[Mysteries On Marvel] Chapter 83/84

As the gunshot rang out, Eren swiftly somersaulted and used the noise as cover to reposition himself behind another piece of cover.

Meanwhile, on the first floor of the textile factory, seven or eight assassins who had narrowly escaped Cross's rampage turned pale at the sight of their comrade lying dead with a bullet wound to the head, despite hiding behind a column.

"Damn it! Curved trajectory shooting! Be careful, it's that traitor!"

Driven by fear, they began unloading their ammunition wildly at the spot where Eren had previously been hiding.

Within moments, the cabinet that had concealed Eren was reduced to splinters by the barrage of bullets.

Behind his Jester mask, Eren felt his heartbeat racing. He licked his lips, exhilarated.

"This is... thrilling!"

Whether it was his true nature or the influence of the potion, Eren realized he was starting to enjoy this adrenaline rush.

Tuning in to the sound of gunfire, Eren carefully pinpointed the positions of his attackers. With a flick of his wrist, a bullet shot out from his gun.

Bang!

One of the assassins unloading bullets at Eren's previous location froze mid-action. The bullet arced through the air, entering his skull from the left and exiting through the right, before ricocheting into a second assassin, then a third, and finally a fourth.

Boom!

In an instant, Eren had used his curved trajectory shooting to eliminate four assassins who had been closing in on him.

Seeing their comrades drop one by one, the remaining assassins were overcome by the same fear Cross had instilled in them before. Panic-stricken, they turned to flee.

Bang!
Bang, bang!

The moment they exposed their backs, Eren raised his gun without hesitation, firing shot after shot. Moments later, all seven or eight assassins lay lifeless.

Activating his spiritual vision, Eren scanned the first floor. He delivered finishing shots to the wounded assassins who were still alive but incapacitated before heading toward the deeper part of the textile factory, where the sound of battle was still raging.

The fight was centered in the slaughterhouse at the back of the factory.

There, the Butcher, who should have been no match for Cross, was pressing him hard with his dual blades.

With deft movements, the Butcher deflected bullets aimed at his face and chest with his blades, completely ignoring those that struck other parts of his body. He relentlessly closed the distance, landing several deep, bloody cuts on Cross.

The Butcher's immense strength and agility, which were disproportionate to his size, taught Cross a harsh lesson in the slaughterhouse.

Noticing that the Butcher seemed impervious to pain, Cross's gaze turned cold.

Bang!

With a flick of his wrist, a silver bullet arced elegantly through the air, striking the Butcher's ankle from behind and shattering it.

Though the Butcher appeared to lack pain receptors, the injury significantly hindered his mobility.

"Damn it..."

Bang!

Before he could finish his curse, another bullet whizzed toward his temple. Forced to react, the Butcher swung his blade and deflected it with all his might.

However, almost simultaneously, a second silver bullet from Cross's other gun exploded against the side of his neck, blowing away a chunk of flesh.

"Dual-wield curved trajectory shooting... The legendary double arc..." muttered a voice from the shadows, trembling with awe.

Cross turned to see the Pharmacist, his secret mole within the Brotherhood.

"What are you still doing here?" Cross asked with a frown. According to their plan, the Pharmacist should have already fled during the chaos.

"I came to tell you that Sloan, the Gunsmith, and Fox are all holed up in Sloan's study. It seems they've set a trap and are waiting for you," the Pharmacist explained.

Cross scoffed, unfazed by the mention of a trap. "In the study? Good. That saves me the trouble of hunting them down."

He gave the Pharmacist a glance and said coldly, "Get out of here before the police arrive. If you don't leave now, you won't be able to later."

Without waiting for a response, Cross turned and walked away toward the study, his back to the Pharmacist, as if unafraid of being shot in the back.

The Pharmacist hesitated, his eyes flickering with indecision, but ultimately, he chose to leave.

Since Cross had betrayed the Brotherhood, their relationship had grown increasingly distant. Learning that Cross had personally killed his own son the night before had left the Pharmacist in utter disbelief.

From that moment, he knew the Cross he once knew was gone.

As the Pharmacist exited the slaughterhouse, a flash of silver light suddenly appeared, severing both his hands at the wrists.

Bang!

At the same time, a gunshot rang out near Eren. Reacting instantly, Eren bent backward almost ninety degrees, narrowly dodging the bullet.

Raising his gun, he fired three consecutive shots toward the slaughterhouse.

Bang, bang, bang!

Almost simultaneously, three gunshots echoed from within.

Clang, clang, clang!

Six spinning bullets collided mid-air, creating a dazzling display of sparks.

Emerging from the smoke was Cross, his icy gaze locked onto Eren.

"So, it's you... A little mouse following me around," Cross remarked coldly.

Meanwhile, in Sloan's large circular study, the scene was nothing short of macabre.

Sloan, his hair streaked with gray, meticulously wiped his bloodstained hands with a white cloth. Around him lay the corpses of Fox, the Gunsmith, and four other senior members of the Brotherhood.

