"Huff… huff…"
I leaned heavily against the wall of a narrow alley, my breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps. My lungs burned with every inhale, my chest rising and falling too fast. Dash had carried me farther than I thought possible, and the ring had helped mask my presence, but the toll was undeniable. My body screamed for rest.
For a moment, I thought my legs would give out beneath me. The strength in them felt like water, thin and unstable, and the dizziness pressing at the back of my skull warned me I was seconds from collapse.
I pressed my back against the cold stone, letting its chill seep into me. The air tasted like iron and smoke, tainted by bloodshed from the chaos I had escaped. Every heartbeat hammered against my ribs, heavy and unsteady.
My mana reserves were nearly gone.
That was the real danger — not the bruises forming on my ribs or the aches in my muscles, but the emptiness gnawing inside me where my mana should have been. Without mana, I was just another fragile body waiting to be cut down.
I reached into my subspace and retrieved a small glass vial. An emergency potion. I had been saving it for this exact situation — when everything else was on the verge of breaking down.
I hadn't used it earlier for one reason: timing. This potion wasn't meant for casual recovery. If drunk while mana still lingered in the body, its effect would be wasted. But at the edge of depletion? That was when it truly shined.
Without hesitation, I uncorked it and tilted it back.
The liquid burned as it slid down my throat, but almost instantly I felt its power spreading. The emptiness inside me began to fill. Energy surged through my veins like a second heartbeat, the fog in my mind lifting, the weakness bleeding away. My limbs steadied, the tremble in my fingers easing.
By the time I stepped out of that corner, my mana was fully restored.
A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips despite the weight of what had happened. I wasn't out of danger, but at least I wasn't walking back empty.
---
The streets were quiet now, though the silence wasn't comforting. It was the silence of aftermath, where blood had already been spilled and no one was left to scream.
I walked quickly, retracing my steps toward the meeting point. My thoughts, however, refused to be as steady.
"By now, Michael and the others should have dealt with the leader."
That was the plan, at least. They were the main cast so if anyone could hold the line, it was them. Michael's unyielding defense, Julia's feral swordplay, Amelia's fire… together theyshould be able to defeat the leader.
When I finally arrived, most of the students had already gathered. Only a few students were wounded. Everyone else looked alright.
Among the group of students I spotted them immediately — Michael, Julia, Amelia — talking in low voices. Celestina stood nearby, her expression unreadable, Adrian at her side.
A few minutes later, the last stragglers stumbled in.
The portal opened, shimmering against the night air. One by one, we stepped through.
---
The academy's transport bus waited on the other side. Normally, after an outing like this, there would be laughter, chatter, students bragging or complaining. Today, there was none of that.
I took the same seat at the back. This time, no one else sat near me. Amelia had gone to join her friends, and the rest were too shaken to bother with pairings. The quiet pressed against me, broken only by the low rumble of the bus as it carried us back to the academy.
I stared out the window, the dark blur of trees rushing past, and let the silence swallow me.
---
By the time we reached the academy, it was already night. The air was cool, but instead of refreshment, it carried a strange weight.
The club president stepped off the bus his usual enthusiasm was gone, replaced by something subdued. His voice, when he spoke, was softer than I'd ever heard.
"I'm… truly sorry that our first trip had to end like this," he said, and the disappointment in his tone was almost painful. "I'll keep you all updated on our next trip. For now, enjoy the rest of your weekend."
His half-hearted wave didn't convince anyone, but no one spoke up. Students began to scatter toward their dorms, their silence heavier than any words could have been.
I didn't linger. I made my way straight to my room, every step purposeful.
---
The door clicked shut behind me, and the lock slid into place. Finally, I was alone.
I exhaled slowly, then raised my hand.
From my bracelet, I drew out the book.
The moment it touched my hand, a chill ran through me. The cover was heavier than it should have been, as though the weight of centuries pressed into it. Its leather binding creaked when I opened it, the smell of dust and age seeping into the air.
But what was inside wasn't normal.
The pages were filled with runes that twisted unnaturally, shapes and lines that seemed to move if I stared too long. They weren't words, not in any language I knew. They felt alive — watching me as much as I was watching them.
Carefully, I flipped through, my fingers trembling despite myself, until I reached the last page.
Blank.
At least, that's what it wanted me to believe.
I knew better.
Drawing my sword, I dragged the edge lightly across my palm. Pain flared in a sharp sting, blood welling instantly. I held my hand over the page, letting droplets fall.
