Shadows of Ascension

75. The Invisible Predator

"We need to use all five senses to fight an enemy," Luca says, breathing heavily. "Since we can't see him, we have to rely on the other four." 

   "But how are we supposed to fight an enemy we can't see?" Riona asks, gripping her weapon tightly. 

   Another eerie laugh echoes through the air. Suddenly, a blade flashes out of nowhere—Riona gasps as a sharp pain runs down her arm. Blood trickles onto the sand. 

"I can’t sense his presence at all!" Luca exclaims, frustrated. "He must have boosted his stealth abilities to an extreme level!" 

   "Indeed," the voice replies smugly, before slashing across Luca's back. 

   Luca grits his teeth. "This can’t go on…" 

   Aiden closes his eyes, blocking out the chaos around him. He takes a deep breath and concentrates. 

Another attack comes, and Luca barely dodges, but he's cut again. He clenches his fists, thinking, Who is he going to hit next?

   Aiden’s eyes snap open. Without hesitation, he shoves Riona backward just before another attack lands. Instead of her, the blade slashes across his side. 

   "Aiden!" Riona cries out. 

   "Did you do that on accident?" Luca asks, bewildered. 

   Aiden steadies himself, gripping his wound. "No… I know where he is now. I can sense him." 

   Without warning, Aiden lunges forward and swings his blade. 

The enemy reacts instantly, blocking the strike. The sound of metal clashing against metal rings through the desert. 

   "How?" the unseen man mutters, momentarily surprised. 

   He kicks Aiden back, sending him tumbling into the sand. The last sliver of sunlight disappears beyond the horizon. 

   Aiden coughs but quickly gets back up. His eyes scan the empty air. "I can’t see you, but… I feel like I can." 

   The enemy moves again—this time toward Luca. But before he can strike, Aiden intercepts the blow, deflecting it just in time. 

Luca watches, confusion flashing across his face. "His camouflage skills are insane… but Aiden can sense him. I've always had superior sensory skills compared to Aiden. So how is he able to sense him now?" 

   Aiden tightens his grip on his weapon. It’s like I can sense his shadow, which moves along with him…

He recalls Master Yun’s words. The shift of the power is so sudden that you may lose your mind, so it’s really dangerous… But if you unlock your power, you will be able to control it. 

   Aiden exhales. Looks like Master Yun really knew what he was talking about. 

   "What?" Riona asks, noticing Aiden's expression change. 

   Aiden smirks slightly, gripping his weapon tighter. "It’s like I can see you completely, stranger." 

   He dashes forward and swings his blade again—this time, aimed directly at the invisible enemy. 

A sudden clang—the enemy barely manages to block in time. 

   "Got it… You have insane sensory skills. I’ll give you that," the voice says, his tone more serious now. 

   Aiden doesn’t respond, just tightens his stance. 

   The man chuckles darkly. "But in the end, it all comes down to strength." 

   He shifts into an offensive stance. "You two," he says, addressing Luca and Riona. "Watch your friend get cut into pieces." 

   Without warning, he attacks at full force. 

   Aiden meets him head-on. 

   The battle truly begins.