The image on the screen was paused.
The frame froze on the back of a man in a black shirt, his hands in his pockets.
Wan Changzheng and Zhao Yan exchanged a glance. Their expressions had never been so grave.
"Xiao Zhao, you've led troops. You saw it too, didn't you?"
Wan Changzheng asked in a low voice.
"Yes, Chief."
Zhao Yan pointed at the figure on the screen, his tone firm as a rock.
"From the way that kid stands, the aura he gives off! And that calmness when facing an S-Class Monster... I'd stake my head on it!"
"There's no way he's a student! Absolutely no way!"
"Even through a screen and an internet connection, I can smell it on him!"
"That guy's hands are stained with oceans of blood! He's probably killed more people than I've seen dead!"
"How could a student from an ivory tower have that kind of composure, that kind of attitude where human life is as worthless as grass?"
Shen Lian, beside them, was building a psychological profile in her mind.
"Agreed."
"Based on his body language and mental fortitude, I've come up with several highly probable conclusions."
Shen Lian turned her tablet around. Several professions were listed on it.
"These are the most likely identities 'No Need for Words' had before coming to the Barbaric Realm."
1. Criminal investigator (deep-cover undercover for more than ten years, and possibly Blackened).
2. Special forces soldier (an Overseas Mercenary King who spent years in war zones like the Middle East and Africa).
3. Assassin (the world's top-ranked Chief Assassin).
4. Forensic Doctor (a renowned master of dissection, perhaps even one with a particular psychological fixation).
Wan Changzheng and Zhao Yan nodded repeatedly after reading the list.
"That makes sense."
Zhao Yan stroked his chin. "Those professions all involve dealing with the dead on a regular basis."
"And with those specific details you put in parentheses, they really do fit his cool-headedness."
"Anything else?" Zhao Yan asked.
"There are quite a few other possibilities, but the probabilities based on big data are very low."
Shen Lian replied calmly, "These four are the most likely, with a combined probability of over 90%."
"As for the rest... I don't think you'd want to know."
At that, Zhao Yan's Contrarian Personality flared up.
He glared at her. "What do you mean, I wouldn't want to know? I want to hear the least likely one! That's all I'm asking!"
Shen Lian sighed and glanced at him as if he were an idiot. Without further ado, she gave him one word.
"Psychiatric patient."
"Specifically, someone with Severe Schizophrenia and Multiple Personalities, whose personalities include every single profession I just listed."
"..."
The corner of Zhao Yan's mouth twitched violently. "Der~"
"Forget I said anything."
"How could there possibly be someone that bizarre? Is that even a person?"
"Enough, enough."
Wan Changzheng waved a hand, cutting off Zhao Yan's complaints.
"Don't get hung up on who he is. Whoever he is, as long as he's a Huaxia Person, that's all that matters."
"Let's keep watching."
He clicked play.
The video continued.
Next came the boy lying on the ground, shouting himself hoarse.
But because it involved an intelligence leak, the Sky Curtain had blurred the sound.
"Its weakness is B-! It doesn't have B-! Don't B-!!"
All that came through were muted words.
"Looks like this kid is Yang Wei's companion after all."
Wan Changzheng sighed. "He may be a little weak, but he still managed to call out information at a crucial moment. At least he's loyal."
"Mm, that makes a lot more sense." Zhao Yan nodded.
But the next second—
The Scarecrow on the screen charged forward.
The man made no fancy moves. He simply raised his hand and fired three shots!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Mozambique Drill!
Two to the chest, one to the head!
The S-class BOSS was instantly blown apart by invisible bullets, its pieces scattered across the ground.
Most importantly—
No Need for Words didn't even have a gun!
"Huh?"
The three people in the office all gaped, their faces filled with incomprehension.
"Wait... it's over already?"
Zhao Yan was dumbfounded. "That's it for an S-class BOSS?"
Shen Lian calmly glanced at the timestamp in the lower-right corner. "Only nine seconds have passed. It's not over yet."
Sure enough.
On the screen, countless Wheat Stalks surged. The terrifying Scarecrow reassembled behind Jiangnan, revived, and raised its sickle for a sneak attack!
"An immortal body..."
Wan Changzheng's expression changed. "This is what makes an S-Class Monster terrifying! This entire Wheat Field is its true body!"
"As long as the Wheat Field remains, it can't die!"
"Look out!"
Zhao Yan shouted without thinking.
But an even more shocking scene unfolded.
The man didn't turn around. He simply raised his index finger to his lips and made a "Shh" gesture.
In an instant—
The berserk Scarecrow seemed to have been paused, frozen in midair.
It swung its sickle wildly, but like a headless fly, it had lost track of its target.
Then, without even turning his head, the man fired a shot behind him and blew the BOSS's head apart once more!
"Pause!" Shen Lian called sharply.
The video froze again.
"That aim... incredible."
