Assassin at Range: The Sniper’s Lethal Power

Gold Hook Jack quickly pushed aside his distractions. The battle was far from over, and any signs of hesitation would be his downfall. But deep inside, he couldn't shake off a sense of foreboding.

Since the beginning of the fight, he had been taking hits without being able to land a solid counterattack. The one time he had the opportunity, One-Eyed had blocked him. Gold Hook Jack was struck by the realization that this outsider, Tristan, was likely targeting him specifically. Why else would he be so thoroughly outplayed at every turn?

For now, he decided that retreating was his best option. With the fight momentarily at a standstill, he sprinted towards the Black Whale. As a Gold Grade BOSS, his basic attributes were incredibly high, and he covered a hundred meters in just a few breaths, steadily closing the gap with the Black Whale.

Tristan had the intention to intercept him, but his options were limited. Despite how desperate Gold Hook Jack seemed, Tristan knew he couldn't just blindly try to stop him. If he overestimated himself, he'd just be playing into Jack's hands.

"It looks like I'll have to board the ghost ship after all," Tristan muttered to himself, picking up the pace to follow Jack. While the ghost ship might be Gold Hook Jack's home turf, Tristan had no choice—he had to face it head-on if he was to complete his mission.

The course of the battle was, overall, going as Tristan had predicted. From the early phase of dividing the enemies' focus, to avoiding the artillery fire, and now moving towards boarding the ship—he had contingency plans in place for all eventualities.

In the midst of the ruins, Gold Hook Jack and Tristan were advancing at full speed. Both knew that the final showdown would take place on the ghost ship.

As they chased each other, Tristan didn't forget to throw his Shadow Dagger, chipping away at Jack's health.

But, as often happens in battle, things were about to take an unexpected turn.

"Boss, we're here!" A loud shout echoed from the distance.

It was the henchmen from the arena! They hadn't been able to catch up with the giant wolf, and initially feared Jack might take his anger out on them. But when they heard the explosions, they quickly realized they had walked right into a trap. Their instincts kicked in, and they rushed back.

The return of the henchmen brought a wicked grin to Gold Hook Jack's face. He bellowed, "Outsider! You had your chance, and now that chance is over. Even if you kneel and beg, I won't let you live. I'll skin you alive!"

Tristan remained calm, calculating his next steps. The giant wolf was a temporary summon with a time limit—it couldn't keep the henchmen away forever. He had anticipated their return and was prepared to take advantage of the situation.

He glanced at the henchmen's attributes, then a smile tugged at his lips.

The Shadow Dagger flew, and the first henchman in the front was immediately slain.

Gold Hook Jack's grin grew wider. He had already noticed that Tristan's attack frequency was relatively low, likely due to his need to maintain Stealth. Now, with Tristan distracted by the henchmen, Jack was confident the outsider wouldn't be able to keep up the pressure.

"Even if you kill all my henchmen, so what? There are plenty more where they came from in this black market. Once you've spread yourself too thin, I'll be safe. When I get back to the Black Whale, that'll be the end of you!"

Jack's eyes grew cold as he prepared to make his way to the ship.

But what happened next shocked him to his core.

The henchman who had been slain released green poisonous blood that spread to the nearby henchmen. A flurry of damage numbers instantly appeared above their heads, and their health dropped sharply. It was a rapid descent—almost a freefall.

Within seconds, the next henchman collapsed, and the green blood moved to the others, continuing its lethal spread. What seemed like a single round of damage rapidly turned into a chain reaction, with the plague of toxic blood spreading even faster as time went on.

Three, then four henchmen fell, and the contagion continued to spread.

At this point, the henchmen who had returned were all clustered together, within range of the Toxic Blood Plague. Their faces turned a sickly green as their health rapidly diminished.

Tristan's system messages began pouring in:

"Ding! Killed a level 13 arena henchman. Gained 1300 experience. Bonus 390 experience for overlevel kill. Maximum experience reached. Extra experience automatically transferred to experience pool."

"Ding! Killed a level 14 arena henchman. Gained 1400 experience. Bonus 560 experience for overlevel kill. Maximum experience reached. Extra experience automatically transferred to experience pool."

The messages began coming in faster and faster as the plague continued to spread. Within a matter of seconds, most of the henchmen who had returned were wiped out. The few that remained were all on the brink of death, unable to withstand the continued damage from the plague.

Some of the unlucky ones, who had already been injured by the giant wolf, were now also struck by the Toxic Blood Plague. They didn't last even a second before dying, turning into new sources of poison that would take out their remaining comrades.

The situation had flipped dramatically.

Gold Hook Jack, who had been preparing to retreat to the Black Whale and heal, was now faced with an unexpected disaster. His henchmen had walked straight into Tristan's trap. The plague of toxic blood tore through them, and the sight was enough to make Jack's heart sink.

Most shockingly, he recognized something. This wasn't just any regular poison. The energy in the blood was unlike anything he had ever seen—it carried a cold, subtle energy.

"Bloodsucker!" Jack's eyes widened in realization. The toxic blood was a manifestation of vampire power!

But how? Davi City was sealed by barriers—vampires shouldn't be able to enter. How could this outsider have vampire abilities?

As the pieces fell into place in Jack's mind, the realization hit him with force: Tristan must have some sort of special treatment. He had the power of the bloodsuckers but without turning into one. Gold Hook Jack's blood boiled with rage.

If Tristan had known the extent of Jack's thoughts, he might have offered an apology. After all, as long as ExoGenesis hadn't officially arrived on Terra, he was free to do as he pleased.

With the henchmen taken care of, Tristan shifted his attention to Gold Hook Jack. It was time to end this battle.