The lower circles of Rothveil were smoking lungs. Most of the buildings caved in as though the spine of the city had been fractured and silence was a heavy as oil... waiting, watching.
Lucen was wounded, was bleeding.
It is not desperate.
Not in anger.
Nor out of revenge.
From calculation.
---
He entered an alley of the Coaljaw Syndicate, hood to the cloak, motions slow. The steps were of a vessel which just caught the eager ear. He did not carry any weapons. That made him sporting game.
Three men came through the smoke stinking of ancient fire and red steel. One of them, bigger than the rest, was cracking his ember-filled knuckles and molten glow was flowing across flame-hewn gauntlets.
Grask.
[Soulprint Detected: Ashbreaker Knuckles – Tier II]
Type: Flame-Impact
Status: Stable
Host: Active Threat*
Lucen eyed them calmly.
Grask grinned, showing half-melted teeth. "Fresh meat. Quiet type too. Probably bleeding inside already."
Lucen said nothing.
He raised his hand, fingers rotating, breathing controlled.
---
[Skill Activated: Crimson Threadfire]
Effect: Twin Flame Threads – Short Launch
Status Result: Burned. Opponent disabled.
Remaining Uses: 4/5
The initial thug fell as he was about to sprint, falling in a smoke and blaze knotted mess. With a moment of thrashing he lay still.
Lucen turned toward the second.
He even did not blink when the blade flew at him.
---
[Skill Activated: Stone Skin]
Effect: Defensive Layer – Blunt and Slash Resistance
Duration: 10 seconds
Cooldown: Active
Steel met hardened flesh. The edge scraped his side but failed to break through.
Lucen responded in kind. Swift. Brutal.
[Skill Activated: Crimson Threadfire]
Effect: Flame Arc – Unrefined Discharge
Status Result: Opponent staggered. Burns sustained. Weapon dropped.
Remaining Uses: 3/5
The second man screamed as his arm caught fire, stumbling backward into the wall. He didn't move again.
---
That left one.
Faster than one could think of a giant his size, with gauntlets that gave forth an increased gleam, Grask sprang forward, in a frightful force.
Lucen could not dodge soon enough
[Enemy Skill Activated: Ashbreaker Knuckles – Hammer Arc]
Effect: Flame-Enhanced Strike. Blunt Impact.
Status Result: Direct hit. Winded. Internal bruise risk.
Lucen flew backward, slamming into a dumpster. Metal warped. He rolled, coughed, tasted blood... but didn't fall.
Instead, he stood.
His right hand trembled slightly.
Not from fear.
From precision recalibration.
"You overcommitted," Lucen muttered, voice low.
He moved forward.
---
[Skill Activated: Crimson Threadfire]
Effect: Focused Spiral – Piercing Burst
Status Result: Target impaled. Flame surge triggered.
Remaining Uses: 2/5
Grask screamed, knees buckling as his chest sizzled from within. He tried to raise his fists.
Lucen stepped into range and calmly placed his hand against the man's chest.
---
[Skill Theft: Initiated]
Target Soulprint: Ashbreaker Knuckles (Tier II)
Extraction Status: Success
Echo Load: Low – Instinctive Feedback
Soulprint Added to Ledger
Grask collapsed.
The alley fell silent, lit only by guttering flames licking at the walls.
Lucen exhaled slowly and walked away.
His ribs ached.
But his eyes? Clear.
---
Soul Ledger Entry #4
Skill: Ashbreaker Knuckles (Tier II)
Type: Impact – Flame-Augmented Melee
Effect: Ignites user's fists for explosive strikes
Use Limit: Passive buff plus two active burst strikes
Synergy Bonus: Can enhance Stone Skin for counterblast effect
Echo State: Low aggression imprint. Stable.
Mental Load: Light. Minimal interference.
Combat Notes: Short-range burst skill, suited for high-impact brawling
Entry Condition: Acquired from gang leader Grask post-fight
---
Later Lucen sat in the shade of a broken uphold, with calm breathing and busy mind. He reviewed the fight in silence, every twitch, every miscalculation, every inefficiency.
Then, softly the system rustled.
[Combat Evaluation Complete]
[Efficiency Rating: A]
[Pending Reward: Adapting Soul Ledger...]
Lucen blinked.
The corner of his mouth twitched upward.
---
End of Chapter 5
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