Their bodies had been arranged in eerie positions, as if bowing in worship toward Sloan at the center of the room.

Blood from the six corpses flowed into grooves carved into the floor, slowly forming a crimson, sinister symbol.

(End of Chapter)

At the moment the crimson symbol was fully formed, the circular study was suddenly engulfed in a burst of blood-red light.

The bodies of Fox, the Gunsmith, and the other four assassins were instantly drained by the symbol on the floor, leaving behind shriveled corpses.

Having absorbed the blood and essence of six elite assassins, the crimson symbol began to twist and writhe, sprouting tendrils of blood that wrapped themselves tightly around Sloan.

No, it was more than just wrapping him. The eerie, pulsating symbol began to burrow into Sloan's body through his pores, merging with his decaying flesh and nourishing it from within.

The transformation was grotesque yet mesmerizing. The stolen vitality rejuvenated Sloan's body, triggering a horrifying metamorphosis.

In mere seconds, Sloan stood upright, his once-aged and withered form now brimming with youth and vitality. His skin, now sleek and dark, gleamed ominously as once-shrunken muscles swelled with explosive power.

With a soft tap of his shoe, Sloan leapt five or six meters, landing gracefully beyond the circle of desiccated corpses.

Feeling the surge of power coursing through him—greater even than his prime—Sloan's face twisted into an expression of ecstasy and madness.

"This... this intoxicating feeling of strength!"

"Cross?" he murmured with a dark chuckle. "Soon, you'll realize that no matter how strong you think you are, you're still just a mortal."

The thought of the traitor who had recently pushed him to the brink of despair ignited a bloodthirsty gleam in Sloan's eyes.

As the leader of the Brotherhood, Sloan had once been the strongest assassin in the organization's centuries-long history. Yet, years of wielding power and the ravages of time had dulled his edge, making most forget just how deadly he had once been.

But everything changed last night.

After Cross killed his only son, severing his last tie to humanity, Sloan too underwent a transformation.

He had heard the whispers of a demon and willingly embraced the abyss. Already forsaken by divine providence—his name etched into the threads of the Loom of Fate—Sloan had no hesitation in throwing himself into the embrace of darkness.

This descent into corruption unlocked forbidden knowledge within his mind, and his body, now nourished by an unknown force, was completely reborn.

Elsewhere in the factory, as Sloan absorbed the life essence of the six assassins, both Eren and Cross froze mid-action.

Their heightened senses simultaneously picked up on the deadly aura emanating from the second floor.

"This ominous feeling…"

Eren's eyes turned deep and piercing as he activated his spiritual vision, staring directly at the source of the oppressive energy.

What he saw made his breath catch—a blood-red orb enshrouded in an eerie glow. Within it, the faint silhouette of a small demon with curled horns stared back at him with a chilling, mocking grin.

The intense psychic backlash caused a sharp pain in Eren's eyes, forcing him to avert his gaze.

Meanwhile, Cross's innate extraordinary instincts warned him of the looming shadow of death radiating from Sloan's study.

"That's Sloan's study," Cross muttered, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell is happening in there?"

The mere thought of Sloan—the man who betrayed their creed and drove him to kill his own son—rekindled an uncontrollable fury within Cross.

Nearby, Eren noted the murderous aura emanating from Cross and smirked faintly.

"How about we call a temporary truce?" Eren suggested. "You feel it too, don't you? That presence upstairs."

"Cross, our goals are the same. We both want Sloan dead for corrupting the creed. Let's join forces to kill him first. Once he's dealt with, we can settle our differences."

Cross shot him a cold glare. "I don't need anyone's help."

Though he distrusted Eren, Cross ultimately decided to let him be for now. The overwhelming sense of danger from the second floor left him uneasy.

Sloan had to be eliminated first.

As for Eren, Cross was confident he could deal with him later.

Watching Cross retreat into the shadows of the slaughterhouse, Eren raised an eyebrow, smirking.

Go ahead, you arrogant fool. Let's see what's really waiting on the second floor.

Once Cross disappeared, Eren extended his hand and summoned the Pharmacist, who was still writhing in pain from losing both hands.

Eren recalled that the special restorative wax used in the factory to heal injuries was made by the Pharmacist.

While Cross went ahead to test whatever monstrosity had emerged upstairs, Eren decided to extract some information from the Pharmacist.

Cross carefully ascended the stairs, each step slow and deliberate.

As he reached the entrance of Sloan's study, a taunting voice echoed from within.

"So, you've finally made it? I almost thought you'd lost your nerve, lingering at the door for so long."

Cross's pupils shrank, and cold sweat broke out across his body.

His heartbeat accelerated, and adrenaline surged through his veins. Activating his bullet-time ability, he rolled to the side while firing two silver bullets toward the source of the voice.

Ding!
Ding!

Before Cross's bullets could hit their target, they were intercepted mid-air by two bronze bullets, sparks flying from the collision.

(End of Chapter)

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