Slash!! (Please Follow!)

The Resting Mausoleum was dead silent.

Under the silent gaze of rows upon rows of tombstones,

the formally dressed Youth faced off against a group of burly men in suits carrying Briefcases.

Standing before those hulking men, Deputy Han's delicate face revealed a trace of realization.

"A funeral... I see."

"You came... to avenge Old Liu?"

Glancing at the grave Bai Zhou had crawled out of, Deputy Han narrowed his peach-blossom eyes, instantly grasping most of the situation.

"You saw what happened just now?"

"How much do you know?"

"Perhaps more than you think," Bai Zhou said.

"But if you can give me that Account Book..."

Bai Zhou pointed at the black notebook in Deputy Han's hand.

"Then I'll know even more."

"That joke isn't funny."

Deputy Han's expression cooled as he tucked the Account Book into his chest with one hand.

With his other hand raised, a Subordinate immediately stepped forward and placed a silver-white metal case in his hand.

The instant the case reached his hand, Deputy Han seemed to relax all over.

He looked Bai Zhou up and down, his gaze carrying a hint of regret, as though he were assessing the quality of an object.

"Do you know?"

He said lightly, "Only blind eyes do not shed tears, and only mute mouths do not argue."

"Only muddled hearts... do not suddenly stop beating."

"Knowing too much may not be a good thing."

"What a pity. I had originally planned to nurture you properly, but now..."

"Stop!"

Bai Zhou raised a hand, cutting Deputy Han off.

"You talk too much nonsense."

He had originally planned to probe the other man for some information.

But after rambling on for so long, the man had said nothing but muddled nonsense.

Time was tight. Bai Zhou had no time to keep wasting words on Deputy Han.

He glanced at Deputy Han, whose face had darkened after being interrupted,

then looked at the Muscular Men behind him before slowly raising the Thermos in his hand.

It was 12:10 a.m.

"The auspicious hour has arrived—"

Dressed sharply, Bai Zhou imitated the Master of Ceremonies from Evening City's "wedding banquet" and made the declaration, hurling the Thermos hard to the ground.

"Let the funeral begin!"

The instant his words fell,

the Thermos traced a parabola through the air as it flew toward Deputy Han and the others.

"?"

The Men in Suits behind Deputy Han all had question marks pop up over their heads.

What was this supposed to do?

Was he smashing a cup as a signal?

Yet no eight hundred axemen leaped from the graves to swarm Deputy Han's group and chop them into minced meat.

There was only an explosion.

Boom—

Flames shot into the sky as a surging fireball burst open.

Specially formulated chemical agents,

combined with a miniature Ritual inscribed along the cup's inner wall—

created a bomb of considerable power.

The result of Bai Zhou's long special training rang out across the base for the first time.

"Cough, cough..."

"Bai Zhou!"

Curses and shouts rang out.

The burly men in suits staggered in all directions. Two of those closest to the blast died on the spot.

The others, their faces blackened by the explosion, glared furiously at Bai Zhou.

"Is this what you were relying on? A little trick for making explosives?"

Protected behind the crowd, Deputy Han stared coldly at Bai Zhou.

"If this is all you have..."

Before he could finish,

the Thermos's explosion became the signal for something to begin, setting off a chain reaction.

Bang, bang bang bang—

In front of tombstones that seemed to have remained silent forever, cement slabs suddenly sprang open.

A fierce barrage of flying arrows shot out like snowflakes.

No one had imagined that such things would fly out from the direction of the tombstones.

So no one had been prepared.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Only upon closer inspection did they realize these were not arrowheads at all.

They were sharp fragments of Bench Legs.

Rust and carefully smeared black stains of filthy water still clung to them.

But by the time people saw what they were, metal shards had already cut through their throats and killed them.

No matter how long one trained their muscles, no matter what tactical training they had undergone...

life was, by its nature, exceptionally fragile.

Never let down one's guard. Never underestimate an enemy... even if that enemy was merely a lone Youth who had just come of age.

This was one small preparation Bai Zhou had made in advance.

