Ch. 1011..1020: Chapter 1011-1020

Chapter 1011

Bonnie shrugged. "Of course, I've thought it through. I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise."

Then she pated Ivor's shoulder and added, "Don't worry. Since I said I'd take you along, I can ensure your safety. Just follow me and be confident."

Ivor found her casual demeanor amusing and exasperating. "It'll be too late if something goes wrong."

His hesitance made Bonnie's patience wear thin. She said, "Just tell me whether or not you're coming. If you don't want to go, I'll go in alone, and you can stay here."

She found his cautiousness annoying, especially for a grown man.

Ivor glanced at the interior before looking back at Bonnie. "Since you're unafraid, I don't have a reason to hesitate. Let's explore and find out where Falcon's hiding."

His decision to accompany Bonnie stemmed from his desire to maintain a good relationship with her. Then, he could extend the time needed to research the chip.

Initially, he only planned to stay around the perimeter, but since Bonnie would venture inside, he could not stand idly by.

Moreover, Ivor trusted the Nidhoggs' leader's abilities to handle any challenges.

Bonnie said lightly, "All right, let's head in."

Ivor followed closely behind while continuously checking their rear to avoid surprise attacks. When they entered the villa, a damp and decaying stench hit them.

Bonnie almost gagged but managed to suppress it due to her well-trained endurance. After all, she had survived similar environments during her training. Although it had not bothered her then, years without such exposure had dimmed her endurance.

Ivor struggled, too, as his severe cleanliness habits made the environment particularly unbearable. Bonnie shined her flashlight at him and noticed his discomfort. She asked, "Hey, are you good?"

He suppressed his nausea and shook his head. "I'm fine."

"You can head back out if you can't handle it. Don't push yourself," Bonnie said, reconsidering her earlier decision to let him tag along. It seemed she had underestimated the severity of the conditions and began to worry about Ivor.Chapter

"I can handle it. Let's keep going." Ivor pushed on, determined not to lose his ego. After all, he was also a leader of an organization, and he felt he had to endure it if Bonnie could. Turning back now would be humiliating and unacceptable.

Bonnie furrowed her brow and shone the flashlight at him again. Noticing his persistence, she nagged, You know your limits. If you can't take it, say so instead of acting tough. I won't laugh at you, so why are you so concerned about your pride?"

 

Chapter 1012

Ivor was surprised that Bonnie saw through him. He felt amused yet exasperated. "I said I'm fine, so I am. Let's stop wasting time and keep moving."

Bonnie rolled her eyes at him when she heard that. She complained inwardly, 'I was just trying to be considerate, and he accuses me of wasting time. He doesn't deserve any concern!'

"Watch out!" Ivor's sudden, urgent shout interrupted her thoughts.

Bonnie instinctively turned and saw a dart speeding toward her eyes. If she did not dodge in time, she would have gotten blinded.

Ivor's heart leaped into his throat as he watched. He wanted to help, but the corridor was too narrow. However, Bonnie quickly bent backward and kicked the dart into the other wall.

Immediately after, it activated a mechanism on the entire wall before releasing a barrage of darts. One misstep could turn the duo into pincushions.

Ivor's heart pounded as he watched, but Bonnie grabbed him, shouting, "Over here!"

They squeezed into a crevice and narrowly avoided the onslaught of darts. Ivor sighed in relief after averting the danger. Then, he glanced at the darts and frowned, saying, "It'll be tough to escape if they keep flying around like that."

Bonnie raised a brow at him. "Don't worry. The darts will stop soon."

Ivor looked at her in surprise, asking, "How do you know that?"

Bonnie did not answer. Instead, she counted down, "Three, two, one."

Immediately after, the darts stopped.

Ivor stepped forward, wide-eyed, when he realized the darts had stopped. He turned back to Bonnie and asked in astonishment, "How'd you predict that so perfectly? Also, did you purposely kick that initial dart to the opposite wall to trigger the switch?"Chapter

Bonnie nodded in approval. "You're right, that's what I did. The darts are limited, too. We've effectively disabled the trap by making them run out."

Her confident explanation intrigued Ivor even more. "Did you study such traps?"

Bonnie did not deny it. "I wouldn't say I studied them, but I know a thing or two." Her calm response made Ivor's lips twitch.

 

Chapter 1013

'The world will be full of geniuses if just knowing a thing or two can lead to this guy's level of expertise. He knows how to humblebrag, all right,' Ivor thought.

The duo continued venturing into the villa for a while before descending some stairs. Then, they reached a flat area, which appeared to be the main hall. The walls had several European-style oil paintings, making the place look eerie.

