As Lorian tried to make sense of what had just happened, a sudden noise made his body tense.
"Mooook!!"
A deep, guttural growl echoed through the forest. He turned sharply toward the source, his heart pounding.
Glowing red eyes. A hulking figure. Razor-sharp tusks gleaming in the dim light.
It wasn't just any boar. This thing was massive, easily twice the size of a normal one. Its fur bristled with wild mana, crackling faintly in the darkness.
A mana beast.
Before he could react, the creature lunged.
"Shit—!"
His instincts took over. Without thinking, Lorian thrust his hand forward.
Sching!
From his palm, a jagged, shadowy spike burst forth, streaking toward the charging beast.
Pierce!
The dark projectile speared straight through the boar's skull. Its body crashed onto the forest floor with a heavy thud, twitching once before falling completely still.
Lorian stood frozen, his breath shaky. Warm blood splattered across his face, the metallic scent filling his nostrils.
He slowly lowered his trembling hand. His fingers were still tingling—no, burning—from the strange sensation.
"What… what was that?" His voice came out hoarse, barely a whisper.
He glanced at his hand, expecting to see a weapon—something, anything. But there was nothing. Just his own palm, stained with the aftermath of whatever had just happened.
"Did I just… kill it?"
His mind raced. That spike—where had it come from? He hadn't summoned it on purpose. It had just… appeared.
Was this… my power?
A shiver ran down his spine. Whatever he had just done, it was only the beginning.
Lorian's breathing was ragged, his body trembling from the rush of adrenaline. His eyes darted to the lifeless boar, its blood still warm on his skin. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
I really killed it…
He clenched his hands, trying to summon that shadowy spike again. He focused on the same feeling from before—fear, desperation, raw instinct.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
His brows furrowed. What the hell? Just moments ago, his power had worked perfectly—almost too perfectly. But now, when he consciously tried to use it, it refused to respond.
Frustrated, he took a deep breath and held out his hand again. Come on…
Still, no response.
Lorian clicked his tongue. "Of course, it wouldn't be that easy…"
It was getting late, and staying out any longer was too dangerous. He needed to head back before anyone noticed he was gone. But first, he had to clean himself up.
He made his way through the forest, searching for a stream. Eventually, he found a small brook flowing through the trees. The water was cold, but he didn't care. He crouched down, cupping the water in his hands and splashing it over his face. The blood washed away in crimson streaks, swirling in the current before disappearing.
He glanced at his reflection. His pale face stared back at him, eyes wide, still glowing faintly with a deep purple hue.
Lorian flinched. Wait… glowing?
He rubbed his eyes and looked again. The eerie light had vanished.
Just my imagination…? He shook his head. No, I know what I saw.
His abilities were still an enigma, but he didn't have time to figure them out right now. He needed to act normal. If his parents suspected something, he'd be in trouble.
Taking a deep breath, Lorian wrung out his wet sleeves and hurried back toward the village. By the time he reached home, the sky was darkening.
As he stepped inside, the warm glow of lanterns illuminated the cozy wooden house. The familiar scent of baked bread and stew filled the air.
Just act natural.
He slipped off his muddy shoes and walked in, trying not to look suspicious.
"Lorian, where have you been?" A voice called out.
He turned to see his mother, Erial, peering at him from the kitchen. Her golden-brown hair was tied back, and her sharp eyes studied him carefully.
Lorian forced a smile. "Ah, I was just at the library. Got lost in a book and lost track of time."
Erial narrowed her eyes. "You look exhausted. And your clothes are damp. Were you running around outside again?"
Lorian let out a nervous chuckle. "Uh… yeah. Slipped near the well. It's fine, though!"
Please buy it…
She sighed. "You need to be more careful. Go dry off before you catch a cold."
Relieved, Lorian quickly nodded and rushed to his room. As soon as he shut the door behind him, he exhaled deeply.
That was too close.
He leaned against the wall, his thoughts racing.
Whatever happened today… it was real.
His powers existed. He had seen them, felt them. But now, they refused to appear again.
Why?
Lorian clenched his fists. He needed answers. But for now, all he could do was wait.
Tomorrow, he'd try again.
The next morning, Lorian sat in the village library, a massive tome propped open in front of him. His father, Lain, was off organizing the shelves, leaving Lorian alone with the peculiar book he had found.
The title?
"DODGE OR DIE: A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR THOSE WHO DON'T WANT TO GET SMACKED"
Lorian blinked at the cover, his lips twitching. "Who even names books like this?"
Curious, he flipped it open and skimmed through the chapters.
Chapter 1: If You're Not Fast, You're Dead
Chapter 2: Eyes Are for Seeing, Ears Are for Hearing—Use Them, Idiot
Chapter 3: Predicting Your Opponent—Or How to Look Cool While Dodging
Lorian let out a snort. "This is either going to be extremely useful or a complete joke."
As he read further, the book explained that dodging wasn't just about reflexes—it was about observation. By paying attention to an opponent's breathing, muscle tension, and even the shift in their weight, one could predict their next move before they even attacked.
"Okay, so basically, I just need to become a human lie detector for punches?"
The book also mentioned an advanced state some warriors achieved—where their senses became so sharp they could feel attacks coming, almost like a sixth sense.
Lorian leaned back, rubbing his chin. "So if I try to focus really hard… will I unlock some crazy ability?"
Worth a shot.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried to expand his awareness—listening, feeling, sensing.
At first, nothing happened.
Then, something shifted.
His body tensed as the world around him changed. It was subtle at first, like a ripple in the air. But then, everything turned into a faint shade of blue. The wooden shelves, the books, even the walls around him—it was as if he was seeing the world through a different lens.
And then he saw it.
Thin threads of movement.
Not actual threads, but lines of motion—trails showing where things were moving before they even moved.
His eyes widened. He could see the path of a falling book on a shelf before it even started tipping over. He could sense something moving outside the library, behind the walls—people walking past, the fluttering of birds in the trees.
He gasped, snapping out of it. The blue tint faded, and everything returned to normal.
Lorian sat there, stunned. "Wait… what the hell was that?"
He immediately tried again, focusing his mind.
The blue filter returned, and so did the paths of movement. It was like time had slowed just enough to let him glimpse the future—not actual foresight, but a visual representation of everything happening around him.
This… this wasn't just dodging.
This was something else entirely.
The book had mentioned an advanced state, but this? This wasn't in the book. This was different.
A memory surfaced—one from his past life, from all the novels and anime he had devoured. There were abilities similar to this, ones known by many names. But in his favorite novel it was called-
Emptiness
This was something only a handful of people in the world could ever achieve.
Lorian swallowed. "I… I think I just unlocked something insane."
The implications were massive. If he could see the paths of attacks before they happened… if he could sense enemies through walls… if he could predict movements in real time…
His combat potential just skyrocketed.
And he had no idea how far this ability could go.