The spear was only inches away from Rosa’s head when a massive hammer smashed into it from the side.
The impact echoed through the corridor as Lothe’s attack was violently knocked off course.
"You couldn’t even finish off a little boy, Rosa. And you wanted to impress the boss?" A hoarse voice drifted from an open doorway.
Moments later, an average-built, bald man stepped out, a heavy steel hammer resting casually on his shoulder.
Lothe recalled his spear with a thought, the weapon shooting back into his grasp.
Judging from the man’s uniform, he recognized him as one of the academy’s security guards, most likely the one responsible for the main gates before the apocalypse.
"Well, don’t I have you now, Gloth," Rosa said with a relieved smile.
The two stood side by side, staring at Lothe. Gloth wore a creepy grin, while Rosa silently assessed the young man whose strength had far exceeded her expectations.
"Don’t get too cocky, boy," Gloth sneered. "You just got lucky."
"Now... taste this!" He swung his hammer with terrifying force.
Lothe immediately sidestepped. Heavy Qi wrapped around the weapon as it slammed into the spot where he had been standing only a moment earlier, shattering the tiles beneath it.
Despite his enormous strength, he’s surprisingly agile...
The thought flashed through Lothe’s mind as he ducked beneath another swing.
The hammer smashed into the wall above him, sending chunks of concrete and dust flying throughout the corridor.
He rolled away, avoiding the collapsing debris. Instead of retreating toward the white walls, he moved into the narrow path of safety revealed by his active Weak Point Analysis.
Without wasting a second, he thrust his spear toward Gloth while narrowly avoiding another crushing blow.
I need to take him down first... Then I have to find Seana.
Qi surged through his legs. Combined with his thirty-three points in Agility, Lothe became incredibly swift, darting across the corridor like a monkey swinging through branches.
At the same time, Qi flooded into his spear. His aura instantly rose as the black spear shot forward with frightening speed.
Rosa’s eyes widened once again. Her ability still had no effect on this student, yet before she could react, the spear was already racing toward her throat.
Gloth roared and leaped in front of her.
"I’ll kill you, boy!"
His patience had long since run out after repeatedly failing to land a single hit.
"Perfect..."
Lothe’s lips curled into a faint smile.
With nothing more than a thought, the spear abruptly changed direction in midair.
Instead of targeting Rosa, it stabbed directly toward a glaring crimson line that only Lothe could see running across Gloth’s hammer.
At the same time, Lothe flashed forward.
He grabbed Rosa by the collar and slammed her violently into the wall before hurling her straight into Gloth.
Bang!
The two crashed together with tremendous force, cracking the concrete behind them.
Clang!
The sharp sound of metal echoed throughout the corridor.
Both Rosa and Gloth instinctively looked upward.
Gloth’s eyes nearly burst from their sockets.
His hammer... had exploded.
Countless metal fragments floated silently in the air before Lothe, suspended as though frozen by an invisible force.
Lothe calmly extended his hand.
His spear flew back into his palm.
The cold look in his eyes never changed.
For a brief moment, neither Rosa nor Gloth felt like they were facing a student anymore.
They were staring at a demon.
Rosa’s breathing became erratic. Fear swallowed her whole as she unconsciously shut her eyes, her heart pounding violently against her chest.
As Lothe slowly walked toward them, each calm step made her body tremble even harder.
"W-Wait..."
"P-Please wait!"
She desperately stretched out her hands.
"It’s... it’s the boss! We’re only following his orders! Please, Student... we never wanted this. He forced us!"
"I... I can take you to where your friend is. Please... just spare us."
Lothe remained silent for several seconds before speaking.
"What does your boss intend to do with her?"
His voice was calm. Cold.
One hand remained casually inside his pocket.
"It... it wasn’t our decision..." Rosa stammered through her tears.
"I don’t like repeating myself." His tone became even colder.
"And who are you to order us around?"
Gloth suddenly shouted.
His face twisted with resentment.
Before the apocalypse, he had been nothing more than an ignored security guard.
Students walked past him every day without so much as a greeting, especially those from wealthy families who acted as though he didn’t even exist.
Then the world ended.
He awakened superpowers.
For the first time in his miserable life, people feared him.
Together with his boss, he began kidnapping helpless female survivors, abusing them in every way imaginable to satisfy the hatred he had carried for years.
When Lothe and Seana entered the building, Gloth had immediately viewed them as another pair of prey.
Especially Seana.
Her beauty had ignited every filthy desire in his heart.
Unfortunately for him, his boss had demanded her first.
"Who am I?" Lothe slowly repeated.
"I’ve been wanting to try this for a while."
He calmly raised one hand.
"W-What are you doing?"
For the first time since gaining his powers, genuine panic filled Gloth’s voice.
Lothe gave no answer.
Splat!
A fountain of blood sprayed across Gloth’s face.
Rosa screamed.
Her right hand had vanished completely.
Blood poured from the cleanly severed stump as she collapsed onto the floor, clutching the wound while crying in unbearable agony.
"Your death..." Lothe’s emotionless voice echoed through the corridor.
"If you refuse to tell me where she is." He looked at Rosa without the slightest hint of sympathy.
"Actually... You don’t even have to."
"Just point me in the right direction."
"I’ll find out everything myself."
With a gentle wave of his hand, the space around him rippled.
Invisible circular blades silently condensed out of thin air.
[You have self-learned a technique from your Core Superpower.]
[Space Blades — Level 1, Tier 3]
[You have gained 50 EXP]
[Space Blades]
Description: Condenses compressed layers of space into razor-sharp invisible blades capable of slicing through physical matter. The blades can be freely controlled within the user’s perception range. Their sharpness and durability increase with the user’s mastery and Tier.
Without hesitation, Lothe flicked his fingers.
Dozens of invisible blades shot forward.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Gloth’s body jerked violently as the blades pierced through his chest, shoulders, abdomen, and limbs before pinning him against the wall.
Blood spilled endlessly from his mouth.
His eyes slowly lost their light.
He died before another scream could escape.
[You have killed a Level 2, Tier 2 Evolver.]
[You have gained 20 EXP.]
"M-Murderer..."
Rosa stared blankly at the corpse hanging from the wall.
"You... you killed him..." Her entire body shook uncontrollably.
"We were only following orders..."
"And I’m following mine." Lothe’s eyes remained devoid of emotion.
"Orders from my heart." He stopped directly before her.
"Now..."
"Where is she?"
"There..."
Rosa pointed with her remaining hand while choking on her tears.
"J-Just before the next door... there’s a hidden compartment..."
"P-Press the—"
She never finished.
A thin invisible blade swept across her neck.
Her head slid cleanly from her shoulders.
Thud.
[You have killed a Level 2, Tier 2 Evolver.]
[You have gained 20 EXP.]
Silence returned to the corridor.
Lothe stood there without a single change in expression.
Looking around at the ruined hallway stained with blood and scattered stones, he slowly turned toward the direction Rosa had pointed.
Some would call him cold-blooded.
He didn’t care.
People like Gloth and Rosa had long abandoned their humanity. Who knew how many innocent victims had suffered at their hands?
This wasn’t murder.
It was justice.
As he walked forward, another realization settled quietly inside his heart.
Ever since Seana had disappeared from his side, the fear and anger consuming him had revealed something he could no longer deny.
For the first time...
Lothe truly understood what Seana meant to him.