Slash!!

The Resting Cemetery lay in deathly silence. Beneath the quiet vigil of the towering gravestones, a youth dressed in formal attire faced off against a pack of burly men in suits clutching briefcases. At the head of these hulking men stood the slender Adjutant Han. A glimmer of comprehension surfaced on his delicate, feminine face. "A funeral... I see." "You're here... to avenge Old Liu?" Glancing at the grave from which Bai Zhou had climbed, Adjutant Han narrowed his peach-blossom eyes, piecing together most of the picture in an instant. "You saw what just happened?" "—How much do you know?" "Perhaps more than you think," Bai Zhou said. "Though if you hand that ledger over to me..." Bai Zhou pointed at the black notebook in Adjutant Han's grasp. "I'd be able to know even more." "That isn't very funny." Adjutant Han's expression tightened as he tucked the ledger into his coat with one hand. With his other hand raised, a subordinate immediately stepped forward and placed a silver-white metal case into his grip. The instant the case touched his hand, Adjutant Han seemed to relax completely. Looking Bai Zhou up and down, his eyes held a trace of regret, as though appraising the quality of an object. "Do you know?" He said coolly, "Only blind eyes shed no tears, and only mute mouths do not quarrel. "Only a befuddled heart... avoids suddenly stopping without warning. "Knowing too much isn't necessarily a good thing. "It's a pity. I originally intended to groom you well, but now..." "—Stop!" Bai Zhou held up a hand, cutting off Adjutant Han's speech. "You talk too much garbage." He had originally hoped to probe for some intelligence from the man's mouth, but all that came out after all that blabbering was a bunch of muddled nonsense. Time was tight; Bai Zhou had no patience to waste any more words on Adjutant Han. Glancing at Adjutant Han, whose face had darkened after being interrupted, and then shifting his gaze to the muscle-bound thugs behind him, Bai Zhou slowly raised the thermos in his hand. It was ten past midnight. "The auspicious hour has arrived—" Standing in his crisp, tailored suit, Bai Zhou declared in the manner of an emcee at a Wancheng wedding banquet, then hurled the thermos violently toward the ground. "Let the funeral begin!" The moment the words left his lips, the thermos traced a parabolic arc through the air, sailing toward Adjutant Han and his men. "?" Question marks practically popped above the heads of all the suited men behind Adjutant Han. What was this supposed to mean? —Was he smashing a cup to signal an ambush? Yet no eight hundred axemen sprang from the graves to rush forward and chop Adjutant Han and the others into minced meat. There was only an explosion. *Boom—* Flames surged into the sky as a violent fireball tore open. Specially formulated chemical reagents, combined with a miniature ritual inscribed upon the thermos wall— Had produced a bomb of considerable destructive power. The fruits of Bai Zhou's extensive special training echoed through the base for the very first time. "Cough, cough..." "Bai Zhou!" Curses and shouts erupted. The suited bruisers stumbled in disarray, and two of those standing closest were killed on the spot. The others glared furiously at Bai Zhou, their faces scorched black by the blast. "Is this what you're relying on? A cheap little trick with explosives?" Shielded behind his men, Adjutant Han looked at Bai Zhou coldly. "If this is all you have..." Before he could finish, the detonation of the thermos served as an opening signal, triggering the subsequent chain reaction. *Bang, bang, bang, bang—* In front of the seemingly eternally silent gravestones, concrete slabs abruptly popped open. A barrage of fierce arrows shot forth like a blizzard. No one had ever imagined that such things would fly out from behind the headstones. Consequently, none of them were prepared. *Swish, swish, swish—* Only upon closer inspection could one tell that these weren't arrowheads at all. —They were sharp shards from bench legs. They still bore rust, along with deliberate coatings of filthy black grime. Yet by the time anyone could make out their appearance, the iron shards had already slit their throats, ending their lives. No matter how long one had trained their muscles, no matter what tactical drills they had undergone... The essence of life remained an exceptionally fragile thing. One