NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 31: Ghost Veil
July 9th. 12:45 AM.
> [Skill Unlocked – Ghost Veil (B-Rank)]
Category: Passive/Perception
Your senses slip into the realm between the living and the dead. Hostile intent flickers before action. Movements slow to your vision. The unseen become silhouettes.
Effects:
Pre-perception of enemy attacks
Detect cloaked or hidden threats as faint specters
Heightened awareness in low-visibility
Weak aura of dread to surrounding enemies
Duration: 10 minutes
Cooldown: 6 hours
Kael stared at the flickering interface above his palm, the golden text burning softly in the moonlight. A breeze rustled the alley trash behind him, but he didn't flinch. Everything felt clearer, colder.
Ghost Veil. The name fit.
He flexed his fingers. This wasn't just a power boost. It was a different way of seeing the world.
---
Kael returned to the his family immediately, Kael made his way back to the broken remnants of their old resting place. The place still smelled like ash and memory.
His family was there.
His older brothers froze when he stepped inside, bloodied and ragged.
His mother rushed forward, tears lining her eyes. "Kael..."
Kael collapsed onto the mat, finally letting his muscles relax.
"I'll stay here tonight," he whispered. "Just... need to breathe."
And so he rested.
The pain from the Tyrant fight dulled. Routine Serge's enhanced metabolism, now a full B-rank ability, accelerated muscle recovery. Injury Heal sealed the tears beneath his ribs and drained the lingering ache.
By dawn, he stood up completely recovered.
---
Morning.
The sky was pale.
Kael stepped outside and summoned both of his soul-bound daggers with a thought. They materialized instantly:
Obsidian Dagger, longer and etched with veins of black fire.
Dagger of Humility, radiant, light bending subtly around its blade.
He activated Ghost Veil.
The world shifted. The wind sounded distant. The flicker of an animal across the rooftops glowed in the corner of his vision.
He began training.
Sweat poured as he combined Routine Serge for movement speed, Injury Heal to maintain momentum, and Ghost Veil to react preemptively.
Strike. Twist. Dash. Parry.
Even imaginary enemies felt real.
He was faster. Stronger. Sharper.
---
His brothers watched.
"How..." one of them murmured.
Kael turned.
"You have powers now too," he said. "But you're wasting them."
They looked away, ashamed.
Kael walked toward them and dropped a bundle of sticks, stones, and two dull knives.
"From today, we train. Weapons first. Powers second."
And so it began.
---
The Week Unfolded
Kael kept his family hidden in the old ruins for a few more days. Even after a week, there were no real safe zones yet. Kael kept his family moving between the lesser-patrolled ruins, using Ghost Veil and instinct to avoid danger. Not one of the rich-run zones, but one near the outskirts, close to danger but still protected.
He trained his brothers every day.
Basic weapon stances in the morning.
Hand-to-hand drills by midday.
Power control in the evening.
One of them could create bursts of wind. Another could harden skin temporarily. Small powers. But useful.
Kael guided them in how to fight and survive.
He wasn't just their younger brother now.
He was their leader.
---
At Night, Kael Hunted.
He targeted weak beasts and low-level mutations to sharpen his edge.
Routine Serge gave him terrifying speed. Ghost Veil made even fast enemies feel sluggish. His daggers cut clean and deep.
Every fight was practice.
One night, three horned crawlers ambushed him. He let them surround him—then activated Ghost Veil.
Their movements slowed. His didn't.
He ducked. Cut one's leg.
Used Obsidian Dagger to melt through another's spine.
Flipped forward, embedded the Dagger of Humility in the last crawler's skull.
Done.
> [Kills Logged: +3 Mutant Type]
[Cooldowns: Routine Serge (Ready), Injury Heal (Used), Ghost Veil (Cooldown: 5 hours 59 minutes) cool down removed by divine echo]
He moved like death incarnate.
---
The World Was Changing.
A week passed. Only then did talks of safe zones begin. Nothing was built yet—just plans, rumors, and desperate hope.
People needed power, influence, or high-value connections to enter.
Fighting parties began to form.
Posters appeared on digital boards and scrap walls:
> [Sabertooth sighted. East Sector. Party formed. Rewards high.]
[Dire Wolf Pack tracked. Assistance needed. Stealth-oriented fighters preferred.]
[Juvenile Ankylosaurus confirmed. Armor-piercing skills prioritized.]
The prehistoric creatures weren't rumors anymore.
They were growing in numbers.
At first, one or two sightings.
Then packs.
And the worst part?
They were coordinating.
---
One evening, Kael stood alone on a rooftop, eyes scanning the dark.
He felt tired, but centered.
He activated Ghost Veil.
From far beyond the ridge, just at the edge of his spectral vision, something massive moved in the dark.
A mammoth?
No.
Worse.
Its silhouette was wrong.
Too many tusks. Spines on its back. A low growl that shook the wind.
Kael clenched his dagger handles tighter.
Whatever it was, it wasn't from this age.
And it was coming.
---
To Be Continued...