Chapter 3: Mercenary Tao
"Squad #64323…"
Kaito had read his fair share of multiverse survival stories, so he wasn't completely unfamiliar with the rules and settings of this so-called [Infinite Dimension].
Still, he hadn't expected to run into another squad during his very first trial mission, let alone one that was apparently an opposing faction.
Is this the real difficulty of a 'special trial'…?
Kaito focused his thoughts on the squad's designation number, and a new piece of information appeared: they were scheduled to arrive in this world in seven days.
That meant he had less than a week to complete his first objective.
And that wasn't the only difficulty.
Mercenary Tao was a major antagonist from the early arcs of the Dragon Ball world. A vicious and powerful martial artist, he held the title of the world's greatest assassin.
When Son Goku first encountered him, he was defeated with ease, even though Goku at that time was already close to Master Roshi in terms of power.
Tao was the first character in the story to demonstrate the terrifying capabilities of Earth's top-tier martial artists.
He could heat his bathwater to 200°C using only his ki, then comfortably soak in it. He could kick off his cloth shoe to block a sniper bullet and then kick the bullet back with enough force and accuracy to kill the sniper. He could kill a skilled fighter by piercing their skull with nothing but his tongue. He could chop down a massive stone pillar with a single hand-strike, hurl it into the air, and then leap onto it to ride it through the sky, traveling 2300 kilometers in less than four minutes to find his target…
Nearly every one of these feats was completely beyond the comprehension of an ordinary person.
Mercenary Tao was a monster who had truly transcended the limits of a normal human.
A trial from a man like this was unlikely to be as safe and harmless as one from Master Roshi…
Creeak… Kaito opened the door, and a gust of wind immediately swept into the room, heavy with moisture.
They were clearly at a high altitude, and perhaps close to the sea.
Kaito noticed that several other people were already standing outside. They came in all shapes and sizes, but every single one of them had a cold, distant expression. No one spoke to each other; they just waited.
Kaito wondered if any of them were also trial-takers.
He glanced down at his own clothes—a white t-shirt and black martial arts pants with flat-soled cloth shoes. The others were dressed almost identically, as if it were a uniform.
Before Kaito could observe any further…
WHIIIIINE!
A terrifying roar grew from a distant hum to the thunder of a low-flying jet fighter in the span of a single breath.
A black dot appeared in the sky. In the next instant, a stone pillar smashed down from above.
BOOM!
A powerful shockwave, so strong it felt tangible, slammed through Kaito's body. It was like trying to cross a street in the middle of a typhoon.
The massive sonic boom and impact wave left everyone, including Kaito, temporarily deafened and disoriented.
When the dust settled, Mercenary Tao was standing before them, his long black braid wrapped around his neck like a scarf.
The man who had knocked on everyone's door, a hotel owner wearing a blue silk jacket, stood at a safe distance. He was one of the few people who could actually speak with Tao, but seeing the assassin's consistently terrifying displays still filled him with instinctual dread.
This was a hotel on a mountaintop that only catered to a… special clientele.
Clients looking to hire the world's greatest assassin, for example. Or, like today, the suicidal fools and killers who hoped to become his apprentices.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Mercenary Tao began to walk forward. Kaito's pupils contracted like a hawk's. His dynamic vision was excellent, and he could see that the rhythm and distance of Tao's every step were perfectly, inhumanly precise.
"Tch. So this is the kind of body control a true martial artist has."
With his hands clasped behind his back, Tao stopped in front of the rabble. He suddenly pointed, first at a giant of a man over two meters tall standing in front of Kaito, and then at several others.
"You few," he said flatly. "You are not worthy of learning my techniques. Get lost."
The giant was stunned. Back in his hometown, he was the undisputed king of the underworld. He had come seeking the world's number one killer to expand his horizons, only to be dismissed at a glance. His anger flared.
"Why?!" he boomed. "You haven't even seen what I can do! On what grounds—?"
Swish. Thump.
Two faint sounds, and Kaito saw Tao blur for an instant. His eyes widened as he glanced at the giant in front of him. The behemoth, who probably weighed well over 400 pounds, began to sway.
"Urk… ghh…"
His lips moved, but no sound came out. He crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Only then did the others realize what had happened.
Several of them showed looks of terror, and one let out a short, choked gasp.
Mercenary Tao just flicked his braid nonchalantly. "You, you, and you. You're not worthy either. Scram."
This time, no one dared to question his judgment. The people he pointed to immediately turned and started walking down the mountain path.
A few even looked relieved. Tao's casual willingness to kill had terrified them.
Kaito scanned the remaining group. Including himself, only eight people were left.
There was a man with a red bandana holding a scimitar, a middle-aged man with a hunting rifle slung over his back, and even a woman in revealing clothing.
Seeing Kaito look her way, the woman provocatively pulled her shoulder strap down a little further and winked at him.
Kaito knew that the people who remained were not to be trifled with. After all, anyone who could witness a murder without flinching was bound to have a few screws loose.
He had also figured it out. The people Tao had dismissed were the ones who had shown fear or hesitation when he arrived. The only exception was the giant, who had stood his ground right in front of Kaito.
But he was the one who was killed.
The only reason Kaito could think of was that Tao needed a sufficiently tough-looking target to make an example of.
Heh. A classic villain, killing someone just to make a point.
Mercenary Tao glanced at the remaining few but said nothing more. With a flick of his wrist, a stack of envelopes scattered through the air in front of them.
"Kung fu is the art of killing," he declared. "These are some sordid assassination contracts. Each of you will choose one."
"The person who successfully completes their mission and brings back the most prize money within seven days… I might just condescend to take them on as my student."
In an instant, the atmosphere changed. The woman who had been giving him seductive looks moved like a viper, her waist twisting impossibly as she snatched an envelope from the air.
The man with the scimitar immediately swung his blade at her, but she dodged with a fluid twist of her hips. The others instantly erupted into a brawl.
Kaito remained perfectly still, taking everything in. He watched the arc of the scimitar, the stance of the man holding the rifle…
After a brief, vicious scramble, only one crumpled envelope was left on the ground.
Once the others had grabbed their contracts and departed, Kaito calmly bent down and picked it up.
[Side Quest: Assassination Contract]
[Objective: Travel to South City, meet with the client Abola, and assassinate the strike leader, Magee.]
[Reward: 500 Dimensional Points]
Mercenary Tao watched the unhurried Kaito, his expression unreadable.
"Why didn't you fight for one? Do you not wish to become my student?"
The question was laced with a subtle, murderous intent.
Kaito seemed not to notice. He held up the envelope and smiled.
"Of course not."
"Your test is to complete the mission and bring back the most money, not to be the first one to grab an envelope," he said. "Whether you get it first or last, what's the difference?"