The city never slept.
Neon lights flickered.
Voices echoed.
Distant sirens blended into the night.
Blaine walked silently through the streets.
Observing.
Learning.
Everything here was different.
Stronger.
Dangerous.
And yet—
No one cared.
People walked past him without a glance.
Because he looked…
Weak.
"…"
Blaine didn't react.
He understood.
In this world—
Strength decided your worth.
Nothing else.
He stopped at a narrow alley.
Dark.
Quiet.
Perfect.
A faint sound echoed from inside.
Footsteps.
Three figures.
Laughing.
"…easy money…"
"…kid didn't even fight back…"
"…pathetic…"
Blaine stepped inside.
The alley smelled of blood.
Fresh.
At the end—
A boy lay on the ground.
Unconscious.
Three men stood nearby.
Rough.
Dirty.
Weak.
But stronger than normal humans.
One of them noticed Blaine.
"…what do you want?"
Blaine didn't answer.
He simply walked forward.
Slow.
Calm.
The men exchanged looks.
Then—
They laughed.
"…another idiot…"
One stepped forward.
"You lost?"
No response.
"…or you wanna die?"
Still nothing.
Blaine stopped.
Right in front of him.
The man smirked.
Then—
He swung.
Fast.
Faster than normal humans.
But—
Blaine moved.
A slight tilt.
The punch missed.
"—what?!"
Before the man could react—
Blaine's hand shot forward.
CRACK.
A direct hit to the throat.
The man collapsed instantly.
Silence.
The other two froze.
"…you—"
Too late.
Blaine moved again.
Fast.
Precise.
One step—
A punch.
BOOM.
The second man was thrown into the wall.
Blood splattered.
The third panicked.
"…monster—!"
He turned to run.
But—
Blaine was already behind him.
A hand grabbed his head.
And slammed it down.
CRASH.
The ground cracked.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Still.
Blaine stood there.
Breathing steady.
No emotion.
He looked down at them.
Weak.
Too weak.
Not even worth effort.
A faint notification appeared.
[Strength +1]
[Current Strength: 6]
"…"
So this was how it worked.
Fight.
Win.
Grow stronger.
Simple.
Blaine turned his head slightly.
The unconscious boy…
Was awake.
Watching him.
Fear in his eyes.
"…t-thank you…"
Blaine stared at him.
Silent.
Then—
He walked away.
No reply.
No hesitation.
Because this—
Wasn't kindness.
It was practice.
Nothing more.
The boy trembled.
As Blaine disappeared into the darkness.
The system flickered again.
Waiting.
For the next hunt.
Blaine's eyes grew colder.
Because now—
He understood something important.
This city…
Was full of prey.