Chapter Twenty: The Assassination by Sniper

So this is what Father meant by the Undead? Alice studied Rain from ten meters away with curiosity. His skin was that of a federal Caucasian, his entire body solid with muscle, and the simple white tank top he wore was stretched taut across his chest. Yet, from the way he moved, his motions were fluid, not at all clumsy or ponderous. One thing especially caught her attention—Father had mentioned two people, but she only saw one. The other must be hiding nearby. Alice kept her face impassive, but she was growing more alert within.

Compared to Alice, Rain wore an expression of complete disbelief. Was this a joke? Was the so-called other believer just this baby-faced child before him? Damn, wasn’t this game supposed to be limited to minors? Which Main God was so shameless as to trick someone this young into coming here?

Though Ian had warned him before coming that the opponent was strong and he should be careful, Rain found it impossible to summon any fighting spirit while facing such a young child.

“Ugh… it stinks!” Alice pinched her nose in disgust. “What’s that smell? And what’s that black stuff on your face?”

“Uh…” Being looked down on by a little brat, Rain felt a bit humiliated, but recalling Jones’ plan, he forced down his irritation and smiled. “It’s a new biotechnological product. It helps to a certain extent with hiding from zombies. Once you apply it, you can avoid the walking dead to some degree.”

“Comrade, is that really true?” Alan, from behind, lit up with hope and asked eagerly.

“Of course it’s true. Which one is Congressman Alan? I’m the captain of the military district’s special forces. I’ve come to get you out!”

“I… I’m Alan!” Alan’s face shone with barely suppressed delight. He straightened his collar, regaining some of his former bearing, and said warmly, “Thank you for your hard work!”

“No trouble at all. It’s our duty!” Rain grinned broadly.

As Rain smiled, Alan, who was about to step forward, froze and halted his steps. There was something wrong about that smile—he sensed malice, the same smile the undead wore when they spotted him. If he hadn’t reacted quickly and slipped away back then, he might have been dead already.

Alice’s expression, by contrast, grew colder. Without a word, she drew the handgun her bodyguard had given her and fired without warning.

Although she’d never used a gun before, her heightened dexterity granted her extraordinary control over her body. Even as a novice, her aim at this distance was impressive. But Rain’s reaction was even faster—his huge frame moved with uncanny agility, weaving left and right, and in the blink of an eye he closed the ten-meter gap to stand before Alice. Alice’s brows knitted—his explosive power was several times greater than that of the walking dead, and in terms of strength, he far exceeded her. She switched out her sword, skillfully parrying his attack and using his force to spring aside.

But Rain was not a walking corpse—he didn’t lose his balance from her skillful maneuver. In a heartbeat, he steadied himself and turned to pursue Alice.

Their exchange was swift, but neither engaged in direct confrontation. Alice used her agility to avoid Rain’s attacks, but even so, the rebound from each parry sent her blood surging. Simultaneously, Rain grew increasingly frustrated. Alice was much faster than him, deflecting his blows with skillful leverage and evading his direct hits, leaving him with a gnawing sense of futility. Whenever she found an opening, she left a new wound on him. In a matter of seconds, his body bore almost a dozen cuts.

Clang! After another near-miss, Alice used the momentum from Rain’s sweeping arm to propel herself ten meters away. She landed with wary caution, ever mindful of the hidden companion she suspected was nearby. Rain’s offensive force was immense—she knew she couldn’t take a direct hit. One blow could break several bones, perhaps even damage her organs. Although she’d left multiple wounds on him, she understood they did little harm and might only incite his ferocity. Moreover, she noticed a detail—the earliest wounds she’d inflicted had already stopped bleeding.

“Your sword is sharp!” After breaking apart, Rain licked the cut on his hand, his previously lazy demeanor transforming into battle-readiness. Jones had been right—the girl was a true expert. Their fight irritated him, but he knew he couldn’t act rashly. He kept his strikes measured and precise. Having witnessed Jones’ skills, he understood the terror of high-dexterity believers: if he launched a reckless attack and exposed an opening, he could be fatally struck. Agile fighters weren’t lacking in explosive force; in fact, their bursts were often stronger than those of the strength-based. Their style was simply more evasive, and their bodies less durable, making them save their finishing moves for the right moment. He’d sparred with Jones several times and never won—once she found an opening, she’d finish him in a single blow.

“Your wounds heal quickly. Why is that?” Alice adjusted her breathing and asked directly.

“That?” Rain flashed a toothy grin. “It’s the result of biotech modifications. There have to be perks for having a mage on the team, right?”

“Mage?” Alice looked puzzled.

“You don’t even know what a mage is? So you’re really a lone wolf.” Rain stretched, and in the few seconds they’d faced each other, his wounds had nearly stopped bleeding. Although he hadn’t changed class, having the team’s necromancer unlock the tech library was a huge advantage. He’d been blessed with Stoneskin, making his outer skin much tougher than ordinary people’s—if he tensed his muscles in time, even bullets would only graze his skin. If not for Alice’s quick hands and sharp sword, she wouldn’t have wounded him so many times. Then there was the bio-cultured bacteria, which boosted his healing. While not instantaneous, as long as the artery wasn’t severed, small wounds would scab over swiftly.

Alice’s expression grew colder, and she fired again. Rain frowned, dodged, and quickly retreated to the cover of nearby obstacles. “You’re a bit out of line, kid. Talking one minute, shooting the next.”

