After parting with Logan, Adrian had made his way back to rejoin Clarisse for the return journey to the Vatican.
"Hmm?"
In the church where they'd been staying, Adrian's thoughts were interrupted by a sense of being watched.
"Interesting, still not giving up?" He narrowed his eyes, a flicker of killing intent flashing within them.
Ever since he came to the U.S., he'd felt that someone was targeting him. The Hand must've also been hired by that party.
Recalling the bounty from the underground world, Adrian naturally knew who the mastermind was. He just didn't expect the guy's determination to be this strong, wanting to completely eliminate him on U.S. soil.
"Perfect, let's settle old and new scores together." Adrian didn't think too much, deciding to proceed as planned. The guy was definitely more anxious than him.
Meanwhile, on the top floor of a skyscraper, rage consumed a luxurious office.
"Damn it! Damn it!!!"
"Get rid of him at all costs!"
An angry roar echoed through the space. Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the city's nightscape sparkled like a sea of stars, but it did nothing to calm the rage of the person inside.
Adrian's existence had made him increasingly uneasy. Ever since that Mutant escaped the lab, he'd been like a dragon entering the sea, stirring up one storm after another in the world.
This sense of unease grew stronger each day, like a tsunami was about to hit. The bounty from the underground world had failed, and the operation handed to The Hand had also failed.
He'd exposed too much, and he'd heard about the Pope's discussions among higher-ups in various countries. He couldn't understand why a Mutant could stand at such a height!
As a capital giant, he knew that under the drive of enough profit, he too could become a discarded pawn. But this realization only made him angrier.
"Boss..." The assistant beside him hesitated, looking at his boss's bloodshot eyes, and finally swallowed his words. He was afraid that his advice would directly ruin his career, or even his life.
"Understood, I'll take care of it immediately." The assistant didn't hesitate, accepting the order.
They still had three tactical teams under their command, totaling about thirty people. Last time, two teams were killed by Adrian, and among the remaining members, a lot wanted to avenge their comrades, while also wanting that valuable bounty.
Since the boss had given the order, all he had to do was execute it. The power of capital revealed its true fangs at this moment.
Money transformed into the most powerful weapon, buying through all obstacles.
Adrian and Clarisse's whereabouts weren't deliberately hidden and were quickly discovered. Large sums of money were converted into various advanced thermal weapons and distributed to the three tactical teams.
They made multiple backup plans along the predetermined route, going for a swift, fatal blow. Even Adrian's ability analysis was thoroughly done by them.
Everything was ready.
Time passed, and Adrian, according to his original plan, set off with Clarisse to return to the Vatican. During this time, the feeling of being monitored never stopped.
Adrian's mental power also "saw" the combat teams monitoring him, which were identical to the teams he ran into when he escaped the lab.
"Captain, almost all combat model predictions are accurate."
"Route B, should the mission continue?"
The team monitoring Adrian didn't realize they'd been discovered and simply acted according to the original plan.
"Proceed as planned."
"Kill him!"
Greed gleamed in the captain's eyes.
The bounty on Adrian's head had even surpassed that of the two major Mutant powerhouses—this was a desperate gamble by capital. Even some Mutants were tempted by it, secretly monitoring Adrian's itinerary.
Up until now, Adrian's power was only rumored, and very few people had witnessed him in action. Some even believed that Adrian's existence was the Holy See "creating a god."
The Holy See, having lost its extraordinary power, was gradually being pushed aside by the extraordinary world. They needed a so-called divine messenger to salvage their declining fate, which was why they brought in a Mutant.
The vehicle drove on a secluded road. Adrian closed his eyes to rest, while Clarisse focused on driving. Anticipating an attack, Adrian didn't hire a driver.
This small city had no airport. To get back to the Vatican, they'd need to reach a larger city with an international airport first.
This was also an opportunity Adrian deliberately left for them.
"Your Eminence, something seems off." Clarisse also noticed the weirdness.
"Don't worry about it, keep driving forward." Adrian replied calmly.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!"
Several rockets suddenly shot out from the jungle on both sides of the road, heading straight for Adrian's vehicle.
"Finally, they're here." Adrian's lips curved slightly, and the elemental power fluctuated abruptly!
"Boom!!!"
A huge explosion erupted, and fire engulfed the entire vehicle.
"Target hit, repeat, target hit!" The tactical team members' eyes were filled with excitement, like they could already see the surging balance in their bank accounts.
"Whoosh~"
However, the next moment, a storm suddenly rose, blowing away the fire from within. A dazzling blue light screen appeared in front of Adrian, with a startled Clarisse behind him.
"Damn it! He's fine?" The tactical team members' expressions changed drastically.
"Fire!" The order was given, and countless bullets rained down on the two. The silent night was instantly torn apart by gunfire.
However, all the bullets were intercepted by the dazzling blue light screen about three feet in front of Adrian. Adrian, behind the light screen, remained unfazed. He was waiting, waiting for the mastermind to reveal more clues.
"Monster... Captain, he's a monster!" Looking at the light screen, which stayed unmoving despite being covered in bullets, the tactical team members' faces turned pale. They realized that their lives were probably about to end.
"Da da da..." Helicopter support also arrived at the scene, with its cannon furiously strafing the ground.
"Whoosh~" The dazzling blue light screen fell like a waterfall, carrying all the bullets with it as they disappeared into the ground.
"Tell me who's behind you, and you can die a quicker death."
"Believe me, you wouldn't want to know how many ways there are to torture someone."
Adrian's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Die! Die!" Missiles launched from the helicopter—this was their last resort.
"Crystal Wall!" Adrian sighed softly, using the signature skill of Aries.
The missiles suddenly froze in mid-air.
"Boom!" An explosion erupted, but it was firmly encased by the Crystal Wall, with an explosion radius of less than a foot.
"Bang~" It finally turned into points of light, fading in the air.
"How's that possible?" Everyone watched this scene in a daze, like they'd witnessed a miracle.
"Buzz!" A colossal pressure descended from the sky, and everyone was knocked to the ground by this sudden force.
Some lay flat, some knelt on both knees, all losing the ability to move.
The helicopter also crashed directly under this immense pressure.
"I don't want to say the same thing a third time." Adrian's voice rang out again, cold and indifferent.
"You're asking for death!" Clarisse's furious voice suddenly rang out—a Mutant had actually launched a sneak attack on them at that moment!
Space rippled slightly, and the incoming bullets were instantly teleported away by Clarisse.
"Good reaction."
"They're yours. I only want the result."
Adrian nodded approvingly.
He'd already sensed that others were lurking in the shadows.
Upon hearing this, Clarisse's eyes narrowed, and she pushed off the ground with huge force. She shot out like an arrow from a bow, with such power that she left two deep cracks in the ground.
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