Aiden’s head whipped towards Risa. His eyes widened as he saw her struggling, being yanked out of the window by Kranus who’d somehow managed to grab onto her before he fell. Adrenaline surged through him as he rushed towards her, diving forward just in time to catch her mid-air, moments before she would have crashed to the ground.The momentum sent them both rolling on the floor. Aiden managed to control their roll, shielding Risa’s body with his. The wind got knocked out of him as they finally came to a stop. For a moment, everything was quiet, save for their labored breathing and the pounding of his heart in his ears. Aiden’s grip around Risa tightened as he felt her tremble in his arms. She was pale, her eyes wide with fear. He could feel her heartbeat racing against his chest, her breaths coming out in shaky gasps. Instinctively, he brushed back her hair, whispering words of reassurance. “You’re okay, Risa,” he said, “You’re safe.”Slowly, she nodded, nestling into him, taking co

"You should be thanking me for sparing your life, Brad," Aiden said, his voice icy, his eyes hard as he glared at Brad. His anger was a raging storm, threatening to consume everything in its path. "I could've easily handed you over to Draed, just like Liam."Brad's face paled at the mention of the dragon, a shiver of fear running down his spine. He was silent, unable to meet Aiden's gaze.He coughed, clutching his chest in pain. His pale face was a stark contrast to the crimson blood staining his shirt. "You… You think you're better than me, don't you?""And don't you dare try to defend yourself," Aiden continued, his voice low and dangerous. "You watched as Liam sent those monsters after Gregg, as they attacked and hurt him, Brad. You aided the Shadow King. What kind of a monster does that make you?"Aiden’s eyes were blazing now, his voice shaking with barely contained fury. The room fell silent, all eyes on him.Brad's expression faltered, his eyes brimming with guilt. He remembere

"Liam," he murmured, the name leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. "It has to be him."Risa nodded, "Yes, Liam. He was killed during the dragon attack. He was the one who cursed Gregg, but with Liam gone, devoured by Draed, the mark must have lost its power. It's... it's the only logical explanation."Aiden heaved a sigh of relief, "Then we have hope."Despite the good news, he knew that they still had a long journey ahead. Gregg might be recovering, but he was far from being fully healed. They had spent weeks in distress over Gregg's deteriorating health, and all along, the key to his recovery was right in front of them. "I... we need to help him through this," he muttered, already accessing his stats.–––––––––––[Name: Aiden Lancaster][Gender: Male][Age: 22][Level: 2][Height: 180cm][Inventory: 2][Spending Quota: $150000][Merit points: 29219][Ability: Enhancer, Tracker]–––––––––––“Risa, I need you to do something for me," Aiden asked.“What is it?” she asked, her eyes fill

A thunderous roar shook the air as the swarm of monsters attacked, their grotesque faces twisted in a mix of rage and hunger. Aiden held his ground, electricity sparking around him as his powers surged to life. His eyes gleamed with fierce determination, and with a swift movement, he summoned two double blades, their edges glistening in the chaos. The first monster lunged at him, but Aiden sidestepped it with ease. With a swift slice of his blade, he cut a deep gash across the monster's body, letting the blood spill onto the rubble-littered street. He dipped his finger in the monster's blood, and then reached into his pocket, pulling out a vial. It was a potion from his system, designed to return these monstrous creatures to their human forms. But it came with a hefty price for its little blue elixir—$15,000 per bottle. Yet, to Aiden, it was worth every penny if it meant saving these innocents from their monstrous fate. He uncapped the vial and carefully mixed the potion with the m

Mr. Smith's eyelids fluttered open, the harsh bite of cold against his flesh breaking his mind free from the numbing abyss of unconsciousness. His body protested as he attempted to move, his muscles felt weak and drained, the skin marred with cuts and bruises from the unforgiving stone floor beneath him. A strange cold weight on his ankle momentarily distracted him from the throbbing ache that was beginning to build in his skull. He tried to sit up, fighting through the waves of dizziness, his vision blurry, his surroundings eerily dim. Panic gripped his heart as he felt the coarse cold iron chain attached to his ankle. There was a faint glow around the chain, the mark of a magic-dampening spell. Each attempt to access his mana was met with an intense pain coursing through him, the spell was draining his mana. It was a chilling realization - he was not only captured but weakened significantly.In frustration and rage, he pulled at the chain, and a defiant roar ripped from his throa