Chapter 4: The Hidden Snake
1474 Words
Chapter 4: The Hidden Snake
The applause inside the underground arena slowly faded, but Ethan's heartbeat refused to slow.
The glowing blue System window still floated before his eyes.
Emergency Main Mission
- Find the traitor before sunrise.
- Time Remaining: 5 Hours 47 Minutes.
- Reward: 500 Authority Points, Advanced Observation Skill.
- Failure: A key member of the Romano Syndicate will die.
Ethan's expression grew serious.
A traitor...
Somewhere among the hundreds of people gathered in the arena, one person was secretly working for the Black Serpent Organization.
He slowly looked around.
Everyone seemed normal.
Some captains were congratulating Bruno for putting up a good fight. Others whispered among themselves while stealing suspicious glances at Ethan.
No one looked guilty.
Victor approached him with a proud smile.
"You surprised everyone."
"I surprised myself."
Victor chuckled.
"I think my brother saw something in you long before the rest of us did."
Ethan forced a smile.
If only Victor knew that most of what happened in the ring wasn't his own skill.
The System had practically guided every movement.
Just then, another notification appeared.
Passive Skill Activated: Lie Detection.
Current Range: Five Meters.
Warning: Only detects intentional lies.
Ethan blinked.
"So I just have to ask questions?"
Before he could think further, Isabella walked toward him.
She folded her arms across her chest.
"You got lucky."
Ethan smiled faintly.
"Maybe."
Her sharp eyes studied him.
"You fight like someone with years of experience."
"You don't move like a delivery rider."
Lie Detection remained silent.
She wasn't accusing him.
She genuinely believed what she was saying.
"I don't really know how to explain it," Ethan admitted.
She frowned but said nothing more.
For the first time since they met, there was less hostility in her eyes.
Not trust.
But curiosity.
Victor clapped his hands loudly.
"Everyone."
"The meeting continues upstairs."
"The celebration can wait."
The captains slowly left the arena.
Ethan followed them toward the grand conference hall.
As he walked, the System quietly scanned the people around him.
Names appeared one after another.
Victor Romano – Loyal.
Isabella Romano – Loyal.
Dominic Russo – Loyal.
Marco Bellini – Loyal.
No warnings.
No traitors.
Ethan frowned.
"The System can't identify them directly?"
A message appeared.
Host must uncover the truth through investigation.
"Of course..."
Nothing was ever easy.
---
The meeting resumed around the massive oval table.
Victor stood at the front.
"Our enemies attacked us twice tonight."
"They've declared open war."
"We'll strengthen security around every warehouse, casino, nightclub, and port under our control."
Several captains nodded.
One man suddenly stood.
He was thin, well-dressed, and wore expensive glasses.
His nameplate read:
Leon Graves – Financial Director.
"I disagree."
The room turned toward him.
"If we move too many men tonight, we'll expose our operations."
Victor narrowed his eyes.
"And your suggestion?"
"We wait."
"We observe."
"We avoid unnecessary panic."
Lie Detection suddenly flashed.
Statement False.
Ethan's eyes widened.
Leon had lied.
But about what?
Was he the traitor?
Or simply hiding something else?
Victor remained thoughtful.
"We don't have the luxury of waiting."
Leon calmly sat back down.
His expression never changed.
Ethan silently memorized his face.
---
Two hours later...
The mansion grew quieter.
Most members returned to their assigned duties.
Victor personally showed Ethan to a large guest room.
"This used to belong to trusted family members."
"You'll stay here for now."
The room was larger than Ethan's entire apartment.
A king-sized bed.
Bookshelves.
A private office.
Even a balcony overlooking the estate.
"I've never slept somewhere like this..."
Victor smiled.
"Get some rest."
"We'll discuss tomorrow's plans in the morning."
As Victor turned to leave—
The System suddenly screamed inside Ethan's mind.
Danger Detected!
Danger Detected!
Without thinking, Ethan shouted,
"Get down!"
Victor instinctively dropped to the floor.
CRASH!
The window exploded inward.
A sniper's bullet tore through the room, narrowly missing Victor's head before burying itself in the opposite wall.
Glass scattered everywhere.
"Sniper!"
Victor rolled behind a cabinet while Ethan dived behind the bed.
Outside, alarms blared across the estate.
Guards flooded the courtyard.
The sniper had already disappeared.
Victor slowly stood.
"If you hadn't warned me..."
"You'd be dead."
Ethan stared at the shattered window.
Someone had known exactly where Victor would be.
Only a handful of people knew he was bringing Ethan to this room.
The traitor had leaked the information.
The mission timer continued counting down.
Three hours remained.
