The Awakening Error - The system's Greatest Error

The night air was thick with dust and tension. Ethan and Ronan stood side by side, their bodies screaming in protest, muscles torn and bruised from relentless combat. Across from them, the group of villains barely looked winded. These weren't just random criminals—they were experienced fighters, ruthless and efficient.

Ethan clenched his fists, trying to steady his breath. His resonance flickered weakly around him, but he was running on fumes. Ronan was in worse shape. Most of his clones had already dissipated, leaving behind only his exhausted main body, struggling to stay upright.

The lead villain smirked, his gaze full of condescension.

"You brats fought well," he admitted, rolling his shoulders. "But playtime's over."

Ethan tensed as the villain raised his hand. A dark, crackling energy formed in his palm. Whatever this attack was, Ethan's instincts screamed at him—it was going to end the fight.

Ronan tried to summon a final clone, but his body gave out, forcing him to his knees. "Damn it…" he muttered, sweat dripping from his face.

Ethan had no choice. He forced his body to move, pain be damned. If he could resonate with the energy before it hit them—

But before the villain could strike, the air changed.

A suffocating pressure filled the alley, thick and heavy like an invisible force weighing down on everyone present. The ground trembled, cracks forming beneath their feet. A gust of wind howled through the darkness, and suddenly—

A shadow appeared.

It happened in an instant. One moment, the villains were standing victorious. The next—

One of them was gone.

A distant crash echoed through the streets, followed by silence. The remaining villains froze, their cocky smirks replaced with sheer terror.

Ethan barely had time to react before another blur of movement struck. A second villain collapsed, unconscious, his body crumpling to the ground without resistance.

The final villain, the leader, stepped back, his face pale. "What… the hell…?" he stammered.

And then—he appeared.

A tall figure emerged from the darkness, his coat billowing in the wind. His eyes, glowing faintly under the moonlight, carried an undeniable authority. He moved without hesitation, without wasted motion—as if he had already calculated every possible outcome.

Ethan didn't know who he was, but everything about this man radiated power.

The villain, now trembling, made a desperate move, launching a barrage of attacks. But they never landed.

The air itself seemed to shift, and suddenly, he was frozen in place—suspended mid-air as if time had stopped. A moment later, an unseen force sent him hurtling backward, slamming into the wall with enough force to crack the stone.

Silence.

The man exhaled slowly, as if he had done nothing more than swat a fly.

Ethan swallowed, his throat dry. This was a level of power he couldn't even comprehend.

Ronan, still conscious but barely, looked up, his eyes widening in recognition. "It's… you," he whispered.

The man finally turned toward them, his gaze settling on Ethan for a brief moment—measuring, calculating. Then he glanced at Ronan.

"You're lucky I was nearby," he said, his voice calm, yet carrying an authority that demanded respect. "You're not ready to face people like this yet."

Ethan clenched his fists. He hated that he was right.

"Who… are you?" Ethan finally managed to ask.

The man didn't answer immediately. Instead, he studied Ethan for another moment before smirking slightly.

"You'll find out soon enough," he said.

Then, without another word, he turned and vanished into the night.

Ethan and Ronan were left there, beaten, exhausted… and more determined than ever.

This wasn't the end.

It was just the beginning.