Gasps echoed instantly.
"What happened?!"
"The lights!"
"Did the power go out?"
Students' voices filled the corridor as panic spread like wildfire.
But Steni didn't move.
Because she knew.
This was the system.
Her heart pounded violently inside her chest.
[Emergency Skill: Blackout Escape activated.]
Duration: 30 seconds
Thirty seconds.
That was all she had.
Footsteps suddenly echoed in the darkness.
Fast.
Controlled.
The man in the black coat.
Even without the lights, Steni could feel his presence moving through the hallway.
Searching.
Hunting.
Her breath caught in her throat.
He's still coming.
A cold voice suddenly rang out from the darkness.
"Interesting…"
The man sounded amused.
"Cutting the power to escape detection?"
Steni's blood froze.
He still knows it's me?!
Then she heard something even more terrifying.
His footsteps didn't slow down.
They got closer.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Like he could see perfectly even in the dark.
Inside her mind, the system flashed again.
[Administrator tracking ability detected.]
[Remaining blackout time: 21 seconds]
What?!
That wasn't enough.
Not nearly enough.
Students were rushing around blindly now.
Some were screaming.
Some were pulling out their phones for light.
The hallway turned into chaos.
But the man walked through the crowd calmly.
Like a predator moving through sheep.
"Host…" he murmured quietly.
"I know you're here."
Steni felt her legs weaken.
This guy is insane…
Her mind raced desperately.
Think. Think. THINK.
Then suddenly—
A new notification appeared.
[New Temporary Skill Available]
[Shadow Step]
[Teleport to any location within 15 meters.]
Steni's eyes widened.
Teleport?!
But before she could react—
A phone flashlight suddenly lit up the hallway.
Light flashed across faces.
Students.
Lockers.
Walls.
And for a split second—
It illuminated her face.
The man saw her.
Their eyes met across the corridor.
Even in the dim light, she could see it clearly.
Recognition.
His lips slowly curled into a smile.
"Found you."
[DANGER]
[Capture probability: 97%]
Her entire body went cold.
No time left.
"Shadow Step!" she whispered inside her mind.
The system responded instantly.
[Skill Activated]
The world twisted.
For a moment everything blurred—
And then—
Steni suddenly appeared near the emergency staircase at the far end of the hallway.
Her knees nearly collapsed.
It worked…
But behind her—
A calm voice echoed through the corridor.
"So you can teleport too."
Her heart stopped.
She turned slowly.
At the other end of the hallway…
The man in the black coat was standing there.
Completely calm.
Completely unfazed.
And then—
He raised his hand.
A faint blue symbol appeared in the air.
The system screamed inside her mind.
[CRITICAL ALERT]
[Administrator ability detected.]
[Space Lock Initiated.]
Steni's eyes widened in horror.
[Teleportation Disabled]
The man smiled coldly.
"You're not escaping again."
Slowly…
He started walking toward her.
The lights suddenly flickered back on.
Students looked around in confusion.
But Steni couldn't hear any of them.
Because the only thing she could see…
Was the man approaching her.
And then he said quietly,
"Now…"
"Give me the system."The man in the black coat stopped only two steps away from her.
His eyes glowed faintly with a cold blue light.
"You're not escaping again," he said calmly.
Steni's heart pounded wildly.
Inside her mind, the system suddenly screamed.
[DANGER]
[Administrator Authority Detected]
[Host survival probability: 3%]
Her breathing stopped.
Three percent.
That was basically death.
The man slowly raised his hand.
"Now," he said softly,
"Give me the system."
Steni clenched her fists.
Fear burned through her chest.
But then—
The system suddenly displayed a new message.
One she had never seen before.
[Hidden Protocol Unlocked]
And beneath it…
A single terrifying option appeared.
[Erase Administrator]
Steni's eyes widened.
Because the target…
Was the man standing right in front of her.