As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider.

The night was as dark as ink. Lin Chen, dressed in his usual black patrol uniform, walked slowly along the stone path around the teaching building, seemingly carrying out his night patrol as usual. However, his peripheral vision kept its eyes fixed on the main teaching building not far away—a full week had passed since his first exploration of the underground area.

During this week, he outwardly performed his duties diligently, following the patrol routes designated by Kurosawa every day, obeying the disciplinary team's orders without question, and even proactively reporting the fluctuations of the Orpheus factor in the patrol area to the sentries, completely dispelling any lingering suspicion Kurosawa had had when he accidentally wandered into the underground area last time. But deep down, his desire to explore the underground area never ceased.

Tonight was the time he had chosen to probe again. Taking advantage of the three-minute gap during the disciplinary team's shift change, Lin Chen slipped into the depths of the grove next to the teaching building, his figure blending into the heavy darkness. Following the route he had taken during his first infiltration, he quietly made his way towards the side door of the main teaching building, but as soon as he got close, his fingertips touched a cold, metallic texture—the wooden door, which had previously been only slightly ajar, was now fitted with a silver-gray electronic lock, its surface flashing a pale blue light, clearly requiring exclusive disciplinary team privileges to unlock.

Lin Chen's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He didn't attempt anything rashly, but quickly circled around to other entrances to the main teaching building. However, both the fire escape at the back and the side windows on the first floor were either sealed off by thick steel plates or fitted with similar electronic locks, leaving not a single gap. Undeterred, he stealthily made his way to the stairwell leading to the underground area. Just as he approached the corner, two cold gazes locked onto him instantly. Two disciplinary guards in black combat uniforms stepped forward, their specially made batons held horizontally in front of them, their tone stern: "This is a restricted area, not a designated patrol route. Leave immediately."

"Team members," Lin Chen immediately concealed his aura, adopted a respectful demeanor, and raised his hand to indicate that he meant no harm, "I discovered faint fluctuations of Orphea factor around the teaching building during my patrol. I was worried that an out-of-control species might have infiltrated, so I came to check for potential safety hazards. I did not intentionally trespass into the restricted area."

The two sentries exchanged a glance, their eyes still wary, but they did not obstruct them further. They simply said coldly, "The underground area is not for you to search. Return to your original patrol route immediately and do not linger."

Knowing it wasn't the right time to force his way in, Lin Chen bowed in agreement and turned to leave, but stopped behind a nearby landscape stone, using the shadows as cover. He spread his mental energy to its maximum, quietly observing the area around the main teaching building—the number of sentries at the underground stairwell had increased from one to two, and the patrol frequency of the disciplinary team within a fifty-meter radius of the building had doubled, with a patrol team passing by every five minutes. What concerned him even more was that several Orpheus factor detectors were concealed on the walls of the entire main teaching building, their pale blue detection signals covering almost every corner of the building.

Such tight security was no accident. A flicker of certainty flashed in Lin Chen's amber eyes in the night. Kurosawa's elaborate security upgrade was precisely to prevent outsiders from approaching the underground area, which confirmed his suspicions: the Earth Emperor's Belt, or an equally important secret, must be hidden in the core of the underground area. Suppressing his urgency, he quietly withdrew from the area around the main teaching building and returned to his patrol route. His mind was already racing; next time he infiltrated, he would need a more meticulous plan, figuring out the access permissions for the electronic locks, the shift changes at the sentries, and the blind spots of the detectors.

This week's nights weren't just about exploring the underground area. Orphnochs were rare in the academy; in seven days, Lin Chen only sensed two unusual movements, and on both occasions, he followed the scent to Onoue Takumi.

On one occasion, he even encountered an elite-level Orphnoch. The boy's transformed Faiz still had a bit of awkwardness, but he was much more skilled than when they first met. Every time he fought with Orphnoch, he gave it his all, and every move was aimed at eliminating the threat. Lin Chen was also pleasantly surprised by Onoue Takumi's progress.

Lin Chen remained hidden in the shadows until Ooue Takumi and the Orphnoch were locked in a fierce battle, both severely injured and unable to fight back. Then, Lin Chen appeared in his Tiger Orphnoch form and delivered the final blow, ending the life of the elite Orphnoch.

He intercepted the enemy twice, cleanly and swiftly. After each kill, he immediately retreated, his agile figure flashing into the night, leaving Onoue Takumi unable to even catch a trace of him. The system notification sounded precisely after each kill—[Ding! Killed an elite-level monster, gained 20 evolution points.]

