Awakening: Reincarnating With the SSS-Level Extraction Talent

The night was heavy with anticipation as Alex stood still, his black dagger glinting faintly in the starlight.

His calm demeanor contrasted sharply with Aurelia's coiled intensity.

She gripped her twin daggers tightly, her breathing steady.

"If you manage to hit me even once," Alex declared, "then I'll kill myself, making it your victory."

Aurelia's eyes narrowed, her grip tightening on the [Return Twin Daggers].

Sparks of determination flared in her gaze, but she couldn't ignore the chill in Alex's smile, a confidence that spoke of absolute control.

"Let's see if you can keep that promise," she muttered under her breath before vanishing into the shadows.

Aurelia appeared behind Alex in a flash of shadow, her [Shadow Blink] ability propelling her forward.

Her twin daggers aimed for his back with precise, lightning-fast strikes.

CLANG!

Alex's dagger moved like a living extension of his arm, intercepting both attacks in a single fluid motion.

The force sent sparks flying into the air, illuminating the two briefly before darkness reclaimed them.

Aurelia didn't pause.

She spun around him, her attacks coming from every angle at speeds that would have overwhelmed most players.

Alex remained in place, his feet planted as he deflected each blow effortlessly.

The sharp clang of steel against steel echoed through the plains, the only sound in the oppressive silence.

"You're supposed to be a mage..." Aurelia's eyes widened, "What?!"

"You're fast," Alex remarked casually, parrying a particularly swift strike and shifting his stance slightly. "But speed without precision or planning… is meaningless."

Aurelia gritted her teeth.

Her movements became a blur as she teleported again with [Shadow Blink], this time aiming for his blind spot.

Alex didn't flinch.

His [Cursed Eyes of the King] pulsed faintly, warning him of the incoming attack.

With a graceful pivot, he deflected her blow without even looking, sending her stumbling back. Explore stories at empire

"Damn it!" Aurelia hissed, frustration seeping into her tone.

Changing tactics, Aurelia leaped backward, tossing both daggers past Alex.

They spun in the air, their crimson edges gleaming as they sliced through the shadows.

"..." Alex smiled, sensing the trap.

[Warning.]

The daggers reversed course mid-flight, homing in on him from behind.

Alex's eyes glimmered faintly with foresight from his [Cursed Eyes of the King].

In a split-second motion, he sidestepped one dagger and snatched the other out of the air.

Without hesitation, he slammed the captured dagger into the ground, planting his foot firmly on its hilt.

The weapon trembled violently, struggling to return to Aurelia's grasp.

"You should think about what you do with your weapons," Alex said, smirking as he leaned slightly on the embedded blade. "Otherwise, you might lose them."

Aurelia's face flushed with anger and embarrassment.

She darted forward, aiming to retrieve her trapped dagger, but Alex simply shifted his foot to block her attempt.

Aurelia stepped back, her frustration mounting as she activated her strongest skill: [Starry Fang Assault].

Crimson, dagger-shaped projectiles materialized in the air around her, hovering like predatory stars.

With a sharp gesture, she sent the deadly wave flying toward Alex.

For the first time, Alex moved.

In a blur, he dashed forward, his dagger slicing cleanly through the incoming projectiles.

They dissipated in bursts of light, unable to touch him.

Aurelia managed to raise her remaining dagger just in time to block his strike.

CLANG!

The impact sent shockwaves through her arms, nearly forcing her to drop her weapon.

"I didn't even use all of my strength," Alex sighed.

She never had time to recover.

Alex shifted slightly, his dagger gliding past her defenses in a controlled, lethal motion.

Ding!

[You have killed "Aurelia" and stolen 1,000 points!]

Aurelia's body glowed faintly before disintegrating into a flash of blue light, marking her forced exit from Universal Descent.

Alex sheathed his dagger, the smirk still lingering on his lips.

He opened his menu and quickly sent a message.

[FateBreaker: I told you it wasn't even close. Just come back after 30 minutes.]

He closed the menu and glanced at the spot where Aurelia had vanished.

His thoughts turned grim for a moment as he recalled the events of his past life.

Aurelia, with all her determination and fire, had met a tragic end, not at the hands of monsters or gods, but her own brother, Daniel.

Seeking power, Daniel had joined the dark forces, and while completing the tasks given to him, one of them was to sacrifice everything, including his family.

No one dared to defy him in Alex's previous life, meaning that he wasn't this vengeful against FateBreaker to the point of doing anything to kill him.

Yet even then, he still mercilessly killed the two just to gain more powers.

Aurelia's death had been swift and cruel, a testament to her brother's resolve to abandon his humanity.

In this life, Alex had no intention of letting that tragedy repeat itself.

"She might be annoying," Alex muttered, a faint trace of amusement returning to his voice as he glanced at his [World Map], tracking Aurelia'eventual respawn location. "But she could be useful later."

With a flick of his wrist, he dismissed the map and leaned back against a tree, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips as Alice beamed beside him.

"Haha, you taught her a lesson," she said, satisfaction clear in her voice.

She had calmed down considerably, now composed enough to speak to Aurelia without the earlier edge in her tone.

"She's not that bad," Alex replied, his tone casual. "Maybe you should get to know her better."

Alice shot him a skeptical look, crossing her arms. "You don't know her like I do. She's all sharp edges and aggression."

"...I don't know, I would still do it."

"Mhm, alright I guess," Alice sighed, "But if she tries attacking me again..."

"She won't," Alex said confidently, the hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "I think she's more excited by the idea of fighting strong people than anything else. She'll come around."

The next 30 minutes passed uneventfully.

Alex and Alice stood in the same area, effortlessly dispatching the occasional wandering monster.

Each one was cut down with the precision and efficiency of two players far above the zone's level.

As the minutes ticked by, Alice glanced at him. "Why do you think we need her?"

"I don't know for sure," Alex admitted. "But her name's on the rankings for a reason. A powerful ally could be useful, especially for what's ahead."

Alice frowned, still unsure. "I guess that's true... But what makes you so confident she'll agree-?"

"Oh, she's back," Alex interrupted, grinning as he checked the [World Map].

A new dot had appeared on the third floor beside all the others like [Muscles], [Fallen Devil], [MartialMage] and more.

"Let's go!"

Alex dashed off toward the marker, Alice following closely behind thanks to her [Super Agility].

As they moved, she picked off any approaching monsters with pinpoint precision, determined to maintain her position on the leaderboard.

After a few minutes of weaving through the maze-like zone, they found her.

Aurelia turned, her expression one of genuine surprise.

"Oh, you actually found me." Her golden eyes widened slightly as she crossed her arms. "I sensed two people coming, but I didn't think it would be you."

Alex smirked, his tone light. "What would you have done if it wasn't?"

Aurelia grinned, her sharp features lighting up with excitement.

"Well, I would've killed them," she said, twirling one of her daggers. "If they tried to attack me, that is."

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