Bonnie glanced at them before looking back to ensure Ivor was following closely. Suddenly, she saw something that made her react instinctively. "Don't move! Stay right there, and wait for me to come to you."

Ivor was mid-motion when he heard her voice and froze. After steadying himself, he looked at her and asked, "Is it another trap?"

Bonnie nodded solemnly. "Yeah, it is. The surrounding floorboards are likely hollow, except for the one you're standing on. Don't move a muscle until I figure out how to get you out of there."

Since she had studied traps extensively, she knew how to navigate them. On the other hand, Ivor had no experience and could easily misstep. Even so, Bonnie realized she should have warned him earlier, especially after encountering the initial dart trap.Chapter

"Got it." Ivor nodded.

As Bonnie searched around, he asked curiously, "What are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for something to substitute your weight. You can get out safely if I can place something of similar weight on the hollow floorboards."

Ivor understood her plan. "Understood. I saw some vases when we came down the stairs earlier. You can try using one of those. Oh, some planks might work, too."

"Vases, huh? That's a perfect idea." Bonnie's eyes lit up. "Wait here while I go and get them."

She hurried off and returned with two vases, which she placed onto the floorboards before Ivor. As expected, they shifted slightly, causing the surrounding boards to move out of alignment.

Crash!

All the boards, excluding the one Ivor stood on, gave way, revealing a pit filled with sharp stakes glinting below.

Bonnie shivered as she realized Ivor could have died if he had fallen in. She had always known Falcon to be cold-blooded, but not to this extent. Although she had taught him almost everything she knew, he set up a deadly trap for her.

Ivor noticed the Nidhoggs' leader's emotional reaction before reminding her, "Maybe you should focus on getting me out of here first. You can consider Falcon's betrayal later."

Bonnie returned to her senses and laid some planks across the gap to form a makeshift bridge. "All right, you can come over now."

Ivor carefully stepped onto the planks and slowly made his way to Bonnie. Once across, he sighed in relief, "Phew, I'm safe."

 

Chapter 1014

Bonnie raised her chin and said with a hint of pride, "See? I told you to stick with me. Trust me-I can guarantee your safety."

When they entered the villa, Ivor did not trust the Nidhoggs' leader much. The former only felt compelled to join Bonnie because of his interests. However, his trust in Bonnie increased after seeing her safely navigate through two traps.

'Although I've yet to trust this guy fully, I feel I can lower my guard slightly now.'

Ivor gathered his thoughts and responded, "Yeah, you're skilled regarding traps."

Bonnie knew his praise was genuine, which increased her favorable impression of him. However, she quickly regained her composure and focused on their next step.

"Follow my every step from now on, and don't move alone. Only step where I step. That's the only way you'll stay safe, understand?"

After safely avoiding the traps, she proved her capabilities and reinforced the idea of Ivor staying as close as possible. Ivor did not argue, knowing better than to risk his life by straying.

He replied, "Got it."

'My wife's waiting for me. If something happens to me, what'll happen to Bonnie? I must ensure my safety for her sake.'

Bonnie continued to lead Ivor forward. She even disarmed two more traps along the way. Her ease in dealing with the traps made everything seem almost playful. Although Ivor remained silent, he followed closely and learned as much as possible.

Meanwhile, Falcon and his accomplices were in the basement receiving reports of their disabled traps.

One accomplice watching the screen exclaimed, "Your boss is amazing at disarming traps! We spent so much time setting them up, and she disarmed most of them in less than half an hour! That's incredible!"

Falcon felt a sense of pride. "Of course. If my boss weren't this amazing, she wouldn't be the organization's leader. How else could she have taught me so much?"

Although he had betrayed Bonnie, having such a capable leader was something to be proud of. Still, that was all in the past.

The accomplice smacked the back of Falcon's head. "Don't forget that we're enemies now! The better your boss is, the harder it is to deal with her. She has already disarmed most of our traps. What'll we do if she catches us?"

Falcon rubbed the back of his head and glared at his accomplice. "We still have several more traps remaining. Why worry?"

"With the speed at which she's disarming them, do you think a few more traps will keep her occupied much longer? I bet they'll be here in ten minutes."

A sense of solemnity flashed in Falcon's eyes as he said confidently, "I made the remaining traps much more challenging to disarm. Just watch. My boss will fall for at least one of them."Chapter

Although Bonnie knew Falcon well, he knew her well, too. Everything depended on whether or not the former could solve the remaining traps. If she succeeded, Falcon would admit defeat graciously. However, Bonnie would face a considerable misfortune if she failed.

