The academy was no longer a school.
It was a hunting ground.
---
Teams of students and instructors moved through the halls.
Searching.
Tracking.
Closing in.
---
And at the center of it all—
Kai Verdan walked calmly through the shadows.
---
"…Too predictable," he muttered.
---
The Hunters
Two students moved down the corridor ahead.
Weapons drawn.
Alert.
---
"Stay sharp," one whispered.
"He's dangerous."
---
Kai leaned against the wall around the corner.
Listening.
---
"Dangerous?" he whispered to himself.
"Nice upgrade from useless."
---
The system flickered.
---
[Hunter Units Detected]
Threat Level: Low
---
Kai smiled.
---
"Perfect."
---
The Plan
He didn't rush in.
Didn't attack.
---
Instead—
He stepped back.
---
Scanning the environment.
---
Broken lights.
Cracked floor.
Loose ceiling panels.
---
And—
A fire suppression pipe.
---
Kai's grin widened.
---
"That'll work."
---
Setup
He moved quickly.
Quietly.
---
A sharp piece of metal in his hand.
---
CLANG.
---
A precise strike.
---
The pipe cracked.
Not fully.
Just enough.
---
Water began to leak.
Slowly.
Silently.
---
Next—
He kicked the cracked floor tile.
---
CRACK.
---
Weaker.
More unstable.
---
Then—
He stepped back into the shadows.
---
Waiting.
---
The Bait
Kai picked up a broken piece of debris.
Threw it down the hallway.
---
CLATTER.
---
The sound echoed.
---
The two hunters froze.
---
"There!" one shouted.
---
They rushed forward.
---
Right into the trap.
---
Trigger
The first student stepped onto the weakened tile.
---
CRACK.
---
The ground gave slightly.
---
"Wait—"
---
Too late.
---
The second step—
---
BOOM.
---
The floor collapsed.
---
Both students dropped down into the lower level.
---
Chaos
At the same time—
The cracked pipe burst.
---
Water exploded outward.
---
Soaking everything.
---
Electrical sparks flashed.
---
The lights flickered violently.
---
Then—
Darkness.
---
Strike
Kai moved.
---
Fast.
Silent.
Precise.
---
He dropped into the lower level.
---
The two students were disoriented.
One trying to stand.
The other groaning in pain.
---
Kai didn't hesitate.
---
A quick strike to the first.
---
Down.
---
The second looked up—
Eyes wide.
---
"W-wait—!"
---
Kai knocked him out clean.
---
Silence.
---
System Reward
---
[Trap Successful]
Chaos Efficiency: High
+3 Stat Points
---
Kai exhaled.
---
"Clean."
---
The Difference
No luck.
No panic.
No chaos for the sake of chaos.
---
Just planning.
Execution.
Control.
---
Kai looked at the unconscious students.
---
"See?" he muttered.
"I can do this properly."
---
Upgrade
The system flickered again.
---
[Skill Improved]
Dirty Escape → Lv.2
Cooldown Reduced
---
Kai smirked.
---
"Even better."
---
Movement
He climbed back up.
Careful.
Quiet.
---
But just as he stepped into the corridor—
---
He stopped.
---
Not Alone
The air felt… different.
---
He wasn't being chased.
---
He was being watched.
---
Slowly—
Kai turned.
---
At the far end of the hallway—
Someone stood there.
---
Not a student.
Not a teacher.
---
Stronger.
Sharper.
Calmer.
---
The same presence from before.
---
The Observer Appears
"…So you're not just reckless," the figure said.
---
Kai smiled.
---
"Took you long enough to say hi."
---
The figure stepped forward.
---
Their presence pressed down on the space.
---
Measured.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
---
"You caused quite a mess," they said.
---
Kai shrugged.
"Still standing though."
---
A pause.
---
Then—
---
"I'm impressed," the figure said.
---
Kai blinked.
---
"…That's new."
---
Cliffhanger
The system flickered violently.
---
[High-Value Target Identified]
Danger Level: ???
---
Kai's grin slowly returned.
---
"Oh," he whispered.
---
Now this—
---
This was interesting.
---
Final Line
The figure stopped a few steps away.
---
"Let's see," they said,
"how far your little game goes."
---
Kai cracked his neck.
---
Smiling wider than ever.
---
"Careful," he replied.
---
"You might end up playing too."
---
End of Chapter 10