The academy was burning.
Smoke rose into the sky.
Sirens echoed nonstop.
Students were being evacuated.
Teachers shouted orders.
---
And in the middle of it all—
One name spread like wildfire.
---
"Kai Verdan."
---
"The one who caused it."
"The weakest student…"
"No… not anymore."
---
Fear moved faster than the flames.
---
Aftermath
Instructor Rael stood in the ruined courtyard.
Unmoving.
Unshaken.
---
Around him—
Destruction.
Collapsed structures.
Injured students.
Scorched ground.
---
His eyes were cold.
Focused.
---
"He planned it," someone said.
---
Rael didn't respond.
---
Leon stood nearby.
Silent.
Watching the smoke fade.
---
"You let him escape," Rael said.
---
Leon didn't look at him.
"He didn't escape," Leon replied.
"He chose where the fight ended."
---
A pause.
---
Rael's gaze sharpened.
---
"Then next time," he said,
"he won't get that choice."
---
Declaration
A loudspeaker crackled.
---
"All students remain in designated safe zones."
"This is now a controlled lockdown."
"The individual responsible will be captured."
---
A pause.
---
Then—
---
"Kai Verdan is officially classified as a hostile threat."
---
The words echoed across the academy.
---
System Shift
Far from the chaos—
In a quiet, broken corridor—
Kai walked alone.
---
His steps were slow.
Steady.
---
But his body…
Wasn't fine.
---
Blood stained his clothes.
His breathing was uneven.
The evolution still burned inside him.
---
"Yeah…" he muttered.
"That was expensive."
---
The system flickered.
---
[Status Warning]
Body Condition: Unstable
Mental State: Fluctuating
---
Kai laughed quietly.
---
"Worth it."
---
New Reality
Another screen appeared.
---
[Reputation Updated]
Title: Academy Disruptor
Status: Active Threat
---
Kai stared at it.
---
"…That was fast."
---
He looked back toward the distant smoke.
---
"Guess I made an impression."
---
The Hunt
Another notification appeared.
---
[New Condition]
You are now being hunted
Evade capture for rewards
---
Kai's grin returned.
---
"Oh," he said softly.
"This just got interesting."
---
Strategy
He leaned against the wall for a moment.
Thinking.
---
Running blindly?
Useless.
Fighting teachers?
Suicide.
---
So the answer was obvious.
---
"Stay unpredictable."
---
His eyes sharpened.
---
"Make them chase shadows."
---
Movement
Kai pushed himself forward again.
Deeper into the academy.
---
Not toward exits.
---
Toward danger.
---
Because safe places…
Were the first places they would search.
---
Observer
From above—
A shadow moved.
---
A figure stood on a rooftop.
Watching.
---
"…So this is the one," a voice muttered.
---
Not a student.
Not a teacher.
---
Something else.
---
Something stronger.
---
Kai paused.
Just slightly.
---
His instincts flared.
---
He wasn't alone.
---
Tension
The air shifted.
Subtle.
But real.
---
Kai didn't look up.
Didn't react.
---
He just smiled.
---
"Yeah," he whispered.
"I can feel you."
---
The figure above narrowed their eyes.
---
"…Interesting."
---
Game Begins
The system flickered again.
---
[New Objective]
Survive the hunt
Reward: Growth
Failure: Capture / Elimination
---
Kai exhaled slowly.
---
Then laughed.
---
A quiet, dangerous sound.
---
"They think this is a hunt?"
---
His eyes darkened.
---
"Wrong."
---
Final Line
Kai stepped forward into the shadows.
---
His presence fading into the broken academy.
---
"Let them come," he said.
---
A pause.
---
Then—
---
"I'm not the one being hunted."
---
His grin returned.
---
"I'm the one setting the trap."
---
End of Chapter 9