 

Chapter 1015

The accomplice's eyes lit up when he heard Falcon's claims. The former said, "You have a backup plan?" Falcom grinned cunningly. "You'll find out soon enough."

Meanwhile, Bonnie led Ivor through layers of traps until they reached the villa's backyard. The area was overgrown with weeds, obscuring the view of what lay beyond.

Ivor glanced ahead and analyzed the situation while rubbing his chin. "I think Falcon might be on the other side. Let's head over right away."

He was about to step forward when Bonnie hurriedly stopped him. "Wait! Don't take another step! Back up!"

Ivor stopped mid-step and withdrew before moving closer to her side. "Are there more traps here?"

He had assessed the terrain and saw no suitable places for traps, so he felt confident about proceeding. However, he did not expect Bonnie to stop him. Her following words caught him off guard. "Yeah, there are traps here. They could blow you to pieces if you're not careful."Chapter

Ivor raised a brow. "How so?"

She looked proud and confident as she raised her brow, asking, "Do you think your knowledge of traps surpasses mine?"

Ivor had to admit he could not argue with her expertise. "All right, I'll leave it to you and watch you from behind."

"Step back a little so you don't get in the way," Bonnie instructed.

He grew curious and puzzled as he stepped back and watched Bonnie pull out a knife. She held it tightly and turned as if she was about to stab him.

Ivor was startled as he took several more steps back. "What are you doing?!"

His voice had a hint of coldness, showing his genuine alarm. Bonnie looked at him in puzzlement and asked, "What are you doing? Did you think I'd stab you?"

Ivor realized he might have overreacted. After collecting himself, he said, "No."

Although he was wary of her, he could not admit it for fear of damaging their business relationship and his interests.

Bonnie noticed it but did not expose him. Instead, she asked, "Do you have a knife to lend me? I need another one. I'll return it when I'm done. Don't worry. We're in this together, and I won't jeopardize your safety,"

Ivor frowned, hesitant if he should hand over his knife.

'Maybe I should tell him I don't have one.'

 

Chapter 1016

Ivor was conflicted and hesitant because his knife was his only means of protection. Although he got along relatively well with the Nidhoggs' leader, he could not guarantee she would not use his knife against him.

Bonnie guessed his thoughts and smiled knowingly. She realized the leader of the Dark Knights was cautious.

'Fine, I'll just rely on myself since I can't count on anyone else.'

She broke the awkward silence, saying, "I'll use my own if you don't have one."

Without waiting for Ivor to respond, she continued to work on the trap. Meanwhile, a mix of emotions arose in Ivor as he watched.

'Maybe he realized I'm being cautious and overly defensive. Still, my actions are for my safety.'

Ivor gathered his thoughts and played along, saying, "Today's my lucky day. I didn't bring anything to help you."

"It's fine," Bonnie casually replied as she began to dig the ground with the dagger.

Ivor watched with a hint of curiosity. "Is something buried in the dirt?"

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah, there is."

Ivor's curiosity piqued. "What is it?"

"You'll know soon enough," Bonnie replied, not intending to sound mysterious. However, she knew Ivor might not believe her explanation. She thought he would once he saw it for himself.

"Okay," Ivor responded lightly and continued to watch Bonnie's actions. Despite his lingering caution, he was prepared to assist where he could. Still, traps were not his forte, so he could only watch without interfering.

Bonnie worked quickly, causing dirt to fly in all directions. Seconds later, the buried object became more apparent, and Ivor's eyes widened in shock. "Falcon buried landmines here?!"

'No wonder he said the traps here can blow me to pieces. He wasn't exaggerating.'

"Yeah, I noticed something off about the ground when we first entered. I suspected Falcon had buried landmines, and I was right." Bonnie realized Falcon had modified his trap significantly.

However, she knew what he was thinking since she was his mentor. These traps posed no challenge to her. Bonnie unearthed a series of landmines and carefully placed them aside. Meanwhile, Ivor pursed his lips, intrigued by Falcon's trap-setting methods.

"It hasn't been that long since we located Falcon. I wonder how he set up so many traps in such a short time."

Bonnie raised her brows and asked, "Why do you think he set up these traps so quickly?"

 

Chapter 1017

Ivor narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin. "Did Falcon start setting up these traps the moment we discovered his location?"

Bonnie surveyed their surroundings, saying, "That's the only way he could've set up so many traps. Otherwise, there's no way he could've managed this many in just a day. I know his capabilities well. Now that it's safe, we can keep moving forward."

Ivor noticed the Nighoggs' leader's pride and confidence. The former felt a surge of admiration, thinking, His awareness and sharpness are above mine. I wonder what experiences he must've gone through to hone such keen senses.