Perhaps, just perhaps, it also counted as a response from those long-silent heroic souls to Deputy Han's earlier prayer...

The rain of arrows passed.

Corpses carpeted the ground.

In the blink of an eye, only Deputy Han remained standing alone.

Only this... Mechanical Monster.

Bzz—

The soft hum of machinery operating sounded especially piercing in this graveyard.

The Mechanical Briefcase had long since disassembled, countless precision mechanical parts covering his entire left half.

Hard armor plating protected his left chest, left shoulder, and even left arm, while a mechanical exoskeleton covered his left leg.

Faint blue traces of flowing energy coursed through the gaps in the armor like blood, occasionally issuing restless hums.

A Mechanical Half-Body of technological beauty at its peak, possessing the aesthetics of violence—

stood before Bai Zhou just like that.

"Bai Zhou... you've exceeded my expectations somewhat."

A crimson-glowing Mechanical Prosthetic Eye and an ordinary flesh-and-blood eye sat side by side. An elegant smile appeared on his sickly face.

A powerful oppressive force came crashing down as the Mechanical Monster flexed his enormous mechanical left arm.

The symphony of heavy metal joints turning and hydraulic hisses carried a certain rhythm, as though Deputy Han were tuning an instrument.

When he spoke, the electronic effect in his voice was especially cold.

"But no matter how many tricks you have, the gulf between ordinary people and extraordinary beings—"

"Is beyond anything you can imagine!"

Before his words were finished, the wind howled.

The Mechanical Monster attacked.

He was on an entirely different level from Section Chief Liu's mechanical arm. Even the "Doctor" from Hengtan Elementary School was nothing like him.

It was difficult to imagine just how much kinetic power the Mechanical Half-Body provided him...

But flames erupted behind him, and in the blink of an eye, he burst toward Bai Zhou, kicking up dust that filled the sky in his wake.

The giant mechanical fist descended from above. The wind from the punch screamed, carrying unimaginable weight. Like a falling iron hammer, like Mount Tai pressing down, it sought to smash Bai Zhou into pulp.

Strong!

Now Bai Zhou understood what Ya had meant by Deputy Han being "rich" and "strong."

As the direct person in charge of the "transaction," one could imagine how much money Deputy Han had spent to build the Mechanical Briefcase to this extent.

There was no need to compare it to the pathetic mechanical arm Section Chief Liu had been so proud of.

Even the "Doctor," also a Level Two extraordinary being, before Deputy Han with the Mechanical Briefcase activated...

the so-called Three Year Cicada could only be a cicada, destined to be slapped to death in one blow.

This was pure domination in terms of raw numbers. That was the meaning of the Mechanical Briefcase.

At that critical moment—

Bai Zhou leaned back to evade, his body folding backward with extreme fluidity.

Upside down with his head below and feet above, he struck an unexpected pose, then kicked upward and viciously hit Deputy Han beneath the chin.

Bang!

A dull impact rang out, as though he had kicked a piece of pig iron. Bai Zhou rolled back, barely avoiding Deputy Han's continuing barrage of iron fists.

Well, now those really were "iron fists" in the literal sense.

"Are you scratching an itch?"

Deputy Han was smiling, but his eyes were deeply sinister.

"You really should have endured a little longer... until you became an extraordinary being."

"Otherwise, how long will I have to wait before I find another you?"

"You've disappointed my great expectations. Even Major will be disappointed because of this. Tell me... shouldn't you die?"

"Speak!"

He shouted sharply.

His gloomy, piercing voice, mixed with the electronic effect, was instead balanced into an ordinary male voice.

Perhaps this was his complete form.

Too lazy to respond, Bai Zhou straightened himself and let out a soft breath, then slowly drew from behind him...

a blackened Fire Poker.

"What is that?"

Deputy Han could not help freezing for a moment.

But in that instant of distraction, Bai Zhou had already pressed in close and swung the club down—

Bang!!!

With a thunderous crash, the Short Club mercilessly struck Deputy Han's mechanical arm as he barely raised it to block.

A tremendous force surged through the iron club, smashing a clear dent into the mechanical arm.

That was his answer.

