Volume 4, Chapter 69 – A Cut to Show Respect
Volume 4, Chapter 69 – A Cut to Show Respect
Hidden Mission [Biochemical Mutant]
Mission Description: This biochemical technology comes from Night Owl. When an implanted host suffers a fatal shock, the monster hidden inside their body will awaken. A biochemical monster that targets living creatures will never stop hunting. Hunt down the biochemical mutant!
Mission Rewards:
- 100,000 Free EXP
- Title: Dawn Concerto
- Front-section star chart of Sea Blue Forest (Open details: middle-section and rear-section star charts missing)
Mission Rank: B
Repeatability: Unique
Accept mission?
The monster had already set its sights on her, so of course Anran accepted without hesitation.
However, she did not fire immediately. The monster first targeted the blood-soaked Dawn and the guard beside him.
“Ah! There’s a monster!” Another man standing nearby screamed and tried to flee. But once terror took hold, his limbs stopped obeying him. His feet tangled together, and he fell flat on the ground.
“Monster… monster…”
He had no attention to spare for Anran and Aila, who had opened fire. His eyes remained fixed on the creature. Its slime-covered body was revolting, and the shattered remains of its former upper body were scattered all over the floor. One glance would be enough to make a child faint from fright.
A foul stench instantly began to fill the entire space.
“Hiss!”
Just as the guard holding Dawn tried to retreat, a black tongue shot from the monster’s mouth like a long whip, aiming straight for Dawn’s chest.
“Get lost.”
The guard scooped up a rifle from the ground and swept it sideways. His reflexes were extremely sharp. Just before the tongue struck Dawn, he knocked it off course.
“Hiss!”
The monster retracted its tongue. Its probing strike had failed, and it instantly flew into a rage, making a sound like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.
The situation changed in the blink of an eye. By the time Anran came back to her senses, the guard and the monster were already fighting. The gravely wounded Dawn lay flat on his back. Rapid blood loss had turned his lips pale and his body ice-cold, leaving him unable to speak.
“Bang!”
Eat a lemon.
That was the last thought that flashed through Dawn’s mind before Anran finished him off with a shot.
“You have killed Dawn of Morningstar and received 12,500 Free EXP.”
The game notification sounded.
Huh?
Anran was instantly dumbfounded.
That made no scientific sense!
It was not magical either!
She had killed the leader of a major faction, yet she had only received 12,500 EXP. That was less than what one of his high-level enforcers had given her.
Impossible!
With that thought, Anran immediately checked her mission log. Her expression changed. Sure enough, the mission to hunt Morningstar’s leader, [Fading Starlight III], was still incomplete. That meant the Dawn she had killed with two shots was not Morningstar’s leader.
Judging from the emotions the guard had displayed, there were two possible explanations.
First, Dawn really was Morningstar’s leader, but the Dawn before her had been an impostor.
Second, Dawn had never been Morningstar’s leader at all, and the guard had been putting on an act to protect the true leader of Morningstar.
Anran was furious. She decided not to give these people who had deceived her the slightest chance.
She pulled the trigger.
“Bang!”
A bullet struck the monster’s shoulder, immediately disrupting its rhythm.
Although the guard could not understand why Anran was helping him, he did not waste the opportunity. He swiftly drew the longsword hanging at his waist. As he brushed past the monster, the blade swept across its neck like a chain of pure white snow.
“Clang, clang, clang!”
A piercing screech rang out, like metal cutting through metal. The slash finally broke through the monster’s neck, and thick black fluid oozed out, resembling the oil-like blood seen in certain censored works.
Then something astonishing happened. The blood that flowed out solidified instantly, tightly sealing the wound.
“What powerful regenerative ability.”
Anran’s pupils contracted slightly. Fortunately, its blood was not highly corrosive like an alien’s.
Since the monster and the guard were fighting so intensely, Anran decided to observe a little longer before intervening.
The guard, however, could not afford that. Seeing that Anran had no intention of attacking again after firing one shot, he immediately tried to lure the monster toward her.
“Bang!”
A bullet skimmed past his ankle, startling him badly.
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Anran had fired it. She was also glaring at him with an extremely threatening look.
Come any closer, and our two guns will kill you first.
Aila also looked eager to give it a try.
Motherfreaking bun slices.
The guard felt unbearably aggrieved. This idiotic monster had chosen to attack the nearest target and chased him from the very start. Did the damned thing not know that the real villain over there was the one who had killed its original body?
Fuck!
