Bayonet felt a flicker of doubt—how exactly did Nie Yan plan to handle this? Suddenly recalling Nie Yan’s earlier act of filming Liu Tianshi killing Qin Han with his phone, a realization struck him. "I see now," he said, eyes lighting up. "You’re planning to kill with a borrowed blade?"
"Exactly," Nie Yan replied with a nod. Liu Tianshi was a scourge that absolutely had to be eliminated!
It would clearly take Liu Tianshi a long time to remove the bomb implanted in his body. Meanwhile, news of Qin Han’s death would soon reach the Monet Consortium, who would undoubtedly investigate the murderer. If someone were to deliver the video of Liu Tianshi killing Qin Han to them at this moment, the outcome was predictable. While the Monet Consortium’s influence in mainland China might not match Liu Tianshi’s, they could still dispatch assassins!
The assassins sent by the Monet Consortium might not succeed in killing Liu Tianshi on their own, but with Bayonet’s assistance, things would be different. Bayonet could accurately track Liu Tianshi’s whereabouts, creating the perfect opportunity for Monet’s operatives.
The tracker had eavesdropping capabilities. Before removing the micro-bomb and tracker, Liu Tianshi wouldn’t dare breathe a word about Nie Yan or Bayonet to anyone. If he were killed during this period, certain secrets would sink to the bottom of the ocean forever.
Liu Tianshi had killed Qin Han, and now the Monet Consortium would kill Liu Tianshi in return. Neither side would let the matter rest, inevitably leading to violent conflict—while Nie Yan sat back and watched the tigers fight.
The plan was flawless!
"Brilliant scheme," Bayonet couldn’t help but admire. This way, their group would vanish without a trace, cleanly eliminating both Qin Han and Liu Tianshi while averting catastrophic retaliation against the Titan Group.
"This task falls to you," Nie Yan said. Bayonet’s underworld connections far surpassed his own. He would know how to deliver the video to the Monet Consortium without raising suspicion.
"Don’t worry, I’ll handle it flawlessly," Bayonet replied. For him, this was child’s play.
Tang Yao needed to recuperate in the hospital for a few days. Meanwhile, Nie Yan gathered with Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others for a meal to thank them for arriving in time to extract them from their predicament.
"What kind of unit is the 012 Special Forces exactly?" Nie Yan couldn’t help asking Wang Duo.
"The 012 Special Forces consists of twelve members," Wang Duo explained succinctly. "Eleven of us were selected through military competitions. We have our own designation and report directly to the General Staff Department. Only the General Staff leadership can issue us orders. Normally, no one has authority over us. Our work involves operating mechs and handling special missions during wartime." He omitted classified details, as they were military secrets.
Nie Yan gained a general understanding of the 012 Special Forces and their operations.
"Instructor Nie Yan, don’t worry. If Liu Tianshi causes trouble for you again, just call us. We’re not afraid of that guy in the slightest."
"Yeah, we’ll beat him down every time he shows up!"
Hearing Wang Duo and the others, Nie Yan smiled. Liu Tianshi wouldn’t get a second chance.
Nie Yan instructed Wang Duo’s group not to discuss the day’s events, letting everything that happened remain an eternal secret.
Over the following days, Nie Yan immersed himself in the Temple of the Goddess of Life, poring over archives and hunting lone mutant lords. Time passed quickly until he received news from Bayonet—progress had been made. Bayonet had met with Monet Consortium investigators probing Qin Han’s death, claiming to know the truth. He demanded $150 million for the video, eventually settling for $90 million after intense negotiations.
Qin Han’s death sent shockwaves through the Qin family. Upon seeing the video evidence of Liu Tianshi’s culpability, their fury knew no bounds. The proof was irrefutable—Liu Tianshi had personally killed Qin Han. Though the exact circumstances remained unclear, they had no interest in pursuing further details.
The Monet Consortium’s leadership immediately convened an emergency meeting. Given the Liu family’s formidable influence in mainland China, conventional means of retaliation were impossible. Instead, they recruited elite assassins and mercenaries for the task—offering a $200 million bounty for Liu Tianshi’s head!
Soon, waves of assassins infiltrated mainland China through various channels, all with the same target: Liu Tianshi!
