Jonna Velran's boots echoed furiously through the academy's central corridor.
Her breath was shallow, and her mind raced with suspicion. It had been days since the brutal deaths of her subordinates, and though the academy had launched an investigation, no real leads had surfaced. But in her heart, she knew Kai was behind it.
And now… he had vanished.
"Have you seen Kai anywhere?" she snapped at a passing student.
The boy flinched but replied quickly. "I think I saw him heading towards teacher Cooper's office,m...ma'am."
Jonna's pupils constricted. Her gut twisted into a knot. 'What is he doing there?'
She rushed to the instructor's quarters, each step heavier than the last. As she turned the corner, her heart thudded there he was, walking calmly out of Cooper's office as if nothing had happened.
"Kai!" she called out, forcing steel into her voice.
He turned lazily toward her, not the slightest trace of concern on his face.
"Yes?"
"What were you doing in Cooper's office?"
"Nothing much," he replied casually and walked past her without a second glance.
She stood frozen, watching him go. That boy… he's hiding something.
Kai returned to his dorm, closing the door behind him. The room was dim, lit only by the dying light of the evening sun through the window. As he took a step forward, a sharp tingle shot down his spine. The atmosphere had changed, something was wrong.
He turned on his instincts.
A distorted shadow flickered along the far wall like ink rippling across water. Then, in a blink, the figure leapt from the darkness and materialized before him.
Kai's eyes narrowed. The figure moved with surgical precision, pressing three points on his torso and shoulders in rapid succession. The man's index finger glowed faintly green, it was covered with Life Qi.
Body Locking Technique, Kai recognized it immediately. The intent was to paralyze his movement by locking the body's internal essence flow. It was a technique both magus and cultivator can use.
But the instant the Life Qi entered Kai's body, his Death Qi surged like wildfire, devouring the foreign energy with violent hunger. Within seconds, the technique got destroyed before it even came to use.
But Kai only stood there fully capable of moving but remained still, pretending to be locked, waiting for his enemies to show their hand.
The distorted man nodded in satisfaction and turned. He walked to the door and knocked twice in slow and deliberate succession.
Moments later, the door creaked open again. A familiar voice followed.
"Well, well. You've been busy, haven't you?"
Jonna stepped into the room, her pink hair glimmering in the dusk light. Her lips curled into a cold smile as she sauntered forward, heels clicking.
She looked at the shadowy man. "Leave us. I need a word with him alone."
The man melted back into the shadows, but his presence lingered like a venomous fog.
Jonna stood before Kai, her eyes sharp with accusation. "You're the one who killed them, aren't you?"
Kai smirked faintly. "That's a bold assumption."
Her tone darkened. "You're no Rank 3 Magus."
"I never said I was," he replied calmly.
Jonna's gaze sharpened. "You're clever, I'll give you that. But it won't save you. You've crossed a line, of mocking me. Now, you will die,"
She raised her hand but before she could utter a spell or move a muscle, Kai's arm shifted.
A sudden hiss filled the room as a black serpent shot out from under his sleeve.
Nyx, his spirit familiar, uncoiled mid-air and wrapped herself around Jonna's neck like a noose of living death.
Fangs brushed against her throat. She froze with fear.
Kai's voice dropped to a whisper. "I was just waiting for you to make your move."
Jonna's face drained of color. "H-how… how are you moving?! He is a Rank 3 magus and used body locking technique, Qi of an Rank 3 cultivator is no joke!"
Kai's eyes glinted with malice. "Too bad my body eats these low quality Qi alive."
Nyx hissed again, tightening slightly on Jonna neck.
"Call him back," Kai said. "Or she bites."
Nyx hissed as if threatning her.
Jonna clenched her jaw. A second passed. Then another. She finally relented.
"Darol," she said, voice trembling. "Get back in here."
The distorted presence reformed at the door no longer shrouded. He stepped into the light, revealing a bald man with a deep scar that ran from his left brow to his cheek. His arms were lined with faint tattoos, his aura quiet but deadly. He had a short sword in his right hand.
"Now what?" Jonna said, voice cracking.
Kai took a slow breath. "Now, he drops his weapons."
Darol stared at Jonna, then at Kai, then at Nyx on Jonna's shoulder ready to bite her neck. Her fangs glistened. He complied, but soon he put down his sword.
First kneeling slightly to unsheath two daggers, letting them clatter to the floor.
"Good," Kai said, exhaling.
His lips curled into a grin.
Jonna's stomach churned. Something about that smile was off. It was too calm, too pleased. He's not just stalling. He's enjoying this.
Kai walked towards Darol.
"You know," he said, "I've been studying the acupoint restriction too."
Before Darol could react, Kai's fingers blurred, pressing three precise points on the man's arms and chest. A pulse of Death Qi followed each strike.
Darol jerked, then froze completely locked in place, just like Kai had been moments ago.
Jonna gasped.
Kai turned his gaze back to her. "You came to kill me with an assassin with lame trick. But you forgot one thing to take in account."
He stepped closer to her, Nyx hissing louder.
"I can make preparations also." Kai said pointing at Nyx.
"So what, you can't do shit. If you kill me here my dad will hire a prophet and locate you to hunt you down to the end of this world." Jonna said while she snorted slightly. But fear was all over her face.
"Oh yeah! What if I kill that Darol of yours." Kai said pointing at the shadow assassin.
She was stunned a bit but...
"Darol now." Jonna said.
Kai turned around and stared at Darol. But he only twitched slightly but nothing happened.
"Darol what are you doing he is only Rank-1 magus remove his Qi from your body." Jonna said while panicking.
"I…I can't." Darol said with straight face.
"What do you mean you can't, you good for nothing shitbag. You are a fucking Rank 3 magus." Jonna face started to twist. Her face was filled with anger and fear.
"His Qi is too powerful. My Qi is being destryoed when it gets near it. I need at least five minutes to remove it from my body." Darol said his face was stiffened but fear can be felt in his voice.
"He he he" then they both heard a laugh, a very menacing laugh.
"Now what." Kai said smiling. His smile gave both of them chills down their spine.
"P-Please spare me." Darol said.
"No." Kai said he picked up a dagger that Darol have left on the ground and placed it in his neck.
"What will you do now my lady." Kai turned around and asked Jonna.
"You won't dare to hur…" before she could say anything.
SWISH
She heared a sound of meat cutting.
Blood splattered all over the dorm room. Jonna was now covered in blood. She saw Darol head falling on the ground.
Although it was a gruesome scene it did not scare her as the face of the man who killed Darol.
He was smilling at the falling head. As an predator seeing its prey.
Thud
THUD
Head and body fall respectively. Kai kneeled and absorbed the death essence released from Darol. His cultivation has reached Inept Rank 1 very close to raching peak Rank 1.
He suddenly turned around and stared at Jonna.