by <unknown>
‘Me, a pervert? No no no, I have simply transcended! I have found the way!’
“Does that guy like you or something?” asked a bemused Lu Qian as she pointed at Frenzied Sword. He was staring at Han Xiao dreamily from the entrance of the workshop.
“…”
“He seems pretty sincere. Why don’t you give him a chance?” she teased, giggling.
It was the first time that she had spoken normally to Han Xiao since the misunderstanding.
Han Xiao rolled his eyes and reached out to tickle her, causing her to yell out and dodge, startled. Hugging her sides with crossed arms, Lu Qian watched Han Xiao closely with puppy eyes in anticipation of his next attack.
Her grandfather’s attempts at playing matchmaker had initially caused her much headache. However, she soon discovered that there was no cause for concern as Han Xiao was not particularly interested in her. To be more specific, he did not even seem to be interested in women at all! Although this eased her worries, it also raised other concerns.
A woman’s heart is unfathomable. Pay her attention and she might become wary of you, but neglecting her won’t do either.
Unfortunately, one’s looks also play an important factor. If you are good looking enough, you won’t have to worry about it.
Lu Qian’s casual attire was revealing a tantalizing view of her front, but it did nothing to stir Han Xiao’s heart. Having been working for up to 15 hours almost every day recently, crafting had become the only thing that he could think about.
Sometimes, he even found himself designing guns and weapons in his dreams! And the scary part was that once, when he woke up, he realized that the designs were all practical! This served as a wake-up call to Han Xiao, and he would think back to fond times with Mei Mei, Mei Mei, Mei Mei, and a dozen or so more ex-girlfriends to regain his senses. (These names all sound the same, but they are different characters in Chinese)
A man may die, but he must go down with his bird.
Han Xiao ignored Frenzied Sword. By his calculations, the beta test would end in a day. The only reason Han Xiao had chosen to make contact with a player was to test the NPC functions.
Suddenly, the interface lit up.
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You have triggered the sudden quest: [Assassination]!
Quest Hint: The assassin is closing in!
Completion Requirement: Survive the encounter.
Quest Reward: Unknown
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Han Xiao’s face stiffened.
The attack could happen at any moment!
“Damn it! Old Lu is not home now!”
For the quest to have triggered despite Feng Jun and his men keeping watch in the neighborhood meant that the enemy definitely had some kind of special ability to invade without getting detected! There was a high chance that it was a superhuman!
Han Xiao immediately dashed into his room to retrieve his equipment. It was vital to avoid dragging Old Lu and Lu Qian into the mix as it could jeopardize his plans to unlock the hidden scenario that he had come here for all along.
Facing his attacker head-on was also more of his style.
Frenzied Sword chased after Han Xiao.
As they ran, Han Xiao began to feel like someone was watching him.
The temperature of the air suddenly began to drop, causing Frenzied Sword to rub his arms in fear. Even he could feel the murderous intent in the air.
As they walked down an alley, Han Xiao’s sense of danger began to escalate from a tingle into an alarm.
Darkness was already creeping upon the unknowing pair. Before they realized it, they were transported into a world devoid of sight and sound. Strangely, however, this pitch-black darkness made Han Xiao feel extremely safe and comfortable, as though he were back in his mother’s womb. All that remained was an overwhelming allure to fall into eternal slumber.
An illusion!
Han Xiao forced his eyes open.
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You are under the attack of an illusion. As your INT is higher than 50, you are able to resist its effects.
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The darkness around Han Xiao began to shatter as the effects of the illusion faded.
As Han Xiao regained his senses, he discovered that there was a man standing five meters away with a gun pointed directly at him. The assassin was wearing a victorious smirk.
Click.
He pulled the trigger.
Han Xiao’s eyes widened.
‘How am I supposed to dodge a shot at point blank range‽’
People often say that time slows down in the face of danger. What happened next was on a whole new level.
In the face of imminent death, the world around Han Xiao suddenly began to slow down. The expression of panic on Han Xiao’s face was replaced by a look of absolute coolness as his mind cast aside all unnecessary thoughts and emotions in order to process the situation.
‘It’s not over yet!’
The flow of time resumed.
In the very instant that the bullet left the barrel, Han Xiao activated [Strafe], causing his entire body to seemingly fade and reappear.
[Strafe]’s effect allowed the user to move anywhere within a three-meter radius, but it was not exactly ‘instant’. While any movement using [Strafe] would seem extremely fast, moving a shorter distance would be even faster. Han Xiao was able to dodge the fatal shot by moving just 2 inches.
The bullet grazed past the side of his face; all it caused was a searing sensation.
The assassin’s expression changed.
‘How could he have dodged my sure-kill shot‽’
With his illusory powers, Norsa had successfully carried out over a hundred assassinations for the Germinal Organization. So far, it had not mattered whether his targets also had superpowers. However, according to the intel given to him, Zero should at most be at the level of an elite agent! How could someone who relied on machinery to fight be able to break free of his illusion‽
The intel was completely off the mark!
