In his heart, a thought stirred, and words appeared—
[Hand-to-Hand Combat (Proficient) → Hand-to-Hand Combat (Mastered)]
[Hand-to-Hand Combat has reached the Mastered level, unlocking the special option: Well-Trained!]
[Hand-to-Hand Combat (Mastered): Solid foundation, rich combat experience, and exceptional talent have made you stand out even among professional fighters; Effect: Physique +0.4 (Basic, Novice, Proficient, Mastered 0.1), Technique +0.3 (Novice, Proficient, Mastered 0.1)]
[Well-Trained: Years of rigorous training have far surpassed the limits of ordinary humans; Effect: Physique +0.2]
...
In an instant, both his Physique and Technique levels increased once again.
Especially his Physique, where the appearance of the 'Mastered option' was a surprise to him.
Immediately, adding them together, Physique rose by +0.3!
This brought an immediate and noticeable change.
His strength, speed, reflexes, vision, smell, hearing, as well as his resistance to damage and self-recovery, all increased sharply in that moment.
At least, when he looked at the incoming attacker with murderous intent, he felt that the opponent was ‘slowing down’!
No!
It wasn’t that the opponent had slowed down!
It was that his own speed had increased!
His dynamic vision effortlessly locked onto the attacker!
His recovered wrist easily deflected the incoming punch!
Then...
A leg shot upwards!
This kick was beyond mere precision; it felt as though it had been imprinted onto his soul.
Before the strike, it was like a gazelle’s horn—impossible to predict.
During the strike, it was as swift and deadly as a tiger descending the mountain.
Boom!
The attacker was hit hard by the kick, immediately bending over, clutching his crotch, his mouth wide open, about to scream in pain.
But at that moment, Goethe had already raised his right hand and plunged his fingers into the attacker’s eyes.
Next, his index and middle fingers curled downward.
Immediately, crystalline fragments mixed with blood shot out.
“Ahhh!”
The scream of agony echoed. The attacker, who had been holding his crotch, now reached out to grab Goethe’s fingers embedded in his eye sockets. Goethe swiftly withdrew his right hand, then...
Delivered another kick!
Boom!
With this final kick, the attacker collapsed to the ground.
Goethe quickly moved to the door, picking up the two revolvers that had fallen to the ground. He aimed at the writhing, pain-stricken attacker and pulled the triggers repeatedly.
Bang, bang, bang!
The two revolvers emptied all twelve bullets. Only then did Goethe stop.
The attacker was dead, beyond any chance of survival.
Goethe didn’t approach. As he reloaded his firearms, he looked toward the hallway.
Regrey, who had just left, was now running back hurriedly.
Upon seeing Goethe standing with his guns and the corpse on the ground, the head of security’s face turned ashen.
As the head of security at the Pinecone Hotel, Regrey’s main responsibility was ensuring the safety of the hotel’s guests. No matter what happened outside, the hotel had to remain comfortable and secure.
But now?
Someone had entered the hotel and attacked one of the guests.
Even if the guest hadn’t been harmed, it was still his failure.
This would affect the hotel’s evaluation of him.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
More importantly, the hotel would face negative reviews.
And the consequences of those reviews would fall squarely on him.
This was the last thing Regrey wanted.
“Master Goethe, are you alright?” Regrey asked as he approached the attacker’s corpse.
At this point, Regrey had already begun thinking about how to minimize the fallout.
When he saw the attacker’s face starting to melt away, revealing another one beneath, Regrey’s eyes narrowed, and his expression grew even more serious. As he flipped the body over, he put on a pair of gloves.
Goethe, standing nearby, immediately understood.
Clearly, as the head of security at Pinecone Hotel, Regrey knew things that ordinary people didn’t.
In fact...
He had likely come into contact with ‘Supernatural’ powers more than once?
Otherwise, there was no way he could be so nonchalant.
Goethe guessed.
Regrey stood up.
“My apologies, Master Goethe. I am deeply sorry for the scare. This is my failure,” Regrey said directly, offering an unreserved apology. He straightened up and continued, “I’ll arrange a new room for you immediately, and I’ll ensure you’re fully compensated.”
“Mm,” Goethe nodded, not making any further comments.
He believed that the compensation Regrey promised would certainly be satisfactory.
After Regrey left, Goethe began inspecting the attacker’s body.
Nothing was found.
This didn’t surprise Goethe.
