Tuck looked over and froze, his pupils contracting.
"What…is this?"
He felt a surge of confusion, followed by a stab of anger. It was obvious from the state of these women that they'd suffered inhuman abuse. But why? Who did this to them? One answer flashed through Tuck's mind—but it seemed too incredible to believe.
Up to this point, Tuck's impression of Nightfall and Karu had been straightforward:
- Nightfall was a band of vicious criminals, taking advantage of the Saheerta Federation's grim situation to indulge their desires—murder, robbery, every atrocious act imaginable. In Tuck's view, they were the worst kind of scum, whose presence only plunged the Federation into deeper chaos. If they succeeded, they would only attract more like-minded criminals, much like the Red Tron gang had years ago.
- Karu, on the other hand, was a promising young noble—a man of talent, especially in architecture—someone who might help bring hope to the Saheerta Federation.
But the sight of these women shattered Tuck's preconceived ideas. This was Karu's estate, and given how that man had addressed him as "Lord Karu," referring to these women as his slaves, it was obvious who was responsible for their suffering.
Just then, one woman took a wrong turn. The man standing among them whipped her without hesitation, leaving a bloody welt that dropped her to the ground. Tuck's expression darkened, and the man raised his whip again—but this time, Tuck caught it mid-air.
"Tuck, sir…" the man muttered, finally noticing him.
"Get lost!" Tuck roared, driving a punch into the man's gut. He flew back, protesting in wounded indignation:
"Why hit me? Why not take it up with Lord Karu? I'm just following orders!"
Tuck looked at the group of women emerging from the hidden passage. Many had hollow, lifeless eyes. Even seeing that man knocked aside didn't stir them. Those who could still feel anything trembled as they gazed at Tuck with fear.
"You can tell me," Tuck said softly. "Why are you here? Who did this to you?"
The women instinctively glanced at Karu. Tuck's heart sank. He no longer needed an explanation—he already knew. Karu wasn't at all who Tuck had believed him to be.
But Karu said nothing in his own defense; the evidence spoke for itself, and no lie would convince Tuck otherwise.
"Hmph," scoffed the intruder clutching a pair of scissors. "Do you see now who you've been protecting? Still think you're on the side of justice?
You're just a lapdog for a kingdom that's completely rotted from the inside out—its king, nobles, ministers, merchants…all of them are beyond salvation. We tried to kill Karu because he's part of that rot. Maybe if people like him are removed, this kingdom has a chance.
But you? Look at what you've done."
Tuck's face was grim as he stared at Karu, furious not just with Karu's crimes but with himself for ever believing in him.
"Why didn't you speak up sooner?" he demanded.
"Would you have listened?" the intruder spat. "You're the golden boy for those rotten nobles—nothing but a loyal dog."
Tuck's fists trembled. Then, as if recalling something, he quickly took out his phone and dialed Ron's number.
"Ron," he said.
"I'm here," came the reply.
"That other intruder—have you killed them yet?"
"Not yet."
Hearing that, Tuck exhaled in relief.
"Good. Cancel my request. Don't kill that person."
"I can spare them," Ron answered calmly, "but you can't cancel the commission. I still expect the agreed payment. After all, this mess is your fault, not mine."
"Fine. I'll pay in full," Tuck replied.
Ron hung up and turned to Nesli.
"Tuck has called off the hit on you. Return my laptop, and we can head over. You can reunite with your companions, and I can move on to my next job."
Nesli was stunned. For a moment, she couldn't process the sudden shift in events. Not long ago, she and her two partners had been staring death in the face. The odds of them escaping alive were slim; her companions were close to being killed by Tuck, and if Tuck survived, Ron would have no reason to spare Nesli's life.
But now everything had changed. The sudden appearance of those women had made Tuck stop in his tracks and withdraw his request to kill Nesli.
"So Tuck backed off after seeing Karu's true colors?" she thought. "Does that mean Tuck really isn't just some noble's lapdog? Could he truly have a sense of justice? Maybe someone like him could ally with Nightfall…"
Meanwhile, Ron slipped both laptops back into his Sumas storage.
"Ponzu," he said.
"Yes, Captain," Ponzu answered, stepping up to follow Ron.
Nesli noticed that the corpse of the A‑level Nen user who had attacked Ron was gone, too—apparently stored in Ron's Sumas space. In the Trial Grounds, dead bodies could be absorbed to extract their aura. Once a participant cleared the trials, they would receive what was collected. An A‑level Nen user's energy was valuable indeed.
"Is Nesli still alive?" the scissors-wielding intruder asked Tuck, eyes widening in surprise. Just then, three figures approached: Ron, Ponzu, and Nesli.