Chapter 557: Who Said We Are Running?

“No movements from the target objectives. They are still inside the house.”

On the street outside Tom Huggins’ house, three figures quickly rushed forward from the nine o’clock direction and stopped behind a car parked by the street.

The three figures behind the car had their waists crouched forward. Thanks to the illumination from the street lamps, the three figures were revealed to be two men and one woman. All three were wearing protective suits, the standard combat gear for instance dungeons. One of the males, a blonde-haired person, had with him a military thermal imaging device. Through the image shown by the thermal imaging device, they were able to see the heat signatures within Tom Huggins’ house.

“The targets are not moving! There is something strange about this.” The blonde-haired man holding the thermal imaging device had a very serious look on his face as he whispered, “We have already entered a state of combat. The targets should have seen us from their personal radars. Why are they not making any responses?”

The woman beside him was quick to speak up, “I cannot see them on my personal radar. That means, the targets have not entered a state of combat. Or perhaps… … our target objective is not at home.”

“Impossible. My intel is very accurate. He will certainly be at home tonight.” The blond-haired man with the thermal imaging device put down the device and kept it into his storage equipment. Next, he pulled out a dagger and said, “Forget it. Follow our combat strategy. We will initiate a feint attack!”

The woman nodded. “All right, let’s do it.”

The man beside them, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke up, “Something doesn’t feel right here.”

“Humph! There is no need to think too much about it. He is only one man! We have three teams here. Taking the target down will not be an issue. This fellow is very important. Unit Zero had stated that we must catch this fellow!” The woman sneered before continuing, “Let us go. We will attack; at the same time, inform Team B to attack from the side, the same battle tactic!”

“Unit Zero, we are ready to begin. Tell Team B to begin attacking from the side. We will fight to force the target out from the house and push him toward your ambush point.”

After sending the message using their guild channel, the blond-haired man revealed a light smile and pulled out the leather gloves he was wearing on both his hands. “Let’s go! One minute later, Team B will attack!”

“All right, I will be the first to charge in!”

The man who had not spoken much stood up. It was only after he stood up did it become apparent that he was much taller than his two companions were. He also appeared stronger, possessing a bodybuilder’s physique, akin to an indomitable tower. He quickly made his way across the street and rushed toward Tom Huggins’ house door.

“Charge!” The blond-haired man called out to his female companion and they too, charged forward.

When the burly man arrived before the house door, his body suddenly swelled up. Clearly, he was an Awakened of the Body Technique Division. In just an instant, his body transformed to stone and he became something like a stone giant. After his body expanded in size – up to 2 metres in height – his running figure became like a humanoid tank. He charged Tom Huggins’ house door. However, just as he was about to pummel his way through the house door, the door abruptly opened by itself.

Behind the door was Nicole, a strange smile on her face. After secretly opening the door, she stood behind the opened door. Her actions opened the way into the house.

The charging fellow had put everything into his charge. Furthermore, he had already positioned his body to prepare for a collision. The sudden change made it impossible for him to stop and his entire figure flew inside. His body seemingly grazed past Nicole’s body as it flew through the doorway.

A loud racket could be heard inside the house. After Nicole opened the door, the fellow’s momentum became too large and his entire person slammed into a wall inside the house. He broke through the wall, causing it to collapse and the few cabinets around to break into pieces. As for the fellow, he ended up stuck in the hole in the wall.

Following that man were the blond-haired man and his woman companion. They arrived before the door and saw what happened. The two of them became dumbfounded and their steps faltered as they gaped at Nicole, who was laughing as she stood behind the door.

“Since you are here, come in.”

Nicole gave a light smile before turning around to quickly make her way into the living room.

The two of them were startled. Next, they subconsciously rushed through the doorway and saw Nicole sitting on the living room’s sofa, alone – she was the only one inside the house.

“What is going on here?” The blond-haired man was stunned for a moment. Then, he exclaimed, “The target is gone! Who is this woman?”

Nicole sat on the sofa calmly. Seeing how Nicole was not showing any signs of nervousness, the man and woman ended up becoming nervous instead.

Nicole narrowed her eyes and regarded the two figures before her.

She wore a unique looking headset on her head. It was a crescent shaped metal device; frameless glasses extended out from the other end of the device to cover her eyes like a visor.

“Let’s see. Mm, you are 173 centimetres tall, Caucasian, blonde-haired, a mole on your left cheek, both hands thin and white. I see that you have two gloves on your waist belt… … mm, there is information on you in the database. Gregory, an Awakened from Thorned Flower Guild. According to the degree of noteworthiness, you are a [B] class member in the guild. Your special skill is a fire type energy attack,” said Nicole quickly. Then, she quickly turned her attention to the broken hole on the wall. “As for him, a burly physique and the ability to transform his skin to stone. A strength type body technique skill. Likewise, he is also a [B] class member of Thorned Flower Guild. Name unknown. Name in use: Scavenger.”

After saying all that, Nicole pursed her lips to the side and said, “Did I get it right?”

