Chapter 344 — Full‑Scale Test (and Almost Cardiac Arrest)
Brakk walked.
He kept moving.
Step after step.
— Well… either this power is a cosmic scam, or I just became a public menace, he muttered.
He finally sensed a solid aura ahead.
Not monstrous.
But stable.
A group of hunters stood gathered, clearly on a mission.
At the center, a broad‑shouldered man in heavy armor, stern gaze fixed forward.
— …Rank A, Brakk estimated.
Perfect.
He drew a deep breath.
— I'll test this power here. Safer.
Because that invisible guy… he could've totally scammed me.
He focused on the lead hunter.
**Garik.**
A rank A hunter, specialized in defensive vanguard.
A human wall.
🛡️ **Specialty:**
- Telluric aura manipulation
- Extreme body reinforcement
- Team protection
A man who didn't hit the hardest, but almost never fell.
— Okay… solid, but manageable, Brakk murmured.
He closed his eyes.
— Aura Usurpation… *Unjust Mirror.*
### Activation
Garik's aura was hooked, ripped by an unseen claw.
But instantly—
It warped.
It stretched.
It grew too heavy, too dense, too aggressive.
The aura now radiating from Brakk was crushing…
But unstable, trembling, almost sickening.
The air vibrated.
The hunters around Garik paled.
— …What the hell is this…?
— I can't breathe…
— My legs… they're shaking.
Garik frowned.
— What kind of monster is this…?
He fixed his gaze on Brakk.
— Is he… rank S?
An invisible pressure weighed down on them.
— I feel like I'm being crushed…, Garik growled, teeth clenched.
Brakk stepped forward.
Then another step.
He smiled.
Far too confident for someone screaming inside.
— I'll count to ten, he said calmly.
And you leave.
Silence.
— One.
No one moved.
— Two.
A hunter swallowed hard.
— Three—
Brakk suddenly stopped.
— Boo.
— AAAAAAH!
The group exploded in panic.
They bolted, dropping even a weapon in their rush.
— RETREAT!
— HE'S NOT HUMAN!
— I SIGNED UP FOR GOBLINS, NOT THIS!
Garik tried to stay dignified…
For exactly two seconds.
Then he backed away too.
### Further Away
Once at a safe distance, Garik leaned against a wall, gasping.
— I… I thought I was going to die…
He looked at his group.
— How can such a monster exist… and I don't know him?
A hunter whispered, still trembling:
— It's… the most terrifying aura we've ever felt.
Garik clenched his fists.
— We don't talk about this to anyone.
Everyone nodded frantically.
### Back to Brakk
The aura collapsed suddenly.
Brakk nearly fell to his knees.
— Hah… hah…
He breathed like he'd just run a marathon uphill with an anvil on his back.
— Damn… exhausting…
Killing, even.
He wiped his face.
— Imagine if I'd tried this on hunters stronger than Garik…
His legs still shook.
— The fatigue… this feeling…
It's clear: this ability drains me every time.
He laughed nervously.
— Actually… it's not a combat power.
It's a bluff power.
He struggled to stand.
— And even then… a super risky bluff.
He thought.
— Seriously… what if the guy in front hadn't been scared?
If the aura effect hadn't worked?
He blanched.
— I'd have been wrecked.
Clean. Simple. For nothing.
He clenched his teeth.
— Damn…
That invisible guy took me for a fool, didn't he?
He ran a hand through his hair.
— Good thing I didn't charge straight at Ilan's group…
He pictured it.
— Okay, I'd have traumatized Ilan, sure.
But the other three?
He grimaced.
— They'd have caused me serious problems.
He chuckled bitterly.
— This power… in that situation…
It would've even put me at a disadvantage.
Silence.
Then.
— …Wait a second.
His eyes narrowed.
— That guy…
Is he trying to sacrifice me?
He clenched his fist.
— Give me a suicidal power, watch if I die, and that's it?
He inhaled deeply.
— Fine.
A dangerous smile spread across his face.
— Just wait.
I'll talk to him.
He lifted his head.
