The monsters circled, snarling, their yellow eyes gleaming in the dark.
Michael staggered to his feet, blood dripping down his arm. Yet, instead of fear, a strange calm washed over him. Power—dark and cold—buzzed through his veins.
[ Ding! ]
[First Gift: The Forsaken's Vision.]
"Ability: See through the intent of those around you. Enemies, traitors, killers—you will glimpse them before their strike."
Michael's breath caught. His blurred vision sharpened instantly. The world slowed.
The monster before him lunged. He saw it before it moved—its path, its claws, its intent to rip his throat out.
Michael shifted aside, almost effortlessly. The beast's strike whooshed past, missing him by an inch.
For a heartbeat, he froze. I… I saw that coming.
Then his lips curled.
The monster turned, confused. Michael grabbed his fallen sword, spun, and with one clean strike, severed its head.
Blood sprayed across the cobblestones.
Another monster lunged. Michael was already moving, ducking, stabbing through its ribs before it could blink.
He stood tall, bloodied but unbroken, the corpses of two beasts at his feet.
From the distance, Darion turned mid-swing, his eyes widening. "He's still alive?"
Alric spat. "Impossible. He was half-dead!"
Michael's voice rang across the battlefield, hoarse but unyielding. "You wanted me dead, Captain?"
Darion's jaw tightened.
Michael raised his sword, pointing it straight at them. "Then you should've aimed for the heart."
The ground trembled. More beasts emerged, a tide of shadows rushing in.
[ Ding! ]
"Secondary Task unlocked: Survive the swarm."
"Reward: Unknown."
Michael's grip tightened on the hilt. His heart pounded—but it was no longer fear. It was fire.
"Come, then!" he roared, eyes blazing with fury. "If the world wants me forsaken, I'll carve my name into its bones!"
The beasts charged. Michael met them head-on, moving with unnatural precision, his strikes guided by the vision burning in his mind. Every claw, every fang, every ambush—he saw it before it happened.
Steel flashed. Screams echoed. Blood drenched the stones.
Behind him, the so-called heroes watched in disbelief as the man they discarded became something monstrous in his own right.
And then—
The system chimed again.
[ Ding! ]
"Hidden Path unlocked."
"First Twist of Fate: One of your betrayers will die before dawn."
"Choose: Intervene… or let fate take its course."
Michael froze, blade dripping with blood. His eyes flicked toward Darion and the others.
A cruel smile tugged at his lips.
"Fate, huh?" he whispered.