The Phantom Sniper

Chapter 22 – The Phantom Sniper

Kael-X clenched his fists, his mind racing. Whoever had just fired at him wasn't normal.

His eyes darted to the rooftop where the sniper had been—empty. No trace. No scent. No heat signature.

This wasn't just some soldier with a fancy rifle. This was someone who knew exactly what they were doing.

His grip tightened.

"You're getting sloppy, Kael-X."

The voice came from behind him.

Kael-X spun instantly, his body blurring as he lashed out.

But his fist met air.

The figure—cloaked in shifting shadows—had already moved.

Kael-X's eyes narrowed. Speed? Teleportation? Something else?

The figure chuckled. "Not bad. You're faster than the reports said."

Kael-X didn't respond. He analyzed.

The figure was standing on thin air. A black mist swirled around their feet, shifting like living smoke. Their face was covered by a high-tech visor, glowing with red digital lines.

Kael-X's mind processed the situation instantly.

1. They knew about him.

2. They expected him to dodge the first shot.

3. They weren't here to kill him immediately.

They were testing him.

Kael-X cracked his neck. "If you're here to waste my time, I'll kill you now."

The sniper laughed.

Then—

They vanished.

Kael-X's eyes widened as a knife appeared in front of his face, inches from his eye.

Time slowed.

His body twisted at an unnatural angle, avoiding the blade by a hair's breadth. He countered instantly, his fist striking through the enemy—

Nothing.

A hologram? No—an afterimage.

The real sniper was behind him.

Kael-X felt something press against his spine—a gun.

"Got you."

BANG!

Kael-X moved at the last possible moment, the bullet grazing past his ribs. He twisted, grabbing the enemy's arm—

But the sniper was gone again.

This time, Kael-X didn't react immediately. He closed his eyes.

His heartbeat slowed. His senses expanded.

Then he felt it—the air shifting behind him.

Kael-X struck backward, his hand wrapping around the sniper's throat.

Caught.

The sniper tensed. "Heh… impressive."

Kael-X lifted them off the ground with one arm, his grip tightening. "Who sent you?"

The sniper didn't answer. Instead, they smiled beneath their visor.

BOOM!

A massive explosion erupted beneath them.

Kael-X barely had time to react as the rooftop collapsed, sending both of them plummeting into the flames below.

---

Elsewhere…

A dark room. Screens flickering. Silhouettes watching.

A distorted voice spoke.

"He's stronger than expected."

Another voice responded. "It doesn't matter. We have more."

A pause. Then—

"Begin Phase Two."

The flames roared as the rooftop crumbled beneath them. Kael-X and the sniper plunged downward, swallowed by the fire.

But Kael-X was already calculating.

He adjusted mid-air, twisting his body toward a nearby wall. His feet slammed against the surface, the sheer force sending cracks through the concrete.

He used it as a springboard—launching himself away from the explosion.

The sniper, however, disappeared into the flames.

Kael-X landed on another rooftop, scanning below. His vision adjusted to the heat waves, filtering out the distortion. No body. No movement.

Gone.

Kael-X gritted his teeth. That person had moved faster than even some of the enhanced humans he'd faced before.

This wasn't just a mercenary.

This was a professional killer.

---

Meanwhile…

In a secure underground base, the sniper ripped off their visor and coughed, blood splattering onto their gloved hand.

A team of scientists and strategists surrounded them.

"You engaged too soon," one of them said.

The sniper waved them off. "I was testing his reflexes. He's… beyond anything we've faced."

A figure in the shadows leaned forward. "And what about Compound-X?"

The sniper wiped their mouth, their smirk returning. "He's the perfect specimen. But he doesn't even realize it yet."

The figure in the shadows chuckled. "Then let's push him further."

"Deploy the next phase."

---

Back to Kael-X…

Kael-X's mind was already racing through his next steps.

Something was off.

This wasn't just a random fight. Someone was orchestrating this. Testing him.

His enhanced hearing picked up something—a faint whirring noise.

Drones.

He looked up. Three drones hovered above, their cameras locked onto him.

Kael-X clenched his fists.

The whole world was watching now.

---