Chapter 163

As he spoke, the man, who was sending photos taken with his phone and editing the surveillance report, seemed to remember something. He then used his Intercity Network to log into the Rhodes Island Medical Group's website.

"However, Rhodes Island doesn't have many employees. Apart from the tall, black-haired Feline, who couldn't be found, the pink-haired Vulpo, codenamed Su Sulo, is Rhodes Island's chief physician for Oripathy."

"The woman with short black Feline, codenamed Medic, is the head of Rhodes Island's Emergency Medical Department and director of the Human Resources Department. Her name is listed first on the employee wall on the Rhodes Island website..."

Watching his partner frantically tapping away on his phone as he spoke, the Atlas Sentinel, munching on a compressed biscuit, shivered at his frozen legs and said:

"So, does this confirm the relationship between Rhodes Island and Lycoris?"

"It's hard to say. Not all of Rhodes Island's first batch of employees were actually its own staff... That white-haired Vulpo 'Frostleaf' in the Rhodes Island uniform recently filed for government military arbitration, saying he's going to sue a retired military officer."

"As for Feline Mary, who was being closely monitored, a check revealed she was from Victoria, and had no connection to Lycoris's church school..."

As he spoke, he sighed, and the white mist quickly disappeared into the increasingly dark night due to the cold. The Atlas sentries exchanged silent glances.

After the message was sent, the sentry who had been standing there shaking his leg took out his cigarette case and lit one for his companion. The two of them stared at the lit-up coffee shop with lifeless eyes.

"... So, we just have to keep monitoring them despite the cold wind?"

"What else? Let's see if the 'The Hotel' security guards recognize our firefight permit... Should we charge in with Firearms Arts in hand, braving the guards of two Blacksteel Mercenaries and a Rhodes Island guard, and ask them if they admit to having anything to do with 'Lycoris'?"

"Well... we all know that thing is only used to bully civilians, it can't be used against armed units... they really will start a war with us."

"So Rhodes Island isn't exactly a professional armed group... and it did have some connection to 'Ghost's' last mission, didn't it? Couldn't they just storm it? Like they blew up that apartment building?"

"... That's a partner in the Contingency Contract. The boss was even thinking of promoting Atlas to a permanent position. Is the Contingency Contract something we can touch?"

Chatting about things to ward off sleep, the sentries amused themselves in the darkness... and this casual conversation was temporarily interrupted when the coffee shop doors reopened.

Watching the all-female contingent file out, one of Atlas's sentries twitched his lips and said:

"Honestly, with this gender configuration, you can't see a single man."

"Just like the target's personal guard, an all-female setup... but Rhodes Island can't be touched, even if they find it extremely suspicious... Didn't we just talk about this?"

As they spoke, they counted the number of people leaving the coffee shop. Atlas's sentries frowned in confusion.

"The maid stayed, while the Greatsword Fox and the Sister Fox left... Speaking of which, haven't we seen that red-clad girl and that purple-haired Sarkaz who were with them in a long time?"

Typhon knew he was having another nightmare.

It seems to have nothing to do with where I am; as soon as I enter the dream, all I see is a pitch-black Snowfield... Even though I wrapped myself tightly in a blanket before going to sleep, I still face the biting cold wind in my dream.

Unfamiliar memories will flutter around you with the wind and snow whipped up by the cold wind. In the process, tinnitus and vision will cut through you like sharp fragments... Just as you feel cold when you see snow, you will really feel cold. If you really feel that you will be cut by 'memories', then you will really bleed in reality.

If it were in Sami territory... in the familiar Snowfield where I live...

As long as you find the 'Old Mother' who always radiates a warm white light and stay by her side, those sharp weapons that are like icicles or blades cannot hurt you.

If it's a completely dark dream that even 'Old Mother' can't see, Typhon can seek Alki's help. That elder of his race, who isn't accepted by everyone, will dispel the dark clouds in the dream. In the dream, she will take his hand and lead him, feeling his way out of the dream in the dark.

But there was nothing here. Mother Anma's 'love' had been used up, and Alki wasn't here either... In the dream Typhon could only curl up into a ball like a small animal, as if that would help her escape the frost in the endless snowstorm. Although in this deep dream, Typhon couldn't even count to one hundred, she still remembered the most basic essence of a hunter... patience... and adaptation.

The black blizzard suddenly solidified into a black cave. The crystalline walls reflected Typhon figure, hugging his knees. Countless shadows existed in the lightless cave. They first formed the giant bow that he knew so well, then melted like liquid and gradually stuck to him.

"Don't be afraid, Typhon... It's just another Shadow Hunt... That's your weapon... Go tame it... Kitty Teacher is here too... She'll help me..."

[らLa ラR ァ rA random...]

The black giant bow emitted an indistinguishable sound. Just as Typhon was completely bewildered by the collapsed words, the surrounding black crystal walls suddenly transformed into enormous blades that pierced inward.

The sound of black 'water' being sliced and torn apart by a black knife was just like the sound of flesh being destroyed... Was this the sound of my own body being destroyed?

