Chapter 218: The Assistant Was the Traitor
Lucas stood alone in the middle of the trail, completely surrounded.
Eight armed bodyguards closed in from every direction, combat knives glinting beneath the morning sun.
Yet Lucas didn’t move.
His expression remained calm.
Almost indifferent.
His sharp eyes slowly swept across every opponent.
Like a predator sizing up prey.
The oppressive aura radiating from him made even the experienced bodyguards hesitate.
Something about this young man…
Didn’t feel normal.
One of them finally gritted his teeth.
“Take him down!”
The command had barely left his mouth before three bodyguards exploded forward at once.
They attacked with military precision.
One slashed at Lucas’s throat.
Another aimed straight for his ribs.
The third lunged toward his legs to limit his movement.
Their coordination was flawless.
Against anyone else…
The fight would’ve ended instantly.
Unfortunately for them…
Their opponent was Lucas.
His body moved almost lazily.
A slight lean.
A half-step.
Every blade sliced through empty air.
Before the first attacker could react—
Lucas grabbed his wrist.
Crack!
The sound of bone snapping echoed through the forest.
The man’s knife slipped from numb fingers before Lucas casually drove his elbow into the side of his jaw.
Bang!
The bodyguard spun twice in midair before crashing into a tree.
Out cold.
The second attacker had just raised his dagger~
Lucas caught the man’s forearm with one hand.
Twisted.
Another sickening crack rang out.
The dagger instantly changed owners.
Lucas smoothly flipped it into his own hand without even looking.
Then…
With the hilt~
Not the blade~
He smashed it into the man’s temple.
Thud!
The bodyguard collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
The third attacker reached Lucas from behind.
Lucas didn’t even turn around.
He simply stepped backward.
His shoulder slammed into the man’s chest with terrifying force.
Boom!
The impact launched the fully grown man several yards through the air before he rolled across the dirt, gasping for breath.
Silence.
Only a few seconds had passed.
Three men were already down.
The remaining bodyguards exchanged horrified glances.
“What the hell…”
“He’s not human…”
Lucas calmly rotated the stolen combat knife in his hand.
“I’ll give you one chance.”
“Move.”
“No one has to die today.”
The bodyguards hesitated.
Then…
Their leader roared.
“Kill him!”
The remaining five attacked simultaneously.
This time…
Lucas moved first.
Like a phantom.
His figure blurred through the crowd.
Bang!
One man’s wrist shattered beneath a punch.
Crack!
Another’s knee bent the wrong way after a devastating kick.
Before either could scream~
Lucas struck their pressure points with precise chops.
Both collapsed instantly.
The other four tried surrounding him again.
Lucas leaped forward.
His body twisted gracefully in midair.
A spinning kick smashed into one man’s face.
The force sent him crashing into two teammates behind him.
All three tumbled into a heap.
The last bodyguard, eyes bloodshot with desperation, charged while screaming.
Lucas sighed.
“You never learn.”
He sidestepped effortlessly.
His free hand grabbed the man’s collar.
Using the attacker’s own momentum…
Lucas performed a clean shoulder throw.
Boom!
The man slammed flat against the ground hard enough to knock the air from his lungs.
Before he could recover~
Lucas planted one foot firmly on his chest.
The combat knife hovered inches above his throat.
The forest fell deathly silent.
The nine bodyguards lay scattered across the ground.
Some clutched shattered arms.
Others coughed up blood.
A few had already lost consciousness.
The ones who remained awake stared at the sky with lifeless eyes, barely able to breathe.
At that moment…
None of them were thinking about fighting anymore.
They weren’t even thinking about escaping.
They were simply waiting.
Waiting to find out whether the monster standing before them would spare their lives.
Every movement Lucas had made replayed endlessly in their minds.
No wasted motion.
No flashy techniques.
Every strike had been precise.
Brutal.
Decisive.
It hadn’t been a battle.
It had been a complete massacre.
Lucas casually tossed the combat knife onto the ground.
His cold eyes swept over the broken men one final time.
Without saying a single word…
He exploded forward, sprinting deeper into the forest.
His speed was astonishing.
Branches whipped past him in a blur as he crossed uneven ground almost effortlessly.
Fortunately…
Those bodyguards hadn’t managed to stall him for very long.
Judging from the fresh footprints on the trail, Richelle and the others couldn’t have gotten far.
Less than five minutes later…
Lucas spotted them.
Richelle and her female assistant were hurrying along the narrow mountain path.
The assistant kept urging her forward.
“We’re almost there, Miss Ryan.”
“Just a little farther.”
At that moment~
Lucas stepped out from the trees.
“You can’t run anymore.”
His cold voice echoed through the forest.
Richelle’s body stiffened instantly.
She instinctively took several steps backward, her beautiful face turning pale.
“You…”
“Why are you still following me?”
“There has to be some misunderstanding!”
Lucas didn’t even look at her.
His icy gaze was fixed on only one person.
The female assistant.
The moment the assistant noticed Lucas staring directly at her…
Her expression changed ever so slightly.
Lucas raised a finger and pointed at her.
“You.”
“The game’s over.”
Richelle misunderstood immediately.
She thought Lucas was threatening her.
Fear instantly overwhelmed her.
“Don’t come any closer!”
“I can give you money!”
“As much as you want!”
“My family has money!”
“I’ll give you millions!”
“Just let me go!”
Lucas frowned.
“Miss Ryan.”
“I’m not talking to you.”
“I’m talking to the person standing beside you.”
Before Richelle could process what he meant…
Rustling sounds suddenly echoed from every direction.
The surrounding bushes shook violently.
Several intimidating figures slowly emerged from the dense forest.
One…
Two…
Five…
Eight…
Within seconds…
More than a dozen heavily armed men surrounded the entire trail.
Every one of them carried rifles.
Their faces were filled with cold, murderous smiles.
Richelle’s pupils instantly contracted.
Her breathing stopped.
“T-They…”
Before she could finish speaking…
Something even more shocking happened.
Her trusted female assistant…
Walked calmly toward the armed men.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of fear on her face.
Instead…
She smiled.
A smile Lucas had been expecting from the very beginning.
She stopped beside the scar-faced leader and spoke casually.
“I brought her here exactly as planned.”
“Just like I promised.”
She glanced back at Richelle, whose face had already gone deathly pale.
Then her eyes shifted toward Lucas.
“Although…”
“There is one small complication.”
She slowly raised her hand and pointed directly at Lucas.
“You’ll need to deal with him first.”