Chapter 7: The Shadow's Gambit

“What should I do?!” Evan muttered, frustrated. For the past three days, Evan had been focusing on two main things: protecting the Blade of Eternity and finding a way to save Riley’s father.

Every day, Evan spent hours in an old, abandoned warehouse, practicing his combat techniques and skills. Failure not only meant losing the reward but also the risk of losing Michael Chang and the possible destruction of the world in the future. The pressure made Evan even more focused and determined.

Outside of his training, Evan spent time exploring the district, learning more about the sword's history and who might be interested in stealing it. He talked to Michael Chang, who had extensive historical knowledge, but no clear leads. Evan could not find information about the sword's origins, past owners, or evidence that it was cursed. From Michael Chang's accounts, those who held the sword often ended up dead.

“Are you not afraid of the sword’s curse, Mr. Chang?” Evan asked.

Michael Chang smiled and shook his head. “I’m not afraid at all. This is a family heirloom, and I must protect it. If I die someday, then it means my time has come.”

Evan was silent, impressed by Michael Chang’s words. He knew Michael was a good person, and that made him even more determined to complete this quest.

***

Sunday arrived quickly, and Evan realized it was Riley's birthday. While Riley celebrated with his family, Evan decided to keep his distance and watch them from the shadows. He didn’t know exactly when the attack would occur, but the system never lied or made mistakes.

“Today, I’ll save your father, friend,” Evan murmured with a smile.

Evan concealed himself in the shadows around the Chang family’s antique shop, waiting vigilantly. He could see Riley and his family from his hiding place, and the atmosphere of the celebration inside the shop was lively. Evan hoped he wouldn’t have to act, but the tension in the air kept him on edge.

Time passed slowly for Evan. Darkness began to envelop the district where they lived. The dim streetlights began to flicker on, but the atmosphere remained tense for Evan.

The strong wind made Evan shiver. The tension he felt fighting Marco was nothing compared to what he felt now. Evan then pulled out a kitchen knife he had quietly taken from his home. “I hope this thing helps,” Evan said.

As Evan watched around, the streetlights in the alley suddenly went out one by one. Evan felt a chilling sensation down his spine. When the last streetlight went out, a gust of wind blew sharply, making Evan quickly glance toward the Chang family’s shop.

“Damn it!!” Evan stood up, forcing himself to move. Just like the streetlights, the lights in the Chang family’s shop also went out. Along with this strange occurrence, Evan spotted a mysterious figure moving swiftly towards the Chang family’s shop.

The figure was dressed in black from head to toe, with a mask covering their face. They moved with incredible speed and caution, trying to avoid attention, but Evan still managed to follow them.

When the man reached the back door of the Chang family’s shop, Evan immediately quickened his pace and charged at the man, but something was odd.

Brughhh

Instead of hitting the man, Evan crashed into a trash can.

“Arghh!” Evan groaned in pain, but a few seconds later, he quickly rolled away. His instincts warned him that if he didn’t move, he would end up losing his life. Evan’s body shivered violently. He stood up and pointed the knife forward. “Where?” Evan looked left and right. He was sure the man was around, but he couldn’t see anyone.

“Not bad.”

A deep, adult voice came from right next to Evan’s ear. Reflexively, Evan swung the knife toward the source of the voice, but once again, there was no one there.

“I’ve never met anyone who could keep up with my speed. This is very interesting.”

“Come out! Stop hiding!” Evan hissed.

As requested, the man revealed himself, just a few feet away from Evan.

Evan didn’t even know how the man could be standing there. “Who are you?!”

“You have extraordinary courage.” The man suddenly moved back into the darkness, ignoring Evan’s question.

“Damn!! He’s not an easy opponent!” Evan stayed alert. He sharpened all his senses to anticipate incoming attacks.

Suddenly, Evan felt pressure from behind. The ninja-like man reappeared from the darkness and launched a deep strike toward Evan. Evan rolled forward and swung the knife, but the man was already gone. Evan began to get frustrated with the man’s abilities. How could he move in darkness like that?

Quickly, Evan thought of a new strategy. He used the sensitivity and speed he had trained rigorously. Additionally, Evan started to use his surroundings to his advantage. He thought, what if the area around him was filled with light?

“Light!! That’s it!!” Evan ran quickly, trying to lure the man. “Catch me if you can, bastard!”

Swish

A sword swung horizontally toward Evan with great speed. Thanks to his agility, he managed to dodge it, though he had to fall and roll once again.

“Are you ashamed to fight a kid?!” Evan shouted while running. The life-threatening attacks intensified, but Evan kept running. “Just a little more!” Evan said.

Not far from there, there was a store selling various lighting equipment. A few more steps, and Evan would reach the store.

“You damn rat! You’re going to die this time!”

Evan felt immense pressure on his back. He could feel the cold blade moving quickly toward his neck. “I’m going to die,” Evan thought to himself.

***