Death

Bang!

The bullet slammed straight into Archie's midsection.

The inertia propelled him

backwards, knocking him straight into a wooden stool.

His body instantly crumbled on the floor. Pieces of wood flying everywhere.

Confused, Archie tried propping himself up with his hands only to fall back down.

Powerless, Archie strength left him slowly but surely, as his body fell to the floor.

Realisation dawn on him as he laid in the floor.

His body feeling a little cold. He was scared at the face of death. There was no blood though as the bullets abominable effects got activated.

His whole life flashed before his eyes.

He began to think about the things he had done in the past, things he regrets doing. If he had the opportunity to redo somethings in his life, he surprisingly didn't regret a single thing he also wouldn't change a single thing as he already did his best trying to become an Awakened but if he was going to die trying to pursue his dreams, he has nothing to say about that.

His parents were right though, going down the road he went, would lead to death.

His time had come, death really came for him.

He couldn't help but chuckle with blood dripping out from his mouth.

He move his eyes downward towards the gaping hole on his right ribs.

A moment of observation shows a purplish colour fluid like substance began spreading outwards like a plague from the bullets hole towards his body. He was very scared but his eye gradually lost the despair imprinted in it.

…

Meanwhile, the old trader was in disbelief. He missed! He couldn't help but shout in his head. As he saw Fergus body fade out like a pile of smoke puffing out dark clouds.

His mind went dull from realisation. He could only mumble two words— Combat Tactics. In the mundane world, people knew about combat tactics but only as a legend.

The common fact about legends is that they were not supposed to exist.

They only exists in theory and even Arch thought them unreal. No one in the mundane world ever thought it real.

The old trader though was a man not if the mundane world. He was quite knowledgeable about the existence of combat tactics but it is very rare to come into contact with one.

Most famed auctions mostly sold combat tactics annually because of its rarity and its astronomical price.

The old trader once had the opportunity to bump into an auction which was selling a combat tactic at the time.

When he heard the amount, he gave up thoughts of ever possessing one. He got up immediately and left. How could he not, the price was unreasonably expensive — A hundred and fifty bloody orb!!! It broke him.

Being an Awakened, one could be regarded as a being standing at the peak of the human race in the mundane world that is, but it is only the beginning. Once they awaken their attributes depending on the colours of tendril emerging from them, actions that defy logic and reasoning would become like child's play to them.

An awakened could block bullets from a machine gun for a certain period of time if he or she was prepared for it.

But an awakened with combat tactics arts would be like adding wing to an already ferocious tiger.

Dealing with several armed men wasn't an a problem.

Calling them a one man army wasn't an exaggeration either because they could literally tear a squad apart if given for chance to.

Since combat tactics were very rare, those who could possess one either come from a very prominent family or those who were destined to find a legacy ruin which contains several resources to cultivate oneself to an higher level.

But now, a random stranger who came to his shop to purchase things actually cultivates a combat tactics. Since the cloaked man came to the black market under the jurisdiction of those ruling the slums, that means he was just a regular lucky nobody. As those from the nobles wouldn't be bothered to step into these particular section. But he couldn't be anymore wrong.

Fergus was really from a noble family, his only downfall was being an illegitimate son of a useless young master.

What made it worse is that he wasn't a talented awakened.

He was left to fend for himself once the elders realised giving an illegitimate child of the clan resources without being talented was a waste, so they cut off his supply.

The old man trader was ecstatic. Greed filled his eyes.

Too late to notice what was coming for him.

Chi!

Suddenly, he froze, his eyes filled with both disbelief and despair.

He looked down at the bloody steel rod piercing out from his chest.

Fergus had appeared directly behind the old man. Picked up the steel rod close to him. He stabbed out without a trace of hesitation

Although, he was happy about his breakthrough, the old trader still needed to die.

"In your next life, make sure to be an honest man. Anyhow, thanks for your help." Fergus said as he watched the old man collapsed on the floor.

The old man didn't die directly though. But of course, an awakened possess astonishing vitality making them very difficult to kill unless it was a fatal strike to the heart, lungs, head and kidneys.

"y-yo-you wou-would not get away, they will catch you."

Fergus chuckled at the old man words last words. "They wouldn't dare, old man." he watched as life left the old man.

Fergus stabbed again at the old man's heart, making sure he was really dead and not playing any tricks.

After making sure the old man was really dead, he hurriedly searched the old man's body for loots. As an old trader, he was sure to own lots of treasure. He didn't wait to inspect the objects he saw, he left as soon as possible without glancing at the person who indirectly but literally took a bullet for him.

Arch wasn't dead by the time Fergus left. But he was very angry seeing Fergus leave the shop. Sadly enough, he couldn't do anything about it.

The purplish substance had spread from his ribs to his neck down to his waist, it was torture for him. He could only shed tears and endure the pain.

He struggled to hold on, he was unwilling to die just like that.