Chapter 37: Sniper Girl’s Heart
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The consequence of provoking the boss was being reassigned to the adjacent long bench, enjoying a solitary glass room, more sturdy than the crystal coffin the monk had created before.
Nan Ge lightly kicked the transparent wall, humming softly, “Petty.”
Tyr pretended not to hear, calmly returning his focus to the projection screen.
Six photos remained.
Guan Lan, Zhou Yunhui, Air Sniper, Melancholic center-parted hair, Tang Lin, and Fan Peiyang.
With a 1 in 6 chance, anyone could be the next lucky winner.
Zheng Luozhu was somewhat worried about Tang Lin. Tyr made it clear he was testing the stationery tree. If Tang Lin had nothing, what would they do?
He didn’t dare to worry too visibly, afraid of adding burden to Tang Lin, so he could only sneak glances.
Tang Lin’s face was very calm, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, his gaze clear and awake.
Zheng Luozhu was shaken by that hint of “clarity.”
Anyone could say that the ship would naturally be straight to the bridge, anyone could shout that people would win the day, because whether it was a Buddha-like natural acceptance or a passionate courage to move forward, it more or less had some kind of “numbing” effect, numbing you to the fear of the “worst outcome,” thereby giving you calmness or courage.
What is truly difficult is clarity.
Facing fear with clarity, realizing the strength of the enemy with clarity, understanding clearly that some results cannot be changed simply by a good mentality or charging forward regardless.
The calmness and courage based on this kind of clarity are the most precious.
The eighth photo was opened: Zhou Yunhui
Zheng Luozhu subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, then went to look at the data of this Sky Lantern Leader:
Intelligence: B+
Stamina: A
Attack Power: A+
Defense Power: B
Comprehensive Danger Level: A
Stationery Tree: [Starfire]
Another A.
This seemed to be the qualifying average level for passing. Cui Zhan, He Lu, Bald Head from Strawberry Sweet Doughnuts, Whole Wheat—all were A. Nan Ge was A-, which also counted as A. His own B+, already had one foot on the A threshold. Tang Lin was C+, well, that didn’t count; he was just fishing in troubled waters.
Zhou Yunhui couldn’t sit still long ago. When he saw that it was his turn, he leaped up like a carp but didn’t move forward. Instead, he ran in the opposite direction about eight zhang away from Tyr. “Come on, where do you want to get burned?”
His attitude was like a waiter asking for an order in a restaurant.
Tyr quietly watched him. In the next moment, suddenly, he flashed and was right in front of Zhou Yunhui, a left hook like thunder.
No one saw how he moved. His speed was like Cui Zhan using ten or a hundred times [Fast as Flying]].
Zhou Yunhui didn’t know how he had flown out. When his soul returned, he had already smashed into Cui Zhan.
Cui Zhan didn’t wake up yet, Zhou Yunhui just calmly accepted the flesh cushion, covering his numb cheek, the buzzing in his head getting louder
Tyr walked up to him, looking down from above. “Still want to burn?”
Zhou Yunhui did want to, and he couldn’t just burn people—now he wanted to burn paper for Tyr.
“Whoosh.”
A small flame burst from Tyr’s clothes.
Tyr calmly flicked it out, as delicately as dusting off ash, then fiercely kicked Zhou Yunhui, the instigator.
This kick went straight into Zhou Yunhui’s waist, making him scream in pain. “Damn it…”
Tyr raised his second foot, giving him a warning in advance, “This one’s going for your heart.”
Before he could act, Zhou Yunhui lunged at him.
Tyr agilely dodged backwards, leaving Zhou Yunhui lunging at thin air. The pain from the previous fall and the kick to his waist made him want to grit his teeth, but he held back, not uttering a sound, and continued lunging.
Tyr took a few steps back and was overturned by him. With a swift move, he circled to Zhou Yunhui’s side, raising his fist to strike at his temple.
The spectators tensed instantly.
The temple was more dangerous than the face—if this punch landed, it could cause internal bleeding in the brain. The situation looked grim!
Unexpectedly, Zhou Yunhui suddenly bent over, grabbed Tyr tightly, and his arms burst into flames, instantly igniting Tyr’s clothes.
The fire was no longer a small flame—it was a deadly blaze.
“Bang——!”
