The shadow leapt to the side of the car, but Ferdinand showed no surprise. He simply called out to the figure, "Come help!"
The person who appeared was none other than Raven, who had disappeared with him earlier. During this time, he had been hiding in the Manos Swamp, making preparations. After all, Raven was the only one left alive from that time when he and Arabella had escaped the swamp, and he knew the situation there like the back of his hand.
"Where is Bramwell?" Raven carefully took the body bag containing Cyrus's body from Ferdinand's hands. The body had been preserved at low temperatures with chemical agents for years, so it was still in good condition.
Ferdinand was carrying another body, not looking back as he replied, "He's behind, sniping at the Ackerley family's private soldiers. Arabella was right—Marcellus has backed out."
As they were speaking, Bramwell rushed in carrying a sniper rifle, shouting as he ran, "We need to leave now! Marcellus is coming by helicopter. If he comes, Blade and the others will definitely follow. Blade's reconnaissance skills are top-notch; he will easily detect me."
As soon as Bramwell finished speaking, Raven handed over the body bag he had been carrying and ordered, "You two go first. I'll stay behind and push the car into the swamp."
Without hesitation, Bramwell and Ferdinand each carried their respective bodies and headed toward the route Raven had planned for their retreat. Raven immediately pulled out a spare fuel canister from Ferdinand's car, splashed it over the car, and set it on fire. He then pushed the rear of the car toward the hidden swamp, watching as the vehicle slowly sank into it. Once the car was sinking, he swiftly retreated, climbing up a large tree he had scoped out earlier. He set up a heavy machine gun that Ferdinand had prepared for him—this new weapon had immense thrust, like a mini rocket launcher. He had originally intended to use it to block any pursuers if needed.
After shooting, he quickly concealed himself. From the sound alone, he could tell the helicopter had arrived. He was worried that if Marcellus saw the carnage outside, he would charge in without hesitation. Blade was an absolute top-tier expert, and if Raven were just a step too late, he would be detected.
The helicopter indeed arrived. Marcellus had arrived a step earlier in a military plane, followed by several other helicopters filled with fully-armed special forces soldiers to protect him. Despite his strength, Marcellus didn't really need their protection.
The helicopter hadn't even fully landed when Marcellus jumped out first. He rolled upon hitting the ground and quickly got to his feet, sprinting toward the body on the ground. The scene before him was one of carnage, with corpses scattered everywhere, all shot dead with a single bullet. The opponent was clearly a skilled marksman. Although Ferdinand was no slouch in combat, he was nowhere near capable of taking on so many. From the bullet hole patterns, it was clear that a sniper rifle had been used, and there were likely others lying in wait, hidden for the kill.
While Marcellus was inspecting the bodies, Taras and Faceless Ghost arrived on a helicopter from the international organization. Taras was even more terrifying—he jumped straight down from mid-air and landed with no apparent damage, immediately crouching to check the bodies. Faceless Ghost followed closely behind, and upon seeing the wounds, muttered, "Another top-tier expert from the rankings? How come so many of these experts are popping up suddenly?"
Taras remained silent as he carefully examined several of the bodies, then coldly said, "They might be police officers, trained in formal police academies."
"What? How is that possible? No one on the rankings is a graduate from a formal police academy, right? You're not, I'm not, and even rankings seventh and eighth aren't. Moreover, they have other missions—how could—"
Taras cut off Faceless Ghost, saying, "Bramwell graduated top of his class from the International Police Academy!"
Before Faceless Ghost could respond in surprise, Marcellus grabbed a body and its gun, impatiently saying, "Let's not discuss irrelevant matters. I only care about the whereabouts of Arabella's body." He then turned and walked toward the swamp. His actions startled his subordinates, and Taras grabbed his arm, hissing, "Are you crazy? That's the Manos Swamp, the most dangerous place in the world."
Marcellus didn't even look back, shrugging off Taras's hand. He coldly replied, "Arabella could go in and out back then, what's there to fear?"
