They knew his strength, and their only hope of survival was to overwhelm him.
There were fifty E-class and B-class monsters—small but deadly in large numbers—and their leader, an A-class behemoth. Victor frowned. A-class monsters weren't common, but their destructive potential was unbelievable, capable of levelling entire cities.
The ranks of monsters, categorised by their strength and catastrophic destruction, flooded his mind:
• E-class monsters were weak and dealt with using low-class spells, but they could still endanger ordinary people if ignored. It has around a 95% to 97% survival rate.
• B-class monsters could obliterate small towns, requiring middle-class spells to defeat. It has around a 45% to 50% survival rate.
• A-class monsters were rare but catastrophic, demanding high-class spell. Few survived encounters with them. It has around 10% to 15% survival rate.
• At the apex were S-class category monsters, further divided into S, SS, SS+, and SSS categories. These were existential threats capable of wiping out entire nations, even countries. Survival against them was nearly impossible. It has a near-zero survival rate.
Victor's breathing steadied as he focused. The sound of crashing debris signalled the arrival of the monsters, their roars echoing through the destroyed building. Then, with a calm but firm voice, he spoke.
"Forbidden... Time Clock."
In an instant, everything froze—the monsters, the chaos, even the fleeing civilians. Only Victor moved in the strange stillness. Time Clock, a forbidden spell, granted him two minutes of frozen time, but at a high cost.
• At thirty seconds, blood would drip from his nose.
• At sixty seconds, his movements would slow as his breathing faltered.
• At ninety seconds, his body temperature would drop to 39 degrees Fahrenheit, pushing him dangerously close to death.
• At two minutes, his body would reach absolute zero. The cold temperature will reach around minus 459.67 degrees Fahrenheit.
Victor knew the risks but had no choice. He activated another spell. "Chrono Mark." His hands glowed briefly before disappearing.
Each teleport took a second. Each strike was devastating. Fifty-one monsters stood against him; fifty-one times he teleported, attacking each one in turn. By the time he was done, fifty-two seconds had passed.
He deactivated Time Clock, and reality resumed. All at once, the monsters exploded, their remains scattering like ash in the wind.
Victor fell to his knees, blood dripping from his nose, his chest heaving as he struggled for air. He wiped the blood away with his sleeve, his eyes narrowing at the A-class monster.
It was still alive.
The creature fall to its feet, wings buzzing angrily. Victor clenched his fists, realising his earlier attack hadn't been enough. He tried to rise, but his body betrayed him, forcing him back to his knees. Desperate, he began summoning another spell.
Before he could act, the monster's body erupted in a violent explosion. Victor froze, stunned. A woman stood behind the creature, her arm outstretched. She had long black hair, piercing eyes, and bold crimson lips. Her commanding presence was matched by her simple brown attire, similar to what Nicholas Grimstone had once given Victor.
Two more monsters charged from opposite sides, only to collapse with precise holes through their torsos. Two more women, dressed like the first, appeared beside her. They exchanged a few quiet words before the pair dashed off to handle the remaining threats in the city.
The first woman approached Victor, extending a hand. "Can you stand? "
Victor nodded weakly, taking her hand as he rose to his feet. "I think I can manage. Thank you... If you hadn't come, I don't know what I would've done."
"You used Time Clock to survive," she said, her tone sharp. "That was reckless."
Victor scratched the back of his head, offering a ashamed smile. "It was a gamble. My mind went blank."
"Forbidden magic isn't a tool for convenience," she replied coldly, but her expression softened. "Medics are on their way. Stay here and wait for them."
"Thank you," Victor said sincerely.
The woman turned, pulling out a phone to report her location. After ending the call, she looked back. "What's your name? "
"Victor... Victor Noir."
"Be careful, Victor. Wait for the medics."
With that, she vanished, leaving him alone in the ruined street. Victor sank back to the ground, exhaustion weighing on him. Pulling out a cigarette, he lit it with trembling hands and exhaled a heavy sigh.
*
After a few minutes, an ambulance arrived at Victor's location. The medics quickly got out and headed straight for him, while others assisted the nearby injured.
One of the nurses approached Victor to treat his wounds. "Apologies for the delay," she said, her tone apologetic.
"No problem. It's nothing serious," Victor replied, brushing off the concern.
Once his wounds were cleaned and bandaged, the nurse left. Shortly after, the woman who had earlier called for the ambulance returned.
"How are your injuries?" she asked, her eyes scanning his bandages. "You looked like you got hurt pretty badly."
Victor waved off her concern. "It's not as bad as it looks—nothing to worry about."
The woman extended her hand with a polite smile. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Camila Damsel, leader of SSDC Squad 2 and an SS+ rank detective. It's a pleasure to meet you, Victor."
Shaking her hand, Victor gave a faint smile. "Likewise. It's an honour to meet someone I'll be working with."
Camila raised an eyebrow at his words, realisation dawning on her. She quickly pieced it together—Victor was the new SSDC member set to replace the former leader of Squad 7.
"So, you're the one taking over Squad 7," she said, her tone carrying a mix of curiosity and surprise.
Victor retrieved a cigarette from his coat, casually placing it between his lips. "Ah, so you've figured it out," he said as he lit the cigarette. "I thought no one knew yet."
Camila chuckled lightly. "To be honest, it was just a guess based on what you said earlier. Looks like I was right."
Victor exhaled a thin plume of smoke. "Well then, are you disappointed someone like me is stepping into that position?"
"Not really," she replied, her expression thoughtful. "After seeing you use a forbidden spell earlier, I figured Nicholas wouldn't just pick anyone to fill the role—especially not for a group once led by his best friend." She paused, then added with a smirk, "You're not a bad choice, all things considered."
Victor smirked back, tapping ash off the edge of his cigarette. "Ouch. Not bad, huh? I'll take that as a compliment."
"By the way, how did you learn a Forbidden Spell?" she asked, her tone laced with concern. "It's not something anyone can easily learn. Did someone teach you?"
"Who said anyone taught me?" he replied, exhaling a puff of smoke. "I studied it myself in the hidden library of the Sorcerer Academy where I teach."
Camila clicked her tongue, her brows furrowing. "Tsk! Using a Forbidden Spell is dangerous. If you push yourself too far, it could kill you."
"I know," he said, his voice calm but resolute. "But I'd rather risk my life using a Forbidden Spell than resort to a banned spell in a public area." He paused, looking her straight in the eye. "It's better for me to get hurt saving others than to let countless people die."
For a moment, she was silent, seemingly caught off guard by his words. Before she could respond, two other women from her team called out to her, asking for help searching for missing people in the area.
Camila gave Victor a final glance, her expression unreadable, before turning to join her teammates.