Buildings that were quiet just moments ago suddenly came to life. This was triggered by the sound of gunshots on the second floor. Upon hearing it, everyone on the first and third floors rushed towards the source of the noise.
Simultaneously, the first and third members slipped out from behind the building, and a few bullets followed them. However, this did not deter them, as they swiftly ran, avoiding trees while the echoes of gunfire resonated in their ears.
"Tertius, why couldn't you finish him off?"
As they ran, the first member questioned the third with labored breath. In response, Tertius glanced back, ensuring they were relatively safe, before speaking.
"Damn, this fourth one is not ordinary. When I tried to kill him, what do you think he did?"
Speaking, he looked at the first member.
"He managed to dodge? That doesn't sound like you."
The first member was familiar with the abilities of the third. In essence, they were a team and knew each other well, even their real names and each other's capabilities.
According to the first member, Tertius could easily kill a newcomer like the fourth. However, now the third told him that this newcomer was not ordinary. He thought the newcomer had just been lucky and evaded the third's attack.
However, as he doubted, Tertius continued speaking.
"Believe it or not, when I shot him in the back, he placed his pistol under the bullet, causing it to ricochet. I couldn't react in time, and he took cover behind a table in the conference hall. Due to the commotion, I didn't have time to finish him off; I had to retreat."
The longer Tertius spoke, the more the first member doubted.
"Are you serious right now?"
"Well, it sounds unbelievable, but that's the truth. Okay, no time to dwell on it. What do we do now? Deal with the second similarly, or leave him be?"
When Tertius posed this question, the first member finally shifted his attention to another issue. He looked at a hill nearby, where the second member should have been. However, it seemed he had thought about something and shook his head.
"No, let's wait this time, no need to rush."
While they were talking, sudden loud shots echoed from behind them from the building.
Both of them turned to look at the building, and after some time, the shots ceased. By then, the first and third members were already by the car and saw the second. He stood near the car, holding a sniper rifle at the ready. He didn't say anything, just waiting for the first and third members to get into the car, and he followed suit.
Putting away the sniper rifle, he discreetly kept a pistol on him just in case. His eyes occasionally glanced at the building in the distance. If one looked closely, a faint fear and panic flickered in his eyes. The car was started and accelerated onto the road.
---
Five minutes ago, inside the building.
Nero still stared at the armored glass in front of him; his breath quickened, and nerves were on edge.
"Though I managed to escape, but... a lot of people are coming this way."
He looked at the door of the conference hall; footsteps echoed in his ears. As time passed, the number of shouts and steps increased.
"Conference hall, quickly!"
Nero was acutely aware of his situation; he couldn't calm his breathing. However, instead of panic and fear, anger emerged. The first mission he wanted to carry out immediately became a trap for him.
If it were the original owner of the body, he would have died on the spot. Only now, remembering the sharp pain in his back from bullets, did he begin to understand the pain of this world. The fundamental law of nature still applied: kill or be killed.
"Quick save."
As he spoke, his gaze fell on the circle which, a few moments later, stopped again. The save was complete, and now he had to face the hellish difficulty from the very beginning.
"I don't want to kill..."
Muttering, he looked at the pistol in his hands. Besides his pistol, you could also see what lay near the bodies of two guards.
"Okay, let's try something. Let's just try to incapacitate or wound, specifically in the limbs."
Gripping the pistol tightly in his hand, he still couldn't quell the unease within. Fear lingered, exacerbated by the approaching crowd, triggering natural panic.
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The sounds of footsteps and shouts drew nearer. Realizing this, Nero turned, positioning himself behind the conference room door. Moments later, several individuals rushed into the room, weapons in hand.
They quickly surveyed the area until one finally fired through the door upon spotting Nero. Seeing him, the guard raised his gun to shoot, but Nero, luckily, had already swung his foot, striking the guard's chest before he could aim. In the next moment, he aimed his pistol at another guard, targeting the leg, and pulled the trigger.
A gunshot rang out, and the guard fell with a cry. The sudden shot also drew the attention of a third guard near the mission target. He swiftly turned back, ready to shoot, but Nero was quicker. He aimed and fired at the guard's arm. The bullet whizzed, grazing the guard's limb, disrupting his aim.
Though the bullet merely scratched the guard's arm, it was enough to interrupt his targeting. As Nero observed the guard falling to the side, three more guards entered. Unlike the previous encounter, these guards aimed directly at Nero through the door, firing without hesitation.
Nero heard only the thunderous noise, followed by sharp pain in multiple places on his body. "Damn it! Quick reload," he muttered. Without delay, he reloaded, realizing he had messed up. The scene before him shifted again after reloading. This time, he swiftly grabbed a fallen guard's pistol and positioned himself behind the door once more.
