The night grew deeper.
The city lights flickered like a false sky. Blaine walked alone, the pipe still in his grip, the stolen coins heavy in his pocket. The fight in the alley had been clean. Efficient. But something felt different now.
Not outside.
Inside.
He stopped under a dim streetlight and leaned against the cold metal pole. The system had been quiet since the last kill. That wasn't unusual. But the silence felt heavier this time. Expectant.
Then it came.
[Condition Met]
Blaine's eyes narrowed.
[Basic Combat Threshold Reached]
[System Function Unlocking…]
A faint hum vibrated through his skull—not pain, but pressure. Like something behind his eyes was being adjusted. The interface flickered and expanded. New data. New structure. The crude window from before sharpened into something more defined.
[New Feature Unlocked: Perception Scan]
Blaine read the words twice.
"Explain."
[Perception Scan: Allows host to view approximate strength level of nearby targets. Accuracy varies with target complexity and host compatibility.]
So now I can see what I'm facing before I bleed.
He pushed off the streetlight and activated the skill. The world shifted. Not physically—perceptually. The shadows didn't change. The neon didn't brighten. But above the heads of the few people still walking the night streets, faint indicators flickered into view.
[Strength: 2]
[Strength: 3]
[Strength: 1]
Weak. All of them. Civilians. Prey.
He scanned further. The numbers stayed low. The city was full of soft targets. That was useful information. Useful, but not urgent. What he needed was someone stronger. Someone who could show him the next rung.
Then the scan flickered.
Across the street, a man leaned against a wall. Arms crossed. Still. Watching. Unlike the passing civilians, he wasn't moving. He wasn't pretending not to see Blaine. He was waiting.
Above his head—
[Strength: 9]
There we are.
Blaine crossed the street. Not slow. Not fast. Deliberate. The man watched him approach without shifting his posture. Casual. Relaxed. The kind of relaxed that came from knowing you could end a fight before it started.
"So," the man said. "You can see it too."
Blaine stopped a few meters away. His grip on the pipe was loose. Ready. The man noticed and smiled faintly.
"New guy, right?"
No response.
The man chuckled. "Relax. I'm not here to kill you." A pause. "Yet."
The air between them grew tight.
"Name's Kade."
Blaine didn't answer. Names don't matter. Only strength does. And he knows I can see his. Which means he can see mine too.
Kade tilted his head, eyes flicking briefly to the space above Blaine—reading his own scan results.
"Strength six. But you don't move like a six." He stepped away from the wall, hands still in his pockets. "Let me give you some advice. This city is divided. Zones. Groups. Hunters. People like us. Stronger ones rule. Weaker ones disappear."
Blaine's eyes didn't waver.
"Right now," Kade said, gaze locking onto him, "you're prey."
Silence.
A faint smile crossed Blaine's mouth. Not warmth. Recognition. He's testing me. The same way I tested the creatures in the hallway. See if the new one panics. See if he's worth something.
"Then hunt me."
Kade's smile widened. "Good answer."
He moved.
Fast. Faster than anything Blaine had faced in the building or the alley. No windup. No tell. Just motion.
Bang.
Their fists collided. The impact was heavy—heavier than the stairwell creature, heavier than all three alley men combined. Blaine's body slid backward, his boots scraping against the pavement. But he didn't fall.
So this is a real fight.
Kade grinned. "Now this is fun."
He attacked again. Relentless. Precise. Each strike faster than the last. Blaine blocked. Dodged. Countered. But each impact pushed him back further. The gap was clear.
Strength: nine. Speed: high. Patterns: aggressive but not reckless. He leaves an opening after his second strike—right side, ribs exposed. Small window. I'll have to time it.
Kade came in again. One strike. Two. Blaine absorbed the first and sidestepped the second—then stepped in.
Crack.
His fist connected with Kade's ribs. Clean. Solid.
Kade staggered. Surprise flickered across his face. Then it was gone, replaced by something sharper.
"Not bad."
His aura shifted. The air around him tightened. When he moved again, it was faster. Sharper. No more testing. Blaine tracked the motion but his body couldn't keep up.
Bang.
The impact threw him back. He slid across the ground, pain flaring through his shoulder. The pipe clattered away. His palm stung from the friction. Too fast. Even with Perception Scan, my body can't match his speed yet. The gap isn't just strength. It's reaction time.
He pushed himself up. No hesitation. No fear. Only thought.
Kade watched him stand. Something shifted in his expression—not respect, but calculation. The way a gambler watches a long shot.
"You're not ready yet." He turned away, hands sliding back into his pockets. "Get stronger. Then come find me."
He disappeared into the night. The crowd swallowed him the same way it swallowed everyone.
Silence returned.
Blaine stood alone under the flickering streetlight. His body hurt. His breathing was uneven. But his mind was already working, cataloguing the gap, filing the name.
Kade.
Strength nine. Not unreachable. Not for long.
He picked up the pipe. Tested his grip. The sting in his palm was already fading. The system pulsed once in the corner of his vision.
[Strength: 6]
Still weak. Still climbing.
He turned and walked deeper into the city.