"Shit! They're completely crazy!"

In the midst of a dense forest, surrounded by towering trees that seemed to stretch endlessly, a man ran breathlessly.

His face was strikingly handsome, with a chiseled jawline, a perfect nose, and sharp, sword-like eyebrows that enhanced his charm.

His tall frame, with sparkling purple eyes like precious sapphires and snow-white hair, made him resemble a winter prince—one who could melt all women's hearts.

Yet, his flawless appearance stood in sharp contrast to his disheveled state. His once-handsome face was pale, his purple eyes clouded with exhaustion, and his white hair tangled and matted as though it hadn't been cared for in days.

This man was none other than Merlin Crown, the most infamous con artist in the country and our handsome protagonist.

At that moment, Merlin was desperately fleeing from the hitmen sent to kill him.

"Damn it! Those bastards found evidence of my crimes. This wasn't supposed to happen," Merlin cursed, his voice thick with frustration.

The "bastards" Merlin referred to were high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen with immense power and wealth. As a con artist, Merlin had portrayed himself as a trustworthy ally, all the while secretly swindling them and committing major crimes.

Some of the most serious crimes he committed involved embezzling vast sums of money and having affairs with their young wives.

With his striking appearance, Merlin easily caught the eye of any woman, including the young wives. Initially, he had no interest in getting involved with them. However, to further his devious schemes, he found himself forced to manipulate the young wives—a decision that had now become the source of his downfall.

"My affairs with those women were meant to be kept secret, and I never expected them to be exposed this quickly," Merlin muttered through clenched teeth. "Did one of the wives betray me and spill everything?"

As the thought struck him, his pale face slowly hardened.

For men of high pride, like those arrogant officials and businessmen, being betrayed by someone they trusted was an unforgivable humiliation—a sentiment even Merlin could understand.

Yet, there was an old saying: "To achieve something greater, one must sacrifice something greater."

His affairs with those young wives were strategic moves to advance his goals. On top of that, he had made an agreement with them—one that ensured they kept their secret from their husbands.

But now, everything had been exposed, and those bastards had sent hitmen after him. It was obvious that one of the young wives had betrayed him.

"Which one of them did it? What drove her to betray me? Was it guilt toward their husbands? No, that can't be it," Merlin thought, his mind racing.

He knew the nature of those young wives all too well—selfish and shameless. They relished the success and wealth their husbands provided, but at the same time, they were dissatisfied with them and found comfort in spending time with him instead.

Such women would never feel guilty toward their husbands. So, what was the true motive behind the betrayal?

As Merlin ran, deep in thought about the reason behind everything, the sound of fast footsteps suddenly echoed, followed by a man's loud roar from behind. "Hey! You bastard! Stop right there! If you keep running, don't blame us for killing you violently later!"

At the sound of the voice, Merlin's face grew even paler. He glanced over his shoulder and saw ten burly figures with sinister expressions. They wore black suits and sunglasses that hid their eyes. They were the hitmen hired by those bastards!

"Damn it! How could they be so fast? This is insane!" Merlin cursed inwardly.

Having learned that hitmen were after him, he had fled the city and spent hours running through the dense forest, thinking he was safe. But these hitmen were far more formidable than he had imagined, leaving him feeling deeply frustrated.

"Hey! Are you deaf!? Stop!" One of the hitmen shouted again from behind, but Merlin ignored him, continuing to run.

Knowing he would be killed if he fell into their hands, how could he be foolish enough to surrender?

He was sure that even the stupidest person on Earth would never do something so brainless.

Ignoring the shouts from behind, Merlin quickened his pace. His body, already exhausted and sore from hours of running, only grew more painful. Yet, he refused to stop. If he did, it would be the end of everything.

Fifteen minutes later...

"Did you see him?" one of the hitmen asked, his face grim.

"No, I didn't. It looks like he's gone deeper into the forest," his comrade replied angrily.

"Damn it! We can't lose him. If we do, we'll never get our hands on that twenty million dollars!" The other hitman growled coldly.

Their faces flushed with anger at the thought. Nodding quickly, they sprinted toward the heart of the forest to search for Merlin.

A few minutes later, Merlin's disheveled figure emerged from the undergrowth, just a few meters from where the hitmen had been standing.

He gazed in the direction they had disappeared into and sighed softly.

"Though I used up the last of my strength, I managed to trick them," he muttered, gently patting his chest. "Now, I need to get as far away as possible and disappear completely from their pursuit."

With that, Merlin took a deep breath and headed toward the southern part of the forest.

As he walked, he carefully scanned his surroundings, staying alert. This was an uncharted forest, and there were bound to be wild animals.

*Roar!*

Suddenly, the loud roar of a tiger echoed through the forest, freezing Merlin in place.

"Damn it! How am I this unlucky?" Merlin grumbled in frustration.

He had just escaped the hitmen, only to run into a tiger. Fortunately, the roar seemed to come from a distance, giving him time to escape.

Just as he prepared to move, the sound of hurried footsteps reached his ears. He turned, stunned to see the ten hitmen who had been chasing him.

They exchanged glances for a moment, and then the silence was broken by one of them laughing.

"Hahaha! There you are, you bastard!"

"Damn it!" Merlin cursed, quickly turning around and running in the opposite direction.

"Where do you think you're going? After him!" One of the hitmen's shouts echoed like thunder, and they all quickly rushed after Merlin.

Merlin ran aimlessly, with the ten hitmen chasing him in a fury.

They all believed he had fled deeper into the forest, unaware that they had been outwitted. If they caught him, they'd make sure to teach him a painful lesson before ending his life.

After what felt like endless minutes, Merlin suddenly noticed the vegetation thinning out, a bad feeling creeping over him.

"Damn it... is this...?" Before Merlin could finish his words, an enormous gorge, just a few meters ahead, suddenly appeared before him.

His heart pounded in his chest as he slowed his pace, coming to a halt at the edge of the gorge.

"Hahaha! You'll never escape us now, you bastard!"