— He'll hear me.
Because giving me powers this stupid without warning…
He cracked his knuckles.
— …That has a price.
Chapter 345 — Bluff Becomes a Weapon (and Egos Too)
Brakk smirked.
— …What if I found a way to use it smartly?
He walked.
Then paced in circles.
Then walked again.
— Come on, Brakk. Think hard before dying stupidly.
Thirty minutes passed.
— No.
Bad idea.
An hour.
— Still not…
But close…
Two hours.
He stopped dead.
His eyes lit up.
— …Ah.
A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face.
— I see.
He turned as if explaining to someone… though he was alone.
### Brakk's Solution
— The problem with the *Unjust Mirror* isn't the copy.
It's the instant.
He raised a finger.
— Copying a full aura at once, especially stronger than mine, destroys me.
But…
He grinned.
— Who said I had to copy everything?
He walked again, more confident.
— I can fragment the copy.
Take micro‑traits of aura.
He counted on his fingers.
— Density, but not pressure.
— Signature, but not raw power.
— Intimidating instinct, without energy overload.
He burst out laughing.
— Basically… I steal the illusion of danger, not the danger itself.
He nodded.
— Result?
Less fatigue.
Less instability.
And above all…
He clenched his fist.
— Precise control.
He inhaled deeply.
— This power becomes a tool of manipulation, not a suicidal gamble.
Then he calmed.
— I'll test this version later.
He looked up.
— And if I manage to talk to that invisible guy again…
I'll negotiate.
A wicked smile.
— A real power.
Or at least, remove that stupid backlash.
He spat on the ground.
— I'll scam him.
He tried to sacrifice me.
He vanished into the shadows.
### The Confrontation
Brakk reached the exact spot where he had met him.
He inhaled.
— BASTARD! SHOW YOURSELF!
Silence.
Then a calm voice.
— Who are you talking to like that?
Brakk spun around.
— You see anyone else here?
A faint laugh.
— Hmm… everything's starting to get too bold with me.
Brakk clenched his teeth.
— What do you expect me to say after you tried to sacrifice me?
Silence.
Then.
— …Actually, you're right to be angry.
(*He's not as dumb as I thought…*) the invisible being mused.
— The power I gave you was… incomplete, he admitted.
Brakk blinked.
— Incomplete?
His gaze hardened.
— How come it's incomplete, huh?
You wanted to get rid of me, didn't you?
(*Too perceptive, this kid…*) the entity thought.
Brakk tapped his temple.
— Yeah, I've got this up here.
Otherwise I'd already be dead.
A sigh.
— Fine.
The voice resumed.
— I'll give you the full version of the power.
### The Complete Power
Brakk crossed his arms.
— That won't be enough if it works the same way.
Even without extreme fatigue, it's still a bluff.
If the opponent stronger than me isn't intimidated, I'm done.
— Exactly, the entity replied.
The full version is different.
The air vibrated slightly.
— Aura Usurpation — *Absolute Mirror.*
Brakk felt the information imprint itself inside him.
— You no longer copy just the aura.
The words resonated.
— You copy the logic of the aura.
Its way of existing.
Brakk's eyes widened.
— You can:
Adapt the copied aura to your own level
Eliminate instability
Choose if the effect is intimidating, concealing, or disruptive
And most importantly…
Silence.
— If the opponent is stronger, the aura doesn't collapse.
It acts like a jammer.
Brakk froze.
— …So even if he doesn't fear me…
— He'll underestimate you, the voice completed.
A slow smile spread across Brakk's face.
— Okay.
Now… that's much better.
He nodded.
— You're good, you.
— And that's not all.
A new sensation.
— I'll give you a bonus.
### New Ability
— Echo of Usurpation.
Brakk grasped the concept.
— Every aura you've copied leaves a memory trace.
You can recall it briefly, without full activation.
Brakk burst out laughing.
— So I can simulate multiple profiles?
— Exactly.
— …I love it.
The voice grew heavier.
— But don't forget.
You owe me something, kid.
Silence.
