Yang Dian received a call from Locket and asked in confusion, "Mr. Locket, is there something you need from us?"
Locket's voice was urgent, "A robber stole the research institute's findings, including the antidote to the Death Virus. If we can't get it back, our research will be lost. The army can't get here quickly, so we have to rely on you!"
The two men's expressions turned serious. "We'll definitely help."
"Great! We can only rely on you. I'll send you the coordinates right away. The enemy is a man wearing black mechs!"
Black mecha?!
Yang Dian and Nid's expressions changed.
"Could it be him?!"
Running wildly through the streets in his mecha suit was too conspicuous. As soon as he left the research institute, he climbed to the roof of a nearby building and jumped around to escape. Even if someone saw him, the impact would be much smaller. He planned to find a secluded corner to take off his mecha suit and change his appearance.
"So many medicines, enough for me to drink like water every day." Han Xiao chuckled.
After turning a few streets, Han Xiao jumped into a deserted alley. Just then, the radar showed two strong life targets tracking him. The system automatically searched the database and found a match: two superheroes he had met twice before.
"Are they tracking me?" Han Xiao thought for a moment and realized they had been fooled by the Louis Research Institute again.
Suddenly, a prompt appeared on the panel.
[You have triggered the quest [Hero's Trial]]
[Mission Introduction: There is no shortage of righteous heroes, only a lack of the right methods. Some people have fallen into depravity and abandoned their original intentions, some have lost their principles and become complicit in wrongdoing, and some are kept in the dark and manipulated. Choosing justice is a difficult path, and you can become the trial that leads to their transformation.]
[Mission Requirements: Defeat Yang Dian and Nid, and expose the true nature of the Louis Research Institute]
[Reward: Random]
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
He was interested in this task; he wanted to experience what it was like to be the ultimate villain.
Han Xiao analyzed the data.
"I have a few minutes to waste, so I might as well play with them."
Han Xiao stopped and waited. Soon, Yang Dian and Nid's figures flashed past the alley entrance. They had overtaken him. After only a few seconds, the two hurriedly turned back and stood at the alley entrance to confront him.
"It really is you!" Yang Dian's expression was solemn. He had personally witnessed the combat power of this mysterious mecha warrior. Even in his prime, he would probably be knocked down by a few punches. Moreover, he was still injured. But when he thought of Han Xiao stealing the antidote to cure the Death Virus, Yang Dian mustered his courage and refused to back down even if he was no match for him.
Nid rubbed his hands together, poised to strike, and said in a deep voice, "Even if you saved us, we can't let you take the antidote."
The antidote? A classic case of being sold out and then still paying the seller.
Nid struck first, slapping his hands forward, sending a shockwave sweeping across the alley. Patches of plaster were torn from the walls, and cracks appeared in the ground.
Han Xiao suddenly leaped up, drawing a swift arc in mid-air before crashing into the target like a cannonball.
Yang Dian gritted his teeth and threw a punch to meet the attack.
Bang!
The fist encased in the mecha struck Yang Dian's chest like a fleeting black lightning bolt, before Yang Dian could even Heavy Strike a punch. Yang Dian's vision blurred, the scenery rushed backward, and he was sent flying, crashing into the wall with a thud, nearly shattering all the bones in his body.
He was killed in one hit.
"His physical strength is even more terrifying than that lion that seriously injured me." Yang Dian barely managed to break free from the wall, panting heavily. Suddenly, he heard the sound of wind in his ear, Nid was also thrown over, landing at his feet with a large bump on his head. He was dizzy from Han Xiao's light headbutt.
He couldn't even last three seconds, utterly powerless to retaliate. Yang Dian felt grief and indignation; how could he possibly stop the opponent like this?
A sense of powerlessness pierced their hearts.
Seeing that the two were gritting their teeth and trying to stand up, Han Xiao glanced at the timer in the corner of the holographic screen. He gave himself five minutes to deal with these two superheroes, but the situation was simpler than he had imagined. He took them down in less than ten seconds.
Both of them are level 30+ superhumans, and his current strength is basically unstoppable, like mowing down enemies.
He took a few steps forward, about to say something, when Yang Dian struggled to his feet, his face filled with defiance and anger, gritting his teeth and saying, "You've taken the antidote for the Death Virus, which will kill countless people. Today, even if it costs me my life, I will stop you!"
Han Xiao stamped his foot, a half-smile on his face, and said, "What can you gain by dying as a hero, besides withered flowers, empty praise, and a few false tears?"
Yang Dian gritted his teeth, "I don't care what others think of me, as long as I'm satisfied!"
Suddenly, Yang Dian's vision blurred as a large black hand expanded in his line of sight, grabbed his head, and slammed it into the wall, sending rubble flying.
With his head bleeding profusely, Yang Dian collapsed to the ground, his vision spinning, too weak to even stand up.
Han Xiao pulled out a pistol and pressed it against Yang Dian's forehead.
The Black Hole muzzle of the gun jolted Yang Dian awake, and he barely regained his senses. He tried to struggle, but Han Xiao stepped on his legs and slowly pulled the trigger.
Yang Dian's eyes widened; at that moment, an overwhelming sense of regret surged into his mind.
"If I hadn't caused trouble, I wouldn't be dead today. Even if I risked my life, I couldn't have stopped such a powerful enemy in the slightest. Coming here would only have meant certain death. I shouldn't have agreed to the request; I was too impulsive..."
Click, the trigger went all the way down. Yang Dian felt a jolt, but found no pain. He stared in astonishment as Han Xiao stepped back. Only then did he realize that cold sweat had soaked his clothes. Although he couldn't see his own face, he was sure it was filled with a distorted expression of fear, regret, and resentment.
Han Xiao asked, "What were you thinking about just now?"
Yang Dian was stunned and fell silent. In the instant he faced death, the belief that he thought was unbreakable actually wavered. He was not as generous and tough as he had said. In that instant, he even felt regret and thought that it was a foolish thing to agree to someone's request and die. Before this, he had always strived to be a superhero, wanting to save more people, wanting to protect more civilians, and sacrificing himself for others.
At this moment, Yang Dian only felt bewildered.
Han Xiao put the unloaded pistol back into its holster, took out his computer, put some data into a USB drive, unplugged it and tossed it to Yang Dian. He then disappeared from their sight in a few leaps.
Yang Dian and Nid looked on in astonishment.
The enemy just left like that?
"Why didn't he kill us..." Yang Dian clutched the USB drive, looking completely bewildered.
"We're no match for them. Don't go looking for death. Let's get out of here first." Nid helped Yang Dian up, and the two limped away from the scene.
Another mission failure filled the two with shame, making them too embarrassed to face Locket. When they arrived at the entrance of the Louis Research Institute, the army had already arrived and sealed off the area. Not wanting to deal with the Red Maple Army, the two had no choice but to return to their resting place to get bandaged up.
Yang Dian kept thinking about Han Xiao's words, feeling troubled and confused. Lying on the bed, he was lost in thought, his earlier ideas flashing through his mind. He could feel his concept of being a superhero crumbling and wavering, and he was torn between his conscience and his beliefs.
At this moment, Nid couldn't resist his curiosity about the contents of the USB drive. He plugged it into the computer, glanced at it twice, and broke out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly called out, "Old Yang, come and take a look!"