The Strange Katana

Midnight, Hanging Street

Actually, according to the planet's time, the real midnight should be 3 PM, since there are 30 hours in a day.

However, 12 o'clock is still the time for normal people to rest.

However, on Hanging Neck Street, colorful neon signs almost fill the entire street.

Nighttime is more dangerous than daytime.

Not long after leaving the capsule hotel on a rainy night, carrying a knife but no umbrella, he encountered a drug dealer secretly injecting himself with needles, a virtual male character forcing him to make purchases, and a fanatical religious figure loudly proclaiming the "AI blasphemy theory."

The other person's voice had an unimaginable infectious power.

Unlike the previous two, he was affected by this one before he even had time to react. He now has an "AI aversion" status, which causes his body to feel instinctively uncomfortable whenever he encounters artificial intelligence.

"Oh shit."

Even with the unwavering resolve of this former bigwig, he couldn't help but curse.

The danger level of this place is almost the same as where he lives, but his game self is far less resourceful than his real-life self.

You must arm yourself as soon as possible, otherwise it will be difficult to survive here.

Not long after, the man carrying a knife but no umbrella on a rainy night forgot that it was just a game.

Finally, after dodging a group of robots that were parading at night, he arrived at the staff alley.

The dark alleyway was empty; there was no one in sight.

Carrying a knife but no umbrella on a rainy night raises one's vigilance to the extreme. Although it's just a simple mission, the possibility of unexpected events cannot be ruled out.

Almost without warning, he was suddenly pulled up by something around his waist in the rainy night, carrying a knife but no umbrella. When he came to his senses, he was already on the roof of the staff alley.

The mysterious shopkeeper was standing opposite him, and unlike during the day, he was now wearing something that looked like a wristband.

"They're here."

The man, carrying a knife but no umbrella, nodded cautiously and asked, "What do you need me to do?"

The senior engineer didn't reply. He turned around and jumped onto another rooftop. Yu Ye was stunned for a moment and instinctively chased after him.

In a congested environment similar to Kowloon Walled City, two figures moved swiftly. Gradually, Yu Ye, carrying a knife but no umbrella, began to feel the pressure. It seemed that if he slowed down even slightly, his opponent would disappear into the darkness. While running, he also had to pay attention to the obstacles around him, such as old cables of unknown purpose, signs on rooftops, and even drug addicts taking drugs on rooftops.

Gradually, as his physical strength waned, his concentration began to wane, and the pressure he felt grew increasingly intense.

However, his strong willpower always sustained him.

After an unknown amount of time, a "ding" sounded on the player's interface.

You have learned the passive skill 'Basic Tracking'.

Basic tracking: Able to keep the eyes following the target while moving at high speed, and simultaneously avoid various obstacles.

Note: This is a passive skill and cannot be improved by experience points; it can only be improved by proficiency.

Cough cough, whoosh—

He was carrying a knife but no umbrella in the rainy night, his hands supporting his knees, panting heavily, drool spitting out. He hadn't been this disheveled in a long time.

This reminded him of the time when he first started training.

He looked up and saw the mysterious shopkeeper sitting on a signboard not far away. Recalling the chase he had just experienced, he suddenly realized that every time he reached his limit, the other person would deliberately slow down.

"Is the other party training me?"

He walked to the signboard in the rain, carrying a knife but no umbrella, and plopped down. The other person looked ahead and handed him a bottle of drink.

Atomic Cola: A sugar-free beverage containing other chemicals that enhances energy recovery, lasting for 5 minutes.

On a rainy night, carrying a knife but no umbrella, he pulled the tab and drank it all in one gulp.

The senior engineer got straight to the point. "I'm tracking down a stealthy serial killer."

In the Free Zone, such serial killers are all too common. Some are terrorists seeking revenge on society, some are experimental subjects whose human brains have failed to be modified, some are androids infected with viruses, and some are veterans suffering from cyberpsychotic episodes.

The media in the city that never sleeps are also happy to report such sensational news in order to grab attention.

This serial killer made headlines for three consecutive days because he evaded three attacks by robotic surveillance cameras.

I haven't seen such an arrogant criminal in at least this month!

The senior engineer wasn't the kind of warm-hearted hero, but the problem was that this invisible killer had been loitering around Hanging Street since yesterday. What if this guy set his sights on his adopted sister? That would be the end of them.

However, Yu Ye seemed to have misunderstood something, and said with a strange expression, "You mean, you want me to kill that murderer?"

The senior engineer glanced at the other person. The City Never Sleeps is an intermediate-level map. Those who can appear and disappear here and kill people are basically tough characters above level 20, and may even have an elite template. You kid would just be feeding them.

However, he did intend to find some work for the other party.

