Chapter 80: Worth Twenty Thousand

"Seriously? It’s only just past nine."

The barbecue restaurant in front of him had its shutters down, and every sign along the street was dark. The recommendation video was still playing on his phone: a server carrying an iron platter piled with grilled meat squeezed through the crowd, grease dripping from the chunks of meat.

That video was why Lin Yan had asked the driver to take a detour. Back when he was broke, all he could do was watch and swallow. Now he’d already decided how many portions to order—and the place was closed.

He’d spent hours tramping through the forest for nothing. No eight thousand Credits, no ten thousand points. He’d finally come back for a decent meal. Surely he could at least get that.

He closed the video and kept looking.

A burger place farther down still had its lights on, with an OPEN sign hanging on the glass door. Lin Yan tried the handle. The lock rattled. Inside, the chairs were upside down on the tables, the counter was unattended, and a notice beside the door announced temporarily shortened opening hours.

Across the street, a figure stood in a recessed doorway. Reflections in the glass made it hard to see clearly, but it hadn’t moved since he arrived. Lin Yan took it for some shop’s display mannequin and paid it no more attention.

"..."

He let go of the handle and took out his phone.

At this rate, tonight’s dinner was going to become tomorrow’s.

Just then, a police car rolled slowly down the street and pulled up beside him. The officer in the passenger seat glanced at his long blade and lowered the window.

"Sir, may I see some identification?"

Lin Yan brought up his digital ID and handed over the phone, taking the opportunity to ask:

"Anywhere around here still serving food?"

"There have been a few incidents in this area lately. The shops are closing early." After checking his credentials, the officer returned the phone. "Head farther downtown if you want something to eat. Best not to linger around here at night."

"Got it. Thanks."

Once the police car had driven away, Lin Yan selected a pickup point by the main road and followed the directions toward it.

As he passed a shop, its window reflected the recessed doorway across the street again.

The figure was still there.

From this distance, he could make out a dark brown leather mask. Coarse stitching ran along both sides, two narrow slits served as eyeholes, and several crooked metal studs lined the mouth. Its right hand held a machete.

Lin Yan took a few more steps. The mask turned with him.

A real person?

The man stepped out of the doorway and blocked his path. Nearly two meters tall, dressed like that on an empty street, he certainly looked creepy. But up close, he still had to tilt his head back to meet Lin Yan’s eyes, which spoiled much of the effect.

Filming a prank?

Lin Yan glanced at the shop windows on either side. No camera in sight.

Whatever.

He’d had enough running around today. He really wasn’t in the mood to play along.

Lin Yan walked around the man, who sidestepped into his path again.

"Move. I’ve got somewhere to be."

The words had barely left his mouth—

Whoosh!

The gleaming machete was already coming down at his face.

Smack!

Lin Yan’s right hand moved second and arrived first, clamping around the man’s wrist.

The machete stopped dead, its blade ringing from the sudden halt. The man’s momentum pitched him forward. Once he regained his footing, he threw his entire upper body into it, shoulders straining and veins bulging along his arm.

The edge hung a dozen centimeters from Lin Yan’s forehead, utterly motionless.

"Motherfucker, you’re actually trying to kill me?"

Lin Yan squeezed.

Crack!

The wrist bones shattered in his grip, and the machete clattered to the ground. The man acted as though he hadn’t even felt it. His left shoulder dipped, and his fist thundered toward Lin Yan’s face from the other side.

Lin Yan released the broken wrist and chopped down against the incoming forearm.

Crack!

The forearm folded at a grotesque angle halfway along its length, sending the fist swinging sideways.

Both arms were broken, yet the man hadn’t screamed once. The eyes behind the mask remained fixed on Lin Yan.

Lin Yan frowned.

Was this guy insane?

His vision suddenly dimmed.

The storefronts blurred, and the streetlights seemed to disappear behind a black veil.

A power outage?

No. It was his vision going dark.

Several male orcs charged out of the gloom. The sheer speed and bizarre sight caught him off guard. Bare muscles gleamed with oil. Huge hands clamped onto his shoulders, a wall of solid chest pressed against his back, and warm breath washed over his neck.

For one awful instant, Lin Yan’s mind supplied several very specific possibilities for what was about to happen next.

Every hair on his body stood on end. His scalp crawled, his stomach clenched, and a cold shudder shot straight down his spine.

"Fuck!"

He tore free of the hands on his shoulders and drove his right foot into the nearest orc with all his strength.

Thud!

His sole struck something solid, the impact jolting back up his leg.

The figures warped and shattered along with the darkness. The street and its lights returned.

The masked man was now sprawled on the pavement ten meters away, his broken arms twisted at his sides.

The thought of what had just been shoved into his head sent Lin Yan’s temper flaring.

"What the fuck did you just put in my head?"

[Convergence-Borne Entity detected.]

[Mission: Permanently eliminate the target.]

[Reward: 20,000 points.]

Twenty thousand?

Some of Lin Yan’s anger subsided. He read the mission notification again.

This thing did nothing but throw disgusting hallucinations at people, and it was worth twenty thousand points?

The masked man suddenly rolled over and scrambled to his feet. With both broken arms hanging limp, he turned and ran toward the end of the street.

Lin Yan caught him in a few strides and seized his head from behind.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

He wrenched sharply with both hands. A series of brittle cracks rang out as the man’s head twisted backward, and his body hit the pavement with a thud.

Lin Yan let go and waited for the reward.

Several seconds passed. The mission was still active.

"Still alive?"

His right hand reached for the nodachi, then stopped at the hilt. One swing of that thing would get blood all over him, and he’d have to go home and wash his clothes.

He crouched and checked the man’s neck. No pulse, and his chest wasn’t moving either. Lin Yan hadn’t spent much time in school, but with his head twisted backward and his heart stopped, surely this guy ought to count as dead?

The mission remained active in the System.

Lin Yan remembered Grave Whisper. Perfect. Let’s see if this thing could still talk.

He unequipped Agility I and replaced it with Grave Whisper.

[Grave Whisper — Green equipped.]

A muffled voice came from the body on the ground, repeating itself as though through clenched teeth.

"...It’s not over..."

"...I won’t die..."

Lin Yan leaned closer. Beneath the muttering, a faint sound came from the broken neck. Even with his current hearing, he could only just make it out.

Was it healing?

He pressed down on the man’s head and twisted the broken neck out of alignment again. The faint sound stopped for a moment, then resumed.

"...I won’t die..."

No wonder it was worth twenty thousand. It could come back to life.

Lin Yan took out his phone and called the Federation’s anomalous incident hotline.

"I need access to an incinerator."