Chapter 94: Jade Rabbit
The Lone Wolf had never killed anyone before. He just thought it looked cool, achieving his goal through this act. He did briefly consider the rules of the Mercenary Guild — that one must never expose the Guild. But back then, he didn't care too much. All he wanted was an outlet for his frustration, even if it meant dying.
After his posturing was done, he felt a bit calmer and wasn't so willing to die. He even held onto a sliver of hope.
How would the Guild even know if he had broken the rules? Now he realized his so-called hope was merely childish.
The icy gaze of a striking woman in a leather outfit was now fixed on him.
Yvette stood tall, nearly 1.8 meters, with her high heels adding to her height. She gracefully leaned against the podium, crossing one leg over the other, and said, "Some people think the Guild grants them power as if they're being given a gift. They act selfishly, ungrateful, and pursue nothing but their own pleasure."
"I want to make it clear to everyone that the Guild is not a charity."
Yvette reached down and took out a black leather bag, showing its contents to the Mercenaries.
Inside were seven super fruits.
The Mercenaries stared, fully aware of the value of these fruits.
Pleased with their reaction, Yvette smiled and continued, "I would like to congratulate seven Mercenaries here today. Dragonslayer, Boxer, Bull Demon, Windbird, Scalpel, Fox Demon, and Jade Rabbit. Your applications for Intermediate Mercenary status have been approved. Complete this mission, and you'll be promoted with the reward of a super fruit."
The Mercenaries named showed various expressions, but most were filled with excitement.
Yvette added, "Typically, promotion to Intermediate Mercenary involves a dangerous task. However, you're in luck. I have a traitor elimination mission that will serve as your promotion task."
She pointed her red-painted nail toward the Lone Wolf, who was drenched in cold sweat. Her crimson lips parted as she spoke chilling words:
"Your task is to handle the traitor Lone Wolf and any risks he's posed to the Guild by his exposure."
The meaning was clear.
The mission required killing Lone Wolf, his ex-girlfriend, and the rich kid who'd humiliated him.
Did he think that acquiring a super fruit made him the hero of this world?
This is not a hero's path.
As a piece on the board, he should act with the awareness of being a mere pawn.
Lone Wolf's face twisted in horror as he looked around. He didn't know who the seven Intermediate Mercenary candidates were, but he felt as if everyone wanted to kill him. Their gazes were cold and sinister.
Yvette continued, "Fighting is not permitted in this café, so please hold yourselves back."
She took a cigarette from her leather jacket pocket and lit it.
Exhaling a curl of smoke, she added softly, "The meeting is over; no one is to linger."
With that, she vanished from the conference room.
Lone Wolf swallowed hard, sprinting out of the room in a panic, feeling those predatory gazes on his back like they were ready to devour him.
Earlier, before stepping into the Old Oak Café and putting on his act in front of his ex-girlfriend, Rosie had already realized that Lone Wolf was recklessly exposing his true self.
Rosie had reported him to Alexander, who didn't rush to kill him. Instead, he decided to let Lone Wolf show up at the meeting, to kill a chicken as a warning to the others.
Only by witnessing the death of someone who broke the rules up close could the others truly understand its gravity.
Alexander could have dealt with him the moment Lone Wolf exposed himself, but it was too bothersome, especially with potential uncertainties involved.
So, he orchestrated this display as a cautionary tale before the Mercenaries.
The Mercenaries had never intended to expose the Guild. After today, they would be even more cautious.
Why hadn't Alexander dealt with the 'Clown' when his identity was revealed in the early days?
Because back then, the Guild was newly formed, super fruits were scarce, and capable hands were limited.
Inside a circular bed suite in the Ritz Hotel, a young girl sat in a hanging chair.
Dressed in a school uniform with white stockings on her legs and a bunny headpiece covering her face, her petite body swayed gently in the chair as she hummed, her white-stockinged legs swinging adorably.
Outside the door, the sound of an electronic door lock buzzed.
"Really scary. That guy was your hick of an ex-boyfriend?"
A pink-haired young man opened the door, still looking a little shaken.
After the Lone Wolf's chaos at the hotel, the young man quickly fled.
Who would have guessed, though, that he'd receive a message from his girlfriend, the school beauty, wanting to meet up in that same room tonight for a round of excitement. She thought the room, where they'd been "caught" by her ex-boyfriend, had the perfect ambiance.
The young man knew his girlfriend was outwardly innocent but craved thrill and boldness beneath the surface.
Upon seeing the girl on the hanging chair, he froze momentarily.
Playing into this sort of game now? Oddly enough, it was quite attractive.
With a mischievous grin, he approached the chair in a few quick strides, wrapped his arms around her waist, and lifted her onto his lap.
The girl's body instantly stiffened.
He murmured reassuringly, "Don't worry, babe. I've told my family about this. Tomorrow, you can stay over at my place. We've got bodyguards, so that psycho won't dare mess with us."
He then began moving in ways less than gentlemanly.
The girl only put up a token resistance before responding passionately, even turning off the lights herself.
As the two became absorbed in their passion, a knock sounded on the door.
Annoyed, the young man shouted, "Who's there? Go away!"
Thinking it was hotel staff, he froze at the sound that came from outside.
"Hey, is that you? Open up!"
It was his girlfriend's voice!
The young man stared incredulously at the girl in his lap.
Then who was this?
At that moment, he sensed something was wrong.
The girl on the bed, wearing the bunny headpiece, felt lighter and much slimmer than his girlfriend.
Lost in his lustful thoughts earlier, he hadn't noticed. Now it hit him.
"W-Who are you?" he stammered in confusion.
The girl in the bunny headpiece sighed in disappointment, "Ugh, such a buzzkill."
Her tone conveyed an unmistakable letdown.
Then, with a deceptively slender fist, she punched the young man in the face.
His head exploded instantly, red and white matter splattering all over her.
Far from being disgusted, the girl seemed a bit thrilled.
She rolled off the bed, humming a light-hearted nursery rhyme as she went to open the door.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
Outside, the girlfriend saw the bunny-headed girl covered in blood and collapsed to the ground in terror.
The bunny-headed girl grabbed her and pulled her into the room.
Seeing the gruesome scene inside, the girlfriend trembled, stammering, "W-Who are you?"
The bunny-headed girl replied casually, "Here on behalf of the Lone Wolf. Oh, you know him — the idiot who worked to pay for your schooling. Your ex-boyfriend."
The girlfriend was left bewildered.
She could never have imagined that her ex-boyfriend from the old district, whom she'd looked down upon, not only had powerful talents but also connections to something this mysterious.
What had happened to him over the years?
A fierce curiosity to understand her ex-boyfriend anew burned within her — though she had no idea he was now on the run, being hunted down himself.
The bunny-headed girl paid no mind to such sentiments. She drove her foot into the girlfriend's chest.
The girl bled from all her facial orifices, her lifeless eyes still holding hints of confusion and regret.
After finishing her work, the bunny-headed girl took out her phone, opened the Mercenary Guild app, and entered the chat channel.
Jade Rabbit: "So scary, I don't know if I can handle killing… Isn't there a big brother who can come help me?"
Dragonslayer: "Quit the act! Last time you begged me to let you join the team. Now you're actually qualified to apply as an Intermediate Mercenary?!"
Her white-stockinged legs swung lightly in the chair as she hummed the familiar tune.
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