Creel drove his notched tonfas downward in a lethal arc, the amber capacitors on his weapons screaming with built-up force.
Leo raised his shadow-coated crowbar in a two-handed parry, intercepting the descending cylinders with a loud ring of clashing metal.
The shockwave rippled through his forearms like a numbing wave, testing his enhanced strength as he braced against the enforcer’s weight.
Sparks cascaded across the floor, the kinetic pistons grinding violently against the shadow ether edge of his tool.
"You cannot block my kinetic pistons forever, slum rat," Creel sneered, pressing down with his massive bulk to crush Leo’s guard.
The capacitors flared brighter, pumping high-pressure ether into the housings to drive him into the floorboards.
Leo shifted his footing, letting the shadows coil around his steps to absorb the downward pressure and stabilize his stance.
He timed the rhythm of the enforcer’s pistons, tracking the glowing capacitors with his eyes as they recycled energy every three seconds.
Creel unleashed a rapid three-hit combo, each strike fracturing the floor and sending shockwaves rippling through the walls.
Leo pivoted on the balls of his feet, his shadow-skating technique carrying him smoothly between the impact zones without taking a hit.
His shadow ether cooled the surrounding air, frosting the damaged walls as he glided frictionless across the ground.
He did not push back against the enforcer’s physical weight, choosing instead to let his shadow ether seep into the hydraulic housings.
The All-Spark core inside his chest surged with an icy, fierce pull, chilling the surrounding air as the siphoning completed.
Wisps of obsidian vapor wrapped around the glowing capacitors, siphoning the pressurized kinetic energy like a thirsty vortex.
A golden system prompt unfolded across his field of vision as the siphoning completed.
[ Material Absorption Trait Synchronizing ]
[ Kinetic Ether Siphoned: 100% ]
[ Enforcer Capacitors Drained ]
The orange glow died instantly, leaving the hydraulic weapons inert and useless in the enforcer’s hands.
"What did you do to my weapons?" Creel demanded, his eyes widening in shock as his hydraulic power collapsed with a faint hiss.
"I took your strength," Leo answered, tightening his grip on his tool as he met the brute’s gaze.
He twisted his crowbar, leveraging the shaft between the enforcer’s tonfas and snapping the hydraulic feed lines with a sudden pop.
Steam and coolant sprayed across the floor, leaving the enforcer stumbling off balance in the rising mist.
Leo capitalized instantly, his shadow-skating carrying him behind the enforcer’s exposed flank in a single, fluid slide.
He drove the hook of his crowbar into the back of Creel’s knee, fracturing the joint with a sickening, hollow crunch.
The enforcer let out a pained shriek, his body collapsing onto his knees against the ruined floor.
Leo did not give him a chance to recover or reach for a sidearm, pivoting on his heel to deliver a downward kick to his chest.
A dull crack echoed through the room as Creel’s sternum buckled under the impact, knocking him flat on his back.
The enforcer’s breathing turned shallow and ragged, his eyes rolling upward before he sank into unconsciousness.
A triumphant chime rang through his mind, followed by a radiant cascade of system notifications.
[ E-Rank Enforcer Creel Neutralized ]
[ Combat EXP: +3,000 ]
[ LEVEL UP: Level 5 -> Level 6 ]
[ LEVEL UP: Level 6 -> Level 7 ]
[ +10 Free Stat Points Awarded ]
[ Class Trait Acquired: Material Absorption (Rank E) ]
[ Engine Feature Unlocked: Cosmic System Shop Online ]
[ Reward Delivered: Spatial Storage Pouch (10 Cubic Meter Capacity) ]
[ Cosmic Pathways: 0% / 100% ]
[ Status: HP 95/100 | Stamina 80/100 | Ether 40/40 ]
A surge of fresh vigor roared through his veins, expanding his shadow pool and hardening his muscle tissue.
He allocated four points into Strength, four into Agility, and two into Perception, feeling his physical density increase instantly.
[ Attributes Updated: Strength 18 | Agility 19 | Perception 15 ]
Leo examined the small velvet pouch resting in his palm, feeling the pocket dimension humming with spatial energy.
He slipped his crowbar into the opening, watching it vanish into the spatial fold before willing it back into his hand in a smooth motion.
He closed the floating shop interface, turning his head as the rear partition door slowly swung open on its hinges.
Luna emerged from the back room, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked at the defeated enforcer on the floor.
Behind her, the other clinic nurses and the elderly dockworker peeked out, their faces filled with awe.
Luna rushed across the room and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face into his chest as warm tears of relief spilled down her cheeks.
Her soft curves pressed against him, her floral scent filling his senses as he wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her close.
"You are safe now, Luna," Leo murmured into her hair, his heart beating in steady rhythm.
"Nobody is taking you away from this clinic as long as I am standing."
She pulled back slightly, her palms resting against his chest as her green vitality ether gently washed over his bruises.
"Are you hurt?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly as the emerald light dissolved the tension in his shoulders.
"Not a scratch," Leo smiled, looking around the wrecked clinic with a weary sigh.
"They wrecked the entire clinic," she whispered, looking at the broken examination cots and shattered cabinets with sorrow.
"We will rebuild it together," Leo promised, gently brushing a tear from her cheek with his thumb.
"I have the funds to replace every piece of equipment they broke tonight."
He drew his phone and transferred twenty thousand credits from his account to the clinic’s operating fund, showing her the confirmation screen.
Luna stared at the glowing screen of her terminal, her lips parting as her hands trembled.
"Twenty thousand credits," she whispered, looking up at him in stunned wonder.
"Leo, this is enough to replace the sterilizers, restock the pharmacy, and secure emergency generators for months."
"Use the funds to hire dependable dock guards from the union to watch the doors," he added with a reassuring smile.
"District 9 protects its own, and we will make sure Flint never touches this clinic again."
She leaned her head against his shoulder, her heart fluttering as the Healer’s Devotion bond deepened between them.
The comforting energy circulated through their chests, cementing her trust in his strength as she held him tightly.
Outside, the sound of retreating footsteps signaled that the remaining lookouts had abandoned their vans and fled into the night.
The clinic was safe, and the first major enforcer in District 9 had fallen.
A cold rain continued to fall over the slums, washing the soot from the streets as a quiet peace settled over Seventh Avenue.