This book won't be contracted and will be published in Amazon after the completion of volume 1. Regular release 5/week will be done in webnovel. Advanced chapters (10 chaps) will be in my Patreon. Those who are interested and want to support me can join using the link below.
??"www.patreon.com/Writer_Kyn"??
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Chapter 14 – The Bait
"Ryan, I know what you are worried about," Anya said, her tone steady but firm. "You think you are going to face the monster alone."
Ryan did not answer immediately. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were fixed on the reinforced wall ahead of them, as if staring at it long enough would make the decision disappear.
"But that won't happen," Anya continued. "I will stay near you the entire time. You can believe me when I say this. I am stronger than you think. A single monster from the Holding Wing does not even require me to stretch my arms. I could kill it even while sleeping."
Her words were confident, almost dismissive, as if the danger that had paralyzed Ryan moments ago was nothing more than an inconvenience.
Ryan shook his head slowly. "That doesn't change anything," he said. "I'm not ready."
His voice was quieter than he intended. He was not refusing out of pride. He was refusing because every instinct in his body screamed that stepping forward now would be a mistake.
He had not even mastered his ability. He could not decay biological matter. He could barely control his energy output without exhausting himself. Whatever potential Anya saw in him, it did not translate into survival in his mind.
"Ryan," Anya said, her voice lowering slightly, "you have to face this challenge."
He looked at her then, disbelief flickering across his face.
"You cannot hide from fear forever," she continued. "I know this sounds unreasonable. I know it is not fair. But this world is cruel, and it will not slow down just because you are not ready. No one will care about your feelings when things go wrong."
Her words landed heavily.
Ryan exhaled through his nose. He understood her logic, but understanding did not erase the knot tightening in his chest. Logic did not make fear go away.
She took a step closer.
"Just help me this once," Anya said. "I can guarantee that you will not even receive a scratch."
Ryan frowned. That was the part he could not reconcile. If she was truly that confident, then why him? Why insist on dragging someone unprepared into something this dangerous?
He voiced the question instead of letting it rot in his thoughts.
"Why can't you call someone else who's willing?" Ryan asked. "Wouldn't that make this easier for both of us?"
Anya did not answer right away. She turned slightly, her gaze drifting toward the thick wall behind her, the one hiding dozens of sealed containment units beyond it.
"Normally, yes," she said. "We could have done that."
She looked back at him.
"But we spent forty-five minutes reviewing surveillance footage," Anya continued. "By now, I am certain the monster has noticed something is wrong. If we suddenly call someone back to act as bait, the trap becomes obvious. It would realize there is no clean path to escape and do something reckless."
Her eyes narrowed faintly.
"And that is far more dangerous."
Ryan absorbed her words, but the unease did not leave him. If anything, it deepened.
"There is another reason," Anya added. "If the monster attempts to damage the surrounding structure again, you are the only one here who can sense it immediately. You can catch the traces before it escalates."
Ryan frowned. He was not convinced. Too many assumptions were being made, all stacked on the belief that the monster would behave exactly as Anya predicted. He could not shake the feeling that this plan relied heavily on confidence rather than certainty.
While he hesitated, Anya spoke again.
"Also," she said, "consider this your first mission."
Ryan blinked. "Mission?"
"Yes," Anya replied. "And if you complete it successfully, you will receive a mission reward."
"Reward?" Ryan asked, instinctively suspicious.
Anya nodded. "It is not money. But it is something more valuable. Access. Resources. And a few gadgets you have probably only seen in movies or dramas."
Ryan fell silent.
He hated that it worked, but it did. The idea of rewards, of tangible progress instead of vague promises, struck a sensitive spot. He had lived long enough scraping by to know that opportunities did not come freely.
'Is it worth it?' he thought.
Acting as bait meant exposing himself deliberately. It meant trusting Anya completely. It meant stepping closer to the same kind of horror that had nearly killed him before.
"You can guarantee my safety, right?" Ryan asked. "What if something goes wrong?"
Anya smiled faintly. "There will be no problem."
The certainty in her voice was unsettling, but it was also reassuring in a way Ryan could not fully explain.
After a long pause, he nodded.
"Alright," he said. "I'll do it."
The words felt heavier once spoken.
"Good," Anya said. She reached into her pocket and handed him her identification card. It was the same one she used to access restricted elevators and sealed areas.
"You will go to the entrance alone," she instructed.
Ryan took the card, his fingers tightening around it.
Before he could leave, Anya added, "Remember this. I will not be visible to you, but I will be nearby. Act casually. Do not panic."
Ryan nodded, though his stomach twisted.
With a slow breath, he turned and walked out of the Holding Wing.
The moment he stepped beyond the threshold, something changed.
When he glanced back, Anya was gone.
Not walking away. Not hiding behind cover.
Gone.
The space behind him was empty, as if she had never been there at all.
Ryan swallowed.
He began walking toward the entrance of the underground facility. His steps were measured, controlled, but his heartbeat thundered so loudly that he was certain it could be heard echoing off the walls.
The corridor felt longer than before. Every footstep seemed amplified. Every shadow looked deeper.
Ten steps from the entrance, Ryan stopped.
His heart skipped a beat.