Kael knew the world didn't wait for anyone. Not for heroes, not for villains, and definitely not for him. But the next test came sooner than even he expected.
The following evening, he found himself walking near the edge of the Queens industrial zone—a place thick with rusted fences, abandoned shipping containers, and warehouses with faded logos no one had bothered to paint over in years. He didn't come out here for danger. Not tonight. He only wanted air, space to feel how Energy Regulation moved through him, how the skill flowed beneath his skin like a warm current.
But danger didn't need to be invited.
It found its own way.
Kael heard shouting before he reached the next block. One voice. Then several. Sharp. Angry. Familiar.
Razorback.
Kael's pulse jumped—one brief spike of fear before Energy Regulation kicked in automatically, smoothing the spike into something clearer. Even his breath steadied without conscious effort. His body was adapting.
Kael followed the noise, staying low as he approached a chain-link fence.
On the other side sat an old storage yard filled with piles of metal scraps, shipping crates, and shadows thick enough to hide a small army. He moved between the gaps in the fence until he found a tear wide enough to slip through.
Inside, the scene sharpened.
Razorback stood in the center of the yard, facing five men.
Not three.
Five.
And not the same ones from before.
These men were armed with bats, pipes, and knives. One wore brass knuckles. Another had a chain wrapped around his torso like a snake. Their stance was organized, too—not random street thugs. A small gang, hunting down a vigilante who'd caused them trouble.
Razorback wasn't winning this time.
His stance was tighter than before, his breath heavier. That cut from yesterday had reopened. His shoulder hung low. His footwork was slower. He'd taken hits recently, and he was paying for it.
Kael scanned everything instinctively.
Positions.
Distances.
Weapons.
Momentum.
Angles.
Pattern Recognition lit up like a glowing outline. Every weakness. Every opening. Every timing window.
But he was still one unarmored teenager.
And Razorback wasn't lasting long alone.
Kael made a decision.
And stepped out from behind a stack of crates.
"Thought you guys only picked on people five at a time," Kael said, voice steady.
Five faces whipped toward him.
Razorback's eyes widened. "Kid?! What the hell are you doing here—"
One of the men swung the chain at him. Razorback barely dodged.
Kael didn't look away from the thugs.
"You want numbers?" he asked. "Here I am. Five on two seems fair."
The brass-knuckle thug barked a laugh. "You? You're dead meat."
He charged.
Kael didn't run.
He didn't freeze.
Energy Regulation surged, opening his senses. His breathing balanced. His heartbeat slowed into a controlled rhythm. His muscles readied—not stronger, not faster, but more awake.
He sidestepped.
Pattern Recognition showed the man's punching angle before it fully formed. Kael dropped low, slipping under the wild haymaker. His hand moved instinctively to the training knife in his pocket, flipping it out cleanly.
Street Blade Basics guided his stance.
Feet planted.
Wrist steady.
Blade angled down.
Kael didn't aim to stab.
He aimed to control.
The thug turned, surprised by the miss, giving Kael a perfect opening. Kael tapped the knife's rubber edge sharply across the man's knuckles. Pain shot through him. The thug cursed and stumbled.
Kael stepped back, keeping space.
Not bad.
Razorback ducked a pipe swing and kicked a man in the chest. But he was slowing down fast.
Two more thugs split from the group, turning toward Kael.
That wasn't part of his plan.
Kael waited until they were close enough—then moved.
He darted left, clashing with the first attacker's wrist before the man could swing his knife. His grip switched automatically—the move smooth, efficient—disarming motions flowing from the skill he earned the night before.
He didn't fully disarm the thug, but the strike caused the man to lose momentum. Kael stepped around him, letting the second attacker overcommit. A sloppy move, easy to predict.
Kael shifted his weight and sidestepped.
The attacker stumbled past him.
Kael snapped the training knife lightly against the back of his knee.
He collapsed with a cry.
Kael backed away again, keeping distance, never letting himself be trapped. His moves weren't flashy. They weren't strong. But they were smart.
Pattern Recognition kept him alive.
Street Blade Basics kept him effective.
Energy Regulation kept him calm.
Razorback managed to take one thug down permanently with a sharp elbow to the temple. But the distraction of Kael being involved split his focus.
Two men cornered Razorback.
One aimed a punch at his ribcage.
