"?" At first they were confused by his words, but their confusion deepened and turned into shock after a few moments.


    "!"


    The masked man started groaning, his body trembling.


    "W-What is happening?" Ardel and L asked baffled.


    Suddenly, the man''s eyes rolled back, and a mix of blood and a strange white substance began to seep from under his mask.


    Everyone''s eyes widened in shock. "What the—?" L was startled, but Aria quickly knelt beside the man and removed his mask.


    The sight was horrifying. The man''s face was contorted in pain, his eyes lifeless. The blood and white substance oozing from his mouth and nose were signs of a quick and brutal poison.


    Aria looked up, her face set in a grim expression. "He''s dead," she confirmed, her voice steady despite the gruesome sight.


    He hadmitted suicide.


    L''s reaction was immediate and visceral. She turned away, her hand covering her mouth as she fought the urge to vomit. "T-that''s horrifying."


    Kairen''s face was pale, not from the sight of the dead man, but from the realization of what it meant and for other reasons.


    Only Aria and Ardel seemed unaffected by the gruesome scene. Aria had seen death before, and Ardel had his own experiences that had hardened him to such sights.


    Ardel broke the silence, his voice steady but tinged with concern. "What are we going to do now?"


    Aria didn''t respond immediately. She knelt beside the body, her eyes scanning every detail, piecing together the puzzle. The man''s demeanor, his swift actions, and now this suicide—this wasn''t the behavior of a mere bandit. They wouldn''t go to such lengths to evenmit suicide.


    She then noticed a small, barely visible tattoo on his neck, a hand-like ck symbol. Her eyes widened slightly as recognition dawned. This man was definitely not a bandit.


    ''He''s an assassin.''


    An assassin, trained and ruthless, likely working for a dark organization with this hand-like symbol. She heard rumors about one simr to this one when she was little.


    ''ck Hand Syndicate.''


    Aria''s mind raced as she recalled what she knew about the ck Hand Syndicate. The organization was infamous, known for its ruthless assassins and mercenaries. Their emblem, a ck hand, was a mark of fear and death. They operated in the shadows, their motives often hidden behindyers of secrecy and deceit. If they were involved, this mission was far more dangerous than she had anticipated.


    "This mission won''t be easy," Aria muttered under her breath, her eyes never leaving the lifeless assassin.


    Just then, Ardel''s ears perked up. He quickly closed his eyes and used his ability, extending his senses outward. Momentster, he opened his eyes, his expression serious. "I''m sensing three presences approaching us from above," he said urgently.


    Aria nodded, quickly forming a n. "Ardel, Kairen, you two will act as bait. L and I will ambush them. Let''s move."


    They swiftly took their positions, Ardel and Kairen staying near the corpse and speaking in slightly raised voices to draw attention.


    "Do you think there are more of them around?" Kairen asked, his voice carrying through the forest.


    "Probably. We need to stay alert and be ready for anything," Ardel replied, his tone measured.


    About two minutester, three figures emerged from behind arge boulder, calling out to them. "Ardel! Kairen!"


    Aria and L tensed, ready to strike, but then recognition dawned on them. The figures were none other than Aurelius, Aurelia, and Irithel who just escaped from a trap.


    "Eh? Aurelius? It was you guys!" Ardel said, relief and surprise in his voice.


    Aria looked at the three from their hiding for a moment, after making sure they weren''t illusion or fake, she and L came out.


    "Ah, you are here too!" Irithel and Aurelia noticed them and called out.


    The groups quickly exchanged greetings, their relief evident.


    Then Aurelius spoke, looking around, his gaze searching. "Why are you guys here? Is Adrian with you too?"


    The four nced at each other before Aria started exining. "We are here on a mission to rescue a group of herbalists who were captured by bandits. We were tracking their movements and ended up here. We suspect that the cave nearby is their hideout. Adrian went in with a woman we believe is involved with the bandits."


    She exined everything in detail but quickly, even mentioning how the man died and her suspicion of him being an assassin from an evil organization, not a bandit.


    The three listened silently, taking in every detail. Aurelius frowned as they finished. "Then we have the same purpose. Our friend is probably among the herbalists you came to rescue. We should join hands."


    "Alright, let''s form a n then."


    Now, after the little reunion, they had a high chance of sess.


    "Adrian, and the Rhea girl, just wait a bit more, we areing to rescue you..."


    ________ ____ __


    "Hmm...?"


    ''Is someone talking about me?''


    Adrian''s eyelids fluttered open. His surroundings were dimly lit by flickering torches mounted on the walls of a small, confined space. The air was damp and musty, and the floor beneath him was cold and uneven.


    As he tried to stretch and move, he realized with growing rm that he couldn''t move his hands. They were bound tightly behind his back, and a thick piece of cloth was gagging him, muffling his attempts to call out. Instinctual panic surged through him, but he forced himself to stay calm and assess his situation.


    He tried to recall what had happened before he lost consciousness. The cave, the woman, the masked figures, the betrayal—it all came back in a rush.


    ''Ha, so I seeded in infiltration...'' He thought inwardly looking at his surroundings.


    Right, this was all his n, and it seemed to have worked out perfectly.


    ''It was Aurelius who fell to her trick and gained experience through it in the novel... Although not everything went as I nned it still worked out in the end, huh...'' Adrian then recalled this arc and how he nned to pass it. ''Now, I only have to wait for my team and Aurelius''s group to meet. Meanwhile...''


    "Finally woke up, handsome."


    Adrian looked forward as a woman figure wearing a hoodied robe and a mask appeared in his vision.


    ''Dark Operative of the ck Hand Synidacate - Selene the Seductress....''