could never grow careless, never underestimate an opponent... even if the adversary was merely a solitary boy who had just come of age. This was a bit of preparation Bai Zhou had arranged in advance. Perhaps, in a way, it could be considered an answer from those long-silent heroic souls to the prayer Adjutant Han had offered moments ago... The rain of arrows passed. Corpses littered the ground. In the blink of an eye, only Adjutant Han was left standing alone. Only this... mechanical monstrosity. *Buzz—* The faint hum of machinery was particularly jarring in this graveyard. The mechanical briefcase had already dismantled itself, countless precision components encasing the entire left half of his body. Hard armor plates shielded his left chest, left shoulder, and left arm, while a mechanical exoskeleton covered his left leg. Faint blue traces of flowing energy ran through the seams of the plating like blood, letting out an erratic, restless thrum from time to time. The pinnacle of technological beauty, a half-mechanical form forged for violence— Stood revealed before Bai Zhou. "Bai Zhou... you've exceeded my expectations a bit." A crimson-flashing bionic eye and an ordinary human eye sat side by side as an elegant smile touched his sickly face. Suffocating pressure rolled outward as the mechanical monster flexed its massive left arm. The heavy clatter of shifting metal joints and the hiss of hydraulics intertwined rhythmically; Adjutant Han looked as though he were tuning an instrument. When he spoke, his electronically synthesized voice sounded exceptionally chilling: "However, no matter what tricks you have, the chasm between ordinary mortals and Extraordinaries— "Is something beyond your imagination!" Before the sound faded, a tempest roared. The mechanical monster struck. He was on an entirely different level compared to Section Chief Liu's mechanical arm, and even the "Doctor" from Hengtan Primary School did not share the same style. It was hard to imagine how much kinetic energy that half-mechanical frame provided him... With flames blasting from his back, he crossed the distance to Bai Zhou in the blink of an eye, kicking up a trail of dust in his wake. A giant mechanical fist descended from the sky, its wind howling with unimaginable weight. Like a sledgehammer falling, like Mount Tai crushing down, it threatened to pound Bai Zhou into paste. —Incredibly strong! Now Bai Zhou understood what Crow had meant by Adjutant Han being "rich" and "powerful." As the man directly responsible for the "transactions," one could only imagine how much fortune Adjutant Han had poured into forging this mechanical briefcase to such a degree. There was no need to compare it to the pitiful mechanical arm Section Chief Liu took pride in. Even that fellow Tier-2 Extraordinary, the "Doctor"—before an Adjutant Han equipped with this briefcase... The so-called "Three-Year Cicada" would truly just be a cicada, swatted to death with a single strike. This was pure, unadulterated numerical suppression; that was the purpose of the mechanical briefcase. At the critical juncture— Bai Zhou ducked backward, his body folding in an extraordinarily fluid retreat. Upside down, inverted in an astonishing display of agility, he launched a kick straight into Adjutant Han's chin. *Bang!* A dull thud sounded, as if kicking raw iron. Bai Zhou tumbled away, narrowly evading the iron fist that pursued him. —Well, that was a literal "iron fist." "Are you tickling me?" Adjutant Han smiled, but his eyes were dark and grim. "You really should have endured a bit longer... waited until you became an Extraordinary. "—Otherwise, how long will I have to wait before I find another one like you? "To disappoint my high hopes, to even make the Major disappointed... tell me, don't you deserve to die? "—Speak!" He barked harshly. The sinister, shrill tone, once blended with the electronic synthesizer, was neutralized into an ordinary male voice. —Perhaps this was his complete form. Bai Zhou did not bother responding. Righting himself, he let out a soft breath and slowly drew from behind his back... A pitch-black fire poker. "What is that?" Adjutant Han could not help but freeze for an instant. Yet in that moment of hesitation, Bai Zhou had already closed the distance, raising the short staff and smashing down— *Boom!!!