Chapter 40: A Second Debut

"Although I'm only human, right now I am the harbinger of death!" Alexander's voice rang out, cool and commanding. It was he who had just spoken that earlier awe-inspiring line.

After dispatching everyone in the smaller buildings outside the villa, Alexander strode into the second floor of the villa and took in the devilish scene in the central hall. Yet Alexander merely watched, detached—knowing that these scenes were merely minor cases compared to what lay ahead. In the decade following the apocalypse, everyone suffered mental scars; all manner of perverse and revolting acts were common. As for feeling sympathy for these women? As Alexander had once remarked, dying this way could even be a blessing—a mercy for those who cannot die, no matter how much they wish to.

Seizing the opportunity, while the others indulged in their debauchery, Alexander swiftly installed four speakers in strategic positions on the second floor. He configured their settings to emit sounds simultaneously—not to alert the enemy, but to heighten their alertness. Once under such high alert, any slight disturbance would draw the enemy's attention. That was exactly Alexander's plan.

He then approached the villa's entrance at a corner, pulling out a small, jet-black sphere—a one-use Bronze-Grade item known as the [Super Flashbang]. Without hesitation, he lobbed it inside the hall.

Instantly, every person in the hall tensed; eyes scanned the surroundings frantically, desperate to spot Alexander's whereabouts. When they saw the small sphere hurtling in, all eyes fixed on it. And rightfully so—nobody had ever seen a flashbang like this before.

In a sudden burst, the sphere exploded in a dazzling white light. The light erupted so quickly that no one had time to react. In an instant, screams filled the hall:"Ah, my eyes!""I'm blind—am I blind?!"…

The once-formidable hall erupted into chaos. Most of the disorder was caused by Derek's bodyguards and servants, but the well-trained members of the Hunter Mercenary Team remained alert. With that, Alexander stepped boldly through the villa's main door. Simultaneously, his "Quick Stride" from his Windrunner Boots activated, propelling him with terrifying speed toward the center of the hall. Apart from a few who managed to recover from the flash, most were still in a state of temporary blindness.

"This is it!" Alexander declared. At the predetermined spot, his Spiked Bracers began to glow with a warm, earthen light.

"Spiked Assault!" he roared.

In a spectacular display reminiscent of his previous exploits at the ping-pong hall, the bracers' special skill activated. A vertical array of sharp, earthbound spikes erupted from the floor, impaling anyone caught in that line. The marble and delicate carpets were torn asunder by the spikes, and the gruesome scene left nothing unscathed—blood and flesh splattered across the hall. Not a single person in that vertical line was spared.

Amid the carnage, Derek screamed in terror. At one point, one stray eyeball even bounced into his mouth; in a reflexive motion, he shut his mouth tight and bit down, swallowing the sickly juice.

Alexander, observing as many recovered from their temporary blindness, reached into his storage and retrieved a second—and final—Super Flashbang. He tossed it high into the air, and as his Tang Blade reappeared in his hand, he bellowed, "Whirling Slash!"

With that, he hurled his blade toward the mercenary cluster. On its return, the blade sliced the necks of Black Ape and Crocodile, eliminating two more foes.

Then, those who had just regained their senses glanced toward the direction from which Alexander had shouted "Whirling Slash!" The previously launched Super Flashbang was now descending freely, about 1.8 meters above the ground—right in their line of sight.

"Damn, not again!" they all muttered in disbelief.

Unbeknownst to them, Alexander's brilliant "second debut" had arrived. The blinding flash burst again—this time, its twin eruptions reduced many to tears. Some ended up with their eyes so swollen they'd need hours to recover. Taking advantage of the chaos, Alexander caught his returning Tang Blade at the villa door's threshold, then vanished into the night.

Within minutes, the chaos in the hall subsided. Ron's face turned ashen. For someone as battle-hardened as Ron, losing so many of his men without even glimpsing the enemy's face was unthinkable.

Skinny Monkey, trembling with fear, approached Ron. "Boss, our casualty count is in.""How many died? Tell me!" Ron demanded, his tone anxious."Besides Young Master Derek, you, and Edgar, we lost 66 brothers—10 of whom are critically injured and over a dozen with impaired vision," Skinny Monkey replied precisely.

"Damn it, damn it! When did the Hunter Mercenary Team suffer such massive losses? I couldn't even see what that guy looked like!" Ron roared, tossing his cup against the wall, shattering it.

At that moment, Derek—who had fainted from swallowing an eyeball—stirred. "Who did this? Who's responsible? It's disgusting! Ron, Edgar, you must avenge me! I want him torn to pieces!" Derek's voice, now frantic with terror, echoed as he began to shout.

"Don't worry, Young Master. Whoever he is, he will pay dearly," Ron vowed through gritted teeth.