HOUSE TRAP

The Hunter Association Incident

Zero stepped out of the Spider Queen's boss room, dragging its corpse behind him. The stench of blood clung to his armor as he approached the Hunter Association's delivery station. A middle-aged, overweight man leaned lazily against the counter, barely glancing at him.

"You'll only get half the payment," the man said with a smirk.

Zero frowned. "Wait, why only half?"

The man folded his arms. "Do you have a problem with that?"

A surge of anger swelled within Zero, but he forced himself to breathe deeply. He knew better than to pick a fight with a Hunter Association official. His jaw tightened.

"No, no. You can do whatever you want," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.

The man chuckled. "Good. You know your place."

Zero turned and walked away, fists clenched. One day… these people will pay for their arrogance.

Ambush in the Shadows

The moment Zero stepped into his home, an unsettling chill ran down his spine. His instincts screamed danger. Without hesitation, he flicked the lights on—just as the door slammed shut behind him.

A man in a black suit stood in the doorway, his eyes cold and calculating.

Zero shifted slightly to the side, scanning the room. Shadows flickered along the walls—figures lurking in the dim light. More than ten men surrounded him, their expressions hidden beneath dark hoods.

A voice cut through the silence. "You killed our people. Now, we'll return the favor."

Flames erupted in the air, illuminating their faces. Fire, water, wind, and earth swirled around them, each of them wielding elemental abilities.

Zero's expression remained calm. He activated God-Eyesight, analyzing their ranks. All F-rank. Weak.

"They have numbers, but I have strength," he thought.

One of them lunged, a blade of fire slashing toward Zero's chest. In a blink, Zero sidestepped and activated Blindness, sending his attacker staggering backward. Before the man could recover, Zero plunged a dagger into his chest. A pained gasp—then silence.

Another enemy attacked from behind. Zero ducked, feeling the heat of a fireball grazing past him. He twisted, striking with ruthless precision. Another body fell.

The remaining enemies hesitated.

A fire attack finally connected, scorching Zero's arm. The pain was sharp, but his high defense absorbed most of it. He gritted his teeth.

"Big mistake."

He activated Shadow Hide, disappearing from view. Confusion spread through the enemy ranks. One by one, he eliminated them, his dagger slashing through the air like a phantom's whisper.

Only four remained. His stamina was dropping, but a system notification appeared.

+1 Attribute Point.

He immediately allocated it to Stamina, ignoring the exhaustion creeping into his limbs.

Suddenly—an earth spike shot up, striking him square in the ribs. He staggered. A fireball followed, hitting him directly. Blood dripped from his lips, but he refused to fall.

I won't die here.

With a final burst of speed, he grabbed the last fire-user by the throat. The man struggled, but Zero tightened his grip.

"Why are you doing this? Who do you work for?"

The man gasped, then smirked. "We will conquer the world very soon—"

Zero twisted his wrist. The body went limp.

He searched their corpses. Nothing useful. As expected, pawns never carried important information.

Without hesitation, he dragged their bodies to the valley and threw them over the edge.

The Reunion at the Royal Restaurant

Zero sat in the dimly lit restaurant, surrounded by familiar faces. Old classmates, friends—or at least, people who once claimed to be.

Emily smiled at him. "Why were you late?"

Zero shrugged. "Had something to take care of."

Lucas leaned back, smirking. "Hah… I thought he wouldn't come. Guess you're not too busy after all."

Kim chuckled. "Yeah, Zero, tell us—still living that orphan life?"

Zero clenched his fists under the table. Their words didn't wound him, but the smug looks on their faces—those irked him.

Emily laughed nervously. "Guys, stop it."

Kim smirked. "What? We're just joking. Unless Zero can't take a joke."

Zero exhaled slowly. "You're jealous."

Lucas blinked. "What?"

Zero leaned forward, his voice cold. "You mock me because I'm smarter than you. Because I worked harder than you. And now, you're trying to bring me down to your level."

Lucas's smirk disappeared.

Emily frowned. "Zero, stop it."

Zero turned to her. "You only speak up when it's convenient. When they insult me, you say nothing. When I defend myself, suddenly I'm the villain?"

Lucas slammed the table. "Bastard! You dare talk down to me?"

Zero smirked. "Didn't your mother teach you how to behave in front of a genius?"

Lucas lunged, grabbing Zero's collar. "I'll kill you."

Zero's eerie smile never wavered. "Then do it."

For a moment, silence fell over the table. Then—Zero punched Lucas square in the face.

Lucas crashed to the ground, blood dripping from his lip.

"You… you bastard!" Lucas roared. "Do you know who I am?! My family—"

Zero's eyes gleamed. "I don't care about your family."

Kim watched with amusement. This is getting interesting.

Emily grabbed Zero's wrist. "Lucas's family will kill you! Beg for forgiveness!"

Zero pulled his hand away. "I see now. You wanted to humiliate me today. But instead, I left you all in the dirt."

He stood. "This reunion is over."

With that, Zero walked away, leaving them in stunned silence.