Hunter stared at her, genuinely stunned.
A bizarre, nagging sense of déjà vu washed over him. He had definitely heard this premise before.
"You want me to break into a black-site prison, but you don't even know where it is?" Hunter asked, a cynical smile touching his lips. "How exactly am I supposed to rescue anyone if you don't even have a zip code?"
"It operates as a VIP service for governments and high-level syndicates," Diana explained with a solemn nod. "They have liaison offices disguised as shell corporations worldwide. If you accept the contract, the ICA will pose as a client and pay to have you incarcerated."
The familiarity of the setup only grew stronger in Hunter's mind. He was almost certain this was the plot of another Hollywood blockbuster.
He had watched thousands of movies in his previous life. Even with his enhanced physical attributes bringing him closer to photographic memory, sifting through an ocean of cinematic lore to pinpoint one specific plot was incredibly difficult.
When Hunter remained silent, Diana's heart sank. She waited a few agonizing seconds before pressing the issue.
"Mr. Sun, we know this is a suicide mission. We do not expect you to fight your way out alone."
"Based on our limited intel, this private prison is likely located on an uncharted island," Diana revealed. "The ICA previously deployed three elite operatives as inmates. We surgically implanted subdermal GPS trackers in them."
"The wardens found the trackers immediately," she said, her voice dropping. "We never received a signal. A few weeks later, we received photographs of our operatives. They had been tortured to death."
Hunter raised an eyebrow. He remained completely quiet, prompting Diana to lay out her actual strategy.
"We know you possess an unprecedented learning capacity. If you accept, the ICA will immediately provide you with world-class experts in astronomy, meteorology, and celestial navigation."
"You will learn how to read the stars and the weather," Diana said, leaning in. "Once inside, you just need to determine the prison's exact coordinates. Send a single encrypted signal out, and the ICA will mobilize multiple paramilitary strike teams to rip that island apart and extract you."
Hunter kept his face entirely neutral, though his mind was racing.
He didn't actually need the ICA's experts to teach him navigation from scratch. He had already unlocked basic nautical and astronomical skills during his previous trips to Mexico and the Bahamas. However, having elite instructors drill him would rapidly push those Level 1 skills toward Level Max.
Still, he played hard to get. Even with expert training, infiltrating an inescapable fortress was a massive headache. Without a proper incentive, he wasn't going to risk his neck for the ICA.
Diana saw his hesitation and finally played her trump card.
"Mr. Sun, please do not reject this out of hand. The target's family is desperate. They are offering a flat twenty million dollar bounty for his safe return."
"If you prefer, they can convert that cash into highly restricted black-market military hardware. Furthermore, the ICA will pay you an additional five million dollars directly."
"Twenty-five million dollars," Diana concluded. "I believe our sincerity is unquestionable."
It was a staggering sum. Since officially joining the Continental Hotel, Hunter usually pulled in anywhere from a few hundred thousand to a couple of million per hit. Only the ICA had ever offered bounties crossing the five-million mark.
Twenty-five million dollars for a single extraction was legendary money.
"I have my System Inventory," Hunter suddenly realized in his mind.
Even if the prison guards stripped him naked and locked him in a solitary cell, it wouldn't matter. He had a literal extradimensional armory at his disposal. He could pull a loaded assault rifle out of thin air at any moment.
The money was too good, and his hidden advantage was too absolute. Hunter finally gave a sharp nod.
"Alright. I accept."
Diana's icy facade cracked, revealing a breathtaking, genuinely relieved smile.
"I need all the intel you have on this facility," Hunter ordered briskly. "I also need a complete dossier on the target, including high-resolution photographs."
"Give me exactly one week to prepare," he continued. "Aside from the navigation experts, I want the ICA to send me your absolute best close-quarters combat instructors."
"I want grandmasters in Judo, Karate, Taekwondo, Krav Maga, and Sanda. Have them ready by tomorrow."
In the past, Hunter hadn't cared much for specific martial arts disciplines. But as he realized how the System worked, he understood that every new fighting style he learned became a permanent, levelable skill. He wanted to farm as many combat nodes as possible before going inside.
"It will be done," Diana promised eagerly. "I will arrange everything."
Read ahead with 100+ chapters now with daily updates!
@patreon.com/Authorizz