The forty-five-minute break brought life back to the competition venue.
Students laughed as they discussed the first round.
Professors exchanged opinions on the teams' performances.
Reporters moved from one group to another, interviewing contestants.
To everyone present, it looked like an ordinary university event.
No one noticed the man standing among the crowd.
He wore a simple black jacket over a plain gray shirt, dark jeans, and a black baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. A pair of thin-rimmed glasses completed the disguise.
Without his tailored suits and commanding aura...
Nathan Cooper looked like an ordinary spectator.
He held a cup of coffee in one hand while quietly observing the participants.
People brushed past him without a second glance.
Just the way he preferred it.
A voice spoke softly through the wireless earpiece hidden beneath his cap.
"Boss."
Marcus.
"The perimeter has been secured."
Nathan's gaze remained on the students.
"What about Saturday's attackers?"
"We're still tracking them."
"No leads yet."
Nathan took a sip of his coffee.
"They're professionals."
"They won't expose themselves so easily."
"Yes, Boss."
Marcus hesitated before continuing.
"Our men have confirmed that today's competition has attracted several influential guests."
Nathan already knew.
Government representatives.
Technology executives.
Corporate sponsors.
Even a few people from intelligence agencies.
It was the perfect place to scout talent.
And...
The perfect place for someone to hide.
"Keep watching."
"Especially the exits."
"Understood."
The call ended.
Nathan slipped the earpiece deeper beneath his cap.
His expression remained unreadable.
His attention shifted toward the large digital screen displaying the rankings from Round One.
Current Standings
1. Northbridge University
2. Crescent University
3. Eastgate Institute of Technology
Nathan studied the names for several seconds.
Second place.
Not bad.
His eyes drifted across the crowd.
He spotted Ethan first.
The team leader was discussing strategy while eating.
Ryan sat quietly beside him, saying little as usual, but his sharp eyes constantly observed the people around them.
Mia animatedly complained about how hungry she still was.
Nathan almost smiled.
Then...
He found the person he was looking for.
Benny.
The young man sat with a sandwich in one hand and his phone in the other.
He smiled as he read a message.
A genuine smile.
Not forced.
Not cautious.
Nathan frowned slightly.
It was strange.
After everything Benny had endured...
He could still smile like that.
"Interesting..."
Elsewhere in the crowd...
Two men wearing volunteer badges quietly watched the participants.
One adjusted the camera hanging around his neck.
"Is that him?"
The other nodded almost imperceptibly.
"The freshman from Crescent."
"He solved the hidden exploit."
"What do we do?"
"Nothing."
"Just observe."
Neither man noticed...
Nathan had already noticed them.
His gaze shifted for only a brief second.
Volunteer badges.
Wrong shoes.
Military posture.
Their smiles didn't reach their eyes.
Not volunteers.
Observers.
Nathan casually walked past them, pretending to check the competition schedule.
As he passed...
He heard one whisper,
"Headquarters wants a full report on the freshman."
Nathan's steps didn't falter.
But his eyes turned cold.
Headquarters?
Who were they working for?
The two men walked away before he could hear anything else.
Nathan watched them disappear into the crowd.
His instincts told him this wasn't a coincidence.
Someone else had started paying attention to Benny.
And Nathan didn't like unknown variables.
A few minutes later...
Marcus approached from the opposite side, dressed just as casually.
Even in disguise, he maintained a respectful distance.
"You called for me?"
Nathan nodded toward the direction the two fake volunteers had gone.
"Follow them."
Marcus's expression became serious.
"They're suspicious?"
"They're interested in the same person I am."
Marcus immediately understood.
"Benny."
Nathan didn't answer.
Silence was enough.
Marcus disappeared into the crowd without another word.
Nathan remained where he was.
His gaze returned to Benny.
The young man laughed as Mia said something dramatic, while Ethan shook his head and Ryan quietly sipped his coffee.
They looked... normal.
Friends enjoying a break.
Nathan couldn't remember the last time he'd had something so ordinary.
His world had long been filled with contracts, bloodshed, betrayals, and power struggles.
Looking at Benny's group...
For just a moment...
It felt like he was looking into a life he had never been allowed to live.
A voice announced over the speakers,
"Attention all participants."
"The break will end in five minutes."
"Please return to your assigned arenas."
Students immediately stood and began making their way back.
Nathan adjusted the brim of his cap.
His mission for today had changed.
He hadn't come just to observe the competition anymore.
Now...
He intended to discover why other people had begun watching Benny.
Because if someone moved against the young man...
They would first have to answer to him.
And Nathan Cooper was not known for showing mercy.