A Warning, a Suffocating Scarface

Once the bodies had burned, the acrid stench hung everywhere. But to the people of this neighborhood, it was nothing new.

Passersby merely glanced over and hurried away.

After all, one of the keys to surviving here was knowing when not to look.

Anyone who dared do something like that here was no ordinary person.

Emma's face was utterly earnest beneath her veil. "Thank you. If you hadn't been here today, I don't know what I would've done."

Su Yi looked at Emma, then froze. "You're level 20!?"

He remembered her being level 16 when she came to warn him!

Emma nodded. "Aunt Sefni says I level up pretty quickly."

Su Yi muttered to himself, You really do take me for a fool!

To reach level 20, she first had to raise her Void Abyss Projection to level three.

That required a great deal of preparation and a sacrifice of sufficient weight.

Yet Emma had cleared that hurdle as if it were nothing!

Good grief. No wonder they call her the "Beta-Test Killer." That talent is extraordinary!

Back then, the corrupted Emma had been the boss who stumped players the longest—all the way until they encountered the Corrosion Commander in version 3.4.

Emma raised a hand and brushed it across her face. Before Su Yi's eyes, her veil vanished, and she took on the appearance of an ordinary middle-aged woman.

"Thanks. If there's nothing else, I'll head home."

Su Yi immediately said, "I've got a job for you. Interested?"

"Fifty Void Abyss Coins."

!!!!

In an instant, she spun back around as smoothly as a bearing.

Her bright purple eyes shone with excitement and longing.

"I'm in!"

Su Yi smiled. "Remember that scar-faced man?"

Emma nodded. "Of course. I never forget a face."

Su Yi said, "Good. Give me a hand tonight."

"You hate the Wolf Fang Gang, don't you?"

Killing intent flashed through Emma's eyes, and she nodded.

"Then come with me," Su Yi said. "Take part in this revenge yourself."

Emma's eyes lit up, full of life!

At seven that evening, Su Yi and the others got off work as usual. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Jon, hidden among the crowd, gave a cold laugh and followed them.

As a traveling priest of the House of Loving Kindness, his task was to secure enough benefits for the church.

For their plans to come, using the Wolf Fang Gang's smuggling routes to transport their goods was crucial.

That was the only reason a level-12 Gifted like him had agreed to take orders from Bell for a little filthy money.

Otherwise, he would have brought those ignorant fools into the Loving Father's light long ago.

"They're just a few temporary company dogs, and they've scared you this badly."

A cold smile tugged at the scarred corner of Jon's mouth.

He followed Alton all the way to Black Birch Street.

Outside a fairly respectable five-story building, he saw Alton meet a young woman brimming with energy.

She wore a clean, plain black tracksuit, carried a gray backpack, and had her hair tied in a ponytail. Smiling, she linked arms with Alton, looking happy and content.

From the looks of it, she's his sister, not his girlfriend.

Well, well. A cute little sister. Judging by that insignia, she's a top student at the White Frost Hand Theological Seminary.

A sinister smile spread across Jon's face.

After watching the two enter the building, Jon activated his ability: Light and Shadow Steps.

Light and Shadow Steps was a B-rank skill that used a special perception of light and shadow to greatly diminish his presence.

It consumed five units of flow per minute and could last up to ten minutes.

The ability was generally useful only for tracking and concealment.

If someone kept their attention fixed on him, the skill would fail.

Jon stepped into the shadows on the ground. No one noticed him as he slipped easily into the building.

He then followed so closely behind Alton and Helen that he was nearly on their heels by the time they reached their door.

Neither of them noticed anyone behind them.

"What's with all the mystery, Alton?"

Helen looked curious.

Students could board at the White Frost Hand Theological Seminary. Because it was so far away, she usually came home only once every two weeks.

Alton had been messaging her for days, saying he had something to tell her.

He grinned proudly. "Helen! Your brother's made a fortune!"

With that, Alton pulled two 100-yuan Void Abyss Coins from his pocket.

Helen's eyes widened. She stared at the money in disbelief, then, after a brief moment of shock, immediately asked,

"Alton! Tell me the truth. Did you rob someone? Or kidnap someone?"

Helen knew her brother's work was shady, but she couldn't talk him out of it. All she could do was try to get him to do less of it.

Alton laughed. "Don't worry, sis. We've started a new business and made some money. This is my share!"

As they talked, Jon leaned casually against the doorframe, all but invisible.

Well, well. So that's the money from smuggling guns.

Pathetic rats. Getting this excited over such a small sum.

Jon took out a note covered in threats, stuck it to a nearby table, and turned to leave.

Neither Alton nor Helen noticed a thing.

"Whistle, whistle..."

Jon was whistling as he walked onto the street when a dark figure suddenly flashed past.

A powerful hand clamped around his throat.

The movement was so fierce and fast that he had no time to react.

"Who's there?!"

He struggled to draw his pistol, but the grip on his throat left him too weak to manage it.

Eyes reddening as he struggled for air, he looked up and saw a tall figure in black wearing an exoskeleton.

He couldn't make out who it was, but he could clearly feel the terrifying pressure of a level-20 powerhouse!

Level 20! In the House of Loving Kindness, that was bishop level!

"Your Excellency... there must be some misunderstanding..." Jon stammered as he struggled.

Then Su Yi's voice came from nearby.

"You dare touch someone from our company? Does the House of Loving Kindness want to become the next Sisters of Pleasure?"

At the sound of his voice, Jon went rigid. He turned and saw Su Yi approaching, a cigarette between his lips and a casual look on his face.

"You!"

Jon's pupils contracted.

Su Yi scoffed. "You've been lurking around outside all this time. Did you really think your half-baked Light and Shadow Steps could fool me?"

!!!!

Jon felt a chill sink into his heart.

He had never imagined that, without sensing a thing himself, he had already been seen through completely!

A level-20 expert! Damn it—is that an officer from the company's armed division!?

His heart raced. He knew he had made a terrible mistake!

"A misunderstanding! It's a misunderstanding! I didn't know..."

Jon tried to explain, but the hand around his throat kept tightening. Stars burst across his vision, and he felt himself suffocating.

Is this it? Am I going to die here?

Just then, he heard Su Yi speak.

"Boss, let me talk to him. Killing someone like this would only dirty your hands."

"Don't you have a meeting to get to? Leave the rest to me!"

The tall, silent figure nodded, released Jon, and walked away.

Having narrowly escaped death, Jon clutched his throat and gulped down air, shaken by lingering fear.

Everyone feared death, especially a death that came out of nowhere!

"Are you dead? If not, say something!"

Jon felt a kick and looked up. Su Yi was standing over him.

Swirling cigarette smoke obscured half the young man's face, and Jon's star-filled vision could not make him out clearly.

At that moment, the young man who was only level eight seemed so mysterious and seasoned that Jon found him both frightening and impossible to read.