Suburbs of Ventura.

After hanging up the phone, Joseph returned the phone to the kind girl who had lent it to him.

"Sir, it's very late, aren't you going home?" As he turned to leave, the flower-selling child came up to him again and asked softly.

“You should go back now, and tell them that this behavior is pointless.” As he said this, he pulled out several banknotes from his wallet and took the entire flower basket from her hands.

He had absolutely no interest in the man's tragic past, nor did he want to know how those idiots, Eoubs, came up with the idea of ​​sending an ordinary person to test him. The girl looked to be only fourteen or fifteen years old, with a clean appearance, but there were some emotions in her eyes that shouldn't be present at that age, emotions that could turn the ice in a person's bones into fuel and ignite anything.

"Go home, I won't kill you."

After finishing his speech, Joseph left without looking back. He then went to a convenience store on the side of the road, ordered a cooked meal and a pack of cheap cigarettes, and walked along the main road for about half an hour before stopping in an abandoned park.

Since he is now wanted throughout the Americas and will be tracked by satellites wherever he goes, and Sergio and Adam have already started their battle, he has no choice but to wait here for a while, prepare to kill off the group of pursuers behind him before going to the Dolphin Hotel to eliminate the so-called 659.

Along the way, Joseph had long since lost count of how many people he had killed. The special agents at headquarters in Los Angeles probably wouldn't dare to come out anymore. They tried every means to intercept him, but only ended up with their heads separated from their bodies.

Any action is futile. Under absolute self-awareness, no matter what taboo it may be, even if it is ACE or higher, it will be as insignificant as dust.

They are simply incapable of defeating themselves. If the "destiny" he saw a few years ago is true, then the era he hoped for will arrive.

Joseph waited here for the last batch of reinforcements from New York, including New York's most renowned ace operative, the fifteenth-ranked "Ripper." The next step was simple: after taking him out, go to the Dolphin Hotel and kill everyone else who needed to be killed, then contact Sheehan and wait for the private jet to arrive.

Before he leaves, he will wipe out all the taboos from the entire American branch, and then from the tyrannical organizations in Asia, the Nordic Union, Russia, and South Africa that raise taboos.

This war will last a very long time, months, years... or decades.

For now, we just need to wait patiently.

For Eoubs, especially in the Americas, the only thing they have no shortage of is the availability of various resources. In the eyes of this bunch of good-for-nothings, operatives below B-level are just a string of numbers.

However, even Joseph, who was once known as a natural disaster, had never formally dealt with the ace staff of other divisions. Especially after a long hiatus, he was unsure of the other party's strength. He simply sat quietly on the bench, eating his lunchbox and waiting silently.

About ten minutes later.

A cold voice came from the other end: "I'm really sorry, I've been having some brain problems lately. You were in the park, right? I've finally found you. I'll hang up now."

Beside the fountain opposite it, a thin man appeared.

"You really are a person of principle, choosing to wait for me in this desolate wilderness. It seems the intelligence was right; you don't want to hurt ordinary people."

The fifteenth-ranked ace operative lit a cigarette and said this. In the information he was currently reviewing, Joseph truly had no innocent lives on his hands. In other words, if you were involved with anything taboo, even if you were his father, you would still go to hell.

He shook his head upon hearing this, then slowly gathered up the trash and placed it under the bench.

The long silence brought the atmosphere to a freezing point.

A full minute passed.

"To be honest, I'm very disappointed."

Even the ace ranked fifteenth still feels fear of the unknown.

“You are afraid of me, even though you have reached B03, you are still afraid of an old man like me who is about to enter the coffin.”

"You should launch a direct attack on me. A swift and decisive interception is the most exciting part of a battle. Perhaps... you also possess mercy, because you believe everything I've done is right?"

Joseph spoke calmly, but the other person did not respond.

"Fine, go ahead and do it. I'll give you a quick death."

...

...

02:01:23

"Isn't this just a coincidence?"

“You’re an artist, and I consider myself an artist too, the kind who advocates pacifism. We should be considered to be on the same side.”

Adam sat on the sofa with pastries and a wine glass in his hand. When he saw Merlink come in, he greeted him cheerfully.

In the words of those in the industry, Adam is an absolute pushover.

Because there is no violence or killing in his world, he craves peaceful coexistence and is endlessly intoxicated by the atmosphere of being able to get along with anyone. As for tasks like controlling missions, they are just a heretical part of stimulating the senses.

Even all of this guy's characteristics have nothing to do with destruction. If it weren't for his almost unsolvable spatial abilities, he would probably have been ground to dust and thrown into a shredder long ago.

Merlink didn't react much to his sudden appearance in the salon. He simply looked around and then said coldly.

"The methods used in the cup? That's quite unusual."

“Anyway, I can’t let you continue drawing.” Adam shrugged and gave a strange smile. “Well, although disturbing someone’s creation is disgusting, this is good wine, don’t blame me for not warning you.”

As he spoke, he poured himself another glass, then pointed to the beanbag chair in the center, gesturing for the other person to come over: "Since there's no other way, why don't we sit down and have a good chat? Let's talk about the development of modern art, or literary works, or something like that? What kind of content do you like?"

Merlink listened expressionlessly, the firelight from the fireplace burning brightly in this dimly lit luxury, the opulence shimmering, an air of someone indulging in such pleasures.

He shifted to a more reclining position, sipping his pale blue cocktail as he rambled on: "You probably have no idea how much I want to bring you all in. Although the teacher told me to lock up as many threatening people as possible, well... whatever, I'll find them one by one anyway."

"Cheer up! There are countless delicious foods and entertainment options here. After everyone has eaten their fill and had their fun, we can travel together. Isn't that a wonderful thing?"

Merlink chuckled, mainly out of anger, his voice icy cold.

"What a loyal dog."

“Yes, that’s right.” Adam sighed dramatically. “I’m just a dog. For my master’s great ideals, I’m willing to drag you all down with me to die.”

"So what methods do you have to refuse?"