The continuous disappearance of Kai, coupled with the other predators in the area beginning to suffer mysterious accidents – one was hit by a poison arrow from afar, another was caught in a hanging noose while chasing a shadowy figure – infuriated Lom. He no longer saw Kai as a mere mouse, but as a threat that needed to be eliminated.
"I'll dig up your damn rat nest from the roots!" Lom roared, smashing a crumbling brick wall. "You can't hide forever!"
Meanwhile, Kai was perfecting his "domain." He no longer relied solely on dreams. Now, he was designing proactively. He used his knowledge of terrain and basic physics from the "Dream Speakers" to turn the area around his hideout into a deadly maze.
Layered Traps: He placed simple snare traps at the entrances, not to catch, but to warn and slow down the enemy's steps.
Strategic Ambush Points: From high above, he identified positions where he could observe the entire area without being detected. He used scraps of corrugated iron and torn tarps to create perfect loopholes.
Environmental Weapons: He prepared small rocks placed precariously on wall edges, ready to fall at a signal. He even found an unlabeled barrel of chemicals, and using his knowledge of toxins, carefully coated the tips of his arrows with some of it.
Every morning he woke up, his Hunting & Trapping stat jumped another 2-3% thanks to these practical calculations. It had reached 12%. And while evading Leo's group, his hiding and movement abilities had also increased: Stealth & Movement: 11%.
On the Junk-Dragon, Celeste observed Kai's Essence emitting a synthesized light. She could clearly see the stat changes in the dream:
Hunting & Trapping: 9% → 12%
Stealth & Movement Skill: 9% → 11%
She smiled with satisfaction. "He's learning to feel his own progress."
Kai's Essence no longer just vibrated with isolated rays of light. Now, it emitted a synthesized glow, a blend of the green of survival, the silver of wisdom, and even a hint of brick-red representing iron determination. She could sense the shift in Kai's mindset: from defensive to proactively setting ambushes.
"He's not running away anymore," she whispered to Echo, "he's preparing a stage for his enemy."
And then, the decisive night for the position of slum overlord arrived.
Lom, along with his three fiercest henchmen, decided on an all-out attack. They broke down doors, yelled, and used clubs to smash everything in their path.
From above, Kai watched their every step. His heart beat fast, not from fear, but from intense concentration. He saw Lom leading, holding a long iron bar.
Kai took a deep breath. It was time.
He drew his bow, the poison-tipped arrow aimed at the calf of the last henchman. In that moment, he felt his arm steadier, his vision sharper. No numbers appeared, only certainty in every fiber of his being.
Swish! The arrow flew silently.
"Ah! What was that?" the henchman cried out. Immediately, a numbing sensation spread.
Kai quietly moved to another position. He felt his legs were lighter, his steps completely silent. Another improvement he could clearly feel.
Snap! Another henchman tripped a snare and was hoisted upside down.
"Shut up, you idiot!" Lom roared, but he himself was starting to panic.
Kai continued moving. He picked up a stone and threw it at a pile of scrap metal in the distance.
"Over there!" A henchman charged over.
As he ran through a narrow alley, Kai gently pushed a supporting wooden beam. A large corrugated iron sheet collapsed, blocking his exit. In that instant, Kai felt the sharpness in his tactical thinking – a new advancement he could clearly perceive.
Now only Lom and one last henchman remained. They stood back-to-back, breathing heavily.
"Lom," Kai's voice rang out from somewhere in the darkness. "This is my domain. You two are just frightened beasts now. Let me finish the hunt."
Lom angrily turned towards the voice. "Come out here, you cowardly brat!"
"I'm not a coward," Kai's voice came from a different direction. "I'm smarter than you."
While Lom was distracted, the last henchman fell after a critical blow from behind. Kai had used his skills perfectly. He felt the flexibility in his body, the precision in each movement – practical progress that needed no numbers to confirm.
Now only Lom remained alone. He stood in the darkness, panting. He had completely lost the initiative.
Kai stepped out of the shadows. In his hand wasn't a bow, but the iron knife. His eyes were no longer those of a frightened child.
"The game is over, Lom," Kai said. "Leave, and never come back."
Lom looked at Kai, from head to toe. In that moment, he understood that the world had changed.
Growling with utter resentment, Lom retreated. He left his henchmen behind, hastily disappearing into the night.
Kai stood there, alone on the battlefield he himself had created. He didn't feel victorious, only a profound weariness. He had protected his domain.