“Everything has been arranged properly.”
A middle-aged man dressed in black, form-fitting attire cautiously bowed ninety degrees to Lord Hei. Behind him stood twelve young men, all clad in identical black shirts and pants, their faces expressionless like cold machines carved from the same mold. In unison with the middle-aged man, they all bowed to Lord Hei.
This is another secret force under the Black Viscount’s control. Over these years, in order to promote terrorism within the empire and seek huge profits, the Black Viscount has, on one hand, gathered powerful criminals from various regions who were in exile, and on the other hand, hidden an elite assassination squad while cultivating a group of fewer than twenty devoted loyalists who would die for him.
“Very well, I believe you won’t disappoint me. Go ahead.” Sitting behind the spacious marble table, Viscount Hei remained calm without showing any sign of anxiety. His expression was composed and confident, as if everything were well under control.
Taking a gentle sip from the translucent wine glass in his hand, the dark red liquid gliding smoothly, Viscount Hei gave a slight nod. Led by the middle-aged man in black, the twelve young men in black silently followed their leader and withdrew together, without a sound.
The plan named “Nemesis” was initiated.
For many years, the Black Viscount had repeatedly danced on the edge of a knife among various factions of the empire, with each of his plans achieving perfect success, truly demonstrating his skill and ease in handling difficult situations. It was only after the appearance of Zhang Wen that he suffered a significant defeat.
Twice: once, he nearly fell into the hands of the Empire; the second time, he even dragged half of the Black Viscount’s forces and powerful figures into a trap, ultimately cutting off the Black Viscount’s path to defect to the Federation.
Zhang Wen, I admit that I underestimated you…
Viscount Hei’s still-youthful face bore a faint smile, his marble-like, perfectly chiseled and cold features. Within his black eyes, it seemed as if two flames were dancing.
“Violence isn’t the only way to solve problems, but… violence can solve you, can’t it?” He murmured to himself, raising his glass in a somewhat twisted manner, “A toast to you, or rather, a farewell. You were the only opponent who could cause me any trouble.”
A pitch-black dark room, crimson wine flowing like blood, a vengeful flame burning wildly beneath a calm surface, resembling a grotesquely blooming evil flower.
…
At a mere thought of the Black Viscount, countless innocent lives across the empire would once again perish in his quest for vengeance. The Black Viscount, a thousand times more terrifying than the Queen of Terror, bared his fangs once more.
At this moment, Zhang Wen was unaware that the Black Viscount, having lost the South Border Champion final, like a cornered ferocious beast driven to desperation, would resort to extreme retaliation in his madness.
At the bustling market of Planet Tinus, Zhang Wen was still engrossed in observing a weapons shop by the roadside. The shop offered a variety of melee weapons, not those transformed from psychic steel, but unique arms forged through genuine alloy smithing techniques.
Knives, long spears, swords, battle axes, war hammers, shields, twin hooks, and knight’s lances—these weapons, although not particularly unique, are rarely seen elsewhere. However, they clearly reflect the effort put in by their creators. The surface luster and design fully demonstrate a distinctive ingenuity, while the fine craftsmanship adds to their exceptional quality.
The seller in the shop noticed that Zhang Wen was really fond of these items and enthusiastically started introducing and recommending them. “Sir, you’ve got a great eye! The weapons in our store are all crafted according to ancient specifications passed down from ancient times. Although they imitate ancient designs, many new elements have been added. Take this sword for example; its curved shape features a streamlined design, making it more effective for thrusting and cutting. Moreover, look at the double grooves on the blade—they’re blood grooves, specially designed for battlefields, greatly enhancing its damage capability. And how about this saber? Don’t underestimate its narrow edge and think it’s not durable. Actually, its curved design resembles a crescent moon, making it more powerful for chopping. Additionally, the back of the blade features a serrated design, which has its own unique advantages…”
Zhang Wen listened with a smile as the seller spoke eloquently. These weapons were certainly not as convenient as Nian Steel, but they would make excellent collectibles. It was rare to see such exquisite weapons for sale nowadays; at least, Zhang Wen hadn’t come across any during his time on the planet Caceres.
Watt and Siefer exchanged wry smiles as they watched from the side, utterly baffled as to why Mr. Zhang Wen, whom the Commander held in such high regard, would be so interested in these weapons. After all, how could they possibly compare to the flexibility and ease of manipulating nen steel? They couldn’t help but suspect that these items were far more suited for decorative purposes at home than for any practical use.
Siver scratched his blue hair and said to Zhang Wen, “Mr. Zhang Wen, if you like, we can help you buy it. Look, the time is about right. Shall we…?”
