Hitman with a Badass System
chapter-1203

Michael remained calm amidst the tense atmosphere, observing as a brash dwarf from one of the groups stepped forward and boldly touched the glistening tree. The other adventurers watched in apprehensive silence, each one speculating on the possible outcome.

"What do you think is gonna happen? Another trap?" whispered one of the adventurers nervously.

"Maybe it's a portal or something," another adventurer suggested, his eyes fixed on the dwarf's hand against the tree.

To their collective surprise, nothing happened. The tree remained still, its golden glow unchanged, and the dwarf looked back at the group with a confused shrug.

"Well, that's a bit anticlimactic," Gaya remarked dryly, her voice tinged with both relief and disappointment.

Michael, who had been closely observing the scene, slowly stepped back to stand beside Gaya. The tension in the air was palpable as the adventurers began to relax, some even chuckling at their unfounded fears.

Suddenly, the brief moment of relief was shattered. A black shuriken whizzed through the air, narrowly missing Michael and Gaya, and struck an elf standing in front of them. The razor-sharp weapon sliced through the elf's throat, spraying blood that spattered across Gaya's face.

"Fuck!" Gaya cursed, wiping the blood off her face in disgust.

Panic ensued as the adventurers immediately tensed up. Weapons were drawn in an instant, and shouts filled the air.

"Attack! We're under attack!"

"Who threw that? Show yourself!"

"Protect the tree! It might be the key out of here!"

The forest air was soon filled with the whistling sound of more shurikens, thrown from what seemed to be every direction. The deadly projectiles sliced through the air, creating a sense of chaos and fear among the adventurers.

Frustrated and alert, Gaya quickly drew her bow, readying her arrows. She scanned the surrounding trees and bushes, trying to locate the source of the shurikens, but the attacker remained hidden, their precise and deadly strikes coming seemingly out of nowhere.

Maintaining his composure amidst the turmoil, Michael caught one of the shurikens in mid-air just inches from Gaya's face. He snickered, a blend of confidence and challenge in his action, as if daring the unseen assailant to try harder.

Meanwhile, the remaining adventurers were falling victim to the relentless assault. "We're sitting ducks here!" yelled one adventurer, moments before a shuriken found its mark, piercing his neck.

"Spread out!" another cried out in panic, trying to dodge the deadly blades, only to be struck down from behind.

"Who's doing this? Show yourself, coward!" screamed a woman, her voice tinged with fear and anger, as she desperately parried the shurikens with her sword, but to no avail. Another shuriken hit her squarely in the chest, silencing her cries.

On the other hand, Gaya, her bow still in hand, grimaced as she surveyed the chaos. "This must be that fucker Jin's work," she hissed, her eyes scanning the darkened forest for any sign of the elusive attacker.

"Don't think… it is him," he replied calmly, his eyes focused on the patterns of the attack.

Meanwhile, Jin, moving with inhuman speed from tree to tree, continued his assault with a barrage of shurikens. With a hint of surprise, he noticed how the black-dressed youngster was effortlessly tracking his movements amidst the darkness. Jin's curiosity about Michael's identity grew; he wondered who this adept fighter could be.

"Let's thin the herd a bit," Jin murmured to himself, a cold determination in his voice. He relentlessly continued throwing shurikens, methodically picking off the adventurers struggling to survive his deadly onslaught.

The forest, already a scene of chaos and death, took a sinister turn as the adventurers slain by the shurikens began to reanimate. Their eyes glowed an eerie green, and their movements were jerky and unnatural. The fallen bodies rose, transforming into grotesque, zombie-like creatures.

Looking at the scene, Jin ceased his shuriken assault as he witnessed the horrifying transformation. "So she finally makes her move," he muttered under his breath, a mix of annoyance and recognition in his voice.

The reanimated corpses, now driven by some unholy force, turned their attention to the living adventurers. With inhuman strength and a relentless hunger, they lunged at their former comrades, biting and tearing at flesh in a gruesome display. The screams of the living filled the air as the undead horde descended upon them.

