The room was unnaturally still.
The assassin's presence had already faded, but the tension lingered like a blade pressed against the throat. Jiang Chen stood near the shattered wall, his expression calm but his senses fully alert.
"That wasn't the last one," he said quietly.
Lin Xue nodded. "No."
Before either of them could say more, a sharp gust tore through the corridor.
Boom!
The door exploded inward.
Three cloaked figures stepped through the debris—silent, motionless, and carrying the same unnatural presence as before.
"Told you it wouldn't stop!" Chen Yu's voice rang out as he rushed in from behind, his injured shoulder ignored as his aura flared.
Han Wei followed with a sharp grin. "Now this is more like it."
Zhou Yan entered last, eyes already locked onto the enemies. "Formation."
The team moved instantly. Chen Yu took the front, his defensive qi solid as a wall. Han Wei shifted left, explosive energy gathering in his fists. Lin Xue stepped right, frost spreading across the ground. Zhou Yan remained slightly behind, observing. Jiang Chen stood at the center.
"Four hunters," Zhou Yan murmured.
Jiang Chen shook his head slightly. "No. Three visible."
A split second later—
Shhk!
A blade shot out from the shadows behind Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan reacted, but Jiang Chen was faster.
Clang!
Golden qi flared as Jiang Chen intercepted the strike midair, deflecting the hidden assassin's blade.
"Five," Jiang Chen corrected calmly.
The battle erupted.
Chen Yu roared as he charged forward, taking on two assassins head-on. Their thread-like energy slashed against his defenses, cracking his protective qi—but not breaking it.
"You'll need more than that!" he shouted.
Han Wei lunged in next, laughter ringing out. "Explosive Fist!"
Boom!
The blast forced one assassin back, but the figure phased through part of the attack, minimizing the damage.
"Annoying ability…" Han Wei muttered.
Lin Xue raised her hand. "Frost Domain—Lockdown Field!"
Ice spread rapidly across the battlefield, freezing sections of the ground and restricting movement. The assassins slowed, just enough.
"Limit their movement," she said.
"Now," Zhou Yan added sharply.
He moved with precision, striking at key points and forcing the assassins into predictable paths. Every motion was calculated, every step controlled.
Jiang Chen watched everything.
Every movement.
Every delay.
Every flaw.
There.
One assassin lagged by the smallest margin.
Jiang Chen stepped forward despite the pain tearing through his body.
"Primordial Strike—Focused Convergence!"
Boom!
The strike landed cleanly, sending the assassin crashing through the wall. The cloak tore, revealing a pale, emotionless face beneath.
"One down," Han Wei grinned.
"No," Zhou Yan said immediately.
The fallen assassin's body dissolved into strands of energy and vanished.
"They're not dying," Chen Yu muttered.
"They're reporting," Jiang Chen replied.
The remaining assassins shifted instantly—their movements becoming faster, sharper, more aggressive.
"They're adapting," Lin Xue whispered.
Jiang Chen's eyes flickered.
So it's not just me.
The system pulsed in his vision:
[Enemy Adaptation Detected]
[Recommendation: Escalate Output]
Jiang Chen exhaled slowly. "Fine."
Golden qi surged through his body—but beneath it, something deeper stirred.
The Origin Thread.
It flickered into existence around his fingers, thin and unstable.
Lin Xue noticed immediately. "Jiang Chen—"
"I know."
He didn't release it fully. Just enough.
The air distorted.
For a brief moment, everything slowed.
The assassins' movements became clear—predictable.
Jiang Chen stepped forward.
One step. Two.
Then he struck.
Not with overwhelming force—but with perfect precision.
Tap.
The Origin Thread made contact.
The assassin froze.
Then collapsed.
Gone.
Not dissolved.
Erased.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Even Zhou Yan's composure cracked slightly.
"What… was that?" Chen Yu whispered.
Jiang Chen didn't answer—because the backlash hit.
Crack.
Pain exploded through his body. His vision blurred as he staggered, nearly collapsing.
Lin Xue caught him immediately. "You idiot…"
The remaining assassins paused.
Then, without hesitation—
They retreated.
Vanishing into the shadows.
Gone.
The battle was over.
"…They ran," Han Wei said.
"No," Zhou Yan replied.
"They learned."
Jiang Chen steadied himself, breathing heavily as his body trembled.
"Next time…" he said quietly, eyes darkening,
"…they'll come prepared."
The system flickered violently:
[Origin Usage Detected]
[Stability: Critical]
[Warning: Next Use May Cause Collapse]
Far away, in the depths of darkness, several figures stood in silence.
"Confirmed."
"He can use it."
"Accelerate the hunt."
A final command echoed:
"Send the next rank."
And somewhere, something far more dangerous began to stir.