The Legendary Mechanic

by <unknown>

  After he handed his dark golden coin to the receptionist on the 23rd floor, another server wearing a white glove came to receive Han Xiao. They sat down at a semi-private table in the corner. The server took out a notebook with black leather covers and started recording the personal information of this new member.

  “What will your code name be?”

  Han Xiao thought for a moment, and he decided to use an enchanting name, which might help his Universal Reputation in some ways.

  “Apostle-level Observer No. 9527 from the Crimson Dynasty stationed in Couton Group.”

  The server was stupefied.

  Assassins usually had minimalist names like ‘Silver Fox’, ‘Devil Snake’, or ‘Ghost’, the kind that was more appreciated in the age when reduced attention spans were the norm. Such a ‘unique’ name would really intrigue employers, but it way too long.

  The server coughed. “Can you shorten the name?”

  What? I’ve only ever heard of others complaining about short names. I didn’t know people would dislike name for being too long.

  Han Xiao pondered for a while before he came up with another name. “Black.”

  The server was briefly rendered speechless.

  “Your name is too short now. A single-world code name is permissible, but code names that are just colors have long been taken by other assassins. All the names like ‘Red’, ‘Blue’, ‘Orange’, and so on were mostly names of the honored assassins of the previous generation who have passed away. The organization will not allow someone else to reuse their code names.”

  Han Xiao smacked his lips in irritation. It seemed him to him that naming was a troublesome affair anywhere he went. He then came up with the final name. “Mr. Black.”

  “Mr. Black… Alright.”

  This name was much more ordinary. The server quickly recorded it.

  “You are now a Reserve-level assassin with a blank resume. You can only rise to Scorpion-level upon the completion of your first assignment. Employers will usually pick from our whole list of assassins. If someone chooses you, we will contact you. Until then, you can take up assignments that are open to everybody on the market or assassinate wanted personnel.

  “Of course, you can also accept private jobs. We do not have any hard requirements for our assassins, but we will take five percent of the reward as our commission. If you have any questions in the future, you can always call up our reception at Hotel Victoria.

  “Sounds reasonable.” Han Xiao nodded his head.

  There were two reasons for him joining the Blood Pact Society. First, he wanted to take on all the wanted personnel that warranted high bounties, and these missions would trigger high-reward quests. Secondly, he could earn some Universal Reputation by becoming one of the top ten ranked assassins on the Dark Net.

  There were only three months till the open beta. He needed to accumulate a large base of resources using the remaining time he had.

  “All of these are ‘wanted’ assignments.”

  The servant took out a tablet and opened a page on the Dark Net before passing it to Han Xiao.

  Han Xiao instantly saw the most popular personnel on the list—himself.

  “Zero. Five Million Dollars Reward. Dead or Alive. Location: West Capital, Stardragon. All the best.”

  If he had returned to the West Capital, his movements would have been heavily restrained. Fortunately, he had escaped early. Han Xiao sniggered. It would take a long time for the Germinal Organization to realize their efforts were all in vain.

  He was the most popular target on the wanted list as the Germinal Organization had spent a lot of effort in chasing him down and hunting him recently, but he was not the most wanted. Some of the accumulated prices had even reached tens of millions—they were mostly impossible assignments such as stealing top-secret intelligence from a certain country. Based on the security and defense around Division 13’s underground database, this mission’s success rate could go as low as 0.001%, with the probability of death being 99.999%. This assignment only looked good on the list; no one would really attempt to do it.

  Han Xiao scanned further down the list. He soon settled on a wanted assignment.

  “Take down the Rose Militant, a group of mercenaries active in the Somar Desert, in the Southern Land.”

  The Southern Land was where Hesla was located, and it was also called the South Continent. It had a vast land area and tropical climate. The other continents were the North Continent, West Continent, and the Andrea Continent, which located in the middle of the other three.

  Han Xiao picked this mission due its close proximity. Just as he was about to accept the assignment, the server suddenly jolted and said, “Mr. Black, you have a new personal assignment.”