Marcellus was determined to go in, and Taras, eager to investigate the matter regarding Bramwell, decided to follow suit. They both got into a car and drove toward their destination. After a brief hesitation, Faceless Ghost followed behind them. The remaining soldiers stayed put, awaiting orders, while the commanding officer desperately tried to make contact, reporting the situation and requesting additional reinforcements.
As the vehicle entered the swamp, it was as if they had crossed into a terrifying, fragmented space. The car could advance no further after reaching the edge; a small vehicle, not quite an off-road type, became stuck in the mud, unable to move. The three of them got out and walked less than a few hundred meters. Surrounding them, the dense thicket was almost suffocating, blocking out the sky and casting everything in an oppressive darkness. Ahead, no one knew where the bottomless swamp began. One misstep, and it would be certain death.
"We can't go any further. We haven't made any preparations, advancing recklessly would be extremely dangerous." Taras once again blocked Marcellus, urging him to stop.
"Why was Ferdinand able to drive in? What about the others?"
Faceless Ghost had been observing the surroundings, and pointed out, "Look at those traces over there—"
Marcellus rushed forward first, but Taras surveyed the area before decisively climbing a towering tree. After a moment, he called out, "There are signs of a heavy machine gun being placed in the tree, but it hasn't fired. The car wasn't sunk by gunfire."
Faceless Ghost followed Marcellus and ran over, seeing Marcellus standing there in a daze, his eyes filled with despair and confusion. He was afraid Marcellus might lose his mind and jump in, so he hurried to comfort him, "The car is already completely trapped inside. Don't get any closer."
The swamp at the edge was still somewhat distinguishable, with the surface of the water rippling in a faint gray hue. A closer look revealed the air thick with swarms of toxic mosquitoes; any exposed skin would be instantly covered in painful, swollen bites. A single step into the water that stirred with ripples would plunge them into a near-certain death, a situation where survival seemed all but impossible. And this was merely the outermost ring of the Manos Swamp. Deeper within, what appeared to be a lush, green paradise was, in fact, a realm as terrifying as the very depths of hell. One could not fathom what kinds of venomous insects or beasts lurked there, nor how many there might be—thousands, perhaps, feasting upon the flesh, devouring with a relentless hunger, evoking a shudder of revulsion that made one's very skin crawl.
Taras climbed to a high point to look further. He was momentarily unable to determine whether the one who killed Ackerley's private soldiers outside was the same person holding a heavy machine gun here. If so, then Bramwell would be the prime suspect. If not—then who else could it be? Were they guarding the area to seize Arabella's body? Or was there an even bigger conspiracy he was unaware of?
While the three of them were mourning the fact that Arabella's body was nowhere to be found at the edge of the swamp, deep within the marsh, Arabella was pushing forward. She was highly experienced with the Manos Swamp, fully armed and wearing rubber gear. At this moment, she stepped on a huge venomous insect, crushing it with a burst of juice, unfazed. Occasionally, she would swipe off leeches clinging to her body. The soft, wriggling worms covering the ground weren't the worst threat; what was more terrifying were the snakes and unknown poisonous creatures, lurking deep in the jungle, ready to devour any living being.
In addition to the terrifying environment and the nauseating array of venomous creatures, there are also deadly diseases, such as malaria, bloodsuckers, and other infectious diseases. In such a horrific environment, one must be fully armed at all times. It is filthy and disgusting, and the skin quickly rots and stinks. Compared to the terrifying weather changes in the Mountains, this place is an even more unbearable nightmare for humans.
However, in this nightmarish place, there is a path to survival. It is the only spot in the vast, endless Manos Swamp with clean water, where crops can be grown and sturdy houses built. This slope lies deep within the swamp, and of course, most people would never have the fortune to reach it and would die at the outer edges.
Arabella moved with remarkable speed. Once deep within the swamp, she nearly crawled, using both hands and feet, clutching tree trunks, her arms swinging fiercely as if she were a monkey, leaping from branch to branch like a living pendulum, swiftly making her way toward her destination.
