'The Divine Clan really are loaded. If only I could find Zero...'
Mad Blade Raging Sword glanced at the Divine Clan Guild's posting, eyed the bounty amount, and wore a look of regret.
Yet Mad Blade Raging Sword felt not a shred of envy towards the major guild's opportunities. He turned to Xiao Han beside him, his eyes burning with fervour.
'If I can just latch onto this big shot, my levelling will be faster than anyone else's.'
Initially, though his body obeyed Xiao Han's tasks, his mind resisted. Gradually, however, he discovered such missions were rather amusing. Once he discarded his scruples, they proved far simpler than slaying monsters or running errands—both straightforward and enjoyable. He grew addicted to the thrill, savouring the experience.
Mad Blade Raging Sword felt his very mindset had ascended, a faint sense of enlightenment dawning.
Shame is the genetic lock holding back human progress!
Pervert? No, no, no! That's merely a great pioneer beyond ordinary comprehension! A martyr transcending worldly constraints!
Lü Qian wore an odd expression as she pointed at Mad Blade Raging Sword, who sat by the doorway staring longingly at Han Xiao. 'Is he pursuing you?'
Xiao Han: '...'
'He seems quite earnest. Why not just give in to him?'
Lü Qian giggled mischievously. Having finally shaken off the awkwardness from their previous misunderstanding, she resumed her playful banter with Xiao.
Xiao Han rolled his eyes and reached out to tickle Lü Qian's soft spots. Lü Qian scrambled away, shrieking in alarm. She crossed her arms over her waist, watching Xiao Han nervously, ready to flee at any moment.
Grandfather had hinted at pairing her with Xiao Han, leaving Lü Qian anxious for ages. Yet she gradually realised his affectionate manner wasn't due to romantic interest—he simply didn't view her as a woman... or rather, he treated all women the same. This relieved Lü Qian, yet made her doubt her own appeal.
A woman's heart is like the depths of the sea. Flatter her, and she'll be wary; ignore her, and she'll be displeased.
Of course, this depends on looks. If you're handsome enough, flattering her might get you out of the group; ignoring her might still get you out. So it's not that I'm pessimistic, but most people are born destined to be single.
Lü Qian wore a revealing outfit, her pale, supple flesh straining against the fabric to form a daring curve.
Yet Xiao Han felt utterly unmoved, completely immune. Beauties held little sway over him now. Working fifteen hours daily lately, he seemed to be drifting towards asexuality.
Last night, he'd dreamt of converting his little hook into a machine gun. Upon waking, he'd seriously considered its feasibility—finding it surprisingly practical. This horrified him, prompting him to recall a dozen ex-girlfriends: Meimei, Xixi, Tiantian, Shangshang, Nanzi, Xuner... Only then did he reset his male values to their proper state.
Men may die, but willy must not be without.
Glancing at Mad Blade Raging Sword, Xiao Han silently calculated the time. The closed beta had only one day left; this blighter would finally be gone. He'd only tested NPC functions on Mad Blade Raging Sword. The other professional players who'd come to Western Capital, he hadn't bothered with—nor was there any need. Suddenly, a prompt appeared on his interface.
[You have triggered the emergency mission [Assassination]!]
[Mission Briefing: The assassin is approaching the battlefield.]
[Mission Objective: Survive.]
[Reward: Unknown]
Xiao Han's expression hardened instantly.
An emergency mission! An attack could strike at any moment!
Bloody hell, Old Man Lü isn't home right now!
With Feng Jun and the others constantly monitoring their surroundings, the fact he'd triggered a mission meant the enemy must have employed extraordinary means to approach. It was highly likely a superhuman!
Xiao Han had no time for explanations. He dashed back into the room, grabbed all his weapons, and strode briskly out of the repair shop. For the sake of Old Master Lü's hidden storyline, he didn't want to involve Lü Qian.
Mad Blade Raging Sword hurried after him.
Xiao Han shot him a glance, saying nothing as he quickened his pace. A faint sense of alertness surfaced—it felt as though someone was watching him from the shadows.
If the adversary remained concealed, they'd be a ticking time bomb. Better to provoke their detonation.
The air grew colder. Mad Blade Raging Sword touched his arms, suddenly gripped by unease.
An intangible intent to kill was coalescing.
Xiao Han deliberately veered into a shadowy alleyway. After traversing a short stretch, his vigilance shot to its peak.
His vision abruptly darkened, as if plunged into a murky abyss of darkness. All sound vanished, leaving no reference points whatsoever. It felt like being back in the womb—serene and tranquil, tempting one to simply drift off to sleep.
Illusion!
