The man standing before us looked disappointingly normal.
That was the first thing I noticed.
No monstrous armor.
No glowing eyes.
No overwhelming physique that screamed “final boss.” He stood calmly in the center of the ruined laboratory wearing black robes lined with silver mana inscriptions, his posture relaxed despite the corpses scattered around him.
Dark gray hair.
Gray eyes.
Lean build.
But there was something about him.
An aura.
Not the fake intimidating kind weaker people tried forcing.
No.
This was different.
The quiet confidence of someone strong enough that they never needed to prove it.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
The alarms continued screaming overhead while mana flickered through the damaged laboratory systems.
Broken containment chambers leaked black fluid across the floor while frightened children huddled behind shattered equipment nearby.
And through all of it—
The man remained calm.
Too calm.
‘System.’
[On it.]
A faint blue screen appeared instantly in front of my vision.
[Status Panel Activated]
[Name: Johnny Varsha]
[Race: Human]
[Rank: C-]
[Bloodline: None]
[Physique: None]
[Title: None]
[Traits: None]
[Affinity: Wind (Mid)]
[Strength: C]
[Agility: C+]
[Stamina: C]
[Mana: C]
[Charm: C+]
[Intelligence: B]
[Luck: F]
[Defense: C-]
[Will: D+]
[Skills: Wind Slicer, Whirlwind, Wind Spear, Perception]
[Arts: None]
[Items: None]
I stared at the panel for half a second.
Then mentally sighed.
‘Oh, he’s strong.’
Not fake strong either.
Actual strong.
Strong enough that one mistake here would probably kill me.
‘We’ll need to do this carefully.’
[You?
Carefully?]
‘Rude.’
The system remained silent for a moment.
[…Statistically inaccurate, but emotionally understandable.]
Fair enough.
A memory surfaced briefly from the novel.
An organization.
Hidden.
Influential.
Wealthy enough to fund illegal research facilities across multiple kingdoms without interference.
The same organization responsible for spreading corrupted demon blood experimentation in the first place.
The Eclipse Covenant.
A group obsessed with transcending humanity through demonic integration and artificial mana evolution.
Completely insane people basically.
And judging from this laboratory—
Yeah.
Johnny Varsha definitely worked for them.
My gaze shifted briefly toward the children still huddled behind us.
Some trembled weakly while dark veins crawled beneath their skin from the demon extract flooding through their systems.
A little girl clutched another unconscious child while staring at the dead guards around her with terrified eyes.
My chest tightened slightly.
‘I have to get them out of here.’
The church could purify demon corruption.
At least…
Hopefully.
If not—
No.
Didn’t matter right now.
They needed to survive first.
Johnny finally spoke again, his calm gray eyes examining the shattered laboratory around us.
“You’ve caused quite a mess.”
“Yeah,” I admitted casually.
“Feels therapeutic honestly.”
One of the nearby researchers looked personally offended by that.
Johnny ignored them completely.
His gaze shifted subtly toward the faint distortions in space still flickering around the broken walls from my earlier movements.
“…Interesting mana.”
Ah.
That wasn’t ominous at all.
Beside me, Lyra subtly spun one of her daggers between her fingers.
Silent communication.
Ready?
I grinned slightly.
Always.
“Sigh.” I rolled my shoulders slowly.
“Let’s get this over with.”
I nodded toward Lyra.
She nodded back instantly.
Then took a fighting stance.
Her daggers gleamed beneath the laboratory lights while silver mana curled faintly around her body like smoke.
Honestly terrifying.
Also distractingly pretty.
[Host.]
‘I know.’
[Focus.]
‘Trying.’
Then—
BOOM.
The floor shattered beneath Lyra’s feet.
She launched forward like a bullet.
Fast.
Ridiculously fast.
Silver hair flashed through the laboratory as she zipped past Johnny entirely and went straight for the guards and researchers behind him.
Interesting choice.
Johnny’s gray eyes followed her movement lazily at first.
Then abruptly snapped toward me.
Too late.
“[Star Compression].”
Purple mana condensed violently around my fist.
Pale violet deepened into dark glowing purple as stellar energy compressed tighter and tighter around my arm.
The pressure alone cracked the floor beneath me.
Then I punched.
BANG.
Johnny crossed his forearms instinctively.
The impact exploded outward violently.