As she moved forward, Raven and Bramwell were also heading towards the same destination, but while Ferdinand was skilled, he was completely outclassed by the other two. It was as though they were protecting him as they moved forward. Weaving through rows of trees, it wasn't long before Ferdinand was panting heavily, unable to move as swiftly as the other two, relying on a rope tied around his waist to climb, nearly exhausting all his strength.
"I said... can we—can we take a break?"
Raven, carrying a heavy machine gun, showed no sign of exhaustion. He halted for a moment, scaling a high vantage point to glance at the horizon. After discerning their direction, he frowned and said, "We must reach it before nightfall."
Ferdinand, his lips pale from fatigue, could barely form words. Noticing his deteriorating condition, Bramwell paused, then murmured, "How far are we from the shortcut Master Unknown mentioned?"
Raven shook his head, "The direction is wrong. The shortcut that Master Unknown mentioned is to enter from the western border of Manos. We started from the eastern border of Scalien, and there's no shortcut. The shortcut is for Caracal and the doctor, not for us."
Ferdinand nearly lost hope upon hearing this, gasping heavily as he asked, "How much longer?"
"If it were just me and Bramwell, we'd have about an hour left, but with you here, at this pace, it's probably going to take us at least four hours."
Ferdinand felt his scalp tingle at the thought; forget about four or five hours—if he kept going like this for forty or fifty minutes, he'd probably collapse. He tried to suggest another plan, "What if I get down and walk instead?"
Raven glanced at him, expressionless, and said, "Below, there are bottomless swamps and mud pits. One wrong step, and you'll be swallowed whole."
It was Bramwell who came up with a solution. He had Raven toss the heavy machine gun aside and instead, hoist Ferdinand onto his back. Behind them, Bramwell carried two lifeless bodies, following close behind. By this point, Ferdinand, though still clinging to his pride, knew that survival came first. His dignity forgotten, he resigned himself to letting Raven carry him onward.
Raven strapped Ferdinand onto his back and moved forward. Compared to the heavy machine gun, Ferdinand was a bit lighter, but it was a shame to lose the gun. When he tossed it aside, his regret was clear, and Ferdinand immediately protested, "I told you, Raven, with me around, you'll never run out of better heavy machine guns! Comparing me to that gun is like comparing gold to dirt—don't pick the wrong target."
The three of them arrived at their destination just as the sun was setting, but Arabella had already been there. Although she had intercepted Marcellus halfway, her swift movements and pace were twice as fast as theirs. By the time they arrived, exhausted, Arabella had already bathed and was sitting in a chair, casually dressed in loose clothes, cooling off with no regard for her image.
More than two years ago, Arabella and the others were still in Doma, working with Jasper on a coup. Meanwhile, Raven secretly found the shortcut they had once used to escape from the Manos border, and led them back to the slopes to develop and build. Construction required manpower, and the Manos civil war provided the perfect cover. Local wealthy families had fled, and the disappearance of poor civilians in the chaos of war was not unusual. Using job opportunities as bait, Raven tricked a large group of people from various industries into the slopes to help with the construction. The ones overseeing them were the same criminal groups that Taras had previously targeted in Doma. Originally, Taras had been using Arabella to clean up the local gangs and reduce crime, but he hadn't expected that Arabella would gather those who had been oppressed and had nowhere else to turn, bringing them to the swamp.
Two years of construction had yielded two fully equipped, spacious cottages, surrounded by a reclaimed stretch of barren land. In addition, a complete water purification system and power generation setup had been established. Once the hillside was fully transformed, the group of individuals who had been imprisoned there for over two years became potential threats, their silence a liability. The only way to ensure that the secret remained sealed was, naturally, to leave no survivors.
Raven received Arabella's orders and began the massacre. It was simple—unarmed people stood no chance against the machine gun's sweeping fire, and were instantly obliterated. Even the guards were swiftly wiped out in the face of Raven's overwhelming power. After killing everyone, Raven spent the whole day hauling the bodies and tossing them into the bottomless swamp far off in the distance.
