In the desolate wilderness, the bodies piled higher with each passing moment.
If anyone reported this to the authorities, the entire Veyport City police force might not get a wink of sleep for weeks!
Wading through a pool of blood, Roy staggered down the mountainside, his body covered in countless wounds—scars left behind by those assassins. Some still oozed faint traces of poison.
But Roy wasn't just anyone. As the favored child of fate, and with years of mercenary experience abroad, he had long been injected with all manner of antidotes, including serums for various snake venoms and other common toxins.
And now, despite the venom coursing through his body, all he felt was a faint numbness—barely enough to hinder his movements.
His eyes blazed with fury, practically spitting fire as he descended to the foot of the mountain—only to spot Bai Xiaochun standing a short distance away.
"You old dog! Why did you try to kill me?!" he roared, his entire body trembling.
In his fury, a murderous aura erupted from him like a tidal wave.
Even Kosdy Murphy, a billionaire worth over ten billion, was forced to stumble back a few steps under the pressure.
"Die!"
Like a tiger pouncing on its prey, Roy charged toward Kosdy Murphy, a dagger gleaming coldly in his grip under the moonlight.
But just as the blade was about to slash across Kosdy Murphy's throat, several eerie figures suddenly appeared, stepping in between him and his target.
One was an elder, his shriveled skin like dried bark, not a trace of flesh visible. He raised a gnarled cane and struck Roy's wrist with brutal precision, knocking the dagger clean out of his hand.
Another was a middle-aged man with a weathered face but a child's short stature, gripping a katana longer than his own body. In a flash, the blade slashed across Roy's right leg, cutting off a chunk of flesh.
And then came the final figure—a female assassin clad entirely in black nightwear.
Why was it obvious she was a woman?
One look at the unmistakable silhouette of that… lone eye-rabbit insignia was enough to make anyone doubt their sanity if they still couldn't tell.
Her curvaceous form and striking figure made Roy instinctively back away, his expression turning grim.
"I didn't expect the three of you to show up too," he muttered with a clenched jaw.
As the leader of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Corp, Roy was no stranger to the top dogs of the underground world. He recognized these three immediately—they were all ranked among the top ten on the international assassin leaderboard. The woman—Bloody Mandala—was even among the top three, her strength likely equal to his own.
What's more, she was a killer known for lurking in the shadows. The fact that she'd revealed herself at all meant she had already shown him mercy. Otherwise, he'd likely be severely injured—if not already dead.
"Blood Wolf, the Butcher… or should we call you Mr. Roy?" cackled the withered old man known as 'Spring from Deadwood.' His tone was as vile as his appearance, the cane in his hand tapping rhythmically against the ground.
"Your head is worth over a hundred million. Oh, the things I could buy! If I deliver your head, I'll rise at least three ranks on the assassin leaderboard!"
The short man with the oversized katana—known as Dwarf Qi—spoke with clumsy energy. But anyone who underestimated this sixth-ranked assassin wouldn't live long enough to regret it.
"Kill him!"
The few bodyguards around Kosdy Murphy took the lead, charging forward with battle cries.
Spring from Deadwood and Dwarf Qi moved like phantoms, using the bodyguards as cover to deliver fatal blows.
Crack!
Roy slammed a punch into one bodyguard's skull, caving it in instantly—but at the same time, Dwarf Qi's blade sliced another chunk of flesh from Roy's left shoulder.
Boom!
He kicked another guard square in the chest, sending him flying with his ribcage collapsed. Yet at that very moment, Spring from Deadwood's cane struck his shoulder blade, cracking the bone beneath.
This was a death trap—no two ways about it.
Even at his peak, Roy would have struggled to take on these three titans of the assassin world. And now? He was battered, bleeding, and riddled with wounds.
Even a chosen child of fate needs time to grow!
He had just returned to the country, not even half a month in—and now he was already facing a life-and-death siege. Where was the breathing room?
Swish!
Seizing a dagger from a fallen guard, Roy hurled it like lightning at Kosdy Murphy's throat.
It flew fast and straight—aimed directly at the center of his brow. If it hit, Kosdy would die instantly!
