For a mont, there was only silence, then a slight smile tugged at her lips as she studied him.
Before showing up, she already run a few ntal simulations on how to deal with him.
Most strong types had so level of arrogance—but him?
He didn’t just have it. He wore it like a badge, loud and proud, like he wanted everyone to see it.
"You always talk like that?" she asked. "Full of yourself and in a rush?"
"Well, when you’re pretty much the best, it’s called acting the part," Luck responded with a shrug. "But yeah, I guess so people think I co off a little arrogant."
"Sotis? A little?" she nearly laughed.
Luck didn’t take it personally and just rolled with it.
"Yeah, can’t please everyone. Anyway, mind telling why a ranked assassin is strolling into my turf?"
Leaning casually against the truck with her arms crossed, she asked,
"So you already know about us. Did Number Fifteen tell you?"
thud!
Her eyes widened as his hand slamd onto the truck, stopping just inches from her face.
"Her na is Kana. Don’t call my woman a number."
For a split second, the air between them beca intense.
Then her eyes narrowed—not in defiance, but in acknowledgent.
"Got it. Didn’t an any disrespect."
Luck pulled his hand back and took a step away. "As long as you understand,"
"So, are you here for Kana?" he inquired again.
"No, I didn’t co here for her. The Association’s gone—whatever mission we had on her is pointless now. But... our leader—Number One—he’s still fixated on getting her."
It was a lie, but a calculated one. Just enough truth to make it believable.
And it worked—almost too well.
Luck’s expression change instantly.
Whatever attitude he carried before faded.
She suddenly found it harder to breathe, like the air around her vanished.
Looking at him, it didn’t feel like she was talking to a person—it felt like staring down a weapon.
"So...did you co all this way just to deliver a ssage?" he asked, barely moving his lips.
Her lips trembled. The distance between them was supposed to give her enough ti to react if things went bad—but right now, it didn’t feel like it mattered.
If she so much as twitched the wrong way, her head would be off her shoulders before she even knew it.
Forcing the words out, she managed to speak. "I ca here on my own. I just... needed to see for myself... if you are..."
"If I am what?"
Closing her eyes for a mont, she forced herself to breathe and choose her words more carefully.
"If you’re worthy to be served. Right now, I don’t like where our group is heading. Sure, we’re strong enough to fight off the infected—but we’ve beco too isolated. Cut off from everything."
Luck raised an eyebrow. "So you want to join my community? What—because you’re feeling lonely now?"
His comnt ca off insensitive, but she didn’t react to it.
"I don’t know if Kana ever told you, but we were trained from a young age. Not all of us chose this. I was kidnapped, forced into that life."
She looked out toward the walls.
"Now that the Association’s gone, I don’t think it’s strange to want sothing different. A better life—or whatever’s left of it in this world crawling with the dead."
Her eyes didn’t waver, no sign of deceit.
Luck touched his chin, thinking it through.
Getting soone this skilled on his side would be a big win—especially after what he went through during the Death Parade. He needed more powerful allies.
And there was sothing else he wanted.
Adding her skills to the logbook? That was an icing on the cake.
"Let’s say I believe you. What do you want to do next .You don’t really expect to just let you walk into the base, do you?"
"No. I didn’t expect you to trust that easily. But I can be useful. I can be your spy." Her voice grew quieter, more serious.
Luck tapped his chin, pretending to think it over.
"But what if he ans no harm? For all I know, maybe he wants to work with too?"
"No!" she snapped. "That man is dangerous in ways most people can’t understand."
She looked him straight in the eye.
"Even among us assassins, he stood out. Not just because of skill—but because he’s heartless. A complete psychopath. He doesn’t feel fear. Doesn’t understand guilt."
Luck nodded slowly, but deep down, he couldn’t exactly judge him.
He was a psychopath too—just one who learned how to manage it. Keep it buried. Use it when needed.
There was also her own bias to consider.
She might be exaggerating—twisting things out of anger or resentnt.
That kind of emotion had a way of blowing things out of proportion.
