S Ranked Reincarnation: My Infinite Leveling System-Chapter 36: All Loose Ends Tied

The echo of her own footsteps was a judgment, each sharp report a fresh condemnation in the shadowy halls of Tao’s stronghold.

Lian Zhen walked with a straight back, a mask of composure she had long perfected, but inside, her heart was a stone in her chest. She pushed down the sickening churn of guilt and fear as she passed under an archway and into a massive, starkly lit chamber.

In the center of the room, a holographic map of the land pulsed with a soft, blue light. Before it, a figure stood like a monolith, encased in gleaming black and gold armor. His back was to her. Tao. The soft hum of mana was a constant pressure in the air, a physical testament to the power he commanded.

He didn’t turn until her footsteps ceased a respectful distance behind him. When he did, his face was placid, his eyes cold as they swept over her, taking in her travel-worn state.

Lian’s hands trembled, a betrayal she couldn’t conceal, so she balled them into fists at her sides and bowed her head. The mission was complete. The guilt was unbearable.

"Lian," Tao’s voice was smooth as polished obsidian, cutting through the tense silence. It was a sound that could soothe or terrify, and today it did both. "You did well, my child."

Her heart gave a traitorous leap at the praise, a desperate, pathetic thing seeking approval. She remained silent, watching from under her lashes as he closed the distance between them, his armored boots making no sound on the stone floor.

"I must say, I didn’t expect you to pull it off so cleanly," he continued, a pleased smile touching his lips.

He was close now, close enough for her to see her own distorted reflection in his breastplate.

"Luring Ning Que into the open... isolating him from any potential support. It was quite impressive." He laid a hand on her shoulder, the weight of it both a comfort and a cage. "Your dedication is commendable."

Lian’s stomach twisted into a knot of acid. She forced a smile that felt like cracking porcelain.

"Thank you, Master." Her voice was stiff, foreign in her own ears. "But... what will happen to Ning and his team?" The question slipped out before she could stop it, her voice fracturing on Ning’s name.

Instantly, the warmth vanished from Tao’s expression. His eyes sharpened, and his hand dropped from her shoulder as if it had been burned.

"They are weeds, Lian. Weeds don’t get consideration. They get pulled. Uprooted. Tossed aside so that something better can grow in their place."

The cold finality of his words stole her breath.

"But they are people, Master. Hunters. What about their lives? What about—"

He raised a hand, a simple gesture that silenced her more effectively than a shout. His eyes narrowed, glinting with a dangerous light.

"Do not question me, Lian. Have you forgotten your purpose? Your role is to obey. Your strength is in your execution of my will, not your formulation of it. If you cannot accept that, then you are of no use to me."

She staggered a half-step back, her face flushing with confusion and shame. A tight, hot knot formed in her throat, making it hard to breathe. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably now.

"But..." she dared, her voice barely a whisper, yet edged with a growing desperation. "Why? Why has this been kept secret from Grandmaster Li? He’s the head of the Guild. He should be aware of an operation of this magnitude."

The name hung in the air like a challenge, and for the first time, Tao’s iron composure cracked. His calm expression curdled, his eyes blazing with something abyssal. His voice dropped, losing its smoothness and gaining a serrated edge that promised violence.

"Because it is none of his business, Lian," he hissed. "The old man is a relic. He clings to antiquated notions of honor and diplomacy while our enemies sharpen their blades. He is a symbol, and symbols are meant to be replaced." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

He took a step toward her, invading her space, his voice a low, threatening rumble.

"You will never speak his name in that tone to me again. You will never question my authority again. Not even the S-Ranked Hunters are above the Guild’s true purpose. And I am its purpose. Do you understand?"

The sheer force of his will was suffocating. Lian felt like a pawn, a tiny, insignificant piece in a game whose rules were changing with every move. He saw the fight drain from her eyes.

"I’m not above you, Master," she muttered, defeated. Her gaze fell to the floor. "But what if—"

"What if what?" Tao’s voice rose, cracking like a whip. "You dare question me again, Lian? After everything I have just said? Do you wish to join your friends in their predicament?"

The threat was clear, the line drawn. Her throat tightened, sealing the rest of her words inside. She gave a single, stiff nod, unable to meet his gaze. Without another word, she turned and fled the chamber, his cold, victorious stare burning into her back.

