Soul system:Return Of The SSS-Ranked Troublemaker-Chapter 46: Game Of Fate (4) Crimson.

Edith’s smile widened, clearly entertained by the conversation, as the group continued walking. Their footsteps echoed through the desolate streets, carrying them deeper into the unknown.

After several minutes, they finally arrived at Seogwipo City. Half of it was still in ruins, remnants of the past battle lingering like scars on the land.

"Hm... still destroyed, huh?" Zion thought to himself, his gaze scanning the wreckage. "Makes sense. This was where the portal outbreak and the battle against the Monarch of Primal happened."

K, observing the destruction, smirked. "So this is where the outbreak happened? Man, I wasn’t here for it..." He let out a low chuckle. "Would’ve been fun watching that Monarch of Primal get jumped."

Zion shot him a glance. "Multiple heroes and students did jump him. And yet, in the end, all their wounds healed up while he kept standing."

K whistled. "Damn. His ability must be busted."

As they continued walking through the ruined city, something caught their attention—a group of heroes standing guard in front of a floating portal. The very same portal that had appeared during the previous disaster.

"Wait... what’s that?" Yin asked, narrowing his eyes.

"That’s the portal from back then, right?" Karina added.

"Yeah," Zion confirmed, his expression turning serious.

"For real?" K grinned. In a flash, he dashed forward toward the heroes, his speed causing a small gust of wind as he closed the distance in seconds.

"Oi, mister! What’s this?" K asked, his tone casual yet intrusive.

One of the heroes, a middle-aged man in a black uniform, turned to him with a neutral expression.

"Hm? I can’t disclose that. It’s classified information," the hero replied, his tone firm.

K clicked his tongue. "Ahh, come on, man! Don’t be so boring. Just tell us!" He leaned in, grinning.

The hero remained silent.

K’s smirk widened. In an instant, his left hook shot forward, moving at a blinding speed toward the hero’s face.

Without so much as a flinch—without even moving his legs—the hero casually raised his right arm and blocked the punch with ease.

K’s grin faltered.

"What the hell...?"

The hero’s gaze remained calm. "What are you doing?"

K didn’t answer. Instead, he immediately pulled back his left arm, leaped into the air, and spun mid-air, launching a vicious spinning kick aimed straight at the hero’s temple.

But once again, the hero effortlessly blocked it with the back of his fist.

Then, in a smooth motion, the hero slid forward, caught K’s ankle in mid-air, and in one swift movement, attempted to slam him into the ground.

Just before impact, K twisted his body midair, planting both hands onto the ground. Using sheer agility and momentum, he flipped himself out of the hero’s grip, barely avoiding the devastating slam.

Landing a few feet away, K clicked his tongue, shaking out his arms.

"Heh... so you’re not just some random guard, huh?"

The hero remained still, his expression unreadable.

"You pick the wrong guy to mess with, kid."

"Oh yeah?" K smirked, cracking his knuckles.

The hero remained calm, his arms crossed. "Just because I’m a B-rank hero doesn’t mean you can ignore the gap between us. The difference in our level is massive," he stated firmly.

K’s grin widened. "We’ll see about that!"

Just as he was about to lunge forward—his body froze mid-motion.

"Huh?! What the hell is this?" K’s mind raced as he struggled to move, but his limbs refused to respond.

Then, a light tap landed on his shoulder.

It was the same mysterious cloaked figure from earlier, the young man whose entire form was shrouded in heavy, flowing black fabric. His face remained unreadable beneath the shadow of his hood.

"Don’t waste our time here," he said coolly.

Instantly, K felt control return to his body. He exhaled sharply, stretching his fingers. "Man, you’re no fun," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Fine, fine. Whatever, old man—see ya." He waved lazily as he turned away.

Meanwhile, Calvin stepped forward, his posture straight and respectful.

"I apologize for that, sir," he said, bowing slightly. "We... didn’t exactly choose to ally with him."

The hero chuckled, shaking his head. "No need to apologize. That was actually pretty fun," he admitted, a rare smirk crossing his lips.

As the group walked away, the hero remained behind, gazing up at the sky, lost in thought.

"Man... having no talent is really unfair." He sighed, watching the clouds drift overhead. "I hope those students reach their dreams... and don’t end up like me—just another nameless B-rank hero."

---

A Silent Threat

The group eventually veered away from the ruined city, heading back into the dense forest, hoping to find a new path. However, as they moved deeper, an eerie silence hung in the air.

K’s pace slowed.

He let out a low sigh. "Tch. We’ve hit a trap."

"Huh?" The team exchanged confused glances.

"The leaves." K pointed at the branches swaying above them. "The breeze is moving them, but... there’s no sound."

Zion’s expression hardened. He immediately understood what K was implying and nodded.

"Gaze."

Zion activated his ability, his vision sharpening as he searched for energy signatures. Yet...

"I don’t see anything." His voice was tense.