He had been watching closely while Regrey checked the body earlier.
Not only was there no identification, but the attacker didn’t even have a copper cent on them.
And that wasn’t what Goethe was looking for.
He was looking for [Bloody Honor]!
This was the only thing he could rely on right now.
“He wasn’t directly involved in the ‘Wayne Family’ incident!” Goethe speculated, his gaze falling once more on the attacker’s body.
Though worried about exposure, the attacker had taken precautions...
But it wasn’t clever enough.
The attacker’s face, now missing its eyes, made identification harder, but their overall appearance still remained. If one were to follow the appearance, it would be easy to figure out their identity.
What Goethe truly cared about was the ability to change faces.
Was it his own?
Or…
Someone under the command of the Fog Killer!
Or perhaps, it’s the Fog Killer themselves!
If it’s the former, that’s one thing.
But if it’s the latter, then it’s a serious problem.
Because that would mean the next attack would be even more unpredictable and devious!
It’s just like what happened earlier. The Fog Killer clearly had more than one plan prepared, able to restrain the seemingly stronger Morey on the surface and then send someone to kill and silence him.
Aside from misjudging his strength, their strategy was nearly flawless.
In fact, the misjudgment wasn’t really their fault.
They simply had no way of knowing that he possessed something like [Bloody Honor].
But Goethe felt no joy in this.
Because after consuming it again with no gain, his [Bloody Honor] was now down to only one.
And with this lesson learned, the Fog Killer would certainly be more careful next time. Paired with their ability to alter their appearance, just the thought of it made Goethe’s headache.
He couldn’t guarantee that every attacker would be as foolish as the one on the ground, revealing their true form with a single trick.
“Perhaps I should consider using some secret signals,” Goethe mused quietly.
As he thought about what kind of secret code would help identify the people around him, Regrey returned.
“Master Goethe, please follow me,” said the head of security, leading Goethe to room 801.
Compared to 802, room 801 was larger and more luxurious.
Just by stepping on the soft carpet beneath his feet, Goethe confirmed this, not to mention the opulent furnishings inside.
Bright, golden.
It exuded a sense of indescribable luxury.
Yet there was a certain comfort to it.
As if... a ‘home’!
“Master Goethe, the boss is already aware of this matter. Therefore, for the next month, you will not only have the right to stay in room 801, but our hotel will also provide security services for you. As long as you are inside the hotel, your safety will be our highest priority!”
“At the same time, there will always be at least two armed guards stationed outside your door, 24 hours a day.”
“Moreover, regarding your family and the troubles you’ve encountered, the boss will also try to assist you.”
“And...”
“Please accept this.”
Regrey then placed a gold crown before Goethe.
“Please convey my thanks to the boss on my behalf.”
Goethe slipped the gold crown into his wallet.
The other party had already shown enough sincerity, what more could he ask for?
Whether it was the gold crown in his wallet, the promised security services, or the 24-hour guards, even if it was just within the hotel, it was enough to give him a bit more peace of mind.
Not to mention the second offer.
The person was the owner of the most expensive hotel in Lustre, with influence and connections far exceeding his own. If the person was willing to help, it would naturally be more effective than simply posting a bounty at the Hunter's Bar.
Seeing Goethe accept the gold crown, Regrey smiled and bowed to express his gratitude.
Knock, knock, knock!
“Master Goethe, a woman who calls herself Beatrice is here to see you.”
At this moment, a new hotel security staff member spoke from outside the door.
Regrey looked at Goethe.
“She’s my companion,” Goethe replied.
Upon hearing Goethe’s response, Regrey turned and opened the door.
The moment he did, the security head was obviously taken by Beatrice's exquisite and beautiful appearance, along with her slightly wild aura. However, he quickly regained composure and flashed Goethe a knowing smile.
“Have a good night.”
“Rest assured, we have female security personnel. Since Miss Beatrice is on this floor, it proves she’s cleared,” Regrey said before leaving the room.
He didn’t forget to close the door behind him.
As soon as the door clicked shut, ‘Beatrice,’ who had looked normal and even flashed a shy smile, suddenly collapsed onto the carpet. Her face turned ashen, and blood began spilling from her mouth. Despite this, the officially designated representative for Lustre’s Supernatural matters dressed as a woman still managed to smile faintly, her voice soft as she whispered:
“Guess what I just discovered?”
