Chapter 445: Hostage


    ?


    Even as he died, Bass had no idea what exposed him.


    What he didn''t know was that the very first Title Ss received in this world was A Patient Stalker. He wasn''t a person with a normal amount of patience, and his focus was off the choice.


    What exposed Bass?


    He had paused for too long.


    If Bass knew this, he would likely cough up blood and die again. That was because the difference between this time and all the others was not even a half second.


    Unfortunately, his vision was already fading and there was no time for regret. Thest thing he saw was Ss'' figure shing by him and entering the cave that hid their checkpoint.


    ...


    Ss didn''t spare Bass another nce. Enchanted Schr had already activated and he sensed the Runes protecting the cave entrance.


    He analyzed them as he rushed toward it and thought of several solutions in just a few seconds.


    Whoever had set this formation up was too inferior. The Runes they used didn''t even have a dozen Foundations to them. It was barely more difficult than the first door of the introductory challenge of the Rune Mastery world.


    Ss slipped right through, his body swirling with stamped Runes. The formation didn''t even realize that he wasn''t a part of it as he rushed into the darkness.


    His visualization spread out and he inwardly shook his head.


    Not only was his visualization limited in water, but it had a hard time passing through rock. This sort of environment gave him very limited vision.


    He slowed down a touch and constricted his 50-meter visualization down to just ten. He felt that that would give him more than enough time to react, and he was correct.


    His figure suddenly shed and his elbow cut across the air.


    He was simply too fast. The guard was only barely standing there when Ss'' elbow copsed his throat.


    Ss spun to his back, wrapping his other arm around his neck and violently ripping to the side.


    The man''s head was rotated the wrong direction by the time he fell to the ground.


    ''Grappling is definitely my weakness.''


    Ss had this casual thought as he shot forward, moving swiftly.


    If he wanted to max out his Martial Arts, he would have to learn more than just kicking and punching. Striking was only one aspect of mixed martial arts.


    ...


    [Sunniva Ravenw (FFF)]


    [Level: 20]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    [Physical: 582]


    [Mental: 622]


    [Will: 711]


    "They should be back soon. They''re likely being tracked," Cher exined. "I think the Grimdes took a heavy risk this time sending out someone so powerful. One of their checkpoints is likelypromised. We need to take advantage."


    Cher had returned long before Bass because he was confident that he hadn''t been followed. But he was a bit anxious, mostly because Mysteer was holding the cargo, so if she waspromised, it would ruin this leg.


    Luckily, Mysteer came in soon after, sweating. After spending all day running around, trying to escape a tail she wasn''t even sure was there, it was bound to take quite a bit out of her.


    Sunniva, another young woman with a sharp gaze. She had short-cut ck hair and her body seemed dotted with sheathed daggers. It looked as though she could touch anywhere on her body and pull a de out. Even the earrings that dangled from her earlobes glistened with an edge under the right light.


    Suddenly, she stood up, her nose twitching.


    "Blood. Someone is here."


    Cher frowned. That was impossible.


    However, at that moment, a figure appeared at the entrance.


    The ceilings of this ce weren''t very tall, just about seven feet, and the clearing wasn''t thatrge either, only being about three average wing spans in length and width.


    There was simply no ce to move, and though there were two other directions to leave in... which of them would dare to turn their backs at this point?


    In order for Ss to make it here, even if he took the most optimal route, he would have had to kill at least four of thempletely silently.


    He was cold and decisive, and he proved it in the next instant.


    He didn''t even pause, taking a strong step forward and sending out a punch.


    "Cover me," Sunniva said with a cold bite to her tone. Now wasn''t the time to consider who was at fault.


    Her de shed. It wasn''t even clear which holster she had unsheathed it from. She was already attacking Ss before the other two could even react.


    Fast.


    Ss'' gaze flickered as he side-stepped, sending out a fist.


    But she was still faster. A second dagger appeared in her once empty palm, shing toward Ss'' throat.


    By this point, the other two were pincering him. Cher had aimed a glistening, hidden crossbow at his chest and Mysteer had tossed out what looked like a bomb.


    There was simply no way she would deploy a bomb here. Ss immediately realized that it was either something to bind him or obscure his vision.


    He analyzed his situation in an instant and reacted.


    A strong pulse of telekinesis caught Cher off guard, sending his steady arm swinging to the side just as he triggered his crossbow.


    The bolt tore into Mysteer''s shoulder, causing her "bomb" to steer in the wrong direction and hit Sunniva''s back instead.


    Unfortunately, it wasn''t a binding treasure. Instead, a sh of light erupted... one that was useless against Ss with the help of his visualization. In fact, he had already closed his eyes, moving to deal with the de at his throat.


    <Arctic Howl>.


    Sunniva''s body froze in ce but broke free a secondyer. She dodged back to avoid Ss''


    follow up.


    Ss had to admit that she was quick.


    It just didn''t matter.


    She was so focused on dodging that she didn''t notice one of her own des unsheath from her body and tear right through the bottom of her jaw, through her tongue, and into her brain.


    Ss didn''t even give her a second nce.


    Cher and Mysteer were obviously immune to the shbang or else thetter would have never sent it out. But with the both of them off bnce...


    What chance did he stand.


    Cher''s arm had spun to the side with such force that his back was turned to Ss. He only had


    the time to look off toward an exit with despair before his head exploded beneath a fist.


    Ss pivoted and his leg stamped out at an angle, executing a perfect oblique kick that pushed Mysteer''s leg the wrong direction.


    She screamed out in pain again, falling to the ground only to find Ss'' foot pressed against her chest so hard that she could feel her ribs creaking and whining.


    It seemed he had a hostage now.


    However, before he could say anything, his gaze shed and he dodged to the side. He moved


    so fast and with so much force that he didn''t have the time to care about Mysteer''s safety.


    He practically felt the ground through her chest and didn''t have to double-check that she was


    dead. She certainly was.


    A de whizzed by his ear, drawing blood.


    He looked back, his gaze flickering as Sunniva rose from the ground.