Kieran arrived at the warehouse before sunrise.
He didn't train today.
He needed money.
Rent. Food. Survival.
The foreman waved him over.
The man usually barked orders like a war general — today, he looked almost relieved to see Kieran.
"You're early," the foreman said.
"I've got a special run for you. Pays triple."
Triple?
Kieran stiffened.
"…why me?"
"Because you're the only one I trust not to screw it up," the foreman said, leaning in.
"Take this crate to Dock Storage 14 and sign for delivery. Two hours max. In and out."
A legitimate job.
A safe zone.
Patrolled.
Normal.
Kieran nodded.
"Alright."
He hoisted the crate onto a hand trolley. It was heavy — heavier than another worker could handle. But with his newfound strength, he pushed it without difficulty.
✦ DOCK STORAGE 14 — LATE MORNING ✦
When Kieran arrived, something felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Dockworkers usually shouted orders across the cargo lanes.
Trucks usually rumbled across the metal ramps.
But here:
No voices.
No forklifts.
No patrol drones circling overhead.
The sea wind carried nothing but silence.
Kieran set down the crate and scanned the shipping manifest nailed to the wall.
Dock Storage 14 — SECURITY SUSPENDED
Maintenance scheduled 06:00–15:00
His stomach dropped.
Security suspended.
That wasn't normal.
His fingers tightened on the spear he now carried strapped to the crate trolley.
A System ping flashed.
───────────────
Warning:
You have entered an isolated zone.
───────────────
His heartbeat quickened.
This wasn't coincidence.
"You finally showed up."
A voice echoed from between stacked containers.
Kieran turned sharply, spear ready.
From the shadows stepped a man with a scar across his jaw — the dagger-wielding assassin from the old training grounds. But today, his eyes held a cold certainty.
"You weren't supposed to survive the first attempt," the man said, circling Kieran slowly.
"The patrol schedule was cleared just for you. We even bribed your foreman."
"So the warehouse job was—"
"A trap," the assassin finished for him.
Kieran swallowed.
He hadn't done anything to deserve a kill order.
Yet here they were.
The assassin tapped his wrist, activating a comm device.
"Target delivered to the isolation point."
From the rooftops, two more silhouettes appeared.
Assassins.
"We end it here," Scar said.
They moved.
Fast.
Kieran thrust his spear, purely defensive.
The first assassin dodged.
The second dropped from above.
The third came from behind.
A perfect synchronized kill pattern.
For the first time since he awakened his system—
Kieran realized he might die.
Pierce — Ready.
He locked onto the nearest assassin and committed.
"PIERCE!"
The spear shot forward like a lightning bolt, a straight, ruthless line of intent.
It hit Scar in the shoulder, ripping flesh and throwing him back against a storage crate.
Blood sprayed across the concrete.
Scar stared at the wound with disbelief.
"You reached E+ level in two days?"
Kieran didn't hesitate.
He spun the spear around and pointed the bloody tip at them.
"I'm not dying because someone bought a kill order."
Scar wiped blood from his chin, smiling like a wolf.
"Who said we're paid?"
He pointed at Kieran.
"We do this because people like you shouldn't exist.
A system that grows with no limit… breaks balance."
More assassins appeared on nearby containers.
Five.
No exit.
Kieran's pulse hammered.
His system flared.
───────────────
Quest Activated: SURVIVE UNTIL SUNRISE
Time Remaining: 09:42:17
───────────────
He lowered his stance.
If they wanted to erase him—
he would carve himself into the world instead.
End of Chapter 6