Morning dew gathered delicately along the leaves, trickling softly down before dripping onto the grass beneath.
A small task force moved swiftly through the grass, their footsteps muted, journeying across enemy-held territory for an entire day and night. Intelligence had pinpointed the Pillar Man and his vampire servants inside an abandoned hotel, ten kilometers east of the main German forces.
The existence of vampires and ancient monsters was too terrifying to be casually disclosed, and neither the Nazis nor the Allies dared reveal it openly. Thus, both sides quietly concealed this grim reality from their soldiers.
Of course, the special unit guiding them knew the truth—otherwise, they wouldn't be leading this dangerous operation to hunt down the Pillar Men.
"That's your target," said Lieutenant Ryan, the commander of the team, pointing toward the hotel. "We've kept an eye on this place for a while. Every now and then, German forces herd large groups of prisoners inside."
Ray Chu, Joseph, and Caesar scanned the hotel carefully with binoculars. Its front faced an open field, while the back was pressed against low hills, utterly devoid of human activity—perfectly matching their understanding of the Pillar Men's behavior.
"All the doors and windows are nailed shut," Joseph observed, lowering his binoculars with a frown. "This place might as well have been custom-built for Kars and his crew—no sunlight can get in at all."
Caesar's face was stern. "What's the plan, JoJo?"
"Our biggest advantage is surprise," Joseph said coolly, his voice steady as a seasoned tactician's. "There are two hours until noon. Even though daylight doesn't weaken them much anymore, breaking their protective suits and exposing them to the sun will still give us a decisive edge. So, I propose we launch our attack precisely at midday."
Caesar nodded thoughtfully. "But if the battle shifts indoors, sunlight won't help us at all. What then?"
"I don't have an answer for that," Joseph replied with a helpless shrug.
Ray Chu had been silently scrutinizing the hotel's windows, and suddenly turned to Lieutenant Ryan. "Lieutenant, how much explosive did your men bring?"
Immediately grasping his intent, Lieutenant Ryan shook his head apologetically. "We only managed to carry about fifty kilograms—not enough to demolish the whole hotel."
Joseph and Caesar exchanged surprised glances. Truthfully, they'd underestimated the usefulness of this squad; they had assumed the soldiers were little more than guides, unable to meaningfully aid in combat against vampires, let alone Pillar Men.
"It's not necessary to destroy the entire hotel. In fact, setting explosives without alerting our enemies would be nearly impossible anyway," Ray Chu explained calmly. "Here's what I propose: the three of us enter first and draw their attention. Meanwhile, you plant the explosives discreetly at these specific points." He sketched a simple diagram in the dirt, marking several crucial locations.
Ryan considered the sketch, then nodded decisively. "If it's just these spots, we can handle it. But once those explosives go off, there's a good chance you'll be caught in the blast."
Ray Chu exchanged a determined glance with Joseph and Caesar. "If we're prepared ahead of time, we can avoid the blast radius. As for communication..."
After finalizing their strategy, the trio took a brief rest before starting their infiltration. The hotel's front entrance was entirely exposed, impossible to approach unnoticed.
Instead, they circled around to climb the hills at the hotel's rear, eventually reaching the point nearest to the building. Only about five meters separated the treetop they perched in from an elevated protrusion of the hotel.
"Perfect!" Joseph cracked his knuckles eagerly. "We can get inside easily from here. I'll go first—cover me."
Ray Chu firmly gripped Joseph's shoulder, shaking his head. "If Kars made this place his nest, he'd certainly monitor every obvious entry point. The easiest infiltration route is bound to be a trap."
Joseph thoughtfully tapped his finger against his cheek. "Good point. But do we have any other options?"
After all, this spot was undoubtedly the best access point. Entering through the ground floor was impossible without cover—they'd be discovered immediately upon approach. It seemed worth the risk to gamble on this route.
"Actually, there is another way."
Ray Chu mysteriously produced the hotel's architectural blueprints from somewhere, spreading them out and pointing to several marked areas. "The three Pillar Men are ancient monsters, certainly intelligent, but I doubt they'd bother learning modern architecture. These spots here—former ventilation shafts—are now abandoned. We can sneak in through one without alerting them."
Though Ray Chu's alternative was far more complicated, it significantly reduced their chances of being discovered.
After briefly deliberating, they decided to attempt his plan. Leaping from their secluded vantage point onto the hotel's outer wall, they suppressed their Hamon, carefully scaling upward.
European hotels typically prioritized ventilation for comfort, connecting every internal room via ducts, with exits usually on the roof. Here, the vent blades had long stopped turning, leaving only a narrow, winding metal passage.
Though spacious by vent standards, the duct still proved tight for three muscular adults. Fortunately, as seasoned Hamon warriors, they could shrink their bodies down to about two-thirds their normal size through controlled breathing.
"This feels so weird," Joseph muttered, twisting uncomfortably. Originally towering at six-foot-two, he'd shrunk to around five-foot-three, resembling a strange dwarf.
Caesar, unfazed, replied gravely, "I'd do anything if it means taking down the Pillar Men." Without hesitation, he dove into the duct ahead of the others.
The vent twisted and turned in darkness, but Ray Chu's familiarity with the blueprint prevented them from losing their way. After crawling silently for a few tense minutes, they suddenly heard a distant commotion from below. Instantly, their spirits lifted.
They'd successfully infiltrated the hotel's interior—and had finally found their targets.