Chapter 685: Knives.

Costa Serena was a nice town, but what made it better was the complete lack of backbone. The local gangs and thugs had little to no power, the authorities could easily be paid to look the other way, and with inflation going through the roof thanks to the brewing war, foreign currency could buy a lot more than what it does where it came from.

For the veterans working for the Castor Security Firm, it made for a great vacation spot, one were their strength could earn them special treatment, and no one would dare to mess with them. After weeks spent in the middle of the freezing ocean, they would travel to the shore and spend some time on the island, blowing off some steam before heading back to their boring work of watching those mining rigs.

Yesterday was supposed to be one of their breaks, and it went mostly fine, until Randal got his eyes on that dancer. He was a rich tourist, and a handsome one at that, so he never had trouble picking up girls. He was sure that one would have accompanied him were it any other day, but last night was the worst time to make his attempt.

His competition wasn’t someone to mess with. Randal had a good eye for people, so the moment he saw that hooded guy’s face, he knew he wasn’t someone they should mess with. Things had ended up clean, so it wasn’t like the his group was holding a grudge against the that hooded guy. Still, there was one thing they couldn’t take out of their mind—the five Neorosteel Shards.

Plates made from valuable metals were the best way to store wealth in a world dominated by digital currencies, and those made from Neorosteel were the most valuable by far. Five of them were worth more than his entire squad is paid for an entire year, so Randal was determined to get them no matter what.

Stealing from the hooded stranger was going to be difficult, so he decided to target the women first. Hearing that the bastard spent the night banging not just the beautiful dancer, but her gorgeous mother as well, fueled Randal’s desire for some get back. He called for the rest of his squad, brought some equipment, and waited for the right moment.

[Leader, he just left the building.]

The message was exactly what they were waiting for.

"Alright. Gamma and Delta, keep an eye on him. Epsilon, Zeta, and Eta, hold your positions and wait for my signal."

Randal was asked why they needed that many to deal with just two women, a perfectly valid question, even if it came from them not wanting their share of the treasure decreasing. The dancer and her mother weren’t much of a problem, but just in case the hooded bastard found out about what they were trying to do, they might need the numbers to fight him.

A few minutes passed since the hooded bastard left the target’s house. As he seemed to be heading toward the ocean, Randal believed it was safe to assume that he wasn’t going back. Drone footage showed that the mother was sitting in the kitchen of her house. She was looking at the five Neorosteel shards, her face colored with surprise. It was almost as if she hadn’t expected to see them there.

"Epsilon, move in."

No sooner did he give the command than a different channel lit up on his comm.

[Eh... leader...]

"What is it, Delta?’

[I think... we lost him...]

The report gave Robert pause, and he didn’t know what to say for quite a while.

"What the hell do you mean you lost him!!?"

[We don’t know! He just went into this alleyway and vanished! It leads to a dead so we-]

The communication was suddenly cut.

"Delta? Delta, answer me!" A chill rolled over Robert as not even static reached him from the other side. "Gamma? What the hell happened?"

’Were they taken out?’ That was the first question that came to Robert’s mind. He didn’t understand how that was possible. Each member of his squad was a Level 2 Cyborg at the very least, and they had enough combat experience to be prepared for any situation, no matter how sudden it was. It shouldn’t be possible for them to be taken out so fast that they would be unable to send at least a signal.

"Zeta, something happened with Delta and Gamma. Go check on..."

Just then, he noticed that Epsilon’s signal went off. He opened his mouth to switch the command he was about to give Zeta, but then he watched as their signal went off right before his eyes. Eta’s followed right after. Just then, a realization suddenly hit him.

"We’re under att-"

The words suddenly caught in his throat, stopped by the sensation of five knives slowly pressing on his neck. His entire body froze as his mind confirmed the sensation was real, and as soon as it did, all of his thoughts halted.

"Leader?"

Teams Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, and Eta. Fifteen people went dark all of a sudden. The only ones left were teams Alpha and Beta, both of which were with him. The five members turned to him with questioning looks, but Robert felt that he couldn’t say anything or his head would fall right then and there. As he pondered what to do, a messenger app opened on his NIM.

[

[ ]: So you are the leader.

]

Reading the message, Robert felt like swallowing his spit, but forced himself to hold back.

[

[ ]: Here is what will happen.

You will tell your five friends that plan have changed.

You will pack your things and head back right away.

And I’m not talking about going your hotel.

Ask questions and you’re dead.

Try anything and you’re dead.

I will be watching you until I say otherwise.

Understood?

]

It took him a moment before he understood that whatever it was that had his neck in its grasp was waiting for a reply, and so he typed one.

[

[ ]: Good.

Now.

Get going.

]