The oppressive silence broke with a ding—a cold, mechanical sound that echoed not through the room, but inside Kane's own skull.
[SYSTEM INITIATED]
> Welcome, Kane Arisaka
> Main Quest: ESCAPE THE PALACE
> Penalty for Failure: Forced Subjugation – System Lockdown
> Objective: Break through the outer gate before the Royal Guard mobilizes
Kane's eyes narrowed. "The hell is this?" he muttered, glancing around.
Before he could process the glowing, holographic screen in front of his eyes, the heavy doors at the far end of the throne room creaked open. Light spilled in, framing a figure in an ornate crimson dress. Long dark hair, a sharp gaze, and a rather exaggerated chest bounced with each confident step. Behind her, a handful of armored knights followed, their polished gear clanking with every move.
She stopped a few feet from Kane and bowed, hand on her ample chest. "I am Princess Elira of Virellia. On behalf of the kingdom, I welcome you, great warrior. Please forgive the abrupt summoning. We require your strength."
Kane tilted his head, unimpressed, gaze flicking from her polished smile to the armored knights behind her. He wasn't buying it.
He stepped closer, casually sizing her up. "Princess, huh?"
Elira raised an eyebrow, her lips curling ever so slightly at the edge. "Indeed. You've been chosen by the Oracle herself. The fate of this world may depend on—"
SLAP!
Everyone froze.
Kane's hand slapped her chest—not roughly, but enough to leave her stunned in place, wide-eyed and flushed. Before anyone could react, Kane grinned like a devil, spun on his heel, and took off sprinting toward the nearest hallway.
"Tag. You're it." he called back over his shoulder.
Alarms flared in the palace. The knights barked orders and scrambled after him. The princess stood frozen for a heartbeat, her fingers twitching toward her sword.
[Quest Update: Royal Guard Activated. Escape Difficulty +1]
Kane laughed, charging through the corridor like a wild storm. "Now this is interesting!"
As Kane sprinted down the marble corridor, torches flared to life along the walls, casting wild shadows. Behind him, the stomping of armored boots grew louder.
Then, the system chimed again—crisp and cold inside his mind:
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Skill Unlocked: Temporary Buff – Battle Focus
Type: Precision Buff
Effect: Sharpens focus to increase reaction time and reduce incoming critical damage.
Description: Time seems to slow. The user instinctively dodges or braces better.
Kane felt it instantly.
The world around him slowed—not to a crawl, but just enough. His heartbeat steadied. His vision sharpened. Every sound, every step behind him became crystal clear. It felt like a game… and he was suddenly playing on cheat mode.
He grinned wide. "Oh hell yeah... now we're talking."
Up ahead, two knights charged out of a side hall, swords already in motion, yelling, "Stop right there!"
They slashed in perfect sync—left and right arcs meant to cut him down clean.
Kane didn't slow.
Instead, he dropped low into a slide, flipped sideways like a breakdancer mid-fight, grabbed both of their wrists mid-swing, and twisted with brutal speed.
CRACK.
Both knights screamed as Kane used their own momentum to wrench their arms backward, slamming them into each other with the satisfying clang of steel on steel. One of them dropped like a sack of bricks; the other stumbled, dazed.
Kane leaned in close to the one still conscious, grinning like the villain in a B-grade action flick.
"You brought a sword... to a hands-only ass-kicking."
He pushed the stunned knight over with a casual boot to the chest, then turned and sprinted again, laughter echoing through the palace halls.
[System Notice: Remaining Escape Time – 02:13]
Kane slid down a steep slate rooftop, boots sparking off the edge as he dropped onto a balcony ledge below. Shouts echoed from the tower above—guards were still after him, but for the moment, he had a sliver of breathing room.
He crouched low, slipping into an open archway. Heavy curtains billowed in the wind. This room was quieter. Dim. Decorated. Somewhere private.
He crept through, senses sharp, until—
"You again?"
The voice came from the corner.
Kane turned and found himself face-to-face with none other than Princess Elira. Her dress was slightly wrinkled from the chase, her long hair half-unpinned, and a single guard stood behind her—unaware of how close Kane was.
Kane grinned, stepping from the shadows like a ghost. "Missed me?"
Elira's eyes widened—too slow.
Kane was already in front of her.
SLAP.
His hand landed squarely on her chest again.
SLAP.
Then one on her ass—playful, outrageous, and completely disrespectful.
"Tag, you're it." he said with a mock bow, his voice oozing with that same unhinged bravado. Then came his laugh—deep, cocky, villainous.
"BAHAHAHA—your royal highness just lost the game."
The guard froze, speechless. Elira's face turned a deep shade of red—equal parts fury and shock.
Before either of them could react, Kane was already diving through the open window behind them.
Kane vaulted from the princess's balcony, rolling across a steep rooftop before landing with a heavy thud on the palace courtyard wall. He rose slowly, wind tugging at his coat. Below him—dozens, no… hundreds of knights gathered like an army of tin soldiers, swords drawn, shields locked.
At the center of them all stood a richly dressed man—his beard trimmed, his robes stitched in gold thread. The King of Virellia.
Kane exhaled slowly. The moon lit him from behind, casting his shadow long across the courtyard stones.
He dropped down from the ledge in one smooth, heavy fall—landing in a crouched stance, one fist on the ground, the other arm behind him for balance. Dust kicked up at his boots as every knight flinched.
Then—he stood.
Calmly. Slowly. Like he wasn't surrounded. Like this was his stage.
He walked forward, swagger in every step. The knights formed a wall, but none moved. His gaze locked on the king.
When he was just a few feet away, Kane stopped.
He bowed slightly—just enough to mock.
Then—
CRACK!
A blur.
Kane's knee rocketed upward, slamming into the king's smug, confused face with devastating speed. Blood sprayed. The crown flew from his head like a kicked tin can. The king crumpled to the ground with a sound that echoed across the entire courtyard.
Gasps. Chaos.
Kane straightened, sneering down at the groaning monarch.
"Next time you summon someone mid-fight, you royal clown—try not to interrupt a man doing his goddamn job."
He turned to the knights, arms out wide.
"What now?! You gonna stab the guy who just did your kingdom a favor by breaking his nose? You idiots couldn't stop me if I fought blindfolded and drunk!"
[SYSTEM UPDATE: Skill Tree Unlocked – Anti-Hero Path]
> Title Earned: "Kingbreaker"
> Hidden Trait Activated: Chaos Trigger
Kane's eyes gleamed. "Now this is the kind of RPG I can get behind."
And with that, he raised two fingers in a mock salute, turned his back on a thousand swords, and strolled away—slow, cocky, like the villain the world didn't ask for… but just might deserve.