Simon had been holding back his rage for so long that the murderous aura around him was practically suffocating. He refused to believe that Joshua could handle these many highly skilled assassins and mercenaries all at once.
Besides, they were all equipped with top–tier weapons that Simon had paid a fortune to procure for them.
After the party ended, thepetition to narrow down from eighty contestants to fifty officially began.
Jasmine sat in her room, anxiety gnawing at her. Even though Damien was there to keep herpany, she couldn’t shake off her worries.
When thepetition started, Shermaine had already taken her seat at the gambling table. She wasn’t wearing a dress this time–instead, she sported an all–ck outfit with her blue hair pulled up high in a ponytail.
This heroic, spirited look attracted another wave of admirers who werepletely smitten with her appearance.
At this point, nobody was really paying attention to the actualpetition. Everyone desperately wanted the live stream cameras to stay focused on Shermaine so they could feast their eyes on her to their heart’s content.
Shermaine held her cards in her hands, but her gaze couldn’t help drifting toward the area outside the auditorium.
Joshua was nowhere to be seen outside the auditorium. After a quick nce, she pulled her attention back to the gam
But that’single nce didn’t escape Simon’s notice.
His eyes gleamed with meaningful intent. ‘So Boa was worried about that man, wasn’t she? Of course she would be. After all, Boa cared so deeply about that guy. It was truly maddening to watch.
Shermaine couldn’t be bothered to guess what Simon was thinking. Her focus returned to the card table, and after the dealer dealt another round, she pushed all her chips forward.
Meanwhile, Joshua, unable to attend the game, was surrounded by a crowd. No idler could approach this area, and the ship’s security simply ignored him. They wouldn’t interfere unless a VIP requested protection.
The air hung thick with the metallic stench of blood. One attacker lunged at him from behind, but Joshua spun around and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick that sent the man flying.
With a loud bang, the body sailed out of the cabin and plunged into the sea. The scream cut short.
Joshua’s trench coat billowed in the wind as his opponent aimed high–end mechanical equipment at him. The moment a redser dot appeared on his body, a curved de materialized in Joshua’s hand.
Before his enemy could pull the trigger, the knife flew through the air and plunged straight into the man’s heart.
The de moved too fast for anyone to dodge. Another one down. This seemed almost too easy for Joshua.
“Boss, we’re here.<b>” </b>The Eagle Assassins arrived as backup.
Joshua retrieved his blood–stained curved de. “No survivors.”
“Yes, sir.”
A drunk man stumbled out of the restroom in a daze, and when he saw the carnage, he nearly wet himself <b>from </b>terror<b>. </b>‘Holy <b>shit</b>, it looked like a scene straight out of hell.‘
Bodiesy scattered across the floor- some dead, others badly wounded and unable to get up.
The man sobered up instantly, and when he noticed someone’s <b>gaze </b>on him, he stammered, <b>“</b><b>Sorry </b><b>to bother </b><b>you</b>, <b>goodbye</b>!”
<b>1/2 </b>
07:37 Thu, 10 <b>Jul </b>
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The tournament had been running for about an hour when the dealer slid another card across the felt. Shermaine didn’t even bother to look at it before
shoving all her chips forward.
Joshua’s business was wrapping up around the same time.
“Boss, we’re pretty much done here,” one of his assassins reported, stepping forward.
“Have Damien bring me a clean set of clothes,” Joshua said, washing the blood from his hands.
“Yes, sir.”
“And make sure you clean up the scene.”
“Got it.”
After Shermaine pushed all her chips into the center, her opponent across the table hesitated for a moment, nced at his cards again<b>, </b>then gritted his
teeth and decided to go for broke–he shoved his chips forward too.
The dealer gestured for Shermaine to reveal her cards.
Shermaine slowly flipped over her hand, taking her time with each card.
Outside the auditorium, Joshua had changed clothes and was now settling into one of the WVIP seats with deliberate ease.
His presence made everyone around him hold their breath–the man radiated an aura of overwhelming power, like a mountain bearing down on them.
Barrett and the others exchanged nces of amazement. Their ally was truly formidable. So many skilled opponents hade after him, and he’d taken them all down.
Shermaine noticed him too, ncing in his direction. Joshua pulled his hand from his pocket and formed a heart shape with his fingers, directing it at
her.
The onlookers exchanged nces, speechless. Somehow, the intimidating figure sitting beside them seemed almost approachable now.
Shermaine caught Joshua’s little heart gesture and allowed herself a faint smile before continuing to reveal her cards.
When all the cards were finally turned over, she had a straight flush.
The yer who had specifically challenged Shermaine went pale–he’d lost. His hand couldn’tpete with hers, which meant he was out of the game.
Shermaine sailed into the top–fifty tournament without a hitch.
But when Simon spotted Joshua, his expression shifted through a dozen emotions. Those idiots still couldn’t take him down.
<b>212 </b>