Slay the Target, Remove the Mask, Settle the Results

Zhang Anzai recalled Bi Gan's performance in the studio earlier. His head had taken a devastating blow from World Breaker, yet he had instantly locked his condition in place and recovered.

That was a talent skill only bosses could possess. It wasn't as unreasonable as a true second phase, but it was still a powerful special effect.

After that encounter in the studio, he had spent so long delaying things for one reason: to let his special talent recover. He wanted to give Zhang Anzai's men, empowered by the Wolf-Head Mask, a chance to survive a grievous injury.

Unfortunately, he had underestimated Zhang Anzai's willpower. Even after being corrupted by the Wolf-Head Mask for so long, Zhang Anzai had still awakened with help from the Official Division and dodged the fatal sneak attack.

"Calm as ever... Is this what a genius looks like?" Bi Gan had one hand pinned to his chest, gripping a cleaver, while his other arm hung limply at his side. He murmured the words with an expression that was impossible to read.

Zhang Anzai showed no mercy. He decisively raised the Meat-Sawing Blade in his hand and brought it down hard.

"Pfft!" Monster Essence was clearly still on cooldown. The blade left a deep gash in Bi Gan's neck.

Under the influence of the Wolf-Head Mask, Zhang Anzai felt none of the shock of killing someone for the first time. Instead, he calmly shoved Bi Gan's hand aside and struck him several more times.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!" Once he was sure that another blow would leave Bi Gan beyond any possible resurrection, Zhang Anzai didn't hesitate. He searched the blood-soaked body from side to side and soon found the key.

"Tell him to take off the mask!"

The reminders came from the Official Division members watching outside. They clearly thought he was safe now and had no need to keep wearing the mask.

But there was no way Zhang Anzai could take it off. If he did, his cover would be blown. He could only ignore the discussion and retrace his steps through the secret passage.

Fortunately, the Official Division was a large group, and not everyone agreed:

"Players have to make their own judgment. He left the corpse behind and ran straight for the exit, which means he's still in control. It's fine to keep the mask on. That'll help him get out faster."

In reality, Zhang Anzai wasn't nearly so calm. Even after fleeing the Exhibition Area in a panic, he could still smell the thick stench of blood lingering around his nose.

The strange scent tempted him to run back and devour Bi Gan's body, which lay there like a ripped-open sack.

That was why he had to keep running.

Suppressing his feelings, Zhang Anzai ran on, close to tears.

Who would have thought he was still a little too late? After passing most of the warehouse's metal shelving, he suddenly dropped to the ground without meaning to, wondering if he could move faster on all fours.

"No, I really have to take this off!" Zhang Anzai grabbed the Wolf-Head Mask on his head with one hand and raised the key with the other.

"Clang!" He slammed straight into the iron roller shutter at the entrance.

The door was operated by an electric button, of course, but someone had installed an iron box over the button. He needed a key to open it.

Zhang Anzai shoved the key into the lock and twisted it hard. Pressed against the wall, he tossed the Meat-Sawing Blade onto the ground, freeing up a hand to grab the mask and yank it down.

"Ugh..." Zhang Anzai felt awful. He really had to take the mask off.

Taking it off felt like his entire head was covered in bandages, and he was ripping them off with all his strength.

It was sticky, like glue, and it felt as if it were pulling at his own flesh.

At least he was right by the wall. It should be fine. Once he got it off, he could run straight through the roller shutter and leave the instance, keeping his identity hidden.

The Official Division members watched the scene before them, their hearts in their mouths along with his.

But they weren't suspicious. They thought he was simply making two plans: if he could take the mask off, he would; if he couldn't, he would get out of the instance and figure something out. He was as cautious as ever.

"Click, click..." Zhang Anzai unlocked the iron box with the key and slammed his fist against the button. As the roller shutter slowly lifted, he grabbed the mask with his other hand.

"Damn it!" His whole head felt flooded with blood. His scalp prickled, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

But soon, with a sharp swish, he finally tore off the Wolf-Head Mask.

As he'd expected, though he had managed to remove the mask, his real face immediately drew the attention of the Official Division members.

Fortunately, he was beside the wall, and the warehouse was pitch-black. The third-person view couldn't show his appearance clearly.

Most importantly, after removing the headgear, Zhang Anzai suddenly felt a thick mass of hair fall around him.

Only then did he realize that the headgear had caused his hair to grow much longer without him noticing.

It wasn't long enough to cover his whole face, but it hid his temples. With the wall as well, it successfully blocked the others' view.

The roller shutter rattled open far enough, and Zhang Anzai promptly bent down and slipped outside.

The surroundings changed in an instant. The gloomy, oppressive, utterly silent factory disappeared from sight. Before him stretched the endless river and sky, which had begun to feel familiar—and, for some reason, reassuring.

"I finally made it out..." Zhang Anzai's body was slowly straightened again, and he stood quietly above the great river.

The scene before him was the same as ever: water and sky blending together, shades of black and red, and no end in sight. Every time he came to this space, he found himself wondering whether what he saw was real.

He was always trying to understand not only this space, but also the body he inhabited in the instance after gaining a player's identity.

So far, he only knew the vague, official-sounding explanation from the game's background: this was the Reflected World, and his body was a shadow formed within it.

Like the body he inhabited, his understanding of this world remained mired in confusion.

Of course, none of that stopped him from opening the results screen.

First, he checked on his real body. The Official Division had sent him a message. It wasn't from one of the assistants in their logistics department, but from Xu Xinhai himself.

"Take care of the follow-up properly. Thanks for your hard work. If you need it, I can approve a day off for you. But before then, please adjust your condition as soon as possible and come to the Official Division. The Ten Evils matter is no small thing, so we have to be cautious."

The message made it clear that he wouldn't have any free time just yet. Still, he should have time to settle the results and tidy things up.

Zhang Anzai breathed a sigh of relief and focused on the game world.

"This Old Shadow exploration has been completed."

"Rating for this Reflected World exploration: Above Average."

"Obtained: Old Dust X500"

"Rest period reward: 10 days (can enter early; can be extended by spending Old Dust)."

"Additional gains detected: [Two-Skin (Jackal)] [Blood-Stained Meat Saw] [Worn Bronze Sword]"

"Special yield: Player [Bi Gan]'s remains..."