Wan Changzheng's voice was hurried.
"Was he relying purely on sound to locate it? No... it seems he didn't even hear it."
"He saw its shadow in the moonlight! He was able to pinpoint the Scarecrow's position from its shadow alone!"
"And those bullets. There's no visible trajectory, but their power is absurd. They can easily pierce an S-Class Monster's defenses."
"Vacuum bullets? Or compressed air?"
Zhao Yan spoke up as well. "He's even better than that Soldier King from our military district decades ago who used Reverse Trigger Installation!"
"Chief, do you remember? You were still a company commander then. You saw him install his rifle's trigger backward and reprimanded him!"
"Then that kid argued that it was to keep the enemy from firing immediately if his gun fell into their hands!"
"Because they wouldn't be used to it."
"You chewed him out on the spot! You said, 'Your gun is your life! Do you think this is a bayonet charge from decades ago?'"
"'The man who killed you wouldn't give a damn about your lousy gun!'"
"'In modern warfare, how could your opponent, as a special forces soldier, be someone who couldn't get a gun?! You think he'll fight you at close range?'"
"Let me think, what was that guy's name again..."
"Oh! Turns out it was me. Never mind, then. Hahaha!"
Zhao Yan laughed and scratched his head.
"Ahem!"
Wan Changzheng interrupted him speechlessly. "All right, Xiao Zhao! Enough about your glorious past! We're discussing No Need for Words!"
"Chief Engineer Shen, what's your take?"
Shen Lian had remained silent, her brows knitted as if she were considering an extraordinarily difficult question.
After a long while, she raised her head, her tone grave.
"Chiefs, I can't quite figure No Need for Words out."
"Because in those brief ten-odd seconds, he demonstrated two completely different Supernatural Abilities."
"What?"
Wan Changzheng and Zhao Yan were both stunned. "Completely different? Dual Supernatural Ability?"
"According to all the records from the Barbaric Realm over the years, there has never been anyone with Dual Supernatural Abilities!"
Zhao Yan objected. "That doesn't follow the rules!"
"That's what I thought too."
Shen Lian dragged the video's Progress Bar back to the moment Jiangnan made the "Shh" gesture, then slowed the playback.
She pointed at Guo Shuai, who was lying on the ground.
"Look. This boy's Adam's apple is moving violently, his mouth is wide open, and his face and neck are flushed."
"Clearly, he's shouting with all his might to warn his teammate."
"But..."
Shen Lian tapped the screen. "The Sky Curtain System didn't display any 'B-' mute symbols, and there aren't any sound waves at the scene."
"Add to that the Scarecrow's sudden paralysis and confusion."
"There's only one possibility..."
Shen Lian drew a deep breath. "No Need for Words used his second Supernatural Ability!"
"That ability most likely creates a Soundless Zone!"
"First, Air Bullets, then a rule-based Silence Domain..."
"One for attack, one for control. Dual Supernatural Abilities?!"
After hearing her analysis, the two men felt their heads buzzing.
"He's one hell of a freak..."
Zhao Yan cursed, but his voice was full of excitement. "Whatever! Let's watch to the end first!"
"We can analyze it after it's over. I don't want to pause again! I want to see how he kills that monster for good!"
"Agreed."
The three fell silent, holding their breath as they watched.
The scenes that followed left the three powerful men, who had weathered countless storms, completely speechless.
Facing the Scarecrow Legion, which could revive endlessly and summon an army of thousands—
The man still didn't move an inch.
He bit his finger.
As his lips moved, the drop of blood transformed into a Crimson Black Fire Lotus.
And then...
BOOM!!!
Even through the screen, the three of them could feel that terrifying aura, so cold it froze the soul.
The Crimson Black Calamity Flame swept across the entire Wheat Field.
It wasn't burning.
It was withering.
They watched with their own eyes as the S-Class Monsters, which had been standing there perfectly fine moments ago, weren't charred by the flames at all!
Instead, they aged, decayed, and crumbled before their eyes...
It was as if someone had pressed fast-forward on time, forcing the Wheat Field to endure ten thousand years of change in just a few seconds.
There were no screams.
Even the sounds of screaming had been worn away in the River of Time.
In just a few seconds—
The Death Wheat Field was reduced to nothing.
Only the man remained, standing amid the dust swirling through the air, gently blowing out the lingering flame on his fingertip.
The video ended.
A long silence settled over the office. Not even a breath could be heard.
Clatter.
The recording pen slipped from Shen Lian's hand and fell to the floor.
The genius chief engineer, renowned for her composure and arrogance, stood frozen in stunned disbelief, her eyes filled with shock she couldn't begin to understand.
"This... this is the third one..."
Shen Lian's voice was dry, like sandpaper rubbing against itself.
"Another Sequence Supernatural Ability..."
"Too strong... This person is truly too strong..."
Before you continue