Chapter 73: Chapter73-Recklessness Led to Their Deaths!

I couldn't see everything clearly because I was far away and using binoculars instead of getting closer. I used my appraisal skill on him, and a virtual screen appeared in front of me, which surprised me. It became clear why he was considered overpowered. **Name:**Mikey Salmon **Height:** 6 feet **Weight:** 180 pounds **Age:** 27 **Personality:** Ruthless, Silent, Intelligent and, Over powered **Evaluation:** Gold-Rank Hunter **Probability:** There's a 100% chance of reaching Platinum rank by the age of 32. I didn't know who their leader was, but given that the system deemed his intelligence and ruthlessness significant, it means he is dangerous for me. He is also the only Gold-ranker in their group, with the others being just Iron rank... The distance between us was around 500 meters or more. I just guessed it... But then, I remembered my main task was to find Aeron. First, I needed to enter a nearby house. After that, I would think about checking everything else. It was obvious these rebels were serious and could be dangerous to anyone who got in their way. Then, I quietly slipped into the nearest empty house, making sure not to make any noise. My heart was racing with adrenaline, knowing that any mistake could give away my position. Using my binoculars, I closely observed the group of rebels. After searching for Aeron and scanning the area near the rebels, I found him lying on the street beside them. His condition was terrible. He was covered in blood, and his left hand and leg were twisted unnaturally. This indicated that whoever did this was very cruel, and since there was only one leader, he must have been responsible... There were ten rebels in total, including their leader. With one person already taken out, our group was down to six members. Facing ten opponents, especially with their strong leader, would be a fight we couldn't win. I have no intention of engaging in battle. Aeron looked seriously injured; he might even be dead already. However, since the quest emphasized helping, it suggests he might still be alive. Even if he is, I won't be confronting them in combat in a losing cause. So, I pulled out my radio from my pocket and turned it on. Speaking into the speaker, I said, "Hello... Hello, Zeras, are you there?" As I held the radio in my hand, Zeras's voice crackled through the speaker, filled with urgency and concern. "Michael, stay put! We're on our way!, where are you? Have you found Aeron? What's his condition?" Zeras's tone showed genuine concern for Aeron's well-being. I took a deep breath before responding, trying to keep my voice steady. "Zeras, I found Aeron... He's in bad shape. He's lying on the ground, covered in blood. His left hand and leg look broken. It's not good, Zeras. He might not make it if we don't get there soon." There was a tense silence on the other end of the line before Zeras spoke again, his tone tinged with frustration and anger. "How many of them are there? Did you see the rebels?" I glanced back cautiously towards the group, still hidden in the shadows. "There are ten of them, including their leader. They look organized and dangerous. Zeras, we can't take them on. It's too risky, especially with Aeron in this condition." I'll explain the situation to them since they're still part of our group. But if they insist on going there, they can... I just won't be joining them. Zeras let out a frustrated sigh, his voice strained with emotion. "Damn it, Michael! This isn't the time for cowardice. We need to rescue Aeron, no matter the risk." He doesn't always use his brain when needed, but I can't blame him because his trait of panicking in dangerous situations is kicking in right now. I clenched my jaw, pushing back against his accusation. "It's not about cowardice, Zeras. It's about strategy. If we charge in there blindly, we'll all end up like Aeron. Fighting them head-on is suicide, not a rescue mission." Before he could speak, I interrupted and said, "Listen! If you and the others want to die, go ahead, but I don't. So, don't involve me!" As the tension grew, I could hear the hushed murmurs of Emily and Natalie over the radio. Emily's voice was first, trembling slightly but filled with determination. "Umm, Sir Michael, we can't just leave him there. Aeron is one of us. We have to try to save him." Natalie quickly added, "She's right. Aeron would do the same for any of us. We need to come up with a plan, but we can't abandon him." Zeras, still frustrated and angry, barked back at me, "You hear that, Michael? You're acting like a coward. Aeron is our friend. We can't just leave him to die." These guys are really frustrating me with their attitude. How can they be so reckless, just because one member of their group is in danger? I sighed... Alright, one last try, one last... If they don't listen, I promise, I'm out.. I took a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure. "Zeras, Emily, Natalie, I understand what you're saying. But charging in recklessly will only get us all killed." Zeras's voice grew louder, filled with desperation. "So what? Are we supposed to just sit here and do nothing? We have to do something, Michael!" Emily and Natalie chimed in again, their voices united in determination. "We're going, Micheal. With or without you. We can't just abandon Aeron." Zeras seized on their resolve, his tone shifting slightly. "Emily, Natalie, you're right. We can't give up on him. Michael, this is your last chance. Are you with us or not?" I hesitated, knowing the risk they were taking. "No, I'm not going. I won't throw my life away in a losing battle. If you want to go, fine, but don't expect me to join you." There was a moment of silence before Zeras's voice crackled through the radio one last time, filled with bitter disappointment. "Are you sure, Michael? I'll report this to the Leader if you don't help." I expected this