After a few more carefully chosen words, Kato made a declaration that rippled through the crowd. "Though Kenji defended Mari, he is not part of the special task force I appointed to guide us. I have also tried appointing him, but he declined. Given the unforeseen incidents due to his decision-making and inability to hold back, I suggest he drop all his equipment and hand it over to those more capable."
"What, Kato never said this to me?"
"Kato, you fool," Ryu thought
. Amaya was close to Ryu; she could sense his mood shift.
"The Ryu I know his always composed and calm, what's with this shift?" she thought.
His eyes swept across the room before landing back on Kenji, the weight of his words sinking in. The students exchanged glances, some whispering among themselves, while Kenji felt the implications of Kato's statement press against him like a heavyweight. Kato's authority was undeniable, but Kenji sensed an underlying agenda that troubled him. As the murmurs intensified, he braced for what lay ahead, knowing this was only the beginning of a complicated game.
"So this is what you were getting at," Kenji thought, locking eyes with Kato as the tension in the room thickened. The atmosphere crackled with unspoken words, and Nabi was a picture of despair amidst the chaos.
Nabi was kneeling on the cold floor; his body trembled as panic surged. His eyes were bloodshot, turning an unsettling shade of red, with veins visible beneath the surface, as if his anguish was physically manifesting. Sweat trickled down his forehead, mingling with the salt of his tears.
"I could have been successful," he muttered, the words barely escaping his lips. The desperation in his voice was palpable, a raw edge that betrayed his fragile state of mind. He clutched at his bandaged hands, knuckles whitening with the strain.
"It was a great plan!" he shouted, his voice rising with each syllable, fueled by stress that transformed into an uncontrollable rage.
Everyone heard Nabi and where in shock, great plan, he said, not even admitting he was wrong, and begging for mercy.
"It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault!" The repetition of the phrase became a mantra, a desperate attempt to deflect his failure onto Kenji.
As he cried out, the room fell silent, all eyes drawn to him. The intensity of his emotions reverberated through the hall, and Kenji's face was emotionless, but soon a smile curved up on his face. Nabi's spiralling despair contrasted sharply with the calm determination of the others, amplifying the moment's weight.
They all looked at Nabi with disgust, and the more they stared, the more his anger intensified. Despite having his hands tied behind his back, he found the strength to stand, a wild determination in his eyes. Clenching an arrow embedded with a green substance between his teeth, he charged straight at Kenji, shocking everyone in the room.
Despite arrow arrowhead on his mouth, he tried talking as he charged towards Kenji.
"It's all your fault."
"What the hell?" someone gasped
While another said, "Is he out of his mind?"
students scattered around, all avoiding the charging Nabi
A member of the task force, responding to Kato's command, rushed to intercept Nabi. But with surprising agility, Nabi dodged and scraped the arrow across the task force member's arm. The injury wasn't serious, but it sent a ripple of alarm through the crowd.
Suddenly, the system's voice rang out:
["You have been poisoned."] The revelation hit like a thunderclap, and the task force members collapsed, the effects of the poison spreading quickly.
Undeterred by the chaos around him, Nabi continued to rush toward Kenji, his focus sharp and unwavering. All that mattered to him now was revenge.
Kenji stood right before Nabi, who felt that revenge was finally within his grasp. Even as thoughts of his impending fate loomed, possibly at the hands of the goblins above, Nabi was determined to take Kenji down first. With adrenaline coursing through him, he took a step forward, his heart pounding.
But as he moved, a shocking realization struck him: he could see Kenji's back more clearly now. The blade in Kenji's hand glistened ominously, coated in fresh blood as if he had just been in a fierce battle. Nabi's thoughts raced, confusion washing over him as he registered the cold glance Kenji shot his way, looking up to him, he was so high above.
"What…?" Nabi stammered, his mind struggling to comprehend the situation.
"Why is my head so high above…?"
As the world around him began to blur, he felt a chilling sense of disorientation.
"Why is my body there…?"
Those were the last thoughts that crossed his mind as darkness enveloped him, leaving behind the stark reality of his actions and their consequences.
"Oh my God," the students screamed out loud as Nabi bounced on the floor multiple times before rolling towards a female student, unable to believe their eyes. They all stepped back, their hearts racing as they stared at the lifeless body on the floor. Fresh blood poured out, and the smell of blood quickly spread around the dining hall; they were reminded that the world they once knew had changed forever. Eyes darted toward Kenji, each gaze filled with disbelief and fear. Yet Kenji stood tall, an unsettling calmness surrounding him as if the weight of his actions didn't affect him at all. The tension in the room grew thicker, starkly contrasting the chaos around them.
["mission."]
One # Survive
the main scenario: survive for five days.
Difficulty level: F
reward: 100 mana stone
upon failing death.
Progress: completed.
[Congratulations, you have been rewarded 100 mana stone]. All students in the bunker, including Kenji, received this alert.
No student paid attention to the pop-up system message; their eyes were fixated on Nabi's lifeless body. Fear gripped the room, causing most to recoil, while a few women sank to the floor, overwhelmed.
Kenji's expression remained cold and unreadable as he stared at the notification. The shock of Nabi's lifeless body barely registered with him; his thoughts were already racing ahead to the implications of the mana stones.
"The mission is complete, I got a reward of a hundred manastone, so what now?" Kenji thought as he stared deeply at the system, not caring about the blood flooring towards and staining a shoe
["initiating scenario"]
[new mission]
Two # take a life
Main scenario: take the life of any creature.
difficulty level: F
reward: 200 mana stone
upon failing: death
time: 3days
"New mission." The message blinked in Kenji's vision. "This should be easy to kill two people in here to complete the mission?"
He let the thought sit there, cold and casual. "They'd be less trouble than hunting goblins outside," he considered, glancing at the students clustered around him, eyes wide with terror.
When his gaze flicked to Kaga, he dispelled the thought of killing any student.
But if anyone attacked him first, he wouldn't hesitate to kill. The line between survival and murder blurred under the mission's light.
"Shit," Ryu muttered, panic quickening his steps as he rushed toward Kato, trying to wrest control back from the spiraling fear.
"If this escalates, the room will become a bloodbath," he thought. "This new mission"
"It said 'take a life,'" Kato finished grimly, eyes on Kenji's unreadable face. "It didn't say whether that life had to be a monster."
Kenji looked at the scared student, with his expressionless face, like he did nothing wrong.
"Is he really human?" a male student said as he took several steps away from Kenji. Only Kage was close to Kenji, but still in five steps from reach
"he was going to die either way," he said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion."
Some students exchanged glances, confusion mingling with fear. Kenji's gaze hardened, and he closed the system screen. Kenji closed the distance to Kato with deliberate strides, his presence imposing. Kato barely noticed, lost in his thoughts.
"Am I scared?" he wondered, realising he was standing before a person capable of such brutality and seemingly untouched by guilt.
"Why aren't you doing something about him?" Kenji's voice cut through the tension as he gestured toward the poisoned student struggling on the floor. Kato remained silent, frozen by fear and helplessness.
Kenji's gaze shifted to the dying student. He reached into his inventory and pulled out a small bag filled with antidotes, loot from the goblins he had slain. He tossed it to a student who was closer to the poison student. He caught the bag awkwardly.
"The antidote is right there inside. Use it!" Kenji said.
Kato's eyes widened as he watched the student open the bag and feed the poison student the antidote.