Although you can use 'faction experience' as your mission reward, that's not a reason for the other party to take advantage of you for free.

"Keep watch for me," the senior engineer stood up, tossed over a communicator, flicked his wrist, and his figure flashed a few times on the rooftop before disappearing.

"This is--"

On a rainy night, carrying a knife but no umbrella, his gaze narrowed. The opponent's muscle exertion, movements, and explosive power, including that strange telescopic device and the way it hovered in the air, all gave him a strange sense of excitement from the bottom of his bones.

This stealthy assassin was extremely cautious. The senior engineer noticed his presence several times, but just as he was about to attach a "hunter's mark" to him, the assassin would suddenly and mysteriously disappear.

However, he was still able to determine the other party's approximate area of activity.

As the radiation field of the high school unfolded, the surrounding lights began to 'buzz'.

Electronic control affects all electronic devices within the radiation field.

This is one of the abilities of the template 'Radiation Field Mastery'.

The senior engineer was certain that the other party possessed some kind of electronic device, and it was possible that the "invisibility ability" was the capability of this device.

In the city that never sleeps, there are no police officers. Instead, there are various types of law enforcement officers who belong to different security companies and contract out different neighborhoods. The high-level neighborhoods have the most advanced firepower and even armed space stations for 24/7 surveillance, while the low-level neighborhoods are not profitable and no one wants to contract them, such as most of the outer city and the old city.

That's how the free zone came about.

Where there are no law enforcers, there is naturally no such thing as mechanical city law.

The senior engineer appeared on the upper floor of a hotel called "Ichiban Shiba". Opposite him, two maglev cars were overturned on the side of the street, and the front of one of the maglev cars had been cut off.

In the third car, a portly middle-aged man was being dragged out by his bodyguards. He had been stabbed in the abdomen, and next to him was a very cute little girl.

"Late? No, someone got here before me."

As the Eye of Freedom was activated, mist began to rise from the ground. In a daze, the engineer saw two figures fighting. Both of them were very fast, and even the Eye of Truth could only reflect a blurry image.

"To be able to create a sonic boom, your speed and power must both be over 40."

"This councilor looks familiar. Isn't that Councilor Hu, the one who supports ethical chips for a better interconnected world?"

"This guy's been in quite a few sex scandals lately."

News from the city that never sleeps doesn't have a censorship committee; the senior engineer has seen at least three of the other party's short videos.

"Please mark this page; you never know when you might need it."

After giving the opponent a 'Hunter's Mark', the senior engineer flicked the 'Monomer Line' and disappeared into the darkness once again.

He didn't wait foolishly upstairs with a knife but no umbrella on a rainy night; instead, he appeared on the street not far away.

Based on his personal experience, an experienced assassin would definitely choose a good escape route, and in an environment like the outer city, there are plenty of escape routes.

But his focus was on "stealth".

"If I could become invisible, I would definitely not choose a crowded or conspicuous place, but rather a place with a lot of surveillance, because the most dangerous place is often the safest place."

Most of the outer city area is a "free zone," but there are exceptions. Based on observations during the rainy night and day, there is a "Sicilian neighborhood" nearby, which is a typical wealthy area with strict security. There are more than a dozen mechanical dogs outside the high walls.

He dared not approach on the rainy night because he discovered that the guard dogs were all of a higher level than him; they were level 10 guard dogs with built-in infrared recognition and tracking systems.

He wasn't sure if the other party would definitely come, but the chances of encountering them were at least higher.

He crouched on the outskirts of this wealthy neighborhood for almost ten minutes and, sure enough, saw a loud explosion. His eyes lit up, and he quickly pulled out his communicator.

But less than two seconds later, a high-pitched scream, characteristic of young girls, rang out.

"Lower your head!"

Without much hesitation, Yu Ye lunged in one direction. The next moment, a long, slanted knife mark appeared on the wall behind him, and then with a loud 'boom,' the upper and lower walls separated.

In that instant, the man carrying a knife but no umbrella in the rain went completely blank.

When he realized what was happening, he forced a bitter smile.

"I'm about to be the first to be killed."

However, in the next instant, the senior engineer suddenly appeared, his right leg lashing out like a whip at the empty space.

The next moment, a figure was kicked flying more than ten meters away.

At the same time, countless shuttle-shaped metal pieces flew out from its body, condensing into an energy cannon in mid-air, and the beam of light flashed by.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the rainy night, a five-figure damage figure shot out.

The assassin was completely vaporized, leaving only a strange samurai sword stuck in the ground.

"Walk."

The senior engineer grabbed the other person, the monomolecular lines tightened suddenly, and before anyone else could arrive, he grabbed the samurai sword on the ground and disappeared.

A few seconds later, a fully modified mechanical girl descended from the sky.

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