The mist clung to everything, thick enough to taste. Kyle’s breath came in ragged bursts, each one a little harder than the last.

Then, his sword cut through the air.

The Wendigo swung its axe. Kyle ducked. Rolled. Then came up slashing.

Black blood sprayed.

The creature roared. Kyle was already moving.

They’d been at it for what felt like hours. Both were bleeding. Both were slowing down.

But Kyle was slowing more.

His back was shredded. His side had a gash that wouldn’t stop weeping. His whole body was really tired.

`Just... a little... more.`

He activated his skill. His eyes glowed crimson.

Not on himself this time. On the monster.

`Hesitate,` he commanded.

The Wendigo’s movement stuttered. Just for a second. Its axe hung in the air.

Kyle lunged.

The blade bit into its neck. Not deep enough. The creature shook off the command and swung again.

Kyle jumped back. The axe whistled past his face.

`Too strong... I can’t control it. But I can... distract it.`

He did it again. And again. Each time, the Wendigo froze for half a heartbeat. Each time, Kyle got a little closer.

His internal energy was burning inside him. The tiny flame was roaring now—not big, but fierce. He pushed it into his arms. Into his legs. Into his whole body.

The Wendigo swung. Kyle didn’t dodge.

He met the axe with his blade. Steel clashed and sparks flew.

Kyle’s feet slid back in the dirt, but he held.

Then he pushed.

The Wendigo stumbled. Kyle spun and brought his sword around in a wide arc.

The blade found the gap between the creature’s neck and shoulder. It bit deep and kept going.

Finally, the Wendigo’s head flew off.

It hit the ground with a heavy thud. The body stood there for a moment. Then collapsed.

Kyle stood over it, breathing hard.

[You have slain a Wendigo.]

[Unused Stat Points: +6 | Shop Points: +60]

He exhaled and let his sword drop from his hand.

`That’s the second one tonight.`

He was a mess. Cuts all over. Blood was soaking through his shirt. His left arm hung limp.

But he was alive.

He tried to move a little—

"Agh!"

But stopped quickly because of the pain.

He hadn’t used his skill on himself this time. No pain suppression. No fear removal. Just him and his pure skills.

He wanted to endure the pain, to get used to it. He didn’t want to always rely on his skill.

Every cut, every bruise—he forced himself to feel it all. To remember it. Pain was a teacher, even when it hurt like hell.

Even though he could stop feeling the pain whenever he wanted. But what if his skill didn’t work?

He didn’t want another scenario like what happened with Arthur. It would be pathetic to start screaming because he couldn’t handle the pain.

He limped to a tree and sat down, leaning against it. The mist swirled around him.

Somewhere above, hidden in the branches, Nightmare watched. Its three golden eyes glowed through the fog.

Kyle opened his status screen.

[Name: Kyle]

[Class: Mind Controller]

[Strength: 35 | Intelligence: 60 | Endurance: 33 | Agility: 29 | Mana: 1]

[Unused Stat Points: 18]

[Skills: Mind Control - Thought Reading - Internal Mana Control]

He’d been saving points. Now he allocated them all.

Straight into Mana.

[Strength: 35 | Intelligence: 60 | Endurance: 33 | Agility: 29 | Mana: 19]

The change was immediate. The tiny flame inside him grew. Not by much. But enough.

He could feel it spreading through his chest, down his arms, into his fingertips. Still weak. Still flickering. But there

`Better...`

He closed the screen and leaned his head back. The mist was thick tonight. The three moons were high. He closed his eyes for a moment.

Then he heard something.

A rustle. In the bushes.

Kyle’s eyes snapped open. His hand found his sword. Then he pushed himself up—his body screamed, but he ignored it.

`Another one?`

There weren’t any other living beings besides the Wendigo at night in this Realm.

He raised his blade.

The rustle came again. Closer.

Then he heard a voice.

"Damn fog... Can’t see a thing."

Kyle blinked.

A figure emerged from the mist. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dark coat. Messy hair.

Darian.

He was waving a hand in front of his face, trying to clear the fog. His waterskin was in his other hand.

"This place is impossible," Darian muttered. "How do you people see anything?"

Then he looked up and saw Kyle.