Upon receiving Bayonet’s update, Nie Yan smiled. His two enemies were now locked in a dogfight, ensuring chaos for some time.
These events drove home a stark realization for Nie Yan—the Titan Group was still weak, forcing him to tread cautiously in many matters. Had the Titan Group been stronger, figures like Liu Tianshi wouldn’t have been a threat! While he’d navigated this crisis successfully, there was no guarantee against future ones. Moreover, two formidable adversaries loomed ahead: Century Financial’s Cao Xu and Angel Corpse’s Winged Angel. Sooner or later, he would have to face them.
Calling to check on the Titan Group’s progress, Nie Yan was pleased to find its development encouraging. Leveraging its smuggling roots in metals and virtual industries, the Titan Group had amassed substantial capital, quietly acquiring shares in Century Financial to prepare for confrontation.
Tang Yao’s ordeal taught Nie Yan that fate was inscrutable. Perhaps Cao Xu was destined to target Nie Yan’s family—an unavoidable twist of destiny.
After issuing instructions, Nie Yan logged into the game as usual, appearing outside the Temple of the Goddess of Life.
With no recent signs of intruders, the number of mutant lords patrolling the temple’s periphery had dwindled significantly, their density no longer as oppressive as before.
Passing through a ruined area, Nie Yan finally spotted a lone mutant lord—a mage clad in crimson robes, likely a fire mage.
A mage was perfect. A warrior would’ve been too tough to handle!
The mutant lord wandered aimlessly, occasionally pausing to conjure flames in its upturned palm.
Nie Yan stealthily closed the distance, circling to within thirty yards behind it.
The mutant lord seemed to sense something, scanning its surroundings.
**Extreme Stealth!**
Activating the skill, Nie Yan accelerated into a sprint.
With his stealth enhanced, the mutant lord’s searching gaze found nothing amiss. Just as it prepared to move on, a glint of steel flashed behind it.
*Thud!* Nie Yan’s **Sap** struck the back of its head—**Stun** effect!
*Extreme Stealth works well*, Nie Yan noted. The mutant lord hadn’t detected him even at three yards, allowing a clean hit.
Following **Sap**, Nie Yan unleashed **Apocalyptic Doom**, then **Backstab**, **Eviscerate**, and **Slice**—a seamless cascade of attacks.
As the mutant lord began to stir, Nie Yan lunged forward, executing **Spinal Strike** with the Sword of Zennard.
Thirty seconds of control later, the mutant lord had lost nearly half its HP.
Glancing at his skill bar—all offensive skills were on cooldown—Nie Yan retreated, raising the Headless Horseman’s Crossbow and firing.
The mutant lord awoke, brandishing its staff as fiery spells hurtled toward Nie Yan.
Dodging the scorching barrage, Nie Yan activated **Sprint** and fled.
After half a minute, the mutant lord’s HP recovered to about two-thirds. Using **Shadow Waltz**, Nie Yan closed in again, renewing his assault.
Roughly ten minutes later, a final **Hellfire Execution** struck the mutant lord down.
Looting the corpse, Nie Yan found a **Darkmoon Shard** and several hundred gold—nothing else.
*A Darkmoon Shard!*
In his past life, thirty **Darkmoon Shards** could fuse into a single **Darkmoon Gem**—even the lowest-tier of which were sub-legendary, some even reaching legendary status. They were priceless. A single shard could sell for tens of thousands of gold, affordable only to major guild leaders. Nie Yan had seen just one **Darkmoon Gem** in his previous life—a sub-legendary item with a legendary armor skill.
Its owner had reportedly spent nearly 700,000 gold collecting thirty shards, a staggering sum that left Nie Yan awestruck. That **Darkmoon Gem** had been the most expensive item he’d ever seen.
*Maybe I can gather enough shards to forge one*, Nie Yan mused. Such a gem would be perfect for socketing into the Sword of Zennard or the Abak set. High-quality gems were exactly what he lacked—using ordinary ones would be a travesty, wasting the gear’s potential.
Stowing the **Darkmoon Shard**, Nie Yan examined the mutant lord’s face and activated **Disguise**.
His body stretched, features shifting until he became its mirror image.
Confirming the transformation’s success, Nie Yan sprinted toward the inner temple’s entrance.