The reason Li Ran was able to land a one-hit kill wasn’t just because of his assassination skills—he also relied on another ability.
[Weakness Insight]
This skill allowed him to spot weaknesses on his enemies from afar, unlike before when he had to rush in for a Shadow Assault, backstab, and throat-slash combo to finish them off.
Once [Weakness Insight] was activated, the enemy’s body would display colored zones from light to dark—red indicated weak points and vital areas.
For most enemies, the weak points were located at the heart and neck.
But just now, that blood-red “Gatling duo” had their weak spot not in the neck or heart, but in the joint area between the two.
Had Li Ran still gone in for a backstab or throat slash like before, he probably wouldn’t have killed them. Worse, it would’ve placed him in grave danger. But with Weakness Insight, paired with the [Explosive Arrow] of his [Sunset Divine Bow], he was able to snipe the enemy’s vital point from afar. Long-range attacks could also trigger the passive skill [Blade Strike] from his [Greatblade Gauntlets], dealing fatal damage.
So that [Explosive Arrow] from earlier dealt at least four times the normal damage, truly achieving a “two birds with one stone” kill.
“They're here.”
Li Ran gave a quiet warning.
A dreadful aura of killing intent suddenly burst from all directions. Just as Li Ran activated his x-ray to observe, that figure in front of him suddenly vanished. More precisely, the blazing aura that was like a torch around them was suddenly concealed by the assassin.
Li Ran frowned slightly. He didn’t know what method the assassin used, but they actually managed to conceal their presence. Judging by the direction the assassin vanished toward, it didn’t seem like they were targeting Zhao Yingzhi.
“Looks like I’ll have to take a risk and lure him out.”
Li Ran slowly moved into the corner of the café. Beside him was a floor-to-ceiling window with a view of the street. He remained hidden in the shadows.
His eyes quickly swept over the street, and then suddenly locked in—he spotted the reflection of a mirror from a second-floor window diagonally across the street.
“They're here!”
In the very next instant, the floor-to-ceiling window in front of Li Ran shattered. A lightning-fast bullet, crackling with electricity, shot straight into his skull.
In an instant, his brains burst out. His figure appeared in the corner, lifeless.
The sudden scene drained the color from Zhao Yingzhi’s face. She hadn’t expected the enemy to be able to see through Li Ran’s stealth, let alone change targets and shoot him dead first.
“You found yourself a powerful partner.”
A man with a gaunt face and disproportionately long limbs appeared at the door.
“Now it’s just you.”
The gaunt man walked straight toward Zhao Yingzhi.
She stood on full alert, adopting a defensive stance. She had to stay calm to deal with the assassin before her.
“This guy’s strength is above the previous four. If I go head-to-head, I’ll be at a major disadvantage. I’ve got to think of a way to shake him off.”
Her eyes flicked toward the police station across the street.
This world couldn't be judged by the rules of reality.
Even with all this chaos across the street, there was no reaction from the police station—that would be impossible in the real world.
Maybe if she could get into the station, she’d receive temporary protection.
She didn’t believe an assassin would dare storm into a police station in broad daylight to kill someone.
But—she quickly abandoned that thought.
The gaunt assassin slowly approached. His entire head began to transform grotesquely, and by the time he reached Zhao Yingzhi, his head had already morphed into a sniper rifle.
A red laser sight locked onto Zhao Yingzhi’s head.
“Too scared to move?” the assassin asked, puzzled that she hadn’t even tried to escape.
At that moment, a faint smirk played on Zhao Yingzhi’s lips.
The gaunt assassin had a bad feeling. Suspicious, he glanced toward the man he had just sniped.
There, in the corner by the window, the man’s body slowly dissipated—vanishing like an illusion.
“Crap, it’s a trap!”
He whipped his head around toward Zhao Yingzhi—but she was gone.
In her place stood the supposedly dead man, smirking coldly.
Bang!
The sniper rifle that was the gaunt assassin’s head fired a shot at point-blank range. The blast was deafening.
At this distance, the bullet’s power was many times greater than normal. Even a powerful foe wouldn’t dare take it head-on.
“Shadowfang Bite!”
As the shot exploded toward him, Li Ran raised his arm in front of him. A shadowflame demon wolf clung to it.
Then, to the utter shock of the gaunt assassin, the demon wolf’s jaws snapped open—and bit down on the speeding bullet!
The gaunt man turned pale on the spot, terror flooding his face. “No... no way you’re that strong!”
At this point, he didn’t dare fight anymore. His whole body trembled, consumed by fear. He couldn’t fathom it—someone had actually caught a bullet with their bare hand.
“So even your attacks can’t pierce the armor granted by a rare skill?”
Li Ran stepped forward, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes, as if he were looking down at an insect on the ground.
…
When Li Ran walked out of the café, all that was left inside was a disassembled, bloody sniper rifle.
He clapped the dust off his hands, gritting his teeth. “Damn, he even triggered the passive of my [Phantom Cloak].”
When a player suffers a fatal hit, a phantom automatically activates to absorb the damage. Cooldown: one day.
“Too bad none of those assassins dropped any gear.” Li Ran shook his head in disappointment.
Zhao Yingzhi followed behind him, eyes wide with disbelief. “Just how many secrets are you hiding?”
“I’ve got a six-day lead on you in skills and equipment—of course I’m stronger. No doubt about that. But with your talent and adaptability, you’ll probably surpass me in under three days.”
“Also, this bizarre world can’t be understood through science. Science might not be reliable here. Most of the native NPC quests I’ve encountered were completed by catering to their desires.” Li Ran explained.
“You’re saying my logic and reasoning are useless here?” Zhao Yingzhi asked.
“Can you explain those assassins’ demonized forms with science?” Li Ran responded.
Zhao Yingzhi bit her lip, thinking deeply. “So being cunning and worldly-wise is more useful in a bizarre world?”
“Not necessarily. It depends on the person. Your original identity was an assassin, so most of your quests naturally develop along that path, meaning more combat. My quests, on the other hand, are more family-oriented. Totally different,” Li Ran said.
“I see... I’ve learned a lesson.”
Zhao Yingzhi felt like she’d gained a lot. It was a little ironic—this genius had just been schooled by someone who used to lag behind.
“Mission complete, right?” Li Ran asked.
Zhao Yingzhi nodded and split the mission rewards with him.
[Mission Complete: Survival (Team)]
[Team Completion Reward: +100 Eerie Force, +1000 Points, Rare Equipment ×1]
“Nice, nice! These mission rewards are amazing. You know how rare it is to get rare gear?” Li Ran thought to himself.
Just as he was about to check out the equipment, Zhao Yingzhi’s face changed.
“Another team mission just triggered!”
Li Ran noticed her sudden unease. Something wasn’t right—normal missions wouldn’t shake her like this.
“Now? What’s the mission?” Li Ran asked.
(End of Chapter)