Cade dialed Milluki’s number and waited as the call connected.

"It’s me, Cade—the freelancer. I’m at the entrance to the Zoldyck estate. Come pick me up."

Milluki’s voice came through the receiver, laced with awkward embarrassment.

"Yeah… about that. Grandpa Zeno suddenly took an interest in you. Now I can only meet you if you pass the Testing Gate trials."

Cade’s expression remained indifferent.

"That seems like a you problem. There was no prior agreement that I’d go through some arbitrary test just to see you,"

Cade's voice sounded dissatisfied.

"Why should I bother with the extra hassle?"

It was clear there was no way around this so-called trial, but Cade wasn’t about to let that stop him from making the most of the situation.

As the saying goes—when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Casually, he added one last remark, then waited.

Come on… take the bait.

Sure enough, Milluki latched onto it immediately.

"Wait—are you saying you can actually open the Testing Gate?"

Cade leaned back slightly, playing it cool.

"I could," he admitted. "But that would go against my principles. You see, if I’m good at something, I don’t do it for free."

He had the upper hand, and he knew it. He let the silence stretch, making Milluki squirm on the other end of the line.

After a moment, Milluki finally spoke—his tone more serious this time.

"How about a favor?" he offered. "You know we Zoldycks take favors very seriously—like, crazy seriously. If I owe you a favor, will you make the trip inside?"

Cade grinned.

"Say no more."

A favor from the Zoldycks? Count me in.

----------------------------------------

After scaling the wall, the young sniper took up a strategic position, adjusting his rifle scope for optimal coverage.

His two partners—the muscular brute and the wiry man—had already entered the dense forest below, weapons drawn.

Complete silence.

True to his nickname, Mute didn’t speak. His job was simple: cover his partners without making a sound.

His keen eyes tracked them through his scope as they advanced, disappearing behind thick foliage about a mile into the estate.

Mute remained still, his breath steady, index finger resting lightly on the trigger.

Then—movement.A flicker of shadows between the trees.

And then—

BOOM!!!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The thunderous roar of explosions and gunfire shattered the silence.

Mute’s scope caught them sprinting out from behind the trees, their breaths ragged with panic.

The wiry man was firing wildly at something in the forest, his hands trembling. The brute, who had been wielding a hammer-axe was now missing a significant portion of his right arm, severed gruesomely up to the shoulder.

Then, the beast stepped into view.

Even from a mile away, Mute could see that this was no ordinary creature. It was enormous—far beyond anything he had encountered before.

His earpiece crackled with the wiry man’s frantic screams.

"MUTE, FIRE! FIRE! GET THIS THING OFF ME, NOW!"

The young sniper winced, the volume making his ears ring.

Irritated, he yanked the transmitter out and tossed it aside.

He took aim and pulled the trigger. The custom-made bullet he had spent a fortune on cutting through the air in an instant, struck the beast's left flank.

Mute’s eyes widened.

The bullet barely grazed the creature. It didn’t even break the skin.

But it did accomplish something. It enraged the beast.

With a guttural snarl, it lunged at the prey in front of it.

A blur of fangs and claws.

The wiry man barely had time to react before he was hit like a truck from the side. His body was sent flying like a rag doll, slamming into a tree. His form crumpled against the bark, a grotesque mess of blood and broken bones.

The brute turned to run.

His severed arm still bled like a fountain, but he didn’t care. He bolted like a man possessed, desperate to escape.

It didn’t matter.

The beast was faster.

With a single, predatory lunge, it latched its fangs around the brute’s neck, sinking deep. With a sickening crunch, the monster ripped his head clean off along with his entire spine before tossing the remains aside like discarded trash.

Then its glowing eyes shifted…

To Mute. Even from a mile away, its gaze locked onto his.

Mute’s entire body froze.

A chill crawled up his spine as the sheer killing intent of the beast paralyzed him.

Panic surged through him, but he bit down hard on his tongue, the pain snapping him out of his daze.

Move. Move. MOVE!

Abandoning his sniper rifle, he scrambled for the rope still hanging from the wall. He grabbed it, hands slick with sweat, and attempted to climb down.

But the pressure got to him.

His grip failed.

Mute plummeted, tumbling down like a kite with its strings cut.

----------------------------------------

Unaware of the chaos unfolding beyond the gates, Zebro and Cade strolled toward the Testing Gate.

Cade hadn’t been focusing much on strength training since arriving in this world, but he estimated that if he enhanced himself with aura, he might just be able to push the gates open.

And if that didn’t work…

Well, he thought, I’ve got other tricks up my sleeve.

Whoosh—Thud!

