Chapter 1 Yang Dian Receives the Call

Yang Dian received a call from Lockett and asked in puzzlement, "Mr. Lockett, do you need something from us?"

Lockett's tone was anxious, "A robber stole the research institute's achievements, including the antidote to the death virus. If we can't get it back, our research will be gone. The army can't get there in time, so we can only rely on you!"

The two men's faces turned serious, "We will definitely help."

"That's great. We can only count on you. I'll send you the coordinates right away. The enemy is a man wearing black armor!"

Black armor?!

Yang Dian and Ned's expressions changed.

"Could it be him?!"

…

Running wildly on the street in armor was too ostentatious. As soon as he left the research institute, he climbed to the top of a nearby building and escaped by jumping across rooftops. Even if he was seen, the impact would be much smaller. He planned to find a hidden corner to take off the armor and change his appearance.

"So many potions, enough for me to drink like water every day." Han Xiao chuckled.

After turning a few streets, Han Xiao jumped into an alley where no one was around. Just then, the radar showed two strong life signatures were tracking him. The database was automatically searched, and it turned out to find matching targets. They were the two superheroes he had seen twice before.

"They're tracking me?" Han Xiao thought for a moment and knew that they had been fooled by the Louis Institute again.

At this moment, a prompt suddenly appeared on the panel.

[You have triggered the quest [Trial of Heroes]]

[Quest Introduction: What's lacking isn't heroes with justice, but the right methods. Some people degenerate and indulge, abandoning their original intentions. Some people lose their persistence and go with the flow. Some people are kept in the dark and exploited. Choosing justice is a difficult path, and you can become the trial for their transformation.]

[Quest Requirements: Defeat Yang Dian and Ned, and expose the true face of the Louis Institute.]

[Reward: Random]

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.

He was interested in this quest, the feeling of being a great demon king.

Han Xiao analyzed the data.

"I have a few minutes to waste, so I might as well play with them."

Han Xiao stopped and waited. Yang Dian and Ned's figures quickly flashed past the alley entrance, overshooting it. After a few seconds, the two hurriedly turned back and stood at the entrance of the alley, confronting him.

"It really is you!" Yang Dian's expression was grave. He had personally witnessed the combat power of this mysterious armored warrior. Even in his prime, he would probably be knocked down with a few punches, not to mention he was still injured. But when he thought that Han Xiao had taken away the antidote to the death virus, Yang Dian mustered his courage and was unwilling to retreat even if he was no match.

Ned rubbed his hands together, gathering momentum, and said in a deep voice, "Even if you saved us, we can't let you take the antidote."

The antidote? A typical case of being sold and still counting money for the seller.

Ned took the lead and slapped his hands forward, a shockwave sweeping through the alley, tearing off chunks of plaster from the walls and cracking the ground.

Han Xiao suddenly jumped up, drawing a swift arc in the air, like a cannonball crashing over.

Yang Dian gritted his teeth and threw a punch to meet it.

Bang!

The fist encased in the armor was like a fleeting black lightning, striking Yang Dian's chest before he could throw his punch. Yang Dian's eyes blurred, and the scenery in his vision rapidly receded, flying backwards and slamming into the wall with a bang, his whole body almost shattered.

He was instantly killed with one blow.

"His physical fitness is more terrifying than that lion who seriously injured me." Yang Dian barely struggled free from the wall, panting heavily. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the wind in his ears, and Ned was also thrown over, landing at his feet with a large bump on his head, dazed by Han Xiao's light headbutt.

They couldn't even last three seconds, without the slightest ability to fight back. Yang Dian felt grief and indignation in his heart. How could he stop the other party like this?

A sense of powerlessness deeply permeated both their hearts.

Han Xiao saw that the two were gritting their teeth and trying to stand up again. He looked at the timer in the corner of the holographic screen. He had given himself five minutes to deal with these two superheroes, but the situation was simpler than he had imagined. He had knocked them down in less than ten seconds.

These two were both level 30+ Supers. His current strength was basically in Musou (Dynasty Warriors) mode.

Taking a few steps forward, he was about to say something when Yang Dian struggled to stand up, his face full of unyielding anger, and gritted his teeth, "If you take away the antidote to the death virus, you will kill many, many people. Even if I have to die, I will stop you today!"

Han Xiao stopped and said with a smile that was not a smile, "To die as a hero, what else can you get besides withered flowers, empty praise, and a few drops of false tears?"

Yang Dian gritted his teeth, "I'm satisfied as long as I do what I think is right, regardless of what others think!"

Suddenly, Yang Dian's eyes blurred, and a black hand expanded in his vision, grabbing his head and slamming it hard into the wall, scattering rubble.

His head bleeding, Yang Dian slumped to the ground, the world spinning, without even the strength to stand up.

Han Xiao took out his pistol and pressed it against Yang Dian's forehead.

The dark muzzle made Yang Dian shiver, barely regaining consciousness, wanting to struggle. At this moment, Han Xiao stepped on his legs, and his finger slowly pulled the trigger.

Yang Dian's eyes widened. At this moment, emotions of regret surged uncontrollably into his mind.

"If I hadn't been meddling, I wouldn't be dying today. Even if I risked my life against such a strong enemy, I wouldn't be able to stop him in the slightest. Coming here is just throwing my life away. I shouldn't have agreed to the request, it was too impulsive…"

Ka, the trigger bottomed out, Yang Dian's whole body shook, but he didn't feel any pain. He looked at Han Xiao retreating in astonishment. At this moment, he felt cold sweat soaking his clothes. Although he couldn't see his face, it must be a distorted expression full of fear, regret, and unwillingness.

Han Xiao said, "What were you thinking just now?"

Yang Dian was stunned, silent. At the moment of facing death, the belief he had thought was indestructible had wavered. He was not as generous and tough as he had said. In that instant, he actually felt regret, even thinking that it was an incredibly stupid thing to agree to someone else's request and throw his life away. Before this, he had always strived to be a superhero, wanting to save more people, wanting to protect more civilians, sacrificing himself for others.

But at this moment, Yang Dian only felt lost.

Han Xiao put the pistol without a magazine back into its holster, took out his computer, put some data into a USB drive, pulled it out and threw it to Yang Dian, then turned and disappeared from their sight in two or three leaps.

Yang Dian and Ned looked stunned.

The enemy just left like that?

"Why didn't he kill us…" Yang Dian clutched the USB drive, his face blank.

"We are no match for him, don't go looking for death again, let's leave here first." Ned helped Yang Dian up, and the two limped away from the scene.

…

Another failed mission. Their hearts were filled with shame. They really had no face to see Lockett. They came to the Louis Institute's gate, and the army had already arrived and sealed it off. The two didn't want to deal with the Red Maple Army, so they had to return to their resting place first to bandage their wounds.

Yang Dian was constantly thinking about Han Xiao's words, upset and distracted, lying in bed lost in thought. The thoughts just now kept flashing in his mind. He could feel his concept of being a superhero collapsing and wavering, a battle between heaven and man.

At this moment, Ned couldn't help but be curious about the contents of the USB drive. He plugged it into the computer, and after only looking at it for two glances, cold sweat broke out. He hurriedly shouted, "Old Yang, come and take a look!"