’I’ll just humor her for now’
[DING! Bonus Mission: Kill Number One]
[Reward: 3x Golden Box]
[DING! Bonus Mission: Make Number three your woman]
[Reward: Golden Box]
’Forget it,’ he thought, barely holding back a grin. ’I’ll beat the absolute crap out of that psychotic bastard.’
’Heartless? Perfect. Saves the guilt.’
The reward flashed again in his mind—3x Golden Box.
’Three boxes? Man’s not just gonna die... he’s getting gift-wrapped.’
There was another mission too—the one about her.
Not gonna lie, she was hot. Maybe even hotter than Kana, though he would never say that out loud unless he wanted to get slap in the face.
She had this wild energy in her eyes. Dangerous, sure—but also tempting.
A perfect mix of danger and charm, like a knife dipped in honey.
’Damn system,’ he muttered inside his head. ’You’re really trying to make a womanizer’
No response as expected .
Luck leaned in slightly, lowering his voice just enough to make it feel personal.
"I’ll help you deal with him. But I need to know—how many of you are left? And are they all loyal to him... or are so just waiting for a reason to jump ship?"
"Seven of us, originally. Now only six remain."
Luck tilted his head. "And they’re all loyal to your leader?"
She scoffed. "Loyalty?" Her lip curled like the word tasted bad.
"None of us were ever loyal to him. We just feared him. Especially Number Five—he’d wet himself if One so much as looked at him wrong."
Luck chuckled. "Sounds like a healthy work environnt."
She rolled her eyes. "Number Two and Four? They’re just opportunists. If One drops dead tomorrow, they’ll move on without blinking."
"So you’re saying if I take him out, the others won’t attack for revenge?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Honestly, if you play it right, so of them might even offer to join you instead."
That made him grin.
"Well then," Luck said, tapping his temple, "looks like I just need to make his death look impressive enough."
Her eyes narrowed, not in suspicion, but in curiosity.
Just a mont ago, he questioned her claims, acted like he wasn’t sure whether to trust her words or not.
"You changed your mind real quick," she muttered. "Just earlier, you weren’t even sure if he was a threat. Now you’re talking like you’re ready to put his head on a spike."
"Let’s just say my gut told you were being honest."
He glanced at her with a half-smile, the kind that didn’t show teeth.
"And I won’t sugarcoat it. I think we can make this work. You get a place to stay, and I get soone useful."
His tone was light, but the ssage underneath was clear—earn your keep, and you stay.
"So let’s talk business ." He took a small step forward. "You tell everything—his weaknesses, routines, the way he thinks. How to hurt him."
Luck kept his eyes on her, expecting so hesitation.
Instead, she surprised him.
Not only did she answer, she more than happy to share it.
"He uses two daggers—lightweight, forged from a rare tal that can cut through steel. Our association called it Adamantile. Legend says it ca from a teorite."
"His style’s all about speed and precision. Not a single move is wasted. You blink—he’s already behind you."
She clenched her hands slightly as she spoke, like the mories were physical.
"He’s also got hidden weapons. Flying knives mostly."
She paused for a second, then added the part she clearly hated the most.
"But what makes him really dangerous... is how fast he reacts—and how well he reads people."
"He adapts. Fast. Learns your rhythm, breaks it, and cuts right through your habits."
It was clear she spent serious ti analyzing.
Every habit, every flaw, every angle that could be exploited—she laid them out like a blueprint.
"Well, he doesn’t sound that tough to ," Luck muttered, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder.
"Are you even listening to anything I just said?"
Luck gave a lazy grin. "I did listen. And if his most dangerous skill is reading opponents and adapting fast, then he’s screwed."
He tapped his nose with one finger.
"Because, honestly? That’s my specialty. I adapt so fast, I confuse myself sotis."
She blinked, unsure if he was joking or was for real.
"Trust ," he went on, "if this Number One guy thinks he’s the king of on-the-fly thinking, he’s about to et the real boss of improvisation. I once beat three midgets with a baseball bat..."
He paused, tilted his head. "Okay, that’s a bad example—but you get the gist of it."
That finally cracked a smile out of her, even if she tried to hide it.
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