The air in the room felt like it had turned to ice. Lin gripped the hilt of his sword so hard. He had spent hours training in the simulation, but this was the first time the stakes were real.
The spirit let out a low, rattling sound that vibrated in Lin's teeth. It began to pull Mimi toward the open closet, where the shadows seemed deep and bottomless.
"Let her go!" Lin roared.
He lunged forward. His movements were faster than they had ever been. The training had changed him his muscles reacted before his brain could even process the fear. He swung the sword in a wide arc. The blade sliced through the spirit's misty form, but it felt like swinging through thick smoke.
The spirit shrieked, a sound so high-pitched that the windows in the bedroom cracked. It dropped Mimi, who collapsed onto the bed, gasping for air. The ghost turned its hollow eyes toward Lin, its long, spindly fingers reaching for his throat.
Lin remembered the simulation. Don't just swing. Watch the movement. He ducked as a shadowy claw swiped over his head, narrowly missing his head. He rolled across the floor and stabbed upward, burying the glowing blade into the spirit's chest.
[NOTIFICATION]
Critical Hit! Spirit Essence Destabilized.
The spirit recoiled, its form distorting like a fading smoke.
Outside in the hallway, Robert and Naoa stood, they didn't look like they were in a rush.
"Floor four, Room 402," Robert said, his eyes glowing with his tracking ability. "The energy seems weird. Naoa's eyes twitched and narrowed," Yh, it's not the same I felt earlier." What's going on? Naoa thought while looking frustrated.
" We better hurry we don't want her to die," Robert said while making his way down the hall. Naoa walked beside him, his hands in his pockets. He looked at the door of the apartment. "It's too quiet." Robert didn't respond. He raised his hand, and a small, glowing bird of energy materialized on his shoulder. "Go," he whispered. The bird flew through the door.
A second later, Robert's eyes widened. "What?! Why's he here? He's fighting it. The guy... he's actually holding his own."
"How's that possible?" Naoa asked, finally looking interested.
"I don't know," Robert muttered. "But we need to get in there before things get out of hand."
Inside the room, Lin was covered in sweat and small, stinging cuts where the spirit's cold energy had grazed him. Every time he hit the spirit, it seemed to get smaller, but it was getting faster.
Mimi was huddled against the headboard, her eyes wide. "Lin... what is that? What are you doing?"
"Stay back!" Lin shouted.
The spirit lunged again, this time transforming its arm into a long, jagged spike. Lin raised his sword to block, but the force of the blow sent him flying backward against the wall. His vision blurred for a second.
[WARNING]
Stamina: 15%. Endurance holding.
The spirit hovered over him, opening its distorted mouth to reveal a void of darkness. It was about to finish him. Lin closed his eyes in anticipation of the attack.
Suddenly, the bedroom door exploded off its hinges.
A streak of purple light flashed through the room, hitting the spirit and pinning it against the far wall. Lin looked up, gasping for breath.
Robert and Naoa stood in the doorway. Naoa was yawning, his finger still pointed toward the spirit. Robert walked into the room, his gaze moving from the naked Mimi to the naked Lin holding a glowing sword.
"Well," Robert said, his voice dry and unimpressed. "This is a very awkward time to save your lives."
Naoa walked over to the spirit, which was struggling against the purple energy. "Hey," Naoa said, looking at Lin's sword. "Where'd you get that from? That's some high-level Shin weapon."
Lin stood up, his sword vanishing back into the System as his heart rate began to slow. He quickly grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around himself. "Who are you people?"
Robert stepped forward, his eyes sharp. "We're the people who made sure you weren't dead right now. We have questions, and you're going to give us answers."
Lin looked at Mimi, then back at the two men. The fun from a few hours ago felt like the least of the things to think about. The Order stood in the room.