The monster gave him no chance to catch his breath. Its claw strikes and tail sweeps were broad, forceful attacks, while the tongue it suddenly spat out was a sinister sneak attack.
The pressure on him grew heavier and heavier, yet he did not dare draw the monster toward Anran. Those two women were far too accurate. Before he could lure the monster over, he might already be wounded by their bullets.
The guard clenched his teeth. His eyes were threaded with blood vessels. He focused completely, no longer daring to let his attention wander in the slightest, and slashed again and again. Yet as time passed, the monster became increasingly difficult to handle.
It seemed to possess an extremely powerful capacity for independent learning. During its battle with the guard, it gradually became familiar with his attack patterns. On top of that, its entire body was “greasy,” it could both fight and endure punishment, and it possessed stamina far beyond that of an ordinary person. If this dragged on, the guard was certain to die.
“Bang! Bang!”
At just the right moment, Anran put two more bullets into the monster’s head. The flammable liquid clinging to it immediately ignited above its skull.
“Sever!”
“Clang, clang, clang!”
Seizing the chance, the guard thrust his sword into the crook of the monster’s arm. He pressed forward, twisted the blade to cut through the joint, then pulled back instantly. With a beautiful disengagement, he avoided the monster’s counterattack.
“Hiss! Hiss!”
The monster shrieked. Its right arm was completely disabled by the attack.
The guard immediately heaved a huge sigh of relief. With one side of the monster no longer restraining him, he was finally able to display the full brilliance of his exquisite swordsmanship.
Sword light wove through the air, its radiance white as snow. Every so often, he added several fresh wounds to the monster’s body, growing more excited as the battle continued.
Then came shouts like “Slash!”, “Sword Chain!”, “Break apart!”, and “Flying Return!”
The whole scene carried a distinctly chuunibyou atmosphere.
Anran stared, dumbfounded.
The man who had collapsed in terror earlier was also huddled against the wall in a daze. Was the monster about to lose?
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
“Ah!”
He leaped high, thrust out his sword, took a bullet in his left hand, and crashed to the ground. The entire sequence flowed seamlessly.
Meanwhile, after aiming for a long time, Aila’s bullet instantly shattered the monster’s left eye.
“Crash!”
The monster fell to the ground. Its tail, both feet, and its remaining hand repeatedly pounded the floor as it rolled around like a mad creature, continually letting out hissing roars.
“Smack!”
“Ah!”
One claw happened to rake across the guard’s thigh. Anran’s interference instantly transformed the situation. Both sides, which had been fighting evenly moments earlier, were now gravely injured.
The monster was in especially poor condition. The damage caused by the bullet lodged in its head was no less severe than the damage Dawn had suffered. The severe injury and bleeding effect caused it to lose 2% of its HP every second.
“Fuck! You animal!” The guard glared at Anran viciously. Both his hands gripped the monster’s claw as he desperately tried to push it out. The talons had sunk deep into his lower leg and had already reached the bone.
“Someone once said that enemies should be treated with all the cruelty and ruthlessness of a bitter winter. I never reason with my enemies, no matter who they are.”
Anran walked in from outside, with Aila following closely behind her. The world was so vast. Who had time to slowly reason with enemies? Killing every person blocking her path and turning them into EXP was the cleanest and most efficient solution.
Thus, as she walked, Anran kept pulling the trigger. Soon, the struggling monster stopped struggling, and the resentful guard stopped resenting her.
Under the bullets’ persuasion, the two of them stopped fighting. The monster stopped rolling, though it still had one breath left.
As for the guard, he gave Anran a huge surprise.
“You have killed Wang Juyan of Morningstar and received 41,000 Free EXP.”
Old Wang?
The Old Wang mentioned in [Fading Starlight I]?
So it was you!
Anran did not hesitate and immediately chose to submit the mission.
She received 110,000 EXP. She did not receive the full amount because part of the damage had been dealt by the monster.
Next came the [Intermediate Elite Coefficient Bonus Template].
Each point of Endurance was now equivalent to 20 HP and 25 Stamina. All hidden resistances increased, and the talent skill [Low-Level Recovery Resilience] was strengthened into [Low-Level Recovery Resilience II], increasing her recovery ability by 60%.
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In an instant, Anran’s HP changed to 1,087/2,160, while her Stamina changed to 1,129/1,975.
Her Stamina recovered extremely quickly. After her HP was recalculated proportionally, it also began to rise slowly.
