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Chapter 297: That’s them
The air changed. The dry, ancient stone smell of the castle vanished, replaced by the damp, metallic tang of Necrus. Raindrops, fine and cold, immediately misted Kyle's face. He stood on a flat, tarred rooftop, the city sprawling around them, a mess of dark buildings and flickering neon signs under a sky Viv appeared a second later, a grin already splitting her face as she breathed in the city air. "Ah, home sweet hell," she muttered, stretching her arms. "Smells like desperation and bad noodles. I missed it." Kyle ignored her. He walked to the edge of the rooftop, crouching low. The Tiger Guild liaison office was across the narrow street, three floors up in a grey, utilitarian building. Lights burned in a few windows, muted behind rain-streaked glass. Katherine’s schematics indicated the trackers’ main workspace was on the second floor, rear-facing offices. "Target acquired," Kyle said, his voice flat. He pointed. "Second floor. Two primary targets there, according to the chip. Ano
Chapter 296: Now I make mine
A week crawled by. The rhythm of the castle settled into a strange routine. Training. Meals. Silence. The clang of steel echoed across the training ground. Kyle ducked under Arachne’s swift, slicing attack, the air whispering where the blade passed his ear. He pivoted, trying the low block she showed him, deflecting her follow-up thrust. The impact jarred his arm, but the block held. ’Better. Still too slow.’ Arachne flowed backwards, resetting instantly. Her expression held no praise, only assessment. Kyle shifted his stance, breathing deliberately, trying to mimic the rootedness she possessed. He felt less like a flailing monkey now, more like a slightly clumsy bear trying to dance. Progress. Small, infuriatingly slow progress. Across the packed earth, Viv drilled knife forms, her movements sharp, aggressive. She occasionally barked corrections at Natalie, who practiced staff strikes against a thick wooden post. Natalie's movements were gaining confidence, her footing surer, th
Chapter 295: You’re just stuck with me
Three days. Three long, nerve-shredding days since Kyle's unsettling visit. Katherine’s fingers hovered over the encrypted datachip on her desk. The information was there – names, affiliations, suspected abilities of key Association Hunters. A list that felt heavier than lead. Each byte of data was a potential death sentence, for them or for Kyle. Or for her, if this went wrong. ’He said he’d be in touch,’ she thought, chewing on her thumbnail. ’When? How?’ Every unexpected noise in the Guildhall made her jump. Every sideways glance from a colleague felt like an accusation. Her desk comm chimed, the sound sharp and sudden. She flinched. "Katherine, report to my office. Immediately." Zara’s voice, clipped and cold. No room for argument. Katherine’s blood ran cold. ’Oh no.’ She knew that tone. It wasn’t about budget reports or overdue paperwork. It was the tone Zara used when something big, something bad, had hit the fan. ’She knows. Or she suspects.’ "On my way, guildmaster," sh
Chapter 294: Learning
The click of Katherine’s apartment door shutting behind him was a small, insignificant sound. He didn’t linger in the building’s sterile hallway. One moment he was there, the stale air tasting of city dust and old anxieties; the next, he stood in the cool, familiar stone passage of his castle. The shift was instantaneous, a ripple in reality only he perceived. ’A few days,’ Kyle thought, the echo of Katherine’s reluctant agreement still fresh. ’Too long. But necessary.’ The list was a risk for her, a certainty for him. He pushed the image of Katherine’s pale face and Bella’s knowing smirk from his mind. They were tools, distractions. Sounds of combat drew him forward – the sharp ring of steel on steel, grunts of effort, the thud of feet on packed earth. He walked through the archway and into the bright sunlight of the training ground. Arachne and Viv were sparring. They moved on from wooden practice weapons; real blades flashed between them now. Arachne, fluid and precise, her mo
Chapter 293: Selective Justice
Katherine’s shoulders sagged. The air in the apartment still felt thick with Kyle's unsettling presence, even after he agreed to her conditions – or at least, pretended to. "Alright," she said, her voice tired. "The list. But it won’t be quick. Accessing that level of Association data, bypassing their security without raising alarms... it’ll take a few days. Minimum." He nodded, pushing himself up from the armchair. The casual movement didn’t match the cold calculation that moments before filled his eyes. "That’s fine," he said. "I have my own plans in the meantime." He didn’t elaborate. He never did. He walked towards the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. "Thanks, boss." Then he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him with a soft finality. Katherine stood there, staring at the closed door, the silence amplifying the thumping in her chest. The smell of spilled wine was sharp in the air. She finally let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. "Are you completel
Chapter 292: Are you in?
Kyle heard Katherine open the door, Bella’s voice, bright and a little too loud, spilling into the apartment. Bella. Of all people.Great. Just when he thought he had Katherine almost convinced, or at least scared enough to cooperate. This complicated things. He stayed put in the armchair, trying to look casual, like he just dropped by for a chat.Which was a lie. Everything about this was a lie. He heard Katherine’s flustered reply, the sound of someone trying to act normal when a walking catastrophe was sitting in her living room. He leaned back further, deliberately relaxing his shoulders.Bella would be in the archway any second. He wondered what her face would do when she saw him. Surprise? Amusement? Or that calculating look she got when she sniffed out trouble?"Oh, I was just, uh..." Katherine stammered from the doorway. "Just tidying up."Then Bella was there, framed in the archway, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow already starting to rise as she took in the scene. Her gaze fl
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