Ash stood there, chest rising and falling as he tried to steady his breathing. The alley felt tighter now, the walls closing in with every second that passed.
Inside his head, thoughts crashed into each other.
Fuck… I'm dead beat.
His muscles screamed every time he shifted his weight. His ribs felt like they had been hammered apart, and his arms were already heavy from blocking punch after punch.
Why does it have to be me?
He clenched his jaw.
I just came into this new world… and I'm already on my deathbed.
The thought felt absurd.
Ridiculous.
Other people who got dragged into new worlds usually got blessings, powers, some ridiculous cheat ability that made them unstoppable.
And him?
He got thrown into a filthy alley and beaten half to death by a gang.
Curse my luck… damn it.
For a moment he wanted nothing more than to scream at the top of his lungs. Just shout until his throat tore open.
But he didn't.
Because screaming wouldn't change the situation.
His eyes shifted, scanning the alley slowly.
Think.
He didn't even get the time to finish the thought.
A punch came straight at him.
Fast. Direct.
His focus had been elsewhere. By the time he noticed, the fist was already halfway there.
Ash's eyes snapped forward.
Instinct moved before thought.
He raised both arms, bringing them up to shield his face and chest.
The punch slammed into his guard.
Thud.
The impact jolted through his arms and straight into his shoulders. Pain shot up his muscles as his body staggered half a step back. His teeth clenched as the force rattled him.
"Stay focused, idiot!" one of them barked with a grin.
Ash lowered his arms slightly, breath leaving his mouth in a rough exhale.
Yeah…
His eyes hardened.
In that brief moment, an idea flashed through his mind. A desperate one. But it would be useless if he couldn't execute it properly.
The fight resumed instantly.
Both men came at him again, launching attack after attack. Punches cut through the air, fast and relentless.
But this time Ash didn't strike back.
He stayed on the defensive.
Arms raised. Guard tight.
He absorbed the barrage, blocking when he could, slipping when he had to. Each impact rattled his already battered body, sending fresh waves of pain through his muscles.
A punch slammed into his forearm.
Another grazed his cheek.
A knee nearly caught his ribs before he twisted away.
To anyone watching, it looked like he was slowly being overwhelmed. Like he was barely holding on.
But Ash wasn't just defending.
He was moving.
Step by step.
Each time a punch forced him back, he let it happen. Each block, each stumble carried him a little farther away from the group standing behind the two fighters.
The spectators were too busy watching the beating. Some laughed. Others shouted encouragement.
No one paid attention to the small shifts in position.
No one noticed how Ash was slowly creating distance.
A few more steps.
Just a little more.
Ash tightened his guard as another punch came crashing down on his arms.
Behind the pain and noise, his mind focused on a single thought.
Almost there.
They came at him again.
Punches flew without pause. One after another, fast and messy. Their confidence had grown; their guard had loosened. To them, Ash was already finished.
But Ash was watching.
Waiting.
And then he saw it.
An opening.
The lean one stepped in too far, chin exposed for the briefest moment as he threw another punch.
Ash moved.
His fist shot forward.
Direct.
Clean.
BAM.
The sound cracked through the alley like a gunshot.
The punch landed square on the man's chin.
His head snapped back violently. For a split second his feet actually lifted off the ground, his body losing all balance. His eyes rolled, the light in them vanishing instantly.
He didn't even understand what had happened.
His consciousness faded before his body hit the ground.
Thud.
The alley fell into a deadly silence.
Even the broad one who had been about to swing froze mid-movement. His fist stopped halfway, hanging uselessly in the air as he stared at his companion lying motionless on the ground.
For a moment, no one spoke.
The group behind them went completely still.
They couldn't process what they had just seen.
Just seconds ago Ash had been on the defensive, barely keeping up, taking hit after hit.
And now—
One punch.
One clean punch.
And their guy was down.
Confusion spread through the group like a ripple. They stared at the body.
How?
They had been so sure the fight was already decided.
For a brief moment, the entire alley seemed trapped in stunned silence.
Then—
Bang.
The sudden sound snapped everyone out of it.
Ash's mind snapped into focus.
I just need to distract them… that's it. Just enough to run.
That one punch—that single moment—had given him exactly what he needed.
An opening.
Now.
Even as the man hit the ground, Ash didn't hesitate. He didn't look back.
His body moved before doubt could catch up.
He pivoted sharply and sprinted toward the left side of the alley.
There—
A narrow passage branched off, barely wide enough for two people. A wooden log was leaning carelessly against the wall beside it, half-rotten, forgotten.
Perfect.
Ash pushed through the burning pain in his legs and ran straight for it. Every step felt heavy, his body screaming in protest—but he forced it forward.
Ash reached the log and didn't slow down. He grabbed it with both hands and yanked hard.
The wood scraped loudly against the wall.
For a split second, it resisted—
Then gave way.
He twisted his body and shoved it down across the entrance of the narrow alley.
Crash.
The log slammed against the ground, blocking most of the path. Dust kicked up into the air.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was enough.
Enough to slow them.
Enough to buy seconds.
And right now—
Seconds meant everything.
