NOVPUB
Chapter 56: Chapter 56 The Black Lotus II
Liam walked toward the row of black SUVs parked ominously by the side of the empty road, his steps slow and deliberate. The vehicles stood still, their engines off, the air eerily silent except for the distant sound of a passing train. The moment he got closer, he tried peering inside, but the deeply tinted windows refused to reveal anything. It was impossible to see if anyone was sitting inside, watching his every move.
A thought crept into his mind—what if they were inside, staring at him right now?
But then another thought followed—if they were actually in there, then why would the cars be parked here, completely abandoned? It didn’t add up. There was no way they’d be idling on the side of the road for no reason. They had to be somewhere nearby.
His mind quickly retraced everything he had pieced together so far. The call with Lilith. That was how he was able to roughly guess their location.
There had been no background noise. No sounds of the city. No people. No honking cars. Nothing except the occasional rumble of a passing train. That meant they had to be somewhere along the railway tracks. And considering how isolated this area was, it narrowed things down even further.
Liam scanned his surroundings carefully. The SUVs were there, but there were no footprints on the road, no sign of recent activity. Yet, somehow, he could feel it in his gut—he wasn’t alone.
His eyes flickered toward the side of the road, where the land sloped downward into a patch of dense bush. If they weren’t here, they had to be somewhere past that.
Without hesitation, he stepped off the road and into the vegetation, moving past the parked cars. The dry leaves crunched under his boots as he maneuvered through the bush, his body tensed for anything unexpected. The farther he walked, the more the terrain sloped downward until he finally came to the edge of a cliff.
Liam stopped.
Below him, a disturbing scene unfolded.
A group of men stood in a wide clearing. They were dressed in black suits, their movements careful and methodical as they worked in complete silence. And in the very center of them was a freshly dug grave.
They were burying someone.
Liam’s eyes darkened as the realization hit him.
This wasn’t just some random gang operation. This was a cleanup.
And then, everything clicked into place.
Lilith.
He remembered the exact moment they called her.
"Please, Madam, I will never snitch on you again—"
Gunshot.
"Clean it up."
His jaw clenched as his brain connected the dots. She had just killed someone. And judging by what was happening below, this was the same exact execution site.
Which meant—
She had been here.
Mere minutes ago.
Yet, for some reason, she had left.
Why?
His mind raced with possibilities, but before he could reach any conclusions, his foot suddenly slipped.
The ground beneath him crumbled without warning, the dirt loose from the uneven terrain. His body lurched forward before he could react, and the next thing he knew, he was rolling down the slope, his body tumbling violently through the dry grass and jagged rocks.
"Oh, shit—"
His breath was knocked out of him as he collided with the hard earth, each impact sending sharp jolts of pain through his body. He tried to grab onto something—anything—but the momentum was too strong. His arms flailed uselessly as he continued rolling downward, helpless against gravity.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, his body came to a sudden stop.
Liam groaned, his head spinning as he lay sprawled out on the ground, staring up at the dark sky above. His back ached, his limbs throbbed, and he could already tell he’d have bruises in the morning.
But before he could even take a full breath—
Cold metal pressed against his forehead.
His body tensed instantly.
His vision refocused, and the moment he lowered his gaze, he was met with a terrifying sight.
Five men stood directly over him, each one dressed in sleek black suits. Their faces were mostly obscured, covered with black cloth that wrapped around their heads, leaving only enough space for their eyes to be visible.
Their eerie, sharp gazes.
Each of them held a gun, the barrels aimed straight at his head.
Liam didn’t dare move.
One of the men finally spoke, his voice cold and commanding.
"Who the fuck are you?"
Liam’s heart pounded as he slowly took in the situation.
Five armed men.
No immediate exits.
And judging by their appearance, they weren’t just ordinary thugs.
They looked like something straight out of a black-ops movie.
Or worse—
Like black-clad ninja turtles.
But the deadly version.
"Stop."
A feminine voice.
The moment the word was spoken, the entire atmosphere shifted.
The men in black suits, who had been seconds away from shooting Liam, froze in place. The authority in the voice was unmistakable, leaving no room for hesitation. And just as quickly as they had drawn their weapons, they lowered them, retreating a step backward in almost perfect unison.
Liam’s breath hitched. His body had been paralyzed for the last few seconds, but the second the gun barrels moved away from his face, he sprang to his feet. His muscles ached from the fall, but he ignored the pain as he brushed off the dirt from his clothes, dust clouding around him.
