Hitman with a Badass System-Chapter 1438: One Step Closer To Death

While the explosion and the ensuing chaos were being dealt with by the Silver Citadel guards, Michael, after unceremoniously dumping the unconscious elf on a passing stretcher, headed back towards Alyndra's room.

He found the two guards exactly where he had left them. Stationed outside her door. Impassive. Unflinching. They had not moved an inch, even with the explosions, the screams, the sounds of a building threatening to collapse.

Their faces betrayed nothing as they remained stoic as ever. But as Michael approached, his own robes scorched, his face smeared with ash, he saw a flicker of something in their eyes that strangely looked like respect and surprise.

They could not fully comprehend that a human, a male slut no less, had risked his neck to help save their people. It did not fit their preconceived notions and prejudices.

They had been trained to despise his kind. To see them as inferior, weak, and untrustworthy. But actions, as they say, speak louder than words. And Michael's actions had just screamed defiance at their narrow-minded worldview.

Even when their kind was dying, they remained rooted to the spot outside Alyndra's apartment. Their duty was to protect Alyndra and they had followed those orders to the letter. Even when an apartment filled with their kind was burning.

It was admirable, in a twisted sort of way. Still, they questioned him, their voices gruff and suspicious.

"Where did you go?"

"Helped some folks caught in the explosion," Michael answered simply, shrugging.

The elves did not respond, just stared at him for a moment, their expressions unreadable. Then, without a word, one of them stepped forward and opened the door, allowing Michael to enter.

He stepped inside, finding the room unchanged. Alyndra, still asleep, lay sprawled on the bed. Gaya, however, was wide awake, sitting upright, her eyes fixed on the door as he entered.

"What the fuck was that?" she asked, her voice sharp with concern. "I heard an explosion. The whole place shook. And those runes…"

Every apartment in the Silver Citadel, every room, and store, was etched with protective runes. They were designed to ward against fire, to contain magical surges, to protect the inhabitants from external threats and internal disasters. However, Michael's focus was not on the impressive protective measures of the Silver Citadel.

He grinned, a slow, predatory smile spreading across his face.

"Just a little distraction," he said, purring. He flicked his wrist, and the red crystal, the one he had liberated from the spy hub, appeared in his hand, pulsing with a soft, crimson light.

Gaya's eyes widened, her gaze fixed on the crystal.

"What is that?"

"Seraphene's backup data crystal," Michael replied, his smile widening. "I destroyed the spy hub like Zorian wanted. But I also acquired this. It has everything. Every secret. Every piece of information they have collected in that spy hub."

Gaya, her eyes gleaming with excitement, took the crystal. Her fingers traced its smooth, cool surface and held it like its the most valuable thing in the world. It felt alive in her hand, pulsing with a hidden power.

"How the fuck are we going to extract the information?" she asked, her gaze fixed on the glowing red crystal.

"Pink," Michael said simply. "She is a genius with this kind of shit. She will crack it open in no time."

"So, what are we waiting for?" Gaya asked, her voice impatient and eager. "Let us bolt. Get this thing to Pink. And then go meet with Zorian."

Michael nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

He was itching to examine the data crystal more closely, to unravel its secrets. And he was eager to leave Luxor. This city of elves grated on his nerves. But before he could make a move, before he could even think about opening a portal, the door to the apartment swung open.

Michael, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword, flicked his wrist, sending the data crystal spinning into the air before it vanished into his system storage. He turned to see an elf, tall and imposing with shimmering golden robes and an aura of authority that screamed power.

Two guards, clad in golden armor, flanked him, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords, their gazes cold and watchful.

"Fucking hell, they really do love their gold, do not they?" Gaya muttered under her breath, her eyes rolling in exasperation.

The elf, ignoring Gaya's comment, surveyed the room. His gaze lingered on the rumpled bed, the scattered clothes, the faint scent of sex that hung in the air.

He did not bother to hide the disgust on his face. He knew, of course, what had transpired here or rather, what appeared to have transpired.

This elf, Michael realized, was Alyndra's father, Aelrindel.

"Wake her up," he ordered his guards.

But before either Michael or Gaya could react, the guards moved, their movements swift and brutal. They grabbed Alyndra, who was still asleep, oblivious to the drama unfolding around her, and shook her awake.Soon, she opened her eyes, her expression confused and disoriented, as she remembered the fabricated night of passion the System had planted in her mind.

She woke with a luxurious stretch, a contented sigh escaping her lips. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, painting warm stripes across the plush carpet. It took her a moment to register the imposing figure standing at the foot of her bed, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

"Father?" Alyndra sat up, her voice thick with sleep, instinctively pulling the silken sheets higher to cover her partially exposed form.

"What are you doing here?"

Alyndra's father did not answer immediately. He simply gestured towards the window, his gaze firm.

