The lead Dusk Hound moved first. One moment it stood twenty meters away, the next it was already sprinting across the ruined shopping corridor, faster than a scavenger.

Its claws dug into cracked tiles as muscles rippled beneath dark fur with its red eyes locked onto Silver. Behind it, the rest of the pack spread outward.

They weren’t charging together but flanking and separating, clearly trying to encircle them.

Silver understood why Dusk Hounds were considered dangerous despite only being Tier Two. They hunted intelligently. A lone contractor who panicked against a pack usually died.

"Left side!" Ravenna shouted.

Silver was already moving. His sword rose instinctively. The first hound leaped, its jaws opened. Silver twisted sideways. The beast flew past him, it was fast but not fast enough; his sword flashed. A shallow cut appeared along its flank.

The beast landed, recovered immediately, and spun around. Silver narrowed his eyes.

"Tougher than scavengers."

"Obviously."

Ravenna sounded offended that he’d even say it. On her side, two more hounds attacked her simultaneously.

Silver’s attention snapped toward her but he didn’t need to worry. Ravenna moved like she’d been fighting for years, her sword cut low.

One hound’s front leg gave out. The second beast lunged for her shoulder. She pivoted. The jaws closed on empty air, narrowly missing her, then her blade stabbed through its neck. Blood sprayed everywhere. The beast collapsed on the floor.

Silver couldn’t help smiling. She really was good.

He didn’t have a chance to breathe a second time, danger returned. Three hounds charged him at once.

"Damn."

Silver stepped backward, his sword raised. One beast attacked high, another one low and the last to the side. His mind raced with how to counterattack. There wasn’t enough room or time.

He could only bet that he had interpreted his powers correctly.

[Spatial Sense Lv1 Active]

The world seemed to sharpen as though every detail had been enhanced. Silver suddenly noticed details about the attacking hounds.

The shift of weight before a leap, the tightening of muscles before movement, and the exact direction of each attack. It felt less like seeing, more like knowing.

The first hound lunged. Silver moved, his body twisted sideways. The claws missed by centimeters. His sword swept downward as it passed by him and a deep wound opened across the beast’s shoulder.

The second hound immediately followed. Silver dropped low. The jaws snapped shut above his head. Then he slammed his fist upward, the ape integration enhanced the blow.

[Primal Strength Lv1]

The punch connected beneath the beast’s jaw, and a loud crack echoed through the corridor. The hound flew backward, its body crashing into a storefront, and glass shattered loudly against the empty mall.

The creature didn’t rise.

Silver rolled his shoulder, a little.

"..."

That was stronger than expected. The ape beast really had changed his body.

The third hound reached him, this time Silver drew his pistol.

[Phantom Draw Lv3 Activated]

Bang!

The shot entered one eye and exited through the other. The beast collapsed instantly.

Silence briefly returned.

Then another growl echoed. The remaining pack members regrouped. There were still seven aggressive hounds left.

Ravenna stepped beside him, breathing slightly harder.

"You okay?"

"Fine."

"You look excited."

Silver laughed.

"I am."

Ravenna glanced at him once then her attention returned to the hounds.

"You’re weird."

"Probably."

The hounds charged again, this time together. The next several minutes blurred into combat. Silver fought with sword and firearm interchangeably.

Sometimes both. Every battle felt different and every exchange taught him something.

The system occasionally appeared mid-battle but at the corner of his vision.

[Beginner Swordsmanship Progress Increased]

[Combat Experience Recorded]

[Sword Familiarity Improved]

The notifications remained brief which Silver appreciated. They were like a motivation for him to keep going.

One hound slipped past him, heading straight toward the already occupied Ravenna. Silver reacted instantly, his hand moved.

Space distorted around him. An unfamiliar pressure formed behind his eyes. Silver instantly recognised it, mental exhaustion, the cost of using spatial abilities.

Even minor usage produced strain, especially with him being low-ranked. Still, this was exactly why he possessed them.

[Short-Step Lv1 Activated]

Space folded and Silver vanished. A moment later, he reappeared several meters away, directly between Ravenna and the beast.

The hound never saw him move, nor did Ravenna. Silver’s sword flashed and the creature collapsed, cut in half. Immediately, a sharp ache stabbed behind his eyes. It wasn’t severe but noticeable almost like a warning. Too much usage would become dangerous.

Silver exhaled slowly.

The system displayed a warning.

[Mental Fatigue Increased]

Recommendation: Limit Spatial Skill Usage

"Trust me," he muttered," I know."

Ravenna looked over.

"What?"

"Nothing."

That answer apparently satisfied her, she went back to fighting.

The fight continued and the pack gradually shrank with each passing minute. It went from seven to two. Eventually, the final hounds realized they were losing.

Unfortunately, that made them more dangerous. Desperate beasts often ignore their survival instincts. One of them suddenly rushed at Ravenna. It wasn’t to kill but to distract her while the second hound immediately circled behind her.

Silver saw it instantly.

The beast had chosen the correct moment, Ravenna’s sword remained occupied and she couldn’t turn in time.

Silver’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t have enough time to move to her since the distance was too much for a second teleportation.

The familiar spatial pressure appeared, a second usage but riskier. He knew it was necessary.

[Space Slash Lv1 Activated]

The air distorted briefly. A thin line appeared through empty air, almost invisible. The hound froze mid-sprint then a perfectly straight wound opened across its body. The beast collapsed before reaching Ravenna.

Complete silence followed. The remaining hound immediately changed its mind about fighting. Wisdom finally prevailed, it turned and ran.

Silver lowered his sword, breathing harder now. The headache had worsened and become unpleasant. It felt like exhaustion settling behind his eyes.

The system appeared again.

[Mental Strain Detected]

Current Condition: minor Fatigue.

Recommendation: Avoid Additional Spatial Skill Usage

Silver rubbed his forehead.

"Noted."

Ravenna approached looking at him curiously.

"That last attack."

Silver immediately knew where this conversation was going.

"What about it?"

"What was it?"

Silver kept his expression neutral," A spatial technique."

She nodded, but she looked unconvinced, fortunately, she didn’t push further, at least not yet.

Instead, she stared at him for a moment before lifting her hand. Silver flinched slightly when her cool palm touched his cheek.

"You’re paler than usual," she said worriedly," Were you hurt?"

Silver shook his head," No, I’m fine."

At that moment she noticed what she was doing and hurriedly stepped back. Instead, she glanced around the battlefield.

There were eight corpses and a ridiculous amount of cores.

A smile slowly appeared on her face.

"We’re getting rich."

Silver laughed, of all the possible observations that was the one she’d chosen.

"We’re not getting rich."

"We’re getting richer... I forgot you’re already rich."

The tension disappeared instantly. Together they began collecting cores. The work became surprisingly routine. Eventually, they finished.

Eight Tier Two cores.

A valuable haul for a single morning, especially for rookies. Ravenna examined the pouch then looked unusually satisfied.

Silver just shook his head. The expression suited her, much better than worry or loneliness. For a moment he simply watched her excitement.

Then the system quietly activated.

[Observation]

Target Emotional State: Happy

Silver smiled to himself. That was the entire point, the fact that she looked genuinely happy.