A Way Out

Having one's abilities restrained and weaknesses exposed is undoubtedly the most dangerous situation.

Melone's heart was pounding so loudly that even Risotto, whose hearing was not good, could hear it.

This shouldn't be the behavior of a seasoned assassin, but the situation has deteriorated so rapidly that he truly sees no hope left.

Even with the usually reliable Risotto, Melone couldn't imagine how he could possibly stand up to Li Qing.

"Boss Risotto"

Melone silently murmured Risotto's name in despair.

Faced with Li Qing's relentless advance, the best course of action he could think of was to muster his courage, display his spirit, and bravely face death alongside his respected captain.

And it was under Melone's gloomy and lifeless gaze that Risotto made his move:

"Metallica!"

The same old tactic was used: temporarily blocking Li Qing's movements with razor blades.

He had used this tactic repeatedly before, so much so that bloodstained blades were scattered everywhere at Li Qing's feet.

These iron pieces from Li Qing's body were carelessly discarded on the ground, and the bloodstains on the blade created a huge visual impact.

This scene was not only horrifying and appalling, but it also served as a silent reminder to Risotto:

Li Qing's body is almost out of iron.

This tactic of trading time for latte portions is about to become unsustainable, Risotto will soon be unable to stop Li Qing's attacks.

But there's no other way; drinking poison to quench thirst will result in poisoning, but not drinking it will lead to immediate death from thirst.

Faced with the aggressive Li Qing, Risotto could only resort to his old tricks to buy time.

But unlike before, he changed his attack strategy this time—

Instead of using the blade to lock Li Qing's joints, he aimed the Metallica at Li Qing's ear.

"Um?!"

Li Qing's eardrums were suddenly punctured by two thin iron nails that had "grown" out.

Although his digital body cannot feel pain, he is blind and relies heavily on his ears.

The moment Li Qing's eardrum was pierced by the nail, his extraordinary hearing was instantly shut down.

He had almost completely lost his perception of his surroundings and things; all that was in front of him was darkness, all that was in his ears was silence, and the whole world was dead still.

In this situation, Li Qing couldn't even pinpoint the enemy's exact location, so he obviously couldn't continue the attack.

"Damn it. Has it switched to attacking the ears?"

"Indeed, it only takes two thin nails to rupture my eardrum, yet they can completely stop me from moving."

"This method is more economical than using blades to lock the joint, and it buys them more time."

"That's a really good approach."

Li Qing forcefully pulled the two thin nails out of his ear, and the damaged eardrum was instantly repaired.

But Risotto was clearly unwilling to give him a chance to "see the light of day again".

Almost at the same time that Li Qing's hearing returned, Risotto's Metallica once again launched a precise attack on his ear.

The eardrum, which had just been repaired, was instantly punctured again by two freshly made nails.

The two nails in his ears were like leeks growing vigorously in the ground; no matter how many times they were cut, they would quickly grow back.

He is now completely deaf and mute, unable to hear or see, and can only stand motionless in the darkness, cautiously and vigilantly observing his surroundings.

"What a hassle."

Li Qing frowned deeply, frantically pulling the iron nail out of his ear.

The two men, one pulling out nails and the other making them, had what should have been a tense and exciting battle devolved into a comical standoff.

Risotto's harassment tactics were really getting to him.

However, this only annoyed Li Qing for a short while.

Because he knew very well that the amount of iron in his body was extremely limited, and no matter how much Risotto conserved it, he couldn't last long.

Moreover, Li Qing's teammates could arrive at any moment, and if the game dragged on like this, victory would only be his.

In Li Qing's view, Risotto's struggle was still in vain.

He was like a shark stranded on a beach. Although he still had the strength to bare his teeth and deter people from approaching, his death was already predetermined the moment he became stranded.

Li Qing only needs to wait patiently until the enemy runs out of all their cards.

Sure enough, very quickly.

This ridiculous standoff of "pulling out a nail with a long nail" did not last long.

When Li Qing casually pulled out the newly grown iron nail from his ear, his ear did not continue to "Iron Creation" as before.

His hearing was restored, and the world became clear again.

He could once again clearly perceive everything around him, and the presence of Melone and Risotto was precisely recalled in his mind by his "sixth sense"-like superhuman hearing.

Melone remained the same, but noticeably, Risotto's heartbeat gradually became erratic.

This usually composed man, who could maintain his composure even in dire circumstances, seemed to have lost his calm at this moment.

"My iron stores must be depleted."

"You can't use that annoying trick anymore."

Li Qing had already seen through the enemy's true strength and weaknesses.

When the topic of running out of iron powder came up, Risotto's heart did indeed beat a little faster.

