After they finished eating, Ingrid turned to them with a genuine smile and explained the share percentage she would transfer to them.

"Thank you for not asking for a large share, or I'd be finished. To show my gratitude, I'll transfer two percent of the shares to each of you. If that's okay, I'll draw up the transfer document," Ingrid said, her tone full of sincerity—Viktor, who had been about to tease her about the shares, lost interest.

"Alright, and I'll give you your share of the rabbits once we're done touring the forest," Viktor replied as he placed their used bowls back into his space, then took out some water and juice for Zane and Ingrid.

Ingrid unscrewed the cap, took a sip, and then quickly drew up the transfer document. She pointed out to them to sign, explaining that it would become valid and be sent to them as soon as they received their Nexus.

Once that was over, they toured through the forest, spotting some familiar beasts while hunting for the difficult ones Ingrid needed for the game.

…

Meanwhile, on the island, night had fallen, with two moons glowing high in the sky.

Kyle opened the drone he pushed and was about to set the coordinates of the island it was going to investigate when he paused.

Frowning, he pulled a dagger from under his pillow. He lined up two pillows and covered them with his bedcovers to make it look like someone was on the bed, then moved silently toward the door.

Kyle held his breath, and a few seconds passed before his door slowly creaked open as a dark shadow slipped inside.

Kyle didn't attack first and waited for the person to fully enter, then another shadow also stepped inside.

"Huh? Two on the ground, one on the ceiling," Kyle noted mentally as he gripped his dagger and struck like lightning—only the brief gleam of the blade cutting through the dark room, harvesting the assassins' lives.

Their eyes went wide with shock, unaware of how they had died—their last sensation the warmth of blood gushing down their necks.

He caught them before they could fall and alerted the other one on the ceiling—he needed that one alive to ask questions.

If he knew someone who would send a killer after him, he would have gone back to the mansion and let Nicole handle it.

Kyle wiped the bloodied dagger on one of the assassin's clothes before leaning against the wall by the window, patiently waiting for the other one.

The woman on the rooftop didn't realize her cover was blown. She moved silently to the edge, pulled a flat device from her pocket, stretched her fingers, and strapped it to the window glass.

It stuck in place as she tapped a button on the hologram screen. The device hummed softly, the sound blending with the crickets, as it moved in a circular motion, cutting a hole in the glass.

Kyle watched all this unfold with a bored expression, wondering what the point of this gadget was when she could just use the front door like those two.

A gloved hand pulled out the device, bringing with it the cut glass stuck on the other end.

She dug her hand into the hole, opened the window latch, then pulled her hand out. With a swift jump, she entered the room silently.

Her eyes darted around, only to be met with a blow to the head that knocked her out cold.

Kyle didn't even try to catch her, and she hit the ground with a loud thud.

He contacted Nicole to get rid of their bodies while he strapped the woman to a chair—too lazy to take her to the mansion's torture room for interrogation.

He sat in the chair across from her, where the woman he had tied up with the bed covers was. To pass the time, he kept setting up the drone, inputting the map, and syncing the control to his hologram screen.

He turned it on and placed a high-quality cube as a power source to keep the drone running during its island investigation.

Kyle opened a bag of chips, chewing as he called a delivery company to send the drone to the nearest city on the island.

After finishing all this, he stretched, leaned back comfortably in his seat, and looked at the woman, who was starting to wake up.

She tried to turn, but felt something hold her in place, and her blurred vision cleared instantly. Her eyes sharpened with caution, but she froze when she saw herself tied to a chair, and across from her was her target.

"You've woken up. I might have to wake you up myself… now tell me, who hired you?" Kyle demanded in a calm tone, his suit meticulously pressed and not a single strand of hair out of place, like a perfect butler from some royal family.

The woman's eyes flickered with fear for a moment before turning resolute, already accepting her death. With those thoughts, she looked away from Kyle and lowered her head, indicating she wasn't going to speak.

"Sigh…why don't you just speak and stop wasting both our time? You can die painlessly, and I'll get the answers I need… doesn't that sound nice?" Kyle muttered lazily as he rose to his feet and walked up to her, with his dagger dangling loosely in his hand.

