Bran stumbled through the doors of the Dockmaster headquarters, supporting a heavily injured Samoo at his side.
Blood seeped from Samoo's wounds, and every step was labored.
The lower-ranking members in the lobby stared at them in shock, some running over to offer support.
"Hey, what happened to you both?" someone asked.
Samoo gritted his teeth, brushing off the concern. "Call the upper members immediately," he commanded.
Bran didn't waste any time. He darted up the staircase, heading straight to the second floor where most of the organization's senior members gathered.
As he entered, the group of seasoned criminals turned to him, surprise flashing in their eyes.
"What's the matter, Bran?" one of them asked, brows furrowing.
Bran met their gaze, his face pale and urgent. "I saw him—the mysterious man who's been haunting us. He's killed three of our members and is still in the park."
The room fell silent, tension thickening the air. Before anyone could respond, Bran spoke again, his voice pressing. "This is our best chance to impress the Kol family and boost our standing in the organization. Let's take him down now."
The members exchanged determined glances, each knowing the value of a successful capture. "Alright," one of them finally said, nodding in agreement. "We'll hunt him down and deliver him to the Kol family."
They hurried down to the lobby, addressing the rest of the men. "We're heading out to handle this ourselves. You stay here and secure the headquarters."
Samoo, still catching his breath, nodded. "Don't worry, sir. We'll keep everything in order here."
With a firm nod, Bran and the senior members left the headquarters, setting off toward the park where their target awaited.
Bran led the group through the streets, a formidable company of twelve senior members flanking him.
These were some of the Dockmaster's most powerful operatives, each seasoned with years of battle experience, their magical prowess rivaling the guards of major cities.
While Bran walked alongside them, his mind raced.
These men were stronger than common thugs, but if things went south, he was confident he could handle them. "If that mysterious man is killed, it'll only benefit me," Bran thought, a small smirk forming.
Soon, they reached the park, where children played, their laughter echoing across the grounds.
The senior members scanned the area, but their target was nowhere to be seen. Confusion spread across their faces as they turned to Bran.
Panic started to bubble in Bran's chest. 'Did he set me up?' he wondered, his eyes darting around.
Just then, a voice cut through the silence, smooth and mocking. "Ah, the elite members of the Dockmaster Organization have come to capture me. What an honor."
Bran and the others turned to see Adam, perched high in a tree, a smug grin on his face. Calmly, he jumped down, his movements effortless.
A hush fell over the park as the children stopped to watch, curiosity sparking in their eyes instead of fear.
One of the senior members sized Adam up and barked, "Are you the one who slaughtered seven members of the Merry Certificate Organization?"
Adam's grin widened. "Oh, that was me, alright. And today, you lot are next."
His boldness made the senior members chuckle. "Why don't you save yourself some trouble and come quietly?" one of them taunted.
Adam didn't respond. He simply stared at them, his expression cold. The laughter slowly faded as they sensed the danger radiating from him.
"So you're not going to go down easy," muttered one of the men, squaring his stance.
Another member gestured to Bran. "Bran, get over there and grab him!"
Without hesitation, Bran approached Adam and then, to everyone's shock, stood beside him, facing his comrades.
The senior members' faces twisted in anger. "Betrayal is met with death, Bran. You know that," one of them warned.
Bran ignored their threats, staying rooted beside Adam. Adam cast a sidelong glance at him and smirked, a glint of surprise in his eyes.
"Bran, your priority is the kids. Keep them safe," Adam said, his voice firm.
A senior member sneered, stepping forward. "Enough of this show. You're going to die here and now, boy."
Bran moved to shield the children, while Adam remained unwavering.
A senior member charged at him, his speed impressive as he whipped out a small, pointed needle, holding it between his fingers.
The needle shot from his hand, slicing through the air toward Adam. In a flash, Adam raised his sword, deflecting the projectile with precision.
In one swift motion, he spun, his blade slicing cleanly through the attacker's neck. Blood sprayed as the man's head tumbled to the ground.
Before his body even fell, Adam was already upon the remaining members, his movements a deadly dance of steel.
The sight was enough to terrify the remaining men. Their faces turned pale, and a few began to back away, desperate to escape.
But Adam was relentless. Moving like a shadow, he cut them down from behind, their bodies collapsing in his wake.
Four men managed to create some distance, scrambling to get away. But Adam wasn't done. With blood dripping from his blade, he turned to them, his gaze piercing.
"What's wrong?" he called out mockingly. "Didn't you come here to catch me? Now you're trying to run?"
He took slow, measured steps toward the survivors, each step making their fear grow. They turned and sprinted, their only thought now was survival.
But deep down, they knew he would find them before they made it out of the park
As soon as the senior members reach the corner of the park, a senior member's scream is heard from behind one of them.
As the remaining senior members look back, two senior members are seen lying dead just around the corner of the park.
Only two senior members reached the gate of the park but as soon as they saw the dead bodies of both of them, they turned around and started running without thinking anything.
But then Adam appears before them and quickly slits the throats of both of them simultaneously with his sword.And both the senior members are killed instantly.