Zhang Wen picked up a Western-style cross sword. His fingertips lovingly traced along the cool, smooth blade, as he didn’t even turn his head to address Siefer and Watt behind him, “Wait a moment…” His expression suddenly shifted, and he raised his head in puzzlement toward the distance. Not noticing anything unusual, he figured it was probably just his imagination.
Zhang Wen gave a self-deprecating smile and refocused his attention on the weapon—or rather, the “craftwork”—in front of him.
In the cold, silent starry sky, Baron Black’s personal invisible starship hovered quietly, emitting not a sound. Sipping his wine, the Black Baron waited patiently. Years of experience had honed his will to be as solid as stone. Even during the previous incident when Zhang Wen unexpectedly captured him and sent him on the star journey toward the imperial capital for trial, the Black Baron had not shown the slightest panic, for everything was still under his control.
Now, it is the same.
On the front table of the Black Viscount was placed a special communicator that uses native stones to provide telepathic energy. It could transmit not only sound but also images.
“The plan is proceeding smoothly,” came a voice as cold and mechanical as a machine. Through the holographic display formed by telepathic communication, sixteen windows sequentially appeared before Lord Hei, each showing the terrifying retaliatory actions unfolding almost simultaneously on different planets.
Explosion, waves of light, the mournful cries of the dead, the screams of the innocent, and the desperate gazes filled the eyes of Viscount Hei, accompanied by reports from the fallen warriors. He took a sip of red wine, a cruel smile appearing on his face.
“The imperial emperor… Since you’re not leaving me a path to walk, then allow me to present you with a grand gift first.” With an elegant smile, Lord Black couldn’t help but recall those subordinates he had lost during the Southern Border Champion Tournament, including the killing machine Gaolong. They had been carefully cultivated over many years—such an unbearable loss!
It would have been acceptable if it had merely required sacrificing a few people. What Lord Black could not bear most was that he, who had always prided himself on his intelligence and schemes, had actually been outmaneuvered by the Empire with a plot. When it came to intrigue, no one in the world should have been able to surpass Lord Black’s calculations.
Since the conspiracy has failed, let’s resort to an open plot then—naked violence. I wonder what expression the emperor of that empire is wearing right now?
It’s going to be really exciting, right?
Thinking of this, the gloomy mood of Lord Hei became much brighter, and even the red wine in his mouth tasted better.
Just as he was squinting his eyes to appreciate the scenes of terrorist attacks, suddenly in the last of the sixteen frames, a black-clad suicide bomber appeared, looking unusually tense and excited.
“Lord Black Viscount, I’ve made a significant discovery over here!”
“What?” Viscount Hei tapped his fingers, put down the red wine in his hand, and communicated with his subordinate through the telepathic communication device.
“I had some unexpected gains from my attack on the Empire’s XIII Laboratory just now. I found a secret document regarding the truth behind the ancient imperial experiment explosion.”
The Imperial Ancient Laboratory was actually just a code name. Even with Lord Hei’s extensive connections and influence, he had only vaguely heard that the laboratory was conducting experiments related to ancient civilizations and parallel dimensions. However, last year, a massive explosion suddenly occurred at the laboratory, ultimately triggering invisible ripples throughout the entire empire.
Lord Hei knew it must have been a major experiment accident or discovery, but later on, he failed to obtain detailed information and gradually lost interest. It is said that the King of the Throne was once intrigued by the experiment and personally visited the ruins of the explosion. People from the Society also got involved.
Of course, Lord Hei also sent people to the scene. Apart from some traces of mutated energy, nothing more valuable was found.
Regaining his composure, Lord Hei’s eyes flickered with a hint of excitement. He had a premonition that he was about to gain something valuable.
“Go on.”
“Yes, the specific material is a video archive of the explosion site collected by the Imperial Security Agency. We’re analyzing it in our lab here, and I’m now sending you the analyzed video file.”
As the voice of the Black Death Knight sounded, a video file was input into the telepathic communication device, transforming into telepathic signals that reached Viscount Black’s terminal. After several seconds of loading, the video revealing the truth behind the ancient imperial laboratory explosion appeared before Viscount Black’s eyes.
That was a gigantic luminous gate woven from countless beams of energy. The background of the scene faintly revealed an immense underground laboratory space. Countless stellar map symbols flowed across the laboratory’s natural stone vaulted ceiling. The radiant gate rippled and expanded, forming a ring-shaped black hole, with darting white electrical arcs swirling around it.
The figure in the video appears extremely excited. There are countless muffled cheers and gasps, the crowd surges, and the camera starts shaking. In the next moment, a blurry human figure suddenly steps out from the light portal.
Amidst countless cries of mingled surprise, suddenly, energy arcs of millions of volts flashed, and the energy of the light gate instantly lost its balance and control.
