The woman spun in the air for several seconds.

Then hit.

CRAAASH—!

She slammed into the side of a skyscraper across the road, the impact blasting a crater into the structure. Glass shattered outward in a wide spray, fragments raining down in sheets as the outer wall cracked under the force.

Her body embedded partially into the surface—

Then dropped.

Falling through the broken edge and disappearing inside the building.

Debris followed.

Chunks of concrete broke loose, collapsing inward as the damage spread further into the structure—

KRRRSH—~

Back at the entrance—

Don landed.

Hard.

THOOM—!

He dropped into a crouch, one hand bracing against the ground as the impact cracked the surface beneath him again, dust lifting briefly before settling.

Behind him—

Movement surged.

The team Mr. Olynk deployed pushed through the ruined entrance, weapons ready as they rushed out into the open. They slowed just slightly when they saw what had just happened.

A brief pause.

One of them let out a low whistle.

The cloaked one—barely visible—tilted his head slightly.

"...That kid’s got one hell of a punch."

The other, knife already in hand, the purple-coated blade held carefully away from his body and comrades, gave a short nod.

"Yeah," he said. "Makes our job a whole lot easier."

He gestured forward.

"Come on. Let’s confirm the kill."

They moved immediately, heading toward the opposite building where the woman had crashed.

Not far from them—

The fight didn’t slow.

The two officers engaging the stitched man continued firing, now unhindered.

THUD—THUD—THUD—!

Above—

Snipers joined in fully.

CRACK—!

CRACK—!

Higher-caliber rounds tore downward, striking the creature with far more force. Each hit ripped away larger sections of its body, chunks of flesh exploding outward as the impacts drove into it.

The creature reacted.

Its pincers snapped forward, crossing over its head as it tried to shield itself—

But it wasn’t enough.

The sniper rounds tore through parts of the defense, blasting through layers of muscle and sending fragments of its body flying backward.

Still—

It stood.

Still—

It pushed forward.

—

Don rose from his crouch.

His gaze shifted briefly toward the building where the woman had been sent—

Then back to the stitched man.

"...I guess they’re not that difficult to handle," he muttered, "when you’ve got professional superhumans by your side."

In his ear—

Elle’s voice came through.

Soft.

Quieter than before.

"You’ve also gotten a lot stronger, Don..."

There was something in her tone—

Subtle.

He caught it.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Then—

Winter’s voice followed.

"Indeed. However, stronger enemies remain active across the city, so caution is—"

She stopped.

Mid-sentence.

Because something else appeared.

In Don’s vision—

The augmented layout flickered.

Overwritten.

A new interface forced its way forward, cutting across everything else.

A system prompt.

Clean.

Unavoidable.

His eyes narrowed immediately.

A bad feeling settled in before he even finished reading.

---

**[New Side Quest: Test of Strength]**

**Objective: Survive the Horde**

**Reward: x1 Random Passive Ability | 2000 Idol Points | 500 Idol Reputation | 2000 Aura (+Bonus Depending on Actions)**

**Penalty: Death**

---

Don’s jaw tightened.

His gaze hardened as the words lingered in front of him.

One thought cut through everything else.

’Horde?’

His eyes shifted slightly.

Scanning.

The ruined street.

The distant skyline.

The burning perimeter.

’...What horde?’

Don didn’t move.

For a few seconds—

He just stood there.

The system prompt still hung in his vision, the words burned in place like they weren’t planning to leave anytime soon.

His breathing slowed, then hitched slightly as his thoughts lagged behind what his eyes were seeing.

Then—

"Don... Don..."

Elle’s voice broke through.

Soft.

Calling.

He blinked once.

"...Huh?"

"You need to focus," she said quickly, her tone shifting. "One of our aerial drones just picked up a massive heat signature at Blackgate Apex, the superhuman prison."

A brief pause.

"It’s growing fast. It could be another sprout... or those hounds. Be caref—"

She didn’t finish.

Because something else cut through everything.

A scream.

It didn’t come from one direction.

It came from all of them.

AAAUUURRRGGHHH—!!

The sound ripped across the city in an instant, a distorted blend of male and female voices layered over each other, warped into something unnatural. It wasn’t just loud—

It hurt.

The air itself seemed to shake as the sound traveled, windows along distant buildings fracturing under the pressure—

KRRRSH—!

Don dropped.

His knees hit the ground hard—

THUD—!

His hands came up instinctively, pressing against his ears as his face twisted, teeth grinding together.

"...Ghh—!"

It wasn’t just sound.

It pushed into his head.

Forced its way in.

The same happened around him.

The two officers engaging the stitched man staggered immediately, one losing grip on his rifle as it slipped from his hands—

CLTR—!

Both dropped to a knee, bodies folding under the pressure as they tried to endure it, faces contorting, veins standing out along their necks.

The stitched man—

Stopped.

Its entire body locked up, arms twitching slightly as the sound tore through it. Even it reacted, its massive frame lowering as if something far heavier had just been placed on it.

Further out—

The team heading toward the crashed woman collapsed almost in unison.

One of them dropped flat, both hands clamped over his ears as he screamed through gritted teeth.

Another fell to his knees, head bowed, body shaking violently.

The cloaked operative—

Flickered.

Then fully revealed.

His camouflage broke as he dropped hard, one hand hitting the ground to keep himself from face-planting.

"GHH—! What the hell is—?!"

Even the one who had been moving ahead froze, barely managing to stay upright before dropping to one knee, his knife clattering beside him—

CLINK—~

Everywhere—

The same reaction.

Pain.

Disorientation.

Breakdown.

—

For Don—

It went deeper.

His vision went dark.

Not fading—

Cut.

Gone.

And then—

Something else replaced it.

Bars.

Iron.

Cold.

Surrounding him on all sides.

Beyond them—

A figure.

White.

Glowing.

Featureless—

And yet—

It cried.

Soft at first.

Then louder.

"Kill..."

The word echoed.

"...Kill..."

Again.

And again.

Each repetition layered over the last, the voice cracking, breaking into sobs between each command.

"Kill—! Kill—! KILL—!"

Don’s head throbbed violently, the sound slamming into him from inside now, not outside. It felt like his skull was being rung like a bell, over and over again—

RRRNNNN—~

His teeth clenched.

His fingers dug into the ground beneath him.

Then—

It stopped.

Just like that.

The scream cut off.

The pressure vanished.

What followed—

Was worse.

A hollow quiet.

And a ringing that refused to fade.