02:22 AM – Prey Turned Hunter
Kaito’s grip on the cleaver tightened.
The silver-haired woman twirling her knife smirked, her icy blue eyes locked onto him like a predator sizing up its prey.
Behind her, three other hunters fanned out, each armed with a mix of firearms and melee weapons.
> PLAYER #342: SILVER FANG
STATUS: BOUNTY HUNTER
REPUTATION: 8,720 INFAMY
CURRENT TARGET: PLAYER #529
A soft chime rang in his mind.
> SYSTEM ALERT!
HUNTER-RANK PLAYERS HAVE ACCEPTED YOUR BOUNTY.
SURVIVAL REWARD: +300 INFAMY PER KILL.
Ren let out a low whistle beside him. "Looks like they’re serious."
Silver Fang’s smirk widened. "I won’t drag this out. Hand over your dog tag, and I might consider leaving your corpse in one piece."
Kaito didn’t move.
Instead, his eyes darted across the warehouse.
The crates lining the walls. The hanging chains swaying above. The broken catwalk leading to a shattered skylight.
Options.
He needed a pn.
Fast.
Silver Fang took a step forward. "No? Fine. I like it when they struggle."
Her knife fshed—
And the hunt began.
---
02:23 AM – Blood on Steel
Kaito barely dodged in time.
The bde whizzed past his cheek, cutting a thin red line into his skin.
Silver Fang was fast. Too fast.
But Kaito wasn’t about to go down without a fight.
He twisted his body, swinging the Cleaver of Execution in a wide arc.
CLANG!
Silver Fang blocked it with her knife, but the sheer force sent her skidding back.
Her smirk vanished.
"Huh… You’re stronger than I thought."
Behind her, the other hunters moved.
> PLAYER #290: TANKER
WEAPON: MODIFIED SHOTGUN
A burly man lifted his shotgun and pulled the trigger.
Kaito dove behind a crate as the bst tore through the air.
BOOM!
Splinters exploded around him.
Ren cursed. "Tch—this is gonna get messy."
Kaito’s mind raced.
Silver Fang was the fastest.
Tanker had the firepower.
The other two were waiting for an opening.
He had to divide and eliminate.
His gaze snapped to the hanging chains above.
Perfect.
---
02:24 AM – The Trap
Kaito grabbed a nearby crowbar and flung it toward a hanging chain.
The metal snapped loose.
Silver Fang, distracted for half a second, looked up—
And that was all he needed.
Kaito lunged.
The cleaver swung down.
Silver Fang barely dodged, but the sheer force of the impact cracked the floor beneath her.
Kaito didn’t let up.
He pressed forward, driving her toward the scattered debris of the broken catwalk.
"Ren—cover me!"
Ren smirked. "Gdly."
He pulled out a fsh grenade from his coat.
Click.
Toss.
BOOM!
A burst of white light erupted across the warehouse.
Tanker and the other hunters staggered back, blinded.
Silver Fang cursed. "Damn it!"
Kaito seized the opening.
With a kick, he sent a pile of metal beams crashing down toward her.
Silver Fang barely rolled away in time—
But Kaito was already gone.
---
02:26 AM – The Rooftop Escape
Kaito sprinted up the remains of the broken catwalk, his boots thudding against rusted metal.
Behind him, Silver Fang screamed, "After him!"
Bullets whizzed past as the hunters fired blindly, but Kaito kept moving.
Ahead—
A skylight.
He didn’t slow down.
With a final leap, Kaito smashed through the gss.
Shards rained down as he nded on the rooftop, rolling to absorb the impact.
The cold night air hit him like a shock.
For a second, everything was silent.
Then—
Ren nded beside him, grinning. "That was fun."
Kaito didn’t respond.
Because below, Silver Fang and her crew were already climbing after them.
"This isn’t over, rookie!" she shouted.
Kaito took a deep breath.
He gnced at Ren.
"Hope you’re ready for a chase."
Ren’s grin widened. "Always."
And with that—
They ran.
---
End of Chapter 8