Ferdinand wasn't skilled enough, but with Arabella's sharp eyes, it was no problem. Before he could even get close, he was already trying to struggle free and climb down the tree himself. Raven couldn't be bothered, and simply let go, letting him fall flat on his back from the tree.
"Fxxcking Raven, were you doing that on purpose?"
Raven leaped down from the tree, landing firmly on the ground, his steps unbroken as he rushed toward Arabella. His voice, filled with an uncontrollable emotion, called out, "Master Unknown—" It had been nearly half a year since he had pretended to betray her and left. Every day, he had been tormented by longing for her.
Arabella always had a smile on her face, but now it carried a hint of sincerity. She tapped the glass of ice water on the table and asked, "Tired from the journey?"
At this point, Raven finally allowed himself to let out the feelings he had suppressed for many years. With a loving gaze, he gently took the water cup and said, "Seeing Master Unknown makes me feel no fatigue."
Ferdinand, holding his rear, stumbled over and immediately started to cling to Arabella, claiming credit, "Arabella, my acting is pretty good, right? I fooled all of them, including Marcellus."
Arabella smiled cheerfully, but her gaze shifted to the person following behind Ferdinand—Bramwell. Bramwell met her eyes, his gaze calm, and slowly placed the two bodies he had been guarding behind him. In a low voice, he said, "Master Unknown, I kept the promise I made when we parted."
Arabella glanced at the two bodies wrapped in black shrouds. Her gaze softened momentarily, a warm color flashing in the corners of her eyes, but she didn't hesitate to give Bramwell an order: "Well done. Place the bodies in the pre-prepared freezer for now. When Caracal arrives, we will bury his master."
Although Caracal and the doctor took a shortcut, they still had to detour to Manos, which caused significant delays. By the time they arrived, even Ferdinand and the others had finished washing up.
Raven pulled out the provisions he had prepared earlier, setting up a stove to start a fire for dinner. Bramwell sat quietly beside him, peeling the durian Raven had gotten ready, occasionally using a fork to offer a piece to Arabella. Ferdinand, holding his nose in one hand, continued to chatter with Arabella about recent events, his laughter occasionally breaking out in surprised bursts. The scene was unexpectedly peaceful and harmonious.
After Caracal entered the Manos Swamp, he hurriedly changed his appearance, transforming his previously ordinary form of the doctor's assistant into one with a strong and well-defined chest and abs. the doctor couldn't help but marvel, exclaiming that his eyes were opened wide.
"Master Unknown, I'm returned," his voice reached them before he even arrived, followed by the appearance of his strikingly beautiful face.
Ferdinand was enthusiastically talking about how he had fooled Marcellus when Caracal interrupted him. He turned his head to glance at him and couldn't help but mutter, "Where did this monster come from? Arabella can clearly see through him with a single glance."
Arabella gave Ferdinand an annoyed glance, then greeted the doctor before waving to Caracal to come to her side. She took his hand and said, "Come with me first."
Caracal's face, which had been smiling, stiffened as he thought of the dead old master. His mood darkened immediately. He silently followed Arabella to the freezer in the backyard, where the shroud was already unzipped, revealing the body inside. It was a perfect match for Arabella—her face and figure identical, making it almost impossible to distinguish between them.
After staring at the body in the ice coffin for a while, Caracal asked in a heavy tone the question that had been bothering him: "Master Unknown, have you always been able to tell the difference between me and Faceless Ghost?"
Arabella nodded and said, "Of course. Your master left Scalien with me and entered the Manos Swamp. But after we left, he went on his own to live in Yamae."
Caracal looked at Arabella, seeking further confirmation. "The number one person on the Intelligence List, who has never appeared, is Master Unknown, right?"
"Yes, but I have no interest in disguise techniques. I only need to discern the truth."
Caracal suddenly understood. If he thought about it carefully, it was clear that someone as cautious and suspicious as Arabella would never allow him to learn the art of disguise, let alone easily escape her control. Naturally, she had always mastered his master's abilities perfectly. But for someone with Arabella's terrifying strength, those skills were merely icing on the cake.
