Chapter 1516: 1514: Movements from Various Parties

Chapter 1516: Chapter 1514: Movements from Various Parties

Deep within the alley at the corner of the neighborhood, the sign for the “Ladybug Store” stood out prominently.

Ssssss!

Steam billowed upward.

A certain assassin, who had just unlocked their Power, emitted thick clouds of steam from between their muscle fibers, steadily stepping out from inside the shop.

Exiting through the store’s front door required bending forward and lowering their head.

Their massive frame almost filled the narrow alley… Through gaps in the fabric wrapping their body, faint glimpses of uncovered muscle tissue could be seen, skinless but slowly regenerating tighter, more resilient skin as steam escaped.

Just as they stepped out of the alley, heading toward their next target.

Their ape-like sense of smell suddenly caught a familiar, bloody scent drifting from the restaurant across the street—unexpected but unmistakably distinct.

Ignoring any potential Danger, this person strode directly toward the restaurant, approaching the kitchen door where the scent wafted strongest.

Whist!

A blade glinting with cold light landed against their neck.

An assassin lurking there, who took notice of the intruder’s extreme robustness, hesitantly muttered:

“Don’t meddle. Leave immediately… This has nothing to do with you.”

The muscular young man held at blade-point showed no intention of retreating,

Instead, he entirely ignored the blade pressing against his neck, leaning forward to peer into the kitchen, attempting to get a clearer look—almost as if the knife edge couldn’t pierce his flesh at all.

Inside the kitchen.

A disheveled young man was restrained on a table.

Several Fingers had been severed, his Body punctured in multiple spots, some sections charred from flamethrower burns, and other areas were damaged to a degree impossible to convey with mere words—an appalling sight!

Strangely enough, the young man appeared eerily calm, even radiating a sense of frustration.

Their actions were clear—they intended to force him to surrender all his “Ladybug Points” and “Tools” without accumulating Slaughter Value.

But this time, they’d picked the wrong target.

They’d exhausted almost every torture method imaginable, yet the young man barely reacted. He kept muttering phrases like ‘troublesome.’

Standing by the kitchen’s threshold, the muscular man asked with a puzzled expression:

“Kite, can’t you deal with these guys?”

“Ah~ Is that Hop? Sigh… This world suppresses both my rank and many of my Abilities. In my current state, I might barely manage to kill them, but it’d be such a hassle, ugh~

Getting captured here is inconvenient, but at least I don’t have to think about anything. Maybe once they finish torturing me, they’ll just let me go.”

Hop’s face hardened, clearly displeased with the extent of Kite’s injuries.

Though the two weren’t particularly close, being part of the same team and Element cohort meant Hop regarded Kite as a ‘partner.’

“If I help you… would things be less troublesome?”

“Sure! With your help, Hop, taking out these guys would definitely be easier.”

The two kept conversing casually, completely ignoring the three assassins present in the room.

Weapons of all kinds had already been drawn from their belts, murderous intent laid bare.

“You two want…”

The words hadn’t even fully left his mouth when a massive, open hand slammed into his face. SMACK!!

A deafening impact.

The transition from living being to Corpse occurred in an instant.

The man’s body crashed through the restaurant’s glass, landing heavily on the street outside. His form rapidly dissolved into data fragments and disappeared.

His skull—along with facial muscles and teeth—was completely pulverized, tenuously held together by the strips of skin that still clung to his neck.

Hop had just unlocked “Infinite Strength” using his Ladybug Points. Though it wasn’t as monstrous as in the real world, compared to assassins of the same tier, his strength was on a crushingly dominant level.

The fight didn’t last long.

Before long.

Hop left the restaurant, carrying the battered Kite on his back. Their act of “Justifiable Defense” unexpectedly netted close to a hundred points, along with several tools and pieces of equipment.

Returning again to the shop.

Hop insisted on using every last reward to aid Kite’s physical recovery and unlock his abilities—without taking a single coin for himself. Deep down, Hop knew that if Kite ever got serious, his efficiency at killing enemies would far surpass Hop’s.

…

In some junkyard.

A [Death Match]-style game had just concluded.

A green-haired young man emerged at the garbage station entrance, his Body wrapped in several cloth strips covering wounds, and clutching a long spear possessing an “Electric Shock Effect.”

So exhausted, he sat next to a pile of trash, gulping down dirty water for hydration.

Suddenly, a piercing chill crept in from his flank, forcing him to rise and clutch his weapon.

Soon, a squinting young man slowly stepped out from the alleyway, “Eugenes, we always seem to meet like this… Are you alone this time? Have you tracked Pope’s whereabouts yet?”

“No clue.”

“Shall we collaborate? Or work separately?”

Though Aslan asked this, his cold hand had already reached out toward Eugenes.

Smack!

With a heavy slap, Eugenes accepted his assistance, managing to stand up slowly with support.

At the moment their palms connected, a trace of bitter cold surged into Eugenes’ Body, helping purge clotted blood and impurities.

“Let’s team up. It’s more efficient.”

…

『[Death Mystery] game has reached its highest completion criteria:

Beyond standard rewards, you’ve also unlocked customized rewards. Please make your selection.』

Inside an elementary school classroom.

Pope had entirely shifted from his previous starry-headed form to a thin young man, possessing sparkling eyes akin to the cosmos, with ear-length black hair (faint points of starlight shimmered within his locks).

“Hyde… Choose a reward suited for you.

‘Fishman Bloodline,’ water-element manuals, or equipment—all options are available.”

“Pope, what about you?”

“I’m in no rush… Boosting your combat prowess early will smooth out the overall flow, increasing the likelihood of success as we reach the mid-to-endgame phases.”

Hyde instinctively scratched the side of his face where Fish gills should’ve been, “Then I’ll choose the Bloodline~ Getting by with a purely human physique is tough to adapt to.”

Pope idly toyed with the coin spinning through his Fingers as he gazed at the moon outside the window, nodding slightly, “Alright, so be it… A fascinating journey of Fate awaits. May everyone enjoy the game.”

…

If the Black Goat Sally’s figure and appearance could ignite overwhelming desire in male assassins, enticing them to risk substantial Danger for her,

then, in another corner of the City, there existed someone who could evoke every ounce of craving from any male assassin.

For those with weak wills, she could push them to wager their lives.

The Sixth Element—Helen Hillber.

Despite having most of her abilities Sealed, she managed to retain her “Beauty,” expressed vividly through the teardrop-shaped mole beneath her eye.

Any male who glimpsed Helen’s true appearance would, for a portion, descend into utter Madness, obsessively chasing after her.

At present.

A hidden trap within a high-difficulty game led to the destruction of Helen’s cloak, used to hide her appearance. Now that others had seen her, Helen was being frantically hunted by seven assassins down the street—even after re-covering her face, it was useless.

Her right leg had been shot through by an arrow,

Several spikes pierced her back,

And due to hallucinogens clouding her mind and Vision, she accidentally stumbled into a dead-end alley.

She was about to be overtaken.

Bang! The iron door at the alley’s darkest end suddenly opened, and a strong arm pulled Helen inside.

Helen’s instinctive struggles ceased when she came face-to-face with someone whose appearance she had longed for endlessly.

Ignoring the arrows and spikes embedded in her flesh, she tackled the person to the ground…

However.

Before Helen could act more recklessly, his Sixth Finger quietly pierced into her brain, plunging her into deep unconsciousness.

“A beauty mark, huh… Not bad.

Good thing I came to investigate the commotion; otherwise, being forced to unleash her Inner self prematurely might’ve resulted in Helen being erased by the System.”