Just before the deeply hidden intruder could get any closer—
Professor X turned.
His hand slipped swiftly into his coat.
Cold metal met his palm.
The magnum was drawn in one decisive motion. Blue sparks flickered along the barrel as he aimed straight toward the direction the voice had come from.
Lam Huy Trường saw it.
A figure appeared.
Colorless.
Thin—like a stretched membrane of water suspended in midair.
It flickered in his vision—
then vanished.
…Vanished?
The next instant—
THUD!
An invisible force slammed straight into the professor.
His body flew sideways and crashed into a concrete wall several meters away.
BANG!
The air inside the cell trembled.
Professor X slid down the wall, his back scraping against the surface. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
The magnum slipped from his hand, spinning through the air before clattering onto the floor and skidding away.
Lam Huy Trường swallowed.
What the hell was that… an assassin or a monster? When was he even there?
Right in front of the professor—
the air began to distort.
A human silhouette slowly surfaced.
Like a bubble rising from the depths—
blurred, warped—
then gradually condensed into solid form.
A man in a red hooded cloak, trimmed with gold along the edges, stood silently in the middle of the cell.
He stepped forward.
Slowly.
His soles scraped against the metal floor, producing dry, hollow clicks.
Clack… clack…
Before Professor X could even steady himself—
a hand shot out.
It clamped around his throat.
His body was lifted off the ground like a rag doll.
His legs twitched in the air.
A voice spoke right in front of his face.
Low.
Calm.
"Professor… your actions just now constitute betrayal against the organization."
The fingers tightened.
A choked sound forced its way from the professor's throat.
"Should I… execute you on the organization's behalf?"
Professor X struggled to raise his hands.
His trembling fingers clawed at the wrist gripping his neck, trying to pry it loose—
but it was useless.
The difference in strength was overwhelming.
The man in red tilted his head, observing him.
As if watching an insect struggling in a web.
"Still… I should thank you."
He lifted his free hand. Two fingers began to "walk" upward from his waist toward his chest like tiny legs.
There—
wrapped around his torso—
was a circular metallic device hugging his chest like a transformation driver from the shows Lam Huy Trường used to watch.
It wasn't entirely metal.
Dark red threads—like blood vessels—were embedded deep into the wearer's flesh, spreading out like a web and twitching faintly from time to time.
At the center—
a round slot.
Inside it—
was an eye.
It was open.
The pupil contracted…
then slowly dilated.
It was watching.
Lam Huy Trường felt his scalp go numb.
Don't tell me… that thing is…?
Around the eye was a ring of numbers arranged exactly like the rotary dial of an old landline phone.
Beside it—
a small square chamber contained a coal-black crystal floating in a faintly glowing pale-blue liquid.
On the device's surface, a tiny display read:
LV1
The man in red tapped lightly on the eye.
"Hazard… Driver."
He let out a soft chuckle.
"That's right. I believe that's the name you gave it, wasn't it… Professor?"
The hand gripping the professor's throat suddenly loosened—
and then released him completely.
The professor's body dropped straight to the floor.
THUD!
He collapsed to his knees, coughing violently. Blood spread beneath his chin.
The man in red clasped his hands behind his back.
His posture was relaxed, as if he were casually chatting at afternoon tea.
"So… Professor, do you have any last words before I carry out your execution?"
Professor X braced one hand against the floor.
His head spun.
The world before his eyes blurred, as though covered by a thin layer of mist.
He blinked several times, forcing his vision to refocus—
then lifted his head to look at the man standing before him.
The red cloak.
The hood hid half his face.
Only his eyes were visible.
Cold.
And filled with amusement.
"…The organization…"
The professor's voice was hoarse, barely more than a breath.
"…dares to lay a hand on me?"
A scoffing laugh echoed through the cell.
Short.
Sharp as a blade.
"The organization ordered me to monitor you from the moment you left the Dawn Research Institute."
He tilted his head.
"Didn't you think your behavior there… was a little too abnormal?"
One of his fingers rose—
pointing straight at his own temple.
"A genius brain like yours…"
He smirked faintly.
"…and yet you still fell into someone else's trap."
Standing behind them, Lam Huy Trường froze.
Monitored…? So they had been setting the professor up from the very beginning?
He recalled the whispers among the staff back at the institute. His teeth clenched as he looked down at the professor struggling on the ground.
Professor X stayed silent for a few seconds.
Then he calmly adjusted his glasses, his gaze locking onto the man who wanted him dead.
"…You… are Experiment Zero of the Hazard Driver?"
The man in red paused for a beat.
Then—
he burst into laughter.
"Oh?"
"You know me? I'm honored."
He dipped his head slightly in mock politeness.
"But thinking about it… that makes sense."
After all—
the professor was the one who had created the device now wrapped around his chest.
He reached up and lightly touched the Hazard Driver.
The red threads beneath the metal twitched in response, as if reacting to his touch.
"I should still offer my thanks."
His voice lowered, unable to hide the excitement beneath it.
"Thanks to you…"
"…I was able to become the one standing at the top of the rankings."
He raised his head.
"…Ah, no."
