They had no chance to defend themselves. With a fluid motion, the attacker tore one of the bones from his own forearm and used it like a dagger, driving it straight through a soldier's chest and pinning him brutally against the rocky wall.
The victim coughed up blood, his terror-filled gaze visible even through the mask, which had been mostly shattered by the impact.
But the man did not stay to watch that soldier be brutally killed. Instead, his eyes shifted to the bones, and he noticed something else.
The bones were not normal. They were dense, razor-sharp, almost crystalline… and worst of all, they continued to grow out of the man's body, as if he had an endless supply of them.
Another soldier tried to run.
—"We need to regroup—!"—
He never finished the sentence. A white projectile shot out from the attacker's palm and embedded itself in the soldier's head with a wet, sickening sound.
The corpse hit the ground with a dull thud.
—He fired his own bone like a bullet.—
The last enemy, trembling, tried to pull out two grenades—one smoke, one explosive—but unfortunately, he didn't have enough time to activate them.
The white-haired man sighed and calmly began walking toward him, tilting his head in false disappointment as he closed the distance.
—"Too slow,"—he said disdainfully.
With another movement, his spinal column emerged from his back, sliding out of his skin like a living chain. He grabbed it and used it like a whip, wrapping it around the masked ninja's neck.
One sharp pull was more than enough.
A crack echoed through the cavern.
The body collapsed.
Silence.
Hidden in the shadows, the man watched the scene with an expression of astonishment, witnessing how that individual could perform such techniques using his own bones and still act as if nothing were wrong.
He was still stunned by what he had seen. He felt neither horror nor pity—only curiosity. He had seen many ways to kill in his previous life, but this… this was new. It was merciless.
The white-haired man slowly turned his head. His eyes locked precisely onto the spot where the man was hiding.
For the first time since awakening, the man felt that someone was hunting him—a ninja wielding unreal power.
And after what he had witnessed, one thing was clear… this ninja was not like the others. He was worse.
The man did not move. He held his breath, knowing the signs of an imminent attack. One wrong move would be a death sentence. Strategically, he kept his composure. He had learned long ago that sometimes the most lethal predator is not the one who strikes first, but the one who waits for the right moment.
The white-haired ninja stared at him intensely. His posture was relaxed, but his body radiated danger, like a predator deciding whether its prey was worth tearing apart.
The man prepared himself. He was not in any condition to fight, but he wasn't going to die without trying. Still, this white-haired figure… this being who tore his own body apart as if flesh and bone were nothing more than replaceable weapons… was superior to anything he had ever seen.
The white-haired man continued to watch him. Fresh blood from the fallen ninjas dripped from his exposed spinal column as it slowly slid back into his body, disappearing beneath his skin with an unpleasant sound. His pale eyes and sadistic smile gave the impression that he was amused by the idea of finding someone else in this labyrinth of death.
Without warning, a dry sound echoed through the rocky passage.
The white-haired man moved his arm, — and a bone projectile shot out from his forearm.
The man reacted instinctively, twisting his body to the side, but he wasn't fast enough. The projectile grazed his flank, carving a thin but deep cut.
The pain was sharp, but manageable. He'd suffered worse wounds before.
—"Interesting. You're not one of them…"—the white-haired man murmured, taking a step forward as a smile spread across his face.
The man tried to block the next attack with his knife, but the enemy was incredibly fast—far too fast.
The enemy's arm extended in a deadly arc, and a curved bone emerged from his elbow, like a sword growing directly out of his body.
The man jumped backward just in time, narrowly avoiding the slash. The bone blade struck the rock wall and cut through it as if it were butter.
—Damn it… that was close.—
He knew he couldn't win this fight. Not even at full strength—let alone in his current state.
The white-haired man moved in the blink of an eye, leaping forward and closing the distance between them. From his arm, bent at an unnatural angle, a new bone fragment emerged from his palm, sharpened like a spear, thrusting straight toward him.
The man barely had time to react. He twisted his body at the last second, evading the lethal thrust aimed directly at his heart.
But the white-haired man was relentless. His leg snapped upward in a brutal spin, aiming to shatter the man's ribs with a devastating kick. The man raised an arm to block, but the impact sent him flying several meters back, sliding and rolling across the stone floor.
Pain exploded through his arm and torso—likely fractured.
—Damn it… that hurt.—
This man was strong. That much he knew for certain. Not only that—his combat ability was far superior.
The white-haired man advanced, preparing another lethal blow, but just as he was about to strike again, his eyes caught something. He stopped immediately.
The cables were still hanging from the man's body.
His expression changed. His smile vanished as he fixed his gaze on the man's form.
The man noticed his opponent had lowered his guard. Under normal circumstances, he would have taken advantage of the opening—but he had never seen or heard of a monster like this, and he had no idea what he was truly capable of. He didn't understand what was happening, but it was clear there was a reason the attacks had stopped.
He felt the white-haired man's eyes settle on his neck. The man frowned.
He didn't know what the hell the other was looking at, but something had made him hesitate.
The white-haired man sighed, his posture shifting into something more relaxed.
—"Heh… interesting."—He crossed his arms, an odd smile on his face. There was no longer any killing intent in his eyes.—"I didn't think the great sect leader had already awakened another one of his toys."
The man did not respond.
—Great sect leader… that name again. Who the hell was he?
—"If you keep going down this path, you'll end up dead."—He turned his back on him, as if no longer considering him a threat.—"I'll tell you how to get out. Name's Keren."
The man did not lower his guard.
—"Why help me?"—he asked.
Keren smiled arrogantly.
—"Because you bear the mark of the god."—Keren replied.
Keren watched him for another moment before letting out a sigh and turning his head, as if making a decision.
He leaned over the corpse of one of the fallen soldiers. Then, as if recalling something, Keren extended a hand to his own forearm… and tore out a long, sharp bone fragment, almost like an improvised sword—durable and deadly.
He tossed it toward the man, who caught it midair.
—"Listen, new thing,"—Keren said in an amused tone.—"I don't have time to play with you, and it seems he went out of his way to mark you. I'm not interested in fighting the sect's experiments."
The man remained silent.
—"You're lucky I don't care what you do,"—Keren continued.—"But if you want to live, you'd better get out of here before more of those insects arrive."—he gestured at the corpses.—"If you run into soldiers from the technological faction, use that well. Drive it into their necks and watch them fall."
The man looked at the bone in his hand. It was dense, solid, sharper than any knife, light yet incredibly sturdy. A lethal weapon—possibly more useful than any conventional melee weapon.
—"Go straight down this tunnel. There's a hidden exit before the next collapse. If you hurry, you'll be out before more reinforcements arrive."—Keren nodded toward a narrower side tunnel.—"Follow that passage, and after ten minutes of walking, you'll see a stone door. There's a hidden mechanism in the wall to the right. Open it, and you'll be out of the complex."
The man kept his eyes fixed on Keren. He didn't argue. He didn't trust him—but he had no other choice.
After giving Keren one last look, he turned and began moving down the tunnel.