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The Truth Behind Chapter 109

Taking advantage of Killian's momentary lapse in concentration, Mark quickly stepped forward and fumbled around, soon pulling out a heavy money bag and a yellowed parchment.

Mark unfolded the parchment, on which was a clear depiction of himself, with several lines of blurry symbols written below the image, which appeared to be some kind of coded message.

Mark gripped Killian's collar, yanked him off the ground, and questioned him with eyes as cold as ice.

"Who are you! Who sent you to kill me!"

"Abba...Abba..."

Killian was stiff all over, his eyes were unfocused, and drool was dripping from the corner of his mouth, making normal communication impossible.

Mark felt a pang of annoyance seeing him like this.

If I had known, I wouldn't have used "suggestion" to turn the enemy into a brain-dead person; I should have turned them into slaves or something. Now, even questioning them has become a hassle.

Left with no other option, Mark could only raise his hands and deliver two resounding blows to Killian with both hands.

Snapped!Snapped!

The sudden attack broke the mind control of "suggestion".

Killian shook his head violently, his unfocused eyes gradually sharpening, and a fierce growl escaped his throat as he struggled to unleash a torrent of curses.

"I'll fuck you..."

But before he could finish speaking, Mark quickly pressed down on the back of his neck, his eyes glowing with a soft yet seductive pink light.

The first-circle spell "Charm" can change the target's emotional attitude, making them see the caster as a "friendly and intimate person," and guiding them to reveal the truth. However, after the spell ends, the target will realize that they have been charmed.

In a short while, Killian's eyes became glazed over, his cheeks flushed an unnatural red, and his fierce expression turned into a shy one. He stared at Mark with adoring eyes, looking every bit like a sycophant.

Suppressing his discomfort, Mark, with an undeniable command, asked again.

"Who are you?"

Killian answered softly, his expression awkward and his voice so delicate it was unsettling.

"I am Killian, a Silver-ranked assassin from the Shadow Network, codename Grey Weasel."

"I received a bounty a couple of days ago, asking me to assassinate you, but... I didn't mean to, I had no intention of hurting you..."

As Killian spoke, his eyes reddened with anxiety, and he began to sob softly, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice.

Mark frowned, repeatedly muttering the words "ShadowNet".

He was certainly aware of the existence of Shadow Network. This organization was similar to the Adventurers' Guild, but it was active in the underworld of major cities. It was a large-scale organization that specialized in assassinations, intelligence trading, and other shady deals.

Anyone can post a bounty on the Shadownet for anyone, as long as they can afford enough gold coins.

Thinking of this, Mark's face darkened, the pink glow in his eyes intensified, and he pressed for an answer in a stern voice.

"Tell me! Who posted my bounty?!"

Killian remained as flirtatious as ever, answering in a soft, gentle voice.

"It was an employer codenamed 'Little Mustache,' and he offered a high price, which is why I took the job."

"A little mustache?!"

Upon hearing the code name, Mark felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

Two months ago, Felix and Talia from the "White Eagle" squad left the team.

Henry, along with Mark, Emily, and the up-and-coming Brady, went to the Golan Forest to hunt down slimes, but they were suddenly ambushed by four assassins on the way.

Fortunately, Mark acted quickly, killing three people and extracting the truth from the ranger—an employer codenamed "Little Mustache" had issued a bounty on their team on the ShadowNet.

What a coincidence!

Mark refused to believe it was just a code name, so he pressed for more information.

"Who is Little Mustache?"

Killian slowly shook his head.

"The website has strict rules that assassins cannot contact their employers. All missions are transferred through the platform, and we assassins do not know the employers' real information."

Mark felt a slight disappointment.

That makes sense; such a large-scale, organized underground assassination organization would inevitably protect the privacy of its employers.

But just then, Killian suddenly changed the subject, speaking with a hint of coquettish pride.

"But... I know who 'Little Mustache' is."

"ha?"

Mark looked astonished and quickly pressed for an answer.

How did you know?

Killian curled his lip.

"Hmph! It's all for you, to make a little more money~ So I secretly investigated the employer's identity, hoping to squeeze another kickback."

"

'

Mark was speechless.

Dude, this is clearly our first time meeting. Are you serious about that flirtatious tone?

But Mark also realized that Killian had absolutely no professional ethics and was actually trying to secretly investigate his employer to profit from both sides.

Without time to complain, Mark's tone was urgent.

"Tell me! Who is Little Mustache?!"

A sudden clarity flashed in Killian's eyes. He tried to shut up, but his mouth was already out of his control, and he softly uttered a name.

Eugene O'Connor.

"Eugene O'Connor!"

Mark's head was buzzing.

O'Connor!

Zeffer's surname is indeed O'Connor!

So it seems the O'Connor family has come seeking revenge.

Why?

But Mark was filled with doubt.

Zeffer's death was so well-planned that it left almost no clues. How could the O'Connor family suspect him?

But Mark quickly figured out the key.

At the time, his conflict with Zeffer was out in the open. For a large family like Eugene and O'Connor, it was better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free.

However, what Mark found even more terrifying was yet to come.

Eugene O'Connor!

It was the steward of the Pinewood Town Adventurers' Guild!

Mark instantly recalled the scene of Felix and Eugene's fierce confrontation on the second floor of the Adventurers' Guild.

All the clues connected instantly, and a terrifying truth gradually emerged.

The goblin extermination mission that the "White Eagle" squad accepted was handled by Eugene.

The mission was riddled with doubts, and the assessment of combat strength was seriously flawed. If Mark hadn't joined midway, the "White Eagle" squad would most likely have been affected by the unknown power on the sacrificial altar, and Felix would have completely fallen and slaughtered the entire team.

Perhaps Felix sensed something was wrong with Eugene, which led to their fierce confrontation and ultimately forced him to leave for distant lands.

Eugene, harboring resentment, posted a bounty on the movie website for the "White Eagle" team, which led to the four-man ambush in the Golan Forest.

It turns out that the mastermind behind all of this was Eugene O'Connor!

With old and new grudges intertwined, Mark's expression was icy and solemn, his fingers clenched slightly as he quickly calculated his next course of action.

Just then, something unexpected happened!

Suddenly, a fine black spiderweb pattern appeared on the back of Killian's neck, with a hideous skull pattern in the center, emanating an eerie black aura.

"ah--!"

Killian fully regained consciousness, his eyes turning ferocious again. He let out a shrill scream and struggled wildly, his entire body engulfed in raging black flames.

The flames carried a strange magic, burning extremely quickly. In the blink of an eye, they completely engulfed Killian's body, leaving only a few wisps of black smoke and a small puddle of ashes on the ground.

Mark watched helplessly as it all happened, without even a chance to stop it.

It seems this is the ShadowNet's silencing mechanism: once the assassin loses control and leaks the employer's secrets, the restriction planted in their body will be triggered, causing them to completely annihilate themselves through self-destruction.

However, that's no longer important.

Mark has realized that his enemy is Eugene O'Connor and the entire O'Connor family.