They laughed two meters behind him.
Not loudly. Not enough to draw attention. Just enough to be heard.
Kael continued mopping.
"Fourth attempt," one of them said. "And still F-rank."
A second voice. "That's actually impressive. Failing upward is still failing."
A third. "He should just quit. People like that slow the system down."
Kael shifted the mop slightly to the left. Clean line. No reaction.
They were C-rank. All three. Confident. Stable. Replaceable.
He had seen their type for years.
What changed now—was not them.
The first one stretched his arm.
Mana gathered poorly at the elbow before stabilizing at the wrist. Inefficient distribution. Wasteful.
Kael watched once.
That was enough.
[ SKILL ACQUIRED ]
Mana Reinforcement (C-Rank)
Source: Direct observation
Proficiency: Intermediate
The second adjusted his stance.
Weight imbalance. Right leg dominant. Compensated through core tension. Functional, not optimal.
Kael watched once.
[ SKILL ACQUIRED ]
Combat Footwork (C-Rank)
Source: Direct observation
Proficiency: Advanced
The third one laughed again.
A flicker of mana ran across his fingers—small, controlled ignition. Fire-element variant. Decorative. Inefficient in real combat.
Kael watched once.
[ SKILL ACQUIRED ]
Flame Spark (C-Rank)
Source: Direct observation
Proficiency: Basic
Three skills.
Nine seconds.
They were still talking.
"Hey," the first one said, louder now. "You ever think about switching jobs?"
Kael wrung the mop into the bucket. Water turned slightly grey.
No answer.
"Or is this your peak?" the second added.
Kael moved past them.
Not away. Just… through.
They stepped aside without realizing they had done it.
By 10:20, the lobby was full again.
Gate reports. Damage assessments. Minor injuries exaggerated into stories.
Kael listened.
Not to the words.
To the gaps between them.
"…shouldn't have collapsed like that…"
"…scanner delay…"
"…felt wrong…"
"…like something interfered…"
He cleaned the same spot twice.
Not because it needed it.
Because the conversation did.
At 10:32, a report was placed on the front desk.
Unattended.
For six seconds.
Kael passed by once.
Looked down.
Didn't stop.
Gate Incident — East EntranceClassification: MinorAnomaly: Unregistered interferenceConclusion: Unknown
Unknown.
That word appeared more often than it should.
Kael moved on.
The break room was empty.
It usually was at this hour.
Hunters preferred noise. Validation. Audience.
Silence required too much honesty.
He placed the mop against the wall.
Stood still.
For the first time since morning.
"Status," he said quietly.
[ SYSTEM INTERFACE ]
Skills Acquired:
• Absolute Mimicry
• Rank Suppression
• Mana Distribution (B)
• Mana Reinforcement (C)
• Combat Footwork (C)
• Flame Spark (C)
Total Skills: 6
Mana Signature: Suppressed
Public Rank: F
Threat Detection: Passive monitoring active
Six.
In less than three hours.
Kael closed the interface.
A sound reached him.
Footsteps.
Measured.
Not hurried.
He didn't turn immediately.
He already knew who it was.
Sera Yoon stopped at the doorway.
She didn't speak.
Didn't move.
Just watched.
Kael picked up the mop again.
Routine. Normal. Predictable.
"You were in Room 4," she said.
Not a question.
"Yes."
A pause.
Short.
Precise.
"The stone broke."
"Yes."
Her eyes stayed on him.
Searching.
Not for answers.
For inconsistencies.
"You're F-rank," she said.
"Yes."
Another pause.
Longer this time.
"That shouldn't be possible."
Kael adjusted his grip on the mop.
Slightly.
Perfectly steady.
"It happened."
She studied him.
Not his words.
Him.
For a moment—
just a moment—
her expression shifted.
Not suspicion.
Not certainty.
Something else.
Recognition.
Without understanding.
"…Right," she said.
She turned.
Walked away.
Kael watched her leave.
Not her face.
Her hands.
Still perfect.
Still precise.
Still dangerous.
He returned to mopping.
At 11:03, the three C-ranks passed through the lobby again.
Laughing.
Talking.
Unchanged.
One of them glanced back at him.
Just once.
Frowning slightly.
"…weird guy," he muttered.
"Ignore him," the other said. "He's nobody."
Kael didn't look up.
But the corner of his mouth moved.
Barely.
Not a smile.
Not quite.
Because in less than ten minutes—
they had given him everything they had.
And they never even noticed.
Outside, the city continued.
Unaware.
Uninterested.
Unprepared.
Kael rinsed the mop.
Watched the water clear.
Then, for the first time that day—
he made a decision.
Not reactive.
Not cautious.
Deliberate.
He would start moving sooner than planned.
Because someone had already started looking.
And that—
was not part of the original timeline.
End of Chapter 2