Two kills yielded a total of thirty evolution points, bringing the total to forty points including the Orpheus he had previously intercepted. Without hesitation, Lin Chen added all of them to his constitution attribute. The numbers on the pale blue system panel instantly refreshed, his constitution attribute jumping from 24/88 to 28/94. A warm current spread through his limbs and bones, significantly improving his physical strength, physical defense, and wound healing speed. His lifespan, including the cost of three Orpheus transformations, also rose to 29 years, the bright red number giving Lin Chen even more confidence.

Longevity has become an obsession for him, which is why he is always committed to improving his physical condition.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Takumi Onoue's heart was already filled with a deep sense of vigilance because of the tiger-shaped Orphnoch that suddenly appeared and then disappeared.

Twitchie had twice hunted Orphnochs within a week, only to be thwarted at the last minute—this was no coincidence. He clearly remembered that the Orphnoch was incredibly powerful, covered in silver-black scales. A single swipe of its claws could easily shatter the skull of a low-ranking Orphnoch. Its movements were also incredibly swift; it appeared silently each time and retreated with unparalleled speed. What made him even more suspicious was that this Orphnoch's behavior completely defied the habits of its kind—it only killed Orphnochs, never attacking him, Faiz, even during their several close encounters, it never showed the slightest malice.

This apparent lack of malice only fueled Takumi Onoue's growing unease. In this academy controlled by the Orphnochs, nothing was ever left unpunished without a reason. The strange movements and unfathomable power of this tiger-shaped Orphnoch were like a ticking time bomb planted within the school. Its current inaction towards humans didn't mean it would never attack; once it revealed its malice, its power would undoubtedly bring annihilation to the human students.

As the user of Faiz, Takumi Onoue feels a responsibility to protect those around him, especially Yuri Tomoda. However, he cannot express this protectiveness to anyone, including Yuri.

During the day, the campus remained peaceful, with students strolling in twos and threes along the tree-lined paths, chatting and laughing, completely unaware of the dangers lurking beneath the cover of night. Onoue Takumi, as usual, accompanied Yuri to the photography club for a photoshoot, though occasionally he seemed lost in thought, a subtle hint of seriousness in his eyes.

"Takumi, what's wrong with you lately? You always seem distracted." Yuri Tomoda, holding her camera, looked at the boy beside her with a puzzled expression. "Last time you said you'd come with me to photograph the sycamore leaves, but you were always daydreaming. Is something bothering you?"

Takumi Onoue snapped out of his daze, immediately concealing the seriousness in his eyes, and gave a faint smile, shaking his head: "It's nothing, I've just been a little tired from classes lately and haven't been getting enough rest."

He could only use such an excuse to brush her off. The secret of transforming into Faiz, the truth about the Orphnochs on campus, and that strange tiger-shaped Orphnoch—these were all too dangerous. He didn't want Yuri to get involved; he just wanted her to live peacefully as an ordinary student, in this false peace.

Yuri looked at him, her eyes filled with doubt, but she didn't ask any more questions. She simply said softly, "Then you must get some rest and not overwork yourself."

Onoue Takumi nodded, but his gaze inadvertently swept over Lin Chen, who was patrolling not far away. He only glanced at him briefly before looking away. Although he knew that this man could also use the transformation belt, he was a member of the school's disciplinary team.

Every night, when the academy falls completely silent, Takumi Onoue would carry a backpack containing the Faiz belt and head alone to the most secluded abandoned warehouse on campus. There were no surveillance cameras or informants there, making it the perfect place for him to practice. He would transform into Faiz again and again, practicing punches, kicks, blocks, and dodges, refining his fighting skills and trying to control the power of his photon blood more precisely, making the release of his special moves increasingly skillful.

The warehouse floor was covered with fist marks and footprints of varying depths, and the metallic clang of armor clashing against the walls echoed repeatedly in the night. Sweat soaked his clothes, and the weight of the armor made his shoulders ache, but he never stopped.

The daytime perfunctory work is to protect the safety of those around me, while the nighttime arduous training is to deal with unknown potential threats.

He wasn't fighting the tiger-shaped Orphnoch, nor was he trying to prove his strength; he was simply making thorough preparations. If the tiger-shaped Orphnoch were to suddenly reveal its malice and attack the humans on campus, he hoped he would be strong enough to stop it, protect Yuri, and protect his innocent classmates.

As night deepened, the clanging of metal still echoed in the abandoned warehouse, and the silver-red armor gleamed with a resolute light in the dim moonlight. Not far away, on the tree-lined path, Lin Chen continued his patrol, his fingertips tracing the five-cent coin inside his collar, a simmering calm hidden in his eyes.

One human, one freak, one in the light, one in the shadows—both are silently gathering strength for the impending storm. Beneath the calm surface of Smart Brain Academy, undercurrents are already surging, waiting only for a trigger to erupt completely.