Chapter 497
“Let’s bet on the lives of the 392 passengers and eight crew members on this plane p>
The refined man appeared cultured and gentle, but his words sent shockwaves through the cabin.
An elderly couple behind him immediately stood up, shrinking back in terror, staring at him as if he were a terrorist.
The passengers nearby were visibly panicked. Only Celia’s eyes turned sharp, glued to the man.
A burly man beside him—muscular and fierce-heard those words and roared,
“What the hell are you? Betting with our lives? Believe it or not, I’ll toss you out of this d*mn plane p>
He reached out to grab the man’s collar.
He was a retired soldier. Even if the man were a terrorist, he feared nothing.
But just as his hand was about to grab, his body suddenly trembled as if invisible chains seized him. He collapsed heavily into his seat, unable to move.
The middle-aged man didn’t even glance at him. His smile remained as he faced Leander.
“Well p>
Nathan and the others were stunned into silence, chills running down their spines.
This man smiled faintly, but in their perception, he felt like a dormant dragon or tiger —an apex predator cloaked in elegance.
Who is he? And why seek out Leander?
“Interesting p>
Leander’s smile deepened, his expression finally turning serious for the first time.
In all his experiences, this was the first time he felt forced into a passive position.
The man first proposed a bet without stating the condition, making Leander accept blindly. Only then did he reveal that lives were at stake.
Leander was forced into a dilemma-refusing would brand him a coward, but agreeing would mean gambling with innocent lives.
Leander had no choice but to accept the bet. But if he lost, every life on this plane would be lost because of him.
With just a few sentences, the man seized every advantage, boxing Leander in completely.
Among all opponents Leander had faced, this man’s mental prowess and cultivation were unquestionably among the highest.
Leander did not answer immediately.
The man was in no hurry either. He simply sat there calmly, waiting.
The plane was silent. The flight attendants, who should have intervened, sat motionless as if asleep. No one moved. Every passenger stared at Leander and the
man.
After a dozen breaths, Leander finally spoke.
“You want to bet? Then these four hundred lives aren’t enough. Let’s add another stake p>
He lifted a finger and pointed at the middle-aged man, smiling mockingly.
“Add your life. How about it p>
The passengers nearby were completely bewildered. It felt as if they had been plunged into a surreal martial-arts world.
The middle-aged man suddenly burst out laughing.
“Haha! Good. Very good p>
He looked at Leander with clear admiration.
“No wonder Blood Demon tasted his first defeat at your hands. The world’s top-
ranked fighter in history-you truly live up to the title p>
Unfastening his seatbelt, he slowly stood up.
“The bet is void. From this moment, our game begins p>
The man’s voice grew cold.
“The wager-your life and mine. And the game-whether I can successfully hunt you p>
Confidence radiated from him, his smile unnervingly calm.
As he spoke, a ripple of energy shimmered around him. His entire body began turning transparent.
At that moment, everyone on the plane-except Leander and Celia—suddenly slumped over, consciousness extinguished by an unseen force.
Within seconds, the man vanished completely-fully transparent, disappearing from sight. Only his voice echoed through the cabin.
“Jeff, the assassin world and the martial world must one day decide who stands above whom. Don’t disappoint me p>
With that, the man known as the Hermit faded into nothingness.
Celia finally cried out, “Master Leander, was that p>
Leander nodded lightly. “The Hermit. Benjamin Allen p>
I thought our encounter would come much later. Who would have expected the King
of Assassins to appear on this flight to Dechor?
“A hunting game, huh p>
He tapped his chin, almost amused.
The plane continued toward Dechor. Half an hour later, the passengers and crew slowly woke up.
They blinked in confusion, having lost all memory of what had happened. Even the middle-aged man’s presence had vanished from their minds.
“Leander did I fall asleep?” Nathan rubbed his temples, dizzy, remembering nothing.
“What an impressive Hermit p>
Leander smiled faintly. In that brief moment, the Hermit had released his spiritual power, manipulating everyones minds erasing their memories, and even rewriting the cabin’s surveillance footage as if he had never existed.
His spiritual cultivation was formidable. His transparency technique had been so
refined that even Leander had not fully sensed his departure.
All of this only made Leander more eager for their next encounter. This opponent was worth taking seriously.
At the Shadow Division Base, Jimmy, Christopher, and several senior leaders gathered around newly arrived intel and engaged in intense discussion. “Everyone… what do you think p>
Jimmy sat with fingers interlocked, his expression grave.
Leander was now officially classified as a world-level heinous criminal by Agylae’s core intelligence agency, placing him among the most dangerous individuals alive.
In the agency’s report, Leander was described as someone possessing a threat level equal to that of Blood Demon and the Hermit-monsters capable of mass destruction.
Others might not understand the implication, but these veteran Shadow Division commanders certainly did.
It meant Leander had been placed on the Agylae’s list of top-priority threats If the Agylae ever found an opportunity, they would strike him with the most ruthless force imaginable
“It’s too late for us to worry. We can only wait for negotiations between our higher-up’s and theirs. As for Jeff, we’ll warn him. Beyond that p>
there’s nothing we can do
An older officer spoke first, and the others nodded.
Christopher was about to speak when a new message popped up on his phone-his
expression changed instantly.
“Jimmy!” He shot to his feet. “Forty minutes ago, Ye Jiang boarded a flight to
Dechor p>
“Dechor?” Jimmy frowned for a moment-then his face drained of color.
“That’s in the Sahar Wastes p>