"But why did Night Owl sense your presence?"
Arabella gave a soft laugh and said, "In my early years, I crossed paths with Faceless Ghost. He had disguised himself and participated in that battle. I recognized his true identity and deliberately leaked information, leading to his failure. It was then that a few of Nicholas's subordinates realized there was someone who could outmatch Faceless Ghost."
Caracal hesitated for a moment and asked, "Was the famous battle that Master Unknown fought in back then deliberate?"
Arabella glanced at the ancient creature inside the ice coffin and slowly replied, "Blade was a formidable opponent. Your master and I spent many years luring him here while ensuring we could escape unscathed. If it weren't for Faceless Ghost pretending to be Merrick and inadvertently complicating things, I wouldn't have discovered Blade's identity so quickly."
Caracal could only sigh, "At least before his death, Master avenged his great enemy."
Arabella patted Caracal on the shoulder, "From now on, use less disguise magic. It harms your body. Besides, no one knows what you really look like anyway."
Caracal, feeling a little embarrassed, touched his face and asked with regret, "So, all this time, Master Unknown only saw my real appearance? All those beautiful faces I disguised myself with—were they completely useless?"
At his question, Arabella was puzzled and tapped his head, smiling as she asked, "What do you need a pretty face for? I've never had you seduce any women. Let's go—time to eat, we've had a long day."
Caracal followed behind Arabella, feeling frustrated, silently cursing in his heart: "It's not like he didn't see Albatross was handsome, but he still thought he could use his pretty face to recommend himself as a pillow. In the end, it was all in vain—such a waste of a handsome plan."
Once everyone had gathered, a new era began. Arabella, full of schemes, was in a good mood after drinking several bottles of wine. At that moment, she propped her head up, watching the group gather around her, their eyes softened by the glow of the campfire. The doctor had made a detailed treatment plan for her, solemnly assuring her, like a military order, that as long as she didn't wander aimlessly for the rest of her life, he would find ways to extend her life by ten more years.
Arabella's thoughts drifted to the body in the freezer in the backyard, the one she had obtained but hadn't even looked at. She thought that perhaps, for the rest of her life, she wouldn't have to live in turmoil anymore.
After all these years, she could finally sleep peacefully in an environment without danger or enemies. After everyone had drunk and fallen asleep, the place felt like a paradise, far from any outside disturbance, offering a sense of tranquility. As the night deepened, the moon shone brightly, casting a silvery light across the roof of the cottage. The hum of insects filled the air, yet within the walls of the house, a deep tranquility prevailed.
But the calm was completely shattered in the early morning. The next second, a dark figure was chased out of the house, and Arabella, who appeared cold and sober, stood on the opposite side of the roof, holding a machine gun. She lightly laughed and greeted, "AE, are you here for a little fun?"
AE, wearing a sinister mask, sneered and said, "You discarded woman, I'm here to settle the score with you."
Arabella pretended to be helpless as she fiddled with her ears and then called into the dark corner not far away, "Nicholas, aren't you coming out yet?"
Nicholas walked out leisurely, tossing a remote control in his hand. He looked at Arabella with a gentle gaze, but his voice was calm yet ruthless. "Arabella, I told you, you can't lie to me or shake me off. Otherwise, you'll have to pay the price."
Raven, who was following closely behind, advanced to seize Nicholas, but Nicholas skillfully dodged, raising the remote control in his hand. He looked like a hunter who had long been eyeing his prey, his breath filled with madness. His lowered voice carried malice, "Don't move. While you were focused on dealing with Blade and his people, I was already preparing all over this marsh. Arabella—you're underestimating my intelligence capabilities. Can you guess how much explosives I've planted here?"
AE raised an eyebrow, chuckling lightly, and added, "Arabella, he couldn't get in, but I can. So, don't doubt what he's saying."
Arabella watched the two men with a calm expression, as the others who had been asleep finally awoke and hurried over. They exchanged bewildered glances, none of them having anticipated such a hidden boss lurked behind.
