Chapter 12: Ambush

After all the participants in the first test in the Hunter Hub were over, Robert Enos found himself in the staff room after a quick shower, reviewing the day's report. Out of the initial 60 participants, 7 left without doing the test, leaving 13 who passed and a significant 40 who had failed.

The numbers were notable, but what truly caught Robert's attention were a few outstanding individuals. Among them were Leo Jackson, Olivia Hope, Andy White, and Windy Scott. Each had shown remarkable potential during the tests.

However, it was Zen Caine who truly stood out. When Robert used his Shadow Force to scan the room, he initially detected only 59 participants. Confused by the discrepancy, he scrutinized the room again until he realized the missing participant was none other than Zen. This discovery left Robert intrigued and eager to learn more about Zen's abilities.

After facing off with Zen as the last participant, Robert sensed that Zen was holding back significantly during their encounter. Despite this restraint, Robert couldn't shake the feeling that Zen possessed formidable abilities, capable of defeating him effortlessly.

"Zen Caine. Just who the hell are you? A hidden gem among newbies, or someone concealing their true identity?" Robert muttered to himself as he reviewed the form Zen had filled out.

Lost in thought, Robert was unaware of the time until his phone suddenly rang, startling him from his reverie. It was his wife, Nora Enos.

"Oh shit, I forgot it's family dinner tonight," Robert muttered under his breath, a hint of panic in his voice as he answered the call.

"Hi, honey, how's it going?" Robert attempted to sound composed as he spoke to his wife.

"The food is about to be done. Come home now," Nora's voice carried clear frustration.

"Yes, ma'am. On my way. Love you," Robert responded quickly, eager to appease his wife's annoyance.

"*Sigh* Love you too," Nora replied curtly before hanging up the phone, leaving Robert with a sense of urgency to wrap up his duties and head home.

As Robert gathered his belongings and prepared to leave, a man appeared in the doorway.

"Almighty Robert is panicking because he forgot today's the day for a family reunion after so long," Gale Spanner, the head manager of the Hunter Hub and Robert's boss joked lightly with his employee.

"Evening, Gale. Yeah, I know, I forgot. I just can't stop thinking about this guy," Robert replied, still gathering his things and pointing at Zen's form.

"Hm, that name looks familiar. Zen Caine... Hold on a minute, I've heard of this boy before. He's my son's friend!" Gale exclaimed, a look of recognition dawning on his face.

"What a small world. So, he caught your eye too. Is it because he's also a Shadow Force user?" Gale asked Robert curiously, intrigued by the connection.

"That's one of the reasons, considering Shadow Force users are quite rare. But he's also clearly holding back against me," Robert agreed with Gale, acknowledging Zen's unique abilities.

"Held back? No way a 19-year-old university kid could be stronger than you, a Legend Class with over 20 years of experience. Sure, there are real geniuses in the world at a young age like David Kang and Yuri Kim, but those kids come from well-known families. From what I've heard from Jim, Zen is just an ordinary orphan," Gale replied, shocked at Robert's statement and attempting to reason that Zen couldn't possibly possess such formidable strength.

"I'm serious, Gale. That kid's background needs to be fucking checked," Robert insisted to Gale before leaving.

"I'll ask Jim for help; he's friends with that boy, after all," Gale reassured Robert.

"Well, I've gotta go now, or I won't show up tomorrow," Robert said, indicating his urgency to leave.

"Take care now, Rob, and say hello to Nora and the kids for me, yeah?" Gale requested, conveying his regards to Robert's family.

"Yes, boss," Robert replied as he headed towards the car park.

As Robert approached his car in the private parking lot, where only his and Gale's cars remained, someone emerged from the darkness and threw a knife towards Robert. Robert managed to dodge it, activating his powers to quickly scan the area and discover multiple enemies surrounding him.

"Damn, who the fuck are these guys? Why are they after me?" Robert wondered to himself, realizing he was under attack.

"Mr. Enos. We were sent here to kill you by the Cobell brothers," one of the hooded figures informed Robert of their intentions.

"Are you fucking crazy? What kind of assassins tell their victim their objective?" Robert was bewildered by the assassins' straightforward approach.

"It's their request. They want you to know they're the ones behind this," another assassin explained to Robert.

"Is this just a damn test? Are they out of their minds? Killing someone over a test they could retake?" Robert questioned the sanity of the situation, struggling to comprehend the Cobell brothers' motives.

