Chapter 4-: The Whispering Fear

The rain had stopped hours ago, but the stench of copper still clung to the narrow alley like a stubborn ghost. Blood dripped from Kael’s fingers, warm and slick, painting a trail behind him as he walked. The last man’s screams still rang in his ears, but Kael no longer flinched. Not anymore.

[Level Up!]

→ Level 7

[Predator’s Growth] activated.

The screen flickered across his vision, but the familiar rush of power no longer thrilled him the way it did when this began. The adrenaline was there, but it was quieter now—colder. He had learned to control it, to ride the wave instead of letting it consume him.

Seven days. Seven levels.

In that short time, he had carved his name into the shadows of the city—though not a single person dared to speak it aloud. The few who knew what had happened to the loan sharks, the slavers, the underground pit bosses… they whispered only of a “thing” that hunted evil like a beast that had tasted blood.

Kael flexed his fingers, watching the faint red mist evaporate from his skin. His kills were faster now—cleaner. The system rewarded him more for precision, and the Predator’s Growth skill thrived on consistency. But the other part of the skill… the penalty… still gnawed at the back of his mind.

Twenty-four hours. That’s all I get. If I don’t kill, I die.

The weight of it should have crushed him, but instead, it sharpened him. Every day was a hunt, every night a purge.

---

Kael’s boots crunched on broken glass as he stepped into the abandoned subway tunnels beneath the city. This was where his next target hid—a corrupt former city guard named Torven, now running a trafficking ring for the Black Fangs syndicate.

He could already hear the faint echo of voices down the tunnel, the clinking of chains, the desperate whimpers of prisoners. His jaw tightened.

[Tracking Mode: Active]

→ [Target Located: 78 meters ahead]

The system’s red arrow burned in the corner of his vision. Kael moved silently, the wet stone walls dripping with condensation. Each step was measured, every breath controlled.

No mercy. No hesitation.

---

When he reached the chamber, Torven’s men were laughing—loud, ugly laughs that bounced off the tunnel walls. Torven himself sat on a makeshift throne of crates, a fat cigar between his teeth, surrounded by frightened captives.

Kael stepped into the dim light.

“Who the hell are you?” Torven barked, squinting.

Kael didn’t answer. He let the silence stretch, let the unease crawl up their spines. Then, in a voice as cold as the tunnels, he said:

“I’m here for you.”

---

The fight lasted less than a minute.

Knives flashed, guns barked, but Kael moved through them like a shadow wearing flesh. His blows were precise, bones snapping under his grip. A single kick caved in a man’s chest; a slash of his blade took another’s throat. The system chimed in his head with every kill:

[EXP Gained]

[EXP Gained]

[Level Up!] → Level 8

Torven tried to flee, stumbling over the bodies of his men, but Kael caught him by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

“You… you don’t have to—” Torven started, but Kael didn’t let him finish. His blade drove into the man’s gut, then upward into his heart.

No words. No speeches. Just silence.

---

The captives stared at him, unsure if he was savior or monster. Kael cut their chains without a word and turned away.

One of the women whispered, “What are you?”

Kael paused in the tunnel’s mouth. Without looking back, he said, “Someone you’ll never have to fear.”

---

That night, the city’s underworld trembled. The Black Fangs had lost three of their main enforcers in a week. The surviving criminals began to whisper of a hunter who killed only the wicked, a shadow with no mercy.

And yet… Kael wasn’t doing this for justice. Not anymore. The kills were his lifeline, the only thing keeping the HP drain from tearing him apart.

But somewhere deep inside, a seed had been planted—a plan that stretched beyond mere survival. If the system wanted him to hunt, he would hunt. But he would choose the prey.

---

[New Quest: Cull the Black Fangs]

Objective: Eliminate the syndicate leadership (0/5)

Reward: [Skill Evolution Token] + Massive EXP

Failure: HP drain x3 for 72 hours.

Kael smirked. Finally, something resembling a challenge.

---

Two Weeks Later

The name Boogeyman stuck, though Kael never claimed it. Criminals whispered it in trembling voices, gangs abandoned territories overnight, and the police… well, the police quietly decided to look the other way.

But Kael was evolving. The system’s interface felt almost alive now, adapting to his strategies. His senses were sharper, his speed unnatural. At Level 14, he could feel power humming under his skin like a second heartbeat.

One night, perched on a rooftop above the rain-slick streets, he saw his next target—a man in a white suit, flanked by six guards, stepping out of a black luxury car. This was Korrin Vance, one of the five Black Fang leaders.

The hunt was on.

[Assassination Mode: Active]

[Predator’s Growth Multiplier: +150% EXP for high-value kills]

Kael’s eyes narrowed. The wind carried the scent of cigar smoke and cologne. The city around them buzzed with life, but in his mind, the world had narrowed to a single point: Korrin’s heartbeat.

Tonight, another head would roll.

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