"Let's put this System to the test," Dogju muttered, a crooked grin tugging at his lips.
The rooftop was dead silent. Wind scraped rust across the railings, and below, the city moved on, clueless. A quiet battlefield.
He wasn't alone. Across from him stood a girl, arms crossed, sparks flickering around her like a prelude to violence. Long jet-black hair. Lean frame. Cold stare.
"I figured the Supreme System would be... taller," she said, voice flat.
Dogju blinked. "Do you always pick fights with strangers?"
[QUEST COMPLETE: 1+ POINT]
"No. Just the ones worth killing."
BOOM.
A thunderclap cracked the sky. Not metaphorical—actual lightning punched the rooftop, glassing the tiles next to him. He flinched.
The real threat appeared in the smoke. Lightning-charged hair, golden eyes glowing like furnaces. Her jacket sparked with voltage, every move lighting her up like a storm on legs.
System: [Thunderclap] —[Level Level 5] - [Class : Assassin ] . Passive: [Electrified Velocity] — +50% speed. Built for shock-and-awe brawling.
Dogju didn't even see her coming. A heel slammed into his cheek. He bounced off the floor, hit a vent with a metal clang.
"Shit." He staggered to his feet, blood in his mouth.
[ENEMY SYSTEM: THUNDERCLAP –[ LEVEL 5] [YOU: LEVEL 4] [PASSIVE: REFLEX ADAPTATION – ACTIVE]
He caught the flicker of her second attack just in time. His body jerked left before he could think—instinctive. Her fist grazed his temple, sparks slicing his hoodie sleeve.
"Okay," he muttered. "Not dead. Cool."
She came again. Faster. Unpredictable. He didn't even try to block—just moved. She struck like lightning itself, her patterns erratic. He ducked one swing, rolled past the next.
Still took a knee to the ribs.
Dogju gasped, coughing hard. She's not just strong. She's practised. Every step had weight, every blow followed another.
He glanced at his interface mid-stumble.
[PENDING STAT POINT: 1] → Assign to [PERCEPTION]?
He didn't hesitate.
→ [PERCEPTION +1] [ENHANCEMENT: Enemy tracking calibrated. Motion prediction enabled.]
The change was immediate. Everything slows down. He saw the coil in her legs before she moved. The flick of her wrist signaled a fakeout. The micro-twitch in her shoulder before a kick.
This time, when she lunged, he met her halfway.
Dogju side-stepped clean, grabbed her wrist mid-punch, and flipped her over his shoulder. She hit the rooftop hard.
"You—!" she snarled, bouncing up like a spring.
He rolled his neck. "Relax. I didn't even hit you that hard."
Her reply was lightning. She blurred forward, fists glowing.
Dogju flicked up his hand.
[SYSTEM REWRITE – ACTIVE] Target: Thunderclap System Command: Override Access Protocol
Her charge stuttered. She froze mid-strike, confusion flickering across her face.
"What the hell—what did you do?!"
"Borrowing," he said. "Thanks in advance."
[REWRITE SUCCESSFUL] [THUNDERCLAP: TEMPORARILY ACQUIRED]
Lightning surged through his arms. His veins buzzed like live wires. Every nerve screamed with power.
"Oh yeah," Dogju muttered. "I could get used to this."
He moved. Fast. as fast as her.
One blink, and he was behind her. Fist cocked.
THWAM.
His punch landed center-mass. She gasped, flew backward into a steel beam.
He didn't stop.
Flash-step. Behind her again. Heel up.
KRAK.
She hit the tiles, rolled, didn't rise. Smoke curled from her jacket.
Dogju exhaled, electricity crackling off him in strands.
[LEVEL UP!] [LEVEL 4 → 5] [NEW ABILITY: THUNDERCLAP – Permanently Acquired] [STAT POINTS +2] [NEW PASSIVE: Reflex Adaptation – Tier 1: Auto-response to surprise attacks]
He blew the static from his fingertips. "Perception. Hell of a drug."
Across the roof, the girl groaned, clutching her ribs. "You—cheated—"
"We have systems," Dogju replied. "Cheating's the point."
A ping echoed in his head:
[QUEST COMPLETE: COMBAT INITIATION] [REWARD: +EXP]
He turned toward Oracle.
She hadn't moved. Still at the edge of the roof. But now she was smiling—just barely.
"That's your idea of a welcome party?" he asked.
"She tests the ones who matter."
"Didn't say I'd pass."
"You didn't. Not cleanly."
Dogju stretched his arms, rolling voltage out of his joints. "Still standing. That counts."
She nodded once. "It does."
He glanced at the faint glow on his screen.
[SYSTEM REGRESSION – READY]
His finger hovered over the prompt.
For the first time in his entire life, he felt good.