It didn't take long for Robert to regain his sight after the flashbang. As the blinding light faded, he saw five red-clothed ninjas still groaning on the ground, dazed and confused. Wasting no time, Robert raised his pistol and quickly dispatched each of them with precise shots.
He stumbled toward the nearest wall and felt around until his fingers brushed a switch. With a click, lights flooded the entire floor, revealing something surprising. The hallway wasn't like the others he had explored. This one was elegant, almost lavish, with polished floors, ornate lighting, and gold-trimmed decor.
Robert walked over to a nearby vase, one placed neatly in a recess along the wall. Curious, he used his game system to scan it.
[Target is qualified, estimate: $460,000 USD.]
His eyes sparkled with excitement. One vase alone was worth more than all the loot he had collected so far. A painting hanging a few feet away also caught his attention.
[Target is qualified, estimate: $580,000 USD.]
Jackpot.
Realizing he had found a treasure trove, Robert glanced down the corridor. According to the laws of video games and villain hideouts, the best stuff was always hidden at the far end. Sure enough, there it was—a reinforced door with a digital combination lock.
Robert wasn't the type to fuss with numbers. He dug into his bag, pulled out a compact bomb, slapped it onto the lock, and took cover.
"Boom!"
The explosion was deafening, leaving behind smoke and twisted metal. When the dust settled, Robert kicked the door open and stepped inside. The room was large and cold, the walls lined with shelves filled with glittering objects, golden trinkets, ancient statues, and rare gems.
Just then, Matt's voice came crackling through the communicator. "What happened?"
"I found a special room," Robert answered calmly, brushing some dust off his shoulder.
Matt's tone grew serious. "What did you find?"
Robert's voice turned a little too excited. "Whoa, this thing is worth five million dollars! Into the sack it goes!"
Matt: "???"
Catching himself, Robert cleared his throat and tried to sound casual. "I mean, yeah, very different from the rest of the place. Oh, wait… I think I see your ex."
He turned and saw a woman tied to a chair in the center of the room. She wore a red dress with a high slit, and her long hair draped over her shoulders. She was unconscious but breathing.
"Is she tall, long-haired, wearing red, kinda dramatic-looking—"
"Yes! That's Erica!" Matt cut in sharply, before Robert could say anything more questionable.
"She's unconscious," Robert confirmed, poking her lightly with a stick from his sack. "But she looks fine. No wounds, no marks. Probably just knocked out."
"Get her out. Now," Matt said, breathing heavily through the communicator. "I can't hold them off much longer."
Robert hesitated. "About that… the rope's kinda tight. Gimme a moment. Try to stall them. If they reach us now, both me and your ex are done for."
Matt, too worried about Erica, didn't question it. He was running low on energy and surrounded. So far, he had been using makeshift tools from the environment to fight, conserving stamina. But the ninjas were relentless.
"Do your best," Robert encouraged, while dumping everything out of his sack. All the earlier loot was tossed aside to make room for the high-value treasures in the room.
"My best profession is being a lawyer, not a ninja magnet," Matt muttered.
"Then talk to them. Distract them. Say something in their language."
"I don't speak Japanese."
"Just yell anything. I promise, they love conversation."
Sighing, Matt gathered his strength, stepped toward an approaching squad of ninjas, and shouted, "Baka! Baka! You're dead!"
The ninjas paused, confused. Then their faces contorted with rage.
"Bakayarou!"
"Idiot!"
"You're dead!"
They screamed in Japanese and charged at Matt.
Matt blinked. Okay, maybe that wasn't 'hello' like he thought. It was probably an insult. But hey, it worked. They were chasing him.
As Matt fled, dodging blades and ducking behind crates, Robert worked quickly. He scanned and stuffed the highest-value objects into his sack: gold statues, rare coins, ceremonial daggers—anything the system flagged as valuable.
Every few minutes, he checked the total.
[Progress: $3.8 million / $30 million]
Still a long way to go.
Matt's voice returned over the communicator. "How much longer?"
"Almost done. Hold them just a bit more."
"You said that five minutes ago!"
Robert ignored the complaint and swept a collection of gemstones into a pouch.
[Progress: $7.2 million / $30 million]
Suddenly, Robert heard footsteps approaching. Five ninja souls glowed in his vision, moving toward the room. He braced for battle but instead grabbed a flashbang.
"Illuminate!"
With a blinding pop, the flashbang went off. The ninjas dropped to the ground, blinded and disoriented. Robert wiped tears from his eyes.
"Works every time. Thank you, Gandalf," he whispered, then calmly continued looting.
Back on Matt's end, things were chaos. More ninjas poured in. Every few seconds, he'd shout, "Baka! You're dead!" like it was a battle cry. More insults came flying back, but they followed him. It was working.
As Robert filled the last corner of the sack, the system finally pinged.
[Mission Progress: $30.2 million / $30 million. Mission complete. Title unlocked: Super High School Level Thief.]
Robert grinned and looked at the unconscious Erica.
"Time to go."
He scooped her up, tossed her gently over his shoulder, and moved toward the door. Just then, another voice came through the communicator.
"Robert? Did you just rob the Hand clan headquarters?"
Robert didn't answer. He just whistled as he stepped out, sack of loot on his back, unconscious woman in arms, and a satisfied smirk on his face.
"Welcome to Zaun," he chuckled.
Behind him, the building continued to echo with screams of "Baka!" and the chaotic footsteps of very angry, very insulted ninjas.
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