The First Kill

CHAPTER SIX

The moment my knife entered the creature's chest, I knew something was wrong.

There was no resistance. The blade passed through its body as if I had stabbed a cloud of smoke. My eyes widened.

I twisted my body just as a black claw swept across the space where my head had been. I hit the ground and rolled. The claw struck the stone floor.

BOOM!

Chunks of ancient stone exploded into the air as I pushed myself backward and stared at the Shadow-Stalker.

It was exactly as I remembered.

Nearly three meters tall, its body constantly shifting between solid flesh and thick black smoke. Its arms were too long for its body, ending in curved obsidian claws capable of slicing through steel. Two violet eyes burned inside the darkness where its face should have been.

But there was one difference. It was looking directly at me, as it knew that I know it.

In my first life, I had never been this close to the creature when it emerged. I had arrived three days later.

By then, the Shadow-Stalker had already killed dozens of people, and the military had weakened it with heavy weapons before I finally helped finish it.

This time, there was no military. No experienced hunters. No backup.

Just me.

And a body that hadn't experienced the apocalypse yet. The Shadow-Stalker let out another shriek. My teeth clenched.

"Not this time."

It vanished, I remembered that the monster can blend in the shadows.

The Shadow-Stalker didn't simply move quickly. I immediately rolled to my left. A black claw erupted from the darkness behind me.

It missed my back by an inch. I swung my knife without looking. The blade sliced through something.

A violent shriek filled the basement. The Shadow-Stalker reappeared several meters away, one of its fingers lying on the ground.

I stared at the severed claw. Then I smiled. So the Widow-Maker could hurt it, that's the name I gave my sword.

The monster stared at its missing finger. I saw something that wasn't rage in those violet eyes. It was surprise. I tightened my grip around the knife.

"Come on."

The creature charged. This time, I didn't move backward. I ran toward it. Its claws swung toward my chest. I dodged it, and it passed over my head.

The claw came again from the opposite direction. I twisted sideways, feeling the sharp edge tear through my shirt and slice across my ribs. Pain exploded through my side. I ignored it.

My foot slammed against the floor as I pushed myself forward. I remembered the weakness. The Shadow-Stalker's core wasn't in its chest. It was beneath the left shoulder.

A small mass of condensed shadow protected by layers of shifting darkness. That was where the Seed of Agility would appear.

That was where I needed to strike. The creature raised both claws. I jumped high enough to reach it shoulder. For one terrifying second, I was directly in front of its face.

Those violet eyes stared into mine. I drove the knife underneath its left arm. The blade sank deep. The Shadow-Stalker screamed.

Black smoke exploded from its body. I was thrown backward and crashed into a stone pillar.

My vision blurred.Something warm ran down the side of my face. I touched it, it was my blood.

"Shit."

The monster wasn't dead. Not even close. It ripped the knife out of its body and threw it across the room.

The Widow-Maker clattered against the stone floor. The Shadow-Stalker turned toward me. Its body began expanding. The entire basement darkened. I knew what would come next.

In my first life, this was the attack that killed the first squad sent against it. The creature would release every ounce of condensed shadow inside its body.

It needed one attack, just one chance, if it hit me I would drop dead and that would be the end. My heart hammered, I was already exhausted, my ribs were burning from the claw wound, my legs were trembling like an over weight table.

But I knew something the monster didn't know, I knew exactly where it would attack. I lowered my stance.

The darkness around the Shadow-Stalker began spreading across the floor.

Three seconds.

Two.

One.

The monster vanished. I closed my eyes. Then I moved. Not backward.

Forward.

A massive claw tore through the space behind me. I slid underneath it. My fingers closed around the Widow-Maker.

I twisted, and the blade flashed upward. Straight into the creature's left shoulder. The Shadow-Stalker shrieked. I pushed deeper.

The knife struck something hard. The core. I gritted my teeth and used all my remaining strength to force the blade through it.

CRACK!

The creature stopped moving. The shadows surrounding its body began collapsing. Its violet eyes flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then they went dark. The enormous body disintegrated into black particles that floated through the air like ash.

I remained crouched on the ground, breathing heavily. For several seconds, nothing happened. Then a familiar sound echoed through the basement.

DING!

A translucent blue screen appeared in front of me.

[Congratulations, Host.]

[You have defeated a Level 3 Shadow-Stalker.]

My heart began pounding.

The System. It had finally arrived. Another notification appeared.

[First Monster Kill Completed.]

[Experience acquired.]

[Level increased.]

[Level 1 → Level 2.]

I stared at the screen.

A laugh escaped my lips. It had taken five years for this moment in my previous life. Five years of blood. Five years of death.

Five years of crawling through ruins while stronger survivors took everything from people like me. And now...

I had reached Level 2 within minutes of the apocalypse beginning. But the next notification made my smile disappear.

[Hidden condition detected.]

[Temporal Echo has awakened.]

I stared at the words.My breathing stopped. Then another message appeared.

[The future you remember has officially collapsed.]

[New timeline established.]

My eyes narrowed.

"What?"

Before I could process it, a final notification appeared.

[Special reward generated.]

A small violet crystal materialized where the Shadow-Stalker had died.

I slowly stood.I knew exactly what it was.The Seed of Agility.The first treasure of my new life. I walked toward it and reached down. The moment my fingers touched the crystal, the entire basement shook.

I looked up, the ceiling cracked, dust rained down around me.

Then I heard something from above,Not a monster but human voices, Someone else had entered the cathedral, And judging from the sound of their footsteps, they weren't alone.

I closed my fingers around the Seed of Agility, A cold smile spread across my face.

The apocalypse had begun.

And apparently, I wasn't the only one who had come prepared but I would be faster.