At this point, after the long process of being stabbed and pricked, plus the depletion from the suffocating status effect, Li Qing still had a full 80% of his health remaining.

The enemy has run out of ammunition and supplies, while his health is still relatively high and safe.

"In that case, it's my turn!"

Li Qing suddenly let out a loud shout.

The previous barrage of harassment with razor blades and nails had indeed built up a sense of irritability in him.

He can now finally manipulate this powerful and extraordinary body without any hindrance, unleashing his power on his enemies without restraint.

And so, under Risotto's cold and stern gaze...

Li Qing unleashed his full power and stomped the ground. With a slight indentation in the concrete, his agile figure suddenly created a whirlwind of illusions.

His movements were as swift as a cheetah on the grassland or a tiger in the mountains.

Risotto, however, had already lost the ability to stop Li Qing.

He could only desperately dodge to the side, rolling around on the ground in a sorry state.

Risotto's movements were by no means slow, but in this kind of duel that relied purely on physical strength, he was no match for Li Qing.

In a mere instant, Li Qing pounced on Risotto.

Risotto had just rolled recklessly to the edge of the bridge, with only a tall lamppost and a sturdy steel railing behind him.

Once he climbed over the railing, there was only the sea. He had no way out, and even the space to maneuver became extremely limited.

But Li Qing was already in front of him.

That iron fist, powerful enough to shatter rocks, came hurtling through the air.

The next second, Risotto would be struck squarely in the cheek by this punch, the immense force of Riot Games could even kill him on the spot.

But, in that split second

Li Qing clearly heard Risotto's previously chaotic heartbeat suddenly become steady and orderly.

His composure and calmness made it impossible to sense any fear in him.

"Could it be?!"

Li Qing vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

But at that moment, time seemed to stand still.

Risotto, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, his voice carrying an unwavering determination:

"Li Qing, you finally came."

"If you continue with your previous strategy of going beyond the capabilities of Metallica, then I really have no hope."

"After all, in the face of an absolute power gap, for the weak to defeat the strong, they must wait for the strong to reveal their own weakness."

"I'm so lucky I got to see it."

Risotto said coldly.

He was like an emotionless machine, speaking without any emotion.

Li Qing couldn't detect a trace of mockery or murderous intent in Risotto's voice, but this absolute calm still sent a chill down one's spine.

"If you want to change your strategy and kill me at close range, then you have to take the initiative to get closer to me."

"That way, we don't need to put in much effort."

"You will come here with me on your own!"

Risotto slightly shifted his body to the side as Li Qing's iron fist came hurtling towards him.

This sideways movement, while not allowing for any effective evasive maneuvers, conveniently revealed the lamppost behind him.

Li Qing could roughly perceive the outline of objects, so of course he wouldn't fail to "see" such a large street lamp.

But it wasn't until that moment, the instant Risotto dodged to the side, that Li Qing truly noticed the unusual thing about the lamppost:

There, a sharp knife was deeply embedded in the lamppost.

The tip of the knife was deeply embedded inside the streetlight, tightly connected to the cable carrying a powerful electric current.

A thin wire extends from the handle of the knife.

The wire stretched down from the lamppost, winding and twisting, and seemed to be several meters long.

"Electricity—he used a wire to draw electricity from the streetlight!"

Li Qing was taken aback by this:

"But where did such a long wire come from?"

"Does he have any other iron available?"

Thinking of this, Li Qing's heart skipped a beat.

He then activated his senses to their maximum, only then belatedly realizing that all the razor blades he had casually tossed to the ground were gone.

This thin iron wire, which carries a powerful electric current, is what Risotto recast using those blades!

Ultimately, he was using the iron that had been lost from Li Qing's body.

However, Li Qing was completely unaware of all this happening.

"I see. The attack on my ear earlier wasn't just to buy time."

"He did this to temporarily block my hearing so I wouldn't hear the sound of him manipulating iron to make wire!"

Li Qing understood everything.

While he thought Risotto was just pointlessly stalling for time, Risotto had already seized the opportunity of his deafness and silently set up a trap on the street lamp.

Because of the limited amount of iron, the length of the iron wire that can be manufactured is also extremely limited.

After one end was connected and fixed to the wire in the street lamp, the wire, which was only five or six meters long, obviously could not reach Li Qing was originally standing far away.

Now, in order to completely defeat Risotto, Li Qing took the initiative to approach him.

This conveniently compensated for the distance, leading him unknowingly into the enemy's trap.

"Metallica!"

An invisible magnetic force enveloped Risotto under his will.

