Chapter 114: The Surprising Hidden Request
Within the manor, Han Xiao scratched his chin and thought hard in silence.
The mask changed his facial appearance so much so that if one did not approach close to him, it would be impossible for the person to uncover his true ident.i.ty.
Although he had escaped from Stardragon, the interface did not indicate a decrease in affection for him. Since his relations.h.i.+p with Stardragon was still relatively friendly and both parties were not reduced to enemies, there was chance for him to turn the situation around.
Han Xiao had a deep impression of Di Su Su. Although Di Su Su always teased Li Ya Lin and Li Ya Lin always tried to put her down, Di Su Su still unintentionally nudged closer to Li Ya Lin. Even the clothes she wore resembled those of Li Ya Lin. Han Xiao, who was great and very experienced at observing people, could tell with a single glance that Di Su Su and Li Ya Lin shared a very close friends.h.i.+p.
…
Two days later…
The bullet leapt out of the barrel of the sniper rifle and killed the final enemy sniper who was a few hundred meters away. The burnt smell of the smoky battlefield was very pungent. The enemy forces, which suffered a lot of casualties, retreated like a huge wave. Han Xiao let out a deep breath and leaned against the wall to sit down. He closed his eyes to ease the tension in his heart.
The enemies were getting stronger one wave after another. There were helicopters, armored vehicles, and small tanks; there were also a couple of strong super humans and elite soldiers that appeared on the battlefield, which posed huge threats.
The past two days in the manor had been very hectic and dangerous, as if they were all on a little boat stuck in a ma.s.sive whirlpool. Han Xiao used all his effort, and together with the cooperation of the mercenary troops, the defense managed to pull through.
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You defeated a wave of attackers. (5/5)
The fourth round completed. You gained 200,000 EXP points.
The hidden request to prevent the appearance of Division 13 has failed.
You activated the additional fifth segment of the mission.
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Han Xiao was completely stunned. He did not expect the hidden request was to prevent the appearance of Division 13. He really had not thought of that possibility. After pondering for a while, he then realized why he missed out the hidden request.
If every one of his battles ended fast and decisively and created less commotion, perhaps Division 13 would not have entered the picture. However, such a request was too difficult. Even if he was able to find out about such a request, it would be very hard to accomplish it. Han Xiao was not particularly upset about such a result. Ultimately, the odds of completing a hidden request were fifty-fifty. There were times of success and times of failure. It was pretty normal for failure to occur after all.
The original mission only had four segments. However, since the hidden request was not completed, the fifth segment has been activated. Is it supposed to be blessing in disguise? What is the fifth segment exactly?
Han Xiao felt curious.
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Change in Quest Requirement
Fifth Round Requirement: Tag along with w.a.n.g Yuan and handle the incoming danger.
Failure Condition: Your death.
Reward: 30,000 EXP
Special Reward: 300,000 EXP
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At that moment, Han Xiao was shocked. He felt that the fifth segment of the mission was really confusing and weird.
The normal reward was not compatible with the current stage of the mission. Also, the special reward was ten times larger than the normal reward, which meant that there was a great deal of flexibility in the mission. What exactly was the danger that the mission offered?
The condition to fail the mission was targeted at the fact that some players could revive themselves. Since w.a.n.g Yuan was protected by Bennett, it meant that Han Xiao himself would have to deal with a great deal of danger.
It was like the mission was trying to tell Han Xiao, “Hehehe… this is going to be dangerous.”
…
Two days earlier, in a dim abandoned warehouse, Bai Jin was in his hideout.
There was a bolt of lightning surrounding his arm, and the lightning illuminated his face. There was a sense of eeriness in his eyes.
Bai Jin flipped his palm, and the lightning bolt fused into his skin and vanished.
Ding.
The computer on the table in front of him lit up. He received a confidential e-mail. Bai Jin clicked on the new mail.
“Target for a.s.sa.s.sination: w.a.n.g Yuan
“a.s.signment Location: East Stardragon, 20km North of Seagull City, River Valley Manor
“Strength of Defense: 214 troops, 14 contract killers, Moonlight (Dark), Hunter (Dark), Volcano (Dark), Golden Fox (Dark), Mr. Black (Scorpion)… There are sufficient defensive structures and firepower.
“Bounty: 2 million”
Bai Jin’s eyes dimmed and muttered coldly, “You really expect me to make a move when the bounty is merely two million? How can you put me on the same level as the other trash a.s.sa.s.sins in the market?”
He sent a mail back to reject the offer.
A moment later, another e-mail entered the inbox. The bounty had been raised to six million.
“That’s more like it.” Bai Jin gave a sly grin. There was an air of evilness and arrogance around him.
All along, Bai Jin had only cared about the bounty he would receive. He had no other goals in mind.
‘The Raging Bolt’ Bai Jin, was a heinous criminal that managed to escape countless of pursuits made by the various authorities of the six nations. His superpower could cause ma.s.sive destruction. There were countless bounty hunters, agents, and executive officers of the Germinal Organization who had perished at his hand. The total exceeded three digits! He could even penetrate the intense flanks of military forces.