The parchment didn't stain. It drank.
The blood sank into the page greedily, like dry earth swallowing rain. Then the page pulsed beneath my hand. Once. Twice.
Black script erupted across it, jagged and cruel. The letters writhed, spreading like veins of poison. And then, impossibly, they began to crawl off the page.
Tendrils of shadowy mist uncoiled and rose into the air.
My eyes widened — then the mist lunged at me.
It struck my face like fire and knives, burrowing into my eyes.
"Ghhhaaa!"
The scream ripped from my throat as I staggered back, clutching my head. The pain was unbearable, as if molten lead had been poured straight into my skull. My vision drowned in violet, every nerve screaming. Veins bulged at the corners of my eyes, heat and agony radiating outward.I bit down hard, forcing myself through it.
And then… silence.
The pain vanished as suddenly as it had come.
My breathing slowed, ragged but steady. My hands fell away from my face.
I opened my eyes.
Something was different.
The room looked sharper — every line, every shadow, every flicker of light more vivid. I turned toward the mirror hanging on the wall.
At first glance, I looked the same. But then I saw it.
Thin, black slits cut through my irises, glowing faintly, pulsing with something alive, something ancient.
Then, as quickly as they had appeared, the slits faded, leaving only my normal gaze staring back.
Honestly it looked pretty cool. I always liked slit like eyes , they give you this dangerous villain kinda vibe.
A chime rang in my ears.
[Congratulations.]
[You have obtained the Void Eyes.]
[Your Perception has increased by 10.]
The system's voice was calm, but the weight of its words wasn't lost on me.
Another chime.
---
[Void Eyes]
* Increases the users perception.
* Grants the ability to sense mana and perceive its flow.
* Enhances personal mana control for refined casting and combat precision.
* Allows the user to see through dark and illusions.
* Allows temporary severing of mana flow in a target for 5 seconds.
---
A slow smile spread across my face.
"Sensing mana… that'll give me an edge against mages."
I flexed my fingers, the sensation of mana in the air suddenly clearer than ever. Threads of it shimmered faintly, currents I hadn't noticed before, now visible to me.
"Cutting off mana flow for five seconds… That's more than enough to kill someone if timed right."
I couldn't help it — my smile grew wider.
For the first time since this bloody trip began, I felt not just relief, but triumph.
The Void Eyes weren't just power. They were potential.
Let's check my status
"Status"
----------------------------------------------
Name: Arthur Dravenlock
Class: Magic Swordsman
Talent: Limitless
Attributes: Space, Lightning
....
Strength: 35
Speed: 34
Endurance: 35
Dexterity: 33
Perception: 32 –> 42
Mana: 43
...
Skills :
Passive Skill: Perfect Poker (^), Sword Mastery (^)
Active Skills: Dash (^), Arc Discharge (^), Dimensional Veil (^)
....
Hidden Skill: Moon Slash(^) , Void Eyes
....
Blessing: Spirit Mark of Sylandra
.....
Arts:
Basic Sword Style (Common)
Basic Non-Armed Combat (Common)
----------------------------------------------
"My perception increased by 10 points."
That's probably because of the void eyes.
"All of my skills have leveled up" A grin tugged at my lips.
Everything I did today paid off well.
I then stared down at the book lying on the cold floor. Its cover, once ominous and heavy with presence, now looked deceptively ordinary. The last page had already faded back to its blank state, as if nothing had happened at all. The thing had already given me what it held.
Keeping this book with me could be dangerous. It will be troublesome if someone else saw this book.
I picked it up, feeling the weight of it in my hands. It felt heavier now, though hollow, like the husk of some great beast after its soul had fled.
I crouched by the flickering lantern in the corner of the room. Its flame danced, small but eager, as if it sensed what I intended.
With one last look at the book, I pressed it into the fire.
The dry parchment caught almost immediately, the flame crawling along the edges, devouring its secrets without hesitation. Black smoke curled upward, carrying with it the faint smell of scorched ink and something fouler—like old blood and ash. I kept my eyes fixed on it, my jaw tight, until nothing remained but brittle fragments collapsing into gray powder.
"Phew ... Well that's taken care of."
After everything that happened today I was really tired now.
"I guess it's time to hit the bed."
I laid on my bed staring at the ceiling.
Sleep claimed me slowly, but I didn't fight it.