Seeing the scene unfold, every student watching the live feed reacted in the exact same moment.
Jaws dropped. Some leaned forward instinctively. Others froze, breaths caught in their throats.
"One kick…!"
A stunned voice broke the silence in the observation hall.
"That masked man destroyed a golem with just one kick. No technique, no buildup.. just raw power. That's insane."
The room erupted almost immediately. Voices overlapped, disbelief bleeding into excitement.
"Did you see the impact? The core shattered instantly!"
"That wasn't a normal strike. That thing was reinforced with a dungeon-grade mana core!"
Narasha, however, remained silent. She crossed her arms slowly, her gaze never leaving the screen. Her expression was calm, but the slight tension in her shoulders betrayed her thoughts.
"So strong…" she murmured. "That power is on a completely different level compared to the last time."
Her voice dropped even lower, almost thoughtful.
"Is it really possible to grow this much stronger in such a short time?"
Beside her, the shadow clone tilted its head slightly before smirking.
"You've barely seen anything," it said calmly. "That was just the surface. Keep watching."
Narasha snorted softly, though the corner of her lips curved upward.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I admit it, he's stronger."
…
Inside the dungeon, Ashan stood before the remains of the shattered golem. Molten fragments cooled rapidly around him, steam rising from cracks in the stone floor.
He looked down at the debris with faint disappointment.
'Only the outer shell was tough,' he thought. 'The core itself was fragile. Weaker than I expected.'
His gaze shifted toward the remaining two golems, both of which had stiffened unnaturally.
'I'll deal with the rest as well.'
Before either construct could react, Ashan vanished.
No sound. No distortion. One moment he was standing still, the next, he was already behind them.
His fists moved in perfect synchronization.
Two punches. Clean. Direct.
[Black Flash]
The air itself seemed to rupture.
A violent distortion surged outward, black lightning exploding from the points of impact. The golems didn't even have time to register what had happened. Their massive bodies convulsed for a fraction of a second before collapsing inward, cores shattering as if crushed by an invisible entity.
Both constructs exploded simultaneously, fragments scattering across the chamber as their remains slammed into the ground.
Silence followed.
Garrick's expression darkened, his jaw tightening.
'That energy… What exactly was that force wrapped around his fist?'
His eyes narrowed.
'There's no doubt anymore. That level of destructive precision, he's an S-ranker. Without question.'
A chill ran down his spine.
'Where did he come from?'
Dessa stared at the screen, eyes wide with disbelief.
"That power…" she whispered. "That black lightning.. was that a skill?"
A quiet voice answered her.
"It's called Black Flash."
Morevan spoke without taking his eyes off Ashan. His yellow pupils glowed faintly, pulsing as if reacting to something unseen.
Dessa turned to him, confused.
"Black Flash? You figured that out just by watching?"
Morevan nodded slowly. "Yes. But that's not what's bothering me."
He swallowed, his gaze sharpening.
"Normally, I can see names above everyone's head. Species, titles.. everything."
His fingers twitched.
"But even though he looks human, there's no species name above him."
The atmosphere around them shifted.
"The name I do see," Morevan continued quietly, "it makes my skin crawl."
Unaware to him, the Mirrormorph mask Ashan wore was actively distorting his identity, shielding his true name from abilities that perceived essence and fate.
Instead, it projected a fabricated name.
A name heavy with dread.
Other S-rankers leaned closer.
"What is it?" one asked.
Morevan exhaled slowly, eyes locked on the screen.
"The King of Curses."
…
Ashan landed atop a half-destroyed golem core, boots crunching against fractured crystal.
'That's that.'
A system window materialized before him.
—---------------------------------------
You have slain the boss and cleared the third part of the dungeon.
Rewards acquired-
<> Unlimited Ninja Arsenal
The user may summon an infinite number of ninja tools at will.
Summonable equipment includes:
– Shurikens (Standard, Wind Demon, Double-Edged)
– Kunai (Standard, Explosive)
– Senbon (Precision needles for vital strikes and paralysis)
– Smoke Bombs (Dense concealment deployment)
– Flash Bombs (Blinding detonation for crowd control)
– Wire Strings (High-tensile chakra-conductive wires)
<> System Points: 500
—---------------------------------------
Ashan raised an eyebrow slightly.
'Not bad. Long-range options.'
He glanced toward the stunned raiders and the two remaining S-rankers watching him cautiously.
'Though against truly strong opponents… these are just support tools.'
His expression shifted. 'Now then. Negotiation time.'
In an instant, he appeared directly in front of Draven.
