Malice

Malice

The formal negotiations with the Yomogawa Family were entirely left to Sion. Xu Yue did not join in that sort of polite small talk—not because he did not want to use this opportunity to make an impression on them, but because there was not much time left when he counted it out.

Likewise, Mumei, who was yawning, had even less interest. After secretly giving Xu Yue a look, she began quietly crawling backward.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xu Yue naturally slipped out after Mumei.

Xu Yue's greatest goal in this Mission Space was to farm task points. For that, he would not hesitate even if it meant drastically changing the course of the plot!

And the nearest opportunity was undoubtedly the other armored Steam Iron Fortress arriving that night—Fuso City!

According to the plot, that Iron Fortress would be occupied by the Kabane and follow its original route straight toward Kōkan Station. Because they carelessly lowered the drawbridge too early, the Iron Fortress crashed directly into the city, bringing the Kabane through what had once been an impregnable defense line.

That led to the fall of Kōkan Station and all the subsequent plot developments.

What Xu Yue intended to do was change this crucial plot point!

Based on the intelligence he had gathered from Icarus, the rewards for forcibly preventing this event—the trigger for the main storyline—would definitely not be low. Moreover, he could use this opportunity to farm enough goodwill and reputation to facilitate his next moves.

"Mr. Strange Pervert, you hate these occasions too, don't you? They're terrifying. I'd rather fight the Kabane once."

Having slipped out of the meeting room and climbed onto the roof, Mumei stuck out her little tongue as she spoke to Xu Yue, who had followed her out.

"Then there'll be a fight soon enough. Come with me."

Mumei's combat efficiency against the Kabane was, all things considered, even higher than Xu Yue's in his normal state. Naturally, he would not give up such assistance.

He then led the curious Mumei toward the drawbridge at the only entrance. By now, the sky had gradually darkened, and torches had been lit in many places throughout Kōkan Station.

The flickering flames cast equally flickering shadows across the ground, as though a horde of demons were dancing wildly.

But then, several figures emerged from behind those shadows, vaguely blocking Xu Yue and Mumei's path.

Not only that—after the way ahead was blocked, several people also appeared behind them to cut off their retreat. There were even several figures on the surrounding rooftops.

"Huh? Are they the fight you were talking about?"

Noticing that they had been surrounded, Mumei could not help muttering.

When Xu Yue saw the few people in front taking the lead as they stepped out of the shadows and into the firelight, he was also somewhat surprised.

Lone Wolf, who had kept saying he looked down on newcomers and despised useless teammates, had actually taken the initiative to contact all those first-time newcomers. Using their identities as Apprentice Samurai to clear the area, they had created this encirclement. Other than the few Railway Guerrillas and that woman, everyone else was here.

"Doctor, I didn't expect us to meet again."

Lone Wolf looked at Xu Yue, glanced at Mumei beside him, and revealed an inexplicable smile. Under the flickering firelight, his expression looked indescribably sinister.

"It seems Spy was right after all. You really are quite skilled at gathering intelligence."

Xu Yue had only just come out when they had already found his route and set up an ambush. Naturally, that could only have been Spy's doing.

"You flatter me. Gathering intelligence is the one thing I have some experience with. Still, I didn't expect you to bring someone out with you."

"It doesn't matter. She's just a child. There are plenty of ways to make her listen to me afterward."

The fierce newcomer who had robbed a Railway Guerrilla of his rifle also spoke up then, baring his pale teeth in blatant threat.

"Scarface, watch your tone. Don't scare our guest. We came here with goodwill."

Lone Wolf spoke teasingly with an ill-intentioned smile, carrying himself with the confidence and air of someone who had everything under control.

Ahaha, he had actually rejected Lone Wolf's kind invitation before! He wanted to use the intelligence he had bought to reap benefits alone? Dream on!

"Haha, Lone Wolf is right. We came full of goodwill too. But I have quite a bad temper. If someone inexplicably rejects my goodwill, I get angry."

Scarface, who had always acted arrogant and had even robbed a veteran of his weapon, was now acting as though he followed Lone Wolf's every command. Some unspeakable backroom deal must have taken place after Xu Yue entered the Yomogawa Family.

Satisfied with his underling's performance, Lone Wolf nodded as well.

"I believe Doctor is a smart man. He won't reject our goodwill."

"Go on. You must have specifically gathered information about this place. Share all of it, and sign a contract. Then we'll be comrades and brothers who live and die together."

So they had seen that Xu Yue had managed to establish ties with the Yomogawa Family and latch onto a powerful backer. Fully aware of the benefits of building relationships with important plot characters, they naturally coveted the secret behind it.

After persuading one another for a while, they formed the loose alliance before him because they shared the same goal!

"That's right. At a time like this, we should stand united. You can't put us at a disadvantage for your own selfish desires."

"Don't be so selfish. Hurry up and share that intelligence."

"Hmph, you left us on your own before. It was already outrageous that you didn't provide the intelligence from the beginning. We're forgiving you this once, so you should be grateful."

After Lone Wolf finished speaking, the others each voiced their opinions as well. Most of them sounded utterly self-righteous and morally indignant.

With their overwhelming advantage in numbers, coupled with herd mentality, more and more people began speaking up.

And when they saw that Xu Yue seemed unmoved and had yet to respond, their words became increasingly forceful.

One after another, they began showing vicious and threatening expressions.

"Don't think we'll be wary of your relationship with the Yomogawa Family. Do you think you can escape from here unscathed?"

