Some say that a single glance in a past life can lead to a karmic entanglement in this life.
If that were true, Han Xiao felt he might be a sex slave in his next life... if there were a next life.
Every enemy he shot would lock onto him with eyes full of anger and hatred before they died.
At the most critical moment, Han Xiao stabilized the situation with his superb Sniping skills, allowing the mercenaries to catch their breath. The other surviving Sniping also found more concealed locations and gradually turned the tide.
The mercenaries actively used Han Xiao as the tactical core, cooperating with him to break through the enemy's concentrated fire against him, relieving the pressure on Han Xiao Han Xiao allowing him to fight more smoothly.
[You are currently engaged in mobile Sniping, and you have learned some [Mobile Sniping] techniques. (100/100)]
[You've mastered [Mobile Sniping]!]
[Mobile Sniping LV1 (0/450 and Tu Shu 0): Reduces shooting accuracy loss while moving, critical hit rate +2%, and rate of fire +1% when equipped with a Sniping- type weapon.]
Seeing that the [Mobile Sniping] upgrade experience wasn't much, Han Xiao immediately poured the experience into it, instantly leveling it up to level four. He became even more adept at controlling the Sniping rifle, achieving a level of consummate skill.
The initial momentum waned, and the attacking enemy was already showing signs of fatigue. They had originally planned to use bombs to create a breach in the manor's outer wall, then drive in and Tu Shu the interior. However, the manor's outer wall was made of extremely thick steel plates and concrete, and with repairmen constantly patching it up, it was impossible to breach it with explosives.
Later, when they tried to break through the manor's defenses, they were met with a crushing defeat by the suddenly appearing Han Xiao. Realizing that the attack was doomed, the enemy began to retreat, leaving behind a trail of wreckage and corpses.
The Y-5 Winged Serpent turned and flew away. After that, the helicopter dared not fly low at all, fearing that Han Xiao Han Xiao would shoot it in the fuel tank or ammunition compartment, thus keeping it occupied and greatly reducing its threat.
"Finally finished." Han Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. His health had dropped by about 600 points, and his Magnetically Controlled Armor's durability had decreased significantly. It was also somewhat damaged, but he had brought spare parts, so he could repair and maintain it.
The mercenaries beside him were exhausted and lay sprawled on the ground. Chen Li walked over from a distance, looking at Han Xiao with suspicion, and tentatively asked, "Mr. Black? Are you alright?"
Han Xiao waved his hand, indicating that he was in OK condition.
Chen Li breathed a sigh of relief, but was secretly alarmed. He hadn't expected this Scorpion-level Assassin to be more reliable than the Venomous Bee Brothers.
He withstood concentrated fire and Sniping the enemy; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he turned the tide of battle. How could someone with such strength be merely Scorpion Grade fighter?
Chen Li estimated that Mr. Black was a newcomer who had only recently joined the Dark Net Organization and hadn't been promoted yet. Based on his performance in this battle, as long as he didn't die, he would definitely reach the Ghost Class in the future.
[Third ring completed, you have gained 150,000 experience points]
[Task requirements changed]
[Fourth mission: Repel five waves of attacks.]
[Reward: 40,000 experience points for each wave repelled (accumulated experience points are still awarded even if the mission fails)]
[Special Reward: 100,000 Experience Points]
Han Xiao sighed helplessly, "Another defense mission. Can't you come up with something different? Three bunkers have been blown up, and a lot of mercenaries have died. The manor's defenses are weakened. Is this some kind of endless tower defense mission?! The experience is pretty good, though, and there are special rewards, so there must be some hidden requirements... What kind of tricks are you going to pull this time?"
Han Xiao went to the logistics area and repaired his equipment and replenished his ammunition himself. He received stares from the mercenaries along the way. His previous performance had earned him the respect of these mercenaries and assassins. No one spoke, and they all tacitly approved of him taking over the command of all the Sniping from the Venomous Bee Brothers.
Those with injuries received treatment, and those without injuries slept. The night passed peacefully.
The heavy rain stopped at dawn, leaving the ground muddy and stained with a strange, pungent smell of blood and shrapnel.
Han Xiao was taking a nap with his eyes closed when a commotion suddenly broke out on the walkie-talkie.
"The protected target has appeared!"
Han Xiao immediately opened his eyes and looked at the villa.
The bald old man and the kind-looking man appeared behind the villa railing, startling all the mercenaries, who gathered around, curiously observing their finally revealed target.
Once the mercenaries and assassins had all arrived, the bald old man spoke, "Thank you all for your protection these past few days. Those whose names I've called, I'd like to speak with you."
The bald old man read out a string of names, all of them leaders of the mercenaries and outstanding assassins. Han Xiao's code name, Mr. Black, was also mentioned.
"... These people, please come into the villa in ten minutes. I have something to discuss with you."
[Task failure conditions changed.]
Han Xiao glanced at it, and the restriction preventing entry into the villa had disappeared.
The appearance of these two men sparked curious discussions among the mercenaries.
Han Xiao's heart was in turmoil as he recognized one of the people in the group.
"It's him, Bennett Anderson!"
To describe Bennett, you don't need any fancy adjectives; one sentence is enough.
He is one of the main characters on this planet!
That's awesome, right? But there's something even more awesome.
