Chapter 435: Bayonet!

Seeing the ghostly flame moving toward Xie Yao, Nie Yan could no longer hold back. If he hesitated even a moment longer, and Xie Yao fell into Ghostfire’s hands, Nie Yan would be too constrained to act.

Perhaps due to his frequent play as a rogue class character, those stealth techniques had become second nature, ingrained into Nie Yan’s very bones. Ghostfire hadn’t noticed Nie Yan until he suddenly appeared.

“Die!” Nie Yan charged forward with a fierce determination toward Ghostfire.

As Nie Yan’s dagger was about to pierce Ghostfire’s back, Ghostfire suddenly shifted his stance and raised his arm to block.

Nie Yan’s dagger missed its mark, but his left elbow delivered a powerful strike to Ghostfire’s shoulder blade, hitting a critical joint. With a crackling sound, Ghostfire’s left shoulder dislocated, his left arm hung limply, and the intense pain caused Ghostfire to sharply inhale through his teeth.

What a ruthless attack!

Nie Yan’s sudden appearance was completely unexpected. Ghostfire had been entirely focused on Xie Yao and hadn’t anticipated another person being in the room.

Being ambushed unexpectedly made it difficult to evade.

Nie Yan’s assault was fierce and aggressive, fully meeting the standard of a martial artist. His moves were decisive and ruthless, showing no mercy, rivaling even professional assassins. In his previous life, Nie Yan had also been an assassin, having learned nearly every assassin’s technique, which was why he had successfully assassinated Cao Xu.

Under such unexpected circumstances, if his opponent managed to evade, Nie Yan wouldn’t have a place to go.

Ghostfire endured another blow, feeling a sharp pain in his chest as if it were about to burst open. However, he didn’t surrender, instead swinging his right elbow toward Nie Yan.

Nie Yan dodged, and Ghostfire’s elbow slashed across Nie Yan’s chest, tearing his shirt in two. Sharp, gleaming spines protruded from Ghostfire’s elbow.

From their initial exchange, Nie Yan had already gauged Ghostfire’s strength—merely a first-rate assassin, nothing near the top tier.

Since his rebirth, Nie Yan’s training methods had improved, and his strength had surpassed that of his previous life. Defeating Ghostfire was no difficult task.

After dodging Ghostfire’s attack, Nie Yan delivered a punch to Ghostfire’s right shoulder, shattering it completely. He subdued Ghostfire and placed his dagger at Ghostfire’s forehead.

Almost simultaneously, a nearby operative called Stiletto advanced on Nie Yan, aiming his gun at Nie Yan’s temple.

Nie Yan’s heart pounded—what a fast move! Before he could react, he was already targeted by Stiletto. This guy must be an expert in firearms and hand-to-hand combat.

Stiletto’s strength exceeded Nie Yan’s expectations, surpassing even his own.

The situation immediately became a stalemate.

Nie Yan’s dagger pressed against Ghostfire’s forehead, while Stiletto’s gun pressed against Nie Yan’s temple. Neither side backed down.

A cut opened on Ghostfire’s forehead, and blood trickled down his cheek. He let out a sharp, sinister laugh. “Don’t forget I still have a teammate. Put your knife down! Watch out for accidental gunfire!”

Nie Yan, however, smiled. This guy truly didn’t know when to quit! He ripped Ghostfire’s earpiece communication device off and crushed it into pieces.

Stiletto made no move, allowing Nie Yan to destroy the communication device.

Stiletto’s eyes flickered; no one could tell what he was thinking.

From Ghostfire and Stiletto’s earlier conversation, Nie Yan deduced that Ghostfire’s teammate seemed somewhat unreliable. He glanced at Stiletto beside him and said calmly, “Put your gun away, and I’ll let you go. Today’s events will remain between me, Xie Yao, and you. No one else needs to know.”

“Laughable! Right now, it’s your head that’s being held at gunpoint!” Ghostfire laughed arrogantly.

“You ignorant fool. I think your teammate definitely wants you dead more than I do!” Nie Yan whispered coldly into Ghostfire’s ear.

Upon hearing Nie Yan’s words, Ghostfire’s body trembled. Was it possible that Stiletto would actually do such a thing?

At this moment, Nie Yan was also very nervous. Having a gun pressed against his head was definitely no easy situation.

Stiletto looked at Nie Yan and said in a cold tone, “I don’t like smart people like you. Be careful not to be too clever and end up outsmarting yourself.” He turned his gaze to Ghostfire, his eyes suddenly chilling. “I don’t like being manipulated, but I hate even more when someone threatens my brother. If someone does that, I’ll make sure they die!”

Upon hearing these words, Ghostfire’s face turned pale. A man like Stiletto, who had fought countless times on mercenary battlefields and danced with death and corpses, could not be understood by ordinary logic. Stiletto’s words were, in essence, a death sentence for Ghostfire.

“Stiletto, you can’t do this!”

