Chapter 176 Bury you
Seven days had passed.
Seven days of relentless training had pushed Elbert to the very peak of human potential. His metabolism, a result from his transformation, had an astonishing 99% efficiency. He had become a weapon; his body a finely-tuned instrument of power.
Fifty drones with weapons could barely scratch him. His reflexes were instantaneous, his movements a blur, his mind a void of conscious thought as his body reacted with preternatural speed and precision.
His awareness had reached a level bordering on the supernatural. He could sense the slightest change in his environment, the subtlest shift in the air, the faintest tremor in the ground. He liked to imagine that even a mosquito, daring to land on his skin, would be detected instantly; dying before it could even take flight.
Seeing this display of superhuman ability, Robert could only shake his head in awe. Elbert had surpassed even his wildest expectations.
"Elbert," Robert said in concern. "There's been a development. Some… complications regarding your fan club."
A news report flickered to life on a nearby screen.
"Earlier this hour," the news anchor announced, her voice crisp and professional, "A violent brawl broke out at Luminous Hall, Wavehaven's premier nightclub. Eyewitness accounts describe a chaotic scene involving over a hundred individuals."
Images flashed across the screen: shattered glass at the club's entrance, the luxurious interior reduced to a wreck of overturned furniture and broken glass.
Elbert's eyes narrowed. He knew exactly what this meant; Luminous Hall was the Black Fox gang's stronghold. An incident of this magnitude could only mean one thing: a full-blown turf war. Judging by the club's state, the Black Foxes had lost.
He clenched his fists, power coursing through his veins. This was an opportunity; a chance to test his newfound strength.
"Don't get your hopes up," Robert cautioned, reading his thoughts. "They're just street thugs, Elbert. It won't do much for your evolution."
"They'll do for a warm-up," Elbert growled, his eyes dangerous. "No one messes with my city. It seems the name Paul Two doesn't carry enough weight."
Far across the ocean in the quaint town of Rio, nestled in Victoria's Dek State rolling fields was an old man in a rustic farmhouse. His silver hair gleamed in the sunlight through the window as he fumbled for his reading glasses on the table.
Putting them on, he peered at the antique telegraph machine before him, his brow furrowed in thought. After a moment, he sighed, licked his lips, and tapped out a message in a complex code: [Dear Kofi Daller, how are you?]
A loud crash startled him. The wooden door swung open, revealing a young man with a flushed face, his clothes disheveled.
"Mr. Barney," the young man gasped, "we have a situation!"
"Calm yourself, my boy," the old man said, adjusting his glasses. "Tell me what happened."
"We've located the Spade King," the young man said, his voice trembling with excitement and fear. "He was attacked in Veridiania, seriously injured. He's currently being held in Wavehaven."
"I see…" the old man murmured, stroking his chin. "Anything else?"
"The Veridiania police are being tight-lipped. This is all I could gather." The young man hesitated before adding, "However… I suspect Paul Three is involved. The cyborg."
The old man nodded slowly, gesturing toward the young man. "Come closer, my boy."
The young man stepped forward, smiling.
A deafening bang echoed through the room. He crumpled to the floor, a bullet hole in his forehead as his smle froze in place.
The old man calmly retrieved his hand from beneath the table, a silver revolver in his grasp. Smoke curled from the barrel.
He stood up, his movements slow and deliberate as he walked toward the body.
"Foolish boy," he muttered, his voice a low growl. "How many times have I told you? Never come here and seek me out."
He stared down at the lifeless eyes with a furious look.
"And don't call me Barney!" he snarled. "Mr. Box. It's Mr. Box!"
He spat on the corpse.
"Not that it matters now," he muttered, his voice regaining its calm. "You won't get another chance."
He returned to his seat and resumed typing on the telegraph machine.
He tapped out, his fingers moving with practiced ease.
[Dear Kofi, our failure to eliminate the target has proven… detrimental to our reputation. This is no longer about the money.]
A moment later, the machine beeped out clicks of a reply.
A message appeared.
[Respected Mr. Box, Veridiania's security has loosened. We can proceed.]
The old man typed, smiling unnervingly.
[Dear Kofi, the sun shines so brightly, but those who dare to dim its light… I'll move heaven and earth to see them extinguished.]
The reply came after a big pause.
[Mr. Box… are you suggesting the Death Order?]
Barney typed: [My heart is pure, Kofi. I have no ulterior motives. I simply desire his demise.]
Kofi replied: [Very well. It shall be done.]
The old man, Barney, known in the darkest corners of the world as Mr. Box, leaned back in his chair with cold and angry eyes. He was the mastermind behind the Card Club, the world's most feared network of assassins. He wouldn't rest until Paul Three was dead.
He turned to an old computer, its screen flickering with the glow of a digital spreadsheet. It was a list, constantly updated, of the world's top 100 assassins; ranked by reputation, skill, and success rate. The Card Club, a testament to its reach and influence, boasted an impressive fifty-four names on that list.
But even as he watched, two names, Spade 9 and Spade 7, flickered and vanished. Erased just like that.
Then, another name, Spade King, originally ranked 20th, began to fade.
Mr. Box yelled in fury, his rage erupting like a volcano. He grabbed his revolver and fired blindly, the deafening blasts echoing through the farmhouse as he shattered the computer screen into a thousand pieces.
"My poor lad!" he screamed, his voice raw with grief and rage. "That monster will pay!"
He slammed his fist on the table, his eyes burning with cold fire.
"If it's a war he wants," he hissed, "it's a war he'll get. I'll send wave after wave of my army until he's buried beneath their corpses!"
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