“Oh no! Spatial imbalance, annihilation reaction is about to occur!”
“Hurry! Put the test subject into the final protective case. We must safeguard the results of the experiment…”
“Initiate emergency procedures, life support systems…”
“It’s too late! Ah!”
A crescent-shaped burst of light exploded outward in parallel, so intense that it seemed to pierce one’s eyes! A violent explosion, comparable to a nuclear blast, sent a mushroom-shaped cloud of black smoke soaring into the sky. The scene turned pitch black and abruptly cut off.
Black Viscount stared blankly at the pitch-black screen, not even reacting as the rest of his subordinates were gradually eliminated by the Empire’s awakened Eagle Guards and security personnel.
What exactly was that experiment just now?
Space Gate?
He tapped the table subconsciously, controlling the telekinetic video playback, freezing the frame at the instant the spatial portal opened, and then continuously activating the zoom and image restoration functions.
It can be said with certainty that this video footage was originally extremely blurry. However, it must have undergone the most advanced restoration possible at the Empire XIII Laboratory. Therefore, after the Black Viscount used his technological means to magnify the image a thousand times, the vague, mosaic-like outline of a face still instantly triggered a realization in him.
This person… I’ve seen this person who emerged from the spatial gate before!
A streak of lightning pierced the heart of Black Viscount. His heart skipped a beat, followed by a surge of wild joy. Although his expression remained calm, his body unconsciously rose to its feet, betraying his inner tension.
Unexpectedly, I actually found out this secret before anyone else! Once I get this chip in my hand, even the Empire will have to make concessions to me!
In an instant, the calculating smile froze on the corner of Lord Hei’s mouth. He suddenly remembered the assassination plan he had arranged and quickly sat down to activate his telepathic communicator, urgently linking up with the assassin Shadow Phantom on the distant planet Thenuis!
“Abort, Shadow! I order the immediate termination of the plan!”
In the holographic display, Shadow Phantom in a black bodysuit is shown crouching by the window, preparing for a sniper shot. Beside him, his assistant, wearing a trench coat and sunglasses, receives an urgent communication from Lord Black. Slightly flustered, the assistant turns toward Shadow Phantom and opens his mouth, as if wanting to say something.
It’s too late!
Ying Mei’s index finger had already pressed the trigger button of the gun!
The deadly battle energy transformed into a thread as fine as a needle and shot forth within a third of a second.
Target—the center of Zhang Wen’s forehead, one kilometer away!
Shooting at the heart might, due to individual physiological differences, result in a miraculous survival, but shooting through the skull leaves absolutely no chance for any living being to survive—unless it’s a brainless undead creature!
On the other side of a distant galaxy, through the screen, Lord Black’s eyes slightly narrowed as he watched Shadow Phantom carrying out the assassination. Over the past sixteen years, Shadow Phantom had assassinated 131 targets for him, including 32 nobles, 24 high-ranking imperial officials, 17 political figures and family enemies, with countless other adversaries besides—even planetary governors had been among the victims, numbering no fewer than seven.
Never failed in an assassination!
…
In front of a weapon shop, Zhang Wen curiously took hold of a battle axe as recommended by the seller. The axe’s surface gleamed like a silver mirror. It was a double-edged battle axe, somewhat resembling the kind used by barbarians in the games Zhang Wen had played in his previous life, though the handle featured some added design elements.
Just as Zhang Wen, curious, raised the battle axe and discovered that its blade was indeed mirror-like, reflecting his shadow, suddenly, his eyes widened as a pinpoint-sized glint abruptly appeared on the axe’s surface.
An ordinary person might not pay much attention to this detail, but Zhang Wen had seen plenty of movies featuring similar scenarios in his original world, which meant—assassination!
A chill ran up the spine, the mind barely had time to think, and the body had already reacted instinctively.
Zhang Wen’s greatest strength was his speed, unmatched and lightning-fast. In the blink of an eye, like a flash of lightning or a spark of fire, his ghostly and swift movement technique, Chunshui Jue, shifted him aside in a blur.
“Tch!” A faint sound of a needle piercing through paper echoed as the flying double-bladed axe was penetrated by a thin thread of battle aura, creating a tiny hole the size of a needle tip. The axe was made of the latest alloy material, merely one grade below the legendary starship hull alloy—yet it had actually been pierced!
The residual force of the sneak attack’s blade light continued to surge forward after piercing through the war axe, emitting a “chi” sound as it passed straight through the weapon seller’s chest, whose smile was still frozen on his lips, and plunged deep into the ground without a trace.
Two seconds later, Zhang Wen emerged from the other side of the crowd, turning back in shock just in time to see the unfortunate merchant collapse to the ground. Watt and Seifert rushed toward him, their faces filled with alarm.
