My Cheat Skill Lets Me Copy Powers....But only if i kill-Chapter 23: The Price Of Failure

Chapter 22- The Price of failure

Renji stepped forward from the shadows, his silver eyes locked on the demon girl who stood calmly above Gregory's mutilated corpse. Her blade dripped with blood, her expression unbothered.

Renji's jaw clenched. "You killed him."

She didn't even glance at the body. "He was weak. He failed. There's no place for failures in the Demon Army."

Renji's voice dropped, cold and controlled. "You tried to kill me in my sleep. Now you finish him off like garbage? Why?"

She finally looked at him. "Simple. Join us... or die. That was the order. You refused, so now..." Her eyes glowed crimson. "You'll be the next body on this ground."

Renji drew his weapon — Quickdraw engaged. The steel shimmered in the fading light, his blade already poised to strike.

"Try it."

She dashed forward, blade flashing.

Renji reacted instantly — Phantom Step. His body flickered out of existence for a split second, reappearing at her flank. His blade slashed out, but she twisted just in time, steel meeting steel.

Clang!

The force of the blow rattled his arms, but he pivoted — Dual Strike. Two rapid strikes flowed seamlessly, one aimed at her hip, the next at her shoulder.

She blocked the first, but the second grazed her arm, drawing blood.

She snarled, retaliating with a low slash. Renji jumped back, activating Predator's Instinct — his senses sharpened, her movements slowed in his perception. He could see the slight twitch in her shoulder, the shift in her weight — she was going for a feint.

Renji stepped right, avoiding the trap, and countered with a thrust.

But she was fast. Too fast.

Her blade caught his side, slicing through cloth and skin. Pain flared.

He grit his teeth and activated Heal, golden light patching the wound mid-combat.

She didn't give him time to breathe.

A sharp stab aimed for his chest — he parried, barely. She followed with a kick, slamming into his ribs. He staggered back, the world tilting.

Bloodhound's Sense activated instinctively.

His world shifted — her blood trail glowed faintly, her movements clearer, her intent screaming through the air. Rage. Desperation. Obsession.

She lunged again.

This time, he was ready.

He side-stepped, his blade flashing — Dual Strike, both cuts carving into her side. She gasped, stumbling. Renji pressed in, using Phantom Step mid-swing for an unpredictable strike.

But she vanished into the shadows, reappearing on the opposite side, blade aimed at his back.

He ducked just in time.

Steel sliced air.

They both leapt back, breathing hard, blood dripping from their wounds, neither yielding.

Renji's chest heaved, eyes locked on hers.

She wiped her blade, blood trailing down her arm.

"You're stronger than expected," she muttered. "But you can't keep this up."

Renji raised his sword. "Neither can you."

Then they both launched forward, blades crashing in a burst of sparks.

The force knocked them apart — both sliding across the ground, weapons trembling in their hands.

She stood slowly, gaze hard. "You're not ready to die. Not yet."

With a shimmer of darkness, she vanished.

Th𝓮 most uptodate nov𝑒ls are publish𝒆d on ƒreewebηoveℓ.com.

Renji remained still, his muscles tight, breath heavy.

He wasn't sure if he'd won... but he was alive.

"For now," he muttered, clutching his side. "Next time, I finish this."

Warm light flickered from the lanterns hanging on the wooden walls, casting a cozy glow over the small common room of the inn. The scent of baked bread and stew lingered in the air, blending with the faint aroma of lavender from the nearby hearth. A fire crackled softly, its gentle warmth cutting through the early evening chill.

Kiera sat back in her chair, arms folded, eyes fixed on the ceiling. Across from her, Elara and Lena shared a plate of sliced fruit, their mood light but tinged with unease.

"Alright," Kiera said, breaking the silence. "Let's play a game."

Elara blinked. "A game?"

Kiera nodded. "Yeah. Let's guess why Renji went off on his own."

Lena tilted her head. "Maybe he had a secret mission?"

Elara grinned. "Maybe he just needed a break. I mean, we do cling to him a lot."

Kiera smirked. "Speak for yourself. I give him space."

Lena and Elara exchanged a glance. "Really?" they said in unison.

Kiera's face flushed. "I—okay, maybe sometimes. But still, why not tell us anything? Just 'I'll be back later'? That's not like him."

Elara poked her fruit with a fork. "Maybe it was something personal. Like... a memory or something he had to deal with alone."

Lena frowned. "You think someone hurt him?"

Kiera's expression darkened for a moment, but she shook her head. "Renji's tough. He wouldn't let anyone get the better of him. Still..." Her voice trailed off.

They sat in silence for a moment, the crackling fire filling the gap.

Elara broke it. "He'll come back. He always does."

Kiera leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table. "Yeah, and when he does, we're getting answers."

Lena nodded. "And we'll make sure he doesn't go off alone again."

The three of them sat together, the warmth of the room cocooning them — a stark contrast to the cold streets Renji now walked alone.

Renji stepped out of the alleyway's shadows, his side throbbing with every breath. Blood trickled beneath the tear in his shirt, the result of the demon girl's last, desperate strike.

He hissed and crouched beneath a tall tree, pulling up his shirt to inspect the gash. "Not deep," he muttered, placing a hand over it. "But annoying."

A soft glow radiated from his palm as he activated Heal. Warmth spread through his skin, knitting the torn flesh together slowly. The pain dulled, replaced by a faint itch as the wound closed.

Renji exhaled sharply. His muscles still ached from the fight, but the damage was manageable.