The woman remained silent and closed her eyes, her mind already at ease with what was to come.

Kyle stood before her, offering a chance to reconsider, but she remained silent. Then his dagger flashed through the air, piercing her shoulder.

The woman groaned softly, gritting her teeth to keep from making a sound.

Kyle didn't admire her loyalty in withholding her contractor's name; instead, he thought her foolish—in their line of work, it was just business.

It's better for her to have a painless death than to die for a contractor who can easily replace you with someone else.

His piercing wasn't just for show; he aimed at her most sensitive spots, knowing it would cause her more pain.

The woman screamed, her body riddled with holes, her blood darkening her black clothes. Though the wounds looked ghastly, they weren't just enough to kill her.

"I'm tired. Yawn… Since you don't want to talk, then don't beg for a quick death either," Kyle muttered through yawns, calmly reaching into his pocket to grab a handkerchief and wipe the blood from his fingers.

He opened his hologram screen and called Nicole.

Nicole's voice asked from the other end as soon as the call connected, [Are they still intruders?]

"No, I need you to take her to the torture room. Don't touch her, but heal her wounds and leave her for Viktor," Kyle muttered in a calm tone, while Nicole, on the other side, grimaced, wondering what this person had done to offend Kyle enough to be placed under Viktor's care—that sadist when it comes to torturing people.

Nicole shivered as she recalled the image of a woman's vacant, lifeless eyes. She could only mutter repeatedly for someone to kill her—a headstrong assassin was reduced to a pathetic, bleak state by Viktor's hands.

Nicole shook her head to clear that image from her mind and asked, [Do I need to draw blood from her?]

Kyle was silent for a moment before replying. "No, the hospital still has plenty of blood bags in stock. Just keep her alive and healthy for Viktor."

[Alright. I'll be there in a few minutes.] Nicole disconnected the call.

The woman, unaware of what fate had in store for her, closed her eyes with a stubborn expression on her face.

Kyle headed directly to the bathroom to take his bath and get ready for bed, not forgetting to leave the door unlocked for Nicole to retrieve the woman.

…

Cyra opened her eyes as the sky darkened. A predatory glint flashed in them as she leapt from the tree. Landing gracefully on her feet, she vanished into the forest without hesitation.

The air whipped against her face, tossing her hair as she flashed through the forest with incredible speed, only streaks of red marking her presence. The sounds of crickets and owls, and the glow of fireflies, floated around her as Cyra pressed deeper into the woods.

Cyra didn't search for Zane and Viktor. Instead, she went hunting in the center of the forest, where the stronger, more dangerous beasts roamed.

Time passed, and the forest was filled with continuous, pained, and angry roars. Zane looked ahead with a curious expression, which Ingrid misinterpreted as interest in the center of the forest.

"No, absolutely not! I won't take you there, not even if you threaten me!" Ingrid yelled firmly, her face showing clear unwillingness to step even an inch into that part of the forest.

That part of the forest teemed with powerful beasts, forcing even the clan heads to exercise extreme caution. Though tempted to capture one for her game, she dared not risk herself or her team.

Viktor looked away from his hologram screen and gazed at her, wondering what had gotten her so excited.

"I never said you should take me there; I was only curious about the roars coming from within," Zane said. His words made Viktor realize what had happened. He looked away and continued scrolling through his screen.

Ingrid patted her chest in relief and quickly urged them to return before they changed their minds and decided to satisfy their curiosity. "We're heading back,'' Ingrid announced as she wrapped the bunch of herbs and fruit she had picked with a large umbrella-shaped leaf.

Viktor nodded in agreement, already exhausted and in need of a good swim in his space. It had been a long time since he transformed into his other form. Stretching, he got up from the log and brushed off the dried leaves stuck in his hair and clothes.

Zane hummed and followed behind Ingrid, who was practically running ahead. She wasn't curious enough to check what was happening in the center or what had caused the beasts' painful roars—she would leave that for her mother to inform the clan leader.