NOVEL WEB Chapter 5: The One With No Name
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The gates to Halruin City buzzed with commotion, banners fluttering in the wind, and adventurers boasting of techniques like they were rare gemstones. This was the city of techniques—a place where abilities weren't just power, they were identity. Some could freeze time for a moment, others could call down lightning with a snap of their fingers. Names were earned through power, reputation, and lineage.
But me? I walked through that gate with no name, no flashy entrance, no aura. Just dust on my boots and a half-smirk on my lips. The guards didn't even check me properly—they just waved me off like some background NPC.
And honestly? I liked it that way.
"Sajikai," I whispered under my breath, testing the word again.
I could feel a flicker inside me—a sharp intuition that wasn't natural. Not fully assimilated yet, but enough to feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise whenever someone meant harm. A red bar pulsed faintly in the corner of my vision whenever danger approached.
Still, it wasn't enough. The system had been nagging me all week:
> [System Notification: You've stolen a Tier 2 ability. Higher challenges required to evolve your Technique: Snatch. Seek stronger targets.]
> [System Reminder: You must continue Snatching to grow.]
> [0 Tier 3 Techniques stolen. 0 Tier 4 Techniques stolen. Next stage unlocks after Tier 3 acquisition.]
And so, I came here. Halruin.
The capital of combat techniques. The birthplace of ability duels. The place where even the grass probably had its own technique.
The contest of techniques was a yearly event where the young, proud, and powerful paraded their abilities to the world. The top three were usually recruited by elite sects or knight orders. But me? I had different plans.
I just wanted something worth stealing.
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The registration line was long, but it gave me time to study people. One guy in front of me had a flaming tattoo spiraling down his arm, pulsing with energy. A girl behind me hummed, and flowers bloomed around her feet.
And me?
Nothing. No aura. No mana pressure. No visible technique.
When I reached the desk, the lady looked up, clearly unimpressed. "Name? Technique? Rank?"
"Name's Juno," I said.
"And your technique?"
I smiled. "Secret."
She paused, waiting for me to joke. I didn't.
"Right... we'll list you as an Unknown. Good luck, Unknown."
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The contestants gathered in a circular arena made of obsidian stone, warded with runes. Hundreds of spectators sat in the stands, cheering as mages, swordsmen, and elementalists showed off.
In my corner, I watched, waited… studied.
The first match? A guy named Rafe with a technique called Mirror Pierce. He duplicated his attacks with ghost-like illusions. Tier 3, easy. But I needed compatibility above 60% to make it mine permanently. And my system didn't let me see compatibility until I touched them.
The second match? A girl named Elira who bent gravity like origami. Beautiful, terrifying, Tier 4. Way too flashy for now.
My match?
Against someone named Tozo. Apparently, he'd been trained in the Verdant Flow Style—a technique that made movements faster and more fluid with every strike. Sharp, fast, unpredictable.
And that's when I got my chance.
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The announcer's voice echoed: "Next match—Tozo of Verdant Flow versus the Unknown."
Tozo laughed when he saw me. "Are you lost, traveler? There's no farming contest here."
I rolled my neck, cracked my knuckles, and smiled. "Nah. Just came to borrow something."
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Tozo didn't waste time. As soon as the gong sounded, he blurred forward, blade low, step smooth like flowing water.
Verdant Flow Style: First Ripple!
His blade flashed upward like a current striking from below. I sidestepped, barely. He pivoted, already spinning into a second slash.
Second Ripple.
I ducked. His movements were seamless—one strike becoming another, like a dance. The crowd gasped with each ripple, every attack growing faster.
Third Ripple! He feinted left, cut right, and grazed my side. Blood bloomed across my shirt.
"Come on!" he shouted, almost insulted. "You're not even using a technique!"
He was right. But I wasn't here to fight fair.
I let him get close again. Fourth Ripple came at me like a whip.
And I touched his wrist.
> [Snatch Activated. Attempting Theft: Verdant Flow Technique… Tier 3. Compatibility: 62%. Acquisition Successful. Technique copied temporarily. Duration: 15 minutes.]
Everything slowed down.
His stance. His flow. His rhythm.
I felt it. Like I'd danced this dance before.
When he struck again, I matched it. Step for step.
Verdant Flow Style: First Ripple.
My blade wasn't as pretty. It was a training sword. But it moved the same.
Tozo blinked. "What the—"
Second Ripple.
He parried, confused. I smiled.
Third Ripple.
This time, I drove him back.
"Impossible!" he shouted. "You're copying me?!"
"Borrowing," I said. "Big difference."
He roared and powered up.
Verdant Flow Style: Blooming Spiral! A flurry of strikes rained toward me, like a waterfall of blades.
I took a breath, centered my stance.
And unleashed the same.
Blooming Spiral! My strikes crashed into his mid-attack.
Steel rang against steel.
Dust exploded beneath our feet.
The crowd stood in awe. No one said a word.
Tozo fell to one knee, panting. My blade hovered by his neck.
"I yield," he muttered.
> [System Notification: Compatibility confirmed. Verdant Flow Technique: Permanently Acquired. Tier 3.
Next stage unlocks with Tier 4 technique.]
I stepped back, the red bar in my vision fading.
The crowd didn't cheer. They just whispered.
"Who is he?"
"What kind of technique was that?"
"He had no aura…
I didn't even have time to breathe before the announcer's voice boomed again.
"Next up… the Prince of Shatter Fist!"
I looked up.
He was already watching me.
Smiling.
I turned and walked back to the waiting area.
One down. Many more to go.
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