Sisiliya, Eirena, and Draven all recoiled instinctively, taking several steps back.
Ashan raised a hand calmly. "Let's continue from where I left off."
His voice was even, controlled.
"I'm interested in clearing this dungeon for personal reasons. I have no intention of harming any of you, nor stealing your treasures. I simply want to see how this dungeon ends."
He paused.
"So I'm formally asking permission to participate."
Sisiliya opened her mouth to speak, but Eirena moved first.
She stepped forward and pointed her sword directly at him.
"Screw off, you damn thief," she snapped. "Do you remember me? You attacked me. You stole something you had no right to take."
Her grip tightened.
"Who do you think you are? Some kind of supreme being?"
Ashan's gaze locked onto her.
His Sharingan flared, crimson light intensifying as the patterns within spun slowly.
Eirena froze.
Her breath hitched.
'Those eyes…They're terrifying.'
Her heart began to pound.
'I didn't see them clearly back then. But he definitely didn't have eyes like this.'
Ashan stepped forward, closing the distance until the tip of her sword nearly touched his chest.
"What are you…"
Her body suddenly refused to obey her.
Her limbs locked in place.
"I—I can't move!" she said, panic rising. "What did you do to me?!"
Ashan crossed his arms.
"I'll admit it. I was rude before. And yes, I know you're angry about your sword."
His tone remained calm.
"But that only happened because of your behavior. It was annoying."
He leaned slightly closer.
"Is pointing weapons at strangers a habit of yours? You're the second person to do that to me."
A faint smile curved his lips.
"The first one got beaten so badly he crawled afterward. The humiliation alone lasted him a lifetime."
Ashan gently placed a finger against her sword's tip.
"I've never physically harmed a woman, nor killed one. That's the only reason you're standing."
His eyes hardened.
"But if you try this again, I won't just break your sword. I'll embarrass you in front of everyone. For hot-headed children like you, humiliation is the most fitting lesson."
Draven stepped forward, wand raised.
"What did you do to her?"
Ashan glanced at him, then turned toward Sisiliya.
"You must be Sisiliya Redmarsh. The raid leader."
She swallowed and nodded. "Yes."
Ashan nodded back, then looked at Draven.
"And you're Draven. Master of the four elements."
He gestured casually.
"I restricted her movements using my blood manipulation skill. Estimated S-rank."
A ripple of shock passed through the group.
"I'll release her eventually," Ashan continued. "But until then, feel free to try countering it. Consider it a learning opportunity."
He turned back to Sisiliya.
"Madam, I'd like to speak with you privately."
Eirena shouted, furious, "You're not going anywhere with her!"
Ashan chuckled softly. "Should I silence you too?"
He sighed.
"Never mind. That'd just give your friend more work."
Sisiliya exchanged a look with Draven, then nodded.
"It's fine. We won't go far."
…
Back at the academy, chaos erupted.
"Did he say blood manipulation?!"
"That's impossible!"
"And S-rank?! No wonder she couldn't move!"
"Those eyes.. did you see them glow?!"
Silas's fingers tightened unconsciously against the armrest, nails digging in as his eyes narrowed.
"Is he… a vampire?" he muttered, the word leaving his mouth with a mix of disbelief and unease.
Sheliya, connected to him through the online conference, nodded slowly.
"It's the most likely explanation," she replied after a brief pause. Her voice was low, analytical, but there was a faint tension beneath it.
"Blood manipulation has only ever been recorded among vampires. There isn't a single confirmed awakener with that ability. Not in the archives. Not even among the restricted records."
Silas frowned deeper, rubbing his chin as he replayed the scene in his mind.
"But that's exactly what doesn't make sense," he said slowly. "If he really is a vampire, why didn't he attack any of the raiders? He had countless openings. People were exhausted, injured, distracted. And vampires are supposed to crave human blood above all else."
Garrick cut in. "I think the same. He's not acting like one."
Silas rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "But he might have ulterior motives."
"That's what worries me," Sheliya added quietly, her voice dropping a notch. "Someone with that level of control is far more dangerous than a mindless predator. At least beasts act on instinct. This one thinks."
She leaned forward, resolve hardening in her eyes as the tension in the room thickened.
"Let's do this. Sisiliya carries a specialized communication device linked directly to us. If we activate it now, we can open a silent channel, stay connected to her and listen to everything they say. We don't interfere. We observe."
She turned toward Silas, eyes hinting at both caution and urgency.
Silas considered it for only a brief moment before nodding. A faint, grim smile tugged at his lips.
"That's a good idea," he said. "We can't afford to stay blind anymore. Let's do it."