Chapter 182: I'll Catch Her for the Commander

"You...!"

Privaty was fuming at Anis's defiance, clearly irritated by her unreasonable stubbornness.

After failing to find anything at the crime scene, everyone returned to the hotel lobby, only to discover that the crowd outside hadn't thinned—in fact, it had grown even larger. 

The news of Nikke troops arriving and rumors of Mo Chen being attacked inside the hotel had drawn even more onlookers. The Triangle Squad's Nikkes were struggling to maintain control.

Hotel staff tried to help keep things orderly, but Mo Chen wasn't distracted by the chaos outside. He was deep in thought.

Something felt off.

The assassin had to still be in the hotel.

With Nikke troops already maintaining order outside before the incident, anyone trying to escape would've been noticed.

"Commander—!"

Mo Chen looked down to see Marian tugging at him. He smiled and ruffled her hair.

"What is it?"

"Are you looking for the bad guy?"

"Yeah."

"Then I found them."

"...?"

Mo Chen raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"You know who the culprit is?"

Marian hadn't even seen the attackers.

She nodded seriously. "Mhm."

"Who is it then?"

Marian pointed her small, delicate finger toward one of the hotel receptionists not far away.

Her?

Mo Chen followed the direction of her finger. The receptionist was undeniably beautiful, with a stunning figure—slender yet curvy in all the right places, a rare combination.

"Yeah, right."

Anis scoffed, clearly unconvinced. She'd been keeping an eye out for suspicious individuals and hadn't noticed anything unusual.

Rapi gently patted Marian's head with a smile. "Come on, Marian. Let's go change clothes."

She could tell Mo Chen was deep in thought and didn't want to disturb him.

"It's her," Marian insisted confidently, as if she was absolutely certain the receptionist was the culprit.

"Is that so?"

Mo Chen chuckled and pinched Marian's cheek, amused rather than skeptical.

"Then how will you prove it?"

Marian didn't hesitate. "I'll catch her for you, Commander!"

"Go ahead, then."

Mo Chen humored her, thinking it was just childish talk. He was certain the receptionist wasn't the assassin, and even less so that Marian could actually catch her.

But reality always proves stranger than fiction.

Marian darted off like a flash, reaching out to grab the receptionist. Just as her hand was about to touch the woman's uniform, the receptionist—without even turning around—dodged effortlessly, as if she'd sensed the danger all along.

That speed was definitely not something an ordinary Nikke should have.

Marian missed with her first strike but lunged again immediately.

The receptionist was startled—she hadn't expected the seemingly innocent Marian to see through her disguise, let alone for her to be so fast—faster than herself!

She couldn't shake her off!

Realizing she was about to be caught, the receptionist didn't hesitate to draw an axe from behind her back.

Clang—!

Sparks flew as Marian's bare hand collided with the axe.

Her slender, flawless hand remained unscathed, while the axe chipped upon impact.

The receptionist's eyes widened in shock.

Her opponent's body strength exceeded that of her weapon.

Moreover, the girl's raw power was staggering. That strike nearly knocked the axe from her grip—a force even Lord-class Raptures couldn't match!

There was no room to hold back now.

The receptionist tried to retreat, her hand reaching for the pistol strapped to her thigh.

She specialized in stealth and assassination, but even when exposed, she had solid combat skills. She was confident that ordinary Nikkes wouldn't be able to get close.

But then Marian vanished.

When she reappeared, she was right in front of her.

The receptionist's pupils shrank in terror. She swung her axe instinctively, but Marian's hand shot out, blocking her elbow. The axe froze mid-swing, unable to descend.

The receptionist quickly decided to abandon the weapon.

But Marian was too fast—faster than she could react. A heavy punch, packed with explosive force, slammed into the receptionist's abdomen.

Boom—!

The impact echoed like a cannon blast.

The receptionist's vision went black as her body doubled over from the blow, feeling like her gut had been hit by artillery.

She could barely breathe.

On the brink of losing consciousness, the receptionist mustered her last ounce of strength, pivoting sharply to deliver a powerful kick.

Swift. Precise. Brutal.

Boom—!

A hotel pillar crumbled under the force of the kick.

But Marian was gone.

Shit!

A surge of dread flooded the receptionist: danger was behind her.

She planted a hand on the ground, twisting her body at an impossible angle, pistol already drawn.

But Marian was there, beside her.

A sharp chop landed squarely on her neck.

Thud—!

It was like being struck by a pile driver. The receptionist's body crumpled, slamming into the floor with such force that the ground cracked beneath her, leaving a deep dent.

Marian had somehow circled around unnoticed, striking from her blind spot.

In just a few seconds, she had neutralized her target.

Though it seemed like several exchanges, it had all happened in the blink of an eye. The onlookers were left speechless, stunned by the sheer speed and efficiency.

Dragging the unconscious receptionist by the wrist, Marian proudly presented her to Mo Chen, her face glowing with excitement.

"Commander, I caught her!"

Mo Chen stared in disbelief, torn between shock and amazement as Marian beamed up at him, the defeated assassin at her feet.

When did Marian become this strong?

From the combat prowess she just displayed, she was easily on par with a Heretic—at the very least, not weaker than a Tyrant-class.

What surprised him even more was that while he hadn't noticed the assassin at all, Marian had detected her instantly.

By now, heavily armed mass-produced Nikkes had rushed over, pointing their guns at the receptionist, securing the area.

When Marian and the receptionist clashed, Triangle Squad had already cordoned off the surroundings.

"Take her into custody," Privaty ordered with a wave of her hand, feeling a mix of frustration and embarrassment.

The assassin had been right under her nose, and she hadn't even noticed.

Just as the mass-produced Nikkes were about to apprehend the assassin, Mo Chen got a clear look at the Nikke's face and immediately intervened.

"Stop."

Privaty frowned, puzzled. "Is there a problem?"

Mo Chen ignored her, stepping closer to the unconscious assassin. He crouched down, gently brushing aside the strands of hair covering her face.

A familiar, beautiful face was revealed.

It's her?