Chapter 157
At the same time, Reginald had already landed as well.
His reflexes were startlingly fast. The moment he steadied himself, he immediately looked toward Lucinda. "Are you hurt?"
Lucinda shook her head. "No."
The instant her words fell, a furious roar erupted from behind. "Open fire!"
Zev had fallen down too. Now he was charging out from the other side with over a dozen of his trusted men, his face twisted with madness.
"No one's getting out of here alive today!"
As his words fell, a gunshot rang out—
Reginald's eyes darkened. Almost instinctively, he reached out and pulled Lucinda behind him.
The bullet grazed over their heads and struck the stone wall, sending sparks flying.
"Stay down."
His low voice sounded in her ear. Lucinda was about to say she didn't need protection when Reginald had already charged forward.
He moved like a hunting leopard, swift and deadly. In the blink of an eye, he'd plunged into the crowd.
One punch. The burly man at the front was sent flying into the wall. The sound of shattering bone was unmistakable.
Zev's face changed. He shouted, "Stop him!"
But they couldn't.
Right now, Reginald was like a beast tearing off its disguise. Every strike was ruthless and lethal.
In just over ten seconds, several men had already fallen.
Cold sweat broke out on Zev's forehead.
He finally understood why the Dusk Reign Crew had been able to establish itself in Sylvanor.
This man himself was the greatest deterrent.
Meanwhile, Lucinda hadn't rashly joined the close-quarters combat.
She stayed hidden in the shadows, calmly observing the battlefield.
Just then, her eyes narrowed. A Black Wolf Crew member had quietly circled behind Reginald. He slowly raised his gun, the barrel already aimed at Reginald's back.
Someone nearby noticed and shouted, "Watch out—!"
But it was too late. The man's face twisted into a vicious grin as he prepared to pull the trigger.
The next second—"Bang!"—a gunshot rang out. But the bullet precisely pierced through the man's forehead.
His eyes instantly went vacant. He fell straight backward.
Everyone froze.
Reginald whipped around. In the distance, Lucinda stood in the shadows, her slender hand holding a gun, her expression utterly calm.
A flicker of surprise crossed Reginald's eyes.
So her marksmanship was this good.
In the moment everyone was distracted, Reginald seized the opportunity. He stepped forward and grabbed Zev by the throat.
Zev's face changed drastically. He was still shouting, "Wait—"
A crisp "crack" echoed. The sound of bone snapping. Zev's eyes lost all light. His body collapsed heavily to the ground.
The underground chamber finally fell silent.
A few minutes later, the remaining enemies had been dealt with. The Dusk Reign Crew subordinates tactfully moved away to search for an exit, leaving the two of them alone.
Reginald walked toward Lucinda. In the dim light, she was crouched in a corner, inspecting her firearm with focused attention.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up. Her beautiful eyes reflected the faint glow. "Is it over?"
Reginald looked at her. Only after confirming she was unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief. "Are you all right?"
Lucinda blinked. "What could possibly be wrong with me?"
Reginald's gaze fell on the gun in her hand. Thinking back to those two shots, his heart still raced with lingering fear. "You've trained?"
Lucinda's lips curved slightly, her expression carrying a hint of laziness. "Just messing around."
Reginald was silent.
He felt a little helpless.
The kind of skill that could headshot an ambusher in one shot—she called it "messing around." Just how many hidden talents did this girl have?
After dealing with the enemies, they began searching for an exit.
The underground chamber wasn't large. The walls on all sides were cold metal, clearly a final escape room Zev had prepared.
Reginald found the control panel and tried activating the mechanism. He pressed several times, but there was no response.
Lucinda checked it over as well. Still, it wouldn't open.
Time ticked by. They practically turned the entire chamber upside down, but the mechanism remained stubbornly immovable.
After who knows how long, the gunfire outside gradually ceased. Silence returned. Only the sound of their breathing filled the air.
Reginald frowned. It seemed the situation was more troublesome than they'd anticipated.
Just then, an extremely soft sound came.
Lucinda's movements paused. Her expression stiffened slightly.
Reginald looked down at her. The tips of her ears had actually turned faintly red.
He raised an eyebrow, clearly realizing something. He chuckled softly. "Hungry?"
Lucinda was silent for two seconds, then nodded honestly. "A little."
A smile flickered in Reginald's eyes. It was rare to see her like this. He stood and began searching through the remaining supplies in the chamber.
Ten minutes later, he finally found half a bag of compressed biscuits and two bottles of water in the corner of a cabinet.
Not much. Clearly, Zev had prepared it for himself.
Reginald handed the biscuits over. "Eat first."
Lucinda shook her head. "You haven't eaten either. Split it in half. One half each."
Reginald had been about to say he wasn't hungry, but meeting her serious gaze, he ultimately gave in.
The two of them sat side by side against the wall, sharing the meager food. Dim light fell over them. The atmosphere was unexpectedly quiet.
After finishing, Lucinda was about to stand when Reginald suddenly reached out. She froze slightly. "What—"
Before she could finish, the man had already leaned closer. His warm fingertip gently brushed the corner of her lips.
Lucinda's body stilled.
"Crumbs."
Reginald spoke in a low voice. They were close—close enough to see each other's reflections in their eyes.
The air suddenly went quiet. Neither of them spoke.
A moment later, Reginald suddenly let out a low laugh. "Looks like I should thank Zev after all."
Lucinda's ears burned. She looked up and glared at him. "Reginald!"
"What?"
"Shut up."
Reginald's smile deepened, though his eyes were full of warmth. He obeyed her words and sat quietly.
After resting a while longer, Lucinda walked back to the control panel.
This time, she didn't try to force it open. Instead, she carefully observed every component's structure.
Time passed slowly. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Found it!"
Reginald immediately walked over. "What?"
Lucinda didn't explain. Her slender fingers moved rapidly across the control panel—disassembling, reconfiguring, entering codes. A series of movements flowed like water.
A few minutes later, the previously unresponsive control panel suddenly lit up with a green light.
The next second—"Rumble!"—a heavy mechanical sound echoed. The metal door that had been sealed shut for so long slowly opened. Light poured in from outside.
A flash of joy crossed Reginald's eyes. It really opened!
He looked at Lucinda. He couldn't count how many times he'd marveled at her now.
This girl was like a treasure chest. She knew medicine. She knew hacking. Her marksmanship was top-tier. She even understood mechanical systems. It seemed nothing could stump her.
Yet at the same time, looking at the newly opened exit, Reginald felt an inexplicable sense of loss.
The door had opened. It meant they had to leave.
And this unexpected time trapped together—it was over.