“There’s an assassin! Mr. Zhang Wen, quickly return to the starship!”
Watt shouted at him, but before they could take more than two steps, a second beam of light pierced both of their bodies simultaneously, shooting them down like skewering candied haws. Zhang Wen could not afford to waste any time; he fled the scene as quickly as possible, blending into the crowd and retreating under its cover.
At the scene, three dead bodies appeared one after another, finally triggering great chaos. As the panic spread, the dark mass of people scattered like a terrifying plague, filled with fear and screaming.
The defensive forces of the Empire on the planet Tenuisi were also activated. Countless soldiers clad in Imperial uniforms, weapons in hand, struggled against the panicked crowds making their way toward the scene of the incident. Unfortunately, the crowds were simply too large, leaving them temporarily unable to advance even a single step.
In a pavilion far off a thousand meters away, Shadow Demon calmly disassembled the long-range spear into sections of metal parts, steadily and without a trace of panic, storing them into the box beside him.
The assistant beside him, a man in a gray trench coat and sunglasses, called out to him in surprise: “Why did you attack a second time? Didn’t Lord Black order us to stop?”
Ying Mei cast a cold glance at him, “Now that we’ve already assassinated, there’s no reason to stop halfway. Besides, if we don’t create enough chaos, how do you expect us to escape?”
At that moment, a suppressed voice came from the psychic communicator in the trench coat man’s hand: “Shadow Phantom, you are now to accept a new order. At all costs, capture the target Zhang Wen who was just there. I know you didn’t kill him earlier, and you have the ability to apprehend him personally.”
The Shadow in the black bodysuit stopped moving her hands, her temple twitching slightly. She glanced at the image of Lord Black displayed on the communicator, his smile evident, and her jaw tightened momentarily before she nodded slightly. “I understand,” she said.
In the video, the Black Viscount nodded in satisfaction, his pupils gleaming as if with flickering flames—an intense, fervent passion on the verge of realizing his ambitions.
“Shadow Wraith, I still have two supreme-level assassins on Tinus. They are now under your command.”
…
In the crowded throng, Zhang Wen could no longer pick up speed and was swept along with the crowd, pushed outward by the surging mass of people.
At the same time, he also noticed many Eagle Guards hidden within the crowd, desperately trying to push their way toward him, but temporarily unable to get close due to the throng. He was now nearly certain that this assassination attempt was aimed directly at him. If not for a bit of luck on his side, he might have ended up just like that seller—lying there dead.
As Zhang Wen felt a tremor in his heart, he also sensed that the situation was extremely strange. Who could have arranged such an assassination attempt on an imperial transfer star? Could it be Lord Hei? It seemed that was the only possibility. However, what puzzled Zhang Wen even more was why the Eagle Guards were showing such an unusually high level of interest in him.
After all, his current status is merely that of a swordsmanship instructor summoned by the Eagle Guards’ Commander Zheng. With two Eagle Guards already having died under suspicious circumstances, their reaction wasn’t to immediately seek the murderer and the truth, but instead to gather around him first. Their intention was clearly to protect him.
Why is this happening? It’s clearly inconsistent with the Eagles’ usual ruthless and cold-hearted conduct.
Is my identity really that important in their eyes?
Just as Zhang Wen was puzzling over this in his mind, a hand suddenly reached out from the crowd and firmly grasped his hand.
That was a very warm, soft, and slender hand, smooth like jade. Zhang Wen’s heart skipped a beat; his gaze shifted toward the direction of the hand, and he immediately saw a person wearing a white cloak pulling him. From the faint curves visible beneath the cloak, it seemed to be a woman.
At the same time, Zhang Wen had a stronger feeling that this woman should be someone he knew well.
Because of this sense of familiarity, Zhang Wen did not resist as the other person took his hand, and followed her as she squeezed through the crowd’s gaps in another direction.
That was in the opposite direction of the Hawk Guards in the crowd.
As soon as they saw Zhang Wen squeezing into the opposite direction alongside a stranger, the several Hawk Guards scattered among the crowd became anxious. Paying no heed to the ordinary people around them, they suddenly erupted with battle auras, shaking off the people obstructing their path, then leaped into the air and chased after Zhang Wen, stepping atop the sea of bobbing heads.
At a glance, at least five Eagle Guards leaped out from the crowd.
“Quick, let’s go!”
A slightly anxious female voice sounded, and from beneath the hood, a glimpse of a delicate, round jawline and a hint of moist red lips could be faintly seen.
Zhang Wen, without time to think further, was pulled by the other person through the crowd, squeezing into a narrow alleyway along the street.
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