West didn’t break stride.
He glanced at his remaining resources.
Cuck Points: 492
More than enough.
He didn’t hesitate.
> [ SubStat Enhancement Selected]
Strength: +10
Agility: +10
Cost: 100 Cuck Points
<[ Confirm Selection ]>
[ YES ] × [ NO ]
"Yes," West muttered under his breath.
[ - 100 Cuck Points ]
The confirmation ripple washed through his body instantly.
It wasn’t explosive like Adrenal Control. This was deeper and more structural. His muscles tightened and condensed. His balance recalibrated. His steps felt lighter and more grounded.
He flexed his fingers once and he was instantly able to tell that his strength had gone up a notch.
But he wasn’t done.
He flicked the interface again.
> [Skill Shop Opened]
Available Skills:
— Kinetic Guard (Passive)
— Pulse Step
— Iron Breath
— Echo Mark
— Shadow Anchor
His eyes paused on the last one.
> [Skill: Shadow Anchor]
Type: Active
Cost: 50 Cuck Points
Description:
Temporarily anchors your presence to nearby shadows, dulling sound, masking minor movements, and allowing brief bursts of silent repositioning within shadowed areas.
Duration: 30 seconds
Cooldown: 5 minutes
’Perfect.’
> Purchase Confirmed.
[ - 50 Cuck Points ]
The skill integrated seamlessly, like it had always been waiting there. West felt the awareness of shadows instantly like they were now connected to him.
They weren’t just absence of light anymore... now, they were his tools.
He rounded a familiar corner that led past an abandoned maintenance yard. The fencing was half-broken, the lighting uneven, and the concrete walls were scarred with old graffiti and rust stains.
The kind of place people avoided.
The kind of place he wanted.
The moment he crossed into the yard, West activated the skill.
> [Shadow Anchor Activated]
His footsteps vanished.
He slid sideways and pressed his back flat against the left wall, melting into the shadow cast by a flickering overhead lamp. He slowed his breathing to near nothing.
A heartbeat later, the first pursuer entered the yard.
His face was hidden underneath a hood but he paused upon noticing that West was no longer in sight.
However, before he could alert the other two, West’s hand shot out like a striking snake.
He grabbed the figure by the collar and slammed them into the wall with a crack that echoed across the concrete. Before the person could even gasp what was happening, West drove a compact, brutal punch straight into their abdomen.
The impact folded them instantly.
Their knees buckled as they vomited violently while their body spasmed.
The second and third figure rushed in at once.
One went for his arm...
The other aimed for his waist...
With his Agility boosted, West twisted smoothly, slipping free like smoke. He seized the second attacker by the throat and pivoted, using momentum and raw strength to slam them headfirst into the third.
Bone creaking sounds rang out as both of them hit the ground hard.
West stepped forward with his arm cocked back and his fist clenched, intent on bashing their faces in.
"WEST!"
The shout froze him mid-motion.
The hood of the nearest attacker was yanked down in a hurry.
West immediately recognized the face with a scar near the brow.
"...Huh? Its you... that guy from Iron Chain..." West blinked.
Raze Calder raised both hands quickly. "Yeah, I’m Raze... and we’re not here to hurt you!"
West stared at him for a full second.
Then another.
Then he deadpanned, "You couldn’t have led with that?"
Raze grimaced. "You didn’t give us the chance."
West exhaled slowly, letting go of the tension. He glanced at the other two who were both groaning. One was dry-heaving while the other clutched his ribs.
"...My bad," West muttered while rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought Caleb finally hired goons."
He reached down and hauled Raze to his feet with one hand.
Raze was stupefied by West’s strength but now he understood why Caleb went down.
The third guy staggered upright and shot West a glare sharp enough to cut steel. "You cheap-shotting bastard."
West turned to him. "You followed me."
"...Still."
Raze stepped between them. "Enough."
He studied West openly now, staring at him.
"All three of us are awakened," Raze said slowly. "Tier one. And you just folded us."
West shrugged. "Bad day?"
Raze shook his head. "No. You’re just... strong. Way stronger than you’re supposed to be."
The angry one scoffed. "He got lucky. If he hadn’t sneaked attacked, I would have put him down."
Raze shot him a look. "He didn’t even activate a branch."
That shut him up.
Raze turned back to West. "What did you awaken as?"
West smiled faintly. "None of your business."
There was a brief pause before Raze exhaled and nodded. "Fair."
Usually he’d be a lot more forceful and pompous but his boss had given him a direct order... and he couldn’t risk sabotaging it.
He gestured behind them, where the yard opened into shadowed alleys. "We’re not here for a fight. We’re here with an offer."
West folded his arms. "I’m listening."
Raze straightened and changed his tone to a more professional one.
"Our boss wants you."
He paused briefly before adding.
"Join Iron Chain."
West stared at him and then laughed incredulously.
"You’re serious?"
Raze didn’t smile. "Dead serious."
The other guy muttered, "Even though you’re a cheap-shotting bastard... you qualify."
West’s gaze hardened slightly. "I’m not interested."
Raze spread his hands. "Iron Chain isn’t just muscle. We train. We protect our own. We don’t discard potential."
West raised an eyebrow. "Sounds a lot like recruitment propaganda."
Raze cracked a smile. "Maybe. But potential like yours doesn’t stay independent for long. Either you choose a banner... or someone chooses one for you."
West looked past them, toward the dimming sky beyond the yard.
The system interface flickered faintly at the edge of his vision.
It seemed as though he had gotten some unwanted attention.
He met Raze’s eyes again.
"...I’ll think about it," West said calmly.
Raze nodded. "That’s all we ask."
The Iron Chain members stepped back, giving him space.
As West turned to leave, Raze called out one last time.
"West."
He paused.
"Something about you isn’t normal. I could have sworn you were unawakened before and yet you beat an awakened and now you’re suddenly awakened..." Raze said quietly. "You’re an oddball... Whether you join us or not... things are about to get complicated."