The Hooded Man[2]

   Meanwhile, the grin on the hooded man's face widened, and his face turned to the sky as he started laughing maniacally.

   "Hahaha! Hahaha!" He laughed, his hands rubbing his face in excitement. "This is why i love [Turtle Magic], it's just… perfect!" 

   He flashed a sinister smirk at Aria, before suddenly jumping down from the building, with the black bow tightly held in his hands.

Whoosh!

   Despite the roof being so far up from the ground, he gracefully descended, landing on his feet without breaking a single bone.

   "I see… you all seem to be kids, not that I'm complaining." He said, gently walking towards them.

   "Who said mana beasts and zombies were all we had to kill to level up? Levelling up by killing humans is more fun!" He said with a wide smirk, opening his arms as if to give a hug.

   The man pulled down his hoodie, revealing his face to them. He had short brown hair, along with pitch black eyes, and everything about his face was just average.

   His appearance suggested he was in his mid twenties, and his face looked every bit like an average Joe's—a face you'd see once and forget in a few seconds. 

   As Blake's eyes locked with the man's, he felt a chill run down his spine. From his words, it was clear this wasn't the first time the man would be doing something like this—hunting and killing people.

  Edward's heart thumped loudly within his chest as he stared at the face of his brother's killer.

   Unlike the other two, he didn't feel anything else, except pure, rage towards the man.

   He wanted nothing more than to draw his sword and slice the man's head off, however, he was forced to looked on, as his hand sluggishly moved towards hilt of his sword.

   He tried activating his skills, in a desperate attempt to break free from the green circle, but none of them seemed to be working.

  At the sluggish pace his body was moving, he was sure thirty minutes could pass, and he still wouldn't have drawn his sword. 

   This only made his rage burn brighter, but he couldn't do anything… he was rendered helpless, and weak.

   "Each of you seem quite strong, but struggling is pointless. Not only does [Turtle Magic] cancel out almost all your body's kinetic energy, it also stops you from activating any skill." The man said, unexpectedly putting the bow away. 

   "You're all helpless now, but still, I would gain a lot from killing you." 

   He suddenly pulled out a pair of dark green daggers from his side, and the smirk on his face widened.

   "Let's start with you!" He said, swiftly dashing towards Blake, with his dagger aimed right at his throat.

   It was as if time slowed for Blake, and different thoughts started flashing through his mind.

   Was this the end? Was this how he was going to die, just slit through the throat… without being even able to fight back? 

   Perhaps it was true what they say, about a person's life flashing before them moments before their death.

   As Blake faced the imminent danger of death, an array of vivid memories flooded his mind like a cascade. 

   He saw fleeting glimpses of childhood laughter, moments of triumph, and the faces of those he held dear. 

   The scenes replayed in a rapid succession, creating a mosaic of his entire life right before his eyes, down to when the apocalypse arrived on the planet.

   The image of his parent's death rapidly replayed in his mind, and the words his mother said to him a few moments before her death echoed in his mind: "Don't die."

    'I can't die… not yet!' He exclaimed within him, that particular phrase reverberating in his mind. 

   He felt a familiar burning sensation light up within his chest and unbeknownst to him, his eyes brightly shone with a strange red glint.

   Just as the blade was about to reach his neck, he suddenly broke free from the sluggish effect of the large green circle, and his normal speed immediately returned to him. 

   'Accelerate!!' He thought, swiftly boosting his speed, before lunging towards the man.

  'What?!' The man's eyes widened in shock, as he watched the boy charge at him at insane speed.

   His gaze locked with Blake's glowing red eyes, and for some reason, his body shivered in fear, causing his speed to falter. 

   He didn't understand… the other two were still trapped within the spell circle, so how the hell was he able to move?!

   'And I can swear his eye—' Before he could properly arrange his thoughts, Blake's hand abruptly filled his vision.

   'Lightning Ball!' Blake thought, and immediately, a crackling lightning ball materialised in front of his palm.

Blitz!!

Szzz!!!

   Within a split second, the lightning ball slammed against the man's face, instantly detonating in an explosion of lightning.

   "Arrgh!!!" The man screamed in agony, as ferocious lightning sparks rapidly roasted his brains.

   The force behind the explosion burnt down his whole face, leaving nothing but blackened skull and some pieces of burnt flesh jutting out at the sides.

Whoosh! 

   While he was still wailing in agony, Edward swiftly appeared behind him, his eyes burning with rage.

  The blade of his sword speedily lit up in bright red flames, the flames burning even fiercer than the last time.

Whoosh!!

   With a swift slash, he swung his sword towards the man's neck, cleanly slicing off his head.

  The moment Blake burnt the man's face using [Lightning Ball], the strange green circle unexpectedly disintegrated into tiny green particles, freeing Edward and Aria also.

    The second Edward realised he was free, he didn't waste any time before charging towards his brother's killer in rage.

  The man's head flew up in the air, with a frozen expression on his face. Strangely, no blood was split, as the flames on Edward's blade completely melted the flesh shut.

Thud!

   It landed on the ground with a low thud, rolling for a few seconds before stopping right in front of Blake's feet.

   "Huh?" Blake mumbled, his eyes trembling in shock as he stared at the headless body in front of him.

Thud!

   Before long, the headless body also fell to the ground, and Blake shivered subconsciously as it hit the ground.

[You have absorbed the records of Level 23 Human Dennis Sang! Mana +20, Health +10, Strength +9, Agility +20, Stamina +5, Endurance +5, Intelligence +10, Magic Power +12]

[Level up! You have reached Level 18!]

[Level up Rewards: +5 status points]

[Level Up! You have reached Level 19!]

[Level up Rewards: +5 status points]

[Level up! You have reached Level 20!]

[Level up Rewards: +5 status points]

   Numerous notifications flashed across his eyes, however, everything felt like a blur to him.

   Only one thing kept sounding in his head as he stared at the lifeless head that laid beneath his feet. 'We… just killed a person…' He mumbled inwardly, his hands trembling in shock.

***

Don't forget to drop golden tickets and power stones to support this novel if you're enjoying it.