"Stop moving, Delivery Boy!" Alvara spoke with a slight click of her tongue, then the strand of hair from her left side floated away from Chen Le's hand, leaving the other strands still clinging there. Then, the hair from the middle of her neck to the left moved and wrapped around Chen Le's left armpit.
"He.. Hey…" Chen Le was a bit startled.
Alvara finished tying her hair, now her neck could rest in a stable position on Chen Le's right shoulder.
Chen Le swallowed hard, feeling Alvara's cold hair tightly coiling around his arm. As if his own body had turned into a vessel for a foreign power.
[ Skill: Blood Bullet (Temporary) — Ready ]
A semi-transparent panel appeared in front of him, showing a red icon pulsing faintly.
"Quick! Aim! Shoot them!" Alvara's voice was firm, her smile widening as if she was enjoying the battle.
Chen Le raised his hand hesitantly. "Wha.. how do I…" Chen Le shaped his fingers like a gun, folding his ring finger and pinky while the other two pointed forward like a barrel, his thumb sticking up as usual.
The tips of his fingers grew hot, then PSSHH!—a bullet of red blood formed, trembling in the air like a liquid projectile.
"Like this?" he muttered in disbelief. He then aimed at a bandit indicated by an arrow.
Swoosh!
The blood bullet shot forward, striking one of the bandits in the knee.
"GYAAHH!"
The bandit collapsed, his spear flying out of his hands.
Chen Le gawked. "It… hit?!"
[ Ding! Weak Point Hit ]
[ Critical Damage inflicted ]
Lia, still holding off three bandits at once, glanced briefly. "Good! Keep going!"
Chen Le tried again. This time he understood the mechanism, and—
BOOM! BOOM!
He fired two bullets in quick succession.
Two bandits went down, one hit in the shoulder, another collapsing as the projectile struck his chest.
"Wow…" Chen Le panted, his face pale. "But why does it feel so exhausting?" He let out a breath.
Alvara hissed coldly, "Don't be weak. That's only a fraction of my blood's power. Use it before your body runs out of stamina."
[ Remaining Distance: 4,200 meters ]
The system panel appeared again, as if to remind him: the mission was not yet complete.
But the bandits did not falter. Their leader stepped forward, stabbing his spear into the ground, the fire at its tip blazing even bigger.
"So this tacky courier has a trick… But still, you will die here!"
Lia raised her sword, its rune vibrating more intensely. "Chen Le, don't stop. We have to break through."
Chen Le swallowed hard, staring at the tightening circle of enemies. He raised his hand, feeling Alvara's hair constrict even tighter, as if channeling blood into the next projectile.
"Take this!!!"
Chen Le roared, his hands spewing blood bullets one after another.
PSSHH! PSSHH! PSSHH!
Each shot pierced through the night air, striking precisely at the weak points marked by the Living Eye. A bandit trying to attack from the side collapsed with a hole in his chest. Another hiding behind a tree fell when the projectile pierced his leg.
"GYAAHH!!"
"AARRGHH!!"
Screams of pain filled the air as one by one the bandits dropped, unable to rise again.
[ Ding! ]
[ Weak Point Eliminated ]
[ Weak Point Eliminated ]
[ Enemy threat decreasing… ]
Chen Le gasped for breath, feeling his soul stamina starting to drain. "Damn… this is insane… like playing a shooting game in cheat mode…"
Lia seized the opening. With a loud shout, she swung her sword once more, forcing the remaining enemies to retreat a few steps. She quickly leapt onto her horse's saddle.
"Enough! We must continue before the next wave arrives!" she said while pulling the reins.
Chen Le glanced at his scooter lying on the ground. "Ah, damn it—!" He hurriedly propped it up, his knee still aching but adrenaline forcing his body to move. The Living Eye floated not far from his face, its pupil constantly rotating, scanning the forest as if it were a radar.
"Still more enemies…?" he muttered nervously.
But the panel displayed faint text:
[ Area Clear (for now) ]
Chen Le let out a breath of relief. Without hesitation, he twisted the throttle again. Vrrroooommmm!
"Let's go, don't wait for their reinforcements!" he shouted.
Lia now took the lead, her horse galloping fast, her body upright and fully alert. "Follow me! Keep the distance tight!"
Chen Le revved the scooter, speeding behind Lia. The night wind struck his face, mixed with the stench of blood and lingering smoke from the explosions.
On his shoulder, Alvara's head—still clinging by her hair—hissed softly. "Very good, Delivery Boy… keep it up like that."
Chen Le snorted, still trembling. "Easy for you to say."
Alvara gave a faint smile, though only her head remained. Her voice carried arrogance but also… encouragement.
"Bring me to the destination, and I will grant you a luxurious bonus. Something you could never imagine in your original world."
Chen Le swallowed hard, torn between panic and curiosity. "Luxurious bonus?… Damn, that sounds like some MLM scam, but—ah screw it! Full throttle!"
The scooter roared again, speeding over the rocky path. The Living Eye floated ahead of them, its pupil sweeping in every direction like a spotlight securing their journey.
[ Remaining Distance: 4,000 meters ]
The night wind kept slamming against Chen Le's face, his scooter roaring as it followed Lia who was already two meters ahead. The Living Eye still floated, its pupil darting rapidly.
Suddenly, Alvara's voice came from his shoulder—cold, yet slightly… teasing.
"Delivery Boy, you need both hands to control that mount, don't you?"
Chen Le snorted, gripping the vibrating handlebar. "Of course! If I only use one hand, I'll fall again!"
"Hmm… but to simply keep it running?" Alvara glanced toward the scooter's throttle.
"Huh?" Chen Le frowned. "Well… yeah… just my right hand to twist the throttle," he answered briefly.
Alvara let out a small snort. Her black hair suddenly released its coil from Chen Le's right arm. The tips of her hair floated, moving like living snakes in the night air.
"In that case… let me handle the adjustment."
WHUUSHH…
The hair clung to his left shoulder, then wrapped tightly around his left arm. Alvara's head shifted, her face now resting against the left side of Chen Le, right beside his half-helmet.
Chen Le almost swerved from shock.
"Hah?! Why'd you move?! Weren't you stuck on the right just now?!"
Alvara gave a faint smile, her eyes reflecting a dim red glow. "So your right hand can keep the mount running. You need to shoot something else… soon."
Chen Le furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?!"
Before he could demand an answer, a long sound echoed from behind the trees.
AUUWWWWWOOOOO!!!
A wolf's howl. Long, heavy, and resonant, making the hairs on his neck stand on end.
Chen Le swallowed hard, eyes widening.
"Oh shit… don't tell me—"
Alvara grinned coldly. "Correct. Our problem isn't over yet."