Chapter 82: The Hunter Appears

Inside Brooklyn Warehouse No. 3

Two mercenaries roughly dragged the unconscious Rhys out of the vehicle and threw him onto the concrete floor.

"Tie him up!"

Stinger ordered with a cold laugh.

The mercenaries immediately pulled out zip ties, binding Rhys's hands behind his back and wrapping another around his ankles.

After finishing, they dragged Rhys to a support column in the center of the warehouse and dumped him against the wall.

"Commander Stinger."

Elena walked over to Stinger in her high heels, her face full of smug satisfaction.

"This Rhys Vanderbilt is ridiculously stupid. I just played weak and shed a few tears, and he believed everything."

She sneered, her eyes full of contempt.

"This kind of trash gets to be the heir of the Vanderbilt family? What a joke."

Stinger removed his mask, revealing a scar-riddled face and a flash of cruelty in his eyes.

"Idiots are easier to control. The smarter someone is, the harder they are to deal with."

He walked over to the unconscious Rhys, crouched down, and patted Rhys's face.

"Sleep well. When you wake up, that precious sister of yours will hand over all the Vanderbilt family's core assets."

"And then..."

Stinger stood up and turned to look at Elena.

"Sophia and this piece of trash will both be useless. By then... they'll make perfect hostages to use against Leo."

"That so-called Reaper..."

A vicious glint flashed in Stinger's eyes.

"I want to see what price he'll pay to save these two!"

"Exactly!"

Elena smiled seductively. "So what if Leo is strong? If he makes a move, we'll kill the hostages. I don't believe he can..."

Before she could finish.

"BANG!"

A deafening explosion suddenly erupted at the warehouse entrance!

The heavy steel door, welded from thick metal plates, was kicked off its hinges from outside by a terrifying force!

The heavy door, as if hit by a cannonball, flew completely off its frame, tumoring through the air into the warehouse interior, crashing to the ground with a thunderous "BOOM," kicking up clouds of dust.

Before the dust settled.

A tall figure, hands in his coat pockets, a cigar in his mouth, walked in slowly, stepping on the door still trembling on the ground.

Moonlight streamed in from behind, stretching his shadow impossibly long.

Leo.

Behind him, Olivia and three Shadow squad members appeared like silent death gods, their gun barrels already locked onto every target in the warehouse.

"Your little show..."

Leo exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes coldly sweeping over Stinger and Elena, who were frozen in terror.

"It's over. Now it's my turn."

"Leo!"

Stinger's pupils contracted sharply, instinctively stepping back. "Impossible... how can you be here?!"

He whipped his head around to look at Elena.

"You were exposed?!"

"No... impossible..."

Elena's face went deathly pale, her whole body trembling.

"I was so careful the entire way... no one was following... how could..."

"Idiot."

Leo sneered and flicked his ash.

"From the second you injected Rhys with that sedative, this trap... had already closed."

"What?!"

Elena spun around sharply, looking at the still "unconscious" Rhys.

Could it be...

"That's right."

Leo said flatly. "You thought he was really out?"

As soon as he finished speaking.

The Rhys, who had been slumped against the pillar with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

His eyes were clear—not a trace of unconsciousness.

"Surprise?"

Rhys looked coldly at Elena, his eyes full of bone-deep hatred. "You bitch!"

"You... you..."

Elena felt like she'd fallen into an ice cave.

So from the very beginning...

She was the prey!

"Kill them!"

Stinger reacted quickly, immediately roaring at the dozen mercenaries.

"Open fire! Kill them all!"

"Tat-tat-tat..."

Over a dozen automatic rifles spat fire simultaneously.

Dense bullets poured out like a rainstorm, aimed straight at Leo!

However.

Leo merely shifted slightly.

His figure moved like a ghost through the hail of bullets.

Every dodge was precise to the extreme.

Bullets grazed the corners of his coat, punching holes in the wall behind him.

But not a single one could touch his body.

"This... this is impossible..."

Stinger's eyes widened, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Human reaction speed...

How could it be this fast?

"BANG! BANG! BANG!"

Just then, three muffled sniper shots rang out from the steel beams high in the warehouse.

Shadow squad snipers had already taken position.

Three mercenaries on the perimeter holding heavy machine guns had their foreheads explode with blood simultaneously, their headless bodies crashing to the ground.

"Ahhh!"

