Conflict, Erica's Death

The missile exploded in midair behind Erica with a thunderous roar, and the scorching blast wave sent her flying.

A sharp whistling sound rang out at the same time.

Bang! A spread of Bat Shuriken embedded themselves in the surrounding stone walls amid the chaotic impact.

Erica endured the burning pain in her back and gritted her teeth as she looked toward the exit behind her.

Bullseye, with a target painted on his forehead, watched her coldly. A playing card appeared between his fingers as though by magic.

If not for Tony's missile, Erica might have been hit by the Bat Shuriken.

"Hey! Hey! Don't move, baldy!" Tony had somehow put on his Helmet and stepped down from the platform. He raised an arm at Bullseye, the missile inside it poised to fire.

Bullseye ignored him and continued staring at Erica as he warned, "He's mine!"

"I got here first." Erica wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. After rising to her feet, she flicked her twin sais and glared back without yielding.

She might not have cared much about the mission, but abandoning prey already within her grasp was not her usual style.

At that moment, Merlin's voice sounded through the Headset.

"Bullseye, watch the rules of the game."

Bullseye rolled his neck and gave a savage grin. "As long as I kill him, that's enough."

"What are you talking about? You know each other?" Stark was dumbfounded as he watched them talk.

However, Erica and Bullseye both treated him like an NPC and gave no response.

Whoosh! Erica struck first, hurling a sai that shot toward Bullseye like a sword.

She herself sprang forward in an instant, turning into a red phantom as she charged at him.

Since she knew Bullseye's ability, close combat was naturally the best choice.

Facing the incoming sai, Bullseye merely tilted his head slightly with his powerful dynamic vision and casually caught it.

He gave a mocking smile as he watched Erica rush toward him.

"Have it back!" The sai flew back at an even faster, trickier angle.

Erica immediately performed an aerial side flip, intending to catch her sai as she turned upside down.

Yet just as her body flipped through the air and she was about to grab the steel weapon, a shuriken arrived later but struck first, instantly hitting the sai.

Clang!

Pshk!

As sparks scattered, the sai was knocked off course by the shuriken and pierced straight through Erica's palm.

"Damn, Uchiha Throw." Merlin could not help exclaiming in surprise as he watched the surveillance feed.

With her palm pierced, Erica was pulled off balance by the impact and flung onto the ground in an awkward posture.

She swiftly got up and moved behind a boulder. Looking at her pierced palm, she endured the pain, grabbed the sai's handle, and yanked it out in one go.

Blood splattered everywhere. She merely tore a strip from her red outfit and wrapped it around her hand, her eyes filled with ferocity.

"Ugh... That really looks painful. She's ruthless." Seeing how vicious the sexy red-haired Assassin was, Stark could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

By then, he had figured some of it out. These two were probably players who had accepted a mission to rescue him, but they seemed to be fighting because of him over an uneven split of the rewards.

After understanding that, he simply stood to the side and watched the show in peace.

Judging from the fight, the female Assassin in red was clearly much weaker.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." The sai spun several times in Erica's hand before she gripped it tightly. Her back pressed against the boulder as she turned her head aside and waited tensely.

Bullseye watched Erica hide away, shook his hand, and produced three shuriken. Then he cautiously approached.

During the slaughter just now, he had used up nearly all his shuriken. The three in his hand were his last, along with one magic card.

Bullseye drew closer and closer to Erica. Just then, footsteps suddenly came from the exit.

"Stop fighting. Whatever grudge you have, settle it after you get out." At the exit, Natasha aimed her pistol at Bullseye as she spoke.

Bullseye turned toward her voice and was about to speak when a fierce gust suddenly swept past his ear.

Erica had seized the opportunity to attack!

Whoosh! The sharp sai sliced across his throat, bringing up a spray of blood, but it suddenly stopped halfway through.

Bullseye ignored the wound on his throat and firmly grabbed her arm.

As he spoke, the shuriken at his fingertips slashed across Erica's wrist. She cried out in pain, and the sai in her hand fell.

Pshk!

In the blink of an eye, Bullseye caught the falling sai and thrust it through Erica's chest.

"To be honest, I've been sick of you for a long time!" Bullseye leaned close to Erica and gazed into her gradually unfocused eyes as he said darkly.

Feeling the life draining from her body, Erica stared at him with an unwilling expression.

Bang! A deafening gunshot suddenly echoed through the cave. Bullseye, who had just been wildly arrogant, widened his eyes in disbelief before falling to the ground with unwillingness on his face as well.

Frank stood beside Natasha with a cigarette between his lips, the shotgun in his hand still trailing smoke.

"Against people this evil, don't hesitate even if they're temporary teammates." He exhaled a puff of smoke and spoke to Natasha beside him.

Woof! Woof! Woof!!! Amid a burst of barking, John and Duke arrived with another person.

At some point, the intense gunfire outside had stopped, leaving everything silent. A faint scent of blood drifted through the cave.

When Stark came back to his senses and saw the man who had entered with John, his face lit up with delight.

"Yinsen!"

Yinsen, whose hair was somewhat thin, hid cautiously beside John, afraid that the Green Fur Dog beside him would eat him.

Although the dog had saved him just now, it had also nearly bitten him. If its owner had not arrived in time to stop it, he would definitely have been eaten.

"Don't worry, he doesn't eat people." John explained helplessly.

After mutating, he had made it clear to his beloved dog that it was not allowed to eat humans.

Woof! Woof! Woof!!! Duke happily wagged his tail at Yinsen as well.

Yinsen: "..."

Looking at Duke, who resembled a lion, and his icy eyes, Yinsen would have believed anyone who said the dog could swallow people whole.

"Are all of you players who accepted the mission?" Wearing his armor, Stark looked warily at the people entering one after another and the vicious Green Fur Dog.

"Yes. We came to rescue you this time. Is this man your companion?" Frank put away his gun to show that he meant no harm, then pointed at Yinsen and asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

Only after Natasha took out her identification did Stark lower some of his guard.

Bullseye and Erica's actions had mainly made him feel that this group of players was unreliable.

"I remember there were six people who accepted the mission. There should be one more, right?"

"He's in the sky."