The Draconic System: Rise of To Ascendance

Raizen's muscles tensed as he stared down the enforcer. The rifle's barrel gleamed under the dim storage lights, steady and unwavering. A normal thief would be frozen in place, weighing their options.

Raizen wasn't a normal thief.

His mind raced. A direct fight would draw attention, but if he hesitated, backup would arrive.

The system pulsed.

[Combat Analysis: One Target – Medium Threat Level]

[Recommended Actions: Disarm or Disable Quickly]

Raizen smirked. "You sure you want to do this?"

The enforcer scoffed, tightening his grip. "You're the one trapped."

Wrong answer.

Raizen lunged forward, his body twisting low as the enforcer squeezed the trigger. The shot fired, but Raizen was already moving—his reflexes enhanced beyond normal human limitations.

His hand snapped to the rifle barrel, jerking it aside as he drove his knee into the enforcer's gut. The man grunted, staggering, but he wasn't out yet. He swung the butt of the rifle toward Raizen's head.

Raizen ducked. Too slow.

With a burst of motion, he grabbed the rifle with both hands, twisting it free and slamming the stock into the enforcer's jaw. The impact sent him crumpling to the ground, unconscious.

[Threat Neutralized]

Raizen exhaled, rolling his shoulders. So much for a quiet escape.

Alarms blared to life.

[Security Alert: Reinforcements Incoming]

Raizen grabbed the artifact, securing it in his pack, and bolted. The facility's lights shifted to a deep red hue, casting shadows as doors hissed open in the distance.

No time to double back.

His system chimed.

[Escape Route Recalculated – Waste Tunnel Path Viable]

Raizen sprinted down the corridor, his feet silent against the floor. Ahead, a reinforced door led to a maintenance shaft—his best bet.

A squad of House Valen guards rounded the corner just as he reached the panel. Too late.

One of them raised his weapon. "Drop the bag—"

Raizen didn't wait.

He activated the stealth-weave suit's light dampening, throwing his body into a spin-kick that knocked the first guard off balance. The second aimed, but Raizen was already inside his guard, twisting the weapon's barrel upward before smashing an elbow into his throat.

The third guard fired—Raizen barely twisted aside, feeling the heat of the plasma bolt graze his shoulder. Too close.

His system pulsed.

[Draconic Reflex Boost Activated – Evasion +10%]

His next strike was faster. He struck the third guard's wrist, forcing the weapon free, then drove a kick into his ribs, sending him flying into the wall.

No more time.

Raizen slapped the panel, forcing the maintenance shaft open. Without hesitation, he jumped.

[Escape Initiated]

As he fell into the darkness below, the sounds of shouting and alarms faded behind him. The heist was far from over, but for now, he had broken free.