In addition, the [Intermediate Elite Coefficient Bonus Template] granted Anran a brand-new talent skill that perfectly suited the identity of an elite monster:
Berserk (Intermediate Elite): Activates when HP falls to 50%. Strength, Agility, Spirit, and Resistance increase by 15% for ten minutes.
“…”
That seemed rather powerful.
Putting those thoughts aside for the moment, Anran returned her attention to the monster.
To her surprise, the monster that had stopped struggling was still gripping Wang Juyan’s leg tightly. Something seemed to be traveling through the wound and into Wang Juyan’s body.
“…”
“Clang!”
Anran picked up Wang Juyan’s sword and mercilessly chopped downward.
The blade was actually knocked aside.
Anran was not discouraged. She changed targets and severed Wang Juyan’s leg with one slash. A tiny insect immediately dropped out of the severed limb. It was pitch-black and disgustingly revolting.
“Stab!”
Anran pierced the insect to death.
“You have killed [Biochemical Mutant] and received 45,500 Free EXP.”
So the little black bug was the true body.
She submitted the hidden mission and received 100,000 Free EXP. A new branch for the Sea Blue Forest star chart also appeared in Anran’s map system. However, just as the description had stated, it only contained the front section. It could take her as far as Senting Star, but White Sea Star, her destination, was still some distance away.
Without a star chart, even “short-distance” space travel could leave you hopelessly lost, let alone long-distance journeys, which normally required finding an established directional stargate.
Last was the title [Dawn Concerto]:
(You have begun making contact with Night Owl, a vast extraterrestrial faction. It starts with hunting biochemical mutants. When you first set foot on the path of the hunt, the colossal beast is still asleep.)
Progress: 1/25
Effect: Stamina +100, Strength +3, Agility +2, Spirit +1
It seemed to belong to the same series as the title Morningstar Hunter, except that this time her target had become the far more powerful Night Owl.
She also had enough EXP to level up now. Just as Anran opened her status panel, Aila’s voice rang out beside her.
“Anran, Anran! That man is trying to escape!”
Hm?
Anran immediately looked toward the man nearby.
The survivor had already crept close to the exit. The instant Anran glared at him, he turned and tried to run. However, before he had covered even four meters, a hand suddenly clamped down on his shoulder.
“Still trying to run?”
The cold voice made his heart jolt. Damn it. Was he really going to die here?
“Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me, please!” He turned around and shouted, his face filled with terror.
“I’ll ask you a few questions first,” Anran said.
“Ask, ask anything.”
Aila walked to the doorway, blocking his final sliver of hope for escape.
“What’s your name?”
“Jarrod. Jarrod Evans,” he answered in a trembling voice.
Anran nodded and used Scout while questioning him.
Name: Jarrod Evans
Level: 26
Primary Profession: ???
Wait, Level 26?
Wang Juyan had only been Level 24, yet this small-fry-looking character was actually Level 26?
Anran’s eyes widened. “What do you do?”
“I… I… I’m the pilot of that small spacecraft,” Jarrod said.
A spacecraft pilot?
That did make sense. With an intelligent system handling maintenance, this type of small spacecraft could normally be operated by a single professional for short-distance flights. Even so, Anran still felt that something was strange.
“All right. Explain how this small spacecraft is piloted.”
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“#%@#%”
…
“Gurgle, gurgle…”
“Splash!” “Splash!”
Two people suddenly emerged from beneath the churning pool, and one of them was Heloise.
Tossing aside her oxygen tank, she climbed out of the water.
Water streamed from her tied-up hair and ran down the contours of her body. Her clothes clung tightly to her, outlining an excellent figure. Yet if anyone looked at her now, the first thing they would notice would be her abdomen.
Blood mixed with water across a dark-red patch far larger than a palm. Gunshot and knife wounds were concentrated there.
She had suffered those injuries while covering the retreat. A bomb had suddenly exploded and thrown her through the air, after which she had been wounded again.
Although she had killed more than a hundred players by herself, she still could not withstand their unending charges. There were simply too many of them. So many “ants,” each carrying weapons capable of threatening her, could eventually become a serious problem.
“Cough.” Heloise coughed.
“Heloise, you…” The other person climbing out of the water frowned and approached her with concern written across his face.
Heloise shook her head. “I’m fine. We need to hurry and regroup with the leader and the others. There are far too many outlanders. I don’t know how long this place will remain hidden.”
“All right.”
Under Heloise’s insistence, the man nodded. He walked ahead, while Heloise tightened her grip on her dagger. After taking a deep breath, she stopped caring about appearances and quickly followed him.
