The creature didn't move.
It watched.
Its eyes fixed on Aarav with a strange level of awareness.
That alone was enough to change everything.
"…You're thinking," Aarav said quietly.
That wasn't normal.
The earlier one had attacked blindly.
This one—
Waited.
Calculated.
The air grew heavier.
The alley felt narrower.
More suffocating.
Aarav adjusted his stance slightly, tightening his grip on the metal rod.
"…Alright," he muttered.
"Let's see who adapts faster."
The creature moved first.
Not a reckless charge.
A feint.
Its body shifted slightly—
Then suddenly lunged from a different angle.
Aarav's eyes sharpened.
The screen flickered in his vision.
[ P A T T E R N R E A D I N G A C T I V E ]
He stepped back instantly.
Barely avoiding the claw that sliced through the air where he had just been.
"…Faster," he noted.
The creature didn't stop.
Another attack.
Then another.
Each one sharper.
More precise.
Aarav moved.
Dodged.
Shifted.
But this time—
It wasn't easy.
"…It's changing mid-fight."
That was bad.
Very bad.
The creature wasn't just attacking.
It was learning.
Aarav stepped to the side again—
But this time—
He was late.
Slash.
A sharp pain cut across his arm.
He jumped back immediately, putting distance between them.
"…Tch."
A thin line of blood ran down his sleeve.
Not deep.
But enough.
"…So I can still get hit."
The creature let out a low growl.
Almost… satisfied.
Aarav exhaled slowly.
His heartbeat was still steady.
But his focus sharpened.
"…Good."
Because now—
This was real.
The screen flickered harder.
Struggling.
[ A N A L Y S I S I N C O M P L E T E ]
[ A D A P T I N G . . . ]
Aarav's eyes narrowed.
"…Then adapt faster."
The creature lunged again.
This time—
Aarav didn't dodge immediately.
He waited.
A fraction of a second longer.
Watched the movement.
Tracked the shift.
And then—
Moved.
A sharp step forward.
Not away.
Inside the attack.
The claw missed.
Aarav's rod came down hard.
Crack.
The creature staggered.
But didn't fall.
It retaliated instantly.
Aarav blocked.
Barely.
The impact pushed him back.
"…Stronger too."
The screen flickered again.
Faster.
More aggressively.
[ P A T T E R N R E A D I N G E N H A N C E D ]
Aarav froze for a split second.
"…Enhanced?"
The world—
Changed.
Not physically.
But in his perception.
The creature's movements slowed.
Not in reality.
But in clarity.
Lines.
Angles.
Possibilities.
He could see them.
"…I get it now."
The creature attacked again.
But this time—
Aarav was ready.
He moved smoothly.
Effortlessly.
Each step precise.
Each motion calculated.
The difference was clear.
But—
The creature changed again.
Mid-motion.
Breaking the pattern.
Aarav's eyes widened slightly.
"…You—"
Too late.
Thud.
The creature's body slammed into him.
Aarav hit the wall hard, the air knocked out of his lungs.
"…!"
Pain spread through his back.
His grip loosened slightly.
The rod nearly slipped from his hand.
The creature didn't wait.
It charged again.
Faster.
Closer.
More aggressive than before.
Aarav forced himself up.
"…Still not enough."
The screen flickered violently.
Unstable.
Pushing itself.
[ O V E R L O A D ]
[ O V E R L O A D ]
[ O V E R L O A D ]
Aarav's vision blurred slightly.
"…That's not good."
His body felt heavier.
His mind strained.
But the creature—
Didn't stop.
It was already in front of him.
Claw raised.
Ready to strike.
Aarav tightened his grip.
Eyes focused.
Mind sharp.
"…One more move."
Because right now—
It wasn't about winning.
It was about surviving.