The muzzle of the semi-automatic pistol in Luna's hand swept across the burning room.The barrel passed over pools of thick blood, over Bravo's corpse with its caved-in skull, then down to Charlie's corpse with its torn tendon, and finally stopped on Alpha's corpse with a poisoned knife sticking out of its jaw. The smell of roasted flesh, stale blood, and cheap burning carpet immediately hit Luna's senses.Her eyes behind the thin-framed glasses widened. Her auditor's instincts tried to detect any traces of mana fluctuation, magic explosions, or residual demonic energy. But the tracking device on her tactical vest didn't even flicker.Three elite assassins were killed by pure physical violence. With an oxygen tank, broken glass, and a strangling cable.Luna swung her pistol, locking her sights directly on Han Jihan, who was collapsed in the corner of the room. The young man was huddled on the ash-covered marble floor, both hands covering his mouth, his eyes wide with panic."Jihan!" L

A rainstorm battered the rusted corrugated iron roof of the abandoned textile factory in Sector Four. The roaring sound of the pouring rain felt like nature's applause, welcoming a deadly performance.The dented iron door of the factory was kicked open. It creaked harshly, shattering the silence inside.Jihan stepped inside.Rainwater dripped from his hair and chin, mixing with dirt and dust. However, it wasn't his appearance that made the atmosphere inside the factory suddenly drop to freezing cold. It was his eyes. His scleras, which should have been white, were now pitch black, with irises that glowed, radiating a blood-red aura.In the middle of the dimly lit factory, under the flickering emergency lights, Jihan saw it.Dian, his sister, was tied to a wooden chair. She was deathly pale, still in a coma with a portable oxygen tube attached to her nose. Surrounding the fragile girl stood three heavily built elite mercenary Hunters, fully equipped with sharp weapons that gleamed, ref

The rainstorm still hadn't let up when the black SUV driven by Luna slammed on the brakes in a narrow, dark alley in Sector Nine. This district was the city's dumping ground, an area where the Association's laws never applied."Help me, Han! Grab my shoulder!" Luna ordered, hurriedly opening the car door.Jihan didn't answer. His breathing sounded like a broken whistle. He forcedhimself out of the passenger seat, cradling Dian tightly to his chest. As soon as his feet touched the dirty, flooded asphalt, his knees instantly gave out. If Luna hadn't immediately supported his waist, Jihan would have definitely collapsed.Luna supported Jihan and his sister through the narrow alley reeking of urine, stopping in front of a rusted iron door with no nameplate. Luna pounded on the door in a specific pattern. Three fast knocks, two slow ones.The door opened with a harsh creak. A bald, middle-aged man in a blood-stained doctor's coat stared at them from behind his safety glasses. He was Docto

The serrated throwing knife was still vibrating, stuck in the wooden bench rightbetween Jihan's left index and middle fingers.Jihan stared at the silver blade with empty eyes. He then turned to the dark corner of the waiting room, returning the gaze of the cowboy-hat-wearing man who had just thrown the knife. The man had accused him of being an Association dog.With slow and calm movements, Jihan pulled the knife out of the wood."Your sense of smell is broken, old man," Jihan replied coldly. His voice sounded hoarse. He threw the knife onto the concrete floor with a loud clank. "I'm here for blood and money. If you want trouble, wait until we meet in the octagon. I'll make sure you follow your friends to hell."The cowboy snorted cynically. The corners of his lips pulled up, forming a mocking smile. "Pretty arrogant for a walking corpse. Your breathing already sounds like a dying man. You think you can last five minutes in this arena?""Longer than the rest of your life, that's for

The sound of rifle butts slamming against the steel door rang out like a death knell."Open the door, you bastards! Or we'll shoot it up from the outside!" a raspy voice shouted from behind the locker room door. The pounding grew more ferocious, making the door hinges start to bend.Jihan turned to Luna. His face was still locked in that horrifying clown smile due to the System's penalty, but his eyes radiated pure urgency."We can't fight them all. Get on top of the lockers, right now!" Jihan whispered sharply.Luna didn't argue. Her survival instincts as a former field auditor took over. She stepped onto the filthy concrete sink, climbing up the row of rusted lockersthat stood six feet tall. Jihan followed closely behind her, forcing out his remaining strength and ignoring the aching pain in his joints. Above the lockers, pressed right against the concrete ceiling, was an air ventilation grate with rusted and loose screws."Help me pull this," Jihan hissed.They both slipped their