Chapter 35 – An Unwanted Choice
The night had yet to retreat.
The sky hung heavy, a curtain of soft gray.
Rain kept falling—slow, steady, and stubborn—like time itself had no intention of moving forward.
Hideo Takumi hadn't planned on going anywhere that night.
He just wanted to walk.
Not to find anything.
Not to run from anyone.
Simply to embrace the quiet solitude.
His steps were relaxed, unhurried.
No goal. No direction.
In this world, as in his previous one, he remained alone.
No one waited for him at home.
No one cared where he went.
And oddly enough…
That was perfectly fine with him.
After leaving the wine shop, Hideo wandered down damp alleyways.
Puddles shimmered under the dim glow of lanterns in the old city streets.
Then, from a narrow lane, he heard voices.
"...We need to move. These goods draw too much attention. If the Dai family catches wind, we're done for."
"Idiot. The Dai are distracted. They don't even know their treasures are already gone."
Hideo stopped.
He leaned against the damp wall beside him.
The Dai family…
That name wasn't unfamiliar.
He hadn't planned to get involved.
But as usual, the world refused to leave him alone.
Three men emerged from the shadows, visibly tense.
Their clothes were worn, their bags suspiciously full.
One of them turned—eyes locking with Hideo's.
"Who's that?!"
"Skill Activated: Learn (~)"
"Scanning Target..."
"Status Appraisal Active"
[Layar Status]
Name: Varn
Race: Human
Age: 24
Class: Thief (D)
Current Stats:
• Mana: E
• Strength: D
• Intelligence: D
• Speed: B
• Endurance: E
Skills: Quick Fingers (E), Shadow Step (D), Escape Art (F)
[Layar Status]
Name: Droel
Race: Human
Age: 28
Class: Rogue (D)
Current Stats:
• Mana: E
• Strength: C+
• Intelligence: D
• Speed: C
• Endurance: D
Skills: Backstab (D), Feint Attack (E), Cheap Shot (F)
[Layar Status]
Name: Linvar
Race: Human
Age: 26
Class: Archer (E)
Current Stats:
• Mana: D
• Strength: D
• Intelligence: D
• Speed: C+
• Endurance: E
Skills: Piercing Arrow (E), Quick Draw (E), Camouflage (F)
"Kill him!" Varn shouted.
Hideo frowned.
"I just wanted to enjoy the rain…"
"DING!"
New Random Quest Activated!
Title: Forced Encounter
Description: You've stumbled upon thieves carrying stolen assets from the Dai family.
Objective: Eliminate the thieves.
Reward: New Skill – Shadow Sever (C)
He sighed.
"…Figures. The system always shows up at the worst possible time."
Twang!
An arrow sliced through the air.
Hideo moved an instant before it was released.
The arrow struck the wall behind him.
"Skill Active: Mana Sensory (F)"
"Detecting Energy Flow – Range: 20 meters"
"Archer, rooftop, left."
Varn vanished using Shadow Step, reappearing at Hideo's right with a dagger raised.
Hideo turned—but a second too late.
The blade grazed his shoulder—shallow, but enough to draw blood.
"Half a second too slow…" he muttered.
"Skill Active: Hiding (~)"
His body vanished into the shadows.
He shifted quickly to the left wall.
Twang!
Two more arrows pierced the empty space where he'd been.
He reappeared behind Varn, landing a sharp elbow to the thief's jaw.
Varn crashed into the wall—dagger flying from his grip.
Hideo snatched it midair.
"Borrowing this."
Droel charged in.
Two blades. One real, one feint.
Feint Attack.
The first strike hit Hideo's shoulder—blocked.
But the second sliced just beneath his ribs.
Shallow again. Painful, but manageable.
"You're decent," Hideo muttered, "but too stubborn."
With a low spin, he dropped into a sweeping kick.
Droel leapt back, but Hideo was already closing in.
"Skill Active: Meridian Sync (F)"
"Neural sync initiated – Reaction speed increased by 60%"
He surged forward, channeling energy into the stolen dagger.
"Skill Active: Triple Arc Slash (E)"
"Unleashes three consecutive blade arcs in a flowing motion"
The first slash tore through Droel's right arm—disarming him.
The second slammed into his chest, hurling him back.
The third—a cold, precise thrust—pierced from behind.
Droel collapsed.
Still. Silent.
Twang!
Another arrow—too late.
Hideo spun, hurling the dagger with calculated force.
Linvar's eyes widened.
The blade struck the rooftop where he'd just stood.
Hideo didn't wait.
He bounded up the wall with three light steps, landing on the roof.
The archer activated Camouflage, trying to escape.
But with Mana Sensory, Hideo already had him tracked.
One step.
One kick to the neck.
Linvar dropped.
No sound followed.
"Quest Complete"
Name: Forced Encounter
Rating: A
Reward: New Skill Unlocked – Shadow Sever
Description: A shadow-based technique that targets an opponent's energy channels. Subtle but lethal when used with precision.
Silence.
Hideo stood on the rooftop.
His breathing was steady.
He looked down at his left hand.
It trembled slightly.
Whether from the cold… or from adrenaline, he wasn't sure.
He climbed down slowly.
Three bodies lay below.
None would rise again.
He turned to leave—
Then paused.
One of the bundles caught his eye.
He crouched and opened it.
Inside: jewelry, scrolls bearing the Dai family's emblem…
And something else—radiating quiet magical power.
He took a breath.
Then lifted the package.
"…Looks like I'm still not done with this world, huh."
His steps returned to their usual rhythm.
Rain still fell.
The city remained quiet.
But from the roof of a nearby building—
Someone watched.
A middle-aged man stood still, rain soaking his bamboo hat.
His gaze followed the boy below.
"That kid… who is he really?"
He had seen the entire fight. Every clean movement.
Every precise strike.
"Too controlled. Too cold."
"Could he really be just another noble's son?"
For the first time in years, the man felt like he'd seen something… unexplainable.
"…He might be destined for more."
But Hideo had no idea he was being watched.
And even if he did, he wouldn't care.
He let the rain wash the blood from his cloak.
Not proud.
Not regretful.
He had simply finished the game that fate threw in front of him.
To him, this was just coincidence.
A boy walking in the rain.
Thieves who picked the wrong time.
And a system… that just loved to interfere.
They met at one point.
And everything shifted.
Was it luck?
No.
Hideo didn't believe in luck.
To him, there was no such thing as fate.
No divine script to follow.
Only choices.
Small steps.
Taken one at a time.
Alone.
If the world was a stage—
Then Hideo Takumi chose to be the one writing his own lines.