Wait. Could it be that her ability made her aware of how to please me?

Perhaps all it took was a single acknowledgment from her for me to end up exactly where she wanted—right in her palm.

I won't deny it. That sounded uncomfortably accurate.

Truth was, most men were built that way. Simple creatures.

Give us a box of chocolates on Valentine's Day, and we would remember it until the day we die.

Tell us we did a good job, and the rest of the day would glow with positive energy.

That was how low maintenance we were. A single "I appreciate all your hard work" could carry us for days, sometimes longer.

Getting back to the point, I chose not to dwell on how easily she put me at ease. After a few more exchanges, our conversation came to an end.

I drove back toward the guild building, staying alert the entire way, half-expecting someone to tail me. There was none.

Our conversation replayed in my mind as I drove.

The existence of Darkness was far worse than I thought. If they truly succeeded, then forget about enjoying my life in peace and luxury—this world would drown in eternal slavery.

And honestly? I liked drinking good wine and eating great food, made by people who could afford to live without fearing for their lives.

'What's their endgame… ' I narrowed my eyes on the road.

Even Samantha had no idea why they were going this far.

If control was all they wanted, they were already doing well enough.

And if it was just immortality, they could've poured their money into medical technology instead.

Really, it was hard to fathom the minds of the ultra-rich. They must be unbearably bored with their lives.

When the outline of my building finally came into view, I saw that it was buzzing with activities.

Even this late, people were still pouring in. The place ran nonstop, twenty-four seven, and the number of applicants had exploded after my announcement.

Most Seekers stayed outside the main building. Only the core members I personally deemed important were allowed apartment units.

Even so, space was limited. That was why I acquired another building in a different area—its purpose to provide low-cost housing for the lower ranks.

In addition, I invested heavily in more training centers. I acquired them outright to avoid the hassle of building from scratch, then kept the previous owners on as managers.

Right now, my guild had no real worries about money.

Sponsorship offers kept pouring in because of my girls—and my devilishly handsome clone.

My guild was basically a money-printing machine sitting right in my hands.

To avoid unwanted attention, I drove around to the back of the building.

Back in my office, I watched the city and sipped a cup of coffee. I was never much of an alcohol person—even in my past life—so I got my dopamine from a good roast.

Normally, I would just train until morning or maybe visit one of my girls. Tonight, however, was different.

Tonight, it was time to fully maximize my abilities.

From my room, I sent out my 'Old Man clone' toward the Darkness Guild.

Draped in a black robe lined with gold along the seams, I carried a jade sword across my back—just enough detail to sell the illusion of a reclusive master.

SWOOSH!

SWOOSH!

I leapt from rooftop to rooftop, my speed and shadow veil making city travel effortless.

At this pace, I was faster than a speeding sports car, able to cut straight through the skyline instead of weaving through streets, saving precious time.

Soon, the environment changed, and the city's other face came into view.

The contrast was impossible to miss—the polished skyline fading into cracked streets and dim lights, where neglect clung to every corner.

When I reached the location marked on the USB, I found a warehouse. Trucks were parked outside.

Ordinary on the surface—too ordinary. Beneath it, however, was a laboratory.

According to the intel, this was their main facility for human experiments.

It sat on the city's outer edge, far from scrutiny, where people were easy to procure—and easier to disappear.

A place this suspicious should've been raided by law enforcement already—but even they had been bought off.

As for why the Order hadn't launched an all-out attack, it was probably because they feared what Darkness would do in response.

Frankly, those two were like two countries with nuclear weapons—too afraid of each other to launch an attack.

Luckily, with my ability, I could keep destroying their bases without ever putting my real body in danger.

Better yet, there was no way for anyone to trace the attacks back to me.

SWOOSH!

I dropped onto the roof and slipped inside without making a sound.

Guards patrolled the area—ordinary humans—and they couldn't detect me.

With the blueprints I had memorized, I traced a path to the underground lab.

Instead of entering directly, I moved to a maintenance shaft and let my shadow extend, crawling like a thousand writhing arms, a centipede of darkness carrying me forward until I found an area of interest.

'So, this is where all the experiments are happening. Killing Senator Rockwell was the correct move. No wonder even her daughter hates him'

Below me stood dozens of adult-sized glass capsules.

Inside them were naked demi humans, their mouths sealed with breathing devices as they floated in a pale green liquid.

Scales crept along skin, horns pushed through skulls, and one subject had already grown arms that resembled living snakes.

'They've employed so many doctors… and aren't those Mercer Lab coats?' I mused inwardly, spotting the MR logo on their chests.

They stared at monitors, tapped notes into their tablets, and recorded observations, as if they were studying lab rats, not living people trapped behind glass.

'Killing this type of people is justified. They deserve it.' I clenched my fist.

Now that I was here, hesitation crept in—not because they were innocent, but because slaughtering people was never my thing.

[Host congratulations. You have entered Boosted Mode. Any points gained from killing Darkness members will be doubled.]

Damn it. The notification was so over-the-top it came with fireworks.

The system wasn't even pretending to be subtle about its intentions anymore.

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