"An extraordinary being!"

Deputy Han's pupils constricted as he finally realized the problem.

"You became an extraordinary being... so quickly?"

Bai Zhou said nothing, merely raised the Short Club again.

Spirituality surged as though he were swinging a blade to chop—

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!!!

Sparks flew wildly as the impacts traveled through both of them.

More and more dents appeared on the mechanical arm, while Bai Zhou's tiger's mouth split open from the vibrations.

Crimson blood stained the Short Club red, making it glow faintly.

"A wonderful melody!"

Deputy Han's voice grew increasingly delighted.

After the brief shock, immense pleasure rose within him.

An extraordinary being! He had become one so quickly, so easily?

Sure enough, Bai Zhou was a true Genius!

This was... wonderful!

It was not too early at all. The fruit had simply ripened early.

Harvesting it now was perfect!

"Let me hear the final movement you play with your life."

His electronic voice carried terrifying pressure and sickening fervor.

"—Make it louder!"

Metal collided with the Short Club, and the thunderous crashes never ceased.

They roared as they fought to the death.

It had to be admitted that, just as Ya had predicted, Deputy Han was terrifyingly strong.

Even with Bai Zhou giving it everything he had, he was still at an absolute disadvantage.

That mechanical left arm was absurdly nimble. It could even counterattack on its own, protecting Deputy Han from head to toe without a single opening.

The power it carried was even more ridiculous. One solid punch landing on Bai Zhou would be enough to decide the battle completely.

Anyone standing here could see that Bai Zhou's defeat was probably only a matter of time.

—This had never been a fair fight.

On one side was Deputy Han, who relied on piles of money and crushing equipment superiority to run rampant among Level 2 Extraordinary.

On the other was Bai Zhou, who had only become a Level 1 Extraordinary a few days ago.

This kind of pressure, this kind of unfairness, was much like what Bai Zhou had experienced all along.

The intense tension he had felt upon first arriving at the base from Evening City, or the immense helplessness when he learned the truth about "eating people."

It seemed that ever since he had come here—or perhaps even earlier—Bai Zhou had always been cast as the weak and insignificant one.

The world would not prepare evenly matched opponents for you.

If you wanted to defy the world, you had to be prepared to challenge the Demon King the moment you left the Novice Village.

Even so—

The world would never lack Brave Ones who set out on the road of adventure.

No matter how terrible the world above their heads was, no matter how suffocating it became, there would never be a shortage of rebels willing to speak for others.

And the moment you decided to speak out, you had to remember to bring a loudspeaker, just as you had to bring your sword before deciding to enter the Jianghu.

Since he had resolved to leave the Novice Village, then even if a dragon truly guarded the Village Entrance...

—He could only kill gods that blocked his path and slaughter Buddhas that stood in his way.

Like now.

For Section Chief Liu, for every victim in the Resting Mausoleum behind him...

And for himself.

Like a mad dog, Bai Zhou let his wounds multiply, yet his momentum only grew more overwhelming as he Entwined himself around Deputy Han in a deadly fight.

"Super Agility" micro-Ritual, activated.

"Overload Power Burst" micro-Ritual, activated.

"Adrenaline Boost" micro-Ritual, activated.

"..."

Activate! Activate! Activate them all!

Half his spirituality erupted at once, operating in an overloaded state!

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The longer they fought, the more Deputy Han felt that something was wrong.

It was hard to describe Deputy Han's shock at that moment.

Because this had completely surpassed the limits of his understanding.

...Was this Kid really drinking the Magic Potion I gave him?

Could this be someone who had just become Extraordinary?

—Impossible!

Bai Zhou had to be a Level 2 Extraordinary, perhaps even a weaker Level 3 Extraordinary!

The private custom work Deputy Han had painstakingly built for himself—the power of his Mechanical Half-Body—was already enough to let him challenge some relatively weak Level 3 Extraordinary.

How could he have to exert this much effort against a Kid who had only just become Extraordinary?

And why did this Kid seem to be getting stronger the longer they fought?

Had he been injected with chicken blood or something? Did he not get tired at all?

