Chapter 4 You Crazy Person!!!

The main component of gas is methane, and when its concentration reaches a certain level, it can trigger a violent explosion upon meeting an open flame.

So, the instant the second bullet pierced the gas pipe, a ball of fire erupted!

"Boom——!!!"

The violent reaction illuminated the entire room in an instant.

Scorching waves swept through, shattering distant cabinets and glass windows.

Not only that, blazing flames rampaged through the air, igniting the bed sheets and curtains. The orange tongues of fire surged up and spread quickly through every wooden structure in the room.

And it was at this moment that an anomaly occurred.

In the face of the fierce blaze and explosion, the shadows that had been spreading everywhere suddenly appeared to meet their natural enemy and retreated like a receding tide!

"You lunatic! You absolute lunatic!!!"

The shadow man shielded his body with Shadow Power to protect himself from the blaze and explosion while angrily shouting.

*He never expected that, right before the mission's conclusion, the target would pull such a stunt.*

As someone responsible for intelligence and assassinations under that highness, the shadow man rarely showed his face to others.

Anyone who had seen him was mostly no longer alive.

And because of the limitations of his Extraordinary Ability, he never carried out missions during the daytime.

Even so, as a Third Rank Transcendent, the shadow man was nothing that a mere ordinary human could hope to contend with.

But tonight, in this very room.

*Call it underestimating his opponent or holding back, but for a brief moment, he had been flustered.*

*The shadow man never imagined that this kid would dare to do something so utterly insane.*

*Did he think he wouldn't die in the explosion too?!*

At this moment, illuminated by the raging flames, the shadow man squinted slightly, his expression dark and cold.

The pitch-black shadows that had once guarded his body like armor were being driven back by the blaze, receding like ink being washed away. His gaunt frame and pale complexion were finally revealed.

In the instant of the gas explosion, his powers had been significantly weakened by the blaze; after all, shadows fear light the most.

But even so, in compliance with that highness's orders, he had summoned his strength in the final moment to shield Lynn.

As for himself, his defenses were left vulnerable, his body exposed to the elements; fortunately, he remained unscathed.

Without hesitation, he began manipulating the surrounding remnants of shadows, preparing to vanish into the darkness.

Yet, before he could act, a calm voice reached his ears.

"Don't move."

Upon hearing this, the shadow man looked up.

At some point, Lynn, who had previously been restrained by the shadows, had broken free. He was gasping for breath, half-kneeling on the ground, with his clothing still partially aflame. His revolver, however, was aimed steadily at the shadow man.

Though covered in soot, Lynn wore an exhilarated grin. "Guess what: is your speed at controlling your powers faster, or is the speed of a bullet traveling 400 meters per second to your heart faster, given we're less than five meters apart?"

At this moment, with no time to summon Shadow Power to protect his body, the shadow man was completely exposed, all of his vital areas laid bare under Lynn's sights.

And there was still one bullet left in the barrel.

For a Third Rank Transcendent, their bodies weren't tough enough yet to withstand bullets.

"..."

The shadow man stared at Lynn intently.

*The past half month of surveillance had been solely to confirm intelligence and rule out the possibility that Lynn possessed any powerful Extraordinary Items.*

*After all, he hailed from the Bartleion family, whose father was once the famed warrior Iron-blooded Marquis, making the family deeply rooted and formidable.*

*The prolonged lack of confrontation had not only made Lynn lower his guard but also led the shadow man to mistakenly believe that, after that incident, the boy had indeed degenerated into a defenseless commoner who could only survive through petty theft.*

So tonight, he had assumed the mission was foolproof.

*Yet, even at the very last moment, the kid hadn't given up on the belief that he could reverse his fate.*

*It made him bitter.*

*Under normal circumstances, if he had unleashed his full strength, no matter how many Lins—hundreds or thousands—he could have killed them as easily as swatting flies.*

But tonight, under orders from that highness, he was forced to ensure Lynn's survival.

"If it weren't for..."

The shadow man gritted his teeth, his voice low.

"What are you trying to say?" Lynn suddenly frowned, impatience in his tone. "Are you trying to say, if you hadn't underestimated me, if you weren't tasked with protecting me, if you had used all your methods, then this little runt wouldn't even have had a chance to fight back?"

"..."

The shadow man didn't answer.

But it was clear—that was exactly what he was thinking.

"Idiot!" Lynn sneered. "You've been a Transcendent this long, and you still don't understand?"

"It's not the strongest who wins. It's the one who wins that's the strongest!"

The sharp rebuke made the shadow man's pupils contract.

*Lynn's words echoed in his mind, making his emotions surge uncontrollably.*

After a while, the shadow man shut his eyes and slowly lowered his head.

"I have learned a valuable lesson."

Seeing this, Lynn breathed a small sigh of relief.

*Spouting random, melodramatic lines—seemed like he had actually managed to trick him.*

*Lynn had been certain that the shadow man would shield him during the explosion, which was why he dared to do it.*

*Judging by the other's tone, he seemed to have great reverence for that lady, meaning he would definitely follow her orders to ensure Lynn's safety.*

This left Lynn free from such concerns.

*In a situation where skill was inferior, all he could do was gamble his life.*

At this moment, Lynn was deeply tempted to kill the shadow man on the spot, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger.

*After all, this man wasn't here to kill him; he was only tasked with bringing him to someone.*

*If Lynn killed him, wouldn't he needlessly make an enemy out of another faction?*

*Already at his wit's end, Lynn couldn't afford such consequences.*

Not to mention, the shadow man had mentioned something earlier—he might have comrades nearby.

"The sheriff's department is only 300 meters from this tavern. I've fired five shots, plus there was a gas explosion. By now, the commotion should have alerted everyone nearby. A sheriff's squad will arrive here shortly."

Lynn took a deep breath and made his final decision.

He was hinting that the shadow man should leave quickly to avoid getting involved with the authorities.

"You're right."

The shadow man replied in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Lynn's heart lifted slightly, knowing he hadn't risked it all in vain.

*If he counted the money stolen from Carol and added it up, he would barely have enough to buy a train ticket.*

*Lynn decided to slip away in the dead of night as soon as the guy left.*

To Lynn's surprise, however, the shadow man wasn't in a hurry to leave. Instead, after a few seconds in silence, he opened his eyes again.

This time, his gaze shifted elsewhere as he spoke in a helpless tone, "Stop watching the show, don't you think tonight's embarrassment is disgraceful enough?"

Damn it!

Inwardly, Lynn cursed.

*He really did have a companion nearby!*

Just as Lynn became highly alert, searching for another enemy, a sweet, melodic, feminine voice rang out.

"Stop looking; I'm right here, meow."

Lynn froze, his pupils widening little by little.

*How... could this be?*

Under his shocked gaze, the black cat he had been holding, with an odd twist of its body, began to stretch and grow.

It expanded and gradually transformed into a humanoid figure.

A moment later, a petite figure wearing a tight leather suit and barefoot materialized out of thin air, kneeling lightly atop Lynn's body, her weight imperceptible.

The girl's porcelain-white skin gleamed; she had shoulder-length hair, and sharp feline ears twitched above her head.

Her green, slit-pupiled eyes scanned Lynn up and down, sparkling as if she were debating whether to take a bite out of him.

"I didn't expect a mere ordinary human like you to pull off such a stunt. Impressive!"

"Blackie? You..."

Lynn was utterly desolate.

*He finally realized that, from the very beginning, he had been like a plaything trapped in their hands.*

*All his resistance earlier—they probably just saw it as child's play.*

*From the start, there had never been any chance of victory.*