The commander of the Russian army, General Maksim, spoke in a grave tone—
"Yes… it is a painful truth that despite countless attempts, we could not uncover that mystery. But this time, our plan is different. We have gathered the eleven most skilled hunters from across the world. They possess terrifying powers, unstoppable warriors. Along with them, fifteen of our special forces will join."
Mr. William nodded.
"Very good. But where are they now? The mission time is almost here."
Suddenly, the silence of the room was broken by the sound of footsteps.
Someone stepped forward.
"We are all here." — said the leader of the hunters, Jackson, in a deep voice.
"At last, you have come." — Maksim let out a small sigh of relief.
"But… where are the soldiers of the special forces?"
Once again, the heavy thud of boots echoed. A group of men emerged from the shadows.
Their leader, Daniel, with a crooked smile on his lips, said—
"Don't you know? Heroes always make their entrance last."
"Oh… so you've come too." — Maksim replied in a cold tone.
There was a mocking glint in Daniel's eyes.
"But I have one question… why are those so-called 'criminal' hunters being sent with us on this mission?"
At those words, tense silence filled the hall.
The hunters all turned their gaze toward Daniel. The air grew heavier.
Maksim spoke slowly—
"This mission is not an ordinary operation. Four attempts have been made so far, and those who entered the tunnel… never came back. This time we are taking a risk—by uniting the strength of both soldiers and hunters."
Daniel pressed his lips shut, saying nothing more.
Then Mr. William cleared his throat.
"But the hunters are supposed to be eleven. I only see ten here. Where is the last one?"
Again, the solemn echo of footsteps filled the room.
The air inside suddenly grew heavy. The light around them seemed to dim.
From the darkness of the doorway, a shadow appeared—someone slowly stepping forward.
Wrapped in a black coat, half of his face hidden in the shadows. His bluish eyes glowed with an uncanny light. In his left hand hung a black sword, its blade reflecting the light of the hall.
Grace whispered—
"There he is… Ryan."