The water had gone still around Martin.
Raze Dawg was gone. His laughter, his threats, and the crushing pressure of his presence had vanished with him, leaving only drifting blood, broken armor fragments, and the fading shimmer of golden light around Martin's fists. For a few seconds, Martin remained motionless in that silence as satisfaction rolled through him, heavy and vicious.
[You have killed Raze Dawg, Lv. 60.]
[Experience gained.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[HP and Mana restored.]
[Stamina restored.]
Warmth surged through Martin's body as the level-ups hit in sequence. His HP climbed first, then his mana, and the dull ache buried deep in his arms faded beneath the system's recovery. The blood leaking from the cracks in his gauntlets slowed until only a red haze drifted through the water.
The system restored him, but it did not erase the violence that had put him here.
