The cavern shook from the Ravager's roar.
Aiden pressed himself against the shattered crevice wall, dust raining down onto his torn clothes. His whole body trembled.
The armored stranger stood unmoving, spear lowered at his side, as if facing a Tier-B monster was casual.
The Ravager lunged.
Fast.
Heavy.
Big enough to shatter a truck.
The stranger moved before the beast even finished its jump.
A flash of silver.
A crunch of bone.
A shockwave that cracked stone.
The Ravager crashed sideways, skidding across the cavern floor in a burst of dust.
Aiden's jaw dropped.
That blow… that wasn't Tier-B strength.
That was beyond academy limits.
The stranger didn't glance back.
Didn't ask if Aiden was injured.
Didn't even breathe hard.
He just said, "Kid. You've got 30 seconds. Recover your stamina."
Aiden blinked. "Recover? I—I can't even stand—"
But the system suddenly triggered:
---
Forced Synchronization
You are in the presence of a higher-ranked combatant.
Your body is temporarily adapting.
+20% Stamina Regeneration for 60 seconds
---
A rush of energy surged through his limbs—not enough to fight a Tier-B Ravager, but enough to stagger to his feet.
The stranger lifted his spear again.
The Ravager rose too—snarling, injured but furious.
It rushed.
He responded.
And the cavern turned into a blur of impossible speed.
Spear clashes.
Monster claws.
Echoing impacts.
Every strike shook the walls, raining debris.
Aiden tried to follow—
But the man was too fast, the monster too violent.
Yet something felt… off.
This stranger wasn't fighting to kill.
He was… testing the Ravager.
"Why?" Aiden whispered.
The system answered him:
---
Notice:
This individual's combat pattern suggests:
Exploration
Measurement
Restraint
---
Restraint?
Against a monster that could kill both of them?
The stranger dodged a swipe by a hair, planting his spear into the ground, using it to flip backward with unnatural precision.
Aiden couldn't breathe.
This wasn't a normal warrior.
This wasn't a hunter.
This wasn't an instructor.
No one in the academy—
No one on record—
Moved like this.
The Ravager shrieked and slammed the ground. A shockwave of dark energy burst from its body, making Aiden tumble forward.
The stranger didn't move.
The wave rolled past him like a breeze.
His voice echoed coldly through the cavern:
"Analysis complete."
Then everything changed.
He vanished.
One heartbeat he was standing still—
The next he was behind the Ravager—
Spear piercing straight through the monster's spine.
The Ravager let out a choking roar as the spear tip burst from its chest.
Aiden staggered back, stunned.
The man ripped the spear free.
The Ravager collapsed, spasming, tail slamming the wall before its body finally went limp.
Silence.
Long.
Heavy.
Then—
A faint chime.
A window appeared in Aiden's vision:
---
Kill Quest Complete
You earned partial credit.
Reward:
+1 Tenacity
+5 Base EXP
New Notification Available
---
Aiden exhaled shakily.
He wasn't dead.
Somehow—he wasn't dead.
The stranger flicked blood off his spear.
Then he turned his head slightly, not enough for Aiden to see his face.
But enough to freeze Aiden's breath.
"Kid," the man said quietly.
"You shouldn't have awakened down here."
Aiden swallowed. "Who… who are you?"
The stranger didn't answer.
Instead, he stepped closer—too close—voice dropping:
"Tell me something. Did the system give you anything… unusual?"
Aiden's pulse spiked.
The man knew about the system?
How?
No one was supposed to know.
No one could even see it.
Aiden instinctively hid his right hand—where the system mark glowed faintly under his skin.
"Answer me," the stranger said.
Aiden tightened his jaw. "Wh—why do you care?"
The man leaned forward.
"Because," he said, voice like cold iron,
"students don't just awaken a Forbidden Interface by accident."
Aiden's blood ran cold.
"F… Forbidden?"
The stranger's armor faintly vibrated—as if stabilizing some internal pressure.
"You shouldn't exist," he said quietly.
"Not with that system."
Aiden stepped back.
"What does that mean?"
But before the stranger answered—
The entire cavern ceiling shook.
Violently.
Dust rained.
Cracks split the stone.
A deep grinding sound echoed from above—like the academy itself was folding inward.
Aiden looked up.
A massive new warning erupted:
---
System Interference Detected
A higher authority is searching for your location.
Hiding protocols failing.
---
Aiden's stomach dropped.
Higher authority?
System interference?
Searching for him?
"What's happening!?" Aiden shouted.
The stranger's eyes sharpened.
"They found you."
"Who!?"
The stranger didn't hesitate.
"The ones who created that system."
Aiden's throat closed.
"I—I don't even know what this system is! Why would they—"
He didn't finish.
The cavern ceiling collapsed.
Aiden screamed and covered his head as massive chunks of stone thundered down.
Then—
Something impossible floated into view through the falling debris.
A glass-like cube, humming with white-blue energy, descending like a god's spotlight.
Its presence crushed the air.
A new message swallowed Aiden's entire vision—
---
[SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR ARRIVING]
Tier: Unknown
Intent: Correction Protocol
Target: You
---
The stranger grabbed Aiden's shoulder and shoved him aside.
"Kid. Listen carefully."
Aiden looked up, terrified.
The armored man's voice hardened.
"If that thing reaches you—your story ends here."
Aiden's blood chilled.
"Run," the man growled.
"NOW."
The cube flared bright—