The ck-d man''s words caught Frank''s interest. "So you''re suggesting that you''re no lone ranger, but that there''s a major outfit supporting you?"


    Considering he had been set up, the ck-d man did not care about the rules just then and spilled the beans.


    It turned out that the outfit named X was filled with assassins like him, and he used to serve with the founder in foreign military forces. That was only the reason he joined them, but as it turned out, he was just being used like a tool!


    Frank nodded. "I guess you don''t even know why you were sent here."


    "I''m just a hired gun." The ck-d man nodded. "Check out my phone if you don''t believe me."


    He pointed at his own pocket, and seeing Frank nod, he took out his phone, unlocked the screen, and passed it to Frank. "See for yourself!"


    Frank tapped into the message logs to see that the ck-d man really was just


    a hired gun as he imed and was not a part of any conspiracy.


    "Where''s your handler?" Frank then asked. "Are they in Shagan?"


    "Yes-in fact, even the boss is in this very town. I''ll even take you to them!"


    In the outskirts of town, a thirtyish man was seated on a couch, fiddling with hisbat knife.


    Beside him was a blondedy with cargo nts, tactical boots, and ck tank top, speaking atrocious Draconian. "He''s not going to screw up, is he? Our target is already a bother, and her bodyguards even more so. Bullets won''t hurt an Ascendent-ranked individual, y''know."


    "You''re just being paranoid, Mariah!" The Bossughed. "The bullets I gave him are modified and fundamentally different from conventional bullets. It''s so fast that most Ascendant ranks won''t even be able to catch it."


    Just as he finished, a man quietly appeared before them, smirking. "Is that so? Then I guess I''m not like most Ascendant ranks."


    Both Mariah and The Boss were shocked, with Mariah frowning. "H-How did you find us?!"


    "I brought him here, naturally!" the ck-d man snapped as he appeared, ring at the both of them hostilely.


    "Why would you betray us?!" The Boss bellowed.


    The ck-d manughed. "Ask yourself, sir. You had my unquestioning loyalty until you sent me after a man whom I can''t win against."


    The Bossughed despite himself. "I took everything into ount, aside from that concerning wit of yours!


    "Compared to the other maggots,


    you''re so strong that you give me the creeps. I''d never send you to


    your death even if it were for ou


    "Would be so powerful, right?" the ck-d man answered for him. "I heard everything you said. I won''t deny that you''re reluctant to send me to my death, but your


    arrangement was the isset


    and a


    big one at that!  s?novel


    "Whatever made you think that our target would lose? In the end, you''re just using


    me to bet on how powerful they are!"


    The Boss could not argue, and he turned to give Mariah a look.


    Mariah drew her gun without


    another word, but even before she could pull the trigger, it shattered into tiny pieces by an invincible force.


    "Well, I''m going to die anyway... Let''s go!"


    Clearly not easily broken, she whipped out two daggers and charged at Frank,


    who was amused enough to parry her.


    He also refrained from using his full strength or his superpowers, but as it turned out, Mariah had no cultivation to speak of.


    She was only slightly stronger than the average person and ended up firmly


    beneath Frank''s foot after just a couple of blows.


    "Come at me all you want. I''m your bitch if I even blink once!"


    Frank smiled in wry amusement. "You really know how things work around here despiteing from abroad, huh? I''m impressed."