Liam lay on the soft mattress, eyes fixed on the blinking notification in his system interface. It had been buzzing silently since midnight, but he hadnât had the timeâor energyâto check it.
Until now.
With a single mental click, the screen popped open.
And what he saw made him sit upright instantly.
[Mission: Destroy Crimson Handâs Brothel â COMPLETED]
[All Stats +10]
[EXP +500]
[New Skill Unlocked â Dragon Step Lv. 1]
Then followed his current stats:
[Liam Carter]
[Strength: 34 / 1000]
[Agility: 32 / 1000]
[Endurance: 28 / 1000]
[Intelligence: 28 / 1000]
[EXP: 950 / 1000]
Liam blinked.
Wait... 950?
The +500 EXP reward made sense. But where had the other 450 come from?
Then it hit him like a jolt of lightning.
Oh... right.
The night with Ann. That ridiculously long, intense nightâthey hadnât stopped until their bodies gave out. The system mustâve considered that a worthy feat. That, and the Crimson Hand members he had taken out... all of it had quietly stacked up.
He scratched the back of his head and smirked. "Damn. Guess Iâve been grinding without realizing."
But the stat boost wasnât what kept his eyes glued to the screen.
Dragon Step.
That name alone carried weight. He tapped it curiously.
Instead of a block of text, a video appearedâdark background, two figures: one black, the other white. The black one assumed a defensive stance while the white one stood tall, relaxed... and then moved.
In an instant, the white figure vanished from its spot. No sound. No trail. Justâmovement.
Like a ghost.
A streak of motionâimpossibly fast. One moment he was feet away. The next, he was directly in front of his opponent. Feet sliding across the ground with absolute precision. Not a run. Not a dash.
A dance.
Then came the palm strikeâdirect, explosive, fluid. The black figure reeled back. It wasnât just speed that made Dragon Step lethal. It was the combination of agility, rhythm, and pure intent. Footwork like water, strikes like lightning.
Liamâs jaw clenched.
That... was beautiful.
He tossed the blanket aside and stood up, eyes glowing with focus. He couldnât explain it, but something about that movement called to him. He had to try it.
Positioning his body in the same stance, Liam exhaled slowly. He concentrated. Relaxed his legs. Thenâ
He moved.
It wasnât perfect, but holy hell, it worked.
His foot glided silently across the floor as his body leaned forward. Before he knew it, he was on the other side of the room. There was a faint thump where his feet landed, but for a first attempt, it was almost surreal.
He spun around, slightly breathless, eyes wide.
I actually did it?
No... not fully. His version lacked the finesse of the systemâs figure. The grace. The deadly elegance. His own step was raw, powerfulâbut unrefined.
Not good enough.
He reset his stance, narrowing his eyes.
Again.
He moved.
Then again.
And again.
He didnât care how much time has passed. Didnât care how tired he was. His body was aching from the long drive earlier, but that didnât matter now. His heartbeat picked upânot from exhaustion, but from excitement.
Each repetition brought him closer. Each movement, more precise. His feet began gliding instead of stomping. His balance shifted more naturally. The rhythmâthe danceâwas beginning to settle in his bones.
There was no one here to cheer him on. No reward waiting at the end of each perfect execution.
But Liam didnât stop.
Because now, he had something new.
A weapon that danced in the shadows.
And he would master it.
Liam kept practicing the Dragon Step, over and over again. Each time he tried, he felt himself getting a little faster, a little smootherâbut it still wasnât perfect. His feet slid across the floor, and though his body moved with growing precision, he could feel the weight of fatigue building. His muscles ached, his breathing turned ragged, and beads of sweat ran down the sides of his face, dripping from his jawline onto the floor.
The room was hot now. His shirt clung to his body, soaked and sticking to his back. His hair was damp and matted to his forehead, the strands plastered down in a mess of sweat. Still, he didnât stop.
But eventually, even his endurance had its limit. He stumbled slightly during a step and leaned against the wall, groaning in exhaustion.
Thenâa knock.
