~ Quick Wits ~There was no time to think.The Red Hounds had barricaded him, inching closer steadily, their metallic claws scraping the ground.Alan had to make a decision now!“Shit!” He clicked his teeth, reaching into the void once again. By the time he brought his hand out, the enhancement potion was gone, now replaced with the wooden sword he had thought to keep for harder floors.He didn’t want to use it until he had no other option. But if he didn’t use it now and dies, what was the point of hoarding something that could have saved him?Putting his enhanced agility to use, Alan crouched slightly before easing his calf muscles. In a single bound, he leaped over the Hounds, landing at the other side, creating more space and time between them.Feeling the weight of the wooden sword in his grasp, Alan’s spirit felt lifted. He wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t wait to butcher every single one of the Hounds. Maybe the previous owner of the body hated dogs? Because Alan loved animals,

~ At all Cost ~Alan had found a way to kill Bane.However, when he listed and calculated the criteria to make this possible, he couldn’t help but envision himself die multiple times in his head. The timing had to be perfect, his speed had to be in sync with his strike. If he miscalculated, if he slipped… It would be game over for Alan Hermolith.‘Oof…’ he let out a long sigh, drawing his left leg back and buckling his right knee. He rested most of his weight on his right leg as he leaned forward, the upturned wooden sword stretched to the side.Even with his very low mana, using Quick Strike would have been the best option. However, if he missed the first time, that was it. Sure, he could still launch more attacks within the 10 seconds time frame, but Bane would just adapt and pin him down. Or worse, he’d get caught in the Red Hound’s Gaze of Terror.So instead, he sought for a more… prudent approach.‘This is but a child’s play to what I’ll face in the future. I shouldn’t just rely

~ Copy? ~As soon as the wooden sword shattered, the final boss reached for Alan with his right hand, grabbing his collar and sinking two knee jabs into his torso.Alan’s body jerked back in response to the jabs, his lungs momentarily contracting, causing him to gasp dryly for air.In quick succession, the final boss pulled him closer, whilst pulling his own head back. His neck moved as he threw his head forward, striking Alan right on his glabella.Bang!Metal met flesh and bone, the latter tearing and cracking.A flux of pain condensed at the impact point, dazzling Alan for a moment there, so much so that he almost fell asleep.His body getting lifted jolted him awake, and, before he could tell what was going on, the final boss spun on his heels, reeling Alan to the air as though he was some weightless mannequin.In a single 360° turn, the final boss flung Alan across the hallway, the latter’s flight momentum blowing out a few torches. They reignited back almost immediately

~ Counterpart II ~‘How--’A dense punch to the gut shattered his train of thoughts.The next thing he could remember was getting slammed against a wall, the fist that punched him sinking deeper. He wheezed dryly to catch his breath.But then, the hair behind his neck went taut like needles, alerting him of imminent danger. For that brief moment, Alan wondered why his ‘danger sense’ hadn’t warned him of the punch. Or was it because his mind was experiencing shock?His eyes rolled down and he tilted his neck to the side, his head swaying along with it. Another fist punctured the wall beside his head. It would have hit him instead if he hadn’t dodged in time.Mustering some strength, Alan grabbed both hands by the wrists and stared intently at The Final Boss, just to confirm what he had seen earlier. Maybe it was just some hallucination? His head had been bashed in a couple of times... So there’s that.But no. His brows twitched as he stared at The Final Boss. It was like looki

~ Night Dilemma ~“8:01 already?” Alan rushed down the sidewalk whilst taking a glance at the big analogue clock situated at the centre of the city. He straightened his neck and focused his gaze on the path before him, ‘Maya must be worried sick. I hope those damage control guys have come to fix the house.’[Actually...] The System stressed as Alan took a sharp turn by a bend.He came to a momentary stop, his eyes gradually opening wide as he stared at the heap of concrete and metal, on the piece of land that his house once stood upon.[... With the Gateway Break that happened earlier today, it would seem that the damage insurance staff are a little short-handed] The System completed.‘Of all things... Where am I supposed to sleep tonight?’ Alan ruffled his hair with a slight frown.Just then, a familiar feline voice jolted him back to reality, “Alan?”Dropping his right hand, his gaze immediately shifted to the small car ahead, parked diagonally across him. He noticed two g