In an instant, a piercing, grating noise, like a demonic screech, violently pierced the ears of the five men.
Their expressions immediately twisted in pain, hands flying up to cover their ears.
While this sudden sonic assault couldn't cause real physical harm, it was more than enough to shatter a Resonator's concentration in a flash, revealing subtle yet fatal openings.
And the fleeting moment Ray waited for was precisely this one!
"Damn it! That noise again!"
"Everyone be careful, he must be hiding—"
Thud!
Before the words could finish, Ray shot out from the shadows.
His fist, carrying a sharp gust of wind, solidly connected with the speaker's face.
The man grunted, staggering backward.
The sudden commotion instantly put the remaining four on high alert, but the room was pitch black. No one dared fire recklessly, fearing they might hit their companions.
This played right into Ray's hands. In the blink of an eye, he closed in on the second person.
The man only felt a vicious gust of wind before his face. Just as he raised his wrist, it was seized in a vise-like grip!
Ray's movements were brutally efficient, a twist, a wrench, and the weapon clattered to the floor.
Almost simultaneously, he pivoted at the waist, executing a swift, powerful shoulder throw that slammed the opponent heavily onto the ground, a dull thud accompanied by a brief, choked cry, starkly clear in the darkness.
"Where is he?! Open fire!"
One of them instinctively sprayed bullets wildly toward the source of the sound.
But Ray had already dropped low to the ground. The shots went wide.
He slid forward along the floor, closing in on the man's lower body. A vicious leg sweep took him down. Before the man even hit the floor, Ray's elbow hammered into his abdomen and then his face, completely neutralizing him.
Seeing this, the final two immediately pressed their backs together, adopting a defensive posture.
"What the hell is with that guy?"
"Where is he?"
"I don't know! This sound is really—"
Suddenly, something clattered to the floor on the right. Both instinctively turned in that direction and in that split-second moment, Ray had already slipped between them from the other side!
His left hand chopped toward one man's neck, while his right elbow simultaneously slammed into the other's ribs.
Two cries of pain sounded almost as one. He then grabbed both their heads and mercilessly slammed them together!
With one final, sickening thud, the world fell silent again.
"Bas... tard..."
A blurred curse spat out from the darkness.
The first man who had been knocked down, clutching his face, staggered back to his feet. His eyes burned with humiliation and fury. With almost no hesitation, he raised his gun, aiming at Ray's retreating back, and viciously pulled the trigger!
BANG—!
A sharp gunshot tore through the silence.
However, the expected impact never came.
An instant before the bullet could reach Ray, it was intercepted mid-air by a suddenly blooming crimson light.
It was a bloom of crimson spider lily petals, manifesting from rippling void-space, petals a deep crimson, flowing with iridescent light.
It appeared without a sound and vanished just as swiftly, leaving behind only a fading ripple of energy where the fatal bullet had been, then quietly disappeared.
Ray stood frozen in place. The life-and-death close call of that moment and the sudden appearance of the bloom had, for once, caused a brief lapse in his focus.
But cold reason dragged him back to reality instantly.
Without a moment's pause, his body shot forward, charging at the desperate assailant. A clean, sharp chop of his hand landed squarely on the man's neck!
The man crumpled soundlessly, completely unconscious.
Only then did Ray slowly exhale a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
In the darkness, only his slightly rapid breathing echoed softly.
He whirled around, staring at the empty space where the crimson light had flashed.
It was already empty, as if the heart-stopping scene moments ago had been nothing but an illusion.
What was that thing?
Some kind of Resonance manifestation?
Or a remnant image?
More importantly, Why did it appear? And why did it protect him, of all people?
Ray didn't understand.
Instinctively, he looked down at the back of his right hand.
The Tacet Mark on the back of his hand was as quiet and stable as ever, showing no sign of having been actively triggered.
This was all beyond his comprehension.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the churning thoughts.
Whatever that was, now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
The immediate priority was to locate Giacomo's terminal and complete the mission.
Giacomo's office was extremely spacious. It took Ray considerable effort to search meticulously, but he eventually found the private terminal hidden in a concealed compartment.
He swiftly powered on the device, connected the USB drive to the interface. The screen lit up, and a progress bar began to slowly fill.
He stood quietly beside it, his gaze vigilantly scanning the surroundings. Only the blinking light on the screen flickered silently in the darkness.
Soon, the transfer completion prompt finally appeared.
Ray neatly removed the USB drive and tucked it away inside his clothes.
He looked around, documents were scattered everywhere, furniture was overturned. It was clearly a far cry from the concept of a "stealth" operation.
A shame. He'd been just one step away from perfection.
But no matter. As long as the mission was complete.
...
...
By the time Ray returned to Carlotta's side, the performance was nearing its end, the final notes soaring toward their climax.
Carlotta remained completely immersed in the world of the melody, her eyes slightly closed. Only when she sensed Ray's approach did she seem to jolt awake from a dream.
"Did the mission go smoothly?" she asked softly, though her gaze hadn't fully shifted from the stage.
"There were a few unexpected incidents along the way," Ray replied flatly, lightly flicking the USB drive between his fingers before her eyes. "But the objective was achieved. All the data from Giacomo's private terminal is in here. I imagine it contains what the Second Young Miss is looking for."
The corner of Carlotta's lips finally curved into a faint smile.
She reached out, her slender fingers deftly plucking the storage device from his palm, her fingertips brushing ever so lightly against his skin.
"Well done."
The moment her words fell, the lights on the stage also gathered to their brightest, drawing a perfect conclusion to the grand concert.
After a brief silence, the audience, still lingering in the afterglow, suddenly awoke, erupting into a wave of thunderous, prolonged applause.
Even the usually reserved Carlotta couldn't help but join in with light clapping.
She watched Phrolova on the stage, a trace of lingering appreciation in her eyes, and sighed softly to Ray beside her. "What a pity. You missed the most spectacular part of the second half."
Ray shrugged helplessly, a touch of wry acceptance in his tone. "What can I do? I'm the Second Young Miss's employee, after all."
Hearing this humorous reply, Carlotta couldn't help but cover her mouth with a light laugh. "You certainly know how to talk. But don't worry, the Montelli never mistreat their friends. I will deliver on what I promised you."
She rose slightly onto her toes, her warm breath almost grazing Ray's ear, whispering in a tone only he could hear.
"Think carefully... any request is possible."
And on the stage, the red spider lily stood alone under the crimson curtain, taking in everything.
She stood there, motionless as a statue, yet her chest still heaved violently as she wandered alone in her own emotions.
He was so close, yet utterly unreachable.
.
.
.
.
Bonus Chapter Alert!
If we cross 100 powerstones, there will be a bonus chapter.
Read advance chapters on [email protected]/lost_moon