Then, finally, he looked up.
And the sight before him was enough to render him speechless.
She stood there, elevated slightly on the rocky terrain, bathed in the golden glow of the sun. The light hit her at just the right angles, making her golden-blonde hair shimmer as it cascaded past her shoulders, sleek and flawless. Her eyes were sharp, almost feline-like, with an intensity that made it impossible to look away. But what caught his attention the most wasn’t just her deadly beauty—it was the sheer presence she radiated.
She was stunning.
Drop-dead gorgeous.
Dressed in an elegant yet dangerously sharp black suit, she exuded both power and seduction. The blazer was perfectly tailored to her curved hourglass figure, hugging her waist before flaring subtly at the hips. Beneath it, the fabric of her black button-up shirt strained slightly over her chest, the first few buttons undone just enough to tease a glimpse of smooth skin.
Her pants were fitted, accentuating her long, sculpted legs, and she wore polished black heels that somehow didn’t sink into the uneven ground.
The sunlight caught her face, highlighting her flawless skin, full lips, and high cheekbones. She had a beauty that was both elegant and untouchable, yet there was something dangerous about her—like a rose with poisonous thorns.
Liam blinked.
His mind spoke before he could stop it.
"If this is Dickson’s cousin, then maybe... I can’t even blame him for beating his meat to her."
The thought came uninvited, but it was too late. It was there now. Clear as day.
And before he even realized it, a breathless word slipped out of his mouth.
"Woah."
Lilith’s gaze snapped to him instantly.
Her full lips curled slightly, as if amused, but before Liam could process anything, she started walking toward him.
Her movements were hypnotic.
With each step, her hips swayed slightly, and the curve of her body moved in a way that was almost unfair. It wasn’t just how she walked—it was the sheer confidence in the way she carried herself. Every motion was precise, controlled, like a lioness closing in on her prey.
And for a moment—just a **brief moment—**Liam was distracted. 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Then—
Click.
Before he could react, a pistol appeared right in front of his face.
He hadn’t even seen her move.
One second she was walking.
The next—a cold metal barrel was pressed against his forehead.
Liam’s blood ran cold.
Not just because there was a gun pointed at his head.
But because—
"I didn’t even see her draw it."
His body stiffened as his brain struggled to process what just happened. Ever since he had reached Level Two, his reflexes had been heightened. His reaction time was sharper than any normal person’s. He was supposed to sense attacks, dodge strikes, and pick up the slightest movements.
Yet—
He hadn’t seen her hand move at all.
One moment her arms were at her sides.
The next—a gun was already pressed against his skull.
"How the hell is that even natural?"
His throat went dry.
Lilith’s expression had changed.
The playful amusement in her face had vanished, replaced with something cold and unreadable.
Her fingers curled around the trigger.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t blow your brains out."
Liam’s mind snapped into focus.
This wasn’t a joke.
She wasn’t bluffing.
This woman—**this impossibly fast, insanely dangerous woman—**was genuinely considering pulling the trigger.
Liam’s instincts screamed at him, but he forced himself to remain composed.
He slowly raised his hands, palms open, showing he wasn’t a threat.
Then, clearing his throat, he spoke.
"I’m Liam." His voice came out steady, but his heartbeat was anything but. "We literally just spoke on the phone."
Lilith’s brows furrowed slightly, but her grip on the gun didn’t loosen.
Her gaze pierced through him, studying every detail of his face as if looking for even the slightest sign of deception.
Then, after a moment, she tilted her head slightly.
"How did you find this place?"
Her fingers tightened around the gun.
Liam didn’t hesitate. He needed to give her an answer—fast.
"I heard the trains." He exhaled quickly, keeping his voice firm. "When we were on the phone, there were no street sounds. No cars. No city noise. The only thing I heard were trains passing by, which meant you had to be near the railway tracks. And in this part of the city, this is the only location where a group like yours could be operating undisturbed."
He met her gaze head-on.
Waiting.
Expecting some kind of reaction.
But—
Lilith didn’t even blink.
Her expression remained completely unreadable.
Then—
Click.
His stomach dropped.
She had just disarmed the safety.
She was getting ready to fire.
Liam’s breath caught in his throat.
Lilith’s voice was calm, emotionless.
"Not enough reason."
And before he could even think of what to say next—
She pulled the trigger.