The other mercenaries were scared out of their wits by this sudden turn of events.

But they were all battle-hardened veterans—they immediately dove for cover and tried to return fire.

However.

Leo had already closed in.

He charged into the crowd like a Reaper straight out of hell.

No gun drawn.

Just his fists.

"BANG!"

The first punch landed on a mercenary's chest.

"CRACK!"

Ribs shattered on impact, the man flying backward like a cannonball, slamming hard into the metal wall, and was knocked out cold on the spot.

"BANG!"

The second kick hit another mercenary's knee.

"CRACK!"

The kneecap shattered completely, the man screaming as he collapsed to the ground.

Before he could continue screaming.

Leo chopped the back of his neck with one hand.

He passed out completely.

Three punches.

Two kicks.

Less than ten seconds.

Over a dozen fully armed, battle-hardened mercenaries all lay in pools of blood.

The sounds of breaking bones, screams, and weapons clattering to the floor... wove together into a brutal symphony of death.

The entire warehouse fell into deathly silence.

Only Stinger and Elena remained standing.

"...Monster..."

Stinger trembled all over, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

He'd been with the Nightfall organization for so many years and had seen countless strong fighters.

But someone like Leo...

Simply wasn't human!

"Your turn."

Leo dusted off his hands, though there was no dust, and slowly walked toward Stinger.

"No... don't come closer..."

Stinger backed away in terror.

Suddenly, a vicious glint flashed in his eyes.

"Die!"

He suddenly drew a special military knife from his waist and stabbed viciously toward Leo's heart!

This was a custom weapon he'd bought from a South American black market.

The blade was coated with deadly poison—just breaking the skin would mean certain death within three minutes!

However.

Leo didn't even glance at him.

He simply raised his right hand casually.

Two fingers easily caught the rushing blade tip.

"That's it?"

Leo said flatly.

"Wha..."

Before Stinger could finish.

"CRACK!"

Leo's fingers applied pressure.

The custom military knife snapped in two.

Immediately after.

"BANG!"

A heavy kick slammed into Stinger's right knee.

"CRACK!"

The kneecap shattered completely.

"AHHHHH!!"

Stinger screamed and collapsed to the ground.

Leo didn't stop.

"BANG!"

Another kick.

The left kneecap also shattered.

"Ahh..."

Stinger collapsed completely, his body soaked in cold sweat.

With both kneecaps completely shattered, for the rest of his life...

He would never stand again.

"Olivia."

Leo didn't turn around.

"Here."

Olivia immediately stepped forward.

"Take him. Work him over. I want all the intel on Nightfall's South American bases."

"Yes!"

Olivia made a gesture.

Two Shadow squad members immediately stepped forward, lifted Stinger, and dragged him outside.

"No... don't..."

Stinger struggled desperately, but it was useless.

At this moment.

Only Leo, Rhys, and Elena, who had collapsed on the ground, remained in the warehouse.

"Leo..."

Elena watched Leo approach step by step, completely terrified.

She bit her lip, suddenly dropped to her knees, hands on the ground, putting on a pitiful act.

"Please... spare me..."

"I was forced too... Nightfall threatened me... if I didn't obey, they'd kill my whole family..."

"I really had no choice..."

"And I was sincere with Rhys, I really love him..."

"Please... for the sake of our past love..."

She raised her head, looking at Rhys tied by the pillar, her eyes full of deep affection and tears.

"Rhys, you believe me, right? I love you... all that was just acting... I was forced..."

However.

Before she could continue her performance.

A foot stomped hard on her face.

Crushing her to the ground.

It was Rhys.

He'd somehow freed himself from his restraints and now looked down at Elena with a twisted expression.

"Love me?"

Rhys sneered. "You think you deserve to talk about love?"

He lifted his foot and stomped down hard again.

"You killed the real Elena!"

"You got close to me to use me!"

"You said you'd stay with me forever, then turned around and tried to kidnap me to threaten my sister!"

"A bitch like you..."

"How dare you talk about love?"

Elena was stomped speechless, tears streaming down her face.

But her eyes suddenly flashed with viciousness.

Just as Rhys let his guard down in his rage.

Elena suddenly rolled over!

In her hand appeared a compact pistol from nowhere!

It was her last weapon, hidden against her inner thigh!

"Die!"

She aimed at Rhys's head and pulled the trigger hard!