Ash didn't wait to see the result.
He turned and ran deeper into the narrow alley, disappearing into the shadows.
By the time the gang reacted to the crash, it was already too late.
Ash was gone.
"Hey—! Fuck, he ran again!"
Voices erupted all at once, the brief shock turning into chaos.
"The hell were you doing?!"
"You had him right there!"
"Idiot, I told you to watch his movement!"
Blame flew just as fast as their tempers. Some pointed fingers, others shoved shoulders, frustration boiling over in messy bursts.
"Shut up and move!" someone barked.
A few of them broke off immediately, sprinting toward the narrow alley where Ash had disappeared. Their footsteps pounded hard against the ground, urgency replacing confidence.
They reached the turn—
And stopped.
"Are you serious?"
The wooden log lay across the entrance, blocking most of the path. Dust still lingered in the air, proof of how recently it had fallen.
"Move this shit!"
One of them kicked it. It didn't budge much. Another grabbed it and tried to drag it aside, cursing under his breath.
"Damn it—!"
"He planned this?"
"No way that bastard was just getting lucky…"
More curses followed, overlapping, sharp and irritated.
Every second they wasted here—
Was another second Ash got away.
The one who looked like the leader stepped forward, irritation cutting through the noise. His gaze swept over them—cold, sharp, assessing.
"Enough."
The single word snapped through the chaos like a whip.
"Enough, idiots? You want to fight each other now?" His voice rose, anger bleeding through. "He's getting away while you're busy whining."
Silence fell—uneasy, immediate.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance and moved to the log himself, crouching slightly as he tested its weight. It shifted, but not enough. Not fast enough.
"Forget it," he muttered, straightening.
His eyes flicked toward the alley, then beyond it—calculating.
"There are other ways around."
He pointed sharply, already issuing orders.
"You two—go around the back. Cut him off."
"You—roof. If he climbs, I want eyes on him."
"The rest with me."
No hesitation this time.
They moved.
Fast.
The leader cast one last glance at the blocked path, jaw tightening.
"Run all you want…" he muttered under his breath.
"We'll see how far you get."
Ash ran, breath tearing through his throat, each step heavier than the last.
"Fuck… my shitty life…"
His voice came out broken, half a growl, half a breath.
"Why the fuck did I even come into this area…"
Anger started to rise—slow at first, then burning hotter with every step he took. His jaw clenched so tight it hurt.
He died.
He actually died.
Got thrown into another world—
And this is what he gets?
A beating.
A chase.
Like some stray animal being hunted down.
"Fuck…"
His pace didn't slow, but his thoughts spiraled faster.
"I die, get reincarnated… and what next?"
A bitter laugh escaped him, dry and hollow.
"A goddamn chase like cat and mouse?"
"I take it back…"
Ash's breath hitched as he ran, voice rough, almost lost between each step.
"That shit about liking fights…"
His legs felt like they were made of lead, lungs burning, ribs screaming with every movement—but something inside him burned hotter.
"I don't ever want to fight again."
The words came out strained. Honest.
Not fear.
Not weakness.
Just… exhaustion.
His jaw tightened.
"Not like this… not like some damn animal backed into a corner…"
His pace didn't slow.
But his eyes—
They sharpened.
Because even as he said it, even as every part of him rejected it—
He knew.
Right now…
He didn't have that choice.
Suddenly—
A hand clamped over his mouth from behind.
Ash's body froze.
His eyes widened instantly, shock slamming into him harder than any punch. Goosebumps rippled across his skin as a cold, suffocating presence pressed close.
His breath caught.
What—?
His feet stumbled, momentum breaking as he was yanked back into the shadows.
No.
That's impossible.
His mind spiraled.
How did they get here this fast?
He hadn't slowed down. Not even once. There was no way anyone from behind could've caught up to him this quickly.
Then—
A realization crawled up his spine.
Did they already foresee I'd run again?
His pulse spiked.
An ambush.
His thoughts crashed into each other—fast, chaotic—
How many?
Am I surrounded?
Who—
No.
This wasn't the time to think.
He forced it down.
I just need to get out of this goddamn place.
Ash tensed and tried to struggle—
But the moment he moved, the grip tightened.
Not violently.
Not wildly.
Controlled.
Effortless.
His body locked.
It wasn't just strength.
It felt like he was being pinned by something that knew exactly how much force to use—no wasted movement, no opening to exploit.
He couldn't even twist properly.
Couldn't break free.
Not even a little.
A cold realization sank in.
I can't… do anything.
"Shhh… don't move. Just stay still."
The voice came from right behind him—too close.
Ash's entire body went rigid.
A chill ran down his spine, goosebumps spreading across his skin like a warning he couldn't ignore. The breath against his ear was steady. Calm.
Too calm.
Not rushed. Not even slightly shaken.
Controlled.
The kind of calm that only came from someone who knew they were in control.
Ash's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
His instincts screamed at him to move—to break free, to fight, to do something—
But he didn't.
He couldn't.
The hand over his mouth didn't tighten.
It didn't need to.
That alone told him everything.
Whoever this was…
They were far beyond him.