"Who the hell left this door open?"
The officer's irritated voice echoed softly as he stepped into the restricted section, his eyes sweeping the dim corridor.
"Do they want to get skinned alive? The boss hates negligence."
He didn't notice the shadow above him.
Rey clung to the ceiling beam like a spider, his body pressed flat, every muscle screaming as his clothes tightened and lifted him upward.
His heart pounded.
Please don't look up. Please don't—
Aiden moved first.
A door farther inside creaked open on its own.
The officer frowned.
"What now?"
Muttering curses, he turned and walked toward the sound.
The moment his back turned, Rey released his grip.
He dropped silently, rolled once, and slipped through the door the officer had just entered from.
Click.
The door shut behind him.
Only then did Rey breathe.
The space beyond was nothing like the training center.
No polished floors.
No bright lights.
This was a hidden zone.
To one side stood a tall concrete wall bordering the main road, high enough that even most martial warriors would struggle to climb it unnoticed.
On the other side stretched a massive metal gate, scarred by years of heavy use. Thick tire marks dug into the ground told the story clearly.
This place wasn't for people.
It was for disposal.
Rey approached the large dumpsters stacked against the wall. They were tall enough that he had to climb halfway up just to peer inside.
What he saw made his stomach tighten.
Broken wooden weapons.
Cracked dummies.
Splintered training equipment.
Dozens. No, hundreds.
Every piece here represented penalties paid. Money drained. Complaints swallowed.
"So this is where they dump the evidence," Rey muttered.
As he was about to ask Aiden what to do, his vision flickered.
[Host has partially grasped a skill concept.]
[Knowledge insufficient. Data incomplete.]
[Error… Error…]
[Ability
[New Skill Acquired: Stealth (F-)]
Rey froze.
"…What?"
His mind stalled for a second.
"I just— got a skill? Like that?"
Aiden chuckled. "Check it yourself. Dreams don't have status windows."
Rey didn't hesitate.
__
Skill: Stealth (F-) (Active / Passive) {0%}
Description:
A basic concealment technique that reduces presence by blending the user into their surroundings. Lowers visibility, muffles sound, and weakens perception-based detection. Sudden actions may break concealment. | MP: 5MP/Min
__
Rey stared.
"…I didn't even choose a class."
"And yet," Aiden said calmly, "you adapted."
Rey grinned, then quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.
"Okay, okay. Quiet."
He looked back at the dumpsters.
"What now?"
Aiden's tone turned amused. "Those things look useless to you?"
"These broken sticks?"
"With Zero," Aiden replied, "nothing stays broken."
Rey's eyes lit up.
"Oh. Right."
He paused.
Then frowned.
"…Wait. Why am I only thinking of grabbing a few?"
Aiden sighed. "You really are slow sometimes."
Rey coughed.
He opened his inventory.
One by one, the broken dummies and shattered weapons vanished into it.
Dumpster after dumpster.
Every piece.
"Okay," Rey said finally. "Now we leave."
He turned toward the wall.
"Not that way," Aiden stopped him. "If you entered from the front but never exited, they'll notice."
Rey clicked his tongue.
"Then let's test my new toy."
[Stealth Activated]
His outline blurred.
Not invisible.But… lighter. Thinner.
The world seemed to slide past him instead of noticing him.
Rey opened the door cautiously.
No one nearby.
He moved.
People passed by him without slowing. Without reacting. Even when someone brushed past his shoulder, there was no response.
They saw him.
But they didn't register him.
Near the main hall, Rey ducked into a corner, swapped his hoodie, adjusted his appearance, then walked out casually.
At the entrance, he deactivated the skill and exited like any other trainee.
Unnoticed.
Unquestioned.
Behind him, a small camera quietly rotated.
Recording everything.
And somewhere deeper in the building, a monitor lit up.
Rey didn't know it yet.
But tonight, he hadn't just stolen trash.
He had stepped into someone else's territory.
And worse—
Home was waiting.