Chapter 933: Part 2: Truth comes out Chapter 933: Part 2: Truth comes out From MC’s Perspective: Another day had slipped by, leaving a strange tension in the air.
The hunting teams dispatched by the Vulture Gang scoured the dense forest, desperately trying to locate their comrades who had mysteriously gone missing.
Every hour stretched on, thick with unease, yet no trace of the lost team surfaced.
The forest felt unnervingly quiet, as if it held its breath, guarding secrets beneath its towering trees.
The whispers of wildlife, distant and muted, only deepened the dread hanging over the search.
Then, as the sun began its slow descent, casting long shadows between the foliage, a breakthrough emerged.
One of the hunting teams, their eyes strained from hours of fruitless searching, tracked the missing team’s last known location using their encoded watches.
The GPS signal led them deep into the territory of the Armadillo Monsters, a notoriously dangerous part of the forest.
The coordinates matched perfectly with the mission briefing.
But as the team arrived, they found nothing-no blood, no bodies, no gear.
The clearing was eerily pristine, as if no battle or struggle had ever taken place.
The realization sank in.
“The Armadillos…” one of the hunters muttered, eyes scanning the canopy as though expecting the monsters to emerge from the shadows at any moment.
The team quickly pieced together what had likely occurred.
Someone made the forest their hunting ground, and their territory was unforgiving to any who ventured into it.
Given that this was the last known mission area for the missing group, it seemed all but certain-they had been killed here.
But something gnawed at them: the scene was too clean.
Not even a footprint disturbed the soil.
It was clear to the team that the killers, whoever they were, had been meticulous in erasing all evidence.
The hunters, seasoned and battle-hardened, exchanged grim looks.
They couldn’t shake the suspicion that their rival Gang-were behind it.
The absence of obvious signs of a monster attack suggested something more calculated, more deliberate.
But they needed proof, something concrete to confirm their suspicions.
Determined to find a clue, the team expanded their search radius, combing through the thick underbrush and tracing every path that led out of the area.
Hours dragged by, each minute filled with the sound of crunching leaves underfoot and the occasional rustle of wildlife nearby.
As dusk approached and the forest began to dim, hope began to wane.
Dejected and empty-handed, the hunters finally regrouped.
Their faces were hardened, but frustration flickered in their eyes.
They had covered miles of terrain, investigated every potential lead, yet not a single trace of their fallen comrades or the perpetrators had been uncovered.
“Nothing,” one of the team members growled in frustration, kicking at the dirt.
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The leader of the group, eyes dark with the weight of failure, called for their return.
As the team began their trek back through the thickening twilight, a sense of defeat hung heavily over them.
…
Meanwhile, the Vulture Gang Leader sat in his dimly lit office, the air thick with tension.
He was not a man who tolerated failure, but patience had become a necessary tool in his arsenal.
His sharp eyes flickered over the intelligence reports scattered on the table in front of him, each one carefully compiled, yet none offering the answers he sought.
His mind churned with frustration, though his expression remained cold and composed.
The reports painted a confusing picture.
Despite combing through every available source, there was no sign that any rival gangs were involved in a plot against the Vultures.
The Dark Serpents, the White Hounds, the Simple Fangs-none had made any suspicious moves.
It was as though the ground had swallowed the missing hunters whole, leaving no trace or explanation behind.
The lack of clarity gnawed at the leader, deepening his confusion and irritation.
Still, his thoughts churned.
If it wasn’t the work of another gang, then what?
Monsters were common enough in the wilds, but his hunters were experienced.
They wouldn’t have fallen so easily, not without leaving some trace of battle.
Something was deeply wrong here.
He just couldn’t grasp what.
Then, a knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts.
One of his lieutenants entered, the hunting teams following closely behind, their expressions grim and worn from the fruitless search.
“They’re back,” the lieutenant said in a low voice, bowing slightly before stepping aside to let the teams report.
The leader straightened in his seat, cold eyes narrowing as he listened to every word.
The hunters recounted their search-the last known location of the missing team, the barren clearing in the Armadillo Monsters’ territory, the eerie lack of evidence, and their suspicion that someone had erased all traces of the battle.
The silence that followed was heavy.
The leader’s fingers tapped the armrest of his chair, his mind racing.
“So you found nothing,” he said flatly, his voice betraying none of the frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
His gaze flicked over each of the returning hunters, waiting for one of them to speak up, to offer something-anything-that could shed light on the mystery.
But there was nothing more to say.
His disappointment was palpable, though he didn’t allow it to show in his face.
These were seasoned warriors, men who had never failed him before.
Yet now they stood before him empty-handed, and it stung.
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them, sending them back out to gather more information, though he knew deep down they would likely return with the same hollow report.
As they left, the leader leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
His mind drifted to the one figure who loomed over all of this-the Backer.
The silent shadow that had given the Vulture Gang its strength, its rise to power.
The leader’s heart tightened at the thought of him.
The Backer wasn’t a man to be trifled with, and he had an uncanny ability to know everything that happened within his sphere of influence.
There was no doubt that he would soon learn of the missing hunters.
And when that happened…
the leader would be called to account.
The mere thought made his jaw clench.
What could he possibly say?
What excuse could he offer for his men’s failure to bring back answers?
There were no lies he could spin that would satisfy the Backer’s demand for results.
The leader stood up abruptly, pacing his office, his mind racing through possibilities.
He could delay the inevitable, buy time by continuing the search, but deep down, he knew it wouldn’t be enough.
Sooner or later, the call would come, and when it did, he would be forced to stand before the Backer with nothing but empty words and a mystery he couldn’t solve.
That thought, more than anything, made his blood run cold.
…
From MC’s Perspective: I’ve been maintaining my daily training regimen with unwavering focus, pushing my limits with each session.
The familiar rhythm of physical exertion is a welcome distraction, but my mind can’t help but drift to the outside world.
My body moves through the motions, but my thoughts are elsewhere-on the upcoming Top List Ranking Duels.
Each day, I scan the latest news feeds, anticipating some sort of update, some official confirmation.
But there’s been nothing.
No announcements.
No schedule.
Not a single hint about when or if the event will even take place.
It’s strange.
I thought for sure Star University, the institution behind the event, would have said something by now.
After all, this isn’t just any competition-it’s the duel that defines status, power, and future prospects for those of us vying for the top spots.
The silence is unnerving.
At first, I assumed they were simply finalizing the details, perhaps even building up suspense.
But as the days drag on, the absence of information has me questioning everything.
What’s taking them so long?
Are there delays behind the scenes?
Or worse-could the whole event be in jeopardy?
A creeping doubt begins to settle in.
I hate the uncertainty.
Could it be that the Ranking Duels won’t happen this year?
The idea frustrates me.
All the training, the preparation-it’s all been leading to this.
And now?
Now there’s only silence.
I’ve heard there’s been some activity at Alpha City.
I’m not sure if they’ve found anything about the warriors.
I made sure to cover my tracks, so they won’t be able to trace it back to me.
So I was not worried about that incident.
Even if they find out something, I’m not afraid.
I shake my head, forcing myself to push those thoughts aside.
Worrying about things beyond my control will get me nowhere.
All I can do is stay ready.
So I dive back into my training, pushing harder than before.
Each strike, each repetition, is a reminder of what I’m working toward, even if the path ahead is unclear.
The Ranking Duels may still be on the horizon, or they may not-but I refuse to let the uncertainty weaken my resolve.
I’ll be prepared, no matter what comes.
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