CHAPTER 155: STALKER (1)

[System Alert]

High-ranked presence detected

Power classification: RED

Estimation: S or above

’Of course it is.’

The man blinked finally. Then smiled. Small. Not cold, not warm. Just... polite.

Lucen didn’t smile back.

Gen walked up next to him, holding a practice sword. "You want me to go talk to him now?"

"No. I want you to pretend we didn’t see anything."

"I’m not great at pretending."

"Then you’ll love getting benched for picking a fight with someone above our pay grade."

"I was gonna be diplomatic."

Lucen looked at him.

Gen sighed. "Okay, fine. Passive-aggressive."

The white-haired man stepped forward once. Not fast. Just enough to close ten feet.

Lucen turned his back to the field. "Let’s wrap up for today."

"What? You serious?"

"Yup."

Gen looked over his shoulder. "He’s still coming."

Lucen grabbed his sword and tucked it over his back. "I know."

They didn’t run. But they didn’t linger either. Gen followed him around the lot’s edge, past the old weight sets and into the concrete stairway that led to the lower annex.

Lucen felt the man’s gaze leave him only when they hit the door. Not before.

Once inside, the hum of the fluorescent lights cut the tension by about half.

Gen exhaled, finally. "Okay, so that wasn’t creepy at all."

Lucen tapped the wall once to keep his system alert.

"Tell me we didn’t just get flagged."

"Don’t think so," Lucen muttered. "If he wanted to flag us, he’d have done it outside."

Gen eyed him. "What’d your system say?"

Lucen shrugged. "Unknown classification. SS or higher."

Gen let out a low whistle. "Well. At least you’re making friends."

Lucen cracked a small smile, half annoyed. "I didn’t even do anything today."

"You existed. That’s your first mistake."

Lucen didn’t reply.

His mind was already ticking through scenarios.

’Could be another guild. Could be someone from HQ. Could be someone from Varik’s side of things. Could be someone watching Varik through me. Or... worst case...’

He opened his system again. Checked the logs. Nothing unusual. No traces, no markings, no breach alerts. That was almost more unsettling.

’Either he didn’t touch anything... or he was so far above me it didn’t register.’

He didn’t like either answer.

—

Later, at his apartment, Lucen showered long. Steam filled the walls. He stood with one hand on the tile and his forehead resting against his arm.

The system pinged once more.

[Fatigue thresholds stabilizing]

[Recommendation: Maintain vigilance]

He stepped out of the steam, dried off, dressed, and walked barefoot into the kitchen.

The takeout was still there. He nuked it this time. Sat on the couch.

Flicked on the small holo-panel from the armrest.

The white-haired man stayed in his thoughts.

Too calm. Too deliberate. Not trying to hide. But not inviting questions either.

Lucen leaned back and muttered, "Wasn’t even a training day."

His system blinked once, then settled.

Outside, the streetlights clicked on. Cars passed. Someone laughed two floors down.

Lucen sat still, chewing reheated chicken, staring at the glass.

’If he wanted to meet me, he would’ve walked up.’

Which meant he didn’t.

Which meant he was just there to see him.

Lucen opened the system again. Created a new note.

TAG: White-Haired Observer

Details: Tall, pale coat, formal posture. SS+. Watched silently for 8+ minutes. No guild insignia. Possible external entity. Unknown intent.

He saved the file.

Then leaned back and said softly, "We’ll see if he comes back."

He didn’t know why that thought didn’t scare him.

But it didn’t.

Not yet.

—

He didn’t even get to his second bite. His phone buzzed in his hand, Varik’s name flashing across the system overlay.

No ringtone. Just the silent flash. Panic. The kind you usually ignore.

"Lucen," Varik’s voice came clipped. "A man is watching you. That man is a licensed S‑Rank. You’ve got less than thirty seconds. Get out. Now."

Lucen’s fork clattered the plate. The vegetables jolted. He choked on the bite anyway. "Wha— Varik—did you say S‑Rank?"

"Yes. Departure path green. Corridor stairs."

The line went dead.

Before Lucen even looked at the screen, the wall behind him detonated.

It exploded in dust and plaster. The couch jolted. Wood splintered. Cold wind ripped through the apartment like the world ripped inside out. Glass shattered where the window had been. The shard rock shifted on the desk, humming loud.

Lucen dove clear of the couch. Dust bloomed where he landed. The apartment door bent inward with the shockwave.

His system flashed red:

System Alert: Structural Collapse Imminent

Location Icon: HOME

He ripped off his jacket grabbing his sword strapped behind him, blades shimmering faintly again. He flung himself toward the door. Fire trailed from ceiling shards.

Gen’s voice in his ear, through comm static: "Where the hell? Lucen? Are you okay?"

Lucen twisted upright, threw a knee and sprinted down the hallway. "Fuck walls! I’m out."

He vaulted down the two flights of stairs, every step pounding adrenaline into his bones. His system ticked:

Health: 100%

Escape Route: 14 seconds to ground floor exit

By the time he burst through the lobby doors, the building alarm blared. Yellow lights flashed. Smoke clouds curled through the stairwell, rising thick as he reached the street.

He turned to look back at the apartment building. Smoke poured from upper windows, embers drifting downward like dying fireflies.

Traffic screeched. Civilians backed away. Security glyphs activated, scanning for survivors. He saw one body move in an upstairs window frame, another person caught in the collapse.

Lucen’s heart didn’t hammer.

He glanced at the sky. White-haired S-Rank hadn’t appeared yet. Didn’t chase. Probably wouldn’t.

"Lucen!" The voice came again, different now. Varik, pushing through smoke at the curb. Coat unlit. Hair messy. Face grim.

"I told you," Varik said. "He has reach. We’re lucky this time. Do you know how fast this place would drop if he’d hit a bit harder?"

Lucen let the sword clatter to his shoulder. "Yeah. Pretty fuckin’ fast."

Varik nodded, rigid. "You okay?"

Lucen cracked a half-smile. "It’s just property."

Varik didn’t laugh. He looked at the building. Then back at Lucen.

"Stay with me for the extraction. We’ll fix it... not with money, but with discretion."