The courtyard was silent except for the hum of energy floating above the pit. Floating platforms hovered, swaying slightly as if sensing movement. Damon stepped forward, calm, crimson eyes scanning every angle.
[System Alert: External Threat Active]
[Recommendation: Defensive + Offensive Protocol]
A shadow detached itself from the upper tier. The cloaked figure leaped with impossible speed, landing on a platform ahead. Its presence distorted the air—an assassin's precision, unseen and deadly.
Damon's system calculated instantly:
[Probability of Hit: 93% if no action taken]
[Hidden Mode Recommendation: Engage]
He exhaled.
[Hidden Mode: Level-Up Initiated — Combat Acceleration + Threat Prediction]
Time seemed to slow, but not for everyone. Damon moved with a grace no human could replicate. The first strike from the cloaked figure came—fast, precise, a blur of metal and energy.
Damon sidestepped before the strike even reached him, feeling the system predicting not just where, but when, the attack would land. His fist connected with the attacker's side, sending him staggering back—but he wasn't finished.
[System Evolution: Adaptive Offensive Matrix Activated]
From the platform beside him, Lira stepped forward, eyes glowing faintly.
"I told you I wouldn't let you face this alone!" she shouted.
With a graceful motion, her palms glowed, and a wave of translucent energy extended outward, forming a barrier around Damon. The cloaked figure's next strike shattered against it, sparks flying in every direction.
Lira's power wasn't flashy—she wasn't a brute fighter—but her ability manipulated kinetic energy, redirecting it with precision. She pushed the attacker back several meters effortlessly, creating space for Damon.
[External Observation Detected: Candidate Cooperation — Uncommon]
The cloaked figure adjusted. Moving faster than before, they split their attacks—one aiming at Damon, one at Lira.
Damon's system flared:
[Threat Density Exceeded Safe Limits — Hidden Mode Expansion Required]
His muscles tensed, reflexes sharpening. His body moved almost independently of thought. The first attack was dodged, the second countered with a precise strike to the figure's midsection.
[System Update: Hidden Mode Evolution — Level 2 Combat Acceleration]
[Neural Output: Maximum Optimization]
The cloaked figure tumbled backward, visibly surprised by the combination of Damon's hidden mode and Lira's energy redirection.
Damon leapt onto a floating platform, following the assassin, while Lira created shields and kinetic strikes to disrupt them. Sparks flew, platforms swayed violently, energy hummed, and every motion Damon made was calculated—every strike predicted by the system and enhanced beyond human limits.
[Hidden Mode Level-Up: Threat Analysis + Predictive Combat]
[Efficiency: 88%]
[Risk: Neural Overload Possible]
He didn't care. Not yet. The assassin moved again, faster, sharper, stronger—but Damon already knew the pattern. The system whispered silently:
[Next Move Predicted: Success Probability 97%]
He struck. Lira redirected the energy from the clash. The cloaked figure hit the edge of the pit but didn't fall.
The system pulsed.
[Observation: External Threat Neutralized — Temporary]
[Hidden Mode Experience: +12%]
The courtyard went still. Damon's chest rose and fell, crimson eyes scanning every corner. Lira exhaled, energy flickering faintly around her, eyes wide.
"You… you're unreal," she breathed.
Damon wiped a streak of sweat from his pale, frail skin. "Neither of us can afford unreal," he said softly.
The system whispered one final note:
[Threat Level: High — Future Engagement Expected]
[Recommendation: Stay Adaptive]
Lira glanced at him. "Someone's watching. And they're not done."
Damon's eyes gleamed crimson. He had survived the hunt, but the real battle—against unseen forces beyond the exam itself—was only beginning.
[New Objective Generated: Identify Threat — Survive — Ascend].