---
Security across the mansion doubled.
No one was allowed to leave.
Every captain was ordered back to the meeting hall.
Victor's patience had vanished.
"There is a traitor among us."
His voice echoed through the silent room.
"No one leaves until we find them."
The captains exchanged nervous glances.
Dominic slammed his fist onto the table.
"When I find the rat..."
"I'll kill them myself."
Ethan quietly watched everyone's reactions.
Fear.
Anger.
Confusion.
Then...
He noticed Leon.
Unlike everyone else...
The financial director looked strangely calm.
Almost relieved.
Ethan walked toward him.
"Can I ask you something?"
Leon smiled politely.
"Of course."
"You said moving our men would be dangerous."
"Why?"
Leon answered smoothly.
"Because our enemies would notice."
Lie Detected.
Ethan kept his face neutral.
"You've worked for the Romano family for ten years?"
"Yes."
Truth.
"Were you close to Don Alessandro?"
"Very."
Truth.
Interesting.
Leon wasn't lying about everything.
Only certain subjects.
Perhaps...
He wasn't the traitor after all.
Or perhaps he was simply clever.
---
Time continued slipping away.
Only one hour remained.
Ethan stepped onto the mansion's balcony, frustrated.
"I still have nothing."
The System suddenly spoke.
Hint Available.
Cost: 20 Authority.
Ethan hesitated.
His current Authority was only 20.
Spending everything felt risky.
But failure meant someone would die.
"Purchase."
Authority Reduced to Zero.
A glowing arrow appeared before Ethan.
It pointed...
Not toward Leon.
Not toward Dominic.
Not toward any captain.
It pointed toward...
One of the mansion's security guards.
Ethan froze.
"The guard?"
He immediately sprinted downstairs.
The arrow led him through the mansion's corridors.
Past the kitchens.
Past the garage.
Finally...
Toward the communication center.
A young guard stood alone beside the radio equipment.
His name tag read:
Daniel.
He looked no older than twenty-five.
Completely ordinary.
The moment Daniel saw Ethan, panic flashed across his face.
Only for an instant.
Then it disappeared.
Too late.
Ethan had noticed.
"So..."
"You've been busy tonight."
Daniel forced a laugh.
"I don't know what you mean."
The Lie Detection skill activated immediately.
Lie Detected.
Ethan's heart pounded.
"I know you're the one feeding information to the Black Serpents."
Daniel's expression slowly changed.
The fear vanished.
In its place...
A cold smile appeared.
"So..."
"The new boss really is different."
Without warning, Daniel reached into his jacket.
Not for a gun.
For a small remote.
He pressed the button.
BOOM!
A massive explosion shook the eastern wing of the mansion.
Screams echoed outside.
Smoke filled the night sky.
Daniel threw the remote aside and sprinted toward the emergency exit.
"Stop him!"
Guards rushed after him.
Ethan followed without hesitation.
The chase spilled into the gardens.
Daniel vaulted over a stone wall with surprising agility.
He was no ordinary guard.
He had been trained.
Bullets rang out as security fired warning shots.
Daniel reached the outer gate.
Just as he was about to escape—
A black figure landed directly in front of him.
Marcus.
The elite bodyguard Ethan had yet to summon should not have been there...
Except this wasn't Marcus.
It was Bruno.
Still bruised from their fight, the giant enforcer blocked Daniel's path.
"You picked the wrong family to betray."
Daniel spun around.
Ethan stood behind him.
Victor approached from the side.
Dominic closed off the final escape route.
The traitor was surrounded.
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"I failed..."
"But it won't matter."
"The Black Serpents are already coming."
Victor's face darkened.
"What did you say?"
Daniel smiled.
"You think killing Don Alessandro was enough?"
"No."
"Tomorrow night..."
"The Black Serpents will launch a full assault."
"They'll wipe the Romano Syndicate off the map."
Before anyone could stop him...
Daniel bit down on something hidden inside his mouth.
Blood spilled from his lips.
Poison.
Within seconds, he collapsed.
Dead.
Silence fell over the garden.
The System chimed one last time.
Mission Complete.
Traitor Eliminated.
Rewards Received:
- 500 Authority Points.
- Advanced Observation Skill.
- Reputation Increased.
Another message appeared immediately.
New Main Mission
Prepare the Romano Syndicate for the coming war.
Time Remaining: 24 Hours.
Ethan looked toward the burning eastern wing of the mansion.
This had only been the beginning.
The Black Serpents were no longer hiding in the shadows.
They were coming to destroy everything.
And for the first time, every member of the Romano Syndicate looked at Ethan not as an outsider...
But as the man who had just saved all of their lives.
- Writer