* A resounding crash echoed as the short club smashed without hesitation into the mechanical arm Adjutant Han barely managed to raise in defense. Enormous force surged through the iron rod, hammering a noticeable dent straight into the mechanical plating. —That was his reply. "An Extraordinary!" Adjutant Han's pupils contracted as he finally realized the crux of the matter. "You became an Extraordinary... this quickly?" Bai Zhou said nothing, only swinging the club with renewed vigor. Spirituality surged, hacking like a blade— *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!!!* Sparks sprayed wildly as the shockwaves reverberated into both combatants. More and more dents appeared on the mechanical arm, while the skin between Bai Zhou's thumb and index finger tore open. Fresh crimson blood dyed the short rod, causing it to faintly shimmer. "A wondrous melody!" Adjutant Han's voice turned increasingly delighted. After his brief shock, a surge of profound ecstasy welled within his heart. An Extraordinary! He had become an Extraordinary so fast, so easily? As expected, Bai Zhou was a true genius! This was... marvelous! It was not too early after all; the fruit had simply ripened ahead of schedule. To harvest it now was perfection! "Let me hear the final movement played with your life," The synthesized voice carried terrifying pressure and sickly fanaticism as it sounded, "—Make it louder!" Machinery collided with the short club in an endless roar. They snarled and tore into each other. It had to be admitted: just as Crow had anticipated, Adjutant Han was terrifyingly strong. Even giving it his all, Bai Zhou remained at an absolute disadvantage. That mechanical left arm was outrageously agile, even counterattacking on its own to guard Adjutant Han's entire body without leaving an opening. The strength it packed was preposterous. If a single punch landed solidly on Bai Zhou, it would decide the battle entirely. Anyone watching would have concluded that Bai Zhou's defeat was merely a matter of time. —From the start, this was an unfair battle. On one side was Adjutant Han, who rampaged through Tier-2 Extraordinaries thanks to piles of money and overwhelming equipment. On the other was Bai Zhou, who had become a Tier-1 Extraordinary only a few days prior. Such oppression and injustice mirrored everything Bai Zhou had experienced so far. From the tense dread upon arriving at the base from Wancheng, to the overwhelming helplessness upon learning the truth about "eating people." Ever since coming here, or perhaps even earlier, Bai Zhou had always been relegated to the position of the weak, the lowly. The world would never prepare evenly matched opponents for you. If you wanted to rebel against the world, you had to be ready to challenge the demon king the moment you stepped out of the novice village. Even so— The world was never lacking in brave souls who embarked upon the journey of adventure. No matter how suffocating or utterly wretched the world became, there would never be a shortage of rebels willing to speak out for others. And the moment one chose to speak out, one had to remember to bring a megaphone—just as one had to gird on a sword before entering the pugilistic world. Since he was determined to leave the novice village, then even if a colossal dragon truly guarded the exit... —He could only slay whatever stood in his way, god or Buddha. Just like now. For Section Chief Liu, for all the victims resting in the cemetery behind him... And for himself. Like a rabid hound, Bai Zhou allowed his wounds to multiply, yet his momentum surged all the higher as he fought tooth and nail around Adjutant Han. "Super Agility" miniature ritual, activate. "Overload Strength Surge" miniature ritual, activate. "Adrenaline Surge" miniature ritual, activate. "..." Activate! Activate! Activate them all! Half of his spirituality erupted simultaneously, operating in an overloaded state! *Boom, boom, boom...