When "UI" Chose Him
The word stayed in his head. "UI." Riven sat alone on the edge of the village, staring at nothing in particular. The system window still felt… present. Waiting. Silent. "…Should I try it?" he muttered. His fingers twitched slightly. But then— He remembered. "Don't use it unless it's needed." Those words weren't written. But they felt… implied. Like a warning hidden between the lines. Riven exhaled slowly. "…Yeah… not now." He stood up. "…Not yet." Scene shifted. Days passed. The party split temporarily. Different missions. Different paths. Riven preferred it that way. Less eyes. Less questions. More freedom. More growth. Dungeon after dungeon— He cleared them. Efficient. Silent. Stronger each time. But something felt off. Like something was waiting. Watching. And then— He found it. A dungeon unlike the others. The entrance alone felt… wrong. Heavy. Oppressive. Darker than it should be. Riven stopped in front of it. His instincts screamed. Don't enter. But his feet moved anyway. "…Let's see…" He stepped inside. The moment he crossed the gate— The air changed. Completely. No monsters. No sound. Just… pressure. A presence so overwhelming it felt physical. Riven's body tensed instantly. His breathing slowed. "…This is…" His eyes narrowed. Then— He saw him. Standing in the darkness. Still. Calm. Waiting. A man. Tall. Lean. Dangerous. His presence alone crushed the space around him. Gun Park. The Shiro Oni. Riven's eyes widened slightly. "…You…" A flicker of recognition crossed his mind. Daniel's memory. His master. "…You're here…" For a second— Riven thought… Maybe this was help. Maybe this was guidance. He stepped forward slightly. "…Are you—" No answer. Gun didn't move. Didn't react. Didn't acknowledge him. Riven frowned. "…Can you hear me?" Silence. Then— Gun's head tilted slightly. And in the next instant— He disappeared. Riven's eyes widened. "…What—?!" Too late. THUD. A punch landed. Clean. Direct. Riven's body flew back—crashing into the wall hard. "…GHH—!" His breath left instantly. His vision shook. "…That was—" Before he could finish— Gun was already in front of him again. Fast. Too fast. Another strike. Another impact. No hesitation. No mercy. Riven barely blocked—but the force broke through anyway. "…Why—?!" No answer. Only attacks. Relentless. Perfect. Riven pushed himself up. His stance shifted. Kyokushin Karate. He moved. Countered. Struck back. But— It didn't matter. Gun blocked everything. Effortlessly. Like he already knew every move. "…This isn't working—!" Riven stepped back. His hand rose. Chakra gathered. "…Then take this—!" Shadow clones appeared. Multiple. Surrounding Gun. They attacked together. Coordinated. Precise. Gun didn't move. Then— He moved once. And everything broke. Clones disappeared instantly. One hit each. Perfect. Clean. No wasted motion. Riven's eyes widened. "…Impossible…" Rasengan formed in his hand. He rushed forward. Full speed. Full power. "…RASENGAN—!" Gun caught it. Barehanded. The energy spun violently—but didn't explode. Didn't break through. Gun looked at it. Then at Riven. And smiled. Not impressed. Not surprised. Just… entertained. "…Is this it?" The Rasengan shattered. Riven froze. Gun stepped forward. One punch. Straight. Clean. Direct. To the chest. Riven's body went still. Completely. His heart… stopped. Silence. Everything went dark. Then— The system appeared. "Critical Condition Detected.""Heart Activity: Stopped.""Emergency Protocol Available.""Activate Skill: UI?"YES / NO Riven's consciousness flickered. Fading. Breaking. But one thought remained. Not enough… His lips barely moved. "…Yes…" Silence. Then— Something snapped. His body jerked slightly. His heart beat again. Once. Then again. Then stronger. His eyes opened. But not the same. Different. Calm. Empty. Controlled. UI activated. The aura around him changed completely. Not wild like before. Not emotional. Pure. Efficient. Perfect. Gun stepped back slightly. For the first time— He reacted. And then— He smiled wider. Excited. Genuinely. "…Ah…" His voice carried interest now. Real interest. "…So you do have it." Riven stood up slowly. No wasted movement. No hesitation. No emotion visible. Gun cracked his neck slightly. "…Now…" His grin widened. "…the real fun begins." The chapter ends. 🔥