"Just another scar," he murmured.

His stomach growled.

Renji opened his Item Box, retrieving some dried meat and bread. As he ate, his eyes remained alert, constantly scanning the path ahead as he made his way toward town.

Then he heard it—yells, snarls, the unmistakable clash of metal on bone.

Renji's eyes sharpened.

Following the noise, he crept through the woods and came upon a clearing where three adventurers struggled against a pair of large beasts — mutated boar-like creatures with twisted tusks and glowing eyes.

The adventurers were swinging wildly, their attacks clumsy, lacking rhythm. One tripped over a root, another nearly struck their own teammate with a misplaced swing.

Renji observed silently, chewing the last of his bread.

"They have spirit... but no coordination."

One of the beasts lunged at the smallest member — a girl barely in her teens — who screamed, raising a flimsy dagger.

Renji moved.

Phantom Step activated — his body vanished and reappeared between the beast and the girl. His blade flashed, Quickdraw-enhanced, slicing clean through the beast's side. It shrieked and collapsed.

The other beast turned with a snarl.

Renji's eyes narrowed. Predator's Instinct kicked in — his reflexes sharpened, the beast's movement telegraphed like a slow wave.

It lunged.

Renji ducked low, blade glowing faintly as he activated Dual Strike, delivering two precise slashes — one across its neck, the second straight into its heart.

It toppled with a final cry, silence returning to the clearing.

As the final beast collapsed, Renji straightened, wiping blood from his blade. His breath was steady, his focus sharp — but before he could sheath his weapon, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.

[System Notification]

[Souls Available: 2]

[Option: Convert to Mana or Store Toward Unique Skill]

[Current Progress: 0 / 10 Souls]

Renji's eyes narrowed slightly.

The system's cold, mechanical voice echoed once more.

[Unique Skill Acquisition requires 10 souls. Choose: Convert or Store.]

He didn't hesitate.

"Store."

A soft glow rose from the beasts' corpses — two wisps of energy, faintly shimmering, drifted toward Renji before vanishing into his chest. He felt the faint pulse of power — potential locked away for something greater.

He exhaled, then muttered under his breath, "eight more."

The three adventurers stared, wide-eyed and panting.

"H-he killed them... alone."

"Did you see that speed?!"

Renji sheathed his weapon and turned to them, gaze calm but unreadable.

"You alright?" he asked.

The girl who nearly got hit nodded, face pale. "Y-yeah... thanks to you."

A burly young man stepped forward, hand extended. "I'm Bran. That's Lira—" he pointed to the girl, "—and the tall one's Darin. We... uh, owe you."

Renji gave a short nod. "Renji."

They hesitated, clearly wanting to ask more but unsure.

Lira's stomach growled loudly, breaking the tension.

Renji raised a brow, then reached into his Item Box, pulling out food and water. He handed it over without a word.

Lira blinked. "You... carry food in there?"

"Always," Renji said simply.

As they ate, Bran spoke up. "We're new. Just started adventuring a week ago. Heard there were easy beasts outside town, but..." He glanced at the corpses. "Guess we bit off more than we could chew."

Renji folded his arms. "You have potential. But you lack teamwork. Practice. Plan."

Darin nodded quickly. "Y-yeah, we know. We just wanted to prove ourselves."

Renji studied them, then gestured toward the path. "Come on. I'll escort you back."

The sun was dipping below the rooftops of Valkris as Renji walked down the quiet streets, the day's battles weighing on his shoulders. The soft clinking of coins in his pouch, the subtle ache in his muscles — all reminders of the fight, of what he still had to do.

As he reached the inn, the door creaked open, and warm light spilled out onto the street.

"Renji!" Lena's voice called out.

Elara and Kiera stood just behind her. Relief washed over their faces as they saw him, and Lena immediately ran forward, hugging him tightly.

"You're okay... Thank the gods."

Renji tensed for a moment, then gently patted her head. "I'm fine."

Kiera stepped forward, eyes scanning him. "You're late."

Renji gave her a tired look. "Ran into trouble."

She raised a brow. "What kind?"

Renji stepped inside with them, the inn's warmth and smell of food enveloping him. They sat around a table in their room, a lamp flickering beside them.

He leaned back, exhaling slowly.

"Gregor's dead."

Silence.

"What?" Elara's voice was barely a whisper.

Renji's eyes didn't waver. "I went looking for him. Found him. But... I wasn't the one who killed him."

Kiera's gaze sharpened. "Then who?"

Renji's voice dropped. "A demon. The same one who offered me a place in their army. She killed him — said he failed."

Lena's eyes widened. "She killed him because he failed to kill you, didn't she?"

Renji nodded.

Kiera stood, pacing. "Damn it... we knew something was off with him, but working with demons?"

"I fought her," Renji continued. "Couldn't finish it. She retreated, but I won't let her slip away next time."

They were quiet for a moment, processing it all.

Elara spoke softly. "Why would she want you to join them?"

Renji shrugged. "Said I'm valuable. Dangerous if left to humans."

Kiera's fists clenched. "So they want to either control you... or erase you."

Renji stood, walking to the window, looking out over the city. "I need to get stronger. I'm not ready yet."

He turned back to them, silver eyes glowing faintly in the low light.

"I'm going to the guild. Time for another quest."

Lena stepped forward. "We're coming with you."

He paused.

Elara smiled. "You're not doing this alone anymore."

Renji gave a small nod.

"Alright. Let's move."