Chapter 3: The First Step of Blood — The Exiled Prince's Answer
The road stretched endlessly beneath the darkening sky.
Evening was dying slowly. The last traces of sunlight faded behind distant hills, leaving the world painted in cold shades of gray and shadow. Wind traveled through the empty plains, bending dry grass in slow waves that whispered like unseen voices. Dust circled the broken carriage in lazy spirals, rising and falling as if the land itself were watching.
The horses trembled uneasily, hooves scraping the ground. Their instincts sensed danger long before human eyes could see it.
And then — three silhouettes stepped forward from the darkness.
Bandits.
Their footsteps were confident. Casual. They laughed openly, as if what stood before them wasn't a person but a joke. Rusted weapons glinted in the fading light. Scars marked their faces. Men shaped by violence.
To them, Jay was only a child.
"Look at him," one snorted. "The empire throws away its own blood."
"Prince or beggar," another laughed, "everyone screams the same when they die."
Jay remained silent.
Behind him, inside the damaged carriage, his mother struggled for breath. Her coughs were weak — fragile — each one reminding him of how thin the line between life and death truly was.
His fingers tightened slightly.
He couldn't lose.
The leader lifted his sword lazily and pointed it toward Jay.
"End this."
Jay's eyes sharpened.
Teleportation — Level 1
The system's information flowed through his mind again.
Short range.
High stamina consumption.
Precise timing required.
He inhaled deeply.
Old memories surfaced.
His first life — dark streets, silent movement, calculated violence. A world where hesitation meant death.
The first bandit charged.
Steel flashed toward Jay's throat—
And—
Jay vanished.
The blade sliced nothing but air.
The bandit stumbled forward, confusion filling his face.
Jay appeared behind him.
One controlled strike.
THUD.
The man collapsed instantly.
Jay's breathing grew heavier.
Too much energy already.
His body wasn't strong enough yet.
The remaining two exchanged looks.
Then the second bandit stepped forward, smiling strangely.
"You're quick… but watch this."
Suddenly, red energy erupted around him.
Muscles expanded. Veins pulsed. His breathing became wild and heavy. Even the ground seemed to tremble slightly beneath his feet.
🔥 Skill Activated — Beast Strength
Effects:
• Strength Increased ×5
• Impact Force Greatly Enhanced
• Temporary Berserk State
Jay's gaze sharpened.
A skill user.
The bandit roared and charged like a wild beast.
His fist came crashing down—
BOOM!!
The impact forced Jay backward, boots carving through the dirt.
Before he recovered —
The leader struck from the side.
Steel flashed.
CRASH!!
The blade slammed into Jay's shoulder.
Pain erupted like fire.
His body flew backward, smashing violently into a massive tree. Bark exploded outward. Air escaped his lungs.
He fell hard to the ground.
The world spun.
Sound faded into a distant ringing.
Warm blood touched his lips.
The bandits laughed.
"That's the prince?"
Jay tried to stand — but his arms shook violently. His vision blurred.
Everything felt heavy.
Then he saw her.
His mother.
Fear filled her eyes.
And something inside him broke.
The air froze.
A translucent screen appeared in front of him, glowing red.
📜 SYSTEM — RED ALERT
⚠ HOST LIFE IN CRITICAL CONDITION
⚠ DEATH PROBABILITY: 78%
Emergency Survival Protocol Activated
Jay's pupils shrank.
The screen flashed again.
📜 Temporary Body Enhancement Activated
Duration: 03 Minutes
• Strength — Enhanced
• Speed — Enhanced
• Reflexes — Enhanced
• Physical Resistance — Stabilized
Emergency Weapon Granted:
🔪 System Blade
Heat flooded his body.
The pain didn't vanish — but it no longer mattered.
His heartbeat slowed.
Breathing stabilized.
The world became clearer… slower.
Jay stood.
The bandits froze mid-laughter.
"H-how is he—?"
A black blade formed in his hand — dark, silent, unnatural. It absorbed the surrounding light.
Jay's expression changed completely.
No fear.
No panic.
Only calm.
Only a hunter.
The Beast Strength bandit roared and attacked again.
His fist struck like a falling boulder.
BOOM!!
Jay caught the punch with one hand.
The ground cracked beneath them.
Shock spread across the bandit's face.
"That's impossible!"
Jay's grip tightened.
"Power…" he said quietly, "…without control is just noise."
He twisted.
Bone cracked loudly.
The bandit screamed.
Jay lifted him effortlessly and hurled him across the road.
CRASH!!
Dust exploded as the man hit the ground.
The leader hesitated for the first time.
Fear entered his eyes.
He charged anyway, desperation replacing confidence.
His sword crashed into Jay's body.
CLANG!!
No wound.
No blood.
The blade stopped as if striking stone.
The leader froze.
Jay slowly grabbed the sword.
Metal groaned under his strength.
With one hand, he lifted the man into the air.
The bandit struggled helplessly.
And then—
BOOM!!
Jay threw him away.
The man crashed and rolled across the dirt.
Behind him, the Beast Strength bandit staggered upright again, aura flickering weakly.
He screamed and rushed blindly.
Jay's eyes narrowed.
The world slowed.
A flicker—
Teleportation.
Jay vanished.
The attack struck empty air.
Jay appeared behind him.
The System Blade flashed once.
Clean.
Silent.
The red aura shattered like glass.
The bandit collapsed.
Silence fell.
Only wind remained.
The leader crawled backward, terror completely consuming him.
Jay walked forward slowly.
Each step steady.
Each breath calm.
"In my first life…" Jay said quietly, voice colder than night itself,
"I learned something."
He stopped in front of the man.
"Fear isn't created by strength…"
The leader screamed and swung wildly.
Jay caught the blade midair.
The System Blade moved once.
"…It's created by the impossible."
The leader fell.
Silence returned.
Jay stood alone among the fallen bodies.
The wind moved again, carrying the scent of dust and blood.
Then —
📜 Enhancement Time Ending…
The strength vanished instantly.
Pain returned like a storm.
His legs gave out.
He collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.
The black blade dissolved into particles of light.
The screen turned blue.
📜 System Notification
✔ First Combat Victory
✔ Host Survival Confirmed
Rewards:
• Combat Experience Acquired
• Teleportation Mastery +5%
• Combat Analysis +10%
New Title Unlocked:
Silent Hunter
Jay turned slowly toward the carriage.
His mother was alive.
Relief — strange and unfamiliar — warmed his chest for the first time in years.
"…No one will hurt you again," he whispered.
The last light faded from the sky.
Darkness spread across the road.
And within that darkness, something new had awakened.
The exiled prince was gone.
In his place stood a shadow.
A hunter.
Not just a survivor anymore… this was the birth of a new ruler, destined to make entire kingdoms tremble.
To be continued 🔥 👿 🔥