Zhang Yong walked through the corridors of the hideout toward the meeting hall.
He entered the hall to find Najenda sitting at the head of the table, with Bulat, Lubbock, and Mine also present.
"Zhang Yong, you've arrived. We have a kill order, and I see that you should go with this group."
Zhang Yong looked coldly at Najenda as she explained the mission details.
"The target this time is the head of the Panti family. He rose through bribery and has been preying on the residents of the slums."
Mine interrupted with a condescending tone: "Why send this newcomer? Just the three of us are enough. How will he handle professionals like us?"
Najenda looked at Mine with sparkling eyes, but her voice remained calm. "Mine, Zhang Yong has shown adaptability. Perhaps this mission will change your mind."
As for Zhang Yong, he didn't seem bothered by Mine's comment. He smiled coldly "I won't get in your way. If I do, I'm willing to work as a servant in the hideout."
Bulat, who had been silent until now, smiled calmly. "I'm starting to like you, Zhang Yong." Bulat raised his hand and slapped Zhang Yong on the back. "You need a weapon, don't you? Come with me."
After slapping Zhang Yong's back, Bulat signaled for him to follow.
Lubbock whispered to Zhang Yong, "Be careful, that guy's gay"
Zhang Yong looked at Lubbock, then at Bulat's departing back. This muscular guy was like that?
Losing the ability to express himself he thought 'I'll pretend I didn't hear anything... for my own sanity.'
He followed Bulat through the winding corridors of the hideout until they reached a storage room.
"This is where the weapons are," Bulat said as he opened the door.
Zhang Yong entered to find himself in a room filled with weapons. From their appearance, they looked decent, but they didn't meet his standards.
"Choose whatever you like," Bulat said with a wide smile.
Zhang Yong began examining the weapons with an expert's eye. A sword here, a spear there. 'Let me see. If I look at my achievements alone, my spear path surpasses my sword path. But in terms of familiarity, the sword is better.'
Then he shifted his gaze to something else. It was a gun. He whistled as he approached it and picked it up. "I'll take this little one here."
Bulat looked at the gun Zhang Yong had chosen and raised his eyebrow in surprise. "A gun? I thought you'd choose a sword. Are you sure?"
Zhang Yong smiled as he examined the weapon skillfully. "Don't worry, I can handle it. Besides, I'll use it as a sidearm and primarily use a spear."
Bulat nodded, impressed by Zhang Yong's confidence. "Alright, but you'll need ammunition. We have some here."
He opened a small cabinet and took out a box of ammunition. "These are for the gun you chose. But firearms are loud and might attract unwanted attention, so be careful when using them."
Zhang Yong took the ammunition and examined it quickly before putting it in his belt "Thank you, Bulat. This will be useful."
After equipping himself, Zhang Yong returned to the main hall where the team was waiting.
Mine, still skeptical, crossed her arms and looked at him condescendingly. "Are you done playing around? We're ready to go."
Zhang Yong didn't respond to Mine's sarcasm, merely nodding. "Let's go."
The team left the hideout under the cover of night. The sky was overcast with clouds.
As they walked through the forest, Zhang Yong walked beside Lubbock, who whispered to him: "Mine is always like this, but she's good at what she does. Don't take her words personally."
Zhang Yong replied calmly: "Don't worry, I've dealt with worse."
Then Lubbock raised a finger with a smile. "Actually, she's a lively girl, but she also has her pride. She calls herself the genius sniper."
"Genius sniper?" Zhang Yong looked at him in confusion. "I don't think that's arrogance, as long as she has the skills to back it up."
Mine, whose sharp ears caught Zhang Yong's words, suddenly spun around with lightning speed and pointed her gun directly at him. Her eyes blazed with angry sparks. "I hear you talking about me as if I'm some arrogant child. Do you think that's empty talk?"
Zhang Yong walked forward and pushed the gun aside. "Little girl, you're still a thousand years too young to talk to me like that."
At that moment, it seemed to Mine as if a giant shadow stood over her, staring at her with abyssal eyes.