"To be honest with you, we agree with you, but they are our clients, and we are The Reapers. We don't ask questions," the assassin who initially attacked Robert explained, revealing their affiliation.

"Shit, The Reapers? Well, I'm screwed," Robert thought to himself, assessing the dire situation as he realized he was surrounded by skilled assassins.

The Reapers were notorious mercenaries available for hire to anyone with enough money. They operated without moral qualms, taking on any job as long as the payment met their standards. Renowned for their expertise in assassination, The Reapers comprised some of the most talented individuals in the trade.

Before anyone could make a move, thin but razor-shaped wires suddenly appeared and surrounded the area, ensnaring the assassins while leaving Robert untouched.

"Well, I hate working overtime, but I'm sure Gale won't mind clocking me in," a hooded young man in his twenties emerged from the front of the car park.

"That voice? Evan?" Robert recognized the voice and called out to the hooded figure—Evan Lockwood, one of the newly recruited instructors for The Hunter Hub, specializing in using thin, razor-shaped wires as weapons.

"Yo, senior. I hope I'm not ruining the party," Evan called to Robert, revealing his identity.

"No, thanks. Your ability is handy for this fight," Robert acknowledged, feeling relieved.

"Son of a bitch. Who is this guy?" one of the bewildered assassins muttered, unsure of how to counter Evan's unexpected intervention.

"Oi, asshole, shut the fuck up if you don't want to get sliced into thin pieces of cheese. You guys are not the first I've dealt with, and you won't be the last either," Evan warned the assassin angrily, his tone laced with menace.

Robert watched as Evan effortlessly controlled the situation with his unique weapon, feeling a mix of relief and curiosity. He approached Evan cautiously.

"Thanks for the timely rescue, Evan. What brings you here?" Robert inquired, keeping his guard up against any further surprises from the assassins.

Evan lowered his hood, revealing a confident smirk. "Just doing my part to keep the Hub safe and I forgot my wallet in the office, Senior Enos. Looks like you've attracted some unwanted attention," he replied casually, scanning the area for any remaining threats.

"Let's knock them out and hand them over to the AA police," Robert instructed Evan, emphasizing the importance of capturing the assassins alive.

"Yes, sir," Evan responded, following Robert's directive without hesitation.

In a swift and coordinated effort, Robert and Evan subdued the assassins using their unique abilities. Robert formed a baton from his Shadow Force and swiftly incapacitated the assailants with precise strikes to their heads. Meanwhile, Evan skillfully manipulated his wires, rendering the enemies unconscious without causing lasting harm.

Within moments, all of The Reapers' assassins lay incapacitated on the ground. Evan secured them further with his wires, ensuring they couldn't escape.

"Good work, Evan. Let's get them to the AA police," Robert said, his tone decisive as he gestured towards the unconscious attackers.

"They should be here soon," a voice came from behind them, revealing Gale's presence.

"Robert, you better hurry now, otherwise you're a dead man. Oh, and don't worry about work tomorrow—I've got someone to cover for you. Well done, Evan," Gale commended Robert and Evan, urging Robert to leave swiftly before facing any more danger.

"Shit, you're right! Thanks, both of you. I've got to go. Oh, one more thing—they were sent by The Cobell brothers. From what I can see, they're not fans of mine since I hurt their pride in the test," Robert quickly briefed Gale on the reason for the attack before speeding off.

With a nod of understanding, Gale watched Robert leave, his mind already busy strategizing the next steps to ensure the safety of The Hunter Hub. As the AA police arrived to secure the captured assassins, Evan stood by, prepared to assist in any follow-up actions required to address the threat posed by The Reapers.

"Haha, looks like senior will have to deal with the real reaper now," Evan quipped, making a light-hearted reference to Nora's nickname as the grim reaper.

"Yep, that's why he's taking a day off tomorrow," Gale agreed with a chuckle, acknowledging Robert's need for a break.

Gale handed Evan's wallet back to him. "Here, kid. Don't forget why you're here in the first place."

"Thanks, boss," Evan said as he took the wallet from Gale.

"I need to report this to higher management. Seriously, two grown-ass men sent assassins over their pride," Gale sighed, shaking his head in disbelief at the absurdity of the situation.

"Don't worry, boss. You've got me. I'll do my best," Evan reassured him optimistically.

"Yeah, thanks. We can handle it. Let's go get some takeaway, I'm hungry," Gale suggested, feeling better and inviting Evan to accompany him for a meal.