[AFYC] Chapter 68

“Ahhhh!” 

The instant a scream of death rang out from somewhere in the building, the man yanked the knife from the Chairman’s skull and burst out of the office. 

“You bastards!” 

His enraged shout echoed through the halls, and mercenaries appeared from all directions. 

But the Chairman’s death and that dying scream were just the beginning. 

The clashing of steel, the screams, and the blood spraying like a torrential downpour suddenly engulfed the entire Beta Mercenaries’ headquarters. 

♔♔♔  

On a hill sparsely covered with dry grass. 

“Contact from the search team.” 

Simon reported to Oscar, who stood silently watching the Beta Mercenaries’ headquarters. 

“They’ve found the mercenary leader, but he’s already dead.” 

Oscar let out a dry laugh, like a breeze through withered leaves. Simon licked his lips, preparing to deliver the next piece of information. 

“And they’ve located the spy team’s leader and deputy leader.” 

“Their condition?” 

“They’re beyond recovery.” 

Before Simon had even finished speaking, Oscar was already descending the hill. The combat team surrounding him moved like silent shadows. 

The wind blew harshly, tangling his jet-black hair and obscuring his vision. His hand clenched tightly as he swept the hair away from his face. 

It’s said that in a siege, the attackers need three times the number of defenders to stand a chance. But that assumes both sides are of equal strength. 

The search team had infiltrated the headquarters, launching a surprise attack from within, while the combat team broke through the exterior with overwhelming force, causing the mercenaries to falter and scatter in confusion. 

“Arghhhh!” 

The closer they got to the headquarters, the stronger the stench of blood and carnage in the air. Simon, who had been following closely behind Oscar, glanced back at the men and gestured. The team of shadows quickly took up positions around Oscar, guarding him from all sides. 

Oscar’s expression, which had been impassive up until now, twisted into a cruel smile as they reached the entrance to the mercenaries’ base. The gaudy, vulgar entrance reeked of bloodstained money. 

As Oscar stepped through the door that had been left open for him, the search team, who had been waiting inside, immediately approached. 

The air inside the headquarters was thick with the wolves’ fury. As Oscar descended the stairs, licking the scent of blood and death, he found himself in a corridor that looked as though it had been lifted straight from a royal palace. 

Crystal chandeliers, marble, and porcelain vases from the East lined the corridor, now packed with mercenaries holding swords. Simon turned to Oscar with a look of concern. 

He wanted to suggest that Oscar step back for safety, but Oscar merely pushed his hair back with a fierce expression. Simon silently tightened the buckle on his leather gloves. 

At that moment, one of the mercenaries broke into a mocking laugh. 

“What is this, a ballroom? Look at you, with your shirt, jacket, and shoes.” 

His jest was met with raucous laughter from the other mercenaries. 

But the wolves did not laugh. 

In an instant, the quiet wolves’ presence overwhelmed the mercenaries’ laughter. The sudden silence fell like frost, and it was the mercenaries who couldn’t bear the stillness. 

“Kill them all!” 

The tension snapped. 

“Kill them!” 

“Arghhhh!” 

The screams of desperate men shook the delicate crystal chandeliers. 

Oscar’s wolves took a step forward in unison. 

And then, the slaughter began. 

The wolves, moving ahead of Oscar, swung their swords with precision, meeting the oncoming mercenaries with brutal force. Bones shattered with dull thuds, and brains splattered as skulls were crushed. 

Amid the chaos, the mercenaries’ own weapons were turned against them, slashing their throats. Blood gushed like fountains, but the wolves in their black suits remained composed as they continued their methodical killing. Oscar followed the path they cleared. 

“Die!” 

A mercenary, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and madness, lunged from the fray. As Oscar caught sight of those eyes, gripped by terror and insanity, he felt the inner demon he had kept at bay begin to stir, stepping out into the light.