Liam's mind raced with ideas. No matter how fast or strong he was, he couldn't win against seven guards. The guards were confident and arrogant, sure they had him cornered and would kill him.
But being surrounded by enemies wasn't new for Liam. Even in the real world, he had participated in several dungeon raids, fighting alongside other heroes against monsters. In his school training, he was one of the best fighters because of his quick thinking and unbelievable talent for finding solutions to win fights. He was already experienced in combat.
Even in the dream world, Liam was used to being chased and surrounded by multiple enemies. But now, something was different.
He could die.
Liam had the immortality ability, so he could die once and still take out the guards, but he wasn't sure if he could handle seven of them at the same time. He also had another skill—Iron Skin—that would nullify all damage for three seconds.
The system then reminded him, [Hey, dumbass, you've got 1 AP available. You can upgrade your Iron Skin to S-rank.]
Liam's eyes narrowed as he quickly asked, "What changes if I upgrade it?"
[The 3-second limit will increase to 10 seconds, and the 24-hour cooldown will decrease to 12 hours. It's a no-brainer, idiot.]
Liam hesitated and took a moment to ponder. "And what about my immortality skill? Can I upgrade that too?"
[Not with 1 AP, moron. You need way more than that to upgrade something as overpowered as immortality.]
"I know that! But it will take years! I don't want to wait so long!"
[You sure about that, bruv? This could be your ticket out of here.]
Liam cursed under his breath. "Fuck. Alright, upgrade Iron Skin to S-rank."
[Iron Skin upgraded to S-rank. Duration increased to 10 seconds, cooldown reduced to 12 hours.]
"Hey, what fucking nonsense are you spouting?!" the guard finally snapped.
"Looks like he lost his mind." Another guard taunted.
Liam had unlocked his inventory earlier, and looted the swords from the guards he had killed, adding five of them to his inventory—one for himself and the rest for the others. With the swords securely stored, he didn't have to worry about carrying them around and getting caught.
He then bought a health potion and healed himself from the wound.
Then. he took a deep breath and mustered his courage. He knew he had to act fast. The guards were closing in, their weapons gleaming in the moonlight. He quickly summoned one of the swords from his inventory.
The guards' eyes widened in surprise as they saw the blade materializing in his hand. They were momentarily taken aback by the sudden appearance of the weapon.
"Alright, fuckers," Liam muttered under his breath. "Let's see how you handle this."
He lunged forward, striking down the nearest guard who was still reeling from the shock. The guard crumpled to the ground with a look of disbelief frozen on his face.
[+100 XP]
Liam didn't waste any time. He pivoted and attacked the next guard, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision. The guard fell, his body hitting the ground with a thud.
[+100 XP]
The remaining guards snapped out of their stupor and charged at Liam, their weapons raised.
Liam didn't move and stood his ground, surrounded by the remaining five guards. He activated his Iron Skin skill,and he felt a tingle in his body as his skin hardened. The system's voice echoed in his mind, starting the countdown.
[Iron Skin activated. Duration: 10 seconds.]
[10...]
Liam didn't flinch. He gripped his sword in one hand and his dagger in the other as he prepared for the attack.
[9…]
The first guard's blade struck his chest, but Liam felt nothing. The guard's eyes widened in shock as his sword clanged uselessly against Liam's impenetrable skin.
"What the fuck?!" the guard exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief.
[8...]
Liam didn't waste time defending himself since he knew he wasn't going to get hurt. He focused solely on offense. He struck down the guard, his blade cutting deep into the man's side, spilling his entrails onto the ground. The guard crumpled, a gurgled cry escaping his lips as he clutched his gaping wound.
[+100 XP]
[7...]
The other guards hesitated to attack Liam, their confidence was shaken by Liam's sudden invulnerability. Liam used that moment to press his advantage. He lunged at the next guard, his dagger plunging into the man's throat. Blood spurted from the wound, painting the ground crimson. The guard's eyes bulged as he gasped for air and placed his hand on his throat to stop the bleeding. But his body convulsed before collapsing in a lifeless heap.
[+100 XP]
[6...]
"What the hell is going on?!" one of the remaining guards shouted, his voice filled with panic. "Why isn't he going down?!"
"Could it be that he is from a renowned clan and he was hiding his powers this whole time?!"
[5…]
Liam smirked, and he charged forward, his sword clashing against the guard's blade. The guard struggled to keep up, his strikes bouncing off Liam's hardened skin. Liam's dagger found its mark, and pierced the guard's heart. The man's face contorted in agony as he fell to his knees, blood bubbling from his mouth before his lifeless body slumped to the ground.
[+100 XP]
[4...]
Now, only two guards remained. Their faces pale with fear. One of them raised his crossbow. "You're a fucking monster!" he screamed as he pulled the trigger. The bolt flew straight at Liam, but it bounced off his chest and fell to the ground with a clatter.
[3...]
Liam's smirk widened as he advanced on the guard. The guard fumbled with his crossbow when he tried to reload, but his hands were shaking too much. Liam's sword flashed, slicing through the air and severing the guard's arm at the elbow.
[2…]
The guard howled in pain, and clutched the stump as blood gushed from the wound. Liam finished him off with a swift strike to the neck, almost decapitating him.
[+100 XP]
[1...]
Liam took a deep breath, his heart still racing from the adrenaline. His breath came in ragged gasps as he prepared for the final seconds of his Iron Skin skill. The world around him seemed to slow down as the countdown reached zero.
[0...]
[Iron Skin deactivated.]
Liam stood amidst the carnage, his body aching from the exertion.
Liam tried to sprint at the last guard and attack him, but his body gave up. He fell face-first on the ground, a few feet away from the last guard. He struggled to get up, his limbs heavy and unresponsive. His vision swam as he fought to stay conscious.
The guard, shocked and wide-eyed, stared at Liam in disbelief. Fear etched across his face, but he raised his sword, determined to finish the job.
"Die, you fucking freak!" he cursed as he lunged forward to strike.
STAB!