My Cheat Skill Lets Me Copy Powers....But only if i kill-Chapter 20: A New Man

Chapter 19 – A Changed Man

Warm sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting gentle rays across the room. The faint sound of birds chirping outside drifted in, a stark contrast to the tense days that had passed.

Renji stirred beneath the covers, his body heavy but no longer in turmoil. His eyes blinked open slowly, adjusting to the soft glow of morning. A strange warmth radiated through his limbs—not feverish like before, but powerful, contained. Controlled.

His vision cleared, and the first thing he saw were two sleeping forms curled up beside him—Elara and Lena. Their breathing was slow, peaceful, as if they had finally found rest after days of tension.

Renji exhaled, a low rumble in his chest. His voice felt strange, deeper somehow. He raised a hand, staring at his palm, noticing the faint shimmer of silver energy pulsing beneath the skin.

He gently reached over and tapped Elara's shoulder. "Hey..." His voice rumbled deep and rich, startling even himself.

Elara's eyes snapped open, wide with disbelief. "Renji?" she breathed, voice cracking.

Before he could nod, she threw her arms around him, clinging tightly. "You're awake... You're really awake!"

Her motion stirred Lena, who blinked groggily—then gasped. "Renji! You're okay!"

Both girls wrapped him in a tight embrace, trembling slightly, tears of relief streaming down their cheeks.

Renji, still dazed, let out a soft chuckle. "I... I'm okay."

When they finally pulled back, Elara stared at his face in awe. "Your eyes..." she whispered.

Renji frowned. "What about them?"

"They're... silver. Like glowing silver-white. You look... different."

Lena nodded, studying him closely. "Your face is sharper. You're more... built."

Renji glanced at his hands again, then flexed his fingers. "I feel... different too."

He tried to speak again, but his voice came out deeper than ever. The sound startled both girls, causing them to blink.

"You sound like someone else," Elara said, laughing softly through her tears.

Renji gave a lopsided smile. "Still me, I think."

Just then, the door burst open. Kiera stepped inside, holding a bag, mid-sentence. "I forgot to tell you—"

Her eyes landed on Renji.

Time froze.

The bag slipped from her hand, thudding against the floor. Her eyes widened, filling with tears. "Renji...?"

He barely had time to react before she rushed forward and leapt onto the bed, tackling him back onto the mattress in a crushing hug.

"You're awake..." Her voice trembled with emotion. "Thank the gods... you're really awake."

Renji winced from the impact, but wrapped his arms around her. "It's good to see you too..."

She buried her face in his chest. "Don't ever scare me like that again, you idiot."

"I'll try," he murmured.

When she finally pulled away, wiping her eyes, she looked at him intently. "You look... different."

"He's taller too," Lena added. "Stand up, Renji."

Renji sat up and swung his legs over the bed, standing slowly. The room seemed smaller. He glanced down—and realized he was towering over them.

"...Okay, this is weird."

Kiera stared up at him. "You're... huge."

Renji chuckled, slightly off-balance. "I guess evolution really did something."

He paused, then sat back down on the bed, his gaze serious. "What happened? After I passed out?"

The room fell quiet.

Elara and Lena exchanged glances, then slowly began to recount everything. The fever, the strange mana surge, the doctor's visit, the evolution diagnosis, Kiera's solo quest... and then the attack.

Renji's jaw tightened. "He nearly stabbed me?"

Kiera nodded, her voice cold. "He was inches away. If I hadn't come back when I did..."

Elara added softly, "We tried to stop him, but we couldn't hold him off..."

Renji clenched his fists. "His name?"

They shook their heads.

"I'll find it," Renji said darkly.

After a moment, he rose to his feet, wobbling slightly. "Let's go to the guild. I need to let them know I'm alive."

The atmosphere shifted the moment they stepped through the doors of the guild.

Conversations halted.

Every eye turned to him—wide, disbelieving.

"He's back..."

"Is that Renji?"

"Look at his eyes... His aura..."

Renji ignored the murmurs, walking with steady steps to the counter. The guild attendant froze, eyes wide.

"You... you're awake?"

Renji nodded. "I came to report. I'm okay."

The attendant hesitated. "Do you... plan to take a quest?"

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Renji paused, glancing around. "Not yet. I have something else to do."

He spent the next hour moving through the guild, asking questions, piecing together clues. Finally, someone muttered, "Gregor... That's his name. The man who tried to kill you."

Renji's silver eyes gleamed. "Gregor..."

[System Notification]

[Evolution Complete]

[Class: Soul Reaper – Activated]

[Mana: Stable]

[Physical Adaptation: Complete]

[Status Updated]

[Name: Renji kurozawa]

[Class: Soul Reaper]

[Level: 6]

[HP: 300/300] [Increased]

[MP: 600/600] [Increased]

[Strength: 22→ 100]

[Endurance: 18→ 60]

[Mana Control: 5→ 110]

[Agility: 30→ 80]

Skills:

• Predator's Instinct (Lv.1) – Enhanced reaction speed, spatial awareness, and combat adaptability.

• Phantom Step (Lv.2) – Allows brief bursts of ghost-like movement, improving speed and evasion.

• Shadow Cloak (Lv.1) – Grants brief invisibility in darkness.

• Dual Strike (Lv.1) – Enables consecutive strikes in rapid succession.

• Heal (Lv.2) – Allows healing of non-fatal wounds. Mana consumption slightly reduced.

• Quickdraw (Lv.1) – Enhances the speed and efficiency of drawing weapons.

• Bloodhound's Sense (Lv.1) – Heightened awareness of enemy movements, blood trails, and emotional intent.

• Item Box (Lv.1) – Grants access to personal storage outside physical space.

• Death Claim (Lv.5) (Unique) – Steals abilities form those you kill

[New Skill: Soul Harvest – Gain the souls of defeated enemies. Souls can be converted into mana or used to unlock unique abilities.]

Renji exhaled slowly, closing the screen.

"Kiera. I'm going after Gregor."

She nodded, her gaze sharp. "We'll find him."

In the dim alleyways behind the guild, a shadowed figure leaned heavily against the crumbling wall. His breath came in ragged gasps, each one labored, wheezing through cracked ribs and bloodied lips. One eye was swollen shut, the other flickering with hate-fueled rage.

Gregor—once a proud adventurer—now barely clung to consciousness, his body battered, bruised, and broken.

"That bastard..." he hissed, blood dripping from his mouth. His hands trembled, not from fear—but fury.

She had humiliated him. That beast of a woman, Kiera... She'd shattered his pride, his body, and worst of all—let him live.

Gregor's fingers curled weakly into a fist.

"I'll make them pay... him especially."

Every breath burned, but he didn't care. He had to regain his strength. He would wait, watch, and when the moment was right... strike from the shadows. He couldn't challenge Renji head-on—not anymore. But there were other ways to destroy a man.

A cruel grin twisted his mangled face.

"You'll regret sparing me..."