'He must've undergone rigorous training to become so skilled. I thought he was too young to be the leader of the Nidhoggs. Now, I finally see why. He's a formidable guy.'

Bonnie waited for Ivor to proceed. Noticing his absent-mindedness, she said, "Hey, what's wrong with you? Let's go."

Ivor was startled before approaching. However, he felt a sudden crack when he took his first step. He froze, sensing something shift underground. In that critical moment, Bonnie lunged forward and pulled him aside.

Then, a grenade exploded, sending dirt flying onto the duo.

"Ugh!" Bonnie spat out some dirt and quickly went to check on Ivor. "Are you okay?!"

Ivor nodded. "I'm fine, thanks to your quick reflexes."

"Phew, good." Bonnie sighed in relief and got to her feet. She scowled as she studied the terrain.

'I was sure I cleared all the landmines, so how did he trigger one? Are Falcon's traps more complex than I thought?'

As that thought crossed her mind, she realized something and quickly shouted, "Step back! Move, now!"Chapter

However, she was too late. The ground beneath Ivor gave way, and he fell instantly. Before Bonnie could react, the ground under her collapsed, too.

"Damn it!" She cursed as she sat up and looked at the hole above. "I got careless. I didn't expect Falcon to set up a chain trap."

Although she had anticipated this possibility, she had reacted too late.

"Cough, cough!" Ivor coughed after accidentally inhaling some dust. Then, he sat up and said, "We should be thankful there weren't any spikes down here. Falling from that height could've crippled us if not killed

Bonnie shrugged. "That was my fault. I should've been more careful. I promise I'll get you out safely." "It's okay. You probably didn't expect something like that. Let's find a way out together."

Ivor only noticed how cramped the space was after standing up. Due to that, the duo was almost pressed against each other.

 

Chapter 1018

Ivor was about to say something when he smelled a fresh and delicate fragrance. The scent caused a strange flutter in his heart and reminded him of his wife. He had noticed it earlier but thought it was just his imagination.

However, the clarity of the scent now made it impossible to dismiss as a mere suspicion.

His gaze toward the Nidhoggs' leader grew increasingly profound and mysterious. It was like he wanted to see through her exterior.

Bonnie sensed his unusual stare but did not understand it. To diffuse the awkwardness, she took a light- hearted approach. She crossed her arms and teased, "Are you staring at me because you're interested? "Although I can't see your face, I can tell you're not bad-looking from your build and demeanor. Still, I'm a man and don't swing that way. Forced love is not sweet, so don't get any ideas."

"Are you sure you're a man?" Ivor got closer.

Bonnie raised her brows, wondering if the Dark Knights' leader could see through her disguise. Despite her thoughts, she remained calm and looked at him teasingly.

"You can see my gender for yourself, but remember that we're partners. Digging too deep into my business won't benefit you. I advise you to stop while you're ahead and not do anything out of line." Although she was smiling, her tone carried a subtle warning.

"Just chatting doesn't seem out of line to me," Ivor replied, though he backed off.

He understood that their relationship was solely for cooperation and mutual interests. Ivor's suspicions about her scent were too far-fetched to act on without concrete evidence.

Bonnie knew he understood her warning when he backed off. She said nothing more about it. Instead, she checked their surroundings to find a way to escape.

Suddenly, Ivor had an idea as he followed her gaze. "How about you step on my shoulders and try to climb up? Once you're up, you can find something to help pull me out."

After some thought, Bonnie gauged the height and nodded. "Yeah, we can try that. Bend down, and I'll see if I can reach the top."

"All right," Ivor said as he lowered himself.

When Bonnie stepped on his shoulders, he noticed how light the Nidhoggs' leader was. Though Bonnie had a small frame and looked delicate, she did not weigh nearly as much as an average adult male.

Ivor's suspicions grew stronger, and he was now sixty to seventy percent sure the Nidhoggs' leader was a

woman.

 

Chapter 1019

Although suspicious, Ivor decided to stop dwelling on the subject. It was as Bonnie said. Their relationship was strictly professional, and digging deeper was unnecessary.

"All right, you can slowly stand up now. I'll see if I can grab something to help you out." Bonnie pressed against the hole's edge to stabilize herself and prevent falling.

"Got it." Ivor gathered his thoughts and slowly straightened up with Bonnie on his shoulders.

As she saw more light, she noticed a black object and quickly withdrew her hand. Suddenly, a snap echoed as a mouse trap triggered where her hand had been. There were more traps scattered around the hole's perimeter.

