Liam woke up that morning with a strange contradiction etched across his body and mind. His chest was light, his lips even curved in the ghost of a smile, yet when he shifted beneath the thin hotel sheets, the ache in his side reminded him of the wolf's savage claw . A dull, throbbing pain pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat, a scar of both danger and survival. For some reason, the pain didn't weigh him down—it anchored him. Proof that he was still alive. Proof that he had won.
He stretched slowly, wincing as the skin pulled, then raised his hand lazily into the air. "Storage," he muttered. At once, a swirl of light shimmered before him, folding space like ripples on a pond until the storage space bloomed open. Inside, his gaze immediately fell upon his prize—the wolf's mana core.
Normally, mana cores glowed with a pure white hue, the size of a newborn's clenched fist. This one was different. Its light shone a gentle green, like spring leaves in sunlight, and it was far larger than any he had imagined—almost the size of a tennis ball. It pulsed faintly, alive, as though the storm of wind the wolf once commanded was now sealed inside.
Liam's heart raced. So if I eat this… does that mean I'll gain the wind element? His imagination ran wild—him, cloaked in swirling gales, cutting through foes with unseen blades of air.
But before he could indulge the fantasy further, the system's voice crackled into his mind, cold and amused.
"You think it is that easy to gain an element? Foolish boy. What you will receive is a boost to your mana and a slight affinity toward wind. Nothing more."
Liam's excitement cooled instantly, his expression hardening into a sigh. He had been too hasty. Too greedy. Power did not yield itself so easily. Still, even a sliver of affinity was something, and mana was always precious. He held the core tightly, then tilted his head back and forced it into his mouth.
It was heavier than expected, jagged edges scraping his throat as he swallowed with effort. Then came the flood. A tidal wave of raw energy burst into his veins, like wind screaming against the walls of his body. His muscles clenched, his vision blurred, and for a moment he thought he would burst apart.
A transparent screen blinked into existence before his eyes:
Wind Affinity: 5%
Then his stats unfolded beneath it. Each had risen by five points. His mana, once hovering at seventy, had surged to one hundred. Liam's lips twitched into a grin. For someone his age, his strength was finally starting to look formidable. He splashed his face with cold water, cleaned the grime from his skin, and dressed in the crisp, neatly folded clothes the hotel had brought him. In the mirror, he looked more alive than yesterday—stronger, sharper. But he also looked hunted.
---
Far away, inside a black sedan idling near the hotel, two men were in the middle of a tense conversation.
"Have you found him yet?" The captain's voice was tight, impatient.
"Yes," the man in the passenger seat replied, bowing his head slightly. "Our sources confirm he entered the hotel nearby."
"Good. Send all units. Capture him. Now."
The subordinate nodded and slipped out to relay the orders. The captain leaned back, exhaling heavily. His eyes lingered on the file resting in his lap, its pages filled with reports, blurry surveillance photos, and casualty lists. A child's face stared back at him from the papers—Liam. So young, almost too young to hold the weight of such violence.
"You'll have to get used to this," the captain muttered to himself. "Kid or not… he's killed people. And the government won't let that pass, I wonder why the world is like this now."
The car door creaked as he stepped out, boots crunching against the gravel. Another officer jogged up, saluting briskly. "Captain, we've surrounded the hotel. Awaiting your orders."
The captain's jaw tightened. "If it becomes too dangerous… you know what to do."
"Yes, sir." The man—Jack—was handed a small tube filled with swirling blue liquid. He accepted it with grim resolve, as though the vial itself carried a death sentence.
The captain's radio crackled as he spoke: "All units, hold position. No mistakes. Wait for him to come out."
And so the trap was set.
---
Unaware of the full scope of the net closing in around him, Liam began his morning routine. The daily quests the system forced upon him had grown harsher, each repetition stretching his body to its limits. His muscles burned as he pushed through sets of push-ups, his breath sharp as he finished the sit-ups. By the time he prepared for his jog, sweat had plastered his shirt to his back.
He wiped his forehead, stretched once more, and stepped toward the door. The handle turned beneath his palm with an ordinary click. But the moment the door swung open, he froze.
A maid stood a few steps down the hallway, pushing a cart. Harmless. Innocent. Except… the air itself had shifted. The currents moved differently, brushing against his heightened senses like whispers. His perception, sharper after absorbing the mana core, told him something was wrong.
The maid's eyes flicked toward him. She smiled politely. Then kept walking.
Liam's pulse quickened. His face grew pale. They've found me.
Fuck… how do I get out of here? His thoughts raced. If they're watching me this closely, then they've probably already surrounded the hotel. And if they've surrounded me… they'll have a backup plan in case something goes wrong.
Every instinct screamed danger, but he forced his features into calm neutrality. Don't panic. Don't reveal anything. Just play it cool.
He descended the hall slowly, hands loose at his sides, but every nerve in his body coiled tight like a spring. He reached the lobby and glanced toward the receptionist's desk. That's when his stomach dropped.
The woman behind the counter was speaking—not to a guest, not to a colleague, but into her collar. A whisper, quick and clipped, eyes darting discreetly toward him.
Liam's lips pressed into a thin line. I'm fucked.
The hotel suddenly felt like a cage, every shadow a pair of eyes, every passerby an enemy. Somewhere outside, soldiers waited. Somewhere, guns were trained on the doors. And he was the prey at the center of the hunt.