It All Starts with a Stolen Briefcase

At dawn, while some were waking up, others remained asleep. Ethan, however, had to receive a shipment of special weapons being sent from the central headquarters. These included a new type of armor designed to combat dark entities—armor that Ethan himself didn't need but his men urgently required.

Liam, who would now serve as Ethan's subordinate, had been assigned to stay by his side. The situation in this town was far from improving, prompting Ethan to establish a new disaster management department.

A small convoy of three trucks headed toward the checkpoint when suddenly, a cargo truck blocked their path. Ethan, only half awake, sensed something was off.

"Who are these people?" Liam ordered several agents to disembark and resolve the situation.

But Ethan, recognizing something unusual, muttered, "They're not ordinary."

Liam's calm eyes turned fierce as he reported, "Zz... Unidentified subjects are not ordinary. Proceed with caution."

The moment Liam radioed this, the men in the rear trucks emerged, each holding an AR-15 M4 assault rifle.

Ethan knew the situation was more severe than it appeared and decided to take charge. "I'll handle this. Have everyone else stay alert for additional threats."

"Zz… Secure the perimeter; the Regent will handle this."

The agents spread out to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, but the individuals standing in front, each holding a long knife, didn't seem concerned.

Ethan's gaze scanned these people—two identical twins, not dark entities, but clearly very strong. "Hand over the briefcase you stole."

"What briefcase are you talking about?" Ethan unsheathed his sword, a slight smile forming as he advanced toward the targets.

They were in a deserted area, surrounded only by vast wheat fields, making it a safe place to handle the situation without being noticed.

The men appeared ordinary—no muscular build, no intense emotions in their eyes. This piqued Ethan's curiosity. Who would send these two assassins after a valuable Regent of the S.G.C.? It made no sense.

"You stole a very valuable briefcase we need. If you hand it over, there's no reason for you to die." One of the men raised his knife as if preparing to strike, though he was still ten meters away from Ethan.

Ethan smiled faintly. "Those are some pretty arrogant statements."

"Then die."

Crack!

The ground beneath the twins collapsed, engulfed in a curtain of smoke. In an instant, they were in front of Ethan.

Ethan wasn't surprised—he knew these men were extremely powerful, so he held nothing back. He dodged the first attack aimed at his heart and, with a powerful kick, sent the first twin flying.

Boom!

But in a risky maneuver, the second twin managed to slice Ethan's face from one end to the other.

Without hesitation, Ethan drew his sword, and before the twin could strike again, he cleanly severed his hand.

All of this happened in under thirty seconds, leaving the agents, who had been waiting for orders to engage, stunned.

What kind of fight was this?

"Did the High Table send them? That doesn't make sense—not even that mafia group has assassins this skilled." Ethan sheathed his sword, and the wound on his face healed before it even had a chance to bleed.

He was surprised by the speed of these humans. Only now did he remember the doses he had stolen from the man who died on the train before arriving in Beacon Hills—doses that could turn humans into superhumans.

If these people were here for those, it meant they were more valuable than he had thought.

"This is getting interesting." Ethan watched as the twin whose arm he had severed began to regenerate it.

If these elements could be integrated into the S.G.C., it would mean his retirement was closer than he imagined.

"Who owns the briefcase?" Ethan had dismissed it as insignificant before, but now it seemed important.

"We came to kill you and retrieve the briefcase."

Both twins recovered, preparing for another attack, when a mocking laugh stopped them in their tracks.

"Ha, ha, ha!"