Out of Control

Even the highest-ranking Ascenders of the War God class, known for their formidable combat prowess, capable of standing against an army, were never renowned for speed. Moreover, the sudden whistling sound indicated that the attacker had gone from a standstill to extreme speed in an instant—an impossibility for known classes. Even Hunters, known for their agility, couldn't reach top speed in the blink of an eye.

Qu Gao's heart raced as he rose to his feet, cradling his rifle, cursing Qin Jie internally for the misinformation.

Damn it, this wasn't a War God class at all! Qin Jie, that bastard, had given him the wrong intel!

A streak of silver light descended from the corner of his eye, and Qu Gao felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. Rolling away with his rifle, he felt a chill breeze skim over his scalp.

He hadn't even gotten a clear look at his assailant before he tried to return fire, but the next moment, he could only smile bitterly.

The barrel of his rifle had been sheared off; his personally modified sniper rifle was now useless scrap metal.

As silver light flickered before him, Qu Gao finally saw the silver-haired youth holding an unusually long sword, his body emitting a faint silver glow indicative of external star essence manifestation. The youth's feet barely touched the ground before his figure blurred into motion.

Reaching behind him, Qu Gao drew a tactical dagger from his waist and thrust it forward, guided by instinct.

The tip of the dagger first met resistance as if it had struck something hard, then slid through and pierced something soft.

Did he hit?

Qu Gao was slightly surprised, but then a cold sensation touched his neck, and his eyes widened in shock.

The youth's blurred figure became clear again, and Qu Gao realized they were nose to nose.

They were almost touching when Qu Gao's gaze slowly lifted. He saw the youth's head, then the shadowy ceiling above, lit from behind, and then the garden behind him.

Finally, Qu Gao saw a headless body.

For a moment, his mind was blank with astonishment, and it took a few seconds for him to realize that it was his own body!

This was his last thread of consciousness...

Only then did Zane exhale deeply, stepping back and clutching the spot where Qu Gao had stabbed him.

Fortunately, the dagger didn't seem to be poisoned. Otherwise, he would have been in real trouble.

Qu Gao would never know that the Assault Rifle behind the street lamp had been firing on its own. Zane had simply fixed the trigger in a continuous firing position.

To make Qu Gao believe he was behind the lamp post, Zane had removed a piece of his clothing, revealing just enough to create the illusion.

He did this to confirm Qu Gao's position.

As the Assault Rifle continued to fire at the main building, specifically where Qin Jie might be, Qu Gao would surely shoot to protect his employer. Once the sniper master made his move, he would reveal his position.

At that moment, Zane, who had already moved from his initial position, could focus all his efforts on taking down Qu Gao.

As expected, Qu Gao, the sniper master, was skilled in close-quarters combat. To avoid prolonged risk, Zane traded injury for the chance to behead his opponent, braving a stab from Qu Gao to secure a decisive strike.

Qu Gao had capsized in a gutter this time, firstly because the family residence limited his mobility. Then, he underestimated Zane's speed, allowing the youth to close in on him. Finally, he underestimated Zane's resolve and lost his head to a single sword strike.

If the location and timing had been different, perhaps it would be Zane lying dead.

But in this world, there were no "what-ifs."

After treating his wound briefly, Zane, holding Cang Du's sword named Spring Water, headed towards the entrance of the balcony.

Through his tactical eye, he spotted a sneaky figure hiding behind the door.

The youth raised Spring Water, using the sword like a javelin, and hurled it with force!

The sword, remarkable for its length, flew through the air, easily piercing the door and striking the ambusher in the chest.

The prospector, also hired by Qin Jie, was instantly killed.

...

At that moment, Qin Jie was in his study, the long table covered in dust shaken loose by the Assault Rifle's barrage on the main building.

Footsteps hurried toward him, and the butler burst into the study, gasping, "Master, it's bad. Qu Gao... Qu Gao is dead, beheaded!"

"Useless!" Qin Jie roared, "That bastard assured me of a sure thing, and he's the first to die!"

He pulled open a drawer and retrieved a communicator to send a message to his deputy at the security station: Act immediately!

As gunfire continued outside, drawing closer to the study, Qin Jie became frantic, unable to wait for a reply. He grabbed the communicator and directly contacted his deputy.

The deputy answered quickly this time.

Qin Jie nearly shouted, "Bai Fei, bring men here now! Do you hear me?"

But a strange, calm voice responded through the communicator, "He heard you, but unfortunately, the security team won't be dispatched."

Qin Jie was taken aback, then angrily demanded, "Who are you? How dare you use a Bastion official's communicator!"

The person chuckled lightly, "I'm Orion. If Mr. Qin doesn't remember, I can remind you that I am the Chief of Staff of the Nightwalkers. Mr. Qin, I regret to inform you that due to your abuse of power in framing a relative of an Ascender, leading to her death in Black Ore, the Bastion's high command has decided to remove you from your post as head of the Third Security Station."

Qin Jie inhaled sharply, his reliance on his power as a Bastion official being the main reason he dared to trap Lyra and lure Zane to his door.

Now, with Orion declaring his dismissal, it meant he was losing the advantage of being the head of the security station.

Qin Jie cried out, "You have no right to do this! The security station is under the Iron Wall Legion system, it has nothing to do with you Nightwalkers! And even if I'm no longer the head, my residence is under attack, I have the right to protection!"

Orion hummed in acknowledgment, "You're right, the Nightwalkers indeed have no authority to interfere with the Iron Wall Legion's internal affairs. But as I said, this is a decision by the Bastion's high command. I'm just ensuring that decision takes effect a bit earlier."

"Secondly, you do have the right to protection. So now, I have ordered the security team to deploy. Please, Mr. Qin, hold on. You must hold on until they arrive."

With that, the communication was cut off.

Qin Jie slumped into his chair as if he had lost his soul. He knew that Orion's last words were just a formality.

Perhaps the security team had set out, but by the time they arrived, the Qin residence would surely be finished!

Qin Jie pounded the table, "Why? Why? What is the background of that kid that the Nightwalkers would go to such lengths? It doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense!"