Rock Tier Slaughter Card Eliminated

Someone was hiding just inside the apartment building's entrance!

Yu Yuan thought back, trying to remember if he had made any noise.

But he had been careful the whole way, his footsteps light. The other person's breathing was still steady, so they clearly hadn't noticed him.

He let out a quiet breath, then frowned.

He had been gone less than an hour. When had this person arrived? Did they have companions? He had no way of knowing.

Yet the person was hiding near the entrance instead of searching for supplies.

They were either waiting for companions or lying in ambush.

Yu Yuan tucked himself into the darkest corner by the entrance and decided to watch and wait.

A few minutes later, he heard two barely perceptible sets of footsteps in the distance.

They approached quickly.

"Key... Key..." someone called in a deliberately hushed voice.

"Brother Biao, I'm here..." the person by the entrance replied, keeping his voice just as low.

Yu Yuan narrowed his eyes, glad he hadn't acted rashly. He pressed deeper into hiding and slowed even his breathing.

"How is it? Nothing happening over here?"

"Nah, not a soul. Can't see a damn thing in this dark. What took you so long?"

"Fuck! I told Monkey to keep watch here, and he fell asleep. I nearly couldn't find him." Brother Biao sounded furious.

Another voice muttered, "Brother Biao, how's anyone supposed to see anything in this pitch-black place? Besides, after so many people died here today, who'd dare come except us?"

"I'm not arguing with you. Did you see anyone go in or not?"

"Well..." Monkey hesitated, but soon said firmly, "I couldn't make out this place after dark, but I watched it the whole time before sunset. Forget people—not even a cat went in."

Only then did Brother Biao's tone soften a little.

"Fine. Stay sharp in there. The fighting this afternoon was fierce. The police station crew must have left some supplies behind. If we find a gun and some bullets, we'll be set."

"Same plan as always. Key, look for locked rooms. Monkey and I will check everywhere else. Search from the bottom up, and make it quick."

"If anyone else shows up, don't hesitate. Kill them. Once we get back, you can have all the fun you want with the woman we just caught."

"That woman's so damn hot. Especially that beauty mark by her eye. I couldn't get enough."

"If only we could get our hands on the woman we saw the day before yesterday. That body was incredible!"

"Yeah. Let's find where she's hiding. Heh heh..."

Amid their lewd chuckles, the three entered the apartment building. Their footsteps faded, and Yu Yuan finally breathed out, immensely relieved.

Someone really was watching this place earlier. Good thing I was careful.

Yu Yuan had expected to run into refugees. He wasn't about to back down because of them.

This is an opportunity too. They don't know where the supplies are, so they'll have to search room by room. I need to get what's in Room 506 before they do.

He listened for another ten seconds or so. Once he was sure the three had begun searching, he entered Phoenix Tree Apartments.

Even though the refugees were being careful, Yu Yuan's enhanced hearing picked up their movements clearly.

He took the chance to enter the stairwell and head for the fifth floor.

He reached Room 506 without trouble, slipped back into the bathroom, and stuffed the supplies he had left behind into his backpack.

He was about to leave.

But just as he reached the stairs, footsteps came from below and stopped on the third floor.

Already?

Yu Yuan froze. Weren't they searching from the first floor up?

How had one of them reached the third floor so quickly?

He soon understood. It was the man called Key. His job was to find locked rooms. He knew how to pick locks!

Wait.

Locked rooms!

A locksmith!

Yu Yuan glanced back at Room 503. Several thoughts flashed through his mind, and he made his decision.

Maybe... there's a chance.

He turned back at once and entered Room 504. After hiding his backpack, he gripped his Kukri and waited behind the door with his eyes closed.

The room was pitch-black. The air felt heavy with impending danger, almost too oppressive to breathe.

Before long, footsteps sounded on the fifth floor. Yu Yuan's eyes snapped open.

He's here!

The footsteps started and stopped. Every so often came the click of a flashlight switch. Key was probably looking for locked rooms.

Soon, a dim beam swept over the open doorway of Room 504, then stopped on the locked security door of Room 503.

Key's voice sounded in the hallway.

"Hm? Another one here."

Key held the flashlight in his mouth, took out his lockpicking tools, and crouched before Room 503's door. He began working the lock.

The pick moved up and down inside the keyhole. Eyes closed, Key focused entirely on feeling the springs within.

But Yu Yuan had already come up behind him without a sound. He stood motionless as a statue.

A few seconds later, the lock clicked and the security door to Room 503 sprang open. Delight flashed in Key's eyes.

At that same instant, Yu Yuan moved. He reached around from behind and clamped a hand over Key's mouth.

With the flashlight jammed between his teeth, Key had no chance to resist.

The cold blade sliced through his throat. Blood poured from the wound with a wet gurgle.

Key tried to struggle, but Yu Yuan held him fast, his gaze unwavering.

Before long, Key stopped struggling. He was dead!

The instant Key stopped breathing, the earth-yellow Fate Card appeared before Yu Yuan. A foreign-sounding tune played in his mind, steeped in mystery.

The Fate Card began to tremble, faintly at first, then violently.

The music's drumbeat grew faster and more intense.

Yu Yuan's heart fell into Synchronization with the beat and sped up, pounding like a drum.

Thump... thump... thump... thump-thump-thump-thump.

At last, just as the drumbeat reached its peak, a sound that seemed to pierce his soul exploded in his mind.

Crack!

The violently shaking Fate Card split down the middle. Dots of vivid red seeped from the break, and the scent of blood reached his nose.

The Rock Tier Slaughter Card was eliminated!

The music stopped, and the Fate Card vanished. Only the smell of blood lingered!

A mechanical notification sounded beside his ear.

[Fate Card—Rock Tier Slaughter Card successfully eliminated. Fate Points +1]

[Valuable traits detected in Slaughter target. Plunder? Cost: 1 Fate Point]

Plunder?

Yu Yuan looked at the corpse at his feet. Three blood-red options appeared before him.

1. Skill: Theft (Excellent); 2. Skill: Rock Climbing (Common); 3. Skill: Lockpicking (Common)

The moment he saw the last option, Yu Yuan chose it—plunder option three.

[Fate Points -1. Skill acquired: Lockpicking (Common)]

On the Virtual Light Screen's previously empty [Combat] page, a new entry had appeared under skills: Common Grade Lockpicking.

"The Slaughter Card can do that too!" Yu Yuan's lips lifted at the unexpected reward.

But when he saw the corpse at his feet and the open door, he quickly suppressed his delight and grew cautious again.

It wasn't time to celebrate yet.

He returned to Room 504 for his backpack, dragged the body into Room 503, and scanned the hallway warily in both directions before closing the door...