Chapter 363 53: Not a Single One of You Will Leave

Within the Deep Sea organization, there were five tiers of assassins: Nether Bird, Poison Scorpion, Devouring Tiger, Frenzied Shark, and Abyssal Whale.

Advancement to each tier required accumulating sufficient mission ratings. Rumor had it that even those at the Superpower Level had to abide by this rule, starting from the first tier, Nether Bird, and working their way up.

Gecko was a formidable, Level 3 assassin of the Devouring Tiger tier. He had assassinated over a dozen peak Elite Level experts and had even succeeded in killing an Alliance Country city councilor who was under the protection of a Superpower Level individual. His methods were nothing short of brilliant.

"Heh, still as cautious as ever, huh?"

The man nicknamed Gecko chuckled but stopped in his tracks all the same.

His body seemed to melt into the darkness, leaving only a transparent, human-shaped silhouette. He tilted his head, gesturing toward the landscaped grounds of the villa below. "Still, quite a crowd has shown up today."

"See that? The Wolf Lizard brothers are here, too."

Oh?

Hunting Dog glanced over. Sure enough, in the strip of greenery along the road outside the target villa, he spotted a dark figure stealthily drawing near.

The Wolf Lizard brothers weren't assassins from Deep Sea—they belonged to the Blood Alliance—but they had quite a reputation on the Dark Web. Their strength was on par with his and Gecko's.

They were blood brothers, and both had awakened beast-transformation abilities. Their power was right on the cusp of the Superpower Level.

Rumor had it they once fought a Martial Artist together and managed to escape unscathed.

"There's more."

Gecko's gaze shifted as he gestured toward the man-made lake below.

A figure seemed to have slipped into it from some hidden channel, creating only the slightest of ripples on the surface.

"Green Frog is here, too."

At these words, Gecko, who was several meters away, frowned, a flicker of apprehension in his eyes.

A core member of the Dark Web assassin organization, Black Whistle. His strength was on par with Hunting Dog's own. He possessed a unique poison-based ability and was a master of stealth. It was even rumored he'd once injured a Superpower Level individual in a sneak attack.

'Looks like tonight's going to be a long one,' he lamented. 'When was the last time this many of us gathered for a hit? Was it that corporate consultant, or a city councilor?'

'I wonder if any other Superpower Level assassins will show up tonight.'

The man named Hunting Dog frowned at the thought, a scenario he clearly didn't want to entertain.

They had come all this way for the bounty money, after all.

If a Superpower Level assassin really showed up, what scraps would be left for the rest of them?

As he mulled this over, the air beside him stirred.

He glanced over warily, only to see that Gecko had vanished. He'd clearly moved to a new hiding spot.

With his chameleon-like abilities, Gecko was a tricky opponent. He could even suppress his own aura and heat signature, making him nearly impossible to detect.

'Can't let him get the drop on me and snatch the prize.'

With that thought, Hunting Dog readjusted his rifle, peering through the night-vision scope. He fixed his sights on the target villa three hundred meters away, locking onto the first-floor living room—the easiest point of entry.

He knew there were plenty of heavy hitters here tonight; the ones he'd spotted were just a handful of them.

The Superpower Level individual guarding this place certainly had a reputation. Rumor had it that he'd recently teamed up with someone to kill a warlord.

But a cold smirk touched his lips.

They weren't here to fight the guard; their target, from start to finish, had always been the manager from the Hunter Guild.

Once he was dead, the mission would be complete, and the bounty would be easy money.

'Who's going to be the first to lose their nerve?' Hunting Dog wondered, his focus sharpening.

Time passed. The night sky grew darker, and clouds drifted lazily overhead.

Just as his own patience began to wear thin and he debated whether to pull the trigger and force everyone's hand...

SWISH!

The living room of the target villa suddenly flooded with light. The curtains, which had been drawn shut, were abruptly pulled aside.

His eyes snapped to the window.

A young man in a gray hoodie stood by the window, his forearms covered by silver bracers. He seemed to be gazing out at the night sky, admiring the view.

The sight stunned all those hiding in the darkness, Hunting Dog included.

Then, in the next instant, before anyone could react, the young man opened the window and spoke softly into the night.

He wasn't looking at any single person, nor was his gaze fixed on any particular hiding spot, yet his voice rang out with perfect clarity, echoing in the ears of all present.

"Gentlemen."

"I'm going to give you all a chance."

Lu Chao's expression was placid as his gaze swept over the area surrounding the man-made lake.

"Ten minutes."

"Leave within ten minutes, and I'll let this slide."

The night wind stirred, rustling the branches of the willows by the lake and scattering dead leaves across the lawn.

Lu Chao stood alone in the living room, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his hoodie. A faint smile touched his lips. "But after those ten minutes are up..."

"...not a single one of you is getting out of here."