When you gaze into the abyss, it gazes back into you. But this time, it seemed as if it would kill her.
She trembled for a moment before Zhang Yong passed her and continued walking.
Mine wasn't used to being looked at with such disdain.
Her pink eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed like a cat ready to pounce.
Her hand, holding Pumpkin, trembled slightly before gripping it tightly.
"A thousand years?!" She shook her head fiercely, as if trying to shake off the illusion she had just seen. "Who do you think you are?! Even if you're strong, that doesn't mean you can talk to me like that!"
"Understood then. I need to prove myself. Bulat, on this trip, I'll storm the noble's palace alone." Zhang Yong walked coldly, smiling secretly. With a few words, he had angered Mine, all to gain a reason to fight alone and reap the benefits from killing the guards.
It was easy to manipulate her.
It was easy for humans to get emotional. Pride, resentment, power, strength—all were factors he could use to control people. You just had to learn the right way.
Mine couldn't stand the provocation. Her pink eyes blazed with anger like flames. "You say you'll storm the palace alone?! This is not the time for jokes, you idiot!" She shouted as she gripped her gun so hard her knuckles turned white.
Bulat, who had been watching the situation silently, intervened with a calm but firm tone: "Mine, calm down. Zhang Yong, this is not a solo mission. We're sent together for a reason."
Zhang Yong sighed. "I know it's a team mission. I'm not arrogant. But if you don't believe me... keep up."
Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track
Then he dashed with lightning speed toward the palace direction, leaving behind a trail of dust.
Mine nearly bit her lips until they bled from sheer anger. "That... that arrogant bastard!" She shouted, stomping the ground hard with her boot. "He thinks he's a lone hero?!"
Lubbock, who had been watching the scene with wide eyes, whispered to himself, "Wow... he really got her angry." Then he looked at Bulat with concern. "Aren't we going to follow him? If he goes in alone, he might ruin the plan."
Bulat sighed, rubbing his forehead. "We won't leave him. Mine, Lubbock, let's move now. But remember... the primary goal is to kill Panti. We don't want unnecessary chaos."
Mine didn't wait for him to finish. "I know!" She leaped to the top of a nearby tree with agility and began moving swiftly among the branches, following Zhang Yong's direction. "I'll prove who's better!"
Zhang Yong reached the outer wall of the palace, an imposing building surrounded by manicured gardens and armed guards. "Protection level is weak. All guards are level seven to ten, with a few at levels eleven and twelve."
In the blink of an eye, he ran toward the wall and began running up it. All thanks to the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track , which allowed him to walk on walls or even on water.
Then he slipped inside like a shadow. The first guard noticed movement from the corner of his eye, but before he could turn around, Zhang Yong's spear had pierced him.
"One." Zhang Yong whispered as he used the Absorption Palm, and the corpse turned into a skeleton.
Immediately, he began assassinating all the guards.
By the time the others arrived, Zhang Yong had turned the place into an empty ghost town.
Zhang Yong appeared before them again and tossed something spherical onto the ground in front of them. When they focused on it, it was the noble's head. "Mission complete."
[The host has ascended to level 11]
As the noble's head rolled on the ground before them, a heavy silence fell.
Bulat and Lubbock's eyes widened in astonishment, while Mine looked like she was about to explode.
"W-when?! How?!" Lubbock shouted, looking around at the scattered corpses. "It only took us minutes to get here!"
"The guards were weak. And the noble was playing in his room with some women" Of course, the guards were a delicious meal, and the meter rose to 100%.
"Th-this... impossible!" Mine whispered in a hoarse voice. "Even if they were weak... all those guards in minutes?!"
"Well, now that the mission is complete, let's go back," Zhang Yong said as he began walking.
But Bulat couldn't stay silent this time. "Zhang Yong... what is this power you possess? I've never seen anyone move that fast before"
Zhang Yong looked at him. "I told you, didn't I? I was experimented on. And for what reason do you think that was? It was to watch fights to the death. Nobles pay huge sums to watch humans kill each other, even monsters. So I'm used to dealing with both."