Bennett is a key figure in another main storyline on Planet Aquamarine. Only through him can players accept the main quest. In other words, this guy will be a powerful figure that countless players will want to rely on in the future.
And Bennett... is also a hidden mentor in general skills!
Han Xiao's eyes flickered, and in the short ten minutes he had left, he made a phone call to the Chaisrod Family.
"Ouvannuo, I'd like to exchange some items..."
"Hmm? Aren't you on a conscription mission...? What do you need?"
"Silver Watcher Hidden Blade, Locke HOC Sniping Rifle."
"... Okay, I didn't know you had this hobby. I'll have someone collect them for you, and they'll be delivered in about two days."
[You traded the [Silver Watcher Hidden Blade] with the Chaisrod Family, reducing your affinity by 300. Current relationship: Friendly]
[You traded the [Locke HOC Sniping Rifle] with the Chaisrod Family, reducing your affinity by 200. Current relationship: Friendly]
Han Xiao nodded, hung up the phone, and, under the watchful eyes of the other mercenaries, walked into the villa with a group of people whose names had been called.
The villa's interior was Classical simple in design. Apart from the luxurious chandelier on the ceiling, the rest of the house was not extravagant at all. The bald old man sat on the sofa, and the kind-looking man stood behind him.
"Please sit wherever you like."
Everyone took their seats on the sofas and chairs in the hall, but Han Xiao didn't sit down. He stood in the corner by the glass wine cabinet, staring intently at the man with a refined and gentle demeanor. This guy was Bennett. Despite his middle-aged appearance, he was actually over sixty years old. The more powerful a superhuman is, the slower they age.
The bald old man adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and slowly said, "Let me introduce myself. My Wang Yuan. I still need your protection for a while. I've summoned you all today simply to meet you and to inform you that this villa will be open to you. If you'd like, you can stay here and rest. That's all."
"Wang Yuan... I've never heard of that name." The group exchanged puzzled glances. They were curious as to why he had been staying at the River Valley Manor. Logically, the best option would have been to seek refuge in White Gull City. And who were those endless waves of enemies?
Seeing that Wang Yuan did not offer an explanation, they knew that asking would not yield an answer; asking only about the mission and not the reasons was part of their profession.
Wang Yuan said calmly, "You are all the backbone of the manor's defense. Once the mission is completed, I will give you all an extra reward in private."
Many mercenary leaders' eyes lit up. The publicly announced mission rewards would be distributed among their subordinates, but the extra rewards Wang Yuan mentioned would go directly into their pockets.
The meeting was brief. The mercenary leaders went back to instruct their men to move some ammunition into the villa for storage. The villa was large and had many empty rooms, which could provide rest for some of the men.
The villa quickly became bustling with activity, people coming and going. Wang Yuan and Bennett watched for a while before preparing to leave.
Han Xiao chased after him, taking three steps at a time.
"Mr. Black, is there anything I can help you with?" Wang Yuan smiled slightly. He remembered this Sniping had performed brilliantly last night and had a deep impression of him.
Han Xiao looked at Bennett, "I want to talk to him alone."
Wang Yuan and Bennett both looked surprised. They exchanged a glance, and Wang Yuan smiled, then walked away, leaving the two of them alone.
"What do you want with me?" Bennett asked, puzzled. "Have we met before?"
Han Xiao took a deep breath and said slowly in a voice that only the two of them could hear:
Bennett Anderson, a legendary figure active during the Old Era War, trained at the Misholodi Training Camp and belonged to the Ordifenna intelligence agency. He was an ace agent, a cold-blooded killing machine, and in the middle of the war, he became the captain of Ordifenna's most elite squad, codenamed [Demon Blue]. He carried out hundreds of infiltration, sabotage, assassination, and stealth operations. Later, he defected from Ordifenna and became a traitor. Decades ago, his bounty was as high as fifteen million!
Then you disappeared for two years, during which time it is said that you were practicing asceticism in the extreme plains of the North Continent and hunting wild beasts in the Gaoroso Mountains. When you reappeared, you had become one of the most powerful humans on the planet. You began to intervene in the war, without taking sides with any country, but instead helped civilians affected by the war to escape, gradually building up a huge force, which is said to be the predecessor of the Dark Net Organization.
You appeared time and again at the heart of the war. As you saved more and more lives, people of that era began to call you a hero, and you achieved countless astonishing feats. As the dust settled, you left the world stage, vanished without a trace, and never appeared in the public eye again...
This long passage is the official background information on Bennett's character; Han Xiao didn't remember some of the details, so he just gave a general summary of what happened.
Every planet has a few protagonists who, like shooting stars streaking across the night sky, leave a brilliant mark on that era and an indelible chapter in the planet's history.
Bennett is one of the "protagonists" of Planet Aquamarine, and even Hila at this time cannot compare to Bennett. The rise of the Goddess of Death will have to wait for later versions.
After listening to Han Xiao's long speech, Bennett looked astonished. He was the only one among the manor guards who recognized him.
Decades later, it's unbelievable that someone can still recognize him. He was like a block of ice back then, completely different from who he is now. He's changed so much, how can anyone recognize him?
A most likely guess came to Bennett's mind, and he hesitated before asking, "You wouldn't happen to be one of my admirers..., would you...?"