Chapter 18: Death Run. (Part 3)

"What should we do now…?"

"Is this wall some sort of sick joke?"

"Perhaps there's a hidden path we need to unlock by triggering a trap…?"

"Or maybe that would just lead to our deaths…"

The awakened individuals debated among themselves, uncertain of the best course of action. They were confused by the wall before them.

"Is there really no path ahead…?" Another voiced out their troubled thoughts.

It was at that moment that a voice separate from the group emerged from behind them.

"If there isn't a path, why not just make one?" a male voice suggested.

Surprised, they all turned towards the unfamiliar source.

In their midst stood a skinny boy with unique hair. It was short and messy, parted in the middle with one side black while the other was silver, partially concealing his pitch-black eyes. He wore a slight smile and waved awkwardly at the group.

'That face… it looks like they only noticed me now… that's strange, I wasn't trying to conceal my presence or anything.' Dawn thought to himself.

Dawn recognized all of them. Four were naturally awakened, and two were forced awakened. It had been quite some time since he had seen any living individuals, so despite an initial unease, he was mostly relieved.

Everyone stared at Dawn, puzzled—not so much by his appearance, but because they hadn't sensed or heard his approach.

"Who are…"

Before one of the awakened could finish their question, Dawn walked past them, stepping in front of the wall and pressing his hand against it.

"Things aren't always what they seem. This looks like a dead end, but it's actually another trap someone triggered after passing through here. I stepped on a similar one…" he explained.

Dawn retracted his arm and clenched it into a fist. Closing his eyes, he focused on channeling more energy into his limbs.

"Wait, are you planning to break down the wall?" one of the awakened asked, alarmed. "What if you trigger another trap or cause the cave to collapse?"

Dawn turned to the anxious awakened. It was a lean girl with a noticeable athletic build beneath her worn, ragged attire. Her hair, a unique shade of dark blue, was long and flowing, contrasting with her amber eyes. 

Her name was Kiana, as Dawn recalled. Another naturally awakened that he had used his inspect skill on earlier. 

But she wasn't the only one expressing concern; the same unsettled mood hung over the others as well. 

"I understand your worries. If you're genuinely concerned, you can step back further. If anything wrong happens, I'll bear the brunt of it." Dawn assured them with a comforting smile.

Hearing this, the other awakened retreated a few steps back, except for Kiana.

"No, it's fine. I'll watch from here," she said firmly. 

Dawn nodded in response, then turned back to the imposing wall. 

'This body is far from the strength I had in my previous life. But if I use my inner energy correctly, I should be able to perform the Killer Spy Arts…' he theorized.

'Killer Spy Arts'—that was the name of the technique Dawn had developed in his previous life. As the name suggested, it was composed of lethal combat techniques designed to incapacitate opponents as efficiently as possible.

"Killer Spy Arts…" Dawn murmured, exhaling slowly as he focused on a small crack in the center of the wall. "Vital Strike."

[Killer Spy Arts: Vital Strike.]

Dawn's fist shot forward like a whip, crashing into the exact point on the wall he had targeted—

*Crack!*

In that instant, a crack echoed through the air, but at the same time, a shiver coursed through Dawn's body.

'That hurt…!' he thought, his gaze fixed on the hole in the wall. 

His aim had been to shatter the wall in a single blow, but all he managed to do was carve a large crater into it.

'I guess expecting to break through it all at once in this weakened body was too expecting too much…' Dawn murmured, glancing at his bruised hand. 

He pulled his arm back, preparing for another swing. 

"Just a few more should do it…" he said, exhaling slowly. 

"Wait."

His action was interrupted when Kiana placed her hand on his shoulder. 

Dawn looked at her, flashing a smile. Despite his outward calm, he was slightly annoyed by the interruption. 

'Is she still worried? I'd prefer if they just let me do what I need to—'

His thoughts were cut off when Kiana assumed a fighting stance, pulling back her arm and channeling her energy. 

"You said all we have to do is break through it, right?" she asserted.

"Huh…?"

In the next moment, she thrust her fist forward. Her arm blurred as it slammed into the very same spot Dawn had hit. 

Dawn's eyes widened as the wall crumbled on impact and was blown away. 

"…Huh?" he blurted out, utterly stunned. "In just one hit…?"

"Ah— there really was something on the other side."

"I thought he was going to get us killed but he was right."

"But more importantly, she's incredibly strong."

Their fellow awakened began to murmur amongst themselves as they drew closer. Kiana, meanwhile, looked proudly at the path she'd created, a beaming smile on her face.

She then slowly turned to face Dawn, intending to acknowledge his idea.

"It was just like you said…" 

However, her words trailed off as she realized that Dawn was long gone, having left no trace behind.

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"What on earth was that…?" Dawn murmured to himself in dismay as he jogged down the path, continuing to dodge the traps as usual. "She took down the wall with just one punch? She's in the awakened stage just like me, but how is she so strong?!"

As he jogged, his eyes welled up with fear. It had been an hour since the wall incident, but his thoughts kept circling back to it.

"Also, how long is this place…?" He grumbled.

He had encountered a few other awakened on the path, but most didn't seem to notice him until he overtook them. They were moving much slower and more cautiously than him, enabling him to pass by easily.

One thing he noticed was that most didn't detect his presence until he was already past them.

'Maybe this is due to my final skill…?' he wondered.

[Stealth Mastery Lv. 1] (Passive)

[Mastery: 5.32%]

[This skill enhances the user's stealth, making them harder to detect. The effectiveness scales directly with the skill's mastery level.]

His suspicion was confirmed.

'Another handy skill… I wasn't even trying to hide my presence most of the time, but they still didn't notice me… The mastery level is quite high too.'

He turned his eyes away from the information displayed in his vision and focused on the long, cave-like corridor ahead.

'I'm starting to get tired…' he thought.

Just then, two notifications appeared.

[You sense an increase in your stamina.]

[Your senses sharpen, expanding your perception.]

'Oh... this is just like before, but different. I suppose this means I'm making progress... that's good and all, but I really wish the end of this path would come sooner. I've been running for hours...'

Just as he finished that thought, Dawn spotted something just up ahead. It was the end of the path.

'Finally, the exit!' Dawn exhaled, relieved.