threat from him. But I'm not changing my decision to prioritize my safety. I firmly replied, "Go ahead, you can complain to Marcus about me not helping Aeron or you guys... I won't care about the shit of helping you. Just go on." Zeras angrily replied, "Fine, Michael. Stay there and hide. We'll rescue Aeron without you." I replied, "Okay!" Just as I was about to hang up, Zeras inquired once more, "Before we disconnect, where are the rebels or Aeron himself?" Without hesitating much, I answered, "He's with the rebels who are currently in the streets near Hyun Su restaurant, Hyosan police station, and other shops." With that, the connection went dead, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Phew, that worked. I wasn't even a bit scared by his threat because I had plans to handle this situation without anyone blaming or suspecting me. When they ignored my warnings and supported Aeron while blaming me, I had no choice but to create some plans to prevent them from crossing checking me in the future. I also made multiple plans because relying on one was too risky. If it failed, I might die. I deliberately angered him and the group by rejected their last chance and urged them to rescue Aeron by saying things like, "No, we can't save him; we should leave him." Now that the fuel has been given, I just need to wait for my plans to start taking effect. I turned off my radio completely because I didn't want to talk too much with the group, and for another reason as well. *** After that, I patiently waited for my group to arrive and, it didn't take long for them to arrive. I squinted to watch their every move from my hiding spot. My companionsLiam, Natalie, Emily, David, and Zerasheaded toward the rebels with unbelievable recklessness. I rubbed my temples in frustration. Just a few minutes ago, I told them not to act recklessly because of their emotional connection to Aeron, and here they were, going into the fight without much of a plan or strategy. They were about to confront their leader, Mikey, who was incredibly overpowered. They had no idea about the deadly danger waiting for them. When they arrived, they talked for a bit. Zeras pointed at Aeron and said something to Mikey, but Mikey just smiled without replying. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could see their expressions and actions. Suddenly, Zeras gave a barely perceptible signal, and my companions launched their attack. A surprise attack? It might have been a great strategy and could have worked if their opponent wasn't an overpowered sadistic bastard. As What happened next was a one-sided slaughter that took almost no effort. They moved quickly, hoping to catch the rebels off guard, but no one except their leader moved. Liam was the first to strike, charging at Mikey with a roar. He aimed a powerful slash at Mikey's face with his sword, but Mikey moved with blinding speed and caught Liam's fist mid-air. With a sadistic smile, Mikey twisted Liam's arm with a sickening crack, forcing him to drop his sword to the ground. "Ahhhhhhhh!" Liam's scream of agony filled the air. Mikey's smile widened as he grabbed Liam's head and, with a brutal motion, twisted his neck until it snapped. Liam's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless. I was a bit shocked by how he killed him. So cruel. Is he even human? David, fueled by rage, charged at Mikey with a daggers... Mikey sidestepped effortlessly, grabbing David's wrist and yanking him forward. In one swift motion, Mikey drove his free hand into David's stomach, his fingers tearing through flesh and muscle. David gasped, his eyes wide with shock and pain as blood poured from the wound. Mikey pulled his hand out, leaving a gaping hole. David collapsed, his life draining away in a pool of blood. Natalie and Emily attacked together, hoping to overwhelm Mikey with their combined strength. Natalie swung a blade at Mikey's neck, but he dodged, grabbing her by the throat... With a swift movement, he drew a hidden knife and slashed across her neck. Blood sprayed from the wound, and Natalie choked, her eyes filled with terror as she fell to the ground, clutching her throat. Emily screamed in rage and started firing bullets at Mikey. An average Gold-Rank Hunter would have died instantly, but Mikey, being powerful, easily dodged the bullets with his incredible speed. I was shocked because even I couldn't dodge bullets. How did he do that? I thought about it until I realized that he might have some technique to greatly increase his speed, which helped him avoid those oncoming bullets. He effortlessly dodged each of her bullets as they flew towards him. It felt surreal, like watching a scene from a movie. Despite walking briskly, he casually avoided the bullets, which seemed slow to him. Closing in on Emily, he acted swiftly. Without giving her a chance to respond, he drove his knife into her chest, piercing her heart instantly. Emily gasped, her eyes wide with shock and pain before collapsing beside Natalie, her life extinguished in an instant. Zeras, the last one standing, faced Mikey with a mix of unbelievableness and nervousnes. He shouted something and charged at Mikey with both swords, displaying his skill as a dual-sword user. Mikey smirked and effortlessly deflected Zeras's attacks. He played with him, blocking the swords with ease, like a master in martial arts novels, and dodged his strikes with graceful movements. Zeras fought desperately, but he was no match for Mikey's skill and power. Mikey delivered a powerful blow to Zeras's stomach, doubling him over. As Zeras struggled to breathe, Mikey grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground. He then said something to Zeras... From his expression, I could tell he was saying something like "You shouldn't have come here," "You're weak," or "Nice try, puny human." And, a sound resounded throughout the silence of the streets and, neighborhood. **CRACK**