Chapter 66: Escape Through Death
The shockwave made Tang Yu’an’s head spin, a ringing in his ears.
Smoke filled the air, obscuring his vision.
He vaguely felt someone carrying him on their shoulder, the pressure against his stomach painful.
Then he was thrown roughly into a vehicle.
He slowly regained his senses, seeing several strangers in the armored car, all wearing gas masks, their weapons pointed at him.
So they had also released poison gas, which was why he felt so weak.
He felt the vehicle speed away, wondering why they were taking him. Shouldn’t they be after the protagonists?
He wanted to ask where they were taking him, but seeing their weapons, he swallowed his words.
The man sitting opposite him wore a dark blue combat suit and a fanged mask, unlike the others, a terrifying sight.
This isn’t right, he thought. The protagonists should be the targets, and I should be sacrificing myself.
He wondered if dying in the car counted as fulfilling the mission requirements.
Then, the driver cursed, saying they were being followed.
The man in the fanged mask looked in the rearview mirror, seeing a car close behind.
Wei Langxing floored the accelerator. Shrapnel from the explosion was embedded in his abdomen, blood steadily flowing.
Adrenaline masked the pain as he pursued the vehicle ahead.
Zuo Tinghan sat beside him, loading his gun.
The fanged mask opened the window, firing a powerful energy blast. Wei Langxing swerved, narrowly avoiding it, the blast hitting a roadside barrier, causing an explosion.
They reached a bridge, a river below.
The fanged mask retreated back inside, about to reload his weapon, when he heard a noise on the roof.
They all looked up. Tang Yu’an realized someone had jumped onto the car.
A hand reached down, placing a button-like device on the window, which shattered from the vibration.
Before the attacker could enter, the fanged mask climbed out the window, kicking him off the roof.
Zuo Tinghan, hit with full force, managed to cling to the back of the car, pulling himself back onto the roof, then plunged a small knife hidden in his sleeve into the man’s arm.
But the fanged mask, seemingly impervious to pain, didn’t even flinch, pulling out the knife and attacking Zuo Tinghan.
After exchanging several blows, Zuo Tinghan’s heart sank – this man’s skills and experience were on par with his own, but he was weakened by the poison gas, he couldn’t keep this up.
He could only rely on Wei Langxing.
Meanwhile, Wei Langxing tried to sideswipe the vehicle, but his car was hit, almost flipping over.
He took a risk, ramming their rear.
He found another opportunity, the two vehicles now side by side. He was forced towards the edge of the bridge, the railing scraping against the car, sparks flying, debris falling into the river below.
He reached for the other car’s window, about to climb over, when he was shot in the shoulder by the fanged mask, losing his grip and falling back into his own car, which swerved and crashed into the railing, flipping over several times.
The car landed upside down, flames erupting. Wei Langxing, trapped in the driver’s seat, watched helplessly as the other vehicle sped away, struggling in vain to escape.
He coughed up blood, his vision blurring.
Tang Yu’an was also horrified. Would the protagonist be alright?
Even if he was fine now, the car might explode.
Wei Langxing needed help…
This is it, he thought. My final mission.
He had never used the cufflink before, this was the first time.
He activated the audio frequency. Zuo Tinghan, hanging onto the other vehicle after being kicked off the roof, felt a jolt, a chilling dread spreading through him.
No, please, don’t do this to me…
But his pleas remained unspoken, his body no longer under his control.
He took one last look at Tang Yu’an through the window, his expression calm, unafraid.
How can he not be afraid? They have guns…
But Tang Yu’an truly wasn’t afraid, even tackling one of the mercenaries who was about to shoot Zuo Tinghan.
Then he was punched, his vision darkening.
Zuo Tinghan desperately clung to the car, but he couldn’t control his actions.
He watched helplessly as his hand slipped, and he fell, then stood up and walked towards Wei Langxing’s burning car.
He couldn’t even turn back.
Wei Langxing saw him approach, choking out a few words, urging him to continue the pursuit, not to come back.
But seeing his eyes, he understood.
He was pulled from the wreckage, his broken leg dragging behind him as he tried to crawl forward, his efforts futile.
Tang Yu’an sat in the car, his head lowered, blood staining his shirt.
He had been shot during the struggle.
The fanged mask, noticing the accidental discharge, immediately killed the careless mercenary.