A wider smile spread beneath the shadow of his hood.
"I'll become even stronger."
The man in red suddenly spread his arms.
His chest thrust forward.
The red threads around the Hazard Driver tightened, pulsing like an invisible heart.
The next moment—
an invisible pressure erupted outward.
The air inside the cell vibrated.
CRACK!
The glass panels surrounding the research cages fractured at once, spiderweb cracks racing across their surfaces.
Then—
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
The glass shattered into glittering shards that rained down onto the floor.
A violent gust swept through the corridor, whipping the professor's hair and coat wildly.
He gritted his teeth and pressed both hands against the ground to keep from being blown away.
Lam Huy Trường had to squint.
Dust and glass fragments were hurled into the air like a storm tearing through every direction.
This kind of scene only happens in wuxia novels… This is supposed to be a tech-based game. And the Hazard Driver—why is it even here? That's another element that never existed in the original storyline.
He stared at the man in red standing at the center of the storm.
Both arms spread wide.
As if savoring the power flooding through his body.
How… is he even able to wear that thing?
Lam Huy Trường raised a hand to shield his eyes. Even though the scene existed only in memory, the suffocating dread in the air still felt painfully real.
Professor X struggled to lift his head.
His gaze did not fall on the man—
but shifted to the right.
Toward Eva.
The girl was curled up on the metal floor, her body twitching as if trapped in a nightmare with no escape.
Sweat soaked her forehead.
Her breathing was ragged.
A low growl forced its way out of the professor's throat.
"You… people…"
He pushed himself halfway to his feet, his throat burning.
"…what are you planning to do with the girl?"
He stared straight at the man in red.
For the first time, genuine panic showed in his eyes.
A beat of silence passed.
"…Wasn't…"
His eyes flicked toward the metal device wrapped around the man's chest.
"…the Hazard Driver already completed?"
The man in red tilted his head.
His gaze slowly shifted from the professor… to Eva.
A smile stretched across his lips.
He licked the corner of his mouth as if looking at a dish about to be served.
"Well… since you're about to die anyway…"
His voice turned light.
"It won't hurt to tell you something interesting."
He tapped lightly on the center of the Hazard Driver.
Tok. Tok.
The eye within the device trembled.
Its pupil shrank—
then slowly rotated, as if surveying the room.
Lam Huy Trường shivered.
In his memories of the game, the Hazard Driver had only been a non-obtainable piece of equipment—something that appeared on a boss purely as decoration. In other words, contraband that players were never allowed to use.
The man in red continued, his tone cold yet filled with excitement.
"This Hazard Driver…"
His finger traced along the metal frame.
"…isn't it the key that allows humanity to surpass itself?"
He turned his head to look at the professor.
"You, of all people, should understand that."
Without waiting for an answer, he went on.
"And that girl…"
He raised a finger, pointing straight at Eva's trembling body on the floor.
"…isn't she a Nightmare unlike the others?"
He chuckled softly.
"A Class-A Nightmare."
Then his voice dropped, thick with anticipation.
"No… if she evolves to her ultimate form—"
He spread his arms as though embracing an imagined future.
"—she'll reach SSS rank."
The air inside the cell seemed to pause for a heartbeat.
Lam Huy Trường felt his heart pound harder.
SSS…? That rank never existed in the original plot.
The man in red still wasn't finished.
"We've already prepared a vessel."
He spoke slowly, emphasizing every word.
"A perfect vessel… one that can absorb all of that girl's Nightmare power."
He burst into laughter.
"Once that happens—"
he placed a hand over the center of his chest, directly above the eye of the driver.
"—we'll possess the greatest weapon of this era."
A brief silence fell.
Then he whispered, almost delirious—
"Evolution… beyond the limits of humanity."
The man in red burst into laughter.
It was hoarse. Drawn-out. It echoed through the room, now filled only with the crunch of shattered glass underfoot.
His hand rose to his chest—
to the Hazard Driver.
The eye embedded in the device blinked.
"And I…"
His voice dropped, thick with pleasure.
"…would be honored to become the master of that Nightmare."
He lifted his chin slightly.
"Do you know, Professor?"
"Right now… I'm already the strongest."
A pause.
Then his smile widened.
"But even that… isn't enough."
Professor X stared at him.
His pupils shrank.
"You…"
His fist clenched. Nails dug into flesh.
"…you're planning to absorb the girl's Nightmare?"
His voice trembled.
Not from fear—
but from rage.
"Have you all gone mad chasing power?!"
He stepped forward. His body wavered, but his eyes were completely clear now.
"If you let Eva evolve… do you have any idea what will happen?!"
The man in red didn't even look at him.
His gaze remained fixed on the trembling girl on the floor, as if afraid she might vanish the moment he blinked.
"Yes."
He answered casually.
"I'll wait."
His voice slowed, stretching each word as if savoring the vision in his mind.
"I'll wait until she becomes the strongest Nightmare."
"Until she reaches her most perfect form—"
He raised both hands slightly, as if lifting an invisible crown.
"Eros."
Lam Huy Trường froze.
Eros… again?
