Boss's True Face

The people in the Official Division used a special technique to connect with others. Its greatest advantage, besides allowing many people to watch at once, was that the perspective always remained in third person, centered on the player.

That meant they could see Bi Gan hiding under the table behind Zhang Anzai.

Combined with the clues Zhang Anzai had sensed himself, this was what prompted his reaction.

As for the blood smell Zhang Anzai had noticed earlier, if this guy hadn't deliberately opened the cabinet and smeared some blood on its door, it was most likely from some kind of blood pack.

None of that mattered. The problem was that when Zhang Anzai turned and swung his Meat-Sawing Blade, Bi Gan quickly retreated beneath the table.

"Crack!" The blade hacked through half a table leg, sending the whole table crashing over.

Zhang Anzai quickly pulled his blade free, keeping the table from pinning it down. But once the table fell, Bi Gan was able to escape at once from the other side, which had tilted upward.

"Hahaha..." Perhaps because Zhang Anzai had people from the Official Division assisting him from behind, yet still kept arriving a step too late, Bi Gan couldn't help laughing brazenly.

The contrast between them was stark. So even though he could only run and hadn't managed to seize an opening to strike, he still thought this was a great chance to mock the administrators.

The people in the Official Division weren't particularly affected. They had all seen plenty and had nerves of steel, after all. But Zhang Anzai had no intention of letting this opportunity pass.

For one thing, the Wolf-Head Mask had made his emotions genuinely unstable. For another, it was precisely because his emotions were starting to slip that Zhang Anzai realized he couldn't afford to drag this out any longer.

Especially since he had a special identity. It was best not to take off his mask inside the instance; there was no way he could remove it and keep chasing after Bi Gan.

So when Bi Gan pushed aside a cabinet in the room, revealing a hidden door, and prepared to run deeper into the Exhibition Area, Zhang Anzai followed without hesitation.

The people in the Official Division immediately called out, "A secret passage means he's probably made a lot of modifications to this instance. Warn the players to be careful! There may be traps ahead!"

Zhang Anzai heard the warning, but his steps remained utterly resolute.

His body had been enhanced in a special way, and he quickly caught up to Bi Gan. But the next moment, they burst out of the narrow passage and into another part of the Exhibition Area.

It was a Republic-Era Mansion with Western-style decor: several tall pillars, a few sofas arranged in a cluster, an old-fashioned low cabinet, curtained windows, and elegant Western-style light fixtures.

With Bi Gan right in front of him, Zhang Anzai lunged forward without hesitation. He held the blade in one hand and reached out with his right, even opening his mouth wide.

Bi Gan had clearly anticipated his move. The reason he'd been running around and stalling for time was simply to let the mask's influence on Zhang Anzai deepen, wearing down the composure and reasoning ability that far surpassed those of ordinary new players.

But now that it had come to this, Zhang Anzai was briefly ruled by savage instincts. He had left himself open, but he was terrifying all the same.

After rushing headlong into the Republic-Era setting, Bi Gan immediately flung the Pointed Knife in his hand.

"Smack!" The knife sliced through some kind of connector in the room.

"Grrr..." A clattering noise came from overhead.

"Dodge left! Get behind the sofa!"

Zhang Anzai managed to catch Bi Gan and was about to tackle him to the ground, but he had no choice but to give him a hard shove and then dodge to the side.

As Zhang Anzai rolled behind the sofa...

"Crash!" The Crystal Chandelier overhead slammed into the floor, its glass structure shattering instantly. The knife Bi Gan had thrown had pierced the chandelier's central stem.

If Zhang Anzai hadn't dodged in time, the chandelier would have pierced his chest by now.

But the situation was urgent; there was no time to dwell on what might have happened. Zhang Anzai's shove hadn't seriously injured Bi Gan, but it should have knocked him down.

So he vaulted over the sofa without hesitation and swung his blade at Bi Gan. "World Breaker!"

Bi Gan was lying beside a low table. When he'd been shoved down, he seemed to have struck the edge of the tabletop, and his entire back was aching.

The impact seemed to have hurt more than he expected. When Zhang Anzai flipped over and lunged at him, Bi Gan finally stopped trying to flee. His face turned blue as he raised his cleaver, holding its flat side up like a Bone-Chopping Knife to block the blow.

"Clang!" With help from the unknown presence in the shadows, which had flicked a finger to empower it, the blade in Zhang Anzai's hand slammed into the cleaver. A large section of its teeth bent and twisted.

But Zhang Anzai had leaped up to bring it down, and he'd used World Breaker. The two-handed serrated blade was heavy, and Bi Gan, who had no physical enhancements, couldn't possibly hold it off.

Blood soaked a large patch of clothing. Zhang Anzai's blow forced the cleaver against Bi Gan's chest, while the blade extending beyond it sank deep into his shoulder.

Patches of bright red seemed to flood Zhang Anzai's vision. The yellowish eyes in his Wolf-Head Mask turned scarlet.

A little drool slipped from his mouth, stretching between his gums and reddened fangs.

A string of low growls rumbled from a throat that was unmistakably human. His gaping jaws seemed ready to bite down at any moment.

"Vmmm..." A strange ringing sounded in Zhang Anzai's ears. He couldn't make out what it was, and could hardly think about it.

The sound grew louder, again and again, and its sources seemed to multiply.

"Zhang..."

"Hurry... wake him..."

"Make him take off the mask!"

Like a beast, Zhang Anzai shook the Wolf-Head Mask, which had almost become one with his head, and looked down at Bi Gan.

The scarlet drained from his eyes, and he finally saw what was in front of him.

Bi Gan was indeed pinned beneath him, and more than half of his shoulder had nearly been chopped off.

But there was an unmistakable smile on his face. At some point, he had drawn one hand free and pulled a long Boning Knife from his leather apron. He was about to thrust it into the side of Zhang Anzai's head.

"Grrr!" Zhang Anzai immediately twisted his head and bit down on Bi Gan's hand.

A nauseating, salty stench filled his nose and mouth. Zhang Anzai only bit down twice before whipping his head hard to the side.

"Smack!" Bi Gan's hand, mangled and bloody, slammed into the floor beside them, and the Boning Knife went flying.

Zhang Anzai's remaining rationality made him feel one wave of lingering fear after another. So this was what the guy in front of him had been waiting for all along.

"That was close! He nearly got him!"

"He was so badly hurt and still didn't go down. It really must be that skill—the Ten Evils' unique Boss talent, Monster Essence. It lets them briefly lock their health when gravely wounded."

That was right. The Ten Evils, while disguised as bosses, had more than just the authority to remain in an instance long-term. They also had special abilities that only bosses could possess, even if Bi Gan was still a newcomer to the organization.

And this wasn't even the first time he'd used it.