It is obvious that Yi Qi Si Wu Jiu IV is not.

The black blades grazed Typhon in all directions as they passed through the space, but unlike the intangible 'black water,' the black blades, though sharp, did not have a cutting sensation.

Although the black ice crystals were constantly squeezing his 'solitary' space, Typhon vaguely felt that it was a hand... an arm made of black crystals, embracing 'him'.

'Typhon? Are you awake?'

Consciousness rose rapidly, and as the dream gradually brightened, Typhon glanced back... The black water was now flowing backwards towards the black mountain peak... Was it Kitty Teacher?

With the new definition, at the end of the crystallized claws, at the summit of the black mountain, a pair of furry cat ears suddenly popped out with a 'bang'.

Cat ears?

Typhon suddenly felt an itch to touch her teacher's soft, furry ears.

"Ah..."

Upon opening his eyes, Typhon immediately saw a chitinous butterfly knife, as beautiful as the night sky, flitting about in the hands of 'Kitty Teacher'... ah, I should say 'Angel Senior'.

"Sorry, I fell asleep?"

Rubbing his eyes, Typhon quickly sat up, then realized that he was now strapped into the car, the side of his face near the window was icy cold... Had he fallen asleep and leaned against it? No wonder he felt so cold in his dream...

Seeing Typhon's seemingly sleepy reaction, Nana, now back in her red uniform, simply smiled and shrugged after putting away her butterfly knife.

The assassin is now reflecting on her actions; it was entirely Nana's fault for not noticing the black smoke emanating from the suitcase containing the giant black bow while waiting in the car...

Clearly, despite having gained ample experience fighting Collapse Entity over the past few months, Nana assassin still lacks sufficient experience in dealing with 'non-existent' enemies.

Fortunately, Nana is now considered a semi- Inner Guards. After a moment of chaos when neither physical nor magical attacks worked, the assassin managed to deal with the 'giant bow's' probing attack using her the Warp anchor.

Clearly, compared to the instinctive method of directly embracing it to dispel the urge... attempting to fight an enemy from an unknown dimension using three methods... one can only say that Typhon's struggle within the dream was truly hampered.

The good news is that Nana has managed to find a way to influence the other party even in a three-way situation. The bad news is that Nana doesn't know how much damage her knife-wielding movements, which resemble an exorcism performed by a mental patient in a mental hospital, will actually do to legitimate Demons.

Or... next time, we should just stick to each other and protect Typhon by 'asserting sovereignty'.

As for the bow, and the Demons itself... Nana still prefers to let the Cyclopes or something more professional... like Kal'tsit handle it.

He's just a swordsman, what does he know about anything else...? Playing with firearms and magic is what he's good at.

"Master, are we about to make our move?"

Ignoring Nana's rubbing against the gun case in the driver's seat like Little Cat marking its territory, Typhon's own actions of holding a crossbow like a pistol were hardly those of a normal person.

The bizarre dream she had just experienced was long forgotten by Typhon, whose mind was now blank. She still remembered that Nana had picked her up to go out that night on a mission.

"It's almost time... Let's check the table..."

Two fair wrists came together, the second hands of their newly bought watches moving in unison... The young but voluptuous Sarkaz had no idea of the value of what was on her wrist, while the blonde girl on the other side was more concerned with functionality.

"Yes, the time is correct... Typhon, reiterate the mission."

"To eliminate the traitors who have betrayed the people..." Wu

"That's right. Now, we're releasing the details. We're dealing with the director of the Laytonson City Construction Office ... He strongly supported Atlas's actions in Laisenton and, under the pretext of redeveloping the old town, approved Atlas's demolition of the Wilson Apartments ... They didn't even obtain the consent of the old street residents; while the plan was still under discussion, they used fire trucks to evacuate the residents and directly blew up the apartment building..." Yi

Seeing Typhon's "and then?" expression, Nana blinked and added: Chess.

"I have safe houses on the fourth and fifth floors... I was originally planning to take you and the Little Cat there for Christmas ... That's where I've lived for eight years..."

Seeing Nana's left eye practically glowing Blacklight as she spoke, Typhon, feeling a pang of Typhon, angrily attached his 'giant bow' to the crossbow mechanism.

"How can we tolerate this?! Shouldn't we beat the bastards up?! Teacher, you specifically had Rhodes Island send these weapon crates just to send these bugs flying, didn't you?"

"Ah... no, although I had Jessica bring the WA2000 over, shooting a government employee is still too conspicuous... how can you send someone a homemade plane for personal revenge? That's so uncivilized."

While talking, Nana tidied Typhon's pigtails, who was still half asleep. Then, she hung a pair of binoculars on Typhon and held up one finger, saying seriously: I

"We're just looking for evidence of abuse of power, and of course, it would be even better if we could find out who's specifically supporting them in doing so... After all, I still don't understand why National Laboratory would instruct a local government to create obstacles for its own employees."

"... So, this time we're not using a bow directly?"

"No need. Typhon's main role is to help with battlefield control... If the other side's paperwork is in order, I have no reason to harm him..."