Just as Cade was preparing himself for the challenge ahead, something plummeted from the top of the wall, landing with a heavy thud. The sudden impact startled both him and Zebro.

Reacting immediately, Zebro rushed over to the fallen figure, the young sniper, and checked his pulse and breathing before scanning for injuries.

"Tough kid," he muttered. "Survived that fall… and even luckier that Mikè didn’t make a meal out of him."

He shared his assessment with Cade, who crouched beside the sniper, scrutinizing his condition with a practiced eye.

Three ribs shattered. The forearm is completely destroyed, and the hip bone looks unstable. But luckily his brain didn't take much damage.

"He’ll live."

Cade turned his attention back to Zebro, who was shaking his head and muttering something about how poor Mikè was probably still hungry. Cade ignored the strange remark and asked the more pressing question on his mind.

"Mr. Zebro, shouldn’t we be worried about… whatever this ‘Mikè’ is? What if it comes looking for its stolen meal?"

Zebro waved a hand dismissively.

"No need to worry, Mr. Cade. Mikè is a tame beast. He only watches over the forest beyond the walls—he won’t come after us."

Cade shrugged, deciding to take his word for it. Still, another concern lingered in his mind.

"What do you plan to do with the sniper?"

"Oh, nothing much. I’ll just send him back into the forest. Mikè is probably furious right now that his meal was taken."

Zebro said it so casually as if discussing the weather.

Cade’s eyes narrowed.

This old man is completely insane.

But to Zebro, it was simply normal. Absolute loyalty to the Zoldyck family had been ingrained in him.

Cade thought for a moment, then asked, "Other than humans, what does Mikè like to eat the most?"

Zebro scratched his chin.

"I suppose that would be wild deer meat."

Cade pulled out a thick wad of cash from his pocket and handed it to Zebro.

"This is enough to buy whatever kind of meat you need for Mikè, isn’t it?"

Zebro raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Oh no. I can’t accept money from Master Milluki’s guests. My honor won’t allow it. Besides, what's the point of saving this Criminal's life?"

Cade shook his head, then his gaze turned icy.

"You don’t seem to understand, Mr. Zebro. I’m not asking you to spare this boy’s life. I’m telling you—take the money, buy Mike whatever it wants to eat, send this young man to the hospital, and after I’m done with my business here, I will decide his fate."

His tone darkened as he added,

"You seem like a reasonable man, so I won’t repeat myself. But if, for some reason, you decide not to be reasonable today… then I’ll have no choice but to use the favor that Milluki owes me. And you don’t need me to tell you how that would play out, do you?"

Cade’s words carried a cold finality.

He wasn’t acting heartless for no reason. The moment he saw the young sniper, he felt it would be a shame to let such potential go to waste. Now, fate had given him a second opportunity, and he wasn’t about to let it slip away.

Hearing Cade’s tone and more importantly, the threat of Milluki’s intervention Zebro visibly deflated, nodding along.

Without another word, he sulkingly took the money, picked up the injured sniper like a sack of potatoes, and headed toward his cabin.

Cade ignored him. His mind was already shifting focus.

Taking a deep breath, he released all unnecessary thoughts, centering himself.

Rolling up his sleeves, he placed both palms firmly against the iron gate, adjusting his stance into a proper pushing posture.

Then—he applied pressure.

And instantly, he felt it.

The immense weight resisted his every effort. He took back a few steps and closed his eyes shut.

If someone had been watching Cade at that moment, they might have assumed he was struggling—perhaps even giving up.

But in reality, he was employing Ryu, an advanced form of Gyo that allowed him to dynamically allocate his Nen to different parts of his body. Rather than wasting energy, he meticulously distributed his aura, reinforcing his shoulders, torso, and leg muscles with precise efficiency.

After a moment of careful adjustment, ensuring not a single drop of aura was wasted, he placed his hands firmly on the massive iron door once more.

PUSH!!!

His Nen-enhanced muscles strained as he gritted his teeth, his fierce expression mirroring his determination. Slowly, the door began to budge. But just as progress was being made, he let his guard down, his body instinctively relaxing for a split second.

BAM!

The door slammed shut, the force knocking Cade back several feet, sending him sliding across the ground.

But instead of frustration, a grin spread across his face.

"Let’s do it again."

Without hesitation, he lunged forward, planting his feet and shoving his full weight against the massive gate.

Creeeak…

The first door of the Testing Gate began to crack open. This time, he didn’t falter. He kept pushing, his aura roaring through his muscles like an unstoppable tide.

And then—

The first set of doors stood wide open.

Cade didn’t waste a second. He stepped inside, barely taking a breath as he watched the heavy doors automatically seal shut behind him.

Truly a devious design.