* The longer they fought, the more unsettled Adjutant Han felt. It was hard to describe the shock he felt at this moment. Because this had entirely exceeded the bounds of his understanding. ...Did this kid really drink the potion I gave him? Could this be someone who just became an Extraordinary? —Impossible! Bai Zhou had to be a Tier-2 Extraordinary, or perhaps even a weaker Tier-3! The custom half-mechanical frame Adjutant Han had meticulously crafted for himself was potent enough to let him contest against weaker Tier-3 Extraordinaries. How could a newly awakened kid force him to exert this much effort? Furthermore, this brat seemed to grow stronger the longer they clashed. Was he hopped up on stimulants or something? Didn't he feel tired? Han had a mechanical half-body, but did this kid Bai Zhou hide one under his skin as well? —And that short rod! —Especially that rod! What on earth was that dark, ugly thing? It was both heavy and hard, denting his mechanical armor all over. The sheer force made him want to vomit blood, yet not a single scratch appeared on that rod! Could it be... An Extraordinary weapon? "I understand... you're an undercover agent from the Blood Worship Cult!" "A cadre from the Blood Worship Cult, going to such great lengths to disguise yourself as a child and infiltrate us—you must have huge ambitions!" Enlightenment dawned on Adjutant Han. He understood completely now! "Is it the Dead Sea Secret Scrolls, or are you after the Major?" "Or... do you want a share of the pie and to meddle in our supply chain?" Behind this "Bai Zhou," there had to be a dangerous Blood Worship Cult cadre without a doubt. —What the Blood Worship Cult excelled at most was "disguise"! Suddenly, a shudder ran through Adjutant Han. His gaze toward Bai Zhou turned wary, but the desire to retreat sprouted in his heart. "Now that you can't wait to show yourself, do you plan to kill me and take my place?" "—Do you have others lying in ambush here?" Adjutant Han suddenly panicked. His habitual calm and composure vanished completely. He tried to negotiate with Bai Zhou: "...Perhaps there's room for discussion between us. There's no need for this, don't you think?" Bai Zhou had no idea what Adjutant Han was babbling about. Yet he engraved every single word the man uttered into his heart. Besides, it was always a good thing for Adjutant Han to lose his nerve. —His movements were slowing down! "I am nobody else." His gaze locked firmly onto his opponent as Bai Zhou sidestepped with a sliding step. "I am Bai Zhou. I came from Wancheng, and I came to avenge Brother Liu." He lifted his head, his calm gaze meeting Adjutant Han's, and said. "How could that be...?!" Adjutant Han's eyes widened, his crimson bionic eye flickering incessantly. Bai Zhou shook his head. "Your rambling has drained the last of my patience. As a speech, it was atrociously bad; as last words, it wasn't much better. "It's time to end this farce. "—Beneath 'their' watch." Standing before the rows of headstones, Bai Zhou drew back his club and stowed it. Like sheathing a blade. Focusing his mind, he lowered his stance, adopting the posture of drawing a sword. "Watch closely!" "This next strike—" Bai Zhou barked in a low voice. Adjutant Han started, hurriedly fixing his gaze upon him, his muscles tensed in peak vigilance. A blade? Where was there a blade? Even as doubts filled his mind, Adjutant Han kept his eyes glued to Bai Zhou, not daring to look away for half a second. At the same time, a few mocking chuckles echoed in his mind. What era was this, that someone still loudly announced their secret technique before using it? What kind of samurai are you? Or some pedantic "gentleman" from a thousand years ago...? Isn't that just telling your enemy to get ready? How ridiculous. Now he was inclined to believe that Bai Zhou was not a disguised Blood Worship Cult cadre after all. No matter how incomprehensibly gifted he was, in the end, he was still just a child... Then, The moment Adjutant Han's eyes went wide, Bai Zhou quietly stirred the Sea of Ignorance within his body. His lips moved faintly as he softly recited that mysterious, simple incantation: "Light—" A sun rose directly before Adjutant Han's wide, staring eyes. "Ah, you—" Adjutant Han, who had been staring tensely at Bai Zhou, was instantly met with a blinding sea of white. He could see nothing at all. Where did eighty thousand lumens of blinding light come from?! What happened to the blade?! Despicable!! Panicking completely, he swung his heavy mechanical arm wildly in all directions. Even as his arm roared with motion, his body retreated frantically. Yet at that moment, a strange sound like a blade being drawn reached his ears. It was as if some flame had been ignited. Simultaneously, a death-knell whisper from the youth rang out: "Moon Cinder—Holy Oath Slash!" Yet another new sun rose before Adjutant Han's eyes— "Slash!"