Hiding their refuge within a nature reserve while using rangers as lookouts within the area...
The closer one got to the destination, the tighter the security became.
Sneaking all the way through was no longer feasible.
As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows.
If Nolan frequently relocated his hideouts, and each one was as well-guarded as this, then finding him would indeed be extremely difficult.
If even his son was this cautious, let alone the Ten Dons, who stood at the pinnacle of the world's underworld.
No wonder Illumi needed Kalluto's ability to assist in assassinating the Ten Dons.
After witnessing firsthand the hiding methods of these underworld elites, Morrow could only sigh. Some people in this world, even setting aside their strength, were truly hard to deal with.
Due to the unexpected encounter with the rangers, Morrow and Kalluto decided to move at top speed, swiftly traversing the dense mountain forests.
—--
Meanwhile.
In a luxurious mansion surrounded by thick forests on the mountain.
The deaths of the rangers and the final sounds from the surveillance devices were all received by the security room inside the mansion.
"Intruders detected."
The security captain immediately relayed this information to Nolan inside the mansion.
As the message was passed down the chain, several security teams in the courtyard promptly entered their highest alert state.
The security perimeter radiating outward from the mansion included not only the rangers in the nature reserve but also these heavily armed teams.
Soon, the Fingers waiting in the first-floor hall also received news of the intruders.
To find this place takes some skill. They're probably not just some random nobodies.
Hearing about the intruders, Luke set down his photo book and tilted his head slightly, gazing at the tightly shut door as if he could sense the tension of the armed guards in the courtyard through the walls.
The secrecy measures here were the strictest.
Sometimes, even the Ten Dons chose this place for their meetings.
That was because this location had dedicated intelligence defense personnel monitoring any suspicious activity 24/7.
The moment any intelligence activity related to this place was detected through various channels, emergency protocols would be activated immediately, or depending on the situation, they would relocate outright.
Yet the intruders had appeared suddenly, with no warning from the intelligence defense department.
This only pointed to two possibilities.
One: the intruders possessed terrifying intelligence-gathering capabilities, allowing them to bypass the round-the-clock surveillance of the intelligence defense team and pinpoint this location directly.
Two: the intruders had a Nen ability specialized in tracking people or objects.
Either way, it meant the intruders were far from small fry.
Luke raised a hand to his chin, first glancing sideways at the person who had delivered the report. "How close are they?"
"Five minutes ago, the vital signs of Rangers 24 and 26 in Zone 2 disappeared. One minute ago, Rangers 14 and 15 in Zone 2 also lost their vital signs."
The questioned staff member pressed lightly on the earpiece in his ear and spoke clearly, "Based on this, we can infer that the intruders are already approaching Zone 1, and moving fast."
"Coming in hot, huh."
Ring Finger Adam slowly removed his black-framed glasses and gently wiped the lenses with a cloth. Middle Finger Caleb merely let out a listless yawn, seemingly unconcerned about the so-called intruder.
Luke stood up directly, hands in his pockets, and looked at Adam, who was cleaning his glasses. He commanded, "Ring Finger, inform Index Finger of the "situation" and have her come as soon as possible."
"No problem."
Adam smiled gently.
Caleb, sitting on the nearby sofa, clicked his tongue in annoyance.
They all knew that when Luke addressed them by their Finger titles, it meant he had entered his so-called strictly-business mode.
Adam put on his black-framed glasses and took out his phone, though he didn't immediately make a call. He knew Index Finger Amanda wouldn't answer the phone anyway.
He briefly summarized the intruder situation in a text, adding Luke's request for her to come quickly, and sent it.
After finishing this task, Adam also rose from the sofa and asked softly, "Considering the intruder is likely a skilled opponent, would you like to sign a Venture Capital contract with me first?"
"I don't need it."
Luke shook his head and said flatly, "You know our abilities have poor compatibility. For minor skirmishes, signing a Venture Capital contract in advance is fine, but we don't yet know the intruder's strength. There's no need to take that risk."
"Understood."
Adam chuckled lightly, then turned his gaze to Caleb, who was still yawning incessantly.
Caleb scratched his head lazily and said weakly, "Among us, only Retona and Amanda are the best fits for signing contracts with you. But Retona's dead, and Amanda isn't here yet. So, no choice... I'll take a slot."
"Actually, as long as you're willing to accept the risk, there's no such thing as "best fit"."
Adam's voice was gentle, carrying a persuasive charm that made people instinctively agree or trust him.
As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand. His aura, twisting like steam, instantly transformed into a faintly shimmering sheet of paper.
Venture Capital.
This was a composite ability, combining the Emission transfer effect with the Manipulation contract mechanism.
When a Nen user obtains an investor's consent, they can form a three-day Venture Capital contract in the form of a pact.
Once the contract is signed and takes effect, the Nen user can extract 30% of the investor's available funds (aura output). At the same time, both parties will share equal risk.
During the contract's active period, if the Nen user suffers damage (injuries) from an attack by a competitor, 50% of the damage will be transferred to the investor.
If the damage exceeds what the invested funds can bear, the investment will fail.
The Nen user will be unable to initiate another investment for thirty days, while the investor who suffered losses will be unable to utilize the 30% aura output they invested for three days.
Conversely, if the Nen user successfully strikes a competitor and gains profit, both the Nen user and the investor can transfer a portion of the competitor's aura output to themselves.
For example, if they successfully extract 10% of the competitor's aura output, the Nen user and investor will each receive a 5% increase in their own aura output.
When the return on investment reaches double, that is, 60%, the investment succeeds.
The competitor will go bankrupt, forcibly entering a three-day Zetsu state.
Meanwhile, the Nen user and investor can equally split and enjoy 100% of the competitor's aura output for three days. Adams adjusted his glasses and handed the projected risk contract to Caleb.
Caleb took the contract and pressed his Thumb onto it.
The contract conditions were fulfilled.
The illusory paper instantly dissipated, and the aura around Caleb flowed like water toward Adams.
At that very moment,
Violent gunshots suddenly rang out in the courtyard.
Everyone simultaneously turned their gaze toward the tightly shut gate.
They're here already...
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3 chapters + bonus, as promised. Hope you enjoyed!
Remember: I'll publish a bonus chapter for every new review and for every 10 Power Stones the story gets.