He led John into the room, listening intently as he recounted every detail. With a wave of his hand, Mitchell dismissed him. Stroking his goatee, Mitchell's face darkened with thought."I didn't expect to encounter someone with abilities like that in this backwater place."
Then he frowned."No... something's off."
Based on John's report, the Pendleton family shouldn't have been able to reach this isolated region. And if the report was accurate, Vega shouldn't have mastered nen yet—otherwise, the Shelby family wouldn't be in this situation. With someone like Vega at the helm, the city of Nacro would've already been locked down under his control.
Two possibilities came to mind.
Mitchell narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
The first—perhaps the destruction of the Pendleton family triggered a sudden awakening of Vega's nen. But that would mean Vega was a prodigy of terrifying talent. Highly unlikely.
The second... was far more interesting.
A greedy gleam flashed in Mitchell's eyes.Vega must have found a rare mental artifact.
With Mitchell's own deep understanding of nen (mental energy), he knew no beginner could achieve such control—let alone summon a whole squadron of Shadow Warriors. Even he, with years of nen cultivation, couldn't manifest that many entities.
There could only be one explanation: an extremely powerful artifact—probably ancient. Regular mental tools didn't have that kind of power.
A flash of ambition lit Mitchell's gaze. If he could get his hands on it, he could boost his power dramatically—maybe even qualify to become a Yin Beast, a member of the shadowy elite where power, wealth, and women were abundant.
"I really didn't expect this," Mitchell said, chuckling coldly. "I came here with Daniel to keep these small-time families under control... but it looks like the Shelby family has handed me a golden opportunity."
His grin turned sinister."Let the Shelbys be completely destroyed. From their ashes, I'll claim the artifact."
Mitchell had no intention of letting them live. He would erase them—and keep the artifact hidden until he mastered it completely. Only then would he share word of its existence, avoiding interference from rivals.
If Daniel hadn't been Lord Murphy's cousin, Mitchell would've silenced him long ago to avoid any complications.
As he was making plans to seize Vega's ghost mask, a dozen or more Shadow Warriors emerged from the shadows around the Shelby family's estate.
Silent and deadly, they armed themselves and crept forward using the darkness and obstacles as cover.
Suddenly, one of the warriors sprinted across the lawn toward the villa.
Dogs started barking viciously.
Alarms blared as lights came on throughout the property. Armed guards flooded out, dogs straining against their leashes.
Gunfire rang out, bullets ripping through the attacking Dobermans.
The first Shadow Warrior tore through the last dog and lunged toward the building.
Inside, the Shelby family's guards were already in motion. After the recent wave of attacks, they were well-prepared.
Submachine guns, mounted turrets, even shoulder-launched rockets—every weapon lit up the yard in a blaze of fury. Shadow Warriors fell, black mist dissolving into the air.
On the balcony, Tom Shelby stood smoking a cigar, eyes narrowed."I've prepared long enough—come on, let's see what you freaks are really made of."
At his command, several gangsters rushed out to reinforce the front lines.
Meanwhile, Mitchell stood on a distant balcony, watching through the glass with calm, calculating eyes.
"Just as John reported—these Shadow Warriors are all formed from nen," he muttered.
"My guess was right. And Vega attacking the Shelbys directly saves me the trouble of hunting him down."
His gaze swept across the battlefield, scanning carefully for any trace of Vega's presence—the real body behind the ghostly army.
Elsewhere in the mansion, Daniel, who'd been partying, ran out in silk pajamas, face pale. Gunshots echoed everywhere.
He bolted toward Mitchell, shouting for protection. He had seen what nen-users could do—Mitchell was his only shot at survival.
Mitchell scowled in irritation. He was trying to focus, trying to pinpoint Vega's location before someone else caught on—and Daniel's shouting might ruin everything.
Then, suddenly—a low roar broke through the night.
From multiple directions, trucks sped toward the Shelby estate, engines howling like war drums.