Chapter 9 uninvited Guest

The woman grabbed Kane’s arm tightly, her voice trembling as if he were her last hope in the world. “There’s a huge cockroach in my room! Please, you have to help me!”

Kane blinked, trying to process her words. “A… cockroach?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed desperately. “It’s enormous and it’s hiding somewhere in there! I can’t go back until it’s gone!”

Kane sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Of all the things to be dragged into after the night he had just experienced, this was what awaited him. “Fine,” he muttered.

Before he could say anything else, she dragged him down the hallway to her room, still clinging tightly to his arm. When they stepped inside, Kane could hardly believe his eyes. The room was a complete disaster zone. Pillows were scattered across the floor, a lamp leaned at a dangerous angle on the desk, and clothes were piled haphazardly on the bed.

“Where did you last see it?” Kane asked, scanning the messy room carefully.

“Under the desk,” she replied, pointing with a shaky hand as though the insect were some kind of demon.

Kane rolled his eyes, crouched near the desk, and moved forward. “Alright, let’s see what we’re dealing with here.”

Just as he leaned in, the cockroach suddenly bolted out from under the desk, its shiny body glinting under the dim light.

“Oh my God!” the woman shrieked, stumbling backward in terror.

The cockroach, as if offended by the loud noise, immediately made a run for the door. Kane lunged to block its escape, but before he could grab it, she panicked and grabbed the back of his shirt, yanking hard.

Riiip.

The sound of fabric tearing filled the room. The next moment, both of them crashed to the floor. Kane landed flat on his back while she fell right on top of him.

For a brief moment, everything froze. His shirt hung in tatters, leaving his muscular chest and well-defined abs completely exposed. Her wide eyes locked onto his body, and she stared without blinking.

She kept staring at his abs.

“Uh…” Kane cleared his throat, trying to break the awkward silence. “You okay there?”

She snapped her eyes back to him, and her face turned bright red. “Oh! Yes, I—um—sorry!” She scrambled off him so fast that she almost tripped over her own feet.

Kane sat up, brushing himself off while glancing at his ruined shirt. By the time he looked around the room, the cockroach had already disappeared, probably halfway across the building by now.

“Great,” he said, standing up and brushing the dust off his pants. “Your giant cockroach is officially someone else’s problem now.”

She bit her lip, looking sheepish. “I… I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

Kane shook his head. “Next time, try not to destroy my wardrobe while you’re freaking out over a bug.”

She crossed her arms, a small pout forming on her lips. “Well, maybe next time you should catch it faster.”

As Kane reached for the door and prepared to leave her room, the woman called out again, stopping him in his tracks.

“Wait,” she said. “I’m Delilah. Delilah Carter.”

Kane turned back and gave her a brief nod, hoping that would end the conversation. But he was wrong.

“And you are?” she asked, tilting her head slightly with clear curiosity in her eyes.

“Kane Draven,” he replied. “Kane Draven.”

“Kane Draven,” she repeated the name slowly. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked him up and down from head to toe. “I haven’t seen you around before. And from the way you look…” Her gaze lingered for a moment on his torn shirt and exposed muscular torso. “You don’t seem like an ordinary guy. Are you a soldier?”

Her curiosity only deepened as she stepped closer. “Did you just get here? What position do you hold?”

The questions kept coming one after another, so Kane let out a small sigh and tried to keep his patience intact. “If you’re done asking questions,” he said firmly, “I think I’ll be going now.”

Delilah blinked, clearly not expecting such a direct reply.

“Goodnight,” Kane said, leaving no room for further conversation. He walked away from her room and headed straight back to his own.

As he reached for the doorknob, a chill ran down his spine. The handle had already been turned—someone had entered his room while he was gone. Even though the lights were still out and the hallway remained completely silent, Kane understood the situation immediately. He pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside without making a single sound.

The room was pitch black, but he did not need light to know he was not alone. He could sense the faint sound of breathing and the subtle shifts of weight on the floorboards.

Before he could move further, he heard the faintest shuffle behind him as someone wound up to strike. Without hesitation, Kane spun around and delivered a powerful punch. The man crumpled to the ground instantly.

Then came the click of the door locking behind him.

Kane turned back and found himself surrounded. Six men stood in the darkness, all armed. Their knives glinted faintly in the little light that came through the window. One of them swung a heavy chain menacingly.

But they had no idea who they were dealing with.

As the former captain of the Valkyrie Unit and direct disciple of the world’s best fighter, Kane had undergone the most grueling training imaginable. His vision in complete darkness was sharper than most people’s in broad daylight, and taking down multiple opponents was one of the easiest things for him.

The first man lunged forward, aiming his knife at Kane’s side. Kane sidestepped effortlessly, grabbed the man’s wrist, and twisted it until a loud crack echoed through the room. The attacker howled in pain as Kane disarmed him and sent him crashing into another man.

Two down.

Another attacker came swinging the chain wildly. Kane ducked low, closed the distance in a blink, and drove his elbow straight into the man’s jaw. The attacker collapsed like a sack of bricks.

The fourth tried to sneak up from behind, but his footsteps were too loud for Kane’s trained ears. Kane turned, caught the man’s arm mid-swing, and slammed his knee hard into his gut. The man doubled over and dropped to the floor.

The remaining two men froze in place. Kane could practically smell their fear. They dropped their weapons and backed toward the door in a desperate attempt to flee.

“Not so fast,” Kane said coldly.

He grabbed a fallen stick from the floor and hurled it with deadly accuracy. It struck one man in the back of the knees, sending him sprawling. The other barely made it two steps before Kane caught up, pulled him down, and grabbed both by their collars. He hauled them up and slammed them hard against the wall.

“Who sent you?” Kane demanded, his voice low and dangerous.