Gregory was left dumbfounded.

“Who are you? How could you know about us…”

The one to shout that out was the woman.

“Ah, to my surprise, you are not in my database, lady.” Nicole regarded the woman. “I speculate that either my database is incomplete – the possibility of that is very low. My database holds information on most of the Awakened members of Thorned Flower Guild. For it to not have yours… … I guess you must have only recently joined Thorned Flower Guild, right?”

“Mm, you have a lean body figure and use daggers as weapons. Using weapons with such a short reach means you are proficient in melee combat… … additionally, consider also the fact that your body is not of the strength type… I guess you are either going the Martial Skills route or a speed type Body Technique user. Am I right?” Nicole said casually.

There was utter shock on the woman’s face.

“Unit Zero, we have a problem!” Gregory quickly used his guild channel to send the message.

At the same time, a loud noise rang out and the side window in the kitchen broke as two figures charged into the house from the outside.

“Excellent. Two fellows from six o’clock.” Nicole looked at the two figures that had made their way through the window. Her face remained impassive, the same smile on it as she said, “Now, the two teams responsible for feint attacks have arrived… … this is the commonly used tactic of your Thorned Flower Guild, the Hound Battle Tactic, right? Just like a hunt; first, release the hounds to attack the prey and send it running, luring it to a suitable location where the hunter can kill it with one shot – as I recall, this Hound Battle Tactic of yours is meant to capture a target alive. If so, that means your objective here is to capture Tom Huggins alive, right?

“What I am curious to know is, isn’t Tom Huggins your Thorned Flower Guild’s contact person? You people are Thorned Flower Guild members. Why attack someone from your own guild?”

After Nicole asked those questions in quick succession, the two fellows who broke in through the kitchen window looked on in stupor. They then turned to Gregory and said, “What is going on? Who is this?”

“There is trouble!” Gregory gritted his teeth. “The target has disappeared and a suspicious enemy whose identity is unknown has appeared!”

“Seize her!” One of the two fellows who broke in through the kitchen window, a lean and tall man with a black skin tone, shouted as he charged forward.

The other three fellows inside the house showed no hesitation. Although this was an unexpected situation, their experience allowed them to respond quickly. All of them attacked Nicole at the same time.

…

“Is this really all right? I mean… … leaving her there alone. There will be two teams going in after all.”

Tom Huggins asked in a hushed tone.

At that moment, Tom Huggins, his wife Jenny, Lin Leyan and Tian Lie were inside the basement beneath the living room.

There was a passageway in the house basement, which connected the house to an exit in the backyard of the house.

As the three of them were moving out of the basement, Tom Huggins could hear several loud noises coming from above them. Judging from the sounds, it would appear that his living room was playing host to a violent battle.

There was an indifferent look on Tian Lie’s face as he said, “No problems. They are just two common teams. She can handle them. Enough, don’t utter anymore nonsense. Be quiet and follow me.”

The four of them quickly got out from the other end of the passageway. They came out to find themselves in the storeroom within the backyard.

After walking out of the room, Tian Lie checked his surroundings and smiled. “Interesting way of building a basement. It seems you were prepared to run away in case of emergencies. I have a question though. Who was the one who wanted to build this basement? Back then, when this basement was being built, did the other person not feel suspicious?”

Jenny glanced at her husband. “Back then, you told me that this basement was already here when we bought it.”

“I was the one who built it. I had to lie to you. I am sorry.” Tom Huggins sighed.

At that moment, a loud noise suddenly rang out from inside the house.

A loud booming noise erupted and sounds of breaking glasses accompanied it. It would appear as though something had exploded.

“Well, we should hurry up and leave. Things are only going to get even messier later. You two, say goodbye to your house. It is probably going to be ruined soon,” said Tian Lie as he led the three of them out of the storeroom. They left through a small gate in the backyard and ran along an alley.

Tian Lie was running in front while Tom Huggins, his wife and Lin Leyan were right behind. Tom supported his wife as they ran. However, after running for about one minute, Tom quickly said, “No, we are running in the wrong direction!”

“What is it?”

“The two attack teams that made a move on my house are clearly using our guild’s Hound Battle Tactic! The two teams attacked from two sides to chase us out. I am familiar with the Hound Battle Tactic. There must surely be a third team waiting to ambush us outside! The ambush location depends on the two angles of the two attack teams!

“This escape path that we are taking will lead us to the ambush! We will encounter the third team if we continue!”

Hearing that, Tian Lie suddenly smiled.

He curled the corners of his lips as he smiled. In the darkness of the night, the streetlamps illuminated the revealed part of his teeth, giving those white teeth a ghastly image.

“Who said we are running away?”

“Eh?” Tom Huggins was dumbfounded. “We… … are not running away?”

“Of course. Just now, my friend and I had a round of rock paper scissors. The loser has to stay behind to deal with the two feinting teams of trash. As for me, the winner, I will be responsible for dealing with the main ambush team. Such a delicious feast must surely be mine.”

Tian Lie then released a prideful cackle.

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