The sound didn't come first.
It was the sensation.
The glass going in.
The resistance of flesh.
The exact instant something changes state… from alive to dying.
Then came the blood.
Dark beneath the rain, mixing with the water as the body in front of Damián went still for a fraction of a second, as if it hadn't even processed what had just happened. The unmasked man's eyes widened slightly—not from fear, but from surprise. Real, raw, impossible-to-hide surprise.
Damián was still on the ground, on his knees, his arm extended upward, the shard buried deep beneath the attacker's ribs, right where he had felt the weak point in that final instant.
It wasn't luck.
It was learning.
It was the system.
[Critical impact confirmed]
[Target severely wounded]
[Target death probability: 61%]
The man stepped back.
Then another.
His hand slowly moved to the wound, touching the blood as if he needed to confirm it was real—that someone like Damián… had managed to do that.
*…interesting,* he murmured, but this time his voice lacked complete control. There was something fractured in it, something he wasn't used to feeling.
The other attacker—the masked one—moved immediately to cover him, positioning himself between them with clear tension, his posture completely different now.
Defensive.
Protective.
That was what confirmed everything to Damián.
He had chosen correctly.
[INS in use…]
[Target evaluation…]
[Priority: PRIMARY TARGET WOUNDED]
Damián tried to stand fully, but his body failed halfway, forcing him to support himself with one hand as he breathed heavily, each movement sending a sharp wave of pain through his body.
But he was still conscious.
Still active.
And that was enough.
The wounded man let out a faint laugh—low, short, almost disbelieving—as he took another step back, maintaining pressure on the wound.
*…out of all scenarios,* he said slowly, lifting his gaze toward Damián, *this wasn't in any of them.*
Damián stared back without answering immediately, because now he understood something else.
That man…
Wasn't just an assassin.
He was something more.
Something important.
And the system confirmed it.
[Partial identity detected]
[Underworld Player — Level unknown]
[Status: Active]
[Warning: Entity superior to user]
Player.
The word engraved itself into his mind.
Not hunter.
Not killer.
Player.
*…so it already showed you,* the man said, noticing the shift in Damián's expression, a faint smile returning to his face despite the blood. *Then you understand what you've gotten yourself into.*
Damián clenched his teeth, his mind processing everything as his breathing remained uneven.
*No,* he replied honestly. *But I'm learning.*
That made the man let out a small laugh.
Genuine this time.
*Yeah… I can see that.*
Silence fell for a moment, broken only by the rain hitting the ground—but it was no longer the silence of immediate combat.
It was something else.
Evaluation.
Decision.
The masked man spoke for the first time in that state, his voice more tense than before.
*We need to withdraw.*
It wasn't a suggestion.
It was a warning.
The wounded man didn't respond immediately. His eyes remained fixed on Damián, as if memorizing every detail, every gesture, every trace of what had just happened.
And then…
He nodded.
*Yeah… for now.*
Damián didn't move, but his body tensed slightly.
He didn't trust them.
He couldn't.
The unmasked man took another step back, slowly creating distance, without fully turning his back, maintaining eye contact.
*Listen carefully,* he said, his voice low but clear. *What you have… isn't a gift.*
Damián didn't respond.
But he listened.
Because he knew it mattered.
*It's an invitation,* he continued. *And everyone who receives that invitation… ends up in the same place.*
A second of silence.
Heavy.
Dark.
*The Underworld.*
The system reacted immediately.
[Unknown location registered: "Underworld"]
[Access blocked]
[Requirements: Unknown]
Damián felt something in his chest upon hearing that.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
But certainty.
This was only the beginning.
The wounded man took another step back, and this time his body began to fade into the rain—not disappearing completely, but moving with a speed that broke normal perception.
The other followed him.
And within seconds…
They were gone.
The alley fell silent again.
Empty.
As if nothing had happened.
But everything had changed.
Damián finally let his body give in, collapsing fully onto the ground, his breathing heavy, his vision flickering as the system remained active before him.
[Time remaining: 18:54:22]
[User status: CRITICAL]
[Immediate attention required]
But there was something more.
Something new.
[Condition fulfilled]
[User survived encounter against Player]
[Reward unlocked]
A new window appeared.
Larger.
Deeper.
More important.
[PARTIAL CORE ACCESS]
Damián could barely keep his eyes open, but even so, he smiled faintly.
Not because he had won.
But because he had survived.
And in that world…
That changed everything.
Because he was no longer invisible.
Now…
He was just another player on the board.
And the city…
Never forgave those who entered its game.