Chapter 8

As the battle came to an end, the atmosphere calmed, and the augmented reality display within their suits illuminated once more. The system's voice reverberated through Keagan's consciousness, congratulating him on successfully completing his daily tasks and vanquishing the infamous-ranked villain. A sense of accomplishment surged within him.

"Congratulations, Keagan," the system's voice chimed. "For your triumph over the infamous-ranked villain, you are rewarded with 20 skill points. You can use these skill points to boost your attributes to level up your rank "

Keagan's HUD displayed an increment in his skill points. He stood in awe as the system's voice resonated in his ears. "Congratulations, Keagan," the system spoke, "For your exceptional performance in battle.". After it spoke, the familiar ring of the notification alert sounded, and a circular icon appeared on the edge of the display. Keagan waved his hand over it and a new option appeared; Artifacts. 

The menu dropped down, revealing a new entry into his arsenal. It revealed an artifact—a shard from the broken mask of the defeated villain. The system's voice continued "This artifact grants you the power of shadow manipulation, a skill once possessed by your formidable adversary. By activating the shard, you can tap into this extraordinary ability for a limited time."

Keagan's eyes widened as he grasped the significance of the artifact. The power of shadow manipulation, at his disposal. It was a chance to harness the very essence of his defeated foe. A surge of excitement coursed through his veins as he contemplated the possibilities.

.

As Keagan reveled in his rewards, he noticed the augmented HUD displays of his fellow heroes flickering to life. Each of them was acknowledged and rewarded according to their contributions in subduing the villain.

Emberlyn, who displayed incredible resilience and determination throughout the battle, was awarded 10 skill points. It was the most skill points she had ever been rewarded since she started her hero journey. She turned to look at Keagan, her face still painted with the same look of surprise.

The remaining members of the squad—Dante, Lily, Leo, and Max—were each granted 5 skill points. The squad members exchanged glances, a mix of pride and shock in their eyes. They knew that their individual growth and progress were essential for the success of their missions. The rewards were monumental in their eyes.

The heroes marveled at the astonishing number of skill points they had been granted. It was a rare occurrence for them to receive such a substantial reward.on most days they would need to complete several daily tasks, five or more, just to gain one meager skill point. They exchanged bewildered glances, silently acknowledging that the new recruit, Keagan, might have played a significant role in this unprecedented achievement.

Gathering around Keagan, their curiosity piqued, the heroes couldn't contain their questions any longer. They approached him cautiously, their voices filled with intrigue and suspicion. 

Emberlyn, her eyes wide with amazement, spoke first, "Hey dude! How did you manage to take down Duskbringer like that?"

“I…. I don’t…” before keagan could finish his train of thought he was interrupted by Leo, with a mix of admiration and skepticism, "Yeah, man! We've been doing this hero thing for a while, and we've never seen anyone handle a high-ranked villain like that."

Max, always the analytical thinker, added, "Seriously, dude. Did you have some hidden superpower or something? You're not one of those undercover heroes, are you?"

Dante, known for his laid-back demeanor just maintained a scrutinizing look at Keagan

 “I'm just as surprised as you all are" he answered, a reply that was claimed unsatisfactory by each party.

Leo crossed his arms and leaned against his brother. "Come on, spill it, rookie. We're all ears."

Keagan took a deep breath, not wanting to slip his tongue and reveal the secret he had. he shrugged, a slight quiver playing on his lips as if he was nervous they might find out.

Emberlyn, her initial skepticism replaced with confusion, jumped in, "I’m starting to think you're not really a rookie, are you? I mean, what rookie affords to buy a 12000 dollar suit on his first mission? There's something you're hiding from us I can feel it"

Leo smirked and nudged Max. "Looks like we've got an impostor among us!?"

Max rolled his eyes but couldn't hide a smirk. " Looks like we do.”

Whiplash, observing their banter, joined in with a chuckle. "Calm down you idiots. You think all this tough guy act is going to get you somewhere, at least this guy did what the rest of you could never do, maybe you're just jealous that he is better"

The squad backed down momentarily, finally giving him some breathing space. They could have pressed further on but the feeling of gaining such an amount of skill points had rattled them and they couldn't wait to use them. They decided to drop their questioning and in good time too because the authorities had just arrived to pick up the villain.

"You, rookie, go get yourself checked with the medics over there, same goes for you, Emberlyn!" Whiplash barked, his voice carrying a stern and commanding tone.

"The rest of you, help me load Duskbringer onto the truck. We need everyone's hands on deck to restrain him with the binding chains that suppress his power. The authorities can handle him from there," he added, the authority in his words clear.