Alice ignored him, continuing to maneuver and fire. With her agility, she could shift positions rapidly, forcing Rain to keep dodging.

Rain realized she had found her rhythm in battle. Whenever he closed the distance, she used his own attacks to spring away and resume shooting, keeping him at bay. After several exchanges, Rain withdrew ten meters and raised his hands. “Enough!”

Alice rolled her eyes and raised her gun again. Just as she squeezed the trigger, a cold voice sounded behind her: “Stop.”

The chill in that voice made Alice freeze. She’d been alert to her surroundings, but still hadn’t noticed when someone slipped in behind her.

Left hand holding the gun on Rain, right hand gripping her sword, she slowly turned to face the voice. At some point, a tall, thin figure had joined the group following her—clad in a black cloak, dagger in hand, and holding a pallid Alan hostage.

Alice’s face blanched, her eyes icy. “Let him go!”

Jones smiled elegantly. “What an adorable piece of work you are. But how about you put down your weapons first, young lady?”

Alice sneered coldly and arched an eyebrow. “Do you think I’d risk my life for him?”

Jones’s expression remained unchanged, his smile unwavering. He simply tightened his grip on the dagger, and a trickle of blood ran down its blade.

“Uhh…” Alan, his face drained of all authority, could only whimper as Jones choked him. Seeing Alice’s reaction, Alan wanted to warn the man behind him. This girl’s attitude was all wrong—maybe he wasn’t that important?

Calming down, Alan realized a lot. Alice had entered looking for someone—her mother, it seemed. Her mother was probably in the manager’s office, but after meeting up with his group, Alice had skipped that entirely, as if she’d forgotten her original goal. With the current situation, a dreadful premonition dawned on him. He desperately wanted to speak, but the mysterious man’s grip on his throat silenced him, cutting off his breath and turning his face crimson.

Alice bit her lip, her anxious expression so convincing it seemed real, and compromised. “Have the big guy step back another twenty meters.”

Jones shot Rain a look. Rain grinned knowingly and backed away.

Alice watched both sides warily, slowly crouched, and placed down her sword and handgun. The moment her weapons touched the ground, Rain’s lips curled into a cruel grin.

“Now can we talk?” Alice raised her hands cautiously.

“Of course—” Jones had barely spoken when, with a thunderclap, Rain lunged at Alice. The explosive sound was the air splitting as his muscles snapped taut, but Alice didn’t even hear it—because Rain was moving faster than sound itself.

Agile fighters’ bursts are no weaker than strength-based ones, but neither are strength-based believers any slower. Usually, agile fighters seem more elusive because they control their bodies better, but when it comes to an all-out burst, the strength-based can be just as fast, sometimes faster. Rain’s current speed was double what he’d shown before—a secret he’d kept. Ian had modified him with biotech, letting him erupt with twice his usual strength in critical moments. Though he would be weakened afterward, such sudden outbursts could change the tide of battle.

As Rain lunged, Jones’s face split into a cold smile. What he didn’t see was the matching, cold smile on Alice’s face as she crouched with her hands raised. In the instant Rain moved, Alice saw it all reflected in Jones’s pupils.

A flash of violet light in her eyes—she ducked suddenly, whipped out the knife Guo Lang had given her from her belt, spun aside to evade Rain’s rush, and with a twist of her left hand, the blade flashed, slicing open Rain’s carotid artery. Using his momentum, she plunged the knife deep and ripped, nearly decapitating him. Even as Rain instinctively jerked away, he was too late—for Alice’s speed had abruptly soared as well.

Tricked! The thought flashed through both their minds.

Blood spurted a meter high from Rain’s severed artery—his high strength attribute meant his blood was as abundant as it was vital. He clutched the wound desperately, but a gash that nearly severed half his neck couldn’t be staunched by hand. Soon the floor was awash with his blood, his body stiffening, wracked by spasms.

Jones’s face turned ashen. Now he understood—his hostage was worthless, and his and Ian’s deductions had been completely wrong. If the girl wasn’t here for the politician, then what was her goal? Could it be…

A chilling suspicion struck Jones—was she here, just as they were, hunting believers for the kill reward? The realization sent ice crawling down his spine. Staring at Alice’s small form and icy gaze, his face twisted with terror. He barely moved before—bang!—his body froze in place, the sound of shattering glass not even reaching his ears in time. Because a second before the sound, his and “Congressman Alan’s” heads had already exploded like watermelons.

The crash of breaking glass drew the attention of the undead below. Alice’s expression shifted; she dashed to Rain’s side, finished off his twitching body with a stab, wiped some of the black liquid from his face, and darted swiftly toward the stairwell, vanishing from sight.

The remaining three stood dumbfounded, too slow to react. When they heard the furious footsteps and beastly roars echoing from the stairs, it was too late to run. In moments, the surging undead overwhelmed them.

Meanwhile, far off, Guo Lang leapt to his feet and slapped his thigh. “Damn, this sniper rifle packs a punch! Night Handcraft really outdid themselves. Even without runic enhancement, it’s this powerful—guess there are some perks after all…”

High above in another building, Ian stood trembling, his face deathly pale, eyes wide with disbelief. Using his psychic sense, he felt the bodies of his teammates from afar, coldness settling deep in his heart. After a long moment, he turned his gaze toward Guo Lang’s direction, his former noble elegance now twisted into a mask of wrath and malice.

“I’ll remember your scent…”