As before, everything unfolded in the same manner. However, this time, when the three guards entered, Nero immediately closed the door, catching them off guard. He began firing at their legs with both pistols simultaneously.
A series of shots echoed in the room, causing the three guards to collapse, clutching their injured legs. Returning behind the door, Nero waited. After a few seconds, the door burst open with a forceful impact. Instead of people entering, it seemed like they were waiting. Nero breathed heavily, on edge.
However, more than a minute passed, and no one entered. When he thought the other side hesitated to take action, Nero wanted to step out to grab another pistol. Suddenly, consecutive shots rang out directly into the door.
Bullets effortlessly pierced through the door, injuring Nero. A sharp pain this time was more intense than before. Without hesitation, he reloaded, but the immense pain overwhelmed him. Immediately after reloading, he fell to his knees.
His mental state started deteriorating. He attempted multiple reloads in succession to give himself a break and try again, turning the situation into a loop. Trying to wound people to prevent them from stopping him, with each attempt, his mental state crumbled.
On the ninth try, he finally managed to immobilize the second group of people. Six individuals lay on the conference room floor, holding their bloodied limbs and crying out in agony. With each repetition, he became more adept at injuring them precisely and grew less nervous.
Learning from past mistakes, he didn't preserve himself every time he succeeded. When he wanted to take a brief break and attempt to leave the room, the worst happened.
As he looked towards the exit in the conference room door, a sudden gunshot echoed. In the next second, he felt something pass through his neck, exiting his throat. His mind received an enormous shock, everything before his eyes started to blur. Gradually, he began suffocating, descending into a state of confusion.
When the bullet passed through his neck, destroying the nerves, it strongly affected his brain. Nero ceased to comprehend what was happening, collapsing to the ground. His consciousness couldn't gather itself to do anything. The memories and fears hidden in his mind began to take over.
His vision gradually darkened, followed by his consciousness.
Everything plunged into emptiness, and he felt a sense of liberation.
The emptiness enveloped everything, and he felt a sudden sense of liberation. In that final moment, he realized he was dying, with no salvation in sight.
Yet, as his consciousness seemed to fade away, he abruptly opened his eyes. Standing near the lifeless body, pistol in hand, he remained motionless this time. His unfocused eyes stared downward.
He raised his hand, caressing the pistol in his grasp. The moment when the bullet pierced his throat played in his mind. Pain and fear lingered vividly in his consciousness as he touched his neck.
However, something felt different. The liberation he experienced persisted. It was as if the bond tying him had loosened. He couldn't comprehend this sensation.
Certain things appeared less crucial than before. Taking another pistol, he stepped back to the same spot, standing behind the door. Footsteps echoed, and three guards entered. He raised the pistol, now aiming at heads instead of limbs.
"Bang, bang, bang."
Three shots echoed, and Nero observed as the trio fell with gunshot wounds to their heads. Unlike before, he felt no remorse for taking a life.
Meanwhile, on the hill, the second individual aimed towards the second floor, witnessing the unfolding events. Many people ascended to the second floor, and he recalled hearing on the radio that the fourth intended to kill the third.
As the fourth attempted to leave the room, the second intervened. He didn't want to personally kill the fourth, leaving that task to an accomplice. While the first and third reached the car, he wanted to observe the fate of the fourth.
Peering through the scope, the second saw three individuals enter the conference room. Following that, three shots rang out. Unexpectedly, from the room, an arm extended, swiftly shooting the guard by the door. Others failed to react; the second witnessed the fourth exiting the room, using the dead guard as a shield.
Holding the guard's body and using it as a shield, the fourth began firing the pistol. The second saw how the fourth eliminated everyone on the second floor in three minutes. Blood and corpses littered the entire floor, transforming the fourth into a different person.
Considering the third's warning, the second acknowledged the significant threat the fourth posed. Judging by the opponent's skills, the fourth wasn't the novice the second initially thought. Handling a pistol with such efficiency wasn't a common skill.
Gritting his teeth, he realized what he had to do. It was better to eliminate threats early than live in fear of retaliation later. Focusing, he aimed directly at the fourth. Calming his breath, he closely monitored the fourth's movements. The 100-meter distance posed no challenge for him, requiring minimal preparation time.
Finally, when he aimed at the fourth's head, he fired. Yet, the ensuing scene left him bewildered. It seemed the fourth anticipated his intentions, tilting his head at the precise moment of the shot. Consequently, the bullet narrowly missed the fourth's head, embedding itself in the wall.
Stunned by the turn of events, the second saw the fourth turn his head and lock eyes with him. Witnessing this, a shiver ran down the second's spine. Through the scope, the fourth's eyes conveyed an understanding deeper than before.
Swallowing hard, the second shifted his attention to the third and first, who appeared near the hill. However, this time, he couldn't locate the figure of the fourth; it was as if he had vanished, leaving only the red-tinted second floor in view.