Temugin was exactly the sort of person terrorist organizations loved: brave and fanatical, willing to fight hard and serve as cannon fodder. His charge through the defenders' line, wrapped in fire and explosions, also matched the Spear Bureau's psychological profile of him. This young terrorist group's key member seemed desperate for validation, and was therefore always eager to show off his zeal and enthusiasm. Often, his actions were more extreme and reckless than those of his comrades. But the files hadn't mentioned that Temugin could control fire and cause explosions.
Once Saber met Temugin with his alloy blade, it took only two or three exchanges for Xiang Qian to realize the intelligence had been accurate: Temugin's ability to control fire wasn't innate. He was relying on an external force. The flames swirling through the air followed only Temugin's right hand, and the oddly shaped Ruby Ring on his index finger stood out.
"The Ten Rings," Xiang Qian murmured, immediately recalling the information he knew about them.
As the one actually fighting Temugin, Saber understood more than Xiang Qian, who was merely watching. Not only had he realized Temugin used the ring to control fire, he'd also noticed that the other man wasn't very skilled at using it. Whenever Temugin was distracted by fending off Saber's attacks, the flames' movement grew sluggish, sometimes even dying out. At the same time, Temugin couldn't create explosions whenever he wanted. He seemed to need a few seconds to prepare before triggering one.
Saber lived up to his reputation as an all-around commando. The moment he spotted Temugin's weakness, he seized on it and made it the key to victory. After only three to five exchanges, Temugin found himself struggling more and more. His opponent, wielding a pair of long cold-steel blades, always managed to dodge the fire and explosions at just the right moment, while keeping to the blind spots in the ring's offense and defense.
Temugin knew he was in trouble. The ring on his right hand was indeed powerful, but he couldn't use it with ease. Each time he fired a blast of flame or caused an explosion, he needed a little time to focus and ensure it worked—and that it had enough force. But his opponent's two alloy blades were made of a strange material. They were unaffected by explosive shockwaves and the heat of the flames, and nearly every attack was timed just right to disrupt Temugin's attempts to focus. His rhythm in both offense and defense was slowly falling apart.
As Xiang Qian, the only person at the scene with nothing to do, watched the fight, he suddenly heard someone running up behind him. He turned around and saw Vector, who had left but now returned.
"Why are you back?" Xiang Qian asked with a frown, sounding displeased. Even though he wasn't a soldier, he didn't like people who went into battle and disobeyed orders.
Vector was clutching a Type 06 Pistol, panting a little. "The civilian staff have evacuated safely, so I came back to help."
Xiang Qian glanced down. Her grip was so tight that the joints of her gun hand had turned pale. She was clearly terrified. Xiang Qian gave a helpless, wry smile and gently covered the barrel with his hand. "You'd better not use a gun for now. The way you're holding it, your teammates are the ones who should be nervous."
Vector felt the weight leave her hands. The Type 06 had ended up in Xiang Qian's grasp. Before she could react, a large hand touched her waist and, amid her startled squeal, took two rows of spare magazines from her tactical belt. The new recruit was both angry and embarrassed, her face turning bright red. She couldn't help cursing inwardly: Was this guy a thief or something? He's way too quick at swiping people's stuff.
The Type 06 was a suppressed pistol, its shots much quieter than those of ordinary military pistols. Vector heard only a few sharp cracks, some faster and some slower, as Xiang Qian fired through half a magazine in just a few seconds.
"Do you even know how to use a gun? Give it back already," Vector demanded in a low voice.
Without turning around, Xiang Qian raised the pistol and fired another burst, emptying the remaining rounds. When the shots were over, three armed men more than twenty meters away had been killed with consecutive headshots, leaving Vector stunned. Xiang Qian crouched to reload only after emptying the magazine. As he did, he deliberately asked Vector with an inscrutable expression, "What were you saying just now?"
"I... I was telling you that showing off gets you struck by lightning. Believe me?" Vector's face flushed as she screamed inwardly.
A teammate's urgent warning suddenly came over the earpiece: "Enemy Javelin positions at ten o'clock from the command post... Xiang Qian, they've spotted you!"
Xiang Qian peered out and saw two armed men in the distance aiming Javelin launchers at his position. Two missiles shot into the sky, leaving clear trails of flame. Xiang Qian's heart jolted, and he instinctively reached for the enormous metal ring in his pocket. Just then, Vector's clear voice rang out: "I've got this."
Vector half-crouched, her back slightly arched—a subconscious posture of intense concentration. She reached both hands toward the missiles, which had climbed to their peak and were about to turn. Two portals suddenly appeared, shrouded in black mist, and positioned themselves directly in the missiles' flight paths.
The two missiles shot down with a whoosh and plunged into the portals. The other ends opened directly above the Javelin launch positions. Before the two armed men operating the launchers could figure out where their missiles had gone, a pair of deafening explosions sent them flying into the air.
Xiang Qian quietly put the Sling Ring back in his pocket and offered an utterly insincere compliment. "Not bad. You've got a knack for this... You'll make an excellent field agent—as long as you don't have a gun in your hands."