The other swung a pipe toward his skull.
Kael reacted before thinking.
"Razorback!" he shouted.
He sprinted forward.
Energy Regulation sharpened his stride.
He felt his body align into a single motion.
He hit the pipe-wielder first—a shove, not a strike. Enough to break the angle and send the man stumbling into Razorback instead of hitting him.
Razorback seized the moment with a grunt of pure desperation, slamming his knee into the man's stomach and knocking him cold.
"You're insane," Razorback gasped, blocking another strike. "You're actually insane!"
Kael parried a wild swing with sheer instinct. "You needed help."
"That doesn't mean—"
A thug charged Kael from behind.
Razorback's eyes widened. "Behind you!"
Kael spun—too slowly.
The chain whipped across his ribs.
White-hot pain exploded through his side. Kael grunted and stumbled back. His breath caught, his vision blurring around the edges.
For a moment, panic stabbed through him.
Energy Regulation pulsed.
Breathe.
His heart steadied.
His lungs expanded.
The pain dulled slightly.
Not gone—but manageable.
The chain-wielder advanced, sneering. "Thought you were smart, huh?"
Kael forced his grip steady on the training knife.
Pattern Recognition cut through the haze.
The chain swings wide.
Momentum overcommit.
Left leg stagger.
Right shoulder raised high.
Opening: Left side, two steps in.
Kael moved.
The chain whistled past his arm. Kael rushed in, striking the man's ribs with a controlled blow from the training blade—just hard enough to stun, not injure.
Then he ducked and swept the man's leg with a low kick Razorback-style.
The chain-wielder crashed onto his back, breath knocked out.
Kael staggered back, chest heaving, pain still throbbing across his ribs.
Razorback finished his last attacker with a brutal downward elbow. The man dropped like a stone.
Silence fell.
The yard remained still except for Kael's shaky breath and Razorback's exhausted panting.
Razorback stared at him. "You're not trained. But… damn. You move like someone who knows what they're doing."
Kael shrugged weakly. "Just instincts."
Razorback snorted. "Those aren't instincts. That's practice."
Kael didn't reply.
His ribs burned sharply with every inhale. His arm shook slightly from tension. But he was standing. He had survived five armed thugs, even if Razorback shouldered most of the fight.
He had been useful.
He had made a difference.
And he had tested his skills in a real fight.
Razorback approached him slowly. "You okay?"
"Mostly," Kael said. "Hurts, but I'm fine."
Razorback frowned. "Come on. I know someone who can patch us both up."
"No," Kael said quickly. "I'll head home. My parents will freak out if I come back late."
Razorback hesitated, then nodded. "You saved my life again, kid. I won't forget it."
Kael simply turned and walked toward the fence.
The moment he stepped past the yard's boundary, the system pulsed.
Level Up Ready
Combat Contribution, Survival, Skill Integration
EXP Gained: +60
Total EXP: 130/100
Kael's heart skipped.
The world blurred.
His ears rang softly, like a tuning fork humming deep in his skull.
System Level Up
Level: 1 → Level: 2
A warm rush spread through his limbs.
Strength +2
Speed +2
Endurance +2
Agility +1
Durability +1
Stamina +3
Regeneration +1
Mental Stats:
Perception +2
Instinct +2
Energy Stats:
Energy Capacity +10
Energy Recovery +2
New Passive Unlocked:
Trade Instinct (Minor)
– Improved ability to sense potential trade opportunities
– Faster value assessment
– Slight intuition boost in dangerous situations
Kael exhaled slowly.
The world felt clearer.
Lighter.
Sharper.
He didn't feel superhuman.
But he felt… capable.
And in this world, that meant everything.
---
KAEL STATUS – END OF CHAPTER 5
Level: 2
EXP: 30 / 200
Physical Stats
Strength: 7
Speed: 8
Endurance: 7
Agility: 7
Durability: 6
Stamina: 10
Regeneration: 2
Mental Stats
Intelligence: 25
Memory: 30
Perception: 17
Willpower: 20
Instinct: 14
Multiversal Awareness: 5
Energy Stats
Energy Capacity: 20
Energy Recovery: 5
Energy Type: None
Energy Compatibility: High
New Passive
• Trade Instinct (Minor)
Upgraded Skills
• Energy Regulation (Basic) — integration improved due to combat use