Clack. Clack.
The sharp sound of hurried footsteps echoed against the hard floor, growing louder with every step.
Bang.
The door burst open.
A man in a black suit stormed inside, his expression stiff and serious as his sharp eyes locked onto the man seated calmly before him.
The man in the chair slowly raised his head, looking at him as if nothing in this world interested him anymore.
The man at the door studied his face and released a frustrated sigh.
"Andy."
"I told you this mission is important and dangerous. Why did you send that little runt without discussing it first? You know the consequences if the Boss finds out."
The man sitting casually—Andy—tilted his head slightly, a cruel smile forming on his lips.
"John. Haha. Long time no see. How have you been?"
John's expression hardened further.
"Keep your pointless greetings to yourself. Answer me. Why did you send him?"
Andy's smile never faded.
"Oh, easy there, my friend. Ah, that brat? Yes, I sent him."
A slight pause…
"I know he can handle it. For him, it's a walk in the park. How long do you plan to keep his missions easy? If he wants to improve, he needs to face life-and-death situations. Don't you agree?"
John didn't reply immediately.
Deep down, he knew Andy wasn't wrong. The boy could complete the mission. His worry wasn't concern or fondness.
It was fear.
Andy hadn't informed the higher-ups.
And they were watching that boy far too closely.
Why… the reason was unknown.
Turning away, John spoke coldly before leaving.
"Pray the boy comes back in one piece. If not, be ready to lick the floor—without your head attached to your body."
With those final words, John left.
Andy closed his eyes, his smile widening.
"Entertain me, boy."
Somewhere else.
Under the silent night, wrapped in thick darkness, unaware of the conversation between two madmen, a boy sat on the ground, staring at a massive building.
His blue eyes were cold and calculating.
Too calm.
Far too calm for what he was about to do.
His thoughts raced—not from fear, not from caution—
But for purpose.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a device, tapping the screen.
MISSION:
Kill the man named Kevin. Silently.
That's it.
After scanning the screen, he put the device away.
Standing up slowly, he observed his surroundings.
The building was surrounded by thick forest. No other structures were in sight.
A secret hideout… or a temporary meeting place for wealthy people.
"I lean toward the second."
"No hideout would look this welcoming."
Then came the next question.
Who is Kevin?
There was no picture attached—only a name.
"That man removed it on purpose."
Within minutes, the boy analyzed every possibility and made his decision.
His foot touched the ground without a sound, as light as a feather brushing the air.
He closed the distance swiftly and stopped behind a nearby tree, using it as cover.
Two guards stood at the gate, scanning the area.
Alert. Not careless.
The boy glanced around, then fixed his gaze on a specific spot.
Without hesitation, he picked up a stone and threw it in the opposite direction—never once taking his eyes off his target.
Shluk. Thud.
The guards turned toward the sound.
One nodded and moved to investigate. The other stayed behind, gripping his weapon tightly.
Meanwhile, the boy slipped behind the creature he had been watching.
A snake.
He grabbed its head instantly.
The snake twisted violently, but his grip was iron-strong. It couldn't move.
At the same time, the guard reached the source of the noise and scanned the area.
"Hmm… I thought I heard something. Must've been an animal."
As he turned back—
Something struck his neck.
Startled, he spun around.
A poisonous snake lunged.
Shock froze him for a split second—long enough.
The snake bit.
"AARRRGHH!"
The guard screamed and threw it away.
The shout alerted the second guard, who rushed toward him.
Using the chaos, the boy slipped through the gate and closed it silently.
The arriving guard found his partner on the ground, clutching his neck.
"What happened?"
"A… a snake. It caught me off guard."
The guard sighed in relief, pulled out an injector, and injected him.
"That's common here. The antidote will work in a few minutes. Rest—I'll guard the gate."
The man nodded.
Inside the building, the boy hid in the shadows, listening.
"Marco, this plan is brilliant. We'll be rich!"
"Haha! Of course. I'm smart."
As expected.
A friendly gathering. Light security, but alert guards.
Important people.
Three men.
One was Marco. But who was Kevin?
The conversation ended, and the men headed to their rooms.
The boy followed one of them.
The man entered his room smiling.
"Ha! Marco's ideas are always—"
His words froze.
A cold blade pressed against his throat.
Before he could scream, a calm voice whispered—
"Move even one muscle, and you die."
Emotionless. Absolute.
The man's heart sank.
The boy spoke again.
"I was ordered to kill a man named Marco. Is that you?"
The man's thoughts spiraled—fear, anger, then relief.
In the face of death, everyone chooses themselves.
"I—I'm not him."
The boy studied his face.
"And how do you expect me to believe that?"
The man trembled violently. Desperate, he pulled out an ID card.
"S-see… I'm not Marco."
"My name is Kevin."
The knife flashed.
His eyes filled with confusion as life left them.
"Hm. So I was right."
After confirming, the boy checked his device and tapped DONE.
Mission completed.
He vanished into the night—unnoticed.
As he moved through the forest, his device began to vibrate.
SPECIAL MISSION:
Enroll in Aurelian High School.
As a normal student.
Await further instructions.
He stared at the screen.
"…A special mission."
"Straight from the higher-ups."