Wind mana burst around him automatically while the collision blasted nearby debris across the laboratory.
For half a second—
He didn’t move.
Then his eyes widened slightly.
The cloth covering part of his forearm burned away while red scorch marks spread across his skin.
Johnny slid backward several meters before stabilizing himself.
“…What in the world?”
His voice actually sounded surprised.
Good.
“You need to focus, buddy.”
I grinned viciously.
Then the laboratory exploded into motion.
Johnny vanished.
No warning.
No buildup.
One second he stood there.
The next—
WHOOOSH.
Wind screamed past my face.
Pure instinct saved me.
I twisted sideways barely in time as an invisible blade sliced through the air where my neck had been a fraction earlier.
The attack continued straight through three containment tanks behind me.
Glass exploded instantly.
Children screamed.
My expression darkened.
Yeah.
No more playing around.
Johnny appeared beside me mid-motion, his hand coated in compressed wind mana sharp enough to distort the air itself.
“[Wind Slicer].”
Five crescent-shaped blades of compressed wind shot toward me simultaneously.
Fast.
Way too fast.
‘[Blink].’
Space folded instantly.
The attacks tore through empty air as I vanished sideways and reappeared near the children instead.
The wind blades continued across the laboratory and sliced through reinforced metal walls like paper.
Okay.
That was definitely not something I wanted hitting me directly.
Johnny noticed where I reappeared immediately.
And smiled slightly.
Ah.
I hated that expression already.
“You’re protecting them.”
Not a question.
A realization.
“That tends to happen when children are involved,” I replied dryly.
“Then your movements become predictable.”
Wind mana exploded outward.
“[Whirlwind].”
The entire laboratory erupted.
A massive vortex of compressed wind burst outward from Johnny’s body, ripping broken debris, shattered glass, and metal fragments into a violently spinning storm.
The pressure alone sent several researchers flying backward.
I planted my feet instantly while shielding the children behind me with spatial distortion.
The floor cracked beneath the pressure.
God.
This guy was absurdly strong.
Across the room, Lyra moved through the chaos like a phantom.
Three guards rushed her simultaneously.
Silver flashed.
Blood followed.
One collapsed before even realizing he’d been cut.
Another lost an arm.
The third managed to block—
For about half a second.
Then Lyra’s dagger pierced directly through his throat.
Honestly terrifying girl.
But even she was getting pushed back gradually.
More guards flooded into the laboratory from deeper sections.
And unlike the earlier ones—
These were stronger.
Johnny noticed too.
“You should surrender,” he said calmly while compressed wind spiraled around his body.
“You’re talented enough to be useful.”
“…Wow.” I blinked.
“That’s somehow more insulting than threatening.”
He disappeared again.
Faster this time.
My instincts screamed instantly.
I teleported sideways—
Too slow.
BOOOOM.
A compressed blast of wind slammed into my ribs hard enough to launch me across the laboratory.
Pain exploded through my side.
I crashed through a containment chamber before skidding violently across broken glass.
“…Ow.”
Blood dripped from the corner of my mouth.
Okay.
Yeah.
That hurt.
Johnny walked forward calmly while wind spiraled around him like blades orbiting his body.
“You rely too heavily on movement abilities.”
“I move because getting stabbed sounds unpleasant.”
“Predictable.”
The air screamed.
Dozens of invisible wind blades tore toward me from every direction simultaneously.
No openings.
No escape route.
The children behind me froze in terror.
My eyes narrowed.
Fine.
Then I’d brute force it.
Space twisted violently around my body.
I smiled widely.
‘This should do it’
“[Spatial Collapse].”
The air distorted instantly.
Johnny’s wind blades warped unnaturally before collapsing inward and shredding each other apart midair.
For the first time—
Johnny’s calm expression cracked slightly.
Interesting.
I grinned.
Then vanished.
‘[Blink].’
I appeared directly above him.
“[Nova Break].”
Purple light erupted around my fist.
Johnny reacted instantly.
“[Wind Spear].”
Compressed wind condensed into a massive spear and collided directly against my attack.
BOOOOOOM.
The laboratory shook violently.
Wind and spatial force exploded outward in all directions while the collision tore massive cracks through the reinforced walls.
I got thrown backward hard enough to slam into a metal pillar.
Johnny slid backward too.
Blood dripped faintly from his arm now.