“There’s nothing I can’t do!” Stiletto said indifferently. To him, Ghostfire was merely a stranger; Ghostfire’s life or death meant nothing to him.

“I won’t tell anyone about today’s events. If one day you have nowhere else to go, you can come find me.” Nie Yan said, glancing at Stiletto.

Nie Yan roughly grasped Stiletto’s state of mind. As a mercenary—or even an assassin—any man with a shred of pride would refuse to be controlled by others. If Nie Yan were in Stiletto’s shoes, he would kill Ghostfire without hesitation first and handle other matters afterward.

Nie Yan had bet correctly. From the very beginning, Stiletto had wanted to kill Ghostfire.

Stiletto holstered his gun. Ghostfire’s voice was almost distorted with rage. “Stiletto, you’ll pay for this! Our employer won’t let you off the hook!”

Stiletto sneered contemptuously at Ghostfire. “All nonsense! If he dares to touch my brother, I’ll kill his entire family!” At that moment, he exuded an imposing aura—fearless and invincible. If one hesitated and acted cautiously in every situation, one would only end up at a disadvantage. Don’t forget, he was a mercenary! He had seen countless bullets and explosions, and had walked the edge of death many times. What was there to fear? His brothers had risen from mountains of corpses; would they really fear such threats?

Seeing Stiletto holster his gun, Nie Yan exhaled in relief. He turned to Ghostfire, his eyes flashing with killing intent. “I know you’re not ready to accept this, but take your complaints to the King of Hell! Anyone who dares to harm my woman will die without a grave!”

Suddenly, a burst of blood spurted from Ghostfire’s forehead as Nie Yan’s dagger pierced straight through, killing him instantly. The forehead is the most vulnerable spot on the human body; once pierced by a sharp object, the brain ceases to function, leaving no chance of survival.

Blood splattered onto the floor as Ghostfire collapsed.

Xie Yao had never seen such a bloody scene before—it was different from the games. The smell of blood filled the air. For the first time, she realized that Nie Yan, when ending someone’s life, was so ruthless and decisive, as if he had transformed into a completely different person.

Looking at Nie Yan, Xie Yao found him both familiar and somewhat unfamiliar. Nie Yan at this moment was like his in-game persona—commanding, aloof, and exuding killing intent as the leader of an elite guild.

Nie Yan had risked his life to kill Ghostfire, which deeply moved her. A complex emotion stirred within her heart, indescribable and hard to articulate.

Even in death, Ghostfire might never have figured out why Stiletto had holstered his gun, allowing Nie Yan to kill him.

Nie Yan could sense that he and Stiletto were of the same kind—people whose personalities Ghostfire could never understand.

“How do you plan to leave here?” Nie Yan turned to Stiletto, eyeing the man before him.

This person called Stiletto was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing a black tactical suit, his face smeared with camouflage paint, a hideous scar across his forehead, and a pair of sharp eyes fixed on Nie Yan. His gaze was like that of a predatory eagle, capable of piercing through a person’s soul.

Nie Yan couldn’t decipher what Stiletto was thinking. Stiletto was like an enigma. Nie Yan understood that he and Xie Yao were not yet safe. If Stiletto were a man of violent impulses, he might kill everyone present. However, based on Stiletto’s refusal to harm the elderly or women even when threatened by Ghostfire, Nie Yan was certain that Stiletto wouldn’t carry out a massacre now.

“I hope only the three of us know about today’s events. If anyone else finds out, you both know the consequences,” Stiletto said flatly, his expressionless face betraying no emotion.

“If one day you decide to leave the mercenary life, you can come find me at the Nie Corporation,” Nie Yan said. A man like Stiletto was an absolute weapon of death. If he could be recruited, the people around Nie Yan would gain an extra layer of protection.

The same skills used for killing could also be used for protection. Stiletto, having spent years on the battlefield, would naturally be adept at dealing with assassins and killers. Moreover, his expertise in anti-satellite technology could prove invaluable in critical moments.

A man like Stiletto could easily command a high price from any major corporation.

“I have at least dozens of murders on my conscience. Are you really willing to take that risk?” Stiletto looked at Nie Yan, smirking disdainfully.

Nie Yan paused briefly before replying, “As long as you’re willing to come, I’m willing to take the risk.” A man like Stiletto, proud and untamed, would only be underestimated if he showed fear.

Nie Yan wasn’t sure about the details of Stiletto’s alleged murders. He would need to investigate further to confirm the truth.

Nie Yan understood that sooner or later, he would inevitably face off against Cao Xu, and both sides would resort to any means necessary. Having an expert like Stiletto by his side could make a significant difference in dangerous situations.

Based on Nie Yan’s previous-life experience, someone of Stiletto’s caliber could unquestionably be considered a top-tier expert. Nie Yan had initially assumed Stiletto and Ghostfire were on the same level, but from their recent confrontation, he could tell that Ghostfire and Stiletto were nowhere near equal.

Some people deliberately hide their true strength, revealing it only at the most critical moments. Nie Yan believed Stiletto was exactly that kind of person.