“Tap, tap, tap…”
“Tap!”
The man suddenly stopped.
“What is it?” Heloise asked. Her gaze passed over his shoulder, and when she saw what lay ahead, she froze.
The sturdy door in the passageway was shut, but there was now a large hole in it.
“H-how was this hole made?” the man asked in a trembling voice.
“I’m afraid something has gone very wrong.”
Even Heloise was stunned that someone had managed to make such a hole in the door.
Just how strong was the person who had done it?
And with someone that powerful here, what would happen to the leader and the others?
Growing anxious, Heloise immediately walked to the opening. There was no one on the other side.
“Hurry. The leader and the others are in danger.”
“I’ll go through first.”
With that, the man crawled through.
Heloise did not delay either. She compressed her body and squeezed into the opening. However, Aila had gnawed the hole according to her own and Anran’s body sizes, and the vertical clearance was slightly too small. Heloise’s chest became stuck at once.
“…”
After squeezing and wriggling, she finally forced herself through.
Heloise’s expression was extremely dark and unfriendly. The man pretended not to notice and strode ahead.
The two of them continued onward and soon saw bodies lying along the way. Every one of them had been killed swiftly and cleanly.
This was bad.
Heloise grew increasingly anxious.
When she finally reached the place where Bolton and the others lay dead and saw the blue-skinned man collapsed in a pool of blood, she could no longer remain still.
She broke into a run like a gust of wind.
“We’ll split up and search.”
After saying that, Heloise disappeared through a doorway.
“Helo…”
The man’s expression darkened slightly. He stood in place for a moment before finally following another path.
Half a minute later.
“Bang!”
“Ah!”
“Bang! Bang!”
“Ugh…”
Heloise, who had just retraced her steps, immediately heard the man’s screams.
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Her expression changed drastically. Gripping her dagger tightly, she charged toward the sound.
The light suddenly grew brighter. The instant she reached the exit, Heloise instinctively dodged to the side and took two steps along the wall, narrowly avoiding the two bullets fired at her.
At last, she emerged from the passageway and saw the situation outside clearly.
Three people stood in front of the small spacecraft: one man and two women. All three were familiar faces.
One of them was Anran.
“So it’s you,” Heloise said in a low voice.
Her gaze swept across the rest of the area. Wang Juyan, the man who had just gone ahead, a hideous monster, and Dawn?!
“…”
Heloise’s breathing instantly quickened, and her pupils turned scarlet.
Dawn lay on the ground with the back of his head against the floor. The blood beneath him had spread around his entire body. He was unmistakably dead.
“You!”
Anran also stared in surprise at the person who had dodged the gunfire. It was Heloise, though she appeared to be badly injured.
“Wait. We don’t actually have to fight,” Anran said. Then she turned to Aila. “Aila, play the recording from earlier.”
“Okay.”
Aila nodded, and the recording began to play.
“@#%#@”
“@#￥%#@”
Heloise, who had been about to attack immediately, stopped in her tracks.
As the recording continued, her expression shifted unpredictably. Jarrod, whom Anran was restraining, also turned pale.
“You see, we…”
“So what?” Heloise raised her head and abruptly interrupted Anran.
“Huh?”
So what?
“The fact remains that you have obstructed us again and again. And now, you’ve killed our leader…”
“Your savior was killed by Dawn working together with Night Owl!”
“The leader isn’t what matters. What matters is that you have always opposed Morningstar.” Heloise’s eyes suddenly widened. She rotated the dagger in her hand, pointing its edge at Anran.
“…”
She wanted to fight?
She wanted to kill her?
She would not even give her one final chance?
Heh.
Anran instantly became furious.
Since they were destined to be enemies, there was no longer any reason to hold back.
Everyone was injured. It was impossible to say who would win.
Anran drew the Crimson Blade and cut herself first.
“!!!”
“???”
“…”
“Anran, Anran, why did you cut yourself with the knife?” Aila stared at her in astonishment.
“It’s fine. I’m stimulating my potential!” Anran raised a hand to stop Aila.
She leveled up once for the moment.
She had opened a small wound on her body, losing 31 HP.
Current HP: 1,095/2,200.
Below the 50% threshold. Talent skill Berserk activated.
Current Attributes: Strength 58 (+8), Agility 76 (+11), Endurance 75, Intelligence 108, Spirit 36 (+10+5)
With the additional attributes provided by her equipment, Anran feared nothing.
“Bang!”