His orders were to bring the target back alive, but it seemed he wouldn’t last.
So, he contacted his superiors for further instructions.
Receiving the order, he instructed the driver to take them to the river.
Tang Yu’an was dragged out, forced to kneel.
Then, the fanged mask lifted him up by the throat.
Tang Yu’an knew this was the end, but his survival instincts kicked in, struggling in vain.
In his panic, his hand brushed against the man’s face, and the mask slipped.
He froze, his struggles ceasing.
Was he hallucinating from lack of oxygen?
Why… did he see Yu Liao’s face?
He opened his mouth to ask, but before he could speak, a sickening crack echoed, and his neck snapped.
Yu Liao released his grip, watching as Tang Yu’an’s lifeless body fell to the ground.
He then ordered his men to dispose of the body in the river.
His superiors had told him that if they couldn’t take him alive, then eliminate him.
Yu Liao’s cybernetic eyes recorded everything. This video would be sent to the Bureau.
A declaration of war.
As the organization’s top assassin, Yu Liao had killed countless people. He was a machine, eliminating any obstacles in his path.
Killing someone was as natural to him as breathing.
But hearing the splash as the body hit the water, he felt a strange pang in his chest.
Perhaps his system needed an upgrade.
He watched as Tang Yu’an disappeared beneath the surface, then turned to leave.
He had a message to deliver.
————
Whenever he left a world, Tang Yu’an would enter a dreamlike state.
But this time, he vaguely heard the system: [Congratulations, Host, on completing your mission. The system will now be unbound. As a token of gratitude, we offer you a retirement world. Please enjoy your retirement, and don’t forget to leave a positive review!]
What? He didn’t have to be a tool-man anymore?
His mission was complete?
Before he could process it, the scene shifted, and he fell from the clouds to the ground.
He felt cold, a bone-chilling cold.
It was raining, soaking him to the bone.
He looked around, finding himself outside a warehouse.
He was still wearing his previous clothes.
This wasn’t right. His body and clothes should have changed in a new world.
The system helpfully explained: [Due to a vacancy in the retirement worlds, you have been transferred back to your last mission world. To compensate for this, you have been granted a “New Identity” package. Please check your inventory.]
[Host’s body has been repaired. System unbinding commencing. Retrieving character card.]
The “Wife Card” appeared before him. He noticed a new line of text at the bottom—
“They all want you for themselves.”
What was that?
The card shattered, the system’s beeping ceasing, leaving him alone in the rain.
The feeling of suffocation was still vivid. He touched his neck.
It was intact.
As he was about to stand up, his hand brushed against something soft behind him.
He realized he was leaning against something… a body. He froze, slowly turning around, meeting a pair of lifeless, gray eyes.
He jumped back, his heart pounding.
The man had been dead for several hours, the blood on the ground already dry.
He hadn’t noticed earlier in the dim light, but now he saw several other bodies and dismembered limbs scattered around, a sign of a fierce battle.
He was about to leave when the system spoke again: [Activating “New Identity” package. Don’t forget to leave a positive review!]
He watched as the corpse became translucent, then vanished completely, leaving behind a thin, cloth-like object.
He picked it up; it was a reshaping mask, incredibly thin, but capable of perfectly replicating another person’s facial features.
Its intricate design seemed beyond this world’s current technology.
He didn’t want to steal someone’s identity, especially a deceased person.
But before he could put it away, a bright light shone on him, making him flinch and turn away.
Several vehicles appeared simultaneously. He thought he had stumbled into a gang war.
If they were here to collect spoils, they would kill him on sight.
He heard a voice behind him: “Who’s there?!”
In a moment of desperation, he put on the mask, then turned around.
He didn’t recognize the man facing him, only noticing his bulbous, red nose.
But the man clearly recognized him, or rather, the face he was wearing.
The man with the bulbous nose laughed, rushing over and giving him a bear hug: “I knew you could do it! I didn’t give you that opportunity for nothing, hahaha…”
He clapped him on the shoulder: “So many people, and you’re the only survivor! You’re the best! By the way, what was your name again?”
Panicked, he almost blurted out his real name, then quickly said: “Tang… Tangyuan. Yes, my name is Tangyuan.” (Tangyuan is a type of sweet dumpling.)