Zhou Yunhui was kicked away once again, rolling on the ground a few times before coming to a stop, and he managed to roll out the flames on his arms as well.
His sleeves were burnt clean, his skin red, but it didn’t look like a burn, just a bit of a scorch. Obviously, he still had control over the flames.
Tyr looked much cooler now, with only a few faint marks on his clothes, right where Zhou Yunhui’s arms had wrapped tightly around him. If they hadn’t seen them separate with their own eyes, the spectators would have thought Zhou Yunhui hadn’t even come close to touching him.
“How is this possible,” Zhou Yunhui was not surprised that Tyr had managed to get away from him, but rather by the effect of the stationery, “I clearly just burned you…”
Tyr raised his chin lightly towards the still unconscious Cui Zhan, “He fought to the end and couldn’t touch me once. Why do you think you can hold on to me and burn me?”
Zhou Yunhui was stunned, in just a few seconds, his eyes had passed complex emotions.
He really thought he had succeeded with his surprise attack, not realizing that the other guy was just playing with him.
“However, you caught on pretty quickly,” Tyr’s tone was flat, as if completing a predetermined task, “Don’t think long-range attacks will solve everything. Remember, no one’s going to stand there waiting for you to ignite them. If you want to burn, you have to find your own opportunity.”
Zhou Yunhui couldn’t feel any enthusiasm from the other side in guiding the challengers, but the advice given was all very targeted and spot on.
“Also, using a suicide move like that can only be done once. It’s best to save it for when you really don’t want to live anymore,” Tyr turned back to his original position, once again calling up the projection screen in midair.
Zhou Yunhui’s heart skipped a beat.
Just now, he really almost disregarded everything, thinking that even if he died, he would go down with Tyr, making him realize that showing off invites disaster. When Tyr kicked him away, it was just when he was about to give up control of the flames and let the blaze have its way. If he had done that, it wouldn’t just be his arms that were scorched red.
Tyr kicked at the opportune moment, and this realization made Zhou Yunhui feel a deeper fear—Tyr understood not only the battlefield, but also their psychological battles.
The ninth and tenth photos were flipped open in succession—
Melancholic center-parted hair, nicknamed “Wuwu Fen,” Air Sniper, nicknamed…
“No nickname?” Zheng Luozhu had always been curious about Air Sniper’s name because throughout the entire journey, he had heard “Monk,” “Whole Wheat,” “Wuwu Fen,” “Tan Hua,” but never Air Sniper’s nickname. “Doesn’t he have a name?”
Tan Hua spoke up for Strawberry Sweet Doughnuts, “Except for the leader, others can’t use their names.”
Zheng Luozhu: “Then just give him a nickname.”
If they couldn’t use real names and didn’t come up with a nickname, would he always be called “hey,” “you,” or “that guy”?
“He couldn’t come up with one himself, and he didn’t like the ones we suggested.” As soon as this topic came up, the Strawberry Sweet Doughnuts members all paid attention, clearly having complaints for a long time.
Tan Hua: “I suggested ‘Sharpshooter,’ but he thought it was too tacky.”
Monk: “I suggested ‘Assassin,’ but he found it too cliché.”
Wuwu Fen: “I suggested ‘Hundred-Pace Marksman,’ but he said it sounded like a stationery brand, not a name.”
Whole Wheat: “Seeing how picky he was, I just didn’t suggest anything.”
Zheng Luozhu looked at Leader Guan, “Didn’t you help?”
Guan Lan: “Sweetie.”
Zheng Luozhu: “Pretend I didn’t ask.”
At that moment, Air Sniper had already entered the battlefield and was face-to-face with Tyr, but from his cold and stern profile, he seemed to harbor resentment towards the entire train car.
Nan Ge, forced to be alone in the next compartment, suddenly spoke up, “Léon.”
Zheng Luozhu and Strawberry Sweet Doughnuts looked at him together, “?”
“Have you not seen ‘This Hitman is not so Cold’?” Nan Ge raised her hand, mimicking Air Sniper, and fired a shot towards his back, “Bang, Sniper Girl’s Heart.”
Strawberry Sweet Doughnuts was speechless.
Zheng Luozhu was at a loss for words. Was Air Sniper supposed to be Sniper Girl’s Heart? That was a shot meant to kill.