As Han Xiao dodged, he whipped out both Berserk Eagles from his waist and activated [Overload] as he fired a volley of deafening shots. The recoil from the shots was so powerful that it caused his hands to shake.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
All of the shots found their mark on Norsa’s chest.
A perfect counterattack. Han Xiao’s skillful usage of the Strafe might not have seemed difficult, but it would not have been possible to pull off without the wealth of combat experience that he possessed.
Norsa began to stagger backwards. He had used energy to protect his body—otherwise he would have been shredded to bits. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, he immediately summoned whatever energy he had left to back up and flee.
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and gave pursuit as he loaded a gun up with [Incendiary Ammo] to fire a shot in the direction of Norsa’s escape.
The ensuing sea of fire forced Norsa to stop in his tracks. Gritting his teeth, he turned around to face Han Xiao.
Norsa’s eyes began to glow with a mysterious seven-colored aura.
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You are under the attack of an illusion. As your INT is higher than 50, you are able to resist its effects.
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Bang!
Han Xiao unhesitatingly fired a single, precise shot that drilled a hole through the assassin’s throat.
Norsa clutched his neck in horror.
‘My illusory powers have never failed me! Why is he unaffected‽’
Han Xiao strode forward to smack Norsa onto the ground with both guns. He then pressed them against his chest, pinning him to the ground.
Bang!
The sound of the shot was dull.
As the incendiary bullet penetrated Norsa’s bo
dy, his internal organs were immediately set ablaze. He began to flail his limbs wildly—but only for a moment.
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You have killed the Germinal Organization Executor, Norsa (Lv. 25 Superhuman), earning 7,500 exp.
You have completed the sudden quest, [Assassination]. You have been rewarded with a Character Summoning Card.
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Han Xiao steadied his breath. Blood had stained his mask and was dripping down his face onto the floor.
It was silent, apart from the crackle of the flames.
Norsa’s death freed Frenzied Sword from the illusion. His jaw dropped upon noticing the aftermath of the battle.
‘What the hell just happened here‽’
Chapter 61. Thanks for the Gift! |
Feng Jun arrived late to the party with his team of fully-equipped field agents. When he saw the blood on Han Xiao’s mask, his first reaction was to feel Han Xiao’s chin for any wounds.
“Are you hurt?”
“Are you blind?” snapped Han Xiao, pointing to the graze on his cheek.
“That’s good…” Feng Jun heaved a sigh of relief before looking at Han Xiao apologetically. They had failed in their duty to keep him safe.
“It’s not your fault,” consoled Han Xiao.
“This man is the Germinal Organization’s executor,” he explained, pointing toward Norsa’s corpse. “He’s an assassin who has never failed.”
“Norsa Connor‽”
Norsa was widely feared even among the Six Nations. Once, he had gunned down a high-ranking Stardragon official in broad daylight despite tight security.
Upon confirming the identity of the corpse, Feng Jun’s shock turned into amazement.
“Hold on, he came to assassinate you… but you killed him instead‽ Are you really that strong‽”
“You only realized that now?”
Han Xiao glared at him as he checked the interface for the quest reward.
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Character Summoning Card: You are able to use this character’s ability once.
Character: Norsa Connor
Ability: Illusory Power (E) – Only targets with more than 50 INT can resist this ability.
Usage Count: 0/1
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Character Summoning Cards were quite uncommon in Galaxy. They only dropped from special quests, and their function was to allow the player to use the ability of the NPC character stated on the card. In Galaxy, people farmed and sold these for money, but it was only the rich players, who could afford to indiscriminately use them, who bought them. Although not Han Xiao’s style, it was always better to have more tools at one’s disposal.
Fortunately, Han Xiao had assigned all his stat points to INT beforehand, otherwise things would have played out very differently.
‘Germinal Organization, thanks for the gift!’
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Do you wish to accept your reward now?
Y/N
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‘Yes.’
It was a ‘use’ item that could be stored within the interface, allowing Han Xiao to pull it out whenever he needed it.
Meanwhile, Frenzied Sword was still trying to comprehend the situation. When he used the examine function to learn that these mysterious men in black were aligned with the ‘Stardragon Strategic Defense Initiative’, he couldn’t help but look toward Han Xiao in wonderment.
“You know this guy?” Feng Jun asked Han Xiao curiously as he pointed at Frenzied Sword.
“Just ignore him.”
As Han Xiao wiped the blood of his face with a handkerchief that Feng Jun passed to him, he frowned.
“If Norsa has found me, then it means the Germinal Organization must know exactly where I am.”
“Not necessarily,” replied Feng Jun. “The intelligence department has the network locked down. Any mention of you is blocked from being transmitted out.”
Han Xiao’s spirits immediately lifted.
“Are you sure?”
Feng Jun nodded.