But just as the blade was about to strike, Bloody Mandala finally moved.
In a blink, she deflected the flying dagger mid-air.
Yet even as she did, Kosdy let out a bloodcurdling scream. "My…!"
Bloody Mandala looked down—and saw that between Kosdy's legs, a gaping hole had opened, blood gushing out like a fountain.
Roy, soaked in blood and grinning wickedly, sneered, "Old dog, that's just a little interest I've collected from you tonight. Just wait—next time, I'll have an even better greeting for you."
Without another word, he turned and bolted back into the wilderness.
"After him!"
Spring from Deadwood and Dwarf Qi gave chase immediately.
Bloody Mandala cast one last glance at the groaning Kosdy Murphy. Seeing bodyguards rush over to tend to him, she vanished into the shadows, following the hunt.
She hadn't held back because of sympathy for Roy—she didn't even know him. Nor was it some moment of mercy.
But now, Roy had crippled her target right before her eyes.
That was an insult to her profession—one that could only be cleansed with his severed head.
Only Roy's death could restore her pride.
…
On a distant mountain peak, Veil stood watching the wounded Roy flee into the hills. Through a secured communication line, he had already issued orders to his hidden operatives, arranging ambushes along every escape route.
Gazing at the deadly figure of Bloody Mandala as she sprinted through the wilderness, he clicked his tongue in admiration.
That slender waist, that graceful figure, those long, deadly legs—and power that rivaled even a child of fate.
If this kind of top-tier female assassin wasn't going to be a future heroine, then something was seriously wrong with the plot!
Veil had no doubts. If she were to obtain some kind of opportunity, she'd easily be worth at least fifty thousand villain points!
He left Saoirse where she was and took a shortcut, moving swiftly to intercept Roy's path.
A child of fate?
Surviving a massacre and coming back to show off?
Heh. Let's see just how much "fate" you've got left, Roy.
Veil's heart burned with anticipation. Capturing a heroine brought in a fortune of villain points. But killing a protagonist?
That was bound to be the ultimate jackpot.
"Roy, there's nowhere left to run. Ahead of you is a sheer cliff. If you insist on pressing forward, you'll end up as nothing more than a splattered mess. Why not surrender? At least that way, you'll leave behind a headless corpse."
With a cold voice, Deadwood Spring advanced menacingly.
Hot on his heels were Shortfoot Seven and the Scarlet Mandala. The three stood shoulder to shoulder, their eyes brimming with murderous intent as they stared down Roy, who was now cornered at the edge of the cliff.
"Hahaha... You want to kill me? The three of you? Just wait! If I survive this, none of you will get away with it! The humiliation of today—I'll return it a hundredfold!"
Roy threw his head back and let out a mad laugh, then stepped forward without hesitation—straight off the edge of the cliff.
Deadwood Spring rushed to the edge and peered down into the misty abyss, teeth clenched. "That lunatic! He'd rather shatter into a bloody pulp than face us head-on?"
"Let's go check below," said Shortfoot Seven, already making his way down a narrow path. "Even if all that's left is a blood smear, as long as we can confirm it's him, the mission's complete."
Dead or alive—they needed proof.
…
Elsewhere, as he plummeted through the air, even Roy himself was convinced this was the end.
But just as he was about to crash to the bottom, something miraculous happened—trees sprouted horizontally from the cliff wall.
Crack! Crack!
Dry, dead branches snapped one after another as they slammed into Roy's back, slowing his fall just enough. Moments later, his body crashed into a dense thicket of shrubs.
Whoosh—THUD!
Leaves rustled violently, and with a heavy thump, Roy hit the ground. Agonizing pain shot through his body—he was certain half his bones had shattered—but even so, there was no regret in his eyes. In fact, he looked up at the cliff with disbelief and joy.
He hadn't died!
He had survived a fall from that height!
If you survive a great calamity, fortune will surely follow.
His legs could still move, albeit with difficulty. Not far off, he spotted a river. If he could just drag himself into the water, let the current carry him away—he might just live through this.
Hiss...
