The corridors of the castle were silent, but silence here was a warning, not comfort.
Ethan had barely fallen asleep when the system's shrill alert pierced his dreams.
[ Alert: Unauthorized intrusion detected. ][ External Fate-thread interference: High. ][ Likely source: Assassin unit—Divine interference suspected. ]
His eyes snapped open. Sweat slicked his skin. Heart hammering, he sat up on the bed, scanning the room.
Shadows moved along the walls—silent, fluid. Eight figures cloaked in black, faces hidden by masks of twisted iron, had infiltrated the castle.
Ethan didn't think—he acted.
[ System Alert: Fate-Breaker Surge available. ][ Duration: 15 seconds. ]
He clenched his fists, feeling threads vibrate faintly around each assassin. They were thick, strong, dangerous. Their fate marked for death.
"Come," he whispered, teeth gritted. "Try me."
The First Strike
The first assassin lunged from the corner, twin daggers gleaming in torchlight. Ethan's body moved on instinct. He dodged, slashing with a golden streak of energy—the Fate-Breaker Slash.
The thread attached to the assassin's wrist shimmered… snapped.
A gasp. A choke. And then the assassin collapsed, body crumpling into dust.
Three more rushed him at once.
[ System Tip: Do not overextend Fate-Breaker Surge. Threads unstable. ]
Ethan adjusted, timing each strike, severing one thread at a time. Another fell, clutching at nothing as his body dissolved into motes of shadow.
But the next one was clever. It twisted, reading Ethan's rhythm. The dagger sliced across his shoulder, ripping cloth and flesh. Pain shot through him.
[ HP: 89% → 70% ][ Warning: Critical Wound. Blood Loss Increasing. ]
Gritting his teeth, he pushed through, letting the system guide him. Threads shimmered faintly—he could predict their movements, though only partially.
[ Skill Active: Fate-Breaker Surge ]
He struck the nearest thread. Time felt slower. The assassin froze mid-leap, face wide with terror, then vanished into nothing.
Only four remained.
Chaos in the Hall
Ethan stumbled into the main hall. Torchlight flickered across columns, shadows dancing like specters. The assassins were strategic—moving in perfect formation, trying to corner him.
Then the leader appeared—a tall figure, cloaked in black robes lined with faint violet runes. The thread above him pulsed stronger than any Ethan had seen.
[ Warning: Divine Signature Detected. Likely Kael's agent. ][ Threat Level: SSS-Rank Assassin ]
Ethan's pulse quickened. This wasn't just mortal skill—it was god-touched precision.
The figure struck. Lightning-fast, blade slashing through the air. Ethan barely dodged. Sparks of fate energy flared as the blade passed through a minor thread, severing it unintentionally.
[ Thread Severed: Collateral Effect Detected. ]
The system's warning was sharp. Ethan's body convulsed slightly, pain shooting through his chest.
"Damn it!" he hissed, forcing himself to stay upright. "No mistakes now."
The Dance of Death
The battle became a blur of motion, a deadly dance.
Assassin after assassin lunged, struck, vanished—threads severed with precise, merciless strikes. Ethan's body ached, wounds bleeding freely, yet the Fate-Breaker Surge pushed him beyond human limits.
[ System Notice: Fate Integration 25%. Adaptive Resilience Passive Growth Active. ]
One assassin tried to flank him, but Ethan sensed it—a faint shimmer of thread. The golden blade slashed diagonally, cutting the thread midair. The attacker's body dissolved before he even landed a blow.
The leader, however, remained. A deadly calm in their stance, observing Ethan's movements.
"You survive… impressively," the leader's voice hissed through a mask. "But survival isn't victory."
Before Ethan could respond, the leader's blade pulsed with a faint purple light—the signature of Kael's godly blessing.
[ Alert: Divine-Enhanced Strike Incoming. ][ Risk: Fatal if blocked normally. ]
Ethan braced, summoning all the threads he could sense. He felt his body tense beyond endurance.
He remembered the Crucible. The pain. The training. Every slash, every movement, every failure—it all led to this.
[ Activate: Fate-Breaker Surge. ]
Time slowed. Threads shivered in response. He struck at the leader's core thread, aiming not just for flesh but the flow of fate itself.
The blade met the divine strike head-on. Light clashed with violet fire, the air ripping with energy. Ethan screamed, pushing every ounce of strength into the strike.
The clash reverberated through the castle, throwing torchlight across the walls. For a heartbeat, nothing moved.
Then—the leader staggered. A high-pitched scream tore through the hall as their body disintegrated in a shower of violet sparks.
Silence.
Ethan fell to his knees, chest heaving, blood dripping from countless wounds.
Aftermath
The remaining assassins vanished into the shadows. They were gone, as though they had never existed.
The hall was a mess—torches toppled, smoke curling into the air. Ethan's body shook uncontrollably, exhaustion and adrenaline colliding.
[ System Alert: Integration 30%. Fate-Breaker Skill Evolved. ][ New Skill Unlocked: Divine Severance ]– Temporarily increase thread severing success rate to 80%.– Can target divine-empowered enemies, duration 20 seconds.
Ethan barely stood. His hands trembled around the golden blade. Every wound screamed, every breath burned. Yet the system's pulse reminded him—he had survived, grown stronger.
And yet…
[ Warning: Divine interference still active. Loki detected nearby. ]
A chill ran down his spine. Loki wasn't just watching—he was smiling, orchestrating chaos from afar.
And somewhere in the shadows, Kael's agents were already whispering, plotting the next strike.
Ethan's jaw clenched. He might have survived tonight… but the true war was only beginning.