"Move!!"Before the blast wave even faded, Willy snapped into action, barking orders at Mara, his psychic ally.
The moment he shouted, a second explosion erupted—then a third, fourth, fifth…A chain reaction of detonations lit up the night sky like a deadly fireworks display.
Each blast claimed lives—two per explosion.Seven bombs went off in total. Twelve of Willy's men died instantly.And behind the scenes, Jack—aka the Ghost Fox—collected the rewards silently.With those seven kills, he completed seven E-rank missions, bringing his experience points to 9,600 and replenishing his hire points.
Wasting no time, Jack spent 2700 experience points to boost Haunter's level to 27, and then upgraded all of Haunter's skills to level 3.The upgrade reduced his remaining experience points to 3,350—but the result was worth it.
Pokémon: HaunterGender: MaleAbility: LevitateLevel: 27 (Excellent)Base Skills: Confuse Ray (Lv.3), Lick (Lv.3), Hypnosis (Lv.3), Mean Look (Lv.3), Payback (Lv.3), Grudge (Lv.3), Curse (Lv.3), Hex (Lv.3), Shadow Punch (Lv.3)Taught Skill: Taunt (Lv.3)Inherited Skills: Disable (Lv.3), Haze (Lv.3), Spite (Lv.3)
Jack reviewed the stats with a satisfied smirk.
As for why the final explosion had no effect—it was simple: it had been intended for Willy.
And Jack had no intention of underestimating that old fox.
He had prepared something special just for him.
Meanwhile, down in a narrow tunnel, Willy's face was twisted with fury and fear.
The series of explosions told him everything he needed to know—his escape routes, guard placements, and emergency protocols had all been compromised. The Ghost Fox had seen right through him.
"How…?" he muttered. "Just how deep has he infiltrated my defenses?"
Willy didn't know. But he did know one thing:
He had lost.
His only option now was to escape through a hidden underground tunnel—one he'd dug years ago for situations exactly like this.
Despite being a skilled mercenary, Willy understood that even elite strength couldn't match the Ghost Fox's traps and strategy. He'd seen how other seasoned targets had fallen victim before they could even fight back.
"Once we're outside, have your Hypno raise a psychic shield," Willy ordered Mara grimly. "And if there's an explosion… teleport immediately!"
Mara nodded silently and released her Pokémon.
The Hypno—a rare psychic-type with soft golden fur and a delicate white mane—stepped forward. Its large, sensitive ears twitched as it held a mystical pendulum in its hand: a ring suspended from a silver thread, swinging with uncanny rhythm.
Anyone who locked eyes with that pendulum risked falling under hypnosis.
Despite its graceful appearance, the Hypno was a dangerous Pokémon—and a powerful one. Thanks to Mara's investment, it had even learned Teleport, a rare and highly useful move among psychic-types.
Only true psychics could form bonds strong enough to capture such Pokémon.And Mara, fortunately, was one of them.
She was also deeply indebted to Willy, who had once saved her life. That favor had earned Willy her loyalty—and her continued presence during this crisis.
As for Willy's own Pokémon?He had only one that truly counted: a battle-hardened Arbok, at the elite level.
This massive cobra was a terrifying sight—deep purple scales, sharp triangular eyes, and a belly marked with a ghastly face-like pattern: black eye sockets, red and yellow pupils, a cruel grin, and arrow-like black brows.
Arbok's pattern was more than just for show—it could psychologically paralyze weaker prey, giving Arbok the chance to strike with lethal precision.
But Willy's remaining Pokémon?They were merely "excellent" grade at best, neglected and undertrained since he became an underground agent. He knew deploying them now would do more harm than good.
"If we get out alive... I want double the reward," Mara demanded bluntly as they neared the tunnel's exit.
She wasn't trying to extort him. She'd simply realized just how lethal their enemy was.Surviving a Ghost Fox attack wasn't just difficult—it was nearly impossible.And by standing beside Willy, Mara was putting a permanent target on her back.
Psychic-types like the Hypno could react quickly to ghost-type ambushes, and teleport to safety—but even they weren't infallible. As the saying goes:
"A thief has a thousand days to steal, but a guard only has to slip up once."
"Triple," Willy answered instantly. "If you get me out alive—I'll pay you triple."
He had no choice. His life was on the line.
Mara didn't respond, but the glint in her eyes showed renewed focus.The reward had reignited her will to survive.
"It's time. Be ready."
Willy's voice was low. Mara closed her eyes, entering a meditative trance to communicate with her Hypno via telepathy.
With a deep breath, she pushed open the tunnel door.
The hypno stepped out, immediately casting a shimmering psychic barrier to protect the group.Beside them, Arbok reared up, prepared to defend its master.
No explosion.
They breathed a sigh of relief.
Then—
BOOM!!
A delayed detonation shattered the stillness, slamming into the shield like a battering ram.
And the true battle for survival had just begun.