Defector

...

Six minions and a lone executive.

These are the numbers that are responsible for accomplishing this mission. This mission is simultaneously happening across the world whilst the Undying make a mess at the Hero Society's headquarters.

The main goal is to secure numerous kids that will be used in the awakening project. Gavin's appearance in the headquarters is a ruse, a distraction that also served as Zentury's public statement that a new top dog is joining Zentury's upper echelon.

If it proceeded normally in the basement cellar, Deron would have killed the two minions with everything he got, and eventually mutate as he confronts the executive one-on-one. After that, when Deron woke up, all of the enemies are already dead.

"Report!"

"There is no one in the right wing."

"The top floor is empty."

"Left-wing is clear, but we found a hidden chamber. There are some noteworthy artifacts there."

Executive Palnes is a veteran fighter with some degree of sorcery/mutation. He felt funny that such special powers are seen by the organization as a curse— hideous and deplorable.

"Anyway, where's Alfir? You and you, go down there, check on them. That guy might’ve found something good."

"Yes sir!" The minions answered in an affirmative.

...

Alfir waited at the blind spot from the edge of the stairs. He carefully hid in the darkness as he focus on only taking shallow breaths.

He heard the footsteps coming from his fellow minions. Judging from the echo and the weight of their steps, there were two of them.

Even Alfir knows that his defection has come too early for the sake of his plans, but his other options are a lot less stellar.

Because Alfir is outside of the mob persona he is dedicatedly pursuing, he is feeling very uncomfortable.

The coming bloodshed is necessary.

Alfir hates being high profile. If Alfir wants to maintain his anonymity, it is necessary that he doesn't make any mistakes in disposing of his enemies. Recalling Palnes’s friendly smile, Alfir felt slightly guilty. Just ‘slightly’ though.

The first passed unaware of the lurking danger. Alfir let him be. As the second appear in Alfir's peripheral vision, he attacked.

Alfir stuffed his victim's mouth with his hand, then swiftly slits his throat mercilessly.

The person in the front felt the commotion in his rear. When he looked back, he realized that his partner went suddenly missing. He panicked.

The new arrival is alarmed by his partner's disappearance. There is something wrong. He rushed to the stairs to report what happened. This basement is a dangerous place.

Stepping on the stairs, he felt a hand covering his mouth. With the same slitting motion, Alfir executed his fellow minion.

Since the new arrivals' eyesight haven't adjusted yet from the torch that hung in the passageway, they were fooled by such a cheap trick. It was a hide and seek.

Alfir hasn't used his mutation yet to its full potential.

He will reserve it for the executive since such mutations when used are too tiring for its users. The quasi invisibility he exhibited are just one of the few weaker functions of his mutation.

“I have more tricks in my sleeve.”

...

Palnes is worried. He senses danger. Attributed to his experience on the battlefield, if the situation is against your expectations, it is almost certain that a setback would occur.

"Let's go to the basement." He decided. Palnes believes that if there is something wrong, he should see it for himself.

To solve it with his own hands, and guarantee that there are no loose ends. That is how he rose to his executive position after years of hard work from a humble merc to an executive.

It took them no time at all as they reach the tunnel leading to the basement. Decorated armor made of steel stood by the tunnel’s entrance. Palnes paid no heed to it.

Palnes and his two remaining subordinates made their way to the basement. It was a tunnel connecting it to the basement and the cellar.

Thanks to his acute senses, Palnes easily discerned the bloody stench ahead of them. The air is humid, making their blood pressure rise by a degree. The eerie darkness made the minions’ nerves tense.

"I will go ahead. Support me if you can. Grab a torch of your own."

Palnes bravely descended through the tunnel stairs, ignoring the armored display by the basement's entrance side. Palnes took a torch hanging by the walls, which his subordinates replicated.

...

Alfir saw it all in his mind's eye as the following events unfold. He is not precognitive, he just knows how superior he has become after his vacation. However, this is not Alfir’s source of arrogance.

‘From the novel, this Palnes guy is someone who easily panics. I remember, this guy has a knack for solving problems on his own.’

In fact, Palnes will become a minor boss later in the story~ if not for the necessity for Alfir to kill the executive now, this guy would’ve grown as a brainwashed undead.

Alfir lacks clues about Palnes’s personality given his short appearance in the novel, however, the small tidbits are already enough to set up the stage. With Alfir's meticulous profiling of every character he knows, he was spot on, to set up this killing array.

"I will go ahead. Support me if you can. Grab a torch of your own.” It was Palnes’s voice.

Alfir hid inside the armor meant as decoration. He watched Palnes pass by him, without a clue of his presence. He waited patiently for Palnes's party to make some distance.

The armor is damn heavy, so it took Alfir some time to extricate himself from it. He directly stuffed the cumbersome armor into his [Inventory Bracelet] in order to ease his transition to the next phase.

The mantis stalks the cicada unaware of the oriole behind it.

The clanking of armor would surely invite Palnes's attention. When Palnes looked back, he felt the presence of danger.

"It's good I spent most of my credits, and converted them most to cash." Alfir came prepared, aware of what should be done. Alfir is reluctant to defect but he knows as much that not doing this mission will be suicide. It was a direct command from the organization so he has no choice. He would rather defect than alter the 'destined' timeline.

Alfir activated his [Inventory Bracelet], an artifact that stores items. Its spatial folds are a measly 1m², but it's enough for Alfir's purpose.

A crossbow and a quiver of steel arrows were summoned from the [Inventory Bracelet]. With the height advantage, Alfir almost has it on the bag. He just has to execute it flawlessly.

SWOOOOOOOOSH~

PLAK!

Alfir aimed for the executive, Palnes. As expected, it was a failure. Palnes dodged the projectile with ease. Alfir is being too optimistic... but it’s not that bad considering that he now has a better grasp of Palnes’s abilities.

"I guess that was asking for too much… hahaha." Alfir casually commented.

Palnes have incredible superhuman reflexes with an all-around flawless physique. He has beast-like muscular dexterity and fearsome battle awareness.

It is not that Alfir didn't know that. If he could, he should have aimed for the other two minions. But clearly, Alfir chose not to… He just doesn't want to kill the other two minions. They are a necessary challenge for the protag to awaken his mutation at the very minimum.

"You! Who are you!?"

The distance between them is far enough to obscure Alfir's image. Alfir doesn't dare waste more time. He fired arrows after arrows.

Palnes deflected the arrows with his swordsmanship. Using his curved sword, Palnes tried his best to parry and evade. Unfortunately, Palnes’s choice of weapon is too long to use flexibly in this tunnel, which is giving him a hard time.

SWOOOSH!

“Aa-aack!” An arrow took root in of the minion’s shoulder. Luckily, it didn't kill him. Palnes took the wounded's short sword to effectively deal with Alfir's arrows.

The stairs are narrow, and there are only two paths for them— upwards or downwards.

"The two of you, retreat further to the basement. You lot are just baggage to me. I will deal with him." Palnes commanded.