Chapter 11: No Escape

Part 1: Into the Chaos

The villa was a warzone, littered with the bodies of Li Wei's guards. Lin Feng's breath came in sharp, controlled bursts, his fists clenched as he stalked through the bloodstained halls. The air was thick with tension, every corner, every shadow brimming with danger. He could feel the A.I. pulsing in the back of his mind, guiding him, calculating the next threat before it even emerged.

But this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall, and Lin turned just in time to see a group of 20 men rushing toward him. They were armed with daggers, their faces twisted with malicious intent. The sharp glint of the blades caught the dim light as they closed in on him.

"20 hostiles. Weapons: bladed," the A.I. noted calmly. "Recommend evasive combat strategy. Prioritize disarming and incapacitation."

Lin's eyes narrowed. These weren't ordinary thugs—they moved with purpose, a practiced ruthlessness in their steps. But they were no match for what he had become.

The first thug lunged at him, dagger aimed directly at Lin's throat. But Lin was faster—much faster. The A.I. calculated the exact trajectory of the blade, and Lin sidestepped effortlessly, grabbing the man's wrist and twisting it. The thug screamed as his wrist snapped, the dagger clattering to the floor. Before the man could react, Lin delivered a sharp knee to his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Another thug came at Lin from behind, slashing wildly with his blade. But Lin spun around, his reflexes heightened by the A.I.. He caught the man's arm mid-swing, then used the thug's own momentum to flip him onto the ground. The thug's head cracked against the marble floor with a sickening thud, and he lay motionless.

The remaining men hesitated, clearly realizing that this fight wasn't going to be as easy as they had thought. But Lin didn't give them time to regroup. He surged forward, his movements fluid and deadly.

The next thug swung his dagger at Lin's midsection, but the A.I. had already mapped out the attack. Lin ducked under the strike, grabbed the man's arm, and yanked him forward. In one swift motion, Lin twisted the dagger out of the thug's grip and plunged it into the man's leg. The thug screamed in agony as he collapsed, clutching his bleeding leg.

The rest of the men moved in at once, trying to overwhelm Lin with sheer numbers. But they were too slow. The A.I. was calculating their every move, predicting each strike before it came. Lin weaved through the attacks like a ghost, disarming and disabling each thug with ruthless efficiency.

Within minutes, the floor was littered with bodies. Some were groaning in pain, clutching broken limbs, while others lay unconscious or worse. Lin stood in the center of the carnage, breathing hard but unscathed.

"20 hostiles neutralized," the A.I. reported, its voice as calm as ever.

But Lin knew this was far from over. He could feel the eyes of something—or someone—watching him.

Part 2: The Sniper

Just as Lin was about to move deeper into the villa, a faint whistling sound reached his ears—a sound that was almost too fast to register.

The A.I. reacted instantly.

"Sniper bullet detected. Evasive action recommended."

Without thinking, Lin dove to the side, his body moving before his mind had even processed the danger. The sniper's bullet slammed into the wall where his head had been just a moment before, sending a shower of plaster into the air.

Lin hit the ground, rolling behind a nearby column for cover. His heart raced, but the A.I. kept him focused, analyzing the trajectory of the bullet to pinpoint the sniper's location.

"Sniper located on rooftop, 300 meters southeast. Weapon: high-powered rifle. Line of sight currently obstructed."

Lin's eyes narrowed. The sniper had him pinned, and there was no telling when the next shot would come. But now that he knew where the sniper was, he had the advantage.

Peeking out from behind the column, Lin caught a glimpse of the rooftop in the distance. He couldn't see the sniper, but the A.I. had mapped out the exact position. He needed to move fast.

Without hesitation, Lin sprinted toward the nearest building, ducking low as another bullet whizzed past his head. He could feel the sniper adjusting his aim, tracking his movements. But Lin was too fast—too unpredictable.

The A.I. continued feeding him data, calculating the sniper's reload times and line of sight. Lin zigzagged across the courtyard, using every piece of cover available to close the distance between himself and the sniper.

Finally, Lin reached the base of the building. He leaped onto the ledge, scaling the wall with speed and precision that no ordinary human could match. The A.I. guided his every movement, ensuring he reached the rooftop without exposing himself to another shot.

As Lin pulled himself onto the rooftop, he spotted the sniper. The man was lying prone, his rifle trained on the courtyard below, completely unaware that Lin had already outmaneuvered him.

Lin moved silently, creeping toward the sniper with deadly intent. The A.I. calculated the most efficient takedown, and Lin struck with precision. He grabbed the sniper by the back of the neck, yanking him up before slamming his face into the cold concrete.

The sniper struggled for a moment, but Lin twisted his arm, wrenching the rifle away and snapping the man's wrist with a sickening crack. The sniper cried out in pain, but Lin silenced him with a brutal punch to the throat. The man choked and sputtered before collapsing, unconscious.

"Sniper neutralized," the A.I. confirmed.

Lin stood over the sniper's body for a moment, his chest heaving. He could feel the strain building in his mind—the overuse of the A.I. was starting to take its toll. But there was no time to rest. The real fight was still ahead.

Part 3: The Mercenaries

As Lin made his way back down to the main courtyard, he could hear the sound of boots marching in unison. He rounded a corner, his eyes narrowing as he saw what awaited him—10 mercenaries, each armed with assault rifles, their faces covered by tactical masks. They were heavily armored, their weapons aimed directly at Lin.

"Fire!" the lead mercenary barked, and the night exploded with gunfire.

