Chapter 4
A Phantom's Night
***
Yuri arrived home just as the sky darkened, hues of deep purple and fading orange blending into the cityscape, the day had been… interesting, singing with Jacob had unexpectedly pulled out emotions he hadn't confronted in years, but as intresting as it was, it was also emotionally tiring, singing had not been as casual as he thought it seemed, but for now, he set those thoughts aside
Stepping into the house, his father sat by the TV, glancing at the news with a half-interested expression
"You're late"
His father grunted, still focused on the TV
"I was practicing music with Jacob"
Yuri responded, his to e passive
"music?"
His father asked his attention turning to his son with a spark of interest in his eyes
"Yeah..."
His father didn't respond immediately
"I see...just don't come home late all the time, go eat"
And with that, Yuri simply passed by the living room, making his dinner in the kitchen, supper passed quietly, eating by himself while thinking about small things like how troublesome high school was, done eating he did his dishes and cleaned the table
Then, just as he was about to head upstairs
[ '!' ]
[New Quest Available]
Yuri blinked as the notification appeared in his vision, crisp and clear
[Low Level Quest: Justice ]
->Apprehend or kill the ones who defy your sense of justice
• Objective: Defeat or kill the criminals (0/3)
• Bonus: 3 extra points in Agility
• Rewards: +200 EXP, 10 Silver
He stared at the screen, eyebrows raising slightly
"...So, the system is integrating itself into Earth's laws "
' If this was Magrath it would've outright told me to kill the targets '
"… how interesting"
200 EXP wasn't much, but for a Level 1, it was a tempting offer, not to mention, the added silvers and stat points as a bonus
"Well, I did say the fastest way to get stronger is by leveling up"
Yuri muttered to himself
He opened his inventory and scrolled through the few items he still had access to from Magrath, most of his legendary weapons, enchanted relics, and divine artifacts were locked behind level restrictions—annoying, but understandable
Still, there were a few things available
[Red Phantom's Cloak]
-> A cloak once woven from a spectres skin, conceals the wearer's identity and reduces presence.
[Durability: 100%]
[Rank- 6 item]
A small smirk formed on his lips as he equipped the cloak, immediately, his reflection in the nearby mirror blurred slightly, the shadows around him seeming to deepen
"This'll do"
***
Under the night sky a few seconds later
[Skill-Unburden]
->Allows the user to alter his bodyweight.
[Skill- Untethered]
->Boost Leg-strength by 2 times.
Empowered by his skills, unbothered, Yuri jumped from building to buildimg, following the system's arrow function
'As expected it's guiding me to a dark corner far from the populated region, are the criminals chasing a victim of something? It's taking longer than I thought finding them'
Thinking of the possibilities while following the arrow, he flew through the city being eventually guided towards an abandoned building at the edge of town, run-down, and desolate, its walls covered in graffiti, the streetlights flickering weakly
He stopped outside, his sharp senses already picking up voices insid
"Don't make this harder than it needs to be, sweetheart."
A girl's muffled protests reached his ears, followed by the sound of shuffling and laughter
Yuri's gaze turned cold, instantly knowing what was going on inside, with a sighed he followed the sound towards it's source with exasperation
Activating [Appraisal], he scanned the ignorant criminals a few meters infront of him
[Target: Human – Lvl 3]
[Target: Human – Lvl 2]
[Target: Human – Lvl 3]
Weapons: Knives
Threat Level: Minimal
"Three perverted drunk thugs with knives…"
'How unsightly'
He activated [Minor Physical Enhancement], a low-tier buff skill that increase his stats by 5%, but right now, combining that with his—'Monarch'—title's buff, it was enough
Casually, he stepped forward, his movements shrouded by the effects of the Red Phantom's Cloak, the moment he spoke, the criminals stiffened
"Hey"
"The hell?"
One of the criminals turned, catching a glimpse of his shadowed form
But by the time he registered what was happening, Yuri was already moving
WHAM!
A single strike to the gut sent the first thug crashing into the wall, unconscious before he could even draw his knife
"What the—"
The second one barely had time to react before Yuri pivoted, sweeping his legs out from under him and stomping him into the ground
The third tried to lunge forward with his knife but for Yuri, he was simply too slow
Sidestepping effortlessly, he grabbed the man's wrist and twisting it sharply, the knife clattered to the ground as the thug let out a pained yell before a swift elbow to the jaw knocked him out cold
The entire fight was over in less than ten seconds
[Quest Completed!]
+200 EXP
+10 Silver
[+3 points in Agility ]
Yuri let out a quiet breath, shaking off the tension
"Well, that was easy"
A soft voice called out behind him
"H-Hey…?"
Only now did he finally turn his attention to the girl
She was huddled near the wall, her uniform slightly disheveled, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and shock, clearly shaken, but unharmed
Yuri barely paid her appearance any mind at first, until his brain processed the familiar face that lit up a memory
Melissa
His expression remained blank, now remembering the girl
She didn't recognise him of course, with The Red Phantom's Cloak distorting his features, masking his identity completely
Melissa, the same girl who had rejected his confession two days ago, the last event before his entire world was turned upside down
For a moment, an odd sense of detachment washed over him
Before, his younger self had felt heartbroken, humiliated even
Now?
Looking at her, all he felt was… nothing but pity for the girl who was nearly violated
"...Are you okay?"
He asked, his voice calm but distant
She hesitated before nodding
"Y-Yeah…a..are you some kind of cosplayer?Thank...thank you though"
Yuri turned away, stepping towards the exit
"Yes"
He lied, turning his attention back to the criminals
"You should go home, as you saw, a good girl has no business being out this late"
Melissa opened her mouth as if to say something, but before she could, Yuri darted off
"Whah? Wait?"
She chased the guy outside the room only to find that he had vanished
'Wha....yeah, I should just go home'
"He was cool for a cosplayer"
***
Walking back through the empty streets, he glanced up at the sky
"Of all people…"
He muttered
The irony wasn't lost on him, the same girl who had dismissed his younger selve's feelings had now been unknowingly saved by him
But to him, it no longer mattered
He was no longer the same boy who had confessed to her
That boy had died the moment he was thrown into Magrath
Now, he was something else entirely
And if this world had truly changed like Magrath… then this was just the beginning
[Level Up!]
[Level - 2]
[You've received 3 stat points]
A small smirk formed on his lips at the notification
"Not a bad start"
End of Chapter 4