In the Lower Districts of the City
Bounty hunters and mercenaries spread through the streets like wolves that had caught the scent of blood.
Everyone was searching for a single name: Glober.
At first, everything was coordinated.
Then someone made a suggestion.
— "The team that captures him first takes the five million."
The words came through an encrypted channel, spoken confidently by the American Jack Reynolds.
The Russian Sergei Volkov laughed mockingly.
— "Five million for a kid? I'll call it a paid vacation."
The Chinese operative Liang Wei cut in with cold calm.
— "Don't underestimate the target… if he really is a child, then the mission will be easy."
No one objected.
Everyone agreed.
And everyone shared the same belief:
Just a small child… no matter how smart he might be.
Suddenly, the chatter stopped.
A sharp voice broke into the public channel.
— "Chinese team reporting. Our drone has located the target."
Everyone straightened.
Liang Wei continued:
— "The target is moving on foot. Two streets away from our position. No security. No companions."
Smiles appeared on more than a few faces.
But—
Not everyone was listening in silence.
Inside a nearby abandoned building, a Russian unit picked up the transmission by chance.
Sergei glanced at his screen, then smiled slowly.
— "Did you hear that?"
— "Yes, commander."
— "Then… let's move."
The Russian group mobilized immediately, without any coordination.
Seconds later, American and European trackers noticed unexplained movement on their displays.
The French operative Claire Moreau frowned.
— "Strange… the Russians changed their route."
Jack replied calmly:
— "Then they've found the target."
He smiled.
— "Follow them."
And just like that—
The hunt turned into a race.
Across the street, Glober walked calmly, a sports bag slung over his shoulder, his expression unnaturally composed.
He stopped.
Looked at the reflection in a darkened glass storefront…
Then at a shadow moving faster than it should.
He smiled.
In a low voice, as if speaking to himself, he said:
— "So… this is your decision."
The next instant—
The street exploded into motion.
Glober lunged forward, suddenly accelerating—not the run of a child, but something far faster than normal.
He vaulted over a barrier, cut through narrow alleys, his speed increasing in a way that defied logic.
Liang Wei shouted into the channel:
— "The target is running! We've been detected!"
One of the Russians growled as he tightened his grip on his weapon:
— "That's not a child's run!"
Sergei barked orders:
— "Don't fire! The target must be captured alive! Pursue him!"
Footsteps thundered, comms crackled, drones buzzed overhead.
Jack panted into his mic:
— "Damn it… his speed isn't normal."
Claire replied sharply:
— "I told you… this child isn't ordinary."
As for Glober—
He was running with a smile.
Glober reached a towering concrete building still under construction.
Bare pillars. Open floors. Steel rebar jutting out like exposed bones.
Without hesitation, he rushed inside
and began climbing the concrete stairwell at a steady pace, heading toward the upper floors.
Only seconds later, the hunters stormed the building from every direction.
Liang Wei stared upward into the empty space.
— "This place is perfect for an ambush."
A brief silence followed.
Jack Reynolds drew his pistol.
— "I agree… but we don't have a choice."
Sergei Volkov nodded.
— "We move up… carefully."
One by one, they climbed the stairs, weapons raised, breaths held.
On the upper floor—
Silence.
No movement.
No sound.
Claire Moreau whispered:
— "Maybe he went to the roof."
They moved toward the stairwell leading upward—
Suddenly—
The sound of running footsteps nearby… fast… close.
— "There!"
Gunfire erupted toward the sound.
Bullets slammed into concrete, sparks flying—but no body fell.
Sergei shouted:
— "The target is on this floor!"
Jack barked orders:
— "Seal the exits! Block the lower levels and the roof!"
The Americans moved instantly, spreading out to encircle the area.
The next moment—
Random gunfire burst from a dark corner.
— "Take cover!"
Everyone dove behind concrete pillars.
The gunfire stopped…
Then silence returned.
Liang Wei muttered:
— "He's toying with us."
Claire replied quietly:
— "His behavior isn't that of a normal child."
Each team began planning in silence—hand signals, short whispers.
Suddenly—
One of the Russian mercenaries stood up.
Strangely.
His body twitched.
His eyes were unfocused.
Then—
He began firing wildly into the air, screaming incoherently.
— "What the hell is that idiot doing?!"
Jack shouted.
One of the Europeans said nervously:
— "Did he snap? Or is this some kind of internal conflict?"
Liang Wei murmured with concern:
— "The timing makes no sense… they haven't captured the target yet."
Before he could finish—
Every Russian mercenary began behaving the same way.
Hysterical laughter.
Screams.
Gunfire with no aim.
Chaos erupted.
The cause was… almost invisible.
The Virax insects created by Glober had bitten them, injecting a hallucinogenic dose far stronger than before.
These hallucinations would never fade.
They would last a lifetime.
The Russians began firing dangerously close to the other teams.
— "They're going to hit us!"
The Americans and Europeans were forced to shoot only at their legs, dropping and disabling them without killing.
The Russians fell one by one…
Yet their eyes continued to stare at things that did not exist.
At that moment, Liang Wei noticed something moving toward him.
A small insect…
Unfamiliar…
Its movement unnatural.
With a precise sideways strike of his palm, he knocked it to the ground.
He stared at it in disbelief.
— "This… isn't a normal insect."
He crouched slightly, then spoke quickly over the channel:
— "I think these creatures are the cause… their bites may induce powerful hallucinations."
The information spread instantly.
Expressions changed.
Caution increased.
Eyes began watching the very air itself.
And somewhere within the shadows…
Glober whispered to himself:
— "It seems they're more alert than I expected."