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Ron nodded calmly, unfazed by the growing hostility.
The young man's eyes darted suspiciously. "You can't leave! Not until we figure this out. Last night, you were the only outsider in our town, and now Juna is missing. This can't be a coincidence—it has to be connected to you!"
The middle-aged woman recalled Ron mentioning his background in a dojo. While she didn't believe Ron was the culprit, her fear for her daughter's safety made her hesitant to speak in his defense.
The group encircled Ron.
"He's suspicious! He can't leave until we've cleared this up."
"Exactly. What are the chances that Juna goes missing the same night this guy arrives? He must know something!"
"Tell us now! Where's Juna?"
Not everyone was convinced, though.
"He's just a kid. I doubt he's involved," someone countered.
But others were quick to retort.
"A kid? You think kids these days aren't dangerous? Besides, he only *looks* like a kid. For all we know, it's a disguise."
"Yeah, and anyone bold enough to travel alone to a remote place can't be simple."
Ron turned his gaze toward the young man who had accused him and shook his head slightly.
"What a nuisance," Ron muttered before addressing the middle-aged woman.
"In exchange for last night's meal, I'll offer you a deal. For 10 million Jenny, I'll eliminate the one responsible for your daughter's disappearance."
He fixed his sharp gaze on her.
"Yesterday, you asked if I was a ninja."
"The truth is, I'm an assassin. If you can afford my price, I'll kill whoever you believe is the culprit."
A chilling aura emanated from Ron. The crowd instinctively took a step back, only to realize their retreat and feel embarrassed. Yet when they looked at Ron again, no one dared step forward.
The middle-aged woman's pupils dilated. "Ron, do you know who's responsible for my daughter's disappearance?"
Ron turned back to the young man and smiled faintly. "Yes, I do."
Under Ron's unyielding stare, the young man visibly faltered. Panic flickered in his eyes.
"You're lying! You're just trying to confuse everyone! Don't let him get away!" The young man's voice wavered as he rallied the others. "He's the one behind Juna's disappearance! Let's take him down together!"
But none of the villagers dared to move, intimidated by the killing intent radiating from Ron.
Ron ignored their hesitation and turned to the middle-aged woman. "Do you know where this guy lives?"
She blinked in surprise but nodded hesitantly.
"If you do, lead the way."
The young man's panic deepened. "You outsider, what are you planning? Why do you want to go to my house?"
Ron didn't respond and walked toward the woman. Those blocking his path instinctively stepped aside, parting to create a clear route.
"Lead the way," Ron said simply.
The woman hesitated once more. "Ron, can you really find my daughter?"
Ron shook his head. "I can't guarantee that."
"I'm an assassin, not an investigator. What I can do is kill the one responsible for her disappearance."
"Do you want to hire me or not?" Ron pressed. "If so, then let's go."
After a moment's thought, the woman nodded. "Alright."
She stepped out of the courtyard, guiding Ron toward the young man's house.
The young man, pale with fear, stammered incoherently, "No! You can't go there! That's my house!"
The group trailed after them, murmuring anxiously.
### The Hidden Horror
The house was large, with a towering frame at its centre.
Ron glanced up, immediately sensing the overwhelming deathly aura surrounding the property. It matched the malevolence he had seen in the photo and felt emanating from the young man earlier.
His hand instinctively moved to the hilt of the Rotten Life Blade, which trembled with anticipation. The blade seemed to hunger for the aura of death in this place.
Ron arched an eyebrow. If the blade is this eager, coming here was the right choice.
"You can't go in!" the young man shouted, rushing to block Ron and the woman.
"Ma'am, I understand you're worried about Juna, but I swear she left my house last night! I'm telling the truth!"
"This guy is the real culprit—he's just trying to confuse you!"
The woman hesitated, torn between her trust in the young man and her desperation to find her daughter. She had always held the young man in high regard, approving of his relationship with Juna. Bringing Ron here was merely a gamble fueled by her growing despair.
But her hesitation held no sway over Ron.
Without a word, Ron gripped the hilt of the Rotten Life Blade. The killing intent that erupted from him was so intense that the young man staggered backwards, unable to withstand it. Losing his balance, he fell to the ground.
Ron pushed open the gate and entered the courtyard.
A low, scraping sound echoed ominously. Ron continued toward the central building, unbothered by the eerie atmosphere.
The young man scrambled to his feet and lunged toward Ron, attempting to stop him.
But Ron sidestepped effortlessly, as though he had eyes on the back of his head. With a swift hand chop to the neck, Ron sent the young man collapsing unconscious to the ground.
Ron pressed on into the building. The deathly aura grew even denser, wrapping around him like a suffocating fog. The house exuded a sinister presence that made Ron's skin crawl.
As soon as Ron stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind him.
A shadow lunged at him from the darkness.
Ron raised the Rotten Life Blade in a smooth motion.
The clash of metal rang out, and a nearby window shattered from the force of the impact.
In the brief burst of light from the broken window, Ron caught sight of his attacker—and his pupils narrowed in shock.
He had expected something monstrous given the overwhelming aura, but the reality was far worse.
It was a shrivelled figure, its appearance grotesque. Judging by its approximate age, it seemed to be the young man's father.
The creature's bulging eyes and ghostly pale skin made it look like it had been drained of life.
Most disturbing of all, its skull bore a grotesque crown—a chain of skull fragments fused together into a centipede-like form that extended beyond the corridor, curling around corners and out of sight.
The suffocating aura of death emanated from this grotesque formation.
"These… are skulls?" Ron murmured, gripping the blade tighter as he fully took in the horrifying sight.