"I assume," he began with a hint of concern and annoyance, "you have no idea about the incident that occurred two floors above us a few hours ago?"

Alyndra frowned, her mind still foggy with sleep. An incident? What was he talking about? She had slept like the dead, a deep, dreamless slumber she had not experienced in well, ever.

"An explosion, father?" she asked, her voice still thick with sleep. "I did not hear anything."

Her father sighed, a heavy sound that spoke volumes. He moved towards her, his movements purposeful and deliberate.

"Follow me, Alyndra," he said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"This place is not safe for you right now. Not yet." He turned his gaze towards Michael and Gaya, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You two as well. Come. We need to relocate. Immediately." It was not a request, it was a royal decree.

Michael and Gaya exchanged a quick glance, a silent conversation passing between them. Alyndra's father, Aelrindel, was a powerful figure in Luxor. Arguing with him, especially now, when the entire Citadel was likely on high alert, was not a wise move.

"Of course," Michael said before nodding towards Gaya.

As Michael and Gaya waited, Alyndra, with a practiced flick of her wrist, conjured a shimmering robe of deep violet silk. The fabric flowed around her like liquid moonlight as she dressed. Michael, observing her, felt a strange sense of urgency in her movements, a subtle tension in her shoulders that suggested this was not just about the explosion. Something else was brewing, something she was not sharing. He decided to act quickly, knowing that time was of the essence. He needed to get that data crystal to Pink, and he needed to do it now.

"Excuse me for a moment," Michael said, his voice casual, gesturing towards an adjacent room. "Nature calls, you know?"

Alyndra nodded, her attention already elsewhere, and Michael slipped into the room, the door clicking shut behind him. He brought out his portable portal, muttered the activation phrase, and watched as a swirling vortex of emerald green energy materialized before him, a shimmering gateway to the safe house in the Verdant Sanctuary.

He did not step through completely, just extended his head and hand into the swirling energy. He saw Pink, her back to him, leaning back in her chair, surrounded by a dizzying array of mirrors, crystals, and high-tech gadgets, the room a strange fusion of magic and technology. Vedora, the three-headed hydra, was curled up in a corner, her snores a low rumble that vibrated through the floor.

Pink, startled by the sudden appearance of a disembodied head and hand, nearly jumped out of her chair.

"What the fuck, Ghost?" she yelped, her hand flying to her chest. "A little warning next time, would you?"

Michael chuckled, tossing the red crystal to her. "Pull any information you can from this," he said, his voice urgent. "It is important."

Then, just as quickly, he withdrew, the portal snapping shut, leaving Pink staring at the space where he had been, the red crystal clutched in her hand.

He emerged from the room, finding Alyndra dressed and ready to depart, her expression impatient. Aelrindel, his face an unreadable mask, stood beside her.

"All of you, follow me," Aelrindel commanded, his voice cold, brooking no argument.

Michael, Gaya, and Alyndra nodded, falling into step behind him as he strode purposefully down the corridor, his movements brisk and urgent. They followed him, their footsteps echoing in the silent hallway, a stark contrast to the chaos that had erupted only hours before.

Soon, they stepped outside the apartment and into the once-bustling lobby. It was different now. Calmer, quieter, and less crowded. The explosion and fire had changed things. Most of the elves – the residents and visitors – had been escorted to the Citadel Hall for questioning, safety, and control. The alarms, though still blaring, seemed less frantic, their red lights flashing with a duller, more subdued rhythm.

Michael looked up towards the fourth floor. He saw smoke still billowing from the shattered windows, but the fires were out, extinguished by the Citadel's defenses. He saw guards, their armor scorched, their faces grim, patrolling the corridor, their movements purposeful and efficient.

The food stalls were gone, dismantled and removed. The remaining elves, the stragglers, the ones who had not been evacuated, were lined up, their expressions anxious and fearful as they waited to be escorted out of the building.

As they walked towards the exit, a Citadel guard, his armor dented and his face smudged with soot, approached them. But when he saw Aelrindel, he stopped, his hand instinctively dropping from the hilt of his sword. He bowed, a quick, respectful gesture, and stepped aside, allowing them to pass.

Aelrindel, his authority unquestioned and his power absolute, did not even acknowledge the guard. He simply strode forward, his gaze fixed on the exit.

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Michael, however, felt the vibration in his ear, the subtle buzz of Pink's comm device.

"Holy shit, Ghost," Pink's voice, urgent and excited, crackled in his ear.

"You will not believe what I just found. According to this data, Death himself is coming to Luxor. And Andohr? That motherfucker is planning to capture him. For the Three Horsemen."

Michael froze, his mind reeling. Capture Death? For the Three Horsemen? It was insane, audacious, and terrifying. And when he thought Andohr was involved, a spark of anger, hot and fierce, ignited within him. He would not let that bastard win. Not again. Not ever.

"Shit is getting real, huh?" Gaya murmured after she heard Pink's message.