(Gained +1197 shock points)
(Gained +116 fear points)
(Gained +287 admiration points)
As the team returned to the hideout, the atmosphere was charged with heavy silence.
Mine walked at the rear, her wide eyes staring at Zhang Yong's back as if seeing a monster for the first time.
Lubbock, usually cheerful, kept casting repeated glances toward the corpses they had left behind. 'All of them... without a sound? The blood hasn't even dried completely. The only one who could match this combat ability is Esdeath,' he thought internally in awe.
As for Bulat, he was thinking deeply. 'This isn't just strength... this is killing coldness. A few days ago, when he was injured and his condition seemed hopeless, but now he was fast. Who are you really, Zhang Yong?'
Upon their arrival, Najenda was waiting for them at the entrance, her narrow eyes noticing the difference in the team's atmosphere. "The mission is complete, isn't it?"
Bulat nodded silently as Zhang Yong took the noble's head from a side bag and showed it. "Yes... but—"
"But Zhang Yong did it alone!" Lubbock burst out suddenly, unable to contain his curiosity. "He killed all the guards and the noble in minutes!"
Najenda slowly raised an eyebrow, then turned her gaze to Zhang Yong, who stood with an expressionless face. "Is that true?"
"The guards were weak," Zhang Yong repeated the same phrase, but this time with a slight smile. "As for the noble... he was busy with a girl. He didn't even hear the sound of his guards dying."
Suddenly, a window appeared before Zhang Yong.
[Side Mission
Requirement:
Save Tatsumi from imminent death
Reward:
5,000 Experience Points
5,000 Emotion Points
]
Zhang Yong's eyes widened immediately, and the group noticed his expression.
"What's wrong?" Lubbock couldn't help but ask.
"Boss, tell me where you sent Tatsumi and the others," Zhang Yong said with a frightening expression.
"I sent them on a mission to kill ghoul near the palace," Najenda said, not understanding what was happening.
At that moment, Zhang Yong rushed out of the headquarters and looked toward the direction of the capital.
Heavenly Demon Records - Dark Dragon Rush
Zhang Yong mounted the image of a black dragon and shot off at high speed.
Zhang Yong dashed like the wind through the forest, the image of the black dragon tearing through the air with a roar-like sound. The tall trees bent under the pressure of his speed, branches flying in all directions.
'Tatsumi... he couldn't have gotten into trouble that easily!' Zhang Yong thought as he crossed the terrain at incredible speed. 'This mission should have been easy, and he would have returned unscathed. But the system wouldn't deceive me. Is it possible this is the butterfly effect? But I haven't done anything.'
Zhang Yong traveled at maximum speed and reached the capital, then the mission location.
Eternal Dream Domain!
Instantly, Zhang Yong's consciousness spread around the area and caught Tatsumi's aura. He was in an abandoned alley and had managed to kill the ghoul.
'No, there's more. That person!' Zhang Yong was surprised when he saw him.
Then he descended from the rooftop of the abandoned alley and threw his coat over Tatsumi's head.
Tatsumi was caught off guard by this, then heard a familiar voice: "Don't take it off."
"Zhang Yong?" Tatsumi was confused about what was happening.
"It seems there are two rats causing chaos in the capital." A hoarse voice appeared before them.
A tall, muscular, middle-aged man appeared, with spiky blonde hair, two long bangs resembling horns, and blue eyes. He was wearing a tight black long-sleeved shirt, red-gray armor with gauntlets, white pants, and a white cape with notably large shoulder guards.
Zhang Yong was shocked at the sight. "General Budo?!"
"I didn't expect a rat like you to know me. And you've also killed the ghoul. I have to say, I'm impressed. But today, I will end both your lives," Budo said as he clenched his fist.
Zhang Yong couldn't believe it. This man was the most noble and loyal to the empire, the only pure person in a corrupt society. But now...
Zhang Yong carried Tatsumi over his shoulder and began to run.
