That chilling, eerie tone made Serena sound like an absolute psychopath.
The lead Hunter's pupils contracted sharply, his entire body trembling. "You wouldn't dare... The Panacea, I'm an A-rank Hunter. If you touch me, my brothers in The Predator's Den... they won't let you get away with this..."
Serena tilted her head. "Didn't you just say that Hunters care more about money than their own lives? I gave you a chance to make a profit, but you lacked the skills. Now, you have to pay with your life. Is there a problem with that?"
The lead Hunter's face drained of color. It felt as though a massive lump had formed in his throat, rendering him completely speechless.
Up in the ventilation shaft, Jasper Lancaster, who had been fully prepared to swoop in and play the hero, was left utterly speechless. "..."
Holy shit?!
He silently retracted his throwing knives, his eyes widening in shock beneath his mask.
He couldn't even stop himself from gasping.
Was this the true power of The Panacea?
Were these The Panacea's legendary concoctions?
She had literally just stood there, flicking her fingers, and a group of The Obsidian
Dark Web's top-ranked Hunters had silently collapsed to the floor?
She truly lived up to her role as the covert operative his sister had arranged!
She was definitely his sister's person!
Those methods, that unhinged energy-it was absolutely brilliant!
Just as Jasper was internally reeling from the display.
He suddenly saw the stunning, brooding woman in the black evening gown lift her gaze, staring dead at his hiding spot.
Her sharp, luminous eyes seemed to pierce through the shadows, locking right onto him.
Jasper froze.
No way.
He was Jasper, the top-ranked bounty hunter on The Obsidian Dark Web, widely known as The Grinning Wraith.
When it came to assassination and stealth, he had zero rivals in this world.
Well, aside from his sister, of course!
But this Panacea.
She was just a pharmacist.
How could she possibly... sense his presence?
Maybe... The Panacea wasn't actually looking at him. Maybe she just happened to glance in his general direction?
Just as Jasper was trying to rationalize it, The Panacea's icy voice echoed through the hall. "Have you seen enough?"
"Are you going to come out?"
Jasper: "!!!"
The Panacea actually... found him!
His face twitched violently beneath the mask.
Not only was The Panacea a master of toxins, but her situational awareness was incredibly terrifying too?
Since he was already busted, Jasper decided there was no point in hiding. With a loud clatter.
He kicked open the ventilation grate, dropping down with effortless grace and landing squarely in the corridor.
Jasper straightened his posture, raising a hand to adjust the smiling mask on his face.
Beneath the mask, a charming, devil-may-care smirk tugged at his lips. "The Panacea truly lives up to the rumors."
He threw his hands up in a mock surrender, his tone playful and
laid-back "You already took the net
out so you can't hit me. I'm not with them."
Serena raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing the man standing before her.
He wore a long black trench coat and a silver-grey mask featuring a smiling face.
The smile on that mask was both eerie and wildly exaggerated.
It was an incredibly iconic look.
Serena naturally recognized his identity-The Grinning Wraith.
The top bounty hunter broker on The Obsidian Dark Web.
Serena narrowed her striking eyes.
For some inexplicable reason...
Watching him step out of the
Vol
shadows, noting his build, his confident stride, and the teasing glinton his eyes visible through the mask. Content Belongs
She couldn't help but feel a strange, lingering sense of familiarity.
Especially that deeply punchable attitude.
It felt way too familiar.
Most importantly, from the very beginning, this man hadn't directed a single ounce of murderous intent toward her.
Even when those Hunters had made
earlier, it felt more
khe
was waiting for the night moment to
out and save her.