Although she was wearing a striking red outfit, Nana couldn't help but suppress her 'persona' smile as she put on leather gloves and got into work mode.

"Then, let the mission begin."

Watching the red figure disappear into the night, Typhon disassembled his crossbow and put it back in his suitcase, then climbed onto an advertising shelf with his binoculars and sat down... After watching Nana enter the target area, Typhon suddenly let out an "Ah!"

[Something's up?] Yi

"Qun]Qi Ling Ba Liu Ba Qi Qi... No...I'm sorry, Master...I forgot something..."

[I forgot... Is it important?]

"Because I forgot, it's probably not important... but there's an urge... my hands are itching..."

So, what do you want to do?

Listening to the voice through the headphones, Typhon, holding the binoculars, said with a slightly flushed face:

"... Teacher, can you turn back into your cat form? I want to touch your cat ears..."

[Um... maybe, is that okay?]

After a brief pause, there was the sound of Nana climbing over the fence.

"You'll probably have your chance to touch my cat ears soon."

Looking at the empty villa before her, seemingly deserted, the red-clad assassin curled her lips into a smile:

"Or perhaps, Typhon, you just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

PS: Waaaaaaah!

5th Laytonson's Ghost Assassin: 178 Hunter? Prey!

[By chance?]

"My original plan for the operation in Laisenton was to make my appearance unremarkable... but in order to gain the support of government agencies and avoid things turning into a one-sided internal power struggle within Columbia, 'Alice' had no choice but to speak in front of others as Lycoris... and of all things, she did it in front of an old police officer."

"To avoid that face being used as material for comparative analysis, the identity of 'Alice' must be handled with care... For this reason, I called in the Human Resources Department team, and from now on I'll probably be switching back and forth between 'Medic' and 'Alice' quite frequently."

[I see... So Angel -senpai will turn back into Kitty Teacher soon... Ah, someone is approaching from your right...]

"Don't be nervous, they're just ordinary night owls... It seems that even a cold winter night can't completely stop these rich kids from seeking thrills."

Turning away from the drunken gazes of the four men with their arms around each other's shoulders, the assassin entered her target location as if she were in her own home.

"The gate wasn't locked, but the house was completely dark..."

[Have you already fallen asleep?]

"City life is different from the wilderness and jungle. You saw those people just now. Rather than saying that the family went to sleep... I'm more inclined to believe that they may not have come back at all... After all, the police report can't be ignored. It's quite common to see officials rushing to gather and making a ruckus when the 'Ghost' reappears."

[... A well-timed disturbance will draw them together, followed by the real hunt... if they all explode into the sky!]

"I already said I wouldn't send them on a cheap plane... I'm acting in the name of a government official, you know. If I accidentally harm a faction I could win over, I'd just be asking for trouble."

As Nana spoke, she circled the target building, conducting a preliminary reconnaissance...

It seems the construction office manager didn't have much faith in the security of Laisenton's affluent neighborhood. Because of the high prices due to the presence of Orundum components, the residence was surrounded by night-vision surveillance systems, typically only installed in important locations, leaving no blind spots.

Even the underground parking garage door, a potentially vulnerable spot, had a prominent warning sign that read "This area is under surveillance." Nana was extremely familiar with this security equipment brand, as it was a product of Loken Watertank.

If Miss Assassin is not mistaken, its high-end surveillance system is also equipped with an Originium power system independent of the internal one... Even if the hard drive is offline and the power is cut off, its built-in Orundum component can record and support at least one day of video surveillance.

Furthermore, coupled with the automatic alarm mechanism in this affluent community's security system when it is compromised... a security system that is undisturbed, has its own independent recording function, and is rendered ineffective by methods such as power outages or damage to the hard drive, is simply the perfect nemesis for obsessive-compulsive intruders like Nana.

But... does excellent security mean this place is impregnable?

As Nana pondered this, she looked up at the second and third floors of the detached house... Under the twinkling Starlight of the night sky, the way the curtains on the third-floor balcony, drawn out by the negative pressure of the cold wind, fluttered in the breeze made Nana start to wonder if there was a trap inside this dark house.

After all, no matter how comprehensive the equipment and plans are, if the implementers are not attentive, they will still be of some use, if not completely useless.

[Master?]

"... It's nothing, I'm just suddenly feeling a little sad..."

She quickly scrambled herself out of the camera's range to the third floor, and just to be safe Nana decided to start the check from the top floor first.

Contrary to the three floors observed from the outside, the villa appears to have only two floors inside, as seen through the roof ventilation fan and ceiling skylight. It seems the owner has long used the first floor for socializing, with its spacious dance floor and bar occupying most of the ground floor area.

As a civil servant's living and working place, the bedroom and study on the second floor of the house were not particularly spacious... Nana repeatedly confirmed three times that the open balcony was not a trap, and even after the automatic alarm interlocking mechanisms of the other windows were still working, Nana entered the house with some doubt.

"I've entered the target location; this is the bedroom..."

[Nothing unusual was observed from the outside, Master, please continue.]