By the time Hiroto returned to the guild, the sun had already begun to set, casting a deep orange glow across the streets of Flaris. The once lively roads had quieted, replaced by the low hum of evening activity as merchants packed their goods and hunters returned from their daily work. Hiroto walked silently beside Alice and Gilbert, his body heavier than usual. Every step reminded him of the fight he had just experienced. It wasn't just exhaustion—it was the weight of reality settling into him.
"You did well today," Alice said softly as they reached the entrance of the guild.
Gilbert stretched his arms and let out a relaxed breath. "Yeah, not bad for your first hunt. You didn't panic as much as I expected."
Hiroto gave a small nod, unsure of how to respond. His mind was still replaying the moment his dagger struck the monster. The sound. The feeling. Even now, his hands felt faintly unsteady.
"I think I'll rest," Hiroto said quietly.
"Good," Gilbert replied. "You'll need it. We're going out again soon."
Alice smiled gently. "Get some sleep. Your body needs it."
Hiroto nodded once more before turning away and heading toward the hallway that led to his room. The sounds of the guild faded behind him, replaced by the quiet echo of his footsteps. Dim lanterns lined the corridor, their soft glow casting long shadows against the walls. For the first time since arriving in this world, Hiroto felt alone—and strangely, he didn't mind it.
When he reached his room, he opened the door and stepped inside.
It was simple.
A small bed, a wooden table, and a single chair by the window.
Nothing more.
Yet somehow, it felt like the first place in this world that truly belonged to him.
Hiroto closed the door behind him and leaned against it, letting out a slow breath. His eyes drifted toward the ceiling as the events of the day replayed in his mind. The monster. The fight. The strange vision that allowed him to see things others couldn't.
"…this world…" he muttered.
He walked over to the bed and sat down, placing his twin daggers carefully beside him. The faint dark aura that surrounded them was still there, barely visible but impossible to ignore. They didn't feel like ordinary weapons.
They felt… connected to him.
Hiroto lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling in silence. For a moment, everything was still.
Then—
A faint flicker.
His eyes snapped open.
"…again?"
The sensation returned, clearer this time. The air in front of him seemed to shift, as if something invisible was forming. Slowly, a translucent panel appeared, hovering just above him.
Hiroto sat up immediately, his heart beginning to race.
"…it's back…"
The panel was more stable now, filled with lines of text written in that same strange language he had somehow come to understand. Unlike before, it didn't vanish.
"…I can read it…"
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes scanning the contents. The text felt natural to him, as if he had always known how to read it.
Then something caught his attention.
A section labeled:
[Skills]
"…skills?"
His voice was barely above a whisper.
Below the heading, only a few entries appeared—but they were clearly unlocked.
Hiroto stared at them, his breath slowing as curiosity replaced his unease.
The first name stood out.
Moonshadow
The moment he focused on it, the text flickered slightly, as if responding to his attention. Though no detailed explanation appeared, Hiroto felt something—an instinctive understanding forming in his mind.
"…a movement skill…" he murmured.
It felt like speed.
Like slipping into darkness itself.
Like becoming something unseen.
His eyes shifted to the next entry.
Shadow Flicker
This one felt different.
Sharper.
More sudden.
"…a burst of movement…" Hiroto whispered.
Almost like vanishing and reappearing in an instant.
Hiroto leaned back slightly, his thoughts racing.
"…I have skills…"
No one had taught him.
He hadn't trained for them.
Yet they were there.
Unlocked.
"…it has to be because of my class…"
The duelist class.
But even then, something about this felt unusual.
Hiroto looked down at his hands, clenching them slightly.
"…this is how I get stronger…"
Not just through fighting.
But through this.
This system.
This power.
He focused on the panel again, trying to understand how it worked.
At first, nothing happened.
Then—
A faint flicker.
"…it reacts to me…"
Hiroto exhaled slowly.
"…so I just need to focus…"
He concentrated on Moonshadow once more.
For a brief moment—
The air in the room shifted.
A subtle distortion.
Like the space around him had bent slightly.
Hiroto's eyes widened in shock, and he immediately broke his focus.
"…what was that…?"
His heart began to pound.
That wasn't just information.
That was real.
Something he could use.
Something he could control.
Hiroto sat there in silence, staring at the panel.
"…this isn't normal…"
Even in this strange world, this felt different.
"…this is something else…"
Slowly, he leaned back again, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.
The panel remained for a few more seconds before flickering and disappearing.
But the knowledge stayed.
The skills.
The power.
The possibility.
Hiroto closed his eyes, letting out a slow breath.
"…Moonshadow… Shadow Flicker…"
He repeated the names quietly.
They didn't feel foreign anymore.
They felt like his.
A faint determination began to settle within him, replacing the lingering fear from earlier.
Today, he had taken his first step.
He had fought.
He had survived.
But now—
He had something more.
A way to grow.
A way to become stronger.
Hiroto turned slightly, glancing at the daggers resting beside him. The faint dark aura shimmered quietly, almost as if responding to his thoughts.
"…I won't stay weak…"
The words came out softly, but there was weight behind them.
This world was dangerous.
Unforgiving.
But it also held something he had never had before.
Opportunity.
Hiroto closed his eyes again, his body finally beginning to relax.
Tomorrow, he would train.
He would learn how to use these skills.
He would understand this power.
And step by step—
He would become stronger.
Because in this world, there was no other choice.
Kill or be killed.