“Huh?”
The lead student raises his fist creating a three-pronged weapon.
The prongs begins to spin drawing the ambient light out of the corridor and condensing it into a blinding lime- green sphere at the tip.
Min-sun turns and closes her eyes ,her knuckles whitening as she grips the cold wall behind her.
She had survived the grueling task of the day, only to be cornered on the like a rat by her own kind.
“Wh…”
Suddenly a sharp, crackling sound shatters the silence.
It didn’t come from the candidates.
It came from directly behind them.
Min-sun’s eyes flashes open.
A blinding flash of dark , blue light illuminates tge entire passage, casting long, distorted shadows against the ceiling.
It isn’t a standard energy blast; it looks like liquid electricity, a storm of shining dark blue curls that sparks wildly in the air,sizzling as they struck the stome floor.
Before the students could even register the sound, a figure drips from the ceiling
He didn’t just land; he materialized out of the shadows like a ghost given physical form.
He performs a flawless, mid-air flip, his body cutting through the sparks without a single scratch.
He strikes the ground in a low crouch between the students and Min-sun.
He straightens up, tge ambient light seems to bend around him, swallowed by a faint, shimmering aura that radiates a terrifying warmth , his eyes glows with a a fierce burning light that pierces straight through the darkness of the corridor.
The sheer pressure of his presence hit the room like a physical shockwave.
The lead student’s spinning weapon sputtered and went completely dark.
For a fraction of a second , the three attackers froze, their imposing statures suddenly seeming incredibly small.
Then the pressure doubles.
With a synchronous , heavy thud, all three students drop to their kneels.
Tge stone cracks beneath them.
They press their hand against the ground, their bodies trembling under an invisible weight that males it impossible for them to even move their heads.
They weren’t just subdued; they were completely paralyzed by fear, reduced to pleading, breathless shadows of their former selves.
Min-sun’s savior stands casually in front of them.
He looked about seventeen, with sharp, expressive features and messy dark hair.
That falls over his forehead.
He is Japanese, with a calm, fearless demeanor that feels entirely mismatched with absolute devastation he had wrought.
He didn’t look back at Min-sun immediately.
Instead he stares down at the kneeling men, his lips curling into a slight amusing smile.
He raises his hand casually waving at them as if greeting old friends in the market.
“You guys really don’t know how to throw a party , do you?”his voice calms and conversational.
The students could only muffle, strained grunts in response.
The boy reaches in to a small leather pouch at his waist and pulls out two small,translucent capsules.
They glow with a faint, internal blue light .
Without a hint of hesitation, he tosses one into the air, catches it with a slick flick of his wrist and swallow it whole.
He raises a single finger in the air, tracing a small circle.
A tiny,concentrated spark of blue electricity dances on his fingertips. Get faster updates on g.com.
He tilts his head slightly, his expression remains completely blank.
His eyes locks unto the middle student with a cold , unreadable intensity.
Slow and mechanical, the corners of his mouth pulls upward into a faint , hollow smile that never reaches his eyes.
It is completely devoid of warmth, a chilling mask that radiates a quiet, calculated danger.
“You know,” the boy remarks, his tone detached,”if you stay on your knees much longer, the floor might decide swallow you whole.
And trust me , the basement of this place had things that make me look like a cuddly puppy.”
The sheet terror in his voice poorly masked in a joke, cracks the last remnants of the students’ resolve.
The invisible weight holding them down suddenly vanishes.
Without a word, the three students scrambles, and runs down the corridor as fast as their legs could carry them, their heavy boots echoing frantically in a distance until they were completely gone.
The silence returns, heavy and thick.
The boy’s intense blue aura fades instantly, leaving behind only the dim , standard glow of the corridor’s wall lamps.
He hums a light dreadful tune under his breath, turning around to face Min-sun.
Min-sun is still sitting on the cold floor , her back presses hard against the stone.
Her lips trembles as she stares up at him, her chest heaving.
The sudden shift from sudden death to absolute safety is too much for her brain to process.
Her eyes darts from his face to the empty hallway where the students had been.
Seeing her distress, the boy’s intimidating look softens.
A brief , involuntary lapse in his usual calculation.
Cold, detached eyes momentarily something resembling human warmth.
Not pure empathy, but an instinctual reaction to a variable he couldn’t completely ignore.
He takes a couple steps forward and stretches out his right hand towards offering a hand up.
His palm is calloused, but his gesture is entirely non-threatening.
Min-sun stares at his hand.
Her pride mixed with a deep-seated distrust of anyone in this facility flares up through her fear.
She didn’t take his hand.
Instead , she places her palms on the floor, bites her lower lips , and stubbornly pulls herself up using the wall for support.
“I didn’t ask for your help.”
The boy didn’t seem offended at all.
He takes back his hand and stuffs it into his pocket.
Silently, her stares at her admiring her stubborn look, shaking his head slightly.
“Well, you are welcome anyways.”he says, his eyes crinkling.” I must say , you don’t look as powerful as you did during the entrance test.
Spiritual Assimilation test at red level?
Hmm…that’s a pretty big deal , you know.
That’s exactly why does idiots were after you.”
Min-sun is not amused.
Her brow furrows as she stares at him.” How do you know my test result?
Who even are you?”
“Let’s just say I keep my ears open.”he replies.
“Thank you. ” she says swiftly wanting more to end this bizarre encounter.” If you’ll excuse me.”
She turns around to walk away with whatever dignity she had left.
But tje moment she put on her weight on her leg , a sharp, blinding pain shoots up her thigh.
It feels as though a hot iron is being driven into her bone.
Her teeth locks with a sickening as she suppresses a scream.
She stumbles, her balance completely giving way, but she desperately tries to mask the agony by leaning heavily against the wall, pretending she was just adjusting the stance to walk out the pain.
The boy watches, his expression remains completely blank.
Uh…sorry to say, but you are a terrible actor.”the boy says, his voice devoid of mockery.” A fractured leg isn’t something you can walk out.
”
He tosses the remain capsule into the air, catches it cleanly and holds it out towards her.” Take this.”
Min-sun turns her head quickly, her moves so sudden she almost lost her footing .
She stumbles slightly, her hands scratching against the stone to stay upright.
She stares at tge glowing capsule in his hand.
“I…I don’t want it.”
“I suppose your scars are impressive, but it will be incredibly foolish to go into the first trial hall with a fractured leg. You won’t last five minutes and I’m sure you need the credits.”
“I don’t need your charity.”she says, her voice tight.
Min-sun blinks and suddenly, he appears up close.
Before she could gasp, his hand moves with impossible speed.
Deftly, he shoves the pill into her trouser’s side pocket.
He leans closer, his lips almost touching her ear.” You’ll need it.
Don’t be stupid just to prove a point.
”
He pulls and turns, walking down the hall he folds his arms carelessly behind his head as if taking a stroll through a park.
Min-sun stares at his retreating back completely confused.
“Hey!”She calls out,” You didn’t tell me your name.”
Still walking away without turning around, he points a finger towards the direction she has been heading.
“Arashi Tanaka .”his voice drifts to her.” Enemies call me Reckless.
You’re going the wrong way to your room.
Take the first left ahead.
Don’t walk alone in the halls at this time of night.
Not everyone is as nice as me.”
“Uh….”
He walks whistling till he fades into nothingness.