Liam clenched his fist and gently hit the wall beside him in frustration. Seriously? Now? He was sure it had to be Lilith again. Maybe she came to complain about how his practice was disturbing her, or maybe to drag him into some annoying errand. Either way, he wasnât in the mood.
Still dripping with sweat, he opened the door. But to his surpriseâit wasnât Lilith.
It was Ella.
She stood at the door, blinking in mild surprise. Her eyes swept over him quickly. His face was damp, his shirt stuck to his body, and his chest rose and fell with every breath. His hair, wet and messy, made him look like he just walked out of a magazine photo shoot. And there was something elseâsomething subtle but powerful. His aura. It had changed. Sharpened. Stronger. And she could feel it.
Ella stammered, just a bit. "IâI didnât know you were... training or... whatever youâre doing."
Liam ran a hand through his sweaty hair. "Yeah. Something like that."
She took a moment to compose herself before speaking again. "Lilith wants us to go around the city, and she wants you and me to come along."
Liam narrowed his eyes slightly. "Lilith wants to sightsee? That doesnât sound like her."
"Itâs not sightseeing," Ella replied. "Sheâs making her rounds. Business visits, I guess. Just wants backupâmore like company."
Liam sighed and leaned his shoulder against the doorframe. "Alright. Iâll join you guys after I clean up."
Ella nodded and turned away, but not without sneaking one last glance at him before walking off.
Back inside, Liam stripped off his soaked shirt and tossed it aside. He took a moment to breathe before heading into the bathroom. The cold water hit his skin and sent a refreshing shiver through his body. He stayed under the showerhead for a long time, letting the fatigue slowly melt away. The sound of music filled the bathroomâsomething slow, calm. Just for relaxation.
He wasnât rushing. He knew Lilith was probably outside tapping her foot or scowling in frustration. That only made him take his time. It was fun messing with her. After all, she was the one who dragged him along in the first place.
Eventually, he stepped out of the shower, dried off, and dressed in a clean outfitâsimple jeans, a casual black shirt, and sneakers. He looked effortlessly good. No effort. No styling. Just him being him. The systemâs passive boosts were starting to show in the little things. His posture. His skin. His eyes. Everything about him was sharpening.
As he stepped out into the passage, heading toward the front area, he turned the cornerâand collided with someone.
Bam!
Lilith.
She was storming forward and didnât expect to see Liam exiting at that moment. The sudden bump sent her stumbling backward.
But before she could hit the ground, Liamâs arm shot out. His reflexes were sharpâtoo sharp. One arm caught her around the waist. Her body bent slightly backward, cradled in his arms, while his leaned over her protectively.
The two of them froze there. Just for a second.
Lilithâs sharp eyes met his, her face inches from his. Her golden-blonde hair swayed gently from the momentum, and her blazer shifted, revealing a hint of her silky black shirt beneath.
Liam stared.
Damn... she smells good.
Lilithâs lips parted slightly as her expression softenedâjust for a second. Then she whispered, "Liam..."
Liam blinked. He wasnât sure what to expect next. A thank you? A smirk? A flirtatious tease?
But what came next completely caught him off guard.
"...Why the fuck is your hand on my breast?"
Liam froze.
He tilted his head down slowlyâand there it was.
His other hand.
Resting.
Firmly.
Right on Lilithâs chest.
His heart skipped a beat. "Ohâshit."
He immediately straightened up and helped her do the same, pulling his hand away as fast as lightning.
"I-I didnât meanâ I wasnât trying toâ" he stammered.
Lilith dusted herself off casually, not saying anything at first. Her face had a strange calm to it... one that made it hard to tell if she was pissed off or secretly amused.
Liam cleared his throat, still visibly awkward. "Sorry. Reflexes."
Lilith finally gave a half-smile. "Next time your reflexes touch me like that again, Iâm chopping your hands off."
Liam nodded quickly. "Noted."
And yet, even as she walked past him, her eyes trailed to him one last time.
The worst part?
She didnât look mad.
Not at all.