"Since we've shown ourselves, we have absolute confidence. Nothing can go wrong."

"Other than compromise, you have no way out!"

"Kōkan Station is so large. If one or two people disappear, no one would ever find them."

"..."

Seeing an opportunity, the others also began chiming in and applying pressure, creating a buzzing clamor.

Naturally, they did not want to solve things through violence either. If they could leverage the situation to threaten him a little and obtain enormous benefits, of course they would not refuse.

With the Space Contract in place, there was no need to worry about deception.

Killing to silence someone was absolutely the worst option. Not only could it bring unnecessary trouble, but this was a peace mission, and killing would result in point deductions. No one wanted to lose points.

But Doctor, who had already completed one mission, surely understood the situation before him.

Seeing that the timing was about right, Lone Wolf revealed the formidable weapon in his hand and said with a smile, "Perhaps you gained quite a bit from your first mission, but you need to understand that no matter what you earned in one mission, it can't compare to us, who have already completed two. You can't even match us in training time."

"Perhaps you don't understand the power of this weapon in my hand. Give me three seconds, and I can turn you into a sieve."

As he spoke, he swept the ground with gunfire.

Rat-a-tat-tat~

Dust flew everywhere. The rate of fire of a Submachine Gun was indeed unmatched.

The newcomers looked at him with worshipful eyes.

In a world where technology had only advanced to the level of the Hanyang 88 rifle, the firing rate of a Submachine Gun was far beyond anything they could imagine.

Yet neither Xu Yue nor Mumei showed much reaction to such a "domineering" display.

Setting Xu Yue aside, even with Mumei's eyesight, she could tell that this weapon was all bark and no bite. A Submachine Gun was not an assault rifle or a machine gun.

Its firing rate was fast, but its penetrating power was only around the level of an ordinary Steam Gun—perhaps slightly better—but it still could not penetrate a Kabane's heart membrane. It was completely meaningless.

For Mumei herself, the user's slow reaction speed meant it was not much of a threat either.

"See that? This is the true strength of veterans like us!"

Amid a chorus of flattery, Lone Wolf spoke with high spirits, as though he had already reached the pinnacle of life. It was as if he could already see the other party trembling at his feet in the next moment, offering up all the intelligence on this Mission Space.

The lackeys beside him also continued to flatter and echo him.

But the chaotic scene clearly irritated little Mumei.

"Hey, hey, strange pervert mister, what are they even talking about? Doctor? Are they talking about you? You're a doctor too?"

Xu Yue naturally reached out and pressed down on Mumei's little head, thoroughly messing up her hair as he said with a smile, "It's nothing. They're all my patients. Mm, I have some unique insights into treating mental illness. They're having an episode again, so I need to treat them."

An expression of helplessness appeared on Xu Yue's face.

"Bastard! What did you say?!"

One of the lackeys handing Steam Guns to the trainee samurai immediately raised his gun and aimed it at Xu Yue, putting on a threatening stance. He had been worrying about not having a chance to show his loyalty, yet Xu Yue dared to say something like that?!

You have been maliciously targeted by Reincarnator No. 4074. You may retaliate against him and his team without penalty for the next half hour.

Only after this message sounded in his mind did Xu Yue's face curl into a strange smile.

The instant the notification ended, the hand seals in his hands were completed as well.

Illusion Technique: Naraku Manifestation Technique!

Clatter—the man threatening him with a Steam Gun dropped his weapon to the ground in the next instant.

Then, with a face full of terror, he clawed at his own scalp. Blood filled the gaps beneath his fingernails, and a shriek escaped his mouth.

It was not just him. Almost at the exact moment he screamed, an invisible ripple swept over everyone nearby.

"Ah! Don't come closer! Don't come closer!"

"Kabane! The Kabane are here!"

"I don't want to die! Save me!"

"Help!"

"..."

In an instant, the crowd that had just surrounded them so aggressively was now filled with madness. Their faces bore all manner of grotesque, terrified expressions.

Snot and tears smeared across their faces.

Quite a few were even foaming at the mouth.

They truly lived up to Xu Yue's description of mental patients.

Even the three veterans entering a mission for the third time wore expressions of terror. They had no resistance whatsoever against this D-rank Illusion Technique.

Against opponents of the same level, Illusion Techniques could generally only serve as support unless they were unique secret arts. But against small fry, they were unquestionably weapons of mass destruction in group battles.

They were even more efficient than AOE ninjutsu like Great Fireball.

"Y-you, who are you?!"

The only ones who had endured Xu Yue's Illusion Technique and could still remain standing were Lone Wolf, Spy, and Blondie, the three veterans.

Everyone else, including Scimitar, who had completed one mission and gained quite a lot from it, was supporting themselves with their weapons and kneeling on one knee. Scarface, a hardened criminal and ruthless thug in the real world, was now on both knees and unable to get up. Though his mind was resilient, he seemed to have suffered the greatest shock.

Even the three who could still barely stand were soaked through with sweat, nearly collapsed from exhaustion, their legs weak and their bodies still trembling.

Other than barely being able to speak, they had completely lost their ability to fight. They simply had not passed out yet.

Whooo~

However, just then, the sound of a whistle from the distance interrupted Xu Yue as he prepared to finish them off.

For a bunch of small fry, it simply was not worth wasting his precious Reincarnation Points and an opportunity to complete the mission.

"Mumei, let's go. We can leave these guys to the Yomogawa Family to deal with later."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly accelerated, leaping onto a rooftop and sprinting toward the only suspension bridge...