Then the entity murmured, as if to someone else:
— …He's the perfect host.
An invisible smile.
### Meanwhile
Valor stepped out of the building.
He stopped abruptly.
Ethan was waiting outside.
Marie stood beside him, arms crossed.
— So, little pretentious one, Ethan said.
Talk again and I'll smash your mouth.
Valor smiled.
— Go ahead, try me.
Ethan stepped closer.
— You call me a fraud just because I'm stronger than you?
Valor ran his hand through his hair.
— You?
Stronger than the Great Valor?
He sighed.
— Like I said, in this guild…
There are too many frauds who don't deserve their rank.
Ethan smiled calmly.
— Sorry, but I'm not one of those frauds.
Whether you accept it or not…
His aura vibrated.
— I'll always be stronger than you.
Valor's aura flared slightly.
— Looks like you're looking for trouble.
— Maybe, Ethan replied with a smile.
Before it escalated—
Annabelle placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
— Enough.
Stop your bickering.
She looked at Valor.
— Tell me… up for more forbidden techniques?
Valor smiled instantly.
— Why not.
Ethan sighed.
— …I hate them all.
Chapter 346 — The Jinn Who Negotiates Too Well
Silence fell again.
Brakk frowned.
— …Wait.
He looked around.
— All this time, you've been talking, handing out absurd powers, smiling into the void, whispering weird stuff…
What are you, exactly?
A sigh echoed.
— Hm…
I suppose the moment has come.
The air rippled.
As if reality itself hesitated to stay serious.
Then, slowly, a silhouette formed.
Not fully.
Blurred.
Unstable.
A man… no.
Something that looked like a man.
Arms crossed, floating slightly above the ground, with a smile far too calm to be honest.
— I am a Jinn.
Brakk blinked.
— …
He squinted.
— A what?
— A Jinn, the entity repeated calmly.
A real one.
Not the children's fairy‑tale versions that grant three wishes and vanish into an IKEA lamp.
Brakk stayed silent for two seconds.
— …So you're not a ghost.
— No.
— Not a god.
— No.
— Not a hallucination from fatigue.
— I wish, replied the Jinn. You'd be easier to manipulate.
Brakk sighed.
— Great.
A very powerful Jinn trying to scam me.
— I prefer the term "aggressive negotiation."
The Jinn gestured, and his form sharpened.
Ancient eyes.
Far too ancient.
— I am Zahkariel, Primordial Jinn of Pact, Deception, and Forced Evolution.
Brakk raised an eyebrow.
— …Nothing less, huh.
— I lived before most of the gods you know, Zahkariel continued.
I was sealed, freed, resealed, forgotten, summoned by mistake, then ignored for three centuries.
He sighed.
— A very humiliating period.
Brakk crossed his arms.
— Okay.
But why me?
Zahkariel smiled.
— Because you are neither weak…
nor strong.
— Nice.
— You are frustrated, resentful, intelligent, and above all…
He leaned closer.
— You want to win without being the strongest.
Brakk stayed silent.
— …Bullseye.
Zahkariel snapped his fingers.
— And let's be honest.
You have monstrous potential…
He looked Brakk up and down.
— …but a fragile ego.
— Hey!
— Fragile but loud.
— SHUT UP.
The Jinn laughed.
— I love humans.
### The Debt
Brakk clenched his fists.
— Fine.
Let's be clear.
He glared at Zahkariel.
— You tried to sacrifice me with an incomplete power.
So we're even.
Zahkariel raised a finger.
— False.
— How false?
— I gave you a defective power, yes.
He smiled.
— But you survived.
You thought.
You improved it.
He nodded.
— Which proves you're a worthy host.
Brakk frowned.
— Host?
— Oh, not like you think, Zahkariel said, raising his hands.
I don't possess you.
Pause.
— Not yet.
Brakk stepped back.
— …Excuse me?
— You owe me a service, Brakk.
The Jinn floated around him.
— Not now.
Not tomorrow.
— One day.
He stopped in front of him.
— When I call, you will help me accomplish something.
