The challenge hung in the frozen air of the training grounds, the dark, misty aura of the shadow path twisting around Peaker’s ankles like coiled serpents.

His sleep deprived eyes were wide with a manic, sharp focus, completely shedding the exhausted demeanor he had displayed in the room.

Ghost grinned, a low rumble of excitement vibrating in his broad chest.

’Arrogant bastard. Don’t cry when I frostbite that butt of yours!’

Without a single click or mechanical whisper, the Silence Crossbow in Ghost’s muscular hands leveled instantly toward the center of the hardwood floor.

With a silent release of an Ice Arrow, it manifested and streaked across the arena.

The projectile cut through the falling flakes of snow, screaming silently toward Peaker’s chest.

The impact would have instantly frozen anything it touched, locking the target in a cage of dense frost.

Thud!

The arrow struck the hardwood flooring, instantly blooming into a jagged, three-foot cluster of blue ice crystals. But Peaker was gone.

Evan’s dark eyes didn’t blink.

His gaze snapped instantly to the shadow cast by one of the massive granite pillars supporting the western wall.

Peaker was standing there, his arms crossed, a lazy, mocking smirk plastered across his pale face.

’Instantaneous relocation,’ Evan analyzed, his thumb lightly resting on the hammer of his Silenced Revolver.

He hadn’t fired yet.

He was observing.

’He didn’t move through the air. The space didn’t warp. He simply vanished from one point and appeared in another.’

Ghost didn’t hesitate, snapping his wrist, he loaded another bolt.

’Try dodging this one!’

A Fire Arrow burst from the Silenced Crossbow, instantly transforming into a volatile, spreading blaze mid- light.

It blanketed a wide arc, designed to catch a target even if they attempted to dive or roll out of the path of destruction.

Simultaneously, Evan finally raised his midnight black revolver, the golden stripes catching the dim winter light.

He pulled the trigger.

Pfft.

A dull, suppressed hiss escaped the barrel as a standard bullet tore through the air, perfectly synchronized with Ghost’s wall of fire.

The combination of a wide area elemental attack and a high velocity precision projectile left virtually zero room for physical evasion.

Yet, as the fire exploded across the hardwood and Evan’s bullet pierced the empty air, Peaker vanished a second time.

He materialized ten meters to the left, standing directly inside the shifting shadow cast by Ghost’s massive, muscular frame.

’Too slow, weapon masters’ Peaker taunted, his voice echoing off the moss-covered granite walls.

’You’re aiming where I am, not where my shadow allows me to be.’

Ghost let out a frustrated growl, rapidly cycling through his arsenal, unleashing a Blasting Arrow that detonated against the far wall, showering the arena in stone dust.

Evan, however, lowered his weapon slightly, his mind working like a cold, calculating ledger.

He wasn’t frustrated.

He was measuring.

He had noticed the precise distance of each blink.

It was never further than ten meters.

He also noticed that Peaker could only reappear where a distinct, dark outline existed on the floor or walls.

’Shadow Teleportation Blood Worm,’ Evan deduced, his lips flattening into a thin, predatory line. ’Its function is absolute.

Upon activation, it allows the user to instantaneously teleport within any existing shadow within a strict ten meter radius.

A flawless evasive tool for a scout.

But every absolute ability has a limitation, reaction time.

Peaker was fast, but his mind still had to perceive the threat, select a target shadow, and consciously trigger the worm.

To catch a teleporter, one didn’t aim at the body, nor the shadow.

One had to manipulate the environment to force a predictable choice.

’Ghost,’ Evan called out, his voice a low, steady whisper that barely carried over the wind.

’Saturate the left perimeter with fire. Force him right.’

Ghost didn’t ask questions.

Recognizing the tactical command, the large blonde man pivoted, his crossbow unleashing three rapid Fire Arrows into the left quadrant of the training grounds.

The volatile flames erupted violently, consuming the shadows cast by the granite pillars on that side, turning the dark patches into bright, blinding sheets of orange light.

With his options cut in half, Peaker’s eyes widened slightly.

His natural instinct was to flee toward the deep, undisturbed shadows stretching along the right-hand wall.

Click.

Evan moved.

He didn’t activate his standard ammunition.

Deep within his aperture, his Qi flooded into his awakened Blood Worm, the Paralyzing Bullet.

He didn’t aim at Peaker’s current position.

He didn’t even aim at the shadow Peaker was looking at. He tracked the trajectory of Peaker’s inevitable panic.

Pfft.

The silenced revolver hissed.

A millisecond after the trigger was pulled, Peaker triggered his worm to escape the approaching heat of Ghost’s spreading fire.

He dissolved into the darkness and reappeared exactly ten meters to the right, inside the deep shadow of a weapon rack.

But Evan’s bullet was already there, waiting for him.

Spit.

The precision round tore cleanly through the meat of Peaker’s left shoulder.

’Ah!’ Peaker gasped.

The impact wasn’t heavy enough to shatter bone, but the moment the bullet touched his bloodstream, the effect was catastrophic.

The color instantly drained from Peaker’s face.

His eyes rolled back slightly as a severe, unnatural stiffness rippled outward from his shoulder.

Within three seconds, his entire nervous system locked up completely.

His muscles turned to stone and his body toppled forward like a felled log, slamming hard against the reinforced hardwood floor.

He lay there completely frozen, unable to move so much as a finger, his breathing shallow and rigid.

Ghost dropped his crossbow, his face washing over with sudden panic. He rushed forward, his heavy boots pounding against the wood.

’Shit, Evan! I told you no lethal strikes!’

Evan walked over slowly, his wolf skin cloak billowing slightly around his ankles.

His expression remained entirely unbothered, his dark eyes looking down at the paralyzed man.

’Relax,’ Evan said smoothly, his voice a calm anchor against Ghost’s rising anxiety.

’I told you, my weapon is controlled.’

Reaching deep into the folds of his grey and black inner robes, Evan pulled out a small, intricately sealed glass flask.

Inside, a thick, vibrant green liquid sloshed against the glass, faintly glowing under the grey winter sky.

It was a specialized antidote formulated to counteract common poisons.

Evan knelt beside Peaker’s stiff form.

Without a hint of hesitation, he used his gloved thumb to pry Peaker’s locked jaw open.

He tilted the flask, pouring the bitter, emerald fluid directly down the man’s throat, making him swallow the thick concoction.

For a terrifying five seconds, nothing happened. Ghost watched with bated breath, his hand resting anxiously on his sword hilt.

Then, a deep, shuddering gasp tore out of Peaker’s chest.

The unnatural stiffness vanished as quickly as it had arrived.

The color rushed back into his cheeks, and his limbs loosened, allowing him to roll over onto his side, clutching his sore left shoulder as he breathed heavily.

’Holy hell,’ Peaker wheezed, shaking his head as his messy black hair fell over his eyes.

He looked up at Evan with a mixture of profound fear and immense respect.

’That... that felt like my soul was nailed to the floorboards. What kind of Blood Worm is that?’

Evan stood back up, slipping the empty flask back into his robes, his face returning to its usual mask of quiet, unreadable indifference.

’A useful one,’ Evan replied flatly.

Ghost let out a massive sigh of relief, slapping a heavy, muscular hand onto Evan’s shoulder with a boisterous laugh.