Bonnie's expression turned cold, shocked that Falcon had set up multiple layers of traps and nested more within them. It made it nearly impossible to avoid them all.Chapter

Ivor felt her trembling and asked, "What's happening up there?"

"Slowly lower yourself for me to get down," Bonnie replied.

He carefully did as she said and allowed her to climb off his shoulders. Then, she dusted her hands and calmly explained, "We can't get out yet, but don't worry. I have a device that can send a signal to Collin. Once it reaches him, he'll bring our men to save us."

Ivor stood up and looked at the Nidhoggs' leader. "What's it like up there?"

"Falcon placed plenty of mousetraps around the edges. If I get careless, I'll trigger them. He wants to trap us here." Bonnie sighed regretfully. "Falcon has a real talent for setting up traps, but he misused his intelligence."

Although Falcon betrayed her, she could not deny his exceptional trap design and setting skills.

Ivor glanced at her in surprise. "Despite all he's done to you, you still admire his talent. You have a broad mind."

"It's not about that. I simply give credit where it's due. After all, Falcon was my student. This situation we're in is a testament to my teachings. As his mentor, I can't help but feel a certain satisfaction, even if the circumstances are far from ideal."

Bonnie sent a signal from her wrist device and added, "There, I sent my signal. Now, we just have to wait for Collin and the others to come and rescue us."

Ivor felt amused by her perspective. He smiled helplessly and replied, "Different perspectives lead to different things, right? You have an interesting outlook."

"It's just the truth." Bonnie shrugged before finding a corner to sit in. "Let's rest and wait for my guys to arrive."

Ivor sat across her, saying, "I have a signal device, too. Should I get my people to help?"

"No need for that." After some thought, Bonnie formulated a plan. "Let my guys handle the rescue, and

tell your people to form a perimeter around the villa to prevent Falcon from escaping. If I'm right, he'll probably try to flee if he knows I'm trapped."

Ivor nodded, appreciating the strategic thoughts behind her plan.

 

Chapter 1020

Bonnie knew more about Falcon than Ivor, so he didn't say much and simply agreed. "Alright, I'll send the signal to them now."

He then took a signal transmitter from his inner pocket, inputted the message, and sent it to Floyd. "Done.

They had anticipated that there would be no signal in such a place, so they hadn't brought their phones. Instead, they relied on the signal transmitters developed by their respective organizations. Fortunately, they had these or might have been trapped for an unknown time.

"Okay, now we wait," Bonnie said, leaning against the dirt wall and closing her eyes to rest. She felt it wouldn't be long before Collin came to rescue them. She had faith in Collin's abilities.

Seeing this, Ivor didn't say anything further and closed his dark eyes.

Meanwhile, Collin and Floyd received the signals and messages from their respective leaders simultaneously. They looked at each other in unison and exclaimed, "Something's wrong!"

Floyd quickly composed himself and shared the message Ivor had sent him. "Mr. Ivor wants me to surround the abandoned estate and prevent Falcon from escaping. What's your directive?"Chapter

Collin didn't hold back and shared, "According to Mr. Boyd, she and Mr. Ivor are trapped and need me to rescue them."

"Trapped?" Floyd frowned deeply. "I'll send others to surround the estate while I go with you to rescue them. My job is to protect him and ensure his safety."

"It's not up to me, do as you wish," Collin said indifferently. He didn't mind; he would rescue Mr. Boyd anyway, and having one more or one less person didn't make much difference.

"Then it's settled," Collin said, turning to his subordinates. "You, take our men and surround the exits near the estate. Keep a close watch and don't let Falcon escape, understand?"

The named subordinate stood straight and responded firmly, "Understood!"

He then led his team to surround the estate. Collin continued to give orders, "You four, come with me to rescue Mr. Boyd. The rest of you coordinate with the Dark Knight Organization to surround the estate and ensure Falcon doesn't get away."

"Yes," the subordinates responded and began to act.

Collin led the way and warned Floyd to keep up. "If you're coming with me, stay close. Don't fall behind, or you'll end up in a trap, and I won't know how to rescue you."

Floyd was observing the dark environment of the estate and was surprised by Collin's words. "He managed to set traps in such harsh conditions?"

"Yes, Falcon is a true disciple of Mr. Boyd regarding traps. If Mr. Boyd can set traps in such places, then Falcon can, too. Besides, how could someone as skilled as Mr. Boyd be trapped if there weren't traps?" Collin spoke with a hint of pride when mentioning his boss.

"But if she's so skilled, why is she trapped?" Floyd felt Collin was exaggerating.

Upon hearing Floyd doubt his boss's abilities, Collin rolled his eyes at him without hesitation.