The Skills Perfector

The morning sun barely peeked over the rooftops, casting soft rays of gold through the thin curtains in Jay's bedroom. The air was crisp and quiet—too quiet, considering what the day promised.

Jay stepped out of the bathroom, a towel slung around his neck and steam still clinging to his skin. On the kitchen table, a simple breakfast awaited him: eggs, toast, and a small note in delicate handwriting.

"Eat up. I left early for work. Be careful today." – Sis

He smiled faintly, warmed by the gesture. He sat down and ate in silence, chewing slowly as his thoughts churned. Today was the day he'd level up—or die trying.

After rinsing his plate, Jay geared up. Black hoodie. Joggers. Combat gloves. A slim utility belt under his jacket, just in case.

As he made his way toward the door, his grandfather's voice called from the hallway.

"Be careful out there, Jay."

Jay paused for a second, nodding over his shoulder. "I will, gramps."

Outside, the city was just waking up. Vendors were opening their stalls. Cars rolled lazily through the streets. The sky was still painted in streaks of orange and pink.

His phone buzzed.

[Nathan | 6:37 AM]

7th Street. Waiting.

Jay locked the door behind him and took off. His building was on 5th Street, so it was just a short walk. A light breeze swept through the narrow alleys, carrying the scent of damp pavement and old brick.

When he turned onto 7th, the first thing he saw made him stop for a second: Nathan was helping an old man cross the street. The elderly figure clutched a cane and moved with painful slowness, but Nathan stayed patient, even adjusting the man's bag so it wouldn't drag.

Jay approached just as they reached the sidewalk.

"Yo," Jay said with a grin. "Didn't take you for the neighborhood hero."

Nathan gave a quick nod, brushing imaginary dust from his hands. "Gotta earn good karma, right?"

The two bumped fists, then began walking side by side down the empty street.

"So, where's this famous hunting spot?" Jay asked.

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Relax, man. I'm leading the way, aren't I?"

Jay raised an eyebrow. "Just curious… is it in the city?"

Nathan turned toward him with mock outrage. "You really don't know how to shut up, huh?"

Before Jay could respond, Nathan suddenly dashed across the road and climbed up a low wall, disappearing over the top.

Jay blinked. "Seriously?"

He sighed, jogged after him, and scaled the wall in one smooth motion. On the other side, the city changed.

The narrow path opened into a forgotten part of town—abandoned homes, crumbling sidewalks, weeds growing through cracked concrete. The ruins of a once-lively neighborhood lay before them, silent and ghostly.

Jay looked around, brows lifting. "So this is the Old Quarter…"

Nathan gave him a sharp look. "Your impatience is gonna get you killed one day, asshole."

Jay held up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright."

They moved through the debris-filled streets until Nathan led them beneath a rusted overpass. The structure loomed overhead, casting a long shadow that stretched across the broken road beneath it.

At the bottom of a slope, beside a half-collapsed wall, Nathan turned back with a grin.

"We're here."

Jay scanned the area. "Doesn't look like much."

"That's the point," Nathan said. "No one comes here anymore. It's unregistered. No patrols. No cameras. Which means…" He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small device—an orb that pulsed with faint energy. "No one to stop us from doing what we need to do."

Jay felt his heart rate quicken.

This wasn't just training anymore.

This was survival prep.

And it started now.

The moment they stepped under the bridge, the stench hit them—rotten flesh, old blood, and something unnatural that clung to the air like smoke.

Then they saw it.

A demon, hunched over a shredded corpse, its jaws crunching bone and muscle like dry twigs. The body—if it could still be called that—was unrecognizable, reduced to a pile of mangled meat. Blood painted the concrete in wide, glistening strokes. It was a slaughter.

Jay froze for a second, his eyes widening.

"What the hell…" he muttered.

The creature raised its head.

It had four powerful limbs, thick and muscular, each ending in claws that had carved into the ground. Its body was coated in dark feathers—not fur—and yet it resembled a wolf in shape. A twisted, larger, corrupted version of one. Its eyes burned red, fixed on them with cruel awareness.

But what made Jay's breath hitch were the things writhing on its back—long, thin, twitching tentacles that moved like they had minds of their own. At least a dozen, slithering in the air.

The demon had noticed them.

It just didn't care.

Nathan clenched his fists, eyes locked on the creature. "You ready?"

Jay's lips curled into a small grin. "Heh. Always."

The demon finished its meal with one last crunch, then stood tall. Its limbs stretched, blood dripping from its jaw. It didn't roar.

It didn't charge.

It waited.

Like a predator confident that its prey had no escape.

But it was wrong.

Because they were the hunters.

Jay dashed forward, grabbing a rusted metal bar from the ground—thin, long, and just sharp enough at one end to resemble a spear.

[Weapon Mastery: Activated]

The bar shifted subtly in his grip, becoming balanced in weight and form. It felt like an extension of his body.

Nathan followed a step behind, both hands glowing as dark energy swirled to life. In each hand formed a dagger of shadow—curved, jagged, and deadly.

The demon suddenly moved.

With a sharp, guttural sound, it raised its back, and in an instant, the tentacles shot forward—dozens of them, lashing through the air like whips.

Jay didn't stop. He ducked low, rolling to the side as a tentacle slammed into the ground behind him with enough force to crack the concrete.

Nathan leapt to the right, twisting mid-air as two more tendrils narrowly missed him. He landed, then vanished into a patch of darkness—his movement technique kicking in.

The creature snarled, shifting its attention wildly between them.

Jay sprinted up a pile of debris, launching himself into the air. He twisted mid-flight and hurled the metal spear directly at the demon's eye.

It dodged—barely.

The spear grazed its temple, slicing feathers and drawing a line of dark blood.

Nathan reappeared at its flank. "Too slow!"

He slashed both daggers across one of the tentacles, severing it with ease. The demon howled in pain, spinning with unnatural speed and sweeping its tail toward him.

Nathan was knocked back, skidding across the ground.

Jay landed hard but rolled to his feet, grabbing a broken pipe as his next weapon. Without hesitation, he rushed again, feinting left before driving the pipe deep into the demon's leg.

Another howl. The beast reared up, kicking Jay away with one massive paw.

Jay hit the wall with a grunt, the air knocked from his lungs.

"Ngh… damn…"

The creature turned, focused entirely on Jay now.

It charged.

But just as it reached him—

Shadow exploded from beneath its feet.

Nathan emerged in a blur, both daggers aimed at the demon's underbelly.

"NOW!"

Twin slashes tore through its stomach. The demon shrieked and stumbled.

Jay forced himself up and rammed the pipe upward, straight through its neck.

Blood sprayed. The creature thrashed wildly, its tentacles whipping around in a frenzy.

But it was already falling.

With a final gurgling growl, the demon collapsed, twitching once, then falling still.

Jay stood over it, chest heaving.

Nathan joined him, wiping blood from his cheek. "Well… that escalated quickly."

Jay gave a weak chuckle. "You call that a hunting spot?"

Nathan grinned. "Welcome to the real world."

They looked at the corpse.

And they both knew—

That was only the beginning.