  Han Xiao was pleasantly surprised. He received an assignment within five minutes of uploading his particulars onto the net.

  “This organization’s business is really thriving,” Han Xiao remarked sincerely.

  The server was puzzled himself. “Such happenings are actually quite rare.”

  “The employer hopes to speak with you personally.” The server looked at the screen and continued. “Take a seat first. He will arrive in about ten minutes.”

  Han Xiao complied.

  Ten minutes later, a middle-aged man walked in hastily. He had a head full of white hair, which made him look much older than his real age, and his expression was one of exasperation. He walked into the hall and looked left and right before he came forward to Han Xiao. “I am Cheng Shan Shui.”

  Before an assignment was officially accepted, the employer would not divulge the target’s real name. Assassins could only ask for other basic information. “What will the bounty for this assignment be? And tell me more about the target’s protection and location.”

  “12 to 20 body guards. The location is right in this city. The remuneration will be $10,000.”

  “Only $10,000?” Han Xiao frowned slightly.

  That price was insufficient to employ an assassin.

  Cheng Shan Shui nodded anxiously. He had immediately been turned down by other assassins when they heard the price. He lacked enough money to pay for the usual price, so he had decided to try his luck on new assassins like Han Xiao.

  “I will take it,” Han Xiao agreed.

  Cheng Shan Shui cheered inwardly. He took out a stack of documents and passed them to Han Xiao. “Yue You Zu, located right in Morning Wing City.”

  Yue You Zu was a mafioso in Hesla who was always accompanied by 12 to 16 bodyguards that were made up of retired army reconnaissance soldiers. Recently, he had expanded his influence into the territory of Morning Wind City, which belonged to the local mafia head, Cheng Shan Shui. He could not guard against Yue You Zu’s invasion, and so his mafia gang had disbanded. He was now left all alone and wanted to hire assassin to avenge him.

  Han Xiao signed the contract after he finished reading the information.

  _____________

  You have triggered an E-level Quest [Assassination Assignment (Cheng Shan Shui).

  ̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄

  Han Xiao already knew the quest requirement. He went on to look at the reward of the quest, and it was not much, only 5,000 EXP.

  “I’m leaving.” Han Xiao stood up and prepared to leave.

  Cheng Shan Shui quickly stopped Han Xiao from going and asked, “How long will you need to finish this job?”

  Han Xiao paused. He looked out the window and saw that it just reached noon. “I’m guessing you haven’t had lunch, right?”

  Cheng Shan Shui was startled, not understanding what Han Xiao was trying to say.

  Han Xiao turned his head and gave him an aloof look. “He will be gone by the time you finish your lunch.”

  Cheng Shan Shui’s heart skipped a beat.

  Based on his impression, assassins would normally do some pre-assignment preparations, such as reconnaissance and escape route planning.

&nb
sp; Was this Mr. Black really that powerful, or was he just being arrogant?

  Chapter 91. Scorpion-level Assassin |

  “We meet again, Mr. Cheng.”

  Cheng Shan Shui was anxiously waiting for the result of his assignment when he heard a voice. He raised his head and saw that it was the man, code-named Lawson, who had previously turned down his assignment. He was a Scorpion-level assassin.

  “Oh. It’s you. How are you doing?”

  “I have some free time for now. I can take your assignment,” Lawson said coolly.

  Cheng Shan Shui’s eyes glimmered for a moment before they became gloomy again. “I’m sorry. My assignment has already been accepted by someone else.”

  Cheng Shan Shui gave a bitter smile.

  The Blood Pact Society’s rule dictated that once a contract had been established, no one could alter it.

  Lawson was slightly disappointed upon hearing his words.

  He had come all the way from Red Maple to visit a friend in Hesla, and he was taking the opportunity to travel around Hesla, so he had no intention of doing any assignment on this trip. When Cheng Shan Shui approached him with his assignment, he had given an outright rejection because the reward for the mission was too low.