“But… Norsa definitely wasn’t operating alone. He must have passed the intel on to Germinal spies hiding within the capital. It’ll probably be a matter of time before they relay the information.”
Han Xiao abruptly started to run out of the alley.
“Hey, where are you going?” called out Feng Jun hastily. “I still have to take you back to HQ for debriefing!”
“No time to explain! Quickly request for permission to seal all of the city’s exits!”
It was possible that Norsa had learned of his whereabouts from the spies in the city, and that he had come straight for him right after. In that case, it was not too late to take action!
Han Xiao knew exactly who the head honcho of the spy network was. The reason he had not taken action against him so far was that the Germinal would simply send a replacement to take over. On the contrary, leaving him alive had its advantages.
Norsa’s death would confirm Han Xiao’s presence in the Western Capital, but if he could stop the intel from getting out, the Germinal would not be able to pinpoint his location.
Of course, all of this was simply guesswork; it was possible that a spy had already left the city to deliver the intel. Nevertheless, it was worth a shot.
“Li Ya Lin, tell the others to meet up with me at District 8. These are the coordinates… Remember to drive a car!”
“Of all places, the slums‽ I was expecting at least a fancy restaurant!”
“There’s no time, just do as I asked!”
After hanging up, Han Xiao smashed the window of the nearest car by the roadside and jumped in.
The owner was making a phone call right beside his car when the sudden sound of shattering glass gave him a fright. He immediately ran over to the driver side and grabbed Han Xiao by the collar.
“You! Get out now!”
The next second, he found himself yanked halfway into the car with his head pinned against the steering wheel, causing the car horn to bellow noisily.
“Nice timing!”
Han Xiao immediately began to search the poor car owner’s body for the car keys. Upon finding them, he ungraciously shoved him out of the window and sped off into the distance.
As the car owner sat dazed on the floor with a big bruise on his face, he wondered aloud, “Damn, since when were car thieves this brazen?”
…
As Han Xiao weaved through traffic at high speed, he soon noticed the wail of a police siren.
“The car in front, stop right now!” yelled the traffic police officer on his motorbike.
Han Xiao tossed the car owner’s driving license out of the window and yelled back, “Deduct as many points as you like!”
The officer ended up tailing Han Xiao all the way to District 8, where Han Xiao quickly got off and began to stride off in big steps. The persistent police officer ran up to him to block his path.
“You! Stop right now!”
Han Xiao rolled his eyes in exasperation. With a quick chop that the police officer could never have seen coming, he knocked him out cold.
Through a series of twisting alleys—in the process, disposing of three muggers—Han Xiao soon arrived at a small, dilapidated church building. It was now used as a means of shelter by some homeless people.
In the warring period of the old era, religion had served as a means of mental support for many. At one point, this church in particular had managed to amass millions of believers.
However, the ‘savior’ that they believed in never appeared, so eventually, people stopped believing.
There were a number of vagrants in the building, but when Han Xiao could not see the one that he was looking for, he abruptly grabbed the nearest one up and questioned, “Have you seen a tall, bearded
man with the tattoo of a red wolf on the back of his hand?”
The vagrant shivered at the sight of the blood covering Han Xiao.
“You mean Lu Gao En?” he answered meekly. “We call him ‘Tongueless’ because he never seems to speak. I think he went somewhere in the afternoon.”
Afternoon?
Even regular citizens needed to go through lengthy checks at one of the three guard post in order to leave the Western Capital. As it was currently only 2PM, there was still a chance for Han Xiao to stop him.
He could not count on Division 13 to pass a restriction order. Even if they were willing to, it would take some time for them to come to the decision. By then, Lu Gao En would most likely have left the capital.
Han Xiao furrowed his brows. Which of the three exits was Lu Gao En at? Time was ticking.
Chapter 62. Interception |
Lu Gao En left less than two hours ago, meaning that he must have received Norsa’s intel just then.
Since Norsa had come directly to assassinate him, he must have tasked Lu Gao En with reporting the information back to their organization. Lu Gao En would definitely not have expected Han Xiao to know of him, so he would not see a need to deliver the intel with haste. Under such circumstances, the city pass that he would use would most likely be the one nearest to him—the Northwest Pass.
However, it was still possible that he would choose to use either of the further passes.
There was no way to tell.
“Ay, Han Xiao, we’re here. What did you call us here for?”
Li Ya Lin, Zhang Wei, and Lambert arrived. They had managed to come on time thanks to Li Ya Lin’s ride, a yellow convertible sports car.
“An emergency mission. One of Germinal’s spies here acquired some important information. There’s a chance that he hasn’t left the city yet, but he could be at any of the three passes.”
Li Ya Lin wiped the playful smile off her face upon hearing the severity of the situation.
“Do you have a picture of him?” she asked.
Han Xiao picked up some scraps of newspaper around him and began to draw out a rough image of Lu Gao En from his faded memory. He then yanked the homeless guy from earlier on up and barked, “Look at this, does it look like Lu Gao En?”