Chapter 29: Ruin at the Doorstep

Within minutes, Liam descended gracefully to the ground outside his home, his feet touching down softly. He walked through the front door, closing it behind him.

“Heyyy Mr. Special Agent,” Yaela called out playfully as she emerged from the kitchen wiping her hands on a towel, her voice carrying that familiar teasing tone that always made him smile.

“Hey buddy,” Liam replied, chuckling as they exchanged their usual fist bump. Almost immediately, a sweet, savory aroma drifted from the kitchen, capturing his attention. “Damn, what are you making?” His interest was piqued instantly.

Yaela’s smile widened. “I’ve got chicken sauce going.”

Suddenly, two translucent notification screens materialized before Liam’s eyes, appearing one after the other in rapid succession.

[Daily Quests have not been completed]

[Complete the Quests before 11:59pm]

“Oh shit,” he muttered under his breath.

Yaela’s expression shifted to concern. “What’s up?” she asked, her brow furrowing slightly.

“Oh, nothing really, but I’ve got to go. I’ll be back soon,” Liam said, already moving toward the door with hurried steps.

“Like now?” Yaela’s frown deepened, disappointment evident in her voice.

“Yes, but I promise I won’t be long,” he pleaded, raising both hands in a gesture of reassurance.

Yaela shook her head with resignation. “Come back quickly.”

“I promise,” Liam called over his shoulder as he rushed out the door. Once outside, he pulled the daily quest interface with a thought.

[Daily Quest → Must be completed within a 24-hour period]

– Run a 300KM distance without the usage of abilities

– Time given to finish quest: 2 hours

[Warning: Incompletion of Daily Quests will result in a Penalty Quest]

[Do you want to begin quest?] → [Yes/No]

Before Liam could make his selection, his enhanced senses suddenly tingled with warning. He turned sharply, scanning the area with keen eyes. The street appeared empty, but an unsettling feeling crawled up his spine, the distinct sensation of being watched. Caught between trusting his instincts and the pressing need to complete his quest before Yaela grew angry and before the day ended, Liam made his choice. He pressed [YES].

[1:59:58]

The countdown began, and Liam launched into his run, sprinting in the opposite direction from where Ray Hooks had appeared. Ray, had been following Liam’s luminous trail all the way to his residence. Initially, he’d planned a direct ambush, but as he observed from several meters away, a more sinister strategy formed in his mind.

Through the lit windows of the house, he could clearly see a woman moving about inside, this was Yaela. A cruel smile spread across his face as he realized how much more effectively he could hurt Liam through her. Several minutes after Liam’s departure, a heavy knock echoed through the house.

“Liam?” Yaela murmured to herself, stepping into the living room. Instead of her brother, she found herself face-to-face with a towering, muscular figure dressed entirely in black. Ray Hooks stepped slowly into the room, a malevolent grin spreading across his features, a expression that sent cold shivers through her veins.

“Wh-who are you?” Yaela’s voice trembled with fear.

…

The timer continued its relentless countdown throughout Liam’s grueling run. When he finally completed the 300-kilometer distance, the screen automatically registered his success and the timer stopped

[00:02:05]

[Distance completed: 300/300 KM]

[You have successfully completed your daily quest]

[+1 stat point available]

“Phew,” Liam panted, slightly winded from the intense run. He activated his regeneration skill, feeling the fatigue melt away from his muscles. Deciding to review his progress, he pulled up his player information.

[EVOLUTION SYSTEM – PLAYER: LIAM VELMONT]

Main Class: Limitless

Level: 3.45

Authority: Beast Tamer

HP: 1750 | MP: 2420 | STA: 2760

[Stats]:

STR: 75 AGI: 60

CS: 45 PRC: 36

Stat Points Available: 16

[Skills]:

– Regeneration

– Contract Summoning

– Contract Borrowing Lv2

– Iron Fists Lv2

– Unity Weaving Lv1

– Sovereign Hands Lv1

– Sonic Lv1

– Crit Hit Lv1

[Passive Skills]:

– Aegis

[Class Skill]:

– Nega-Fusion

[Inventory]:

– Tears of the Undying

– Stormbringer

[Extras]:

– Skill Upgrade Token

“Hmm…” Liam studied his stats carefully before distributing his 16 available points strategically: [STR 75 → 80]

[AGI 60 → 65]

[CS 45 → 46]

[PRC 36 → 41]

“Alright, that looks better,” he said with satisfaction. He noticed his Muscle Boost skill had evolved into Iron Fists and clicked to examine the improvement.

[Iron Fist Lv2 → 70% boost increase to STR stat]

Liam nodded approvingly before examining the skill upgrade token.

[Skill Upgrade Token → Allows the player to advance one skill by one level]

“I’ll save this for later,” he decided, then turned his attention to his new class skill.

[Nega-Fusion]

– Player can absorb the souls of those killed in battle. Applies to both humans & Mythical Creatures

[Effects → Allows player to harness abilities of the deceased through soul absorption]

[Additional Effects → Player truly dies when all souls, including his own, have been extinguished]

– Reminder: Class skills cannot be shared

“What the fuck?!” Liam’s eyes widened in shock at the implications, but then urgency struck him. He needed to get home to Yaela and that delicious chicken sauce.

“Let’s figure you out later,” he said, referring to the disturbing new ability. His body lifted into the air, and he streaked homeward at incredible speed.

Minutes later, Liam arrived to find his front door hanging wide open—the first alarming sign that something was terribly wrong. Yaela would never leave without securing the house. He rushed inside to discover broken plates scattered across the living room floor, along with small droplets of blood that made his heart race with panic.

“Oh no… Yaela!” he screamed, racing toward the kitchen. There he found the chicken sauce she’d prepared, still warm in the pot but already beginning to cool.

He bounded upstairs, frantically searching both bedrooms and checking every door, but found nothing. As he emerged from one of the rooms, his new phone, a replacement for the device destroyed during his battle with the Ancient, began ringing. He answered immediately.

“I assume you’re looking for your sister,” came a thick, menacing voice.

“Who the fuck are you, and where is Yaela?!” Liam roared, his entire body trembling with rage.

“Oh, you don’t remember, you fucking chicken!” Ray taunted, and the sound of his voice triggered Liam’s memory of their previous encounter.

“You! I will kill you for this!” Liam’s threat carried deadly weight, this was no empty promise. His desire for Ray’s blood became his singular, overwhelming priority.

Ray scoffed. “You talk big. Come to this location if you still want to see your sister alive.” A text message with a live location pinged on Liam’s phone and afterwards, the call ended abruptly.

Liam glanced at the Google Maps location, his jaw clenching with determination. In the blink of an eye, he vanished in a brilliant streak of lightning, leaving only his phone suspended in midair, about to clatter to the floor.

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