As he tried to crawl forward, Roy sucked in a sharp breath, his body trembling from the pain—but then, a wave of elation surged within him.
"Hahaha! You damned old bastard... and those three assassins... you all forced me to the brink, but I survived! From this day on, your end begins!"
He was ecstatic.
Through the life-and-death trial, his cultivation had broken through to the second layer. His strength had grown immensely—and his wounds were already showing signs of healing. Given time, he'd make a full recovery—and become even stronger than before.
Revenge was now a seed, buried deep within him. It had already taken root.
Ratatatatat!
Just then, a burst of gunfire erupted—bullets slammed into Roy's legs with brutal precision.
This wasn't just a few holes—his legs exploded into a mist of blood, bones exposed and shattered.
Out of the dense forest, a squad of armed men emerged, their rifles still smoking. Leading them was Kai.
"Young Master really is something else," one of them exclaimed. "This big fish actually survived that fall… it's unbelievable!"
"Seriously, he's like a prophet reborn. How the hell did he predict this?"
"Give it a rest," Kai scoffed. "The boss isn't even here, and you're still sucking up? Besides us, all the caves and even that big lake in Mount Mangdang have been rigged with mines. Even if this bastard had wings, he wouldn't have escaped. He just happened to land near us, that's all."
He glanced at Roy's ruined legs and frowned. "Who told you to shoot? His legs are gone! The boss said to capture him, not kill him! What if he dies now?"
A burly guy scratched his head awkwardly. "Sorry, boss… I panicked. The Blood Wolf Mercenary Corp guy's a damn monster—how many did he kill on his own? Without AKs, we probably couldn't take him down."
There were only ten of them stationed here—including Kai. Mount Mangdang was massive, with countless hiding spots. Even though the young master had tried to cover all bases, there just weren't enough people to go around.
And these firearms—they were a temporary allocation. Once this was over, they had to return them. Too much firepower invited trouble.
"Who did this?!"
A cold voice rang out from the woods.
Veil stepped into view, face dark as night. His eyes fell on Roy—writhing in pain, legs blasted apart, blood gushing—and his fury ignited.
The guilty man trembled. "Y-Young Master, it was me. I know I was wrong… I just didn't want this monster hurting anyone else, so I took out his legs."
Veil locked eyes with Roy for a moment before turning back, expression cold. "Who told you to shoot? Did I give that order? Do you even know who this man is?"
"He's the leader of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Corp—an elite mercenary commander. And you just stripped him of his dignity!"
The man lowered his head in shame. He was genuinely remorseful. First time he screwed up the character test, and now this? Would he be fired? Even if he didn't get Kai's year-end bonus, his base salary was still thirty grand a month…
Veil placed a hand on the man's shoulder, gave him a firm pat, and said, "I don't know if I should say this, but… all I can say is—well done."
Pfft!
Roy coughed up blood.
The fury within him exploded. He nearly blacked out from the rage.
Summoning every ounce of strength, Roy pushed off the ground with his shattered arms, enduring the torment of broken bones as he hurled himself at Veil.
All his hopes had died the moment his legs were blown apart.
If he was going to die—he was taking Veil with him!
"Young Master!"
"Watch out!"
"—!"
Kai and the others were too late to react.
Veil turned, slightly surprised. He looked at Roy—eyes blazing like a rabid wolf—then calmly reached out, placing a hand on his head.
With one swift twist—
Crack!
Roy's neck snapped clean at a ninety-degree angle.
His bloodshot eyes dimmed. His breath faded.
The broken body collapsed to the ground. Blood still gushed from his mangled legs.
"Clean it up," Veil ordered.
One of the guards—momentarily stunned by Veil's clean kill—snapped back to action. Carrying a flamethrower, he stepped forward and doused Roy's body in a stream of roaring flame.
Under the searing heat, Roy's corpse quickly turned to ash—bone and all—scattered into the night wind.
Not even a trace remained.
Roy, the favored child of fate, was dead.
Ding! Congratulations, host, for eliminating the Child of Destiny—Roy. Villain points are now being calculated. Please wait...