NTR: Choice Based System

The leader sneered. "Own? Kid, in this war, you're only 'your own' as long as you're useful. And right now, you're most useful as a distraction. Nothing personal, just the way things are."

Another veteran stepped closer, reaching out a hand towards Ye Yang's shoulder. "Come on now, don't make this hard. Just stand over there by that big tree and start yelling'. We'll owe you one. Or... well, your sacrifice will be appreciated by the Kingdom."

"Get your hand off me," Ye Yang said, his voice still quiet, but carrying an undeniable edge.

The veteran paused, sensing something was off. "Or what, greenhorn? You going to fight us? Five against one? Don't be stupid."

"I'm not going to be bait," Ye Yang stated clearly. "And I'm not letting you leave to try and do this to someone else."

The veterans exchanged looks, then burst into harsh laughter. "Listen to the kid!" the leader roared.

"He thinks he's got a choice!" He drew his sword. "Alright, greenie. We'll just have to make you bait. It'll hurt less if you don't struggle."

The five veterans lunged simultaneously, their movements practiced and coordinated, despite their age and weariness. They weren't top-tier fighters, but they were experienced killers.

They didn't expect what happened next.

Ye Yang didn't block or dodge in the conventional sense. His body seemed to flicker.

He moved not with brute force, but with impossible speed and grace, weaving through their attacks like a phantom. His sword, which had seemed like a simple military issue blade moments before, sang with a power that made the air hum.

The first veteran lunging forward found his chest abruptly meeting the tip of Ye Yang's sword. The blade pierced armour and flesh with terrifying ease. He didn't even have time to scream before his eyes glazed over.

Before the second veteran could react, Ye Yang was already past the first, his sword slicing horizontally with blinding speed.

The veteran barely raised his guard, but the blow was aimed not at his body, but at his sword arm. Tendon and bone parted instantly, and he roared in agony, dropping his weapon.

The leader tried to sweep Ye Yang's legs, but Ye Yang simply floated over the attack, appearing behind the veteran with the severed arm. A quick, precise thrust ended that man's suffering.

The remaining two veterans, seeing their comrades fall with such frightening speed and efficiency, faltered for a split second.

It was all Ye Yang needed. He spun, his sword a deadly arc. One veteran tried to backpedal, but Ye Yang closed the distance instantly, a diagonal cut opening a gaping wound in his side.

As that man staggered, Ye Yang met the charge of the final veteran head-on. Their swords met, sparks flying, but Ye Yang's strength was overwhelming.

He forced the veteran's blade down, then twisted his wrist, disarming him with a sharp crack. With the veteran momentarily stunned, Ye Yang delivered a final, fatal strike.

The clearing fell silent, save for the distant sounds of the main battle. Five Crimson Kingdom veterans lay dead at Ye Yang's feet.

Just as the shock began to register, figures emerged from the surrounding trees – Shadow Syndicate soldiers, drawn by the sounds of the brief, brutal struggle. There was perhaps a dozen of them, their eyes wide with disbelief as they took in the scene of Ye Yang standing amidst the corpses of his supposed allies.

"He killed them?" one of the Syndicate soldiers whispered, audible even over the distant din.

Another pointed a shaky finger. "He... he killed the Crimson dogs!"

For a moment, they were frozen, confusion warring with their predatory instincts. This was unexpected. An ally killing allies?

Ye Yang didn't give them time to process. He turned his cold, unwavering gaze upon them.

The system had called this the World of Villains. Survival meant being willing to be a villain yourself, at least when necessary. These weren't just enemies; they were obstacles.

He charged.

This time, his movements weren't just defensive dodges and calculated counter-attacks. This was a focused, lethal assault. His sword became a whirlwind of death. He moved faster than they could react, a blur of motion in the dim forest light.

A group of three Syndicate soldiers tried to surround him. Ye Yang ducked under a wild swing, his sword flashing upwards to sever the arm of one.

He spun on his heel, impaling another through the gut before the first could even cry out. The third, startled, tried to retreat, but Ye Yang was already upon him, ending the fight with a swift blow to the neck.

He didn't stop. He didn't show hesitation or mercy. Each movement was economic, designed to kill as quickly and efficiently as possible.

He parried a dagger thrust with brutal force, shattering the enemy's wrist, then followed through with a fatal stab. He sidestepped an attempted grapple, slicing across the man's exposed throat.

The Shadow Syndicate soldiers, trained for ambush and stealth, were unprepared for such a direct, overwhelming display of power from a single man, especially one who had just dispatched five of his own side. Their initial shock turned to panic as their numbers rapidly dwindled.

Ye Yang cut through them like a hot knife through butter. They tried to use the trees for cover, to ambush him from different angles, but his senses were too sharp, his reflexes too fast.

He anticipated their moves, turning their own environment against them. He used the momentum of one kill to transition into the next attack.

Within minutes, it was over. The small clearing was silent once more, the only sounds his own slightly heavier breathing and the distant, fading echoes of the battle deeper in the forest.

The ground was littered with the bodies of five Crimson Kingdom veterans and twelve Shadow Syndicate soldiers.

Ye Yang stood amidst the carnage, his sword dripping blood onto the forest floor. He wiped the blade clean on the uniform of a fallen enemy soldier before sheathing it. The air felt different now, heavier, darker. He had crossed a line, confirmed his willingness to kill not just enemies, but those who would threaten him, regardless of faction.

He looked towards where he estimated the mountain peak lay. The immediate threat was gone. The path ahead was still dangerous, but he was one step closer.

He needed to get to the enemy leader, find the Shadow Syndicate's capital, and locate that World Core Shard. And to do that, he would continue moving forward, through the forest, towards the enemy mountain, leaving the dead behind.