Good.
So he could bleed.
Across the laboratory, Lyra staggered slightly after cutting down another guard.
Blood stained parts of her side.
One arm hung lower than before.
She was injured.
Badly.
And still fighting.
Something twisted unpleasantly in my chest.
Johnny noticed my distraction immediately.
Big mistake.
“[Wind Cutter].”
The compressed blade of wind shot toward me faster than sound.
I reacted instantly—
Not fast enough.
The attack slammed directly into my shoulder and tore across my chest.
AGH—
Pain exploded through my body.
Blood sprayed across the floor as the force launched me backward violently.
I crashed hard against shattered stone near the children.
Everything spun for half a second.
Okay.
That was bad.
Really bad.
My chest burned violently while blood poured from the deep wound across my torso.
Johnny walked toward me calmly.
“You’re slowing down.”
No kidding.
Mana exhaustion hit hard now.
My teleportation was becoming heavier.
Slower.
Unstable.
Across the room, Lyra finally finished the last guard.
Barely.
Her breathing sounded rough now while cuts and blood stained parts of her body.
Then Johnny raised one hand calmly.
Compressed wind spiraled instantly.
“[Wind Spear].”
The attack shot directly toward the children behind me.
Too fast.
I moved instantly—
But someone reached it first.
“LYRA—!”
She appeared in front of the children without hesitation.
Both daggers crossed defensively.
The spear collided.
CRACK.
Her daggers shattered instantly.
The remaining force slammed directly into her body.
Blood burst outward.
Lyra was thrown violently across the laboratory before crashing hard against broken debris.
For half a second—
Everything stopped.
My heartbeat thundered violently in my ears.
“Lyra!”
I teleported instantly beside her.
Blood spread beneath her rapidly while broken dagger fragments lay scattered nearby.
Her breathing was shallow.
Too shallow.
My chest tightened painfully.
“Hey.” My voice came out rougher than expected.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Her eyes opened weakly.
“…That hurt,” she whispered faintly.
Okay.
Good.
Still conscious.
Still alive.
Johnny walked toward us slowly while wind gathered around him again.
“You cannot protect everyone.”
The children behind us trembled weakly.
Lyra could barely move.
And I—
I was running out of mana fast.
If this continued—
They’d die.
No.
Absolutely not.
My hands clenched tightly.
Then space distorted violently around us.
Johnny stopped instantly.
“…What are you doing?”
I ignored him completely.
Mana surged painfully through my body as spatial force wrapped around the children and Lyra simultaneously.
It hurt.
God, it hurt.
Too many targets.
Too much distance.
But it would work.
It had to.
Lyra realized what I was doing immediately.
Her eyes widened weakly.
“No.”
I forced a grin despite the blood pouring down my body.
“Get them out of here.”
“No!”
Space twisted harder.
The laboratory trembled violently around us.
Johnny’s expression changed instantly.
For the first time—
Actual alarm.
“Stop.”
Too late.
“NOOO!!”
Lyra’s scream echoed through the laboratory as space folded inward violently.
Then—
They vanished.
Silence followed.
Johnny froze.
The children were gone.
Lyra was gone.
The room became very, very quiet.
Then the mana pressure around Johnny exploded.
“How…” he said softly.
Not calm anymore.
Not composed.
Angry.
Actually angry.
“How did you let them escape?!”
The remaining researchers looked terrified instantly.
Meanwhile—
I slowly stood.
Blood dripped from my body onto the shattered laboratory floor while mana flickered unstably around me.
Everything hurt.
My vision blurred slightly.
But none of that mattered anymore.
The children were safe.
Lyra was safe.
And now—
I didn’t need to hold back.
Johnny’s expression darkened as violent wind spiraled around him.
“You’ve doomed yourself.”
I wiped blood from my mouth slowly.
Then smiled.
Not calm.
Not confident.
Something worse.
Because buried beneath the pain and exhaustion—
My blood was boiling again.
“Maybe,” I admitted quietly.
Purple light flickered faintly around my body.
Unstable.
Violent.
Dangerous.
“But if I’m going down…”
Space began distorting around the entire laboratory.
Cracks spread through the air itself.
Johnny’s eyes widened slightly.
“…What are you doing?”
I looked up at him through blood-stained hair and grinned.
“I’m going to wipe this place off the map.”
Power stonesssss