"Get them off me!" screamed an adventurer as a reanimated corpse clamped its teeth into his arm, ripping flesh from bone.

"Stay back!" yelled another, swinging a sword in a futile attempt to fend off the relentless attackers.

In the midst of the gory chaos, Michael and Gaya stood without panicking like the others. Their experience fighting the undead in the Dark Castle had prepared them for such encounters. Gaya, with precise aim, fired exploding arrows into the heads of the advancing undead, each shot resulting in a head bursting in a shower of gore.

Meanwhile, Michael wielded his dark sword with deadly efficiency. He moved swiftly through the horde, his blade slicing through the necks of the undead, severing their heads with clean, decisive strokes.

The two of them fought back-to-back, a well-coordinated duo amidst the chaos. Their calm and methodical approach contrasted sharply with the frenzied panic of the remaining adventurers, who were quickly being overwhelmed by the relentless undead.

Observing the unfolding horror, Jin decided to change his strategy. "I'm not going to create more bodies for that old witch," he muttered to himself, ceasing his shuriken assault. He retreated further into the shadows, watching Michael and Gaya with the keen focus of a hawk from a distance.

Amidst the chaos, Gaya voiced her thoughts while expertly firing her bow. "This... I don't think this is Jin's doing. He's an assassin, not a fucking necromancer."

While engaged in a fierce battle with the undead, Michael responded without losing focus. His movements were a blend of agility and precision, each swing of his sword an acrobatic feat, severing undead heads with lethal grace. "Remember the bodies we found? There were two killers. One of them has been shadowing us."

Gaya, momentarily distracted by his revelation, growled in frustration. "You knew someone was following us?" she asked, her tone a mix of irritation and disbelief.

"Of course, I knew," he chuckled amidst a fluid motion of slicing through another undead. The undead horde relentlessly continued its gruesome onslaught, each fallen adventurer rising again as part of the growing army of the undead. The once-living now turned against their former allies, swelling the ranks of the horde with every kill. The forest floor was soon littered with the bodies of adventurers, only for them to rise moments later with glowing green eyes, joining the horrific fray.

Amidst the chaos, Gaya, her bowstring taut with another arrow, called out to Michael, "What are you waiting for?"

Michael, while methodically dispatching the undead with precise cuts of his sword, replied. "Let's wait for the creator of these bodies to make her appearance." His voice was calm, betraying no hint of the tension that gripped the forest.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 8000 Badass points] [Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 10,000 Badass points] [Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 7000 Badass points] …

As Michael fought, his system notifications kept ringing with the accumulation of more badass points and experience points. Despite the rewards, his focus remained on the battle at hand. He moved through the horde with a dancer's grace, his dark sword an extension of his will, severing heads of the undead with an efficiency that was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

His prowess was evident even without tapping into his godly powers or casting spells. His movements were fluid and precise, each stroke of his blade executed with lethal accuracy.

For her part, Gaya continued to unleash her fury with her bow, each arrow finding its mark with deadly precision. "I'm going to kill the son of a bitch who's still creating these undead." Gaya roared.

However, Michael remained calm and looked at the glowing tree. "Why don't you reveal yourself, Shar?"

The remaining adventurers, struggling to survive against the relentless undead, paused at Michael's words. "Shar?" they echoed in unison, their voices a mix of shock and confusion. The name resonated with a sense of dread among them.

The air grew heavy with anticipation as a menacing dark chuckle echoed through the forest. All eyes turned towards the tree, which began to undergo a startling transformation. The glowing bark writhed and shifted, reshaping into the form of the old woman, Shar, her presence as ominous as the laughter that had preceded her appearance.

Shar, draped in dark robes, stood where the tree once was with a malevolent grin. Her appearance sent a wave of realization and fear through the adventurers. The transformation from the tree to her true form was a display of dark, powerful magic that left no doubt about her capabilities.