Path of Wisdom - Library of Mysteries
There was no way to defeat this man at his current level. The best he could do was run.
As Zhang Yong carried Tatsumi on his shoulder and ran at maximum speed, he felt a strange vibration in the air. The smell of ozone suddenly ignited, and the sky, which had been clear seconds earlier, became overcast with black clouds.
"What's happening?!" Tatsumi shouted, trying to look from under the coat.
"Don't look!" Zhang Yong growled as he suddenly leaped to the right.
CRACK!
A lightning bolt struck the spot where they had been moments before, turning the ground into a blazing crater.
"Th-this... impossible!" Tatsumi whispered in astonishment. "Who is this man?!"
The next moment, Budo appeared in the sky above them, his gauntlets emitting a terrifying blue spark.
"You run fast ,you have a unpleasant aura , Interesting," Budo said in a calm voice that carried a deadly danger. "But there's no point in running."
He raised his hand, and in an instant, dozens of lightning bolts rained down from the sky, surrounding Zhang Yong and Tatsumi.
Zhang Yong stopped abruptly, his eyes widening as he calculated the distance between himself and each lightning bolt. 'No escape... then!'
He held Tatsumi tightly and activated the Void Path.
Void Path - Earth Fold
Instantly, Zhang Yong began appearing from point to point.
This was his skill, Earth Fold, which allowed him to fold space so he could reach any place as long as it was within his field of vision.
As Zhang Yong moved through the alley using Earth Fold, he felt the heat of lightning burning the air behind him. Each step he took was immediately followed by a thunderous explosion of a lightning bolt scorching the ground where he was standing
"Zhang Yong! What is this madness?!" Tatsumi shouted, clinging to his shoulder, feeling nauseous from the rapid movement between dimensions.
'Damn, my current level is too low to use Earth Fold for long, and there's no way to awaken my battle spirit. Otherwise, I could fight without fear of injury.'
Suddenly, Budo appeared before them like a ghost, his gauntlets shining with a deadly blue light.
Thunder Emperor Manifestation!
Dozens of lightning columns rained down from the sky, trapping Zhang Yong and Tatsumi in an electric cage.
"It's over," Budo whispered, raising his hand, ready to finish them.
'Damn, I didn't want to do this.' Zhang Yong looked with a sharp expression.
"Tatsumi, I'm borrowing your sword. I won't be able to return it afterward." Zhang Yong grabbed the sword with his hand.
'This move will consume thirty years of my life just to escape. But if I don't survive, there's no point in having even if only few minutes left.' Zhang Yong smiled viciously.
Suddenly, a bloody aura began to form on the edge of the sword.
Heavenly Demon Records - Vermilion Bird's Cloak
Heavenly Demon Records - Black Turtle Shield
Annihilation Path - Self-Annihilation Sword
Zhang Yong swung the sword with force from bottom to top, and due to the high pressure, the sword shattered.
The moment Tatsumi's sword shattered, a massive shockwave of bloody energy exploded. The air vibrated as if reality itself had cracked, and the lightning cage that had trapped them shattered like glass under a hammer.
Self-Annihilation Sword, as the name suggests, annihilates the self for the sake of the cut. In this case, Zhang Yong sacrificed thirty years of his life to unleash a wave of concentrated destruction toward Budo. But he couldn't kill him. Not yet.
Because Zhang Yong had calculated it in advance. If he killed Budo here, due to the butterfly effect, Esdeath would return to the empire earlier, which would hasten the formation of the Jaegers and accelerate the events of the world. He couldn't risk that.
"What...?!" Budo was terrified for the first time in years as he saw black and crimson energy rushing toward him like a tornado.
He quickly raised his gauntlets, trying to block the attack, but the shockwave pushed him back dozens of meters, shattering everything in its path.
Chance!
Zhang Yong grabbed Tatsumi by the arm, his face pale from blood loss.
Void Path - Earth Fold!
Their bodies disappeared in a flash, leaving behind a destroyed alley and Budo rising from the rubble with eyes blazing with anger.