Brakk clenched his teeth.
— And if I refuse?
Zahkariel smiled.
— You can refuse.
Silence.
— But then… all the powers I gave you
will turn against you.
Brakk sighed deeply.
— …Of course.
— See? We understand each other.
### Final Warning
Zahkariel began to fade.
— One piece of advice, Brakk.
— What now?
— Don't use your powers like an idiot.
He smiled.
— People like Llan aren't dangerous.
— It's the ones with him who are.
Brakk clenched his fists.
— I know.
— Good.
The silhouette vanished.
— See you soon, my favorite investment.
Silence.
Brakk was alone.
He ran a hand over his face.
— …I really landed the worst sponsor possible.
He looked up.
A dangerous smile appeared.
— But fine.
If I owe something to a Jinn…
He clenched his fist.
— Then I'll become strong enough to repay it when *I* decide.
Chapter 347 — When Someone Plays With Bad Cards
Brakk walked.
But this time, it wasn't the same stride.
Before, he moved with anger.
With frustration.
With the urge to prove something.
Now…
— …Damn, I hate feeling like a piece on a chessboard.
He clenched his teeth.
The wind blew.
His aura vibrated slightly, contained, compressed, disciplined.
— A Primordial Jinn… seriously.
He looked up.
— Why me, huh?
No answer.
— Of course.
He sighed.
— Fine.
If I have to play with the devil… I'd better learn the rules.
### A More Serious Test
Further ahead, a patrol of hunters advanced.
Three people.
Not amateurs.
— Rank B… no, B+.
Well‑trained, tight formation.
Brakk watched from the shadows.
— Perfect.
He closed his eyes.
This time, he didn't trigger Aura Usurpation violently.
He breathed.
— Smart version… like I said.
His aura shifted.
Not bigger.
Not heavier.
Just… strangely familiar.
As if it belonged to someone these hunters already feared crossing paths with.
One of them stopped abruptly.
— …Wait.
— What?
— Do you feel that?
The third swallowed hard.
— That pressure…
It's not a strong aura…
— It's a bad aura.
Brakk smiled.
— Bingo.
He took a step.
Just one.
The hunters instinctively backed away.
— Identify yourself! one of them shouted.
Brakk spoke calmly.
— You're too close to a zone that doesn't concern you.
Silence.
— Turn back.
One hunter whispered:
— It… it feels like the presence of someone ranked S…
But twisted.
— Like it's watching us.
Brakk added, almost absent‑mindedly:
— I won't repeat myself.
They didn't argue.
They left.
Quickly.
Very quickly.
When they vanished, Brakk placed a hand on his knee.
— …Okay.
He panted lightly.
— Tiring, but much less.
He smiled.
— So the power isn't meant to crush…
He straightened.
— It's meant to lie smartly.
### Elsewhere — A Strange Sensation
In the guild.
Valen stopped mid‑sentence.
— …Did you feel that?
Lya raised an eyebrow.
— Feel what?
Zarion, sitting calmly, slowly turned his head.
— Someone is using an aura…
But not the way they should.
Arelis narrowed his eyes.
— It's unstable.
Valor ran his hand through his hair.
— Oh?
He smiled.
— Interesting.
Liora crossed her arms.
— Explain.
— Someone's pretending to be stronger than they are.
Valen frowned.
— Brakk.
Silence.
— That guy doesn't normally have that level, Lya said.
Zarion answered calmly:
— Someone's helping him.
Everyone froze.
Arelis murmured:
— …A pact.
Valor smiled slowly.
— Oh boy.
He raised a finger.
— Shady pacts are never a good sign.
### Back to Brakk
Brakk stopped on a rooftop.
— Okay, Zahkariel.
He looked up.
— I see your game.
A distant laugh echoed faintly in his mind.
— Keep going, Brakk.
— The further you go, the more you amuse me.
Brakk gritted his teeth.
— Don't worry.
He clenched his fist.
— I'll become strong enough that *you'll* be the one worrying.
The wind blew.
Something, somewhere…
…had begun to move.