The slow, deliberate sound of clapping echoed through the dimly lit room.
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.
The sharp sound sliced through the silence, drawing every eye toward the source. The n stiffened, turning on instinct. Erging from the shadows was a middle-aged woman, her dark eyes gleaming with amusent. A smirk played on her lips as she walked forward, her bob-cut hair swaying slightly. She wore a plain black T-shirt and trousers—simple, unassuming, yet sohow exuding an air of quiet confidence.
"Wow. Nice. Quite interesting."
Her tone was light, almost mocking, as her gaze settled on Es.
Es didn’t flinch. Instead, she smirked, her sharp eyes glinting under the dim lights. "This color suits you."
A flicker of confusion crossed the woman’s face—brief but telling.
And in that split second, Es moved.
She shot forward like a bullet, weaving past the n before they could react. A punch flew toward the woman’s face—BAM!—but she narrowly dodged.
Es didn’t give her ti to recover.
"Too late."
With a smirk, her leg shot up. CRACK! A powerful kick slamd into the woman’s side, sending her crashing into the back door with a loud BANG! The impact rattled the walls, dust and debris falling from the ceiling.
"Kof... kof..." The woman coughed, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth.
The n snapped into action. One wielded a knife, another swung a nunchuck, and two more brandished baseball bats. They rushed at her, their movents sharp, calculated.
Es didn’t blink.
Her foot lifted, sliding against her sock. In one fluid motion, she pulled out a sleek black pistol.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunfire erupted.
Not a single bullet hit flesh—but every weapon clattered to the floor, the force of the shots sending them rebounding against the walls. The n stumbled, disard, collapsing in a heap of groans and curses.
The woman on the floor exhaled sharply, pushing herself up, her gaze locking onto Es. Blood sared her cheek as she wiped her mouth, her expression unreadable.
"May I ask... why this surprise gift?"
Es cocked her head, raising the gun again. The barrel aligned perfectly with the woman’s forehead.
Her voice was cool, steady.
"Nothing. I’m just... quite irritated, you see."
Es bent her knees slightly, her movents slow and deliberate as she crouched beside the trembling woman on the ground. Her lips curled into a smile, but her eyes were as cold as ice.
"Huh." She let out a breath, tilting her head as if examining sothing pathetic. "If I rember correctly, I told you—no, I warned you—to never linger around my family. Not even their pets."
She clicked her tongue, voice dripping with condescension. "But look at you. Got a little gutsy, didn’t you?"
The woman, despite the pain in her limbs, mustered the strength to lift her head. A flicker of defiance sparked in her gaze as she forced out a breathless chuckle. "What can I say?" she rasped. "I thought you might’ve finally died. And, well, you know how it is... business, babe."
Es’s smirk widened, her golden eyes glinting with sothing dangerous.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Her amusent grew, but the shift was instant.
Her golden eyes flared—bright, rciless.
And then it hit.
The air thickened, pressing down with an unseen force, crushing.
A strangled scream tore from the woman’s throat as agony seared through her body. Her limbs convulsed, as if her very bones were being crushed under an unbearable weight.
The mont her scream rang out, the others scattered around the room tried to lunge forward—to do sothing, anything.
But they never got the chance.
Es’s gaze flicked toward them, and in an instant, they collapsed.
The weight of her power slamd them to the floor, pinning them down with an overwhelming force. Their chests heaved as they struggled for breath, terror flashing across their faces. It felt like their lungs were being squeezed, their hearts crushed within their ribs.
Es exhaled, slow and steady.
"Dead, huh?" Her voice was soft, but every word carried razor-sharp malice. "Even if I was dead, what gives you the right to co near my family?"
She leaned in closer, her golden eyes locking onto the woman’s fading strength. "You must think you’re brave," she murmured. "Selling information about my family... even when you know how much I hate when people invade my privacy."
The woman trembled, barely clinging to consciousness. Blood dribbled past her lips as she struggled to form words.
Es stilled.
Her expression remained unreadable as she blinked once.
And just like that, the weight in the air lightened.
The woman gasped, coughing violently as the crushing force loosened its grip.
Es straightened slightly, her smirk returning.
"Well," she sighed, tilting her head. "I can’t let you die just yet."
She reached out, her fingers lightly grazing the woman’s chin, tilting her face up.
"After all, I still need sothing from you."*
Es casually slid her hand into her pant pocket, her movents unhurried, as if she had all the ti in the world. When she pulled her hand back out, five crisp photographs rested between her fingers.
With a slow, deliberate motion, she held them up in front of the woman, her golden eyes glinting under the dim light.
"Tell ," she murmured, her voice deceptively calm. "Who bought information from you?"
The woman’s bleary gaze flickered toward the pictures. Four separate groups were captured in them—each one representing a different faction.
The first photo showed Valhalla group employees stationed in this city.
The second, mbers of the Aron group.
The third, a collection of forr servants who had once worked in the household.
And the fourth... outsiders. People who weren’t directly affiliated with the company but still held enough influence to visit this place from ti to ti.
It was all laid out before her. A puzzle waiting to be solved.
The woman glanced at the pictures lazily, her lips curling into an unimpressed smirk.
"*Tsk.**" She let out a soft chuckle, tilting her head. "Look at you, all prepared. But it seems like you forgot sothing..." Her expression didn’t waver as she leaned in slightly. "We sell information, darling. We don’t just give it away."
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