Lin's instincts kicked in. The A.I. reacted instantly, mapping out the trajectory of every bullet, calculating the best path to evade the hailstorm of lead. Lin dove to the ground, rolling behind a large stone fountain as the bullets tore through the air above him.

"Hostiles: 10. Weapons: automatic rifles. Recommended strategy: disarm and eliminate with extreme force."

Lin's mind was sharp, but he could feel the strain of overusing the A.I. pressing against his skull. He pushed the thought aside. He didn't have time to worry about that now. These men were trained killers, and they wouldn't stop until he was dead.

The gunfire continued, deafening in the enclosed space. Lin waited, timing his move carefully. The A.I. monitored the mercenaries' firing patterns, tracking when each one paused to reload.

"Now," the A.I. whispered.

Lin surged forward, moving faster than the mercenaries could react. He closed the distance between them in seconds, his body a blur of motion. The first mercenary barely had time to turn before Lin was on him, grabbing the barrel of the rifle and wrenching it upward. The gun fired into the air, the deafening blast echoing across the courtyard.

Lin slammed his fist into the mercenary's throat, crushing his windpipe with brutal efficiency. The man crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.

Before the others could react, Lin grabbed the fallen rifle and turned it on the next mercenary, firing a precise burst into his chest. The bullets tore through the man's armor, sending him crashing to the ground in a pool of blood.

The remaining mercenaries opened fire, but Lin was already moving. He ducked behind a stone pillar, the A.I. feeding him real-time data on their positions. The mercenaries tried to flank him, but Lin anticipated their movements, darting from cover to cover as he picked them off one by one.

He reloaded the rifle in a fluid motion, then popped out from behind cover and unleashed a torrent of gunfire. Two more mercenaries went down, their bodies riddled with bullets.

The others scrambled for cover, but Lin was relentless.

Part 3: The Mercenaries (continued)

Lin sprinted toward the remaining mercenaries, firing short, controlled bursts with deadly precision. The A.I. guided every shot, ensuring that each round hit its mark. Two more mercenaries fell, their bodies jerking violently as the bullets tore through them. Blood splattered against the walls, and the stench of gunpowder filled the air.

The remaining five mercenaries took cover behind large stone pillars and statues in the courtyard, their rifles trained on Lin. But Lin was already moving again, ducking and weaving through the maze of obstacles. The A.I. calculated every angle, every possible trajectory of their bullets. Lin wasn't just faster than them—he was beyond human now.

"Split up and flank him!" one of the mercenaries shouted, his voice barely audible over the crackle of gunfire.

But it was too late.

Lin leaped over a low wall, closing the distance to the nearest mercenary with lightning speed. The man didn't have time to react. Lin slammed into him, disarming him with a brutal twist of the wrist before driving the rifle butt into his skull. The man's helmet cracked under the force of the blow, and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Without pausing, Lin grabbed the fallen rifle and turned it on the next mercenary, who was scrambling to reload his weapon. The man didn't stand a chance. Lin fired a burst of bullets into his chest, and he collapsed, his rifle clattering uselessly to the ground.

"Five hostiles remaining," the A.I. noted, its voice calm despite the chaos unfolding around him.

Lin could feel the strain building in his body, the toll the A.I. was taking on him. His muscles ached, and his vision blurred slightly around the edges. But he couldn't stop. Not now. Not when he was so close.

The last three mercenaries regrouped, taking cover behind a large stone fountain at the center of the courtyard. They opened fire, the sharp crack of their rifles echoing through the night as they tried to pin Lin down.

But Lin had no intention of hiding.

He sprinted across the courtyard, dodging the incoming gunfire with inhuman speed. The A.I. mapped out the trajectory of each bullet, feeding him real-time data on the mercenaries' positions. Lin moved like a shadow, too fast for them to track.

As he reached the fountain, Lin leaped over the edge, landing directly in front of the mercenaries. They barely had time to react before Lin was upon them.

He disarmed the first man with a swift kick, sending the rifle spinning across the ground. Lin followed up with a brutal punch to the man's jaw, knocking him out cold.

The second mercenary swung his rifle at Lin, but Lin ducked under the blow and delivered a crushing elbow to the man's ribs. The crack of bone was audible as the mercenary doubled over in pain. Lin grabbed the man by the back of the neck and slammed his head into the stone fountain, knocking him unconscious.

The last mercenary took a step back, his eyes wide with fear. He raised his rifle, but his hands were shaking.

Lin didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, grabbing the rifle and twisting it out of the man's hands before slamming the butt of the gun into his face. The mercenary crumpled to the ground, unconscious like the rest.

The courtyard fell silent, the only sound the soft rustle of the night breeze.

"All hostiles neutralized," the A.I. reported.

Lin stood amidst the bodies, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His muscles screamed in protest, and his vision swam as the aftereffects of overusing the A.I. finally hit him. He had pushed himself to the limit, and it was taking a toll. He could feel the strain building in his mind, like a pressure that wouldn't release.

But he couldn't stop now.

Liu Xinyue and Zhao Yue were still inside, still in danger. He had to find them, no matter the cost.

Lin staggered forward, the weight of the fight pressing down on him. His body ached, and the edges of his vision blurred again. But the A.I. kept him focused, kept him moving. He wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop.

And then, just as Lin reached the doors to the villa, he heard a voice behind him—a voice he had been waiting to hear.

"Going somewhere, Feng?"

Lin froze, his blood running cold. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Li Wei.

To be continued...

End of Chapter 11