The private base was immersed in a rare blanket of night peace. Soft cyan lights illuminated separate living areas, where each member of Zero Horizon pursued their own tasks.
In the training corner, Kento was shirtless, his bulging muscles soaked in sweat. He repeatedly unleashed Kyokushin Karate Seiken Tsuki punches and elbow strikes into the empty air, the sound of tearing wind whistling with terrifying power.
In the kitchen area, Tae-Joon enthusiastically served up a piping hot dish, inviting Roxy and Loona to sample his latest culinary creation.
— "Alright, alright, try this spicy seafood rice cake! Guaranteed to explode your energy instantly!" Tae-Joon rubbed his hands together with a chuckle.
Roxy picked up a piece with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth, her eyes sparkling:
— "Delicious! Spicy and rich, totally fits my palate!"
Loona chewed noisily while scribbling notes on her tablet:
— "High calorie content and explosive nutrient density... Perfect for combat rations!"
Not far away, the newly joined swordsman—Kamishiro Seijuro—sat cross-legged on the wooden floor. Meticulously using a soft silk cloth, he wiped down every centimeter of his razor-sharp Katana, the gleaming steel reflecting his stone-cold eyes. Ling Mo leaned against a stone pillar, quietly turning the pages of an ancient book, silent as a ghost.
As for Xie Jingchen, the brain of the organization, he remained stretched out on the leather sofa, snoring away in total apathy to the world around him.
Back at the central table, Shin sat alone, holding a dark grey metallic necklace. The pendant was engraved with ancient Runic characters, emanating a strange, faint pressure. Shin narrowed his eyes to inspect it under the light, sighing under his breath:
— "This Ten-Faced Heavenly Scripture... How on earth do I activate the secret hidden inside? Still no reaction whatsoever..."
BOOM!
Suddenly, an explosive surge of energy erupted from the auxiliary hospital beds!
CRACK! POP! POP!
The bandages wrapped tightly from head to toe around two figures were shredded to pieces by shockwaves, fluttering everywhere! Thanks to Jingchen's cutting-edge bio-recovery tech combined with their inherent monstrous physiques, the Mikami brothers had fully recovered after just a single day and night!
Mikami Ren bolted upright, scanning his surroundings with high alert:
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— "What the hell?! Where are we?!"
Mikami Rei scratched his messy hair, wiping a streak of dried blood off his neck, saying bitterly:
— "With injuries like this... looks like we really lost, Brother Ren."
Kento paused his punches, flicking sweat off his hands before turning to look at the brothers with a taunting smirk:
— "This is our base. Did you two forget I beat you within an inch of your lives yesterday?"
Seeing the face of Kento, the "White Demon," both Ren and Rei instantly recalled the nightmarish rampage at the bar last night. Well aware of the astronomical power gap, the killing intent surrounding the two brothers evaporated instantly.
Shin tucked the necklace into his pocket, walking over with a smile to introduce the two to the rest of the base.
Roxy crossed her arms, her dog ears twitching slightly as she clicked her tongue at the brothers:
— "You two made quite a noise across the underground streets; your ruthless reputation precedes you!"
Seijuro set down his Katana, nodding politely:
— "I've also heard of your reputation back when I was visiting various dojos."
Ren looked around the base, recognizing that everyone here was a monster radiating formidable presence. Gulping, he asked Shin curiously:
— "So... with such a full roster assembled, what's Zero Horizon's next plan?"
Shin answered nonchalantly:
— "Nothing major for now. We just successfully recruited Seijuro to the squad. Moving forward, our key objective is a massive operation taking place 5 months from now."
Rei furrowed his brows, analyzing thoughtfully:
— "5 months away? In this city, it might look peaceful on the surface, but underneath, dozens of underground syndicates and empires are sprouting like mushrooms! Will we have enough clout to compete with them? Because the underworld here hasn't been unified at all!"
Shin nodded in agreement:
— "That's right, many will be eyeing us and wanting to swallow us whole. But I hope everyone trusts each other and coordinates in battle!"
Loona poked her head out from the lab, smiling sweetly:
— "Exactly! If anyone gets injured or breaks a bone, just come back here. Yours truly, Loona, will 'take care' of you and give you specialized injections!"
Hearing the words "specialized injections" paired with the girl's mysterious smile, Shin, Kento, Roxy, and Tae-Joon simultaneously broke out in severe goosebumps, cold shivers running down their spines. Only the Mikami brothers, ignorant of the horrors of being her "guinea pigs," stood bewildered, completely lost.
Returning to the main topic, Shin straightened his expression, asking:
— "You two have knocked around the underworld for years; do you know which names are currently the strongest and most formidable?"
Ren stroked his chin, his eyes darkening:
— "Countless. But if we're talking about those who pose a direct threat to us, there are 3 major syndicates representing 3 key forces."
He held up three fingers:
— "First is Kurohana Kai of the Japanese Yakuza. Second is the Heavenly Blood Gate of the Chinese triads. And third is the Western underground military syndicate, The Crimson Apex!"
Rei added:
— "Besides them, there are a few Russian Spetsnaz outfits, but they're neutral mercenaries—they only move when paid."
Roxy nodded in confirmation:
— "That's true, I know those Russians. They stay strictly neutral in all turf wars."
Seijuro chimed in as well:
— "I know a few elite Korean groups operating heavily in the northern sector, but they aren't targets of conflict for us."
Ren slammed his hands together, his eyes burning with ambition:
— "We have to elevate Zero Horizon's name! Leaving the organization as a nobody faction like this won't do! Gathering a squad of top-tier monsters without anyone knowing is an utter waste!"
Kento cracked his knuckles, smirking arrogantly:
— "Why overcomplicate things? We just go knock out every single one of them, take over all those syndicates, and call it a day!"
Tae-Joon clenched his fists, muscles bulging:
— "Sounds awesome! I'm dying to test my skills against top fighters from each faction!"
Ling Mo said nothing, merely smirking as a glint of cold killing intent flashed in his eyes in tacit agreement.
Shin stood up, looking over all nine members before him. The intangible pressure of a leader radiated across the room:
— "Very good! Now Zero Horizon has a clear direction for expansion. Everyone's mission is to step out there, crush every faction, and bring home victory!"
Shin began dividing their forces into three spearhead squads:
— "I'll organize the teams as follows:
Squad 1: Ling Mo, Tae-Joon, and Xie Jingchen (handling intelligence & tech support).
Squad 2: Kento alongside the Mikami brothers.
Squad 3: Myself, Roxy, and Seijuro."
Shin looked at everyone, speaking with steel in his voice:
— "We'll execute it like this! Any objections?!"
— "UNDERSTOOD! AGREED!" All members shouted in unison, their voices echoing loudly throughout the hall.
In a corner of the room, Xie Jingchen remained casually clutching his body pillow, rolling over to continue snoring loudly, completely oblivious to the underworld-shaking discussion that had just taken place.
End of Chapter 42