Disguised Monster

The boy suddenly released an immense killing intent. Even though it wasn't against the rules, such an overwhelming display wasn't permitted. The killing intent he emitted was far stronger than even the chairman's, like an actual monster had unleashed its presence. Its effects were immediate-many people fainted under the sheer pressure.

Mr.Miller sprang into action, knowing he was the only capable hunter nearby who could intervene. He rushed toward the boy, but before he could close even half the distance, the killing intent vanished abruptly, as though it had never existed.

At that moment, a sinister smile spread across the boy's face, stretching unnervingly. In the blink of an eye, he vanished, reappearing right in front of Mr.Miller. His dagger swung in a fluid motion, his expression one of twisted delight.

The blade came dangerously close to slashing Mr.Miller, but at the last second, he moved swiftly, narrowly evading the attack. He landed a short distance away, but a thin line of blood seeped from his chest, evidence that the dodge hadn't been perfect.

Before Mr.Miller could fully process what had happened, the boy appeared next to him again, slashing with his dagger at an unbelievable speed. Though Mr.Miller managed to dodge most of the strikes, some still grazed him, leaving their mark.

"Is he an S-rank hunter?" I thought, puzzled. Mr. Miller was an A-rank hunter, yet he was clearly struggling to keep up with the boy.

The boy's face radiated pleasure, his uncovered eye dilated with delight, while the other was hidden beneath an eye patch. His movements and aura felt far from human, like something twisted and monstrous had taken over him.

As the boy swung his dagger relentlessly, Mr.Miller endured the impacts, desperately looking for an opening. Finally, he saw a chance. Swinging his fist with all his strength, he aimed for a clean blow, but before it could connect, countless cuts appeared on his arm, rendering it completely immobile.

The boy suddenly stopped and vanished, reappearing at the edge of the arena. It felt deliberate, as if he was giving Mr.Miller a moment to catch his breath-or mocking him.

By now, Mr. Miller's body was riddled with cuts, his blood staining the ground. The referee stepped forward, preparing to declare the boy the winner, but Mr.Miller refused to back down.

"No, not yet. I've ye-"

Before he could finish, the boy appeared before him in a blur and drove his dagger into Mr.Miller's abdomen. Blood spurted from his mouth as he staggered backward.

In this tournament, aside from killing or harming the audience, almost anything was allowed. It was a brutal event, meant only for adults, because when hunters were permitted to use their skills, bloodshed was likely expected.

After stabbing Mr.Miller, the boy swiftly moved away from him. Mr. Miller stood up with difficulty, blood pouring out of the wound. Just as the boy approached to attack again, Mr.Miller's aura changed suddenly. The boy instinctively moved away.

Mr.Miller then extended one arm, and a large scissor materialized. Suddenly, the boy seemed as if he was glued to the ground. He tried to move, but he couldn't do anything.

"It seems that's the part of his unique skill," I thought, seeing the boy who was now completely immovable.

Mr.Miller was panting, but his expression wasn't one of grief. With the boy immobile, Mr.Miller cut one of his own fingers. As he did so, one of the boy's arms fell to the ground with a thud.

Mr.Miller proceeded to cut another finger, and the boy's other arm fell down.

SCREECH!!

A deafening screech erupted, one no human could make. The boy's expression suddenly changed as his eye patch fell off, revealing his other eye-an eye that belonged to a monster. His uncovered eye glowed red.

"Kill that boy immediately!" I hurriedly shouted to Mr.Miller, sensing the same sensation one would feel from a monster.

The boy's severed arms began to twitch. Blood tendrils emerged from the dismembered limbs, reattaching them to his body as if nothing had happened.

The boy, who had been immovable just moments ago, suddenly began to move, advancing slowly toward Mr.Miller. His mana reserves were now nearly half as large as mine, indicating that he had reached the level of an S-rank hunter.

Abruptly, the boy stopped. I prepared to fly at full speed as he approached Mr.Miller with monstrous speed, but I realized something strange—only my vision was able to keep up with him. It was as if the boy, now fully exhibiting the behavior of a monster, was the only one moving at normal speed. Everyone else, including me, seemed to be in slow motion.

"Damn it! I wanted to save the stat points," I muttered, frustrated.

Scanning the area, I noticed the chairman standing confidently. He rose from his seat and, with a single touch, shattered the glass in front of him. Without hesitation, he leaped from the elevated room. The boy, now entirely devoid of reasoning, immediately shifted his attention toward the chairman and charged at him.

The chairman's appearance changed. A black, steel-like liquid enveloped his arms, and streaks of black and purple lightning crackled around them. His mana spread out like a vast ocean, its sheer intensity overwhelming.

By the time I landed, both of them were about to clash. I glanced at Mr.Miller, who was in an incredibly bad state, panting heavily, his body battered and bloodied.

The audience remained completely still, unable to perceive what was happening.We were moving far too fast for their eyes to catch even a glimpse.

I tried to match my speed with the boy and chairman, but my body wouldn't cooperate. Thankfully, my thoughts were fast enough, and that was more than enough.

I activated [Telekinetic Control], channeling every ounce of force I could muster, and hurled the two combatants into the sky above the stadium.

I expected them to fight for a while, but I was sorely mistaken. The chairman ended it with a single punch, tearing the boy's skull open and killing him instantly. The sheer force of the punch was so immense that it cleared the clouds from the sky. What shocked me the most was that it seemed like just a casual strike from the chairman.

Suddenly, the boy's body began to vibrate violently. Acting swiftly, I flew at full speed toward it and used [Telekinetic Control] to lift the body high into the sky. Moments later, it exploded like a nuclear missile. The blast was vast-far larger than the one I had ever caused.

With a sweep of [Telekinetic Control], I cleared the smoke and debris from the sky. What I saw confirmed my suspicions: embedded in the boy's chest was a mana stone.

"Human experimentation. I guess there are still people who do such things," I muttered, separating the mana stone from the floating chest.

=====

Enjoy.....