The individual combat strength on Planet Aquamarine was like a pyramid. There were three sections of the pyramid. The ones on the lowest level were mostly the recently awakened superhumans and normal warriors with a great deal of battle experience. The second level was mostly superhumans like Pang Kuang, who were executive officers of the Germinal Organization and secret agents of the intelligence agencies of the six nations. The third level was especially rare. These individuals were at least LV 40 and above. They were the trump cards of their respective nations or super criminals or faction leaders. Bennett could be placed at the pinnacle of the third level of the pyramid.
Bai Jin was a superhuman who could enter the third level!
…
In the evening, w.a.n.g Yuan gathered everyone.
“I need to make a trip to the Seagull City to meet with Division 13. I need to bring some powerful individuals with me for protection, and the rest of you guys will remain here to guard the manor.”
Before anyone could even respond, w.a.n.g Yuan started pointing out the selected few. “Moonlight, Volcano, Hunter, Golden Fox, and Mr. Black, I need you to protect me for this trip. I will raise the rewards for you guys. If you all are unwilling to do so, I will not force it upon you.”
“No problem.” Hunter was the first to respond. The other few agreed to the request.
Han Xiao knew that if he rejected the request, he would fail his mission. He agreed to it and looked toward Bennett. “Is he going?”
Bennett nodded and said, “I am coming along.”
Han Xiao’s heart sank. Bennett was able to protect w.a.n.g Yuan. As such, the danger from the mission would be concentrated on Han Xiao and his fellow killers.
With Han Xiao’s gaming experience, he was instantly able to sniff out something amiss in the mission. At this point in time, perhaps it was better not to be too complacent and stay alert. Instead of saying something to boost the confidence, it was better for Han Xiao to take a step back and say something to heighten the sense of vigilance among his teammates so that they would be able to tide through the tough mission.
The team followed w.a.n.g Yuan into the vehicle and headed toward Seagull City. Han Xiao realized that the people on the car did not speak at all. They all had an air of ‘don’t come and talk to me; I need to stay cool.’ Han Xiao had trouble to find anyone to banter with.
Looking behind him, Han Xiao saw Golden Fox hiding in another corner, and she was staying as far as she could from him as possible. When Han Xiao looked toward her, she immediately turned to avoid eye contact with Han Xiao.
I only made a small joke out of her. Is such a reaction really necessary? Han Xiao was speechless.
At the other side of the forest, Di Su Su, who was monitoring the situation, also set off to follow w.a.n.g Yuan’s party.
“The target has left the manor. They are heading toward Seagull City. There are plenty of a.s.sa.s.sins following. Continuing to monitor closely.”
…
The night sky was studded with stars, illuminating Seagull City.
This city of Stardragon was a heavy industrial city. There were plenty of factories in the outskirts. The huge chimneys of the factories were like gigantic fingers pointing into the sky. Since the city was filled with factories, there was a unique sense of heaviness in the atmosphere of the city.
The sentry guard received instructions from the higher-ups and let Han Xiao and the others pa.s.s.
Once the vehicle went past the sentry post, it was met with a black car from Division 13 at the roadside. An agent approached and said, “Mr. w.a.n.g Yuan, Officer Mo is waiting for you at the base.”
“Please lead the way.”
The agent from Division 13 saw the heavily armed a.s.sa.s.sins and immediately fell silent. He did not say another word in the end. He went up his car to lead the way.
The two cars drove all the way to the curfew area that fell under the jurisdiction for the Seagull City branch of the department. Only at the gates that blocked access to the area did the agent mention that weapons were not allow into the cordoned sector.
w.a.n.g Yuan nodded. He then turned around and said to the a.s.sa.s.sins, “You guys will spend a night in Seagull City. a.s.semble here at the same time tomorrow.”
After the instruction, Bennett and w.a.n.g Yuan entered the base.
The a.s.sa.s.sins were left to themselves.
Volcano was a ma.s.sive Shanuk. He said in his deep voice, “What do you guys plan to do?”
Hunter grinned and said, “I’m going to the bar to have some fun.”
He then glanced at Golden Fox and smiled. “Do you want to come with me?”
Golden Fox smiled and wave her hand to reject Hunter. “Forget it, I am more interested in suave guys.”
Hunt was unhappy to hear the words of Golden Fox and snarled.
“Hunter, I’ll go with you.” Volcano laughed out loud. He looked and Moonlight and asked, “What about you?”
Moonlight was expressionless. He solemnly replied, “I will be patrolling around here.”
Volcano then invited Han Xiao to join them enthusiastically. Han Xiao waved his hand to say no. Upon seeing that, Volcano did not continue to pressure Han Xiao.
The five a.s.sa.s.sins went their separate ways.
There’s time for free and easy activities in the fifth round. I suppose the danger could arrive at any time…
Han Xiao thought about it. He did not want to just waste the precious free time. He then decided to complete the prize-pool mission that was offered in Seagull City.
Since danger was bound to arrive, it was better for Han Xiao to not waste the time and accomplish some other tasks. He did not need to hide and make other preparations to face the impending threat.
As Han Xiao walked on the street, he could sense someone in a black windbreaker hiding under the darkness of the night. His heart skipped a beat, and he felt that there was someone following him.