  But now, Lawson was feeling bored from the idling the past few days. Thus, he wanted to do some simple assignments, and he had planned to take up Cheng Shan Shui’s mission. He was surprised that someone else had already accepted the assignment in just one day.

  Lawson was annoyed at the situation, but he knew that he could not break the society’s rule. He had no choice but to give up on this. He then walked toward the bar and ordered a drink.

  After taking two sips from his drink, his phone suddenly rang. He looked at the incoming call—it was from an old client of his, Yue You Zu.

  “Hey, Lawson.” A man’s voice was heard on the phone.

  “Yes, it’s me. How can I help you, Mr. Yue?” Lawson said nonchalantly.

  “I have a job that I hope you can help with.”

  “Tell me more about it.” Lawson’s eyes suddenly turned sharp.

  “I want you to help me get rid of someone.”

  “Who?”

  “I have sent the details to you.”

  The rule of confidentiality did not apply here since it was a private job.

  Lawson took out his tablet and looked over the information. He then raised his head suddenly and looked at Cheng Shan Shui – he was the target!

  “So, what do you think?” Yue You Zu asked. A group of people could be heard going down the stairs from the phone.

  “I will take it,” Lawson replied confidently.

  “Great. I will ask my guy to transfer the deposit to…”

  Boom!

  Suddenly, the sound of someone dropping onto the floor was heard through the phone. A gunshot was heard from a distance, and Lawson’s body stiffened. He recognized the sound—it was a gunshot from a sniper rile. Soon after, he heard people shouting and screaming in panic. He did not bother to speak as he knew Yue You Zu had just been killed by someone.

  “This sniper killed the target, who was surrounded by a dozen bodyguards, with just one shot. He’s a fine sniper.” Lawson’s face tensed up as he immediately deduced the whole sequence of events—Cheng Shan Shui’s assignment was to kill Yue You Zu. After all, they were enemies.

  Cheng Shan Shui must be waiting for the sniper. Let me see who the assassin is.Lawson’s eyes flashed.

  …

  Using the information provided by Cheng Shan Shui, Han Xiao stationed himself on top of a high-rise building a few hundred meters away from Yue You Zu’s base in advance. He aimed his sniper from a high vantage point and wanted to snipe Yue You Zu through the window. However, Yue You Zu walked out of the main gate, which made Han Xiao’s job much easier.

  Even though he was surrounded tightly by a dozen bodyguards, they were no use in defending Han Xiao’s shot.

  His newly-produced [Spindle-Shaped Penetration Bullet] was strong enough to penetrate any non-metal object easily. The bullet pierced through a bodyguard’s body and with no sign of slowing down, it went right into Yue You Zu’s heart.

  One shot one kill.

  Assassinating a regular person was too simple for Han Xiao. He finished the job without any hiccups.

  Han Xiao’s Facial Simulator was an extremely useful tool for an escape. He changed his look and ran away easily before the commotion attracted the police.

  …..

  As soon as Han Xiao was back in Hotel Victoria, the troubled Cheng Shan Shui stood up with a look of anxiousness.

  “The job is done.”

  Cheng Shan Shui’s body loosened up instantly. He subconsciously looked at his watch, and he realized that Han Xiao had only spent forty-five minutes between leaving this place and coming back, which meant he had taken less than ten mins for the actual assassination after subtracting the travelling time.

  That was too fast!

  “It’s for you to pay me.”

  “Yep. Okay. Okay.” Cheng Shan Shui was in reverence. He took out a suitcase containing $10,000 and handed it to Han Xiao.

  _____________

  [Assassination Assignment (Cheng Shan Shui)] completed. You gain 25,000 EXP.

  ̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄̄

  Cheng Shan Shui left with light footsteps, as if he was rid of a heavy load.

  Han Xiao pressed the bell to call the servant in so that he could take up the Wanted job on The Rose Militant. Suddenly, he was aware of something, and he turned around.

  “Someone is watching me?”

  A man, sitting at the bar, looked at him as if he was sizing him up. Han Xiao did not recognize him, but the man clearly showed a hint of provocation.

  Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, not afraid at all, but he did not want anyone to give casual provoking looks at him. He gathered his power and threw a freezing stare toward the man to send a universal message.

  What are you looking at!

  Lawson’s whole body turned rigid as if he was being locked onto by a menacing sense of hostility. The feeling of danger was hitting his mind in waves. He hurriedly moved his eye sight away from Han Xiao, and the ill feeling finally disappeared.

  In just a few short seconds, Lawson’s forehead had become covered in cold sweat.

  What a terrifying feeling. I should never provoke this guy again!

  Lawson quickly gave up on his previous scheming thoughts and left hastily after paying the bill, refusing to stay a moment longer.

  ….

  “We meet again.”

  Han Xiao smiled gently at the servant.

  It was the first time the servant had encountered a newbie who ranked up to an official member of the Society so quickly. He was left in wonder. “Now you are officially a Scorpion-level assassin. Higher tiers of benefits will be available to you. Additionally, you will receive primary VIP benefits in Hotel Victoria in other cities.”

  “What is my current ranking on the Dark Net assassin’s ranking list?” Han Xiao suddenly asked.

  The servant was dumbfounded by question. “Only the top-ranking assassins will appear on the list. You are at least more than a thousand over rankings away.”

  After speaking, he took out his tablet and opened the ranking list for Han Xiao to see.

  Han Xiao quietly nodded after scanning through the list. Right now, the top ten assassins were on average at level forty. They were not of top-notch capability. Only the top three assassins were more terrifying as their powers were near the upper-limit of Version 1.0. This ranking list was determined by the number of completed assignments and other related achievements. ‘Real’ players could only get on the ranking list by competing missions. The same rule applied for the ranking list of hired mercenaries.

  Planet Aquamarine did not have many powerful Superhumans. Before the open beta, players could hardly meet any Superhumans above level forty. Furthermore, those powerfu
l individuals who were level fifty to sixty had the highest combat powers on this planet. They were generally leaders of large organizations, secret weapons, recluses, or super criminals and formed their own social circles. Thus, they were hardly present before the normal people and players.

  Players would only meet them through missions or by getting more powerful themselves.

  After these thoughts flashed through Han Xiao’s mind, he opened the wanted list and pointed at one of the assignment. “I want to take the assignment to eliminate the Rose Militant.”

  “Alright. Your request is now being process. Please give us a few moments.”

  The servant wrote down the request on some paper before placing it in a specially-made metal tube. He went forward to the reception desk and stuck the tube into a metal pipeline, which fitted the metal tube perfectly.

  Swoosh.

  The tube was sucked into the pipeline.

  The tube travelled rapidly through the pipeline, bypassing numerous openings and other similar tubes, before coming to its new exit.

  It was a spacious room decorated like a customer service room. Rows of tables were lined up neatly with a few computers on top of them. The administrative staff were busying processing the documents on their computers, and every table was connected to the pipeline.

  An administrative worker dressed in an all-black suit took out the paper from the metal tube and started typing furiously on the keyboard to upload the information.

  “Wanted Target: The Rose Militant (Mercenary)

  “Requirement: Complete Annihilation

  “Initiator: Rothschild Family

  “Location: Somar Desert

  “Initiated Date: Year 685, 17 November

  “Wanted Amount: $3,000,000

  “Difficulty Assessment: Hard

  “Assignment Record:

  – 685.11.27, Code name – Hall (Dark-level) [Killed in action]

  – 685.12.11, Code name – Bloody Hand (Dark-level) [Killed in action]

  – 685.3.10, Code name – Magic Flower (Dark-level), Freeman (Dark-level) [Killed in action]”

  …

  “Assignment Info Update: The strength of the militia is currently between 80 to 120 people, including four superhumans, leader Luo (Esper), instructor Dorothy (Pugilist), instructor Ghostly Fox (Pugilist), and unknown (suspected to be a Mechanic). They are active in the Somar Desert.