The stillness of the night was thick, almost suffocating in its silence. I had just begun to drift into a deeper sleep when a faint, unsettling noise snapped me awake. My senses, honed by years of training, immediately went on alert. My heart raced for a split second, but I remained still, my eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. That's when I saw them.
Two dark figures, their faces obscured by featureless masks, slipped silently through the window into my room. Their movements were fluid, practiced, like shadows in the night.
Without hesitation, I locked my gaze onto them, my voice calm but firm. "Who are you?"
One of the figures let out a low, eerie laugh. It wasn't the kind of laugh born from amusement, but something far darker. "Heh… heh… we were sent to kill you."
I narrowed my eyes, sensing the malice in his tone. "Why?" I asked, keeping my voice steady despite the tension rising within me.
"Orders are orders," the second intruder answered, his voice cold, almost disinterested. "Don't bother screaming. This tool ensures no one outside can hear you. Now, die."
The air around me seemed to thicken, and my mind raced. I could feel the pulse of danger, but I wasn't about to panic. Instead, I focused inward, activating the system notification that echoed through my thoughts.
Ding!
Main Quest: Survive
Reward: New Skill: Rise (4 Stars)
Failure: Death
The message flashed in my mind like a warning light, but I had little time to dwell on it. As I prepared myself for the fight, Nyx materialized beside me, her ethereal form shimmering in the dim light. Her voice was urgent, a warning laced with concern. "Use Soul Perception on them."
"Got it," I replied quickly, my words barely a whisper as I focused on activating the skill.
A moment later, information flooded into my mind, the presence of the two intruders laid bare before me. I studied them both with the precision of a predator sizing up its prey.
Intruder 1:
Name: Chol Mo
Level: 12
Realm: Qi Refining Realm (Mid Stage)
Health: 4800/4800
Abilities:
Active: White Tiger Blade (1 Star), White Tiger Step (1 Star) Passive: Basic Qi Breath (1 Star), White Tiger Cultivation (3 Stars)
Intruder 2:
Name: Geol Mo
Level: 11
Realm: Qi Refining Realm (Early Stage)
Health: 4200/4200
Abilities:
Active: White Tiger Blade (1 Star), Swift-Step (1 Star) Passive: Basic Qi Breath (1 Star), White Tiger Cultivation (3 Stars)
The two of them were far from insignificant. Chol Mo, the more experienced one, had a dangerous aura, and Geol Mo was no slouch either. Still, something about their energy felt off, like they were overestimating their abilities in the face of someone stronger. My strength, my connection to death itself, was an advantage they hadn't accounted for.
Nyx's voice was a soft reassurance in the back of my mind. "Don't worry, Jin Mo. Neither of them is a match for you."
A tight smirk tugged at my lips. "Let's see what they're made of."
The moment my words left my mouth, the two intruders lunged, their movements swift and lethal, knives drawn in the darkness. It was an attempt at surprise, but I was already moving, already anticipating their strike. I summoned my bone spear in an instant, a long, jagged weapon forged from necrotic energy, and hurled it at Chol Mo with the force of a thunderstrike.
The spear collided with its target, impaling Chol Mo with a sickening crunch. He let out a garbled cry, his body jerking as both physical and necrotic damage tore through him. He crumpled to the floor, lifeless before he could even blink.
Geol Mo froze in place, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at his fallen comrade. His voice trembled, betraying the panic seizing his chest. "What… What are you? A monster!"
I didn't waste a second. His fear was palpable, and I could see the instinct to flee overtaking him. As he dropped his weapon and made for the window, I wasn't about to let him escape. I activated Necrotic Grasp, and skeletal hands erupted from the ground beneath him, shooting out to seize his limbs with a vice-like grip. The bones dug into his skin, draining his life force as his screams filled the room.
"Please!" Geol Mo begged, his voice barely a whisper as he fell to his knees, the color draining from his face. "Spare me! I'll tell you everything!"
I allowed him to tremble in the grip of my skill for a moment longer, feeling his vitality wane with each passing second. Then, I released the spell, letting him slump to the ground in a heap. His chest heaved with ragged breaths as he tried to regain some composure.
"Start talking," I commanded, my voice cold as steel, my eyes narrowed in scrutiny.
"I'm Geol Mo," he stuttered, his voice quivering with fear. "I… I'm a guard under the Mo family's service. Madam Shein Mo sent us. She… she feared your talent would overshadow her son Ronan Mo and jeopardize his future."
Madam Shein Mo. My father's third wife. A bitter wave of recognition swept through me as I processed the information. Of course. Political scheming. It seemed there were always those in the shadows, watching, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
I kept my gaze fixed on Geol Mo, my thoughts sharp and calculating. "Anything else?" I asked, my voice low, threatening.
He shook his head frantically. "No! That's all I know, I swear! Please, let me live!"
I stared at him, letting the silence stretch out, each second pressing down on him more than any words could. Finally, I made my decision.
"You're dead either way."
Before he could utter another word, I moved with lightning speed, drawing a dagger from my belt and thrusting it into his chest, finishing what I had started. His eyes widened, a strangled gasp escaping his throat, before life left him. His body slumped in the skeletal hands that had once restrained him, now holding only the weight of his lifeless form.
As I stood there, surrounded by the silence of the aftermath, my mind was already shifting toward the next steps. The room was still, save for the lingering shadows of the two intruders' bodies. My heart hammered in my chest, but beneath the adrenaline, I felt something darker settle within me—an unyielding resolve.
If Madam Shein Mo thought she could eliminate me so easily, she was sorely mistaken. This was not a warning. It was the beginning.
I was just getting started.