Two attackers advanced at the same time, one pressing straight from the front while the other angled in from the side, their movements clearly meant to close his space and force a mistake. Their coordination wasn't refined, but it was enough to pressure an ordinary person into panic.
Lin Kael did not move.
The moment they stepped within range, his Spirit Sense expanded outward, locking onto all four of them. Their positions settled into his awareness with unnatural clarity. The rhythm of their steps, the direction of their weight, even the intent behind their movements—everything was laid out before him in a way that required no effort to interpret.
The first attacker committed fully, his strike already halfway through its arc.
Lin Kael looked at him and released a Spirit attack.
It landed without resistance.
The man's body stiffened mid-motion as if something had abruptly cut through his control. His expression twisted, and a broken sound forced its way out of his throat as blood spilled from his nose and mouth. His balance gave out immediately, and he collapsed heavily onto the ground, his body still twitching faintly.
The second attacker saw it happen.
His mind blanked for a split second.
He had expected resistance, maybe a struggle, but not this. Spirit Walkers existed—everyone knew that—but newly awakened ones weren't supposed to act like this. There was usually hesitation, loss of control, wasted effort.
This had none of that.
But he was already too close to stop.
Lin Kael shifted his focus.
A length of rusted steel near the wall lifted abruptly, pulled free as if yanked by an unseen force. It shot forward and wrapped around the attacker's torso, locking his arms in place before he could react. The metal tightened as soon as it settled, compressing inward and forcing the air out of his lungs.
The man tried to struggle, but the more he moved, the tighter the steel constricted. His muscles strained against it uselessly, his movement completely suppressed.
Behind him, the remaining two hesitated.
The situation had changed too quickly for them to process.
One of them forced himself to move anyway, stepping forward as if trying to break the momentum before it settled completely.
Lin Kael's gaze met his.
Another Spirit attack followed.
This one struck deeper.
The man's body jerked violently as the force hit, his senses overwhelmed in an instant. Blood flowed from his nose, then from his ears, his expression collapsing as his control vanished. He dropped where he stood, unable to even brace himself.
The last attacker stopped.
The alley had gone quiet, but not empty. The presence in front of him hadn't changed position, yet the pressure it carried was now impossible to ignore.
They had been told this would be simple.
A warning at most.
Nothing about this was simple.
"You… already awakened?" he asked, his voice unsteady.
Lin Kael looked at him. "Just today."
The answer only made it worse.
The man felt his chest tighten. Newly awakened Spirit Walkers didn't move like this. They didn't use their abilities this cleanly, didn't control multiple targets without hesitation. What stood in front of him wasn't something he had been prepared for.
He took a step back without realizing it.
Lin Kael didn't follow. Instead, a layer of pressure spread outward—not as sharp as his earlier attacks, but broader, heavier. It pressed down steadily, seeping into the man's body and throwing off his breathing, his balance, even the coordination of his limbs.
The man tried to resist.
His muscles tensed instinctively, but nothing responded the way it should.
His legs gave out first.
He dropped, barely managing to catch himself before collapsing completely, his strength slipping away as the pressure continued to weigh down on him.
Silence gradually returned to the alley.
Lin Kael remained where he was for a brief moment, letting the force withdraw on its own. The strain lingered faintly, like the dull fatigue after sustained effort, but everything remained within control.
His gaze swept over the four figures on the ground.
None of them were getting up any time soon.
He turned toward the alley exit, but his thoughts had already moved ahead. The coordination, the timing, the location—it was too deliberate to be random. This wasn't a chance encounter or a simple grudge taken too far.
Someone had arranged it.
And among those who had both the motive and the means, there weren't many possibilities.
Zhao Kai.
Lin Kael's steps slowed slightly.
"Zhao Kai. If it weren't for my timely awakening, the consequences would have been devastating. I originally didn't want to bother with you, but since you refused the path to heaven and instead stormed right into hell's gate… you're doomed to pay the price."