Everyone snapped into action, following Whiplash's orders without hesitation. As the adrenaline from the battle began to fade, both Keagan and Emberlyn felt the full weight of their exertions. Their bodies ached uncontrollably, and waves of pain washed over them, threatening to overwhelm their senses.

They gingerly made their way to the nearby ambulance, settling in for medical attention. The scene buzzed with activity as squads of authorities secured the area, erecting barriers to keep onlookers at a safe distance. Some officers hurried over to provide additional muscle in case the situation escalated.

Amidst the chaos, Emberlyn kept a keen eye on Keagan, her gaze unwavering. Every now and then, the medics would ask her a question, and she would respond with subtle nods or shakes of her head. Keagan couldn't help but feel the intensity behind her razor-sharp gaze, as if her eyes were delving deep into his soul, silently searching for answers.

The medics diligently attended to their injuries, offering relief from the pain and assessing the extent of their physical strain. As the authorities worked swiftly to secure Duskbringer and prepare him for transport, Keagan and Emberlyn sighed with relief, knowing that they had given their all in the fight against evil. 

"Is this really your first time fighting? Be honest with me," Emberlyn persisted, her curiosity unabated.

Keagan took a deep breath, grappling with the decision of whether to reveal the extraordinary circumstances that had brought him to this world and bestowed him with unimaginable powers. He knew that sharing the truth might make him sound utterly mad, but there seemed to be no other rational explanation.

"I swear, this was truly my first time," Keagan replied earnestly, his gaze locked with Emberlyn's. "I understand it's hard to believe, and it sounds insane, but I can't explain how it happened. It felt like a stroke of luck or something beyond my comprehension. I'm just as confused as you and the rest of the squad."

Emberlyn studied his eyes, searching for any sign of deception. There was an honesty in his gaze, a genuine bewilderment that she couldn't ignore. She realized that pressing him further wouldn't yield any satisfying answers. Perhaps it was best to let the mystery unfold naturally.

She sighed, relenting in her questioning. "Alright, I believe you,” she said.

A sense of relief washed over Keagan as he saw the understanding in Emberlyn's eyes. 

The medics approached the squad, each handing them a container of pain-relieving medication. Grateful for the relief, they quickly swallowed the pills as instructed. The medics reassured them that the pain and swelling would gradually subside, their bodies aided by their inherent health and recovery attributes. Thankfully, none of them had sustained any severe injuries that required immediate medical intervention.

Emberlyn activated her HUD display, her curiosity piqued to check her attributes after the intense battle. As she glanced at her screen, her eyes widened in astonishment. The number of unused skill points displayed on her screen had never reached double digits before, and it was all thanks to Keagan's remarkable performance. Grateful, she wanted to express her appreciation, but her shyness held her back.

Gently, Emberlyn placed her hand over the 10 skill points, savoring the significance of this milestone. She selected two of the spinning icons, symbolizing the skill points, and allocated them to her healing and regeneration attributes. Instantly, she witnessed the transformation as her attribute points surged from 26 to 36. Converting skill points into attributes exponentially increased their value, making those two skill points equivalent to 10 attribute points.

A mixture of joy and relief welled up within Emberlyn, and a tear of happiness brimmed in her tired eyes. Unintentionally, a smile spread across her face, illuminating the satisfaction she felt deep within. Keagan caught a glimpse of her reaction, and he couldn't help but reciprocate with a soft, understanding smile of his own.

“Well, I better get back to my place and rest for the night to recover, with my new regeneration attribute my wounds would be better by tomorrow evening,” Emberlyn said, wincing as she got up.

"I better get home too. I left some unfinished business I have to attend to," Keagan stated, ready to make his exit. However, Emberlyn's voice halted his steps, compelling him to turn and face her.

"Hey! Before you go... I just... I just wanted to thank you for saving my life back there," she said, her cheeks flushing with a hint of bashfulness. Keagan met her gaze, his eyes reflecting gratitude. "Thanks for having my back as well. I'll meet you tomorrow for our next daily task," he replied, a sincere tone in his voice.

Just as Keagan was about to disappear into the shadows, Dante's booming voice interrupted the moment. "Hey, rookie! Before you go, tell us your name! The press wants to know the guy who took down Duskbringer! And we would like to know your name too," he called out, a mix of curiosity and admiration in his words.

Keagan paused, a playful glimmer in his eyes as he turned to face the team. "You can call me... Spectral Guardian!" he declared, saluting them with a sense of pride. And with that, he vanished into the darkness, leaving behind a subtle air of mystery.

Dante, known for his stoic demeanor, couldn't help but crack a faint smirk. It was a rare display of approval from him, an acknowledgment of the rookie's impressive feat. Not many managed to leave an impression on Dante, but Keagan, now known as the Spectral Guardian, had undoubtedly earned his respect.