The sound of the microchip crushing between Han-Jun's fingers was drowned out by the roar of the ocean, but the psychological impact was deafening.
On the screens of the Aegis Command Center, miles away, a technician dropped his coffee. "Director! Asset Zero... his signal is gone! The limiter has been physically destroyed!"
Back on the island, Han-Jun felt a sensation he hadn't felt in three years: Quiet.
The constant buzzing in his ears from the System's monitoring, the artificial "Red Zone" warnings, the forced heart-rate caps—they all vanished. His heart wasn't failing. It was finally being allowed to beat at its natural, terrifying rhythm.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
The seven-foot giant with the iron chain, a candidate known as "The Anchor" (Power Level 950), didn't understand what had just happened. He only saw a smaller student breaking his own gear.
"I don't care about your phone, kid," The Anchor growled, swinging the heavy chain. It whistled through the air, aimed directly at Han-Jun's temple. "I just want your tag."
Han-Jun didn't dodge.
He didn't move his head.
He simply raised his left hand and caught the iron chain mid-air. The metal links bit into his palm, drawing blood, but Han-Jun didn't even flinch. His grip was like a hydraulic press.
The Anchor's eyes widened. "What... how?"
"My brother took the pill to save me," Han-Jun said, his voice sounding hollow, like it was coming from a deep cave. "But he didn't realize... I didn't need a booster. I needed a cage."
Han-Jun yanked the chain.
The seven-foot giant was pulled forward as if he weighed nothing. As he stumbled, Han-Jun stepped in and delivered a Short-Range Spear Hand strike to the giant's throat.
CRUNCH.
The Anchor fell to his knees, clutching his neck. Han-Jun didn't stop. He grabbed the giant's head and drove his knee into his face. Three times. Methodical. Brutal.
The giant collapsed, unconscious and broken. Han-Jun reached into the man's pocket and pulled out the ID tag.
[Tags Collected: 1/5]
The Hunting Grounds
The other nineteen students on the beach had stopped their own fights. They were staring at Han-Jun. In their eyes, he wasn't a "Designated Bully" anymore. He was an anomaly. A glitch in the system.
"He's a monster!" one student yelled. "If we don't take him down together, none of us are getting off this beach!"
"The Culling" had truly begun. Six students, all with Power Levels between 800 and 900, formed a circle around Han-Jun. They were specialists: a Taekwondo expert, a dirty boxer, two wrestlers, and two guys with knives.
Han-Jun looked at them. For the first time, he didn't see numbers or "Power Levels." He saw anatomical weaknesses. He saw carotid arteries, nerve clusters, and fragile joints.
"Come," Han-Jun whispered.
They attacked simultaneously.
The Taekwondo expert launched a 540-degree kick. Han-Jun didn't retreat; he lunged forward, entering the "Inside Zone" before the kick could reach full velocity. He slammed his palm into the kicker's standing leg. The knee joint snapped sideways with a sickening sound.
The two wrestlers tried to tackle his waist. Han-Jun jumped, performing a double-knee strike to their shoulders, then used their heads as stepping stones to launch himself toward the knife-wielders.
It wasn't a fight. It was a slaughter.
Han-Jun moved with a speed that defied human physics. Every strike he landed was a "Critical Hit." He wasn't using MMA anymore; he was using a forgotten, lethal style called Silat-Escrima, focused on ending a life in three moves or less.
In three minutes, the beach was silent. Seven bodies lay in the sand.
Han-Jun stood in the center, breathing slowly. He had seven tags in his hand.
[Tags Collected: 7/5 - MISSION COMPLETE]
The Observer
High above on a jagged cliff overlooking the beach, a figure was watching through binoculars. He wasn't a student. He was wearing a tactical vest and a military-grade headset.
"Director, we have a problem," the observer said into his radio. "Zero has cleared the beach in under 180 seconds. He didn't just win; he dismantled them. His physical output... it's matching the data from the 'incident' three years ago."
"Send in the Drones," the Director's voice crackled through the radio. "And activate the First Apex's Disciple. We need to see if Zero can handle a real martial artist."
"But sir, the Disciple is in the Inner City. If we bring him here, the other candidates will be caught in the crossfire."
"Do it. The 'Seeds' are replaceable. Zero is the only one that matters."
The Shadow of the Sword
Han-Jun started walking toward the forest that led to the ruined skyscraper. The fog was getting thicker, smelling of salt and decay.
Suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck stood up.
Danger.
He threw himself to the ground just as a thin, silver wire sliced through the air where his neck had been a second ago. The wire was so sharp it cut through a nearby palm tree as if it were butter.
From the fog, a young man stepped out. He was dressed in a traditional black martial arts gi, but with modern tactical boots. He wasn't carrying a gun or a chain. He was carrying a wooden practice sword—a bokken—that looked like it was made of black iron.
"My master said a Ghost would arrive today," the young man said. His voice was calm, almost robotic. "I am Jun-Seo, the First Disciple of the First Apex. My Power Level is not on your phone, Han-Jun. Because I don't use a System."
Jun-Seo raised the black bokken. "I use the Sword of the Soul."
Han-Jun stood up, wiping the sand from his clothes. He could feel a strange energy coming from Jun-Seo. It wasn't "Power Level." It was Mastery.
"Your master killed my brother," Han-Jun said, his eyes narrowing.
"My master corrected a mistake," Jun-Seo replied. "And today, I will correct the second one."
Jun-Seo moved. He was faster than Cain. Faster than Min-Ho. He didn't run; he teleported.
CLANG.
Han-Jun blocked the wooden sword with his bare forearms, which were now reinforced by the "Unchained" adrenaline surge. The impact sent a shockwave through his bones.
The two clashed in the fog. Every strike from Jun-Seo's sword aimed for a lethal point. Every counter from Han-Jun was designed to break the weapon.
"You're strong, Zero," Jun-Seo said, during a brief pause. "But you're still a dog of the government. You fight for revenge. I fight for the Way."
"I don't fight for the Way," Han-Jun growled.
He reached into the sand and grabbed a handful of it, throwing it into Jun-Seo's eyes. It was a "Designated Bully" move—dirty, effective, and unexpected.
As Jun-Seo flinched, Han-Jun delivered a spinning elbow to the disciple's ribs. He felt the bone give way.
But Jun-Seo didn't fall. He smiled through the pain.
"Good," Jun-Seo whispered. "Now, I can use that."
Jun-Seo dropped the sword. He reached into his gi and pulled out a small, glowing blue needle—the same technology as the Aegis boosters, but much more refined. He jammed it into his own neck.
"This is the God-Speed Serum," Jun-Seo said.
His muscles began to ripple and grow. His eyes turned a glowing, neon blue.
As Jun-Seo prepares to attack with his enhanced speed, a voice echoes through Han-Jun's earpiece—the one he thought was broken.
"Han-Jun, don't fight him! Look at his shadow!"
Han-Jun looks down. Jun-Seo is standing in the middle of the beach, but he has two shadows. One is his own. The other is a tall, distorted figure holding a long, curved blade.
The second shadow isn't moving with Jun-Seo. It's moving toward Han-Jun.