Chapter Thirty-One: A Double Kill Against the Opponent

Night descended once more.

After visiting the Bureau of Anomalies to have the inscriptions on his body repaired and replenishing his supply of talisman papers, Mu Rongxun stepped out into the world again.

Under the neon lights, the city glittered, dazzling in its brilliance. Yet beneath this beauty, no one knew how much darkness lurked in the shadows.

Beneath the dim streetlights, a solitary figure walked through this unfamiliar place. His elongated shadow stretched behind him, while the steady flow of vehicles passed on the road beside him. On the sidewalk, only a handful of pedestrians moved in pairs or alone.

Suddenly, Mu Rongxun paused, then abruptly turned and dashed toward a nearby alley.

"Quick on your feet, aren’t you?" a man’s voice sneered coldly as a figure appeared, giving chase without hesitation. Since his presence had already been discovered, he no longer bothered to conceal himself.

The two of them ran one after the other into the alley, leaving the city’s neon behind. Yet when the pursuer entered, there was no sign of Mu Rongxun at all, which struck him as odd, for the alley was short and straight—you could see clearly from one end to the other.

"Hiding, are you?" The young man sneered, but didn’t give it much thought. Suddenly, one of his eyes turned blood-red.

"Let’s see where the little rat is hiding," he muttered, and as his eye shifted to crimson, the world transformed before him.

But then: "How can this be…" His pupils dilated in disbelief, his face contorted with shock at what he saw.

"This place is actually…" He didn’t finish his sentence before a figure dropped soundlessly behind him, blade flashing as it slashed downward.

Startled by the impossible vision, the young man had no chance to defend himself. The sword bit deep, leaving a long gash across his back.

"Ah!" he cried out in pain.

Behind him, Mu Rongxun’s face was cold and impassive. Having struck once, he didn’t hesitate, swinging his blade again. Once he decided to act, his resolve was merciless.

"I underestimated you," the young man spat, shocked that someone he considered a weak newcomer could have caught him off guard. Still, he didn’t think much of it—he’d only been distracted, and a sneak attack in such a state was no surprise.

He spun around, blocking the short sword with an armored gauntlet on his right hand, while his left fist shot out in a punch.

Mu Rongxun met him blow for blow. Their fists collided and both staggered back.

"Impossible…" the young man whispered, astonished. He’d tested his opponent earlier and found him only slightly stronger than a normal person, but now their strength was evenly matched. He had enhanced his own power, and though he, like Li Jing, had only entered the Tower of Sorcery’s world for the second time, the previous mission had already improved his physical attributes. No newcomer should rival him.

"You’re just as the boss suspected—hiding your strength. You’re no rookie at all," he concluded. That was the only explanation for such power. Li Jing must have fallen by this man’s hand as well.

Mu Rongxun said nothing, only raised his sword and attacked again. He found the short sword unwieldy, but swinging with force still had its merits. Since his arrival, he’d improved his basic swordsmanship considerably.

Knowing his opponent might not be a novice, the young man grew wary. In the Tower of Sorcery, one never knew what others had experienced or what tricks they held in reserve.

In the cramped alley, the two figures tangled in a deadly dance, just a stone’s throw from the city’s glowing lights.

Yet the young man was at a disadvantage. He was no combat player—his eyes allowed him to see through the essence of things, so he usually acted as a scout. Only because he’d underestimated his target did he follow alone, hoping to capture the man himself and force out information, to prove his worth to the leader.

Now, though, he found himself caught between advancing and retreating.

Unskilled in combat, he realized he was no match for his opponent. He’d already sent a message for backup; once the others arrived, their leader would have no trouble dealing with this man.

Blocking another strike with his gauntlet, the young man suddenly hurled something forward—a cloud of smoke billowed out.

Mu Rongxun instinctively covered his mouth and nose, retreating. As he left the smoke, he glimpsed a blurry figure fleeing into the distance.

His expression remained cold, showing no intent to give chase. Instead, a golden bow appeared in his hand. He drew it back, not loosing the arrow immediately, but waiting as his target neared the end of the alley. Only then did he release.

Bang!

The force of the shot carried the young man forward a few steps before he collapsed. Without protective artifacts, and as a non-combatant, such a wound was fatal.

Mu Rongxun didn’t approach recklessly. From a distance, he fired three more arrows in quick succession, each one striking the young man’s head. Other than a few involuntary twitches, the body never moved again.

Only then did Mu Rongxun approach. If someone could survive three arrows to the head, there was nothing more he could do.

He was mainly drawn by the notification—he had slain a white-name player, code number: … Since it wasn’t a slaughter mode, there was no additional loot bonus.

With confirmation in hand, there was no need for further caution. He knelt by the young man, turning the body over. The chest bore a conspicuous wound—evidence of the arrow from behind.

Above the corpse hovered a blood-red badge. This was not Mu Rongxun’s first time seeing such a thing; the first had been with his classmate—the one who had given him his player identity—killed before his eyes, the badge taken by the assailant. The second had been when he killed Li Jing, which had yielded the golden bow, some talismans, and a few Paradise Coins.

Now, this was the third time.