The wire carrying a powerful electric current suddenly rose into the air like a venomous snake, lunging to bite under the control of the Metallica.

Before Li Qing's Riot Games could even hit Risotto's face, the deadly electrified wire had already wrapped around Li Qing's arm.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle—

Risotto could clearly hear the sound of electricity flowing freely through Li Qing's body.

Although the digitized body was not injured, under the stimulation and heat of his electric current, Li Qing's muscles experienced unprecedented spasms and twisting.

Just like an ordinary person who is completely unable to move after being electrocuted, at the moment of the electrocution, a negative status called "paralysis" appeared on his system panel.

Li Qing's body froze on the spot, his muscles so paralyzed that he couldn't even swing his arms freely.

"He can't move!"

"Electricity is working for him; he can't move around freely at all now!"

Melone gasped in disbelief.

He never expected that Risotto could bring him such light in such a dark and desperate moment.

"As expected of Boss Risotto."

"Using electric current can not only restrict Li Qing's movements, but also effectively harm him!"

Li Qing's health points are rapidly decreasing under the attack of the electric current.

The damage Risotto dealt when he exhausted his iron reserves was less than the amount of health Li Qing lost in the second after being electrocuted.

Following this trend, Risotto could very well kill Li Qing in just a few seconds.

Upon realizing this, Melone was first shocked and stunned, then overwhelmed with barely suppressed elation:

"We survived."

"As long as we can kill Li Qing right away, we can leave here as soon as possible."

He made no attempt to hide his inner joy.

Risotto also let out a long sigh of relief:

Although he maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, only he knew the immense pressure he had just endured alone.

Faced with Li Qing's overwhelming dominance, Risotto had to risk his life to find even the slightest chance of survival.

Fortunately, he won his gamble.

He successfully lured Li Qing into a trap and used his "weak" abilities to subdue the formidable enemy.

"That was a really good performance."

"To find a way out even under such an absolute disadvantage, he truly deserves to be called Prosciutto's companion."

"You're their leader, right? You certainly haven't disappointed."

Risotto's efforts even earned the approval of his enemy, Li Qing.

However, after hearing such praise...

Risotto's face, which had just relaxed, immediately darkened again:

Oh no—

Li Qing was paralyzed by the electric shock and unable to break free, yet he still had the composure to praise his opponent in such a calm tone.

Does this sound like something a "dying person who has stumbled into a trap" would say?

Risotto's heart sank.

Melone, standing to the side, suddenly changed his expression:

"How so."

"Does he still have some trump card he hasn't used yet?!"

Within a single second of Li Qing being electrocuted, Melone's emotions went through a dramatic rollercoaster, from despair to ecstasy to terror.

He instinctively didn't want to believe that Li Qing had any other tricks up his sleeve:

"Impossible, impossible!"

"This guy's body has been paralyzed by the electric current and he can't move. How can he possibly escape Boss Risotto's trap?"

Is it due to that 'high-speed movement' ability?

"No, that shouldn't be the case. Li Qing is so shocked by the electric shock that he can barely move his arm. How could he possibly use that 'locating light orb'?"

Melone muttered to himself in a panic.

In this almost frozen moment, he tried to comfort himself with this kind of analysis, feeling completely lost.

"Location light orb. It seems you are quite familiar with my abilities."

"Indeed, my body is now paralyzed by electricity, and I can no longer accurately use the Sonically Enhanced Wave to locate targets."

"However, since you know about the existence of 'Sonically Enhanced Wave'..."

"Didn't you ever think about it—why didn't you use this convenient ability during the battle just now?"

Li Qing was bathed in electric current, his expression so calm it was chilling.

Neither Risotto nor Melone knew the answer to his question, nor what trump card Li Qing was hiding.

And now, Li Qing is showing it off without any concealment:

"Because this skill is my 'emergency escape route' that I've kept."

"As long as I don't cancel it myself, the location marker of the Sonically Enhanced Wave will remain on that target."

Melone still couldn't understand what Li Qing was saying.

But he vaguely felt that there was a furry little thing rubbing affectionately against his trouser leg.

Looking down, I realized it was a swallow that had appeared out of nowhere.

"Wait, Swallow?"

Melone's expression froze:

"This... this is that swallow with the location tag!"

"Wasn't it abandoned halfway through the journey? How did it end up here?!"

"That's right."

"This is the swallow you've all forgotten—"

"That's also my escape route!"

Li Qing's body suddenly transformed into a phantom, completely freeing itself from the entanglement of the electric current.

One update today. I'll finish writing the Assassination Team content in the next couple of days and then take a long break. I need time to prepare the content for the final volume, and my current condition is really bad; I can't afford not to rest.