This time, the housekeeper didn't go after Ethan directly.
His identity had already been exposed, so to play it safe, he sent two other operatives—"foreigners"—to deal with Ethan.
One was a long-haired man, skilled in stealth and quick escapes. The other was a bald brute, excellent at frontal assault.
As they advanced in their car, they noticed something disturbing: two nearby cars were hurled violently to the side, as if tossed by some massive beast.
Even more alarming—two more vehicles were being pushed closer and closer to Ethan's car.
At this rate, they'd crash right into him in moments.
Clearly, this was all part of their intimidation strategy—they wanted to rattle Ethan before striking.
But if they thought this would shake the other passenger—the bearded master—they were sorely mistaken.
"Aggressive enemies? Perfect. Just my type," the bearded master thought, cracking his knuckles.
As long as it wasn't the housekeeper himself, the bearded master was confident he could protect Ethan.
But before he could even act—
Countless vines exploded out of the earth.
They twisted and spiraled into the air, transforming the entire road into a tangled green jungle, completely cutting off visibility beyond a few meters.
It was Ethan's "Vine Entanglement" skill.
The sheer spiritual force he now possessed—over 4600 points thanks to the new Demon-Breaking Ring—turned a full 100-meter radius into a fortified vine cage.
The bearded master whistled. "That's some insane spiritual power..."
But at the same time, he understood exactly what was happening.
"You smart little brat," he muttered. "You figured it out, didn't you? They're not after me... they're after you."
He glanced toward Ethan. "So, what now? Not gonna act surprised? Already knew who I was, huh?"
He turned toward the passenger seat to continue speaking—only to find it... completely empty.
"!?"
"WHAT—Where did you go?!"
More cars were flung to the sides, crashing in the distance.
Suddenly, Ethan reappeared behind the car, calm as ever.
"Oh hey, back already?" the bearded master asked with a smirk. "Change your mind? Here to hang out and play games tonight?"
Ethan clutched his stomach. "I think I need the restroom."
"There's one on the first floor."
The bearded master sighed as he stepped out of the car, pulling on his familiar mask.
Outside, the vines were everywhere, but they weren't actively attacking anyone. Instead, they just obstructed vision and passage, like a curtain between this battlefield and the rest of the world.
Strangely, the path directly in front of the car had been left clear—as if daring someone to walk right up and attack.
"You brat," the bearded master growled, "you're using me as bait!"
Only he knew Ethan had already fled. The enemies wouldn't even realize the target was gone.
Still, it worked to his advantage. The vines blocked security cams, so no cleanup would be needed.
He cracked his neck and wrists. "Alright. Let's see what these two can do."
Suddenly, a shirtless, bald man stepped forward.
His body was covered not in skin but in spike-like hairs, making him resemble a human-sized hedgehog.
When he saw the bearded master's mask, his eyes lit up with excitement.
He ignored the wrecked cars around him and charged straight at the masked man.
"Perfect," the bearded master thought. "A straight-up brawler. Just how I like it."
He planted his feet into a classic martial stance, left foot forward, knees slightly bent.
Right hand pulled back. Power gathering.
The bald attacker lowered his head, and his hairs stood up like needles. A faint metallic silver shimmered at their tips.
This wasn't just appearance—those hairs were weaponized.
But the bearded master didn't flinch. He hurled a powerful punch directly at the man's shining head.
The bald man almost laughed.
His skull was reinforced—stronger than most armor. Many opponents made the same mistake, attacking his body or avoiding the spikes, only for him to crush them with a surprise headbutt.
This time, he expected to hear the satisfying crunch of shattered bones.
Instead...
"Basic technique—Straight Punch!"
CLANGGG!!!
The sound echoed like a hammer striking steel, reverberating through the vine cage.
The bald attacker saw stars. His body launched backward like a cannonball, rolling across the ground several times.
He coughed up blood, groaning as he clutched his head.
Where once his scalp was smooth and flawless, now there was a fist-shaped crater.
Even worse—his limbs went limp.
That one punch had damaged his spine, rendering him completely immobile.
As he looked up in pain, the bearded master stared down with a mocking smile.
"You wanted to compare hardness?" he scoffed. "I'm an SS-Rank Martial Arts Master. My power QUADRUPLES when I'm unarmed. You think you're tougher than me? I didn't even go all out."
"If I didn't want answers out of you, your head would already be in the pavement."
Just as he finished speaking, a slicing sound cut through the air.
"Ziiiip—"
Turning around, the bearded master watched in horror as his recently acquired car was sliced clean in half.
Standing next to it was a long-haired man, holding a curved blade dripping with energy.
"My car…" the bearded master groaned. "You just wrecked my new car."
Initially, the long-haired attacker had remained hidden, waiting for Ethan to panic and flee.
He was supposed to strike from the shadows once the bald thug flushed the target out.
But Ethan's vines had obscured his vision and forced him to move slowly.
When he finally reached the battlefield, he saw the bald man unconscious on the ground.
No time left. Desperate, he sliced the vehicle in half, hoping to scare Ethan out.
But...
The car was empty.
"...Huh?"
He blinked. Only the bearded master had exited the car. When did the target vanish?
As he stood frozen in shock, a huge shadow fell over him from behind.
A calm voice whispered, "So... how are you going to pay for my car?"
The long-haired man froze.
The voice continued, annoyed, "Every time I change vehicles, I have to re-register it as a private car. You know how annoying that paperwork is?"
Then—WHAM.
A massive hand gripped his shoulder.
"AAAH! I was wrong! Just finish me quick!!"
Snap. Snap. Snap.
The long-haired man's five limbs were crushed like twigs.
He collapsed, groaning in pain, as masked operatives from the organization arrived.
A man and woman both wearing masks approached the scene.
The man asked, "Boss, any more targets in the area?"
The woman pointed at the long-haired attacker on the ground. "This one, I assume?"
The bearded master gestured toward the bald man's direction.
"There was another one over there. I wrecked him earlier."
But when the trio turned to look—
Nothing was there. Only a pool of blood remained.
"...What?"
"Boss, did he escape?" the man asked. "We didn't see anyone run."
The bearded master froze.
He knew his own strength. After taking a hit like that, no one should be able to run.
Unless...
He stared at the empty space, realization dawning.
Blood pressure: rising again.
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