Falling into the Trap

The group waited until it was almost 10 p. m. before the guards standing in the woods left to hand over their duties.

These are all personnel from the Sori Group.

Oboro led his team of five into the restricted area.

Following the route, we ventured deep into the heart of the restricted area.

During this period, there were multiple patrol teams along the cordon, but gaps were clearly created along the line.

Rita pulled out a compass and used her ability to guide the group toward the ruins.

Long walked in front, Fante and Menchi were at the back, and Anthony and the other two were in the middle... They deliberately slowed down their pace. Every time they reached an area, Rita would use her ability to check if there were any dangers nearby before they could continue.

Team members must not separate...

Faced with an unknown enemy, everyone was highly focused.

"Our opponents have different backgrounds and belong to different factions, and they all have the ability to enter the ruins, so... there is probably no possibility of them joining forces. They will all fight their own battles. If it becomes difficult to fight the Sori Group, they might cooperate in some battles..." Long walked at the front, wading through the tangled grass, and spoke.

The environment here is very primitive, and there are no footprints or paths left in the wild. Even if there were, the team could not follow the footprints of those who came before, because they might encounter enemies.

What they need to do is hide themselves and stay in the shadows... and find out the situation of the three teams as soon as possible.

"Judging from the situation described by the contact, one group of people has already left, which means that the remaining three teams have almost achieved their objectives... They may leave at any time. If we can't drive them away or repel them, we should at least take back the items they obtained from the site."

He was explaining and analyzing the mission details to several people, so that everyone could better understand the team's next action plan and goals.

However, at that moment... a strange man with side-swept bangs suddenly appeared.

With light, quick steps, the man approached the group from behind... A smile played on his lips, his cold eyes fixed on the group of 'prey' who were still talking, completely unaware of his group of 'prey'.

As night fell, the man made no attempt to conceal the sounds and movements of his footsteps, approaching her in a remarkably natural manner.

Strangely, even when he was already within two or three meters of Fante and Menchi, they still didn't realize it.

The man gripped a dagger, his eyes fixed on Fante.

This middle-aged man is one of the more troublesome members of the other team... Let's take him out first.

Long, who was walking at the front, suddenly frowned and raised his hand to signal his teammates to stop.

Upon seeing this, the five people immediately fell silent.

Everyone looked at Oboro... Was there danger?

The next second, Long suddenly sprang up, swept past everyone, and pounced on Fante.

A gleaming silver blade appeared behind Fante, raised high...

The man who was about to strike was stunned by Guan Long's reaction and suddenly sped up... the dagger stabbed towards the back of Fante's head.

Bang! Long reached out and pulled Fante away from where he stood, then caught the falling blade with his other hand and held on tightly.

Their cold gazes met those of the strange man who had appeared in the group at some point.

"Huh? Not bad... You must be the captain... You've got some skills." The man with the side-swept bangs wasn't discouraged by the failed sneak attack and smiled slightly.

Men Menchi and the others only then realized what was happening and scattered instantly.

Fante was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.

If it weren't for Oboro, he might already be a corpse.

How could that be?

Rita was also stunned; her ability hadn't given any warning... the enemy had completely deceived their senses.

What kind of elusive ability is that?

Slap slap...

After a brief exchange of blows, the man nimbly created distance and slowly retreated, preparing to disappear into the darkness, a playful smile on his face, "Trying to kill me?"

Provocation, blatant provocation! This person is extremely strong; his close-combat skills are enough to keep me at bay without leaving an opening, which speaks volumes.

Most importantly, the other party's abilities...

It's not about disguise or concealment; it's more akin to 'assimilation'.

It's important to know that humans experience a dulling of perception in familiar environments or atmospheres... a phenomenon known as "blindness." For example, sometimes when we're at home, we can't see the things we're looking for even though they're right in front of us.

Therefore, even with Rita's abilities, it's useless.

This assimilation, in some respects, is not just strong...

In an instant, Long made an analysis in her mind.

This person seemed very familiar with them... clearly knowing some of the team's situation, but they had only just entered the restricted area and the two sides had never made contact before.

The only possibility is that someone on the other side used some kind of ability to leave some kind of surveillance mark on those Nen user outside the restricted area.

Or perhaps they planted informants.

Meticulous and terrifying! This indicates that the other party anticipated that the Sori Group would hire some external helpers and made preparations in advance.

Oboro's squad has been exposed.

"However, our infiltration route was predetermined and unknown to outsiders... Moreover, the restricted area is quite large, so it won't be easy to find us in such a short time... Someone within the Sori Group has already been sabotaged!" Long realized.

At this moment, the man's figure was already half-covered by the night, about to disappear completely from his sight.

Given the other party's abilities, once they are out of sight, even for Oboro, finding them again would be unlikely...

A show of force.

The other side clearly intended to ambush them here.

Is he deliberately trying to provoke me... a diversionary tactic?

Lure or distract yourself, and then... there are companions nearby. As soon as you leave, the hidden enemies will appear and kill the remaining five people.

The strength of Menchi and the others is significantly inferior to their own... This fact has already been realized by the other side.

"Not so great... You can only protect them for a while. I'll be watching you from the shadows... If you let your guard down even a little, I'll kill your team members."

The man gave a cold laugh.

This is putting pressure on Long, mental pressure.

This will restrict the actions of Oboro and his team.

At the same time, it was also further provoking Oboro, making him attack him.

"Although I knew it was a trap... your plan succeeded!" Long glanced at the surrounding terrain but couldn't sense another, or even several, enemy hiding places.

He suddenly smiled at the man.

Immediately, his figure shot out and darted towards him.

"Hahahaha... You don't even care about the lives of your own teammates? You're a very unqualified leader of this team..." the man mocked triumphantly.

Behind Oboro, Anthony and the others had already calmed down.

The other side has sent their captain away... They are very likely to be in danger.

However, the five did not stop Oboro, because they understood their captain...

What's terrifying about this man isn't just his strength, but also his intellect.

His actions and responses must be the optimal solution.

"Careful!"

Fante, a member of the Enhancement, reminded his teammates and stepped in front of them.

Menchi now had several kitchen knives in her hands...

The five men assumed a defensive stance.

They have spotted the enemy.

A bald, fat man with a long black braid and many nose hairs sticking out of his nostrils sprang up from one direction after Long broke away from the group. Seeing the five people's tense expressions, he did not make a move, but his eyes were full of mockery.

Because... apart from Oboro who needs to be wary, the remaining five people are too weak.

Have you ever played checkers?

The fat man chuckled.

These words startled Fante and the others.

Suddenly, a burst of light rose from the ground beneath their feet.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in an unfamiliar environment.

"Hey! The goods we've been waiting for have arrived, that was fast..."

Suddenly, a burst of laughter rang out.

Menchi looked in the direction of the sound and his heart tightened. There were four powerful Nen user looking at them with a mocking expression.

The planning and arrangements for this ambush were incredibly meticulous!

They were completely unaware...

It seems that the route they took had been pre-programmed by the fat man's abilities... The timing of the sneak attack was precise. While it appeared to be aimed at reducing their numbers, its real purpose was to keep the team stationary.

This is the level a mature, strong team should possess.

Compared to those Nen user outside the restricted area, who were already considered quite strong by the group, they were even more outstanding.