Deputy Han himself had a Mechanical Half-Body. Could Bai Zhou also have one hidden beneath his skin?

—And that Short Club!

—Especially that Short Club!

What exactly was that pitch-black Short Club?

It was heavy and hard, smashing dents all over his mechanical armor. The force nearly made him cough blood, yet it had not left a single mark on the club itself?

Could it be...

An Extraordinary weapon?

"I understand now... You're an undercover agent from the Blood Worship Cult!"

"A Blood Worship Cult officer went to such lengths to disguise himself as a child and infiltrate this place. You must be plotting something major!"

Deputy Han suddenly understood.

He understood everything now!

"Was it the Dead Sea Scrolls, or did Major Chong send you?"

"Or perhaps... you want a share of the profits too, and intend to meddle in our Industry Chain?"

There was definitely a dangerous Blood Worship Cult officer behind this "Bai Zhou."

—What the Blood Worship Cult excelled at most was "disguise"!

Suddenly, Deputy Han shuddered.

His gaze toward Bai Zhou was dangerous, but he had already begun considering retreat.

"You appeared so eagerly now... Are you planning to kill me, then disguise yourself as me?"

"—Do you have others lying in ambush here?"

Deputy Han suddenly panicked.

His formerly calm and composed demeanor vanished without a trace.

He tried to negotiate with Bai Zhou.

"...Perhaps we can still discuss this. There's no need to take things this far, don't you think?"

Bai Zhou could not understand what Deputy Han was rambling about.

But he committed every word Deputy Han said to memory.

And Deputy Han losing his composure was always a good thing.

—His movements had slowed!

"I'm nobody."

His gaze locked tightly onto his opponent, Bai Zhou slipped aside with a sliding step.

"I am Bai Zhou. I come from Evening City, and I came to avenge Brother Liu."

He raised his head and looked at Deputy Han with calm eyes as he spoke.

"How could that be...?!" Deputy Han's eyes widened, his crimson mechanical left eye flashing continuously.

Bai Zhou shook his head.

"Your long-winded nonsense has exhausted all my patience. It was atrocious as a speech, and it wasn't much of a Last Will either."

"This farce should end."

"—Under 'their' watchful eyes."

Standing before the rows of gravestones, Bai Zhou drew back his club and put it away.

As though sheathing a blade.

Focusing his mind, he bent forward and assumed a sword-drawing stance.

"Watch carefully!"

"This next strike—"

Bai Zhou shouted softly.

Deputy Han shuddered and hurriedly focused his eyes, every muscle tensed as he became intensely alert.

A blade?

Where was the blade?

Though doubt filled his heart, Deputy Han's gaze remained fixed on Bai Zhou, not daring to shift even the slightest bit.

At the same time, several mocking snickers sounded in his mind.

What era is this? Announcing your secret technique out loud before using it.

What kind of warrior are you? Or some pedantic "gentleman" from a thousand years ago...

Isn't that just reminding others to get ready?

What a joke.

Now, he was beginning to believe that Bai Zhou was not a Blood Worship Cult officer in disguise.

No matter how incomprehensibly talented he was, he was still just a child...

Then,

At the instant Deputy Han's eyes widened, Bai Zhou silently stirred the Sea of Ignorance within himself.

His lips moved slightly as he softly recited that mysterious yet simple incantation:

"Light—"

A sun rose before Deputy Han's wide, staring eyes.

"Ah, you—"

Deputy Han, who had been staring tensely at Bai Zhou the entire time, was instantly left with nothing but a field of blinding white before his eyes. He could see nothing at all.

Where had eighty thousand lumens of intense light come from?!

Where was the promised blade?

Despicable!!

He panicked completely and wildly swung his heavy mechanical arm.

As thunderous booms sounded from his hand, he staggered backward again and again.

But at that moment, a strange sound of a blade being drawn reached his ears.

It sounded as though some flame had been ignited.

At the same time, a low whisper from the Youth, like a death sentence, sounded out:

"Moon Ember—Sacred Oath Slash!"

Another new sun rose before Deputy Han's eyes—

"Slash!"