Xiao Han's eyes snapped wide open as a surge of energy rushed to his brain.
[You are caught in an illusion. Judging... Your Intelligence exceeds 50 points. Judgement passed. You are immune to this illusion.]
The darkness shattered, the illusion vanished!
The instant his senses returned, Xiao Han spotted an unfamiliar male assassin materialise five metres away. A pistol was raised, aimed squarely at his forehead, a smug, triumphant sneer playing on the man's lips.
'Click.' The assassin pulled the trigger.
Xiao Han's expression hardened.
At such close range, how could he dodge the bullet?!
They say that in the final moments before mortal peril, time stretches infinitely.
Xiao Han felt the flow of time slow. In the next instant, he suppressed all negative emotions with extreme rationality, his gaze instantly turning as cold as ice.
I'm not dead yet!
Time flowed normally once more.
The instant the bullet left the barrel, Xiao Han brutally activated [Sliding Shot], his entire body shifting sideways a short distance as if teleporting!
The effect of Sliding Shot was to instantly complete a slide of up to three metres. The shorter the distance moved, the proportionally shorter the time required. Xiao Han had set the movement distance to a mere 5 centimetres, completing the evasion almost instantaneously and avoiding the fatal blow.
The bullet grazed Xiao Han's cheek, leaving a scorched, bloodied gash where flesh was torn and curled, the searing pain jolting his nerves.
The assassin's bullet—a guaranteed kill—had been dodged by the narrowest of margins!
The assassin's expression darkened.
As an assassination executive for the Sprout, a top-tier assassin, Nosa had eliminated hundreds of targets using his illusionary abilities. Even when facing fellow psychics, he had never failed. The organisation's intelligence indicated that Zero's strength was at most that of an elite operative, relying solely on mechanical combat with limited innate ability. How could he possibly break free from his illusions so swiftly?
The intelligence was flawed!
As Xiao Han dodged with lightning speed, he drew the twin Mad Eagles from his waist like a phantom. Activating rapid-fire mode, he channelled scorching energy into the pistols while simultaneously triggering [Overload]. Roaring large-calibre bullets erupted from the barrels, the recoil making his wrists tremble slightly. Bang! Bang! Bang! The bullets struck the unprepared Nosa in rapid succession, all burying themselves deep within his chest.
Dodge and counterattack executed simultaneously—Xiao Han's mastery of sliding fire was nothing short of divine. What appeared simple was, in truth, the perfect culmination of his extensive combat experience!
Nosa's body shook violently. Had it not been for his protective aura, he would have been blown clean through. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, he unleashed his power and retreated swiftly, attempting to escape. One misstep led to a cascade of disadvantages. He adhered to the assassin's creed: if the first strike fails, retreat immediately.
Xiao Han's expression was icy as he concentrated his Qi into his legs, closing the gap on Nosa. Swiftly switching to a high-explosive magazine, he aimed ahead of Nosa and fired without hesitation.
A sea of fire surged forth, blocking his path. Nosa halted abruptly, gritted his teeth, and turned to face the advancing Xiao Han. His eyes glowed with swirling, multicoloured mist, deep and eerie.
[Detecting illusion intrusion, assessing... Your Intelligence exceeds 50 points. Assessment successful. You are immune to this illusion.]
'Bang!'
Xiao Han's movement halted momentarily. Without a word, he fired a precise shot into Nosa's neck, tearing open a horrifying gash.
Nosa's eyes widened in terror. Clutching his throat, he couldn't stem the spurting blood. His windpipe shattered, leaving him only able to emit gurgling, gasping sounds.
Why did his infallible illusion ability fail to affect Zero?!
Xiao Han strode forward, wielding his twin pistols like spears. He knocked Nosa to the ground, pinned him down with the barrels pressed against his chest, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
'Thud!'
The gunshot echoed hollowly.
Bullets pierced flesh. Beneath Nosa, the ground erupted into a splattered crimson rose. Flames erupted from his features as high-explosive rounds instantly charred his internal organs to cinders. His flailing hands went limp and fell limp.
[You have slain Sprout Executive Nosa Konno (Lv25 Psionic). You gain 7500 EXP.]
[You have completed the Urgent Mission [Assassination]. You obtain one Character Summoning Card.]
Xiao Han breathed heavily, blood soaking through his mask and trickling down his cheeks to his jaw, where it fell drop by drop, splattering into crimson plum blossoms upon the ground.
The surroundings finally fell silent, save for the crackling flames.
With Nosa dead, Mad Blade Raging Sword emerged from his illusions. To his perception, only an instant had passed. Witnessing the battle scene before him, his face instantly contorted with shock.
What on earth just happened here?!