Stop Eva from evolving into Eros.
From the very beginning, that name had never existed in the original storyline. He had always assumed it was just something the system made up for the quest.
He didn't expect its origin to run this deep.
Just how terrifying… was the Eros form?
A memory flashed through his mind—
that pitch-black tide that had chased him down, swallowing everything in its path.
That couldn't be it… right? Eva hadn't evolved into Eros back then… had she?
He swallowed.
The man in red kept talking, his voice rising with excitement.
"And then—"
His hand clenched tight.
"—I'll absorb it."
A manic laugh tore out of his throat.
"I will become the savior!"
"Just imagine it…"
He turned to the professor, eyes gleaming with something twisted.
"How magnificent… would that be?"
The more he spoke, the more agitated he became.
His shoulders trembled.
"When that time comes—"
He spread his arms wide, like he was standing on top of an imaginary stage.
"—anyone who dares defy me…"
His lips curled upward.
"…will be nothing more than insects."
He laughed again.
Hoarse. Broken.
"I'll crush them whenever I want."
He raised a hand to cover half his face, his shoulders still shaking with laughter.
Lam Huy Trường watched in silence.
A chill ran down his spine.
This guy… he's completely insane.
None of this—
these words, these plans, these schemes—
not a single part of it existed in the original plot.
Did I reincarnate into the wrong game?
Did someone… swap the script?
Or worse—
has the timeline already been rewritten?
Lam Huy Trường bit his lip.
Complaining wouldn't help.
His mind started digging through his memories of the game.
Bosses.
Hidden bosses.
Creatures far beyond level range. Entities that existed outside the main questline.
In the game data, they were marked with strange codes—
Code: 0
Code: 5
Decode.
But…
Lam Huy Trường narrowed his eyes at the figure in front of him.
A human.
A completely normal human.
Not a monster.
Don't tell me…
those codes… refer to people like him?
A chill crawled up his spine.
If that were true—
then the current timeline had already deviated far beyond the original script.
And just as Lam Huy Trường was drowning in that chaotic realization—
Professor X moved.
He spun around.
His eyes locked onto the magnum lying a few meters away, half-buried in shattered glass.
No hesitation—
he lunged.
The soles of his shoes scraped across the metal floor, grinding against glass with a sharp, grating screech.
One more step—
and he would reach it.
But—
the air in front of him twisted.
A colorless figure appeared right before his eyes.
So fast it was as if it had skipped motion entirely.
CRACK!
A foot slammed down onto the professor's hand.
Before he could even touch the gun, he was pinned to the floor.
A muffled cry tore from his throat.
Lam Huy Trường felt a surge of frustration.
Am I… just going to stand here and watch?
The man in red was already standing in front of the professor.
No one had seen when he moved.
His voice rang out, laced with amusement.
"Professor… you didn't think my Nightmare was something to be underestimated, did you?"
Professor X gritted his teeth, forcing his head up.
"…What…?"
The answer came immediately—
in the form of a kick.
BANG!
His body was sent flying, skidding across the floor like a torn sack.
Before he could even stop—
that colorless figure appeared again, directly along his trajectory.
A hand shot out.
It grabbed his collar—
then tightened around his throat, lifting him into the air.
"How is it, Professor?"
The man in red leaned down, whispering right beside his ear.
"My AA-class Nightmare… does it satisfy you?"
The professor didn't answer.
Only his eyes—
bloodshot.
Filled with hatred so intense it seemed ready to tear the man apart.
The man in red held him there for a few seconds—
then tossed him aside like garbage.
Thud.
The battered body hit the metal floor and slid a short distance before stopping.
He stepped forward slowly.
Unhurried.
There was no need to rush.
"Professor…"
He tilted his head, looking down with clear amusement.
"Weren't these Nightmares… created by your own hands?"
He raised a hand, as if presenting an invisible masterpiece.
"Back then, they were nothing but useless failures."
A smile crept onto his lips.
"But now—"
His hand rested on the Hazard Driver on his chest. The eye shifted faintly with each breath.
"—we'll be the ones to use them… in the most efficient way possible."
A heavy silence followed.
Then he continued, his tone calm—chillingly so.
"So, Professor…"
"You've outlived your usefulness."
He leaned in and whispered—
"You should rest now."
Another pause.
Then—
Professor X laughed.
At first, it was just a low, broken sound in his throat.
Then it grew louder.
Hoarse.
Unhinged.
The laughter echoed through the shattered laboratory, bouncing off the cold metal walls.
Lam Huy Trường felt goosebumps rise across his skin.
The man in red stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
"…What are you laughing at?"
Professor X lifted his head.
Blood still dripped from the corner of his mouth, yet his eyes burned with a strange light.
He stared straight at the man before him.
"…What you desire…"
He drew in a labored breath.
"…the delusions you're so obsessed with…"
A twisted smile spread across his bloodstained face.
"…there's something I should tell you first."
He paused.
As if making sure every word would carve itself into the other man's mind.
"Unfortunately…"
The air in the room seemed to freeze.
"…that—"
He spoke each word slowly.
"—will never happen."