The troll roared.
Dust fell from the ceiling as its massive body pulled free from the rubble.
Its eyes burned with pure rage.
It had been humiliated.
And now…
It wanted blood.
Kai Verdan stood in front of it, completely relaxed.
"Wow," he said, glancing at the broken ceiling. "You're tougher than you look."
The troll slammed its club into the ground.
BOOM.
The shockwave cracked the floor beneath Kai's feet.
Students watching from the far end of the hallway screamed.
"RUN, VERDAN!"
"He's going to die again!"
Kai ignored them.
Instead, a blue screen flickered in front of him.
[Villain Growth System]
Level: 1
Stat Points Available: 2
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, right."
He quickly tapped the screen.
Strength: 3 → 4
Agility: 4 → 5
A strange energy surged through his body.
His muscles tightened.
His movements felt lighter.
Faster.
Sharper.
Kai smirked.
"Now that's better."
The troll charged.
Fast.
Way faster than before.
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"Alright…"
The club came down.
Kai moved.
WHOOSH.
He barely dodged, the wind pressure slicing past his face.
The ground exploded behind him.
Kai slid back, shoes scraping against broken tiles.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "Still trying to kill me. Rude."
The Shift
Something had changed.
Not the troll.
Kai.
Before, he would have panicked.
Before, he would have run.
But now?
He was analyzing.
Watching.
Thinking.
The troll raised its club again.
Kai's gaze flicked across the battlefield.
Broken pillars.
Cracked ceiling.
Loose debris.
Frightened students.
An idea formed.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
Kai smiled.
"That'll work."
Chaos Is Power
Another notification appeared.
[System Notice]
Chaos increases reward efficiency.
More destruction = higher rewards.
---
Kai laughed.
"Oh, I like this system."
The troll charged again.
This time, Kai didn't dodge away.
He ran forward.
Straight toward it.
"HE'S INSANE!" someone shouted.
At the last second—
Dirty Escape activated.
Kai vanished from the troll's direct path and reappeared to its side.
The troll's momentum carried it forward—
Right into a half-collapsed support beam.
CRASH.
The impact shook the hallway.
Kai didn't stop.
He grabbed a broken piece of metal from the ground and hurled it at a nearby window.
GLASS SHATTERED.
Wind rushed in violently.
Fire spread faster.
The hallway descended deeper into chaos.
[Chaos Level Increased]
Kai grinned.
"Good."
The troll roared behind him.
It was angry.
Confused.
Out of control.
Perfect.
---
The First Fear
Students watched from a distance.
But now…
They weren't just scared of the troll.
They were staring at Kai.
"What… is he doing?"
"That's Verdan… right?"
"No way… that loser can fight like that…"
Kai turned slightly, catching their expressions.
Fear.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
His grin widened.
"Oh," he whispered, "this is new."
---
Turning the Tables
The troll charged again.
Kai didn't move immediately.
He waited.
Watched.
Calculated.
Three steps.
Two steps.
One—
Now.
He activated Dirty Escape, sliding under the troll's arm.
As he passed, he slammed his foot into a cracked tile.
The ground shifted.
The troll's balance broke—
Just slightly.
But it was enough.
The massive creature stumbled forward.
Right beneath the weakest part of the ceiling.
Kai snapped his fingers.
"Timing."
The already-damaged structure gave in.
BOOOOM.
The ceiling collapsed again.
This time, directly on the troll's head.
The roar stopped.
Silence filled the hallway.
Dust covered everything.
For a moment…
Nothing moved.
Then—
[Quest Complete]
Chaos Level: High
Reward: +3 Stat Points
[Level Up]
Kai exhaled slowly.
"Not bad."
He brushed dust off his shoulder.
But then…
The system flickered again.
[Warning]
High-value target approaching.
Kai frowned.
"High-value?"
From the far end of the hallway…
Footsteps echoed.
Calm.
Controlled.
Confident.
Not like the panicked students.
Not like the raging monster.
This was different.
A figure stepped through the dust.
Clean uniform.
Calm expression.
A sword resting casually on his shoulder.
The students whispered immediately.
"It's him…"
"The top-ranked student…"
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"Ah," he muttered.
"Finally."
The newcomer glanced at the destroyed hallway.
The rubble.
The crushed troll.
Then his gaze landed on Kai.
Silence.
Heavy.
Sharp.
"Did you do this?" the student asked.
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Kai smiled.
"Define 'this.'"
The student's eyes sharpened.
"Killing a dungeon troll."
Kai shrugged.
"It was a group effort."
A pause.
Then—
The top student stepped forward.
Mana flared around him.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
Oppressive.
Students backed away instantly.
"He's serious…"
Kai felt it too.
For the first time since the system activated…
He felt pressure.
Real pressure.
Not from a monster.
From a human.
Kai's grin slowly returned.
"Oh," he said quietly.
"This is interesting.
[New Quest]
Defeat the "Hero Candidate"
Reward: ???
Penalty for failure: Severe
Kai stared at the notification.
Then looked back at the calm, powerful student standing in front of him.
And smiled.
Wide.
Excited.
Dangerous.
"Alright," Kai said.
"Let's see what heroes are made of."
End of Chapter 3