His eyes moved to the Wendigo corpse. Then back to Kyle.

"Well, well," he said, grinning. "You actually killed one."

Kyle didn’t lower his sword. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." Darian took a drink. "Lilian said you weren’t in your room. Figured you’d be out here doing something stupid."

Kyle’s jaw tightened. "I’m training."

"Training." Darian looked at the corpse again. "Looks more like attempted suicide."

Kyle didn’t answer.

Darian walked closer, stepping over the Wendigo’s body. He stopped a few feet away.

"Not bad, kid. Really. Most people don’t last five minutes against one of those."

Kyle lowered his sword slightly. "Thanks."

"Don’t thank me yet." Darian looked around. "We should head back. It’s late."

Kyle nodded. He was tired. Too tired to argue.

But then the mist shifted again.

Kyle’s hand tightened around his sword. His heart dropped into his stomach.

Another shape emerged from the trees.

A Wendigo. Bigger than the last one. Its antlers were thicker. The axe in its hand looked like it could split a boulder in half.

And it was closer to Darian than to Kyle.

`Shit!`

Kyle raised his sword anyway, ignoring the screaming protest from his shoulder.

`One more. Maybe I can—`

Darian didn’t move. Didn’t even flinch.

The Wendigo locked its glowing eyes on him. Then it charged fast. The ground shook under its steps.

Kyle took a step forward—then forced himself to stop.

He remembered Darian’s status screen. All those question marks. Every single stat was hidden.

`He doesn’t need my help. He’s fine. Probably.`

The Wendigo was ten feet away. Then five. Then two.

Darian sighed. Loudly. Like a man who’d just been asked to do chores.

He lifted his head and looked at the monster in front of him. He opened his mouth and took a deep breath.

Then he did something that made Kyle’s eyes widen and his mouth open wide.

He spat on the charged monster!

A thick glob of saliva hit the Wendigo right in the middle of its skull.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened.

The Wendigo slowed. Its head tilted slightly, like it was trying to understand what had just hit it.

Even Kyle just stared. `Did he just... spit on it?!`

Darian raised his hand and then lightly snapped his fingers.

"Disappear."

Immediately, a blue fire exploded. Not a small flame. A roaring, hungry blaze that engulfed the Wendigo’s entire body in an instant.

The creature didn’t scream. It didn’t have time. Its axe clattered to the ground. Its body crumbled. Turned to ash.

Three seconds. Maybe four.

Then nothing was left but a dark smear on the ground and a few embers floating in the mist.

The ash scattered in the wind like it had never been there.

Darian turned to Kyle and smiled—warm, easy, like he’d just swatted a fly.

"Alright. Let’s go. I’m starving." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

He walked past Kyle without a second glance. Whistling.

Kyle stood there. His sword still up and eyes still wide.

`He... spat on it. He spat on a Wendigo and it turned into ASH!`

He looked at Nightmare. The bird was perched on a low branch, its three golden eyes wide open.

Even the small eyeballs along its wing roots had stopped blinking. They were all staring at the spot where the monster used to be.

Even Nightmare is confused.

Kyle’s arms finally dropped. His sword hung at his side.

`What the hell is this guy?`

Darian’s voice drifted back through the mist, casual and unconcerned.

"You coming or what? I’m not waiting forever."

Kyle looked at the ash again. Then down at his own blood-soaked clothes, his aching body, the second Wendigo corpse a few feet away.

He’d almost died tonight. Twice.

And this guy just... spat.

Kyle shook his head. Let out a breath that was half laugh, half disbelief.

He started walking.

They reached the edge of the forest. The mansion’s lights were visible through the thinning mist.

Darian stopped walking.

He turned his head toward Kyle.

"Hey. One thing."

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Don’t copy me."

Kyle frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Darian pointed a finger at him. "The spitting thing. That’s my move. My trademark. Don’t you dare steal it."

Kyle just stared at him.

"I wasn’t planning to," he said.

"Good." Darian nodded, satisfied. "Because I’d be genuinely offended."

He turned around and kept walking, whistling some tune Kyle didn’t recognise.

Kyle stood there for a moment. His body was still bleeding. His arms still hurt. But the corner of his mouth twitched.

`This guy is insane!`