Edge of Survival

I felt a strange, foreign agility in my legs. 

The copied skill surged through me, moving my feet with quick precision—just like his.

A quick look at the skill details confirmed that.

[Skill Name: Quick Footwork

Skill Type: Combat

Mana Cost: 5 Mana Points per activation

Cooldown: 10 seconds

Effect: Increases the user's movement speed and agility by 20%, allowing for faster dodging and maneuvering in combat situations.

Duration: 10 seconds

Limitations: Effectiveness decreases by 5% of 20% for each consecutive use within a 1-minute window, requiring the user to pause to regain full efficiency.]

I twisted out of the path of his next strike; the motion was so smooth it felt unreal.

I had done it. I'd copied his Quick Footwork.

The man blinked, momentarily stunned by my sudden speed. I didn't give him time to react.

With this new burst of agility, I maneuvered around him, finding openings I couldn't have before. 

My heart pounded, but there was no time to celebrate.

Survive. 

Keep moving.

I circled him, testing the limits of this borrowed skill, knowing that every second I delayed gave him another chance to strike.

With my newly gained speed, I slipped past his guard, darting around him in a way that even surprised me. 

[Skill Activated: Quick Footwork]

[Effectiveness Reduced by 5%] 

[Cost: -5 Mana Points]

[Status Update: Mana Points 30 / 50]

Every time the skill's effect ended, I reactivated it. I couldn't afford to slow down, though I felt the effectiveness drop with each use.

I barely understood how I was moving like this, but it didn't matter. I had an advantage, and I couldn't waste it.

I punched him in the side, and he stumbled more from surprise than impact.

My movements still felt awkward, unpolished. The enhanced agility of Quick Footwork gave me the edge, but I was far from mastering it.

The man snarled, turning to face me with a more defensive stance with frustration clear in his eyes.

He hadn't expected this turn, and now he knew he couldn't overpower me as easily as before.

Keep pushing. Don't stop.

But even as I pressed forward, I could feel the strain on my body. 

[Skill Activated: Quick Footwork] 

[Effectiveness Reduced by 10%] 

[Cost: -5 Mana Points] 

[Status Update: Mana Points 25 / 50]

The wound on my abdomen pulsed with pain. This was a constant reminder of how fragile this new body was. 

Every step with the Quick Footwork came at a cost, and it was wearing me down.

The man recovered quickly, his eyes narrowing in frustration. He lunged at me again, his blade cutting through the air with deadly precision. 

But this time, I was ready. 

My feet moved instinctively as Quick Footwork allowed me to sidestep his strike just in time.

Our movements were a dance now—one of desperation and survival. He was still stronger, more experienced, but I had speed on my side. 

[Skill Activated: Quick Footwork] 

[Effectiveness Reduced by 15%] 

[Cost: -5 Mana Points] 

[Status Update: Mana Points 20 / 50]

For every strike he made, I found a way to dodge, though each motion drained my stamina me further. My breathing became ragged, and I could feel my muscles screaming in protest.

[Skill Activated: Quick Footwork] 

[Effectiveness Reduced by 20%] 

[Cost: -5 Mana Points] 

[Status Update: Mana Points 15 / 50]

The man growled, finally enraged by my sudden ability to evade him. 

He doubled down, swinging his blade in a wide arc. I barely avoided it, yet the edge grazed my arm. 

[Status Update: Health Points 28 / 100]

Pain flared, but I couldn't afford to stop. 

I had to keep moving.

But I was slowing. My vision blurred for a moment as the weight of my injuries caught up to me.

I can't keep this up for much longer.

My legs faltered for just a moment, and that was all the opening he needed. 

The man roared, launching himself forward with all the strength he had left with his blade aimed straight for my chest.

[Skill Activated: Quick Footwork] 

[Effectiveness Reduced by 25%] 

[Cost: -5 Mana Points] 

[Status Update: Mana Points 10 / 50]

I barely twisted out of the way, but the blade caught my right side, tearing through flesh and spilling blood.

[Status Update: Health Points 10 / 100]

Pain shot through me, and I gasped, stumbling backward. 

My vision swam.

He was relentless, not giving me time to recover. 

He slashed again, forcing me to dodge awkwardly and every movement was now a struggle against the searing pain. 

[Status Update: Health Points 08 / 100]

I was running out of time, out of strength.

I won't die again. Not like this.

Desperation fueled me. 

My hand tightened into a fist as I gathered what little energy I had left, relying on the Quick Footwork skill again to give me just enough speed to avoid his next strike.

[Skill Activated: Quick Footwork] 

[Effectiveness Reduced by 30%] 

[Cost: -5 Mana Points] 

[Status Update: Mana Points 05 / 50]

My body screamed in agony, and every movement was a test of willpower. 

The copied skill had pushed me further than I thought possible, but I was at my breaking point. 

One more mistake, and it would be over.

The man, sensing my weakness, grinned wickedly. He lunged at me with renewed fury then his blade flashed in the dim cavern light. 

Time seemed to slow as I saw the attack coming with my instincts roaring into focus.

Now or never!

With a desperate burst of speed, I pivoted on my heel as the cavern floor scraped beneath me as I used the last of my borrowed agility to sidestep his attack. 

His blade whistled through the air, missing me by a hair's breadth. The momentum threw him off balance, leaving him wide open.

This was it. 

My pulse hammered in my ears as I gathered every ounce of strength left in me. My fist clenched so tightly it hurt. 

I swung with everything I had.

The impact was jarring as my fist slammed into his jaw with bone-rattling force.

[Status Update: Health Points 07 / 100]

The shockwave reverberated up my arm, and I felt the crack of bone beneath my knuckles. 

He staggered. His eyes widened with shock, as if he hadn't expected me to fight back with such force. Blood sprayed from his mouth, painting the cavern floor in streaks of red.

He dropped to his knees, dazed, and his grip on the blade slackened. I towered over him with my chest heaving and my hands were still shaking with adrenaline. 

The weight of what I had just done crashed over me, but there was no turning back now.

As my assailant crumpled to the ground with his blade clattering uselessly beside him, I stood over his slumped form, panting as my vision blurred at the edges. 

The cavern echoed with the fading sounds of the fight, and the oppressive silence slowly returned.

I looked down at my trembling hands. The ache in my knuckles was a stark reminder of the violence I had just unleashed. 

The force of the punch, the way his jaw crunched under my fist—it wasn't just self-defense anymore. 

It felt like survival at any cost.

I hadn't wanted to kill him. 

Or had I?