Air Sniper stopped in his tracks, slowly turned around, and looked towards Nan Ge. His facial lines were cold and desolate, with a kind of night-time ambiguity and indifference, “How did he snipe a girl’s heart?”
Nan Ge tilted her head, “It’s about a professional hitman who saves a little girl, teaches her how to use a gun, and lives with her. In the end, he sacrifices himself to protect her. Don’t just listen to my dry explanation, the movie is really cool and romantic. Léon is charming as hell, both cold and innocent…”
“Approved.” Air Sniper was straightforward, immediately informing the team leader and teammates, “Then it’s Léon.”
Zheng Luozhu and Strawberry Sweet Doughnuts: “…”
Who the hell would have thought he’d go for the romantic type!
Here are Wuwu Fen’s stats:
Intelligence: A
Stamina: B
Attack Power: A
Defense Power: B
Comprehensive Danger Level: A-
Stationery Tree: [Give Me a Knife]
Leon’s data was as follows:
Intelligence: A
Stamina: A
Attack Power: A
Defense Power: A
Comprehensive Danger Level: A
Stationery Tree: [Novice Sniper]
Though the only difference between them was a minus sign, and both had highly offensive stationery trees, their battle processes were entirely different.
Wuwu Fen’s stationery tree allowed him to summon a knife at any time. In close combat, this was incredibly useful because he didn’t fear being disarmed since he essentially carried a weapon arsenal. However, there were clear limitations: First, he could only summon one knife at a time, so flashy three-sword techniques were out of the question. Second, his close combat skills still needed improvement. This was unlike Zhou Yunhui’s [Sparfire], which could burn as desired. To harm someone with a knife, corresponding combat techniques were necessary.
However, being in the Strawberry Sweet Doughnuts meant Wuwu Fen wasn’t a pushover. While getting beat up and spitting blood from Tyr’s relentless attacks, he finally managed to change the shape of the knife, summoning a slightly curved, mid-length machete instead of a dagger or short knife.
The machete saved his life. He passed.
In contrast, Léon, riding the momentum of his new name, had a smooth journey.
His [Novice Sniper], strictly speaking, wasn’t exactly “sniping” since it only shot “air arrows.” This was why every time he attacked, the sound produced was that of a cold weapon slicing through the air, not bullets or anything else.
However, his abilities were incredibly well-rounded, both offensively and defensively, which was evident from his data—AAAAA, the five-A scenic spot. His defensive power didn’t come from his stationery but from his own skills. Each move he made showed he had training in various disciplines like fighting, wrestling, and grappling, although the battles were too brief to reveal more.
Tyr’s advice to him was simple: “Don’t let what you’ve learned confine you. Sometimes, improvisation can bring more surprises.” Then he glanced at the corner where Cui Zhan lay and added, “But don’t go too crazy.”
Some people thrive in madness, while others just lose themselves. Clearly, Léon was better suited to knowing his limits.
Cui Zhan woke up just in time to hear the latter part, catching the word “crazy,” and groggily protested, “Stop using me as an example.”
The onlookers didn’t have the heart to tell him that they’d already used him as an example twice while he was out.
With that, ten people had passed, leaving three.
Guan Lan, Tang Lin, and Fan Peiyang.
Tyr returned to the display but hesitated to flip the next photo, seeming deep in thought.
Soon, everyone heard him mutter, “The pass rate seems a bit high…”
When he first arrived, he thought thirteen people were too few, but now, ten had passed without much effort—a 100% pass rate.
He slowly lowered his raised hand, turned around, and his eyes darkened like a lake shrouded in night: “I think I’ve been too soft…”
Tyr’s voice was soft, but it sent an inexplicable chill through everyone.
He wasn’t deliberately trying to scare them or anything; he was genuinely reflecting.
“Forget it, I don’t have the energy to go through this again.”
He reflected quickly but gave up just as quickly.
“Those who have already passed are lucky,” his gaze accurately pinpointed Tang Lin, Fan Peiyang, and Guan Lan, his expression light and indifferent yet extremely cold. “Now I’m going to get serious.”
The eleventh photo flipped open: Tang Lin.
Intelligence: ?
Strength: ?
Attack power: ?
Defense power: ?
Comprehensive Danger Level: ?
Stationery tree: ?
A string of six question marks left Tyr just as puzzled.
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