K’s eyes narrowed. "What?!"

"They probably have some kind of ability that erases any trace of their presence," Calvin speculated, his mind racing.

"A print-erasing ability?" Zion clenched his fist.

Then, a realization struck him—whoever was out there wasn’t just hiding.

They were waiting.

"Everyone—be careful!" Zion shouted.

The tension in the air thickened as unseen eyes watched them from the shadows.

Then, in an instant—chaos erupted.

A sudden force smashed into Zion’s jaw, sending his head snapping to the side. Another. Then another. His vision blurred as sharp pain jolted through his skull.

"What the fuck?!" Zion coughed out, stumbling.

Beside him, Calvin took a brutal knee to the face, knocking him backward. His cloak whipped in the air as he crashed onto the dirt.

But there was nothing there. No visible attacker. No incoming fists. Just the sound of impact—flesh against flesh, bones rattling under sheer force.

"Stay focused!" K yelled. He pivoted, throwing a punch at thin air—but his fist hit nothing.

Then, for just a second, he saw it.

A blur. A faint ripple in the air—like heat distortion, shifting in unnatural waves.

"Glass?... No—a camouflage ability!" K realized, his eyes narrowing.

"Everyone! It’s a camouflaged enemy—use your eyes carefully!" he shouted.

But it was too late.

Zion took another crushing hit to the ribs. A violent gasp escaped his lips as the wind was knocked from his lungs. Nearby, Yin gritted his teeth, shielding Sera with his own body as an invisible force slammed into his back.

"Ugh... f-fuck..." Zion muttered, his arms shaking.

Inside his mind, he called out in desperation.

"Master! It’s some kind of camouflage ability—what do I do?!"

The system flickered to life, Zero’s face appearing with an annoyed expression.

"Use my ability—spread it across the field. If anything steps on your shadow—CRUSH IT!"

Zion didn’t hesitate. He activated the ability, his shadow stretching in all directions like writhing tendrils. The dark extensions slithered across the battlefield, seeking their prey. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Then—something stepped on it.

A small indentation appeared on the shadow’s surface. Zion’s eyes widened—this was it!

"There!" he roared, sending his power surging into the spot.

But—nothing happened.

The shadow couldn’t grip anything. No weight. No substance. Just emptiness.

"What?!" Zion’s heart pounded.

The system reappeared.

"Figure it out, dumbass."

And then it closed.

"HEY! MASTER—WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!" Zion screamed in his thoughts, just as another unseen punch smashed into his gut.

Meanwhile, Yin was taking hit after hit, his body bruised from shielding Sera.

"Sera! You can seal abilities, right?! DO IT!" Yin grunted.

"I—I need to touch them first!" Sera stammered, panic rising in her voice.

"Shit that’s really bad I’ll try to grab one!" Yin said

"Shit! This is really bad—I’ll try to grab one!" Yin shouted, throwing himself forward.

"Fuck, Sightboost is useless if I can’t focus!" K gritted his teeth, narrowly avoiding another unseen strike. His eyes darted around, desperate to make sense of their chaotic surroundings. "I can’t even guide the others like this!"

Through the storm of invisible attacks, he turned to the black-cloaked student.

"Hey, emo guy! Can’t you stun them?!" K yelled between grunts, his body shuddering from repeated blows.

"I need to feel their presence first! Their breathing, their energy—something! But even these punches don’t have any presence at all!" The cloaked man’s voice was sharp with frustration.

K barely ducked under another incoming strike, frustration burning in his veins. "This bullshit power system fucking sucks!"

And then—something fell from the sky.

"AHHHHHHH!!"

A shadow plummeted down, crashing into the ground with a deafening BOOM. The earth trembled beneath the impact, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

As the dust settled, a young man slowly rose from the crater.

"Fuuuuck, my back hurts..."

The lingering ashes swirled around him, revealing a long wolf cut—deep purple strands with silver-white edges. His casual yet extravagant outfit shimmered under the fractured light, adorned with golden chains, luxury rings, and an air of careless confidence.

The moment his feet were steady, he rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck lazily.

"Can’t believe those fuckers can switch powers now... What a pain in the ass."

And then—an invisible figure lunged at him.

It moved fast—but he moved faster.

A sickening crack echoed through the air.

A gasp of pain.

The invisible attacker was sent flying.

"!!"

Everyone’s eyes snapped wide open.

"What the hell was that?!" Zion coughed, still gasping for breath.

"WHO’S THE FUCKING BASTARD?!" The unseen enemies shrieked, their panic finally breaking through.

The air shifted.

The breeze picked up, carrying with it a slow, deliberate movement.

A single, long bang of silver-streaked hair lifted slightly, revealing crimson-red eyes.

The moment he opened his mouth, the sky itself seemed to bleed.

"What do we have here?~"

For a moment—just a moment—everyone felt it.

A presence too strong. Too overwhelming.

And in that instant, they knew.

This guy was a problem.