NOVPUBThe Silverwood Family's territory was eerily silent at night. It was past 10 PM, and the curfew was in full effect.
Ethan hadn't gone far when he sensed the presence of over a dozen people within a hundred-meter radius. With a light sweep of his senses, he realized he wasn't the only one with the same idea.
Tomorrow was the official day of the tournament. Despite Silverwood's strict ban on nighttime excursions, many couldn't resist sneaking out after days of confinement. Everyone wanted to know why the tournament had taken such a strange turn. More importantly, the Silverwoods hadn't disclosed any details about the competition—no rules, no format, nothing.
While most of these people were just here to fill the ranks, with no hope of making the top eight, the rankings beyond ninth place still mattered. Seeing this group, Ethan couldn't help but smile. He had been worried about navigating the area alone, but now he had a guide.
He followed the group as they moved from the guest quarters toward the heart of the Silverwood territory. They moved in a straight line, each using their own methods to avoid detection. To reach the central area, they had to pass through the training grounds, where the tournament would be held tomorrow. Beyond the training grounds was the only path leading up the mountain, where the Silverwood family resided.
Ethan had wandered around the area during the day and had seen the plaza. The statue in the center had struck him as ridiculously ostentatious. Now, trailing behind the group, he moved smoothly without any obstacles.
The group, initially cautious, grew bolder as they progressed. But when the first person stepped onto the training grounds...
Splat!
Blood sprayed everywhere as the man exploded into a fine mist. The person behind him froze, stopping just an inch from the edge of the plaza.
"Curfew is in effect. No unauthorized movement is permitted. Leave now, and no further action will be taken."
A booming voice echoed from the center of the training grounds. Ethan couldn't sense the source with his abilities, and the distance was too great for his eyes to pierce the darkness.
"That was unnecessarily brutal!" someone hidden in the shadows called out, their voice distorted and impossible to pinpoint.
"Silence!"
Thwip!
A man standing just twenty meters to Ethan's side suddenly burst into a cloud of blood. Ethan was stunned—not by the death itself, but by what he had sensed just before it happened.
A small stone, moving at an incredible speed, had entered his sensory range and struck the man's forehead, reducing him to a fine mist in an instant. The first man who had stepped onto the plaza must have met the same fate.
Who was this person? Killing with a mere stone, and reducing someone to powder? What kind of power was that?
Even with his sensory abilities, Ethan felt a pang of unease. While he was confident he could dodge such an attack, the sheer intimidation factor was overwhelming. A simple stone could kill with ease, and who knew what other tricks this person had up their sleeve?
The group ahead of him, though reluctant, began to retreat. Ethan, hidden in a bush with his stealth activated and a concealment charm from Ryan, remained undetected as they withdrew.
After about ten minutes, once the coast seemed clear, Ethan stood up, ready to move forward and investigate.
Suddenly...
Thwip!
Ethan's pupils contracted sharply—he'd been discovered!
He rolled to the side just as a sharp thwip sounded behind him. A hole the size of a thumb appeared in the ground where he had been hiding.
"Hmm?" A grunt came from the direction of the training grounds.
Thwip! Thwip!
Two more projectiles shot toward him. As they entered the range of his senses, Ethan could see their trajectories clearly. One was aimed at his forehead, the other at his core—both lethal strikes. Even a glancing blow would either reduce him to dust or cripple his abilities.
Ethan was crouched, and there was no time to stand up and dodge. If he tried, the stone aimed at his forehead would hit his core, and the one aimed at his core would strike his ankle. The two stones had effectively locked him in place.
What made it worse was the timing. The attacker had chosen the moment when Ethan was still recovering from his first dodge, leaving him with no room to maneuver.
Several thoughts raced through Ethan's mind, but no matter how he moved, one of those stones was going to hit him.
'Damn it…'
Ethan cursed inwardly.
"Bear Form: Activate!"
Skill… Iron Hide!
This was a skill Ethan had acquired in the Soulforge Abyss, one he hadn't even used in the game yet. And now, he was using it in real life.
As he activated the skill, Ethan dropped to the ground, curling into a fetal position. The stone aimed at his forehead whizzed past harmlessly. He tucked his knees to his chest and covered his head, using his back to absorb the impact of the second stone, which was skimming just above the ground.
Thud!
Ethan's body jerked violently, his curled form snapping straight from the force of the blow. He skidded across the ground, finally slamming into a decorative rock formation before coming to a stop.
"Ugh… huff… pfft…" Ethan groaned, his voice strained from the pain.
Agony shot through him, followed by numbness in his shoulder blade. Finally, a trail of blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, the burning sensation in his chest easing slightly.
The Iron Hide skill, a primary damage-reduction ability in Bear Form, had saved him from being turned into a fine mist. But his shoulder blade was shattered. His left arm hung limply at his side.
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Ethan glanced toward the training grounds. The force of the blow had sent him flying over a hundred meters. If it hadn't been for the rock formation, he might have gone even farther.
Looking down at his clothes, he saw they had been shredded by the friction, revealing the garish boxers he wore underneath. Ethan glared in the direction of the attack, his guard fully up.
"Well, well, kid, you're quite the tough one. Interesting!" 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
"Don't worry, old men like me never strike the same person twice. You're free to go."
The voice echoed in Ethan's ears, likely some kind of sound transmission technique.
"Damn it… did someone slap the wisdom out of you, or were you just born that dumb?"
How could this person say he never struck twice? When he had just done exactly that?
Ethan didn't care who this guy was anymore. Hearing the condescending tone in the man's voice, Ethan's temper flared. If he couldn't beat the guy, he could at least roast him.
"Uh…" The man was momentarily speechless, caught off guard by Ethan's verbal assault. It had been years since anyone dared to speak to him like that. Had this kid swallowed a bear's heart or a leopard's courage?