***

Lian’s quarters were a sanctuary of order and luxury, a stark contrast to the chaos raging within her. Intricate tapestries of forgotten battles lined the walls, and her bed was made with military precision. She slumped into the chair at her desk, staring at her hands. They were still trembling.

What have I done? The thought was a relentless drumbeat against her skull. I’ve betrayed them all. I’ve betrayed Ning. She had led them into a cage, and Tao held the key. The regret was a physical thing, a cold, sharp blade twisting in her gut.

Suddenly, the soft lights in her room flickered once, then twice. The air grew heavy, static-charged. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end a second before her reinforced door slammed open with a percussive blast.

Before she could fully spring from her chair, a tide of dark figures poured into the room. They wore unmarked black uniforms, their faces obscured by tactical masks. The door slammed shut behind them, the lock engaging with an ominous, final thud.

They moved like a pack of wolves, swift and silent. One lunged, grabbing her from behind. Lian didn’t scream. She reacted. With a hiss of pain as he twisted her arm, she pivoted on her heel, driving her elbow backward into the man’s solar plexus. He grunted and staggered back, winded.

That was all the space she needed. A silver arc flashed in the dim light as she unsheathed the blade hidden along her forearm. She did not fight to disable; she fought to end.

The first man to reach her fell with a gurgle, a line of red blooming across his throat. The second lost a hand before her follow-up strike took him through the ribs.

She moved with deadly precision, but they just kept coming. They were a wave, and she was a stone being worn down by the surf.

One of them finally broke through her guard, tackling her from the side. As she fell, another was on her, his arm locking around her throat, cutting off her air. She struggled violently, kicking and clawing, but his grip was like iron. Black spots danced in her vision. No. Not here. Not like this.

With a final, desperate surge of adrenaline, she arched her back, planted her feet against the solid wood of her desk, and kicked off with all her might. The move threw both of them against the far wall, breaking the chokehold.

She scrambled free, gasping for air, her lungs burning. Her eyes darted to the window. Her only way out. Her escape pod.

She sprinted, her breath coming in quick, sharp bursts. She leaped over a fallen body, her hand outstretched, fingers brushing against the pod’s activation panel.

An earth-shattering explosion ripped the wall apart. The escape pod, her last sliver of hope, was vaporized in a flash of white-hot fire and shrapnel. The force of the blast threw her back into the room.

Through the ringing in her ears, she saw the leader of the men step forward through the smoke. He calmly tapped the comms unit on his wrist. His voice was cold and utterly devoid of emotion.

"It’s over. All loose ends are tied. The hunter is dead."

Deep in a subterranean chamber beneath the Guild headquarters, Tao sat in a dark, gleaming chair that resembled a throne. He swirled a goblet of deep red wine as he watched a series of floating surveillance feeds.

On the central screen, Ning Que and his entire team were suspended in a shimmering energy field. Their bodies were locked in place, frozen like statues, but their eyes were wide with conscious fury and terror.

A wicked, triumphant smile curled Tao’s lips. He watched Ning strain against the invisible bonds, defiance burning in his gaze even in utter helplessness.

"Look at them," Tao said to the empty room, his voice dripping with amused contempt. "So much passion. So much fire." He took a slow, deliberate sip of his wine. "Pathetic. The so-called ’Reclaimer’ and his misfit squad. They truly believed they could challenge the tide? That their little crusade could unseat a king?"

He set his goblet down with a soft click and rose from his chair. His long shadow fell across the frozen prisoners on the screen as he walked towards it, his footsteps echoing in the sterile silence.

"They are powerless. Every last one of them," he sneered, his tone mocking. "And soon, they will be nothing at all. And the Grandmaster? The great and wise Li? He will hear nothing. He will know nothing. He will continue to sit on his dusty throne, oblivious, until the moment I decide to pull it out from under him."

With a casual, almost bored motion, he pressed a glowing red button on his console. On the screen, the energy field around the prisoners flared, and though they made no sound, their bodies convulsed, their faces contorting in silent agony. A cruel, satisfied laugh filled the chamber.

"This is the end of the line for you, Ning Que," Tao said, his voice a low purr directed at the screen. "You and your pathetic little team will be forgotten. Wiped from the records. Erased from memory. No one will even remember your names...!"