Chapter 158: Jhin and Zed
Jhin stared at the cocktail in front of him, falling into a rare moment of contemplation.
After all, he didn’t even have something as basic as a mouth.
Let alone anything resembling internal organs… inside him were only mechanical components, cyberware, and weapons stored away.
He slowly pushed the cocktail aside.
As for why he had come to a bar when he couldn’t drink at all—
it wasn’t really his choice. Jackie and the others usually came here to relax.
They also went to the Afterlife, of course, but how should he put it?
Different bars had different atmospheres.
Compared to bars that existed purely for entertainment, the Afterlife was better suited for talking and handling serious business.
If the goal was pure fun and relaxation, other bars were more appropriate.
Jhin turned his head and glanced at the group.
Falco and Jackie were drinking and laughing together, while Lucy and Rebecca—probably because they were about the same age—were chatting happily as well.
As for where Pilar went…
cough cough—that’s not something kids should ask about.
After confirming that no one was paying attention to him, Jhin left without hesitation.
The miniature reconnaissance drones he had deployed had already spotted someone approaching his position.
He suspected the other party hadn’t bothered to hide their presence—after all, from their perspective, the two of them were supposed to be partners in this operation.
And for Jhin, this was the best possible opportunity to make his move.
“Huh? Where did Jhin go? He just disappeared?”
Rebecca stared blankly at the empty seat and the untouched cocktail, looking around in confusion.
“Probably went to the restroom,”
Lucy shrugged.
“Uh… does he even have that thing?”
“...How would I know? Let’s just drop it.”
...
Zed, who was about to enter the bar, suddenly halted atop a nearby building.
He sensed something and instinctively looked toward a certain direction.
Whoosh—
Swish!
Zed twisted his body to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. He frowned as he glanced at the terrifying hole blasted open behind him. Without any hesitation, his figure flickered and he immediately charged toward the direction the attack had come from.
The shot missing its mark, Jhin swiftly raised Whisper in his hands, activated Optical Camouflage, and leapt down toward a nearby location.
Zed arrived moments later. Seeing the area unnaturally quiet, he frowned and cautiously scanned his surroundings as his combat system began rapidly sweeping the area.
Suddenly, a figure slowly emerged in the distance behind Zed.
The muzzle of a gun glowed faintly red.
Swish—
The instant the crimson light pierced through the target, Jhin let out a soft chuckle and prepared to move toward Zed.
But just as he took his first step, an inexplicable sense of danger made him stop.
Several sharp whistling sounds tore through the air.
Jhin instantly activated the rapid disengagement chip within his body, his figure blurring into an afterimage as he retreated backward. At the same time, he dismantled the sniper rifle in his hands into a handgun.
The components were stored back into his body. Four bullets were fired in quick succession, and a dancing grenade slipped quietly from behind him, dropping toward the ground.
Boom!
After the pillar of flames erupted skyward, a figure slowly walked out from within the fire.
“You… intend to betray the corporation?”
Zed’s fist blades extended, energy instantly coating the alloy edges as he stared coldly at Jhin.
Seeing that Zed was completely unharmed, Jhin showed no obvious emotional reaction. He merely bowed elegantly, unhurried and composed.
“No, no, no. You misunderstand me, sir. My loyalty to the corporation has never changed. I remain loyal to the boss. I only wished to test your strength. If it proved insufficient, then perhaps it would be better for you to become part of me.”
As he spoke, Jhin straightened up and spread his arms wide.
Zed quietly watched Jhin’s performance, offering little reaction. His only response—
was retracting the energy blades, leaving only the alloy fist blades exposed.
His reasoning was simple. Since this man had no intention of betraying the corporation, he was still considered corporate property.
And corporate property shouldn’t be damaged excessively.
There was also another reason.
Some of Roland’s assignments were honestly a headache.
Warnings, recruitment, negotiations—those weren’t his strong suit.
He would rather carry out assassinations. Kill everyone, erase all data, and leave no trace behind.
The true spirit of an assassin—achieved.
And now that Jhin had delivered himself right to his doorstep…
well, Zed wasn’t about to let such a chance go to waste.
Swish—
Having made his decision, Zed instantly closed the distance, appearing right in front of Jhin.
Clang! Buzz—
The sudden sound beneath his feet made Zed’s expression change. In the next instant, he felt his foot entangled by a flower-shaped mine.
“Too careless.”
Jhin shook his head—and then decisively turned and fled in the opposite direction.
No joke. If Zed had walked out of that explosion unscathed, Jhin wasn’t foolish enough to believe a single mine would do much.
If he wanted to win…
He’d have to rely on Whisper’s combined configuration.
But right now, with an assassin right on his heels?
He trusted his own strength, sure—but he wasn’t stupid. Engaging in close combat with someone like that?
He was insane, not brainless.
However, several shuriken burst out of the flames, instantly sealing off every possible escape route.
With nowhere to dodge, Jhin had no choice but to retreat—only for several of the shuriken to collide midair and split apart, hidden blades shooting out from below.
Thud!
Jhin’s shoulder was pierced clean through. He yanked the blade out, fired another four shots at Zed, and hurled the shuriken back at him.
Zed’s figure flickered repeatedly, evading the bullets with minimal movement. He reached out, caught the shuriken, and with a twist of his wrist, stored it away.
Swish!
Seeing the fist blade stop just inches from his face, Jhin raised both hands without hesitation.
Zed halted his attack.
“That was really dangerous…”
Jhin casually reached out, pinching the fist blade with two fingers and nudging it aside.
“I surrender. You win, Captain.”
Jhin’s complete lack of shame made Zed retract his fist blade. He gave Jhin a glance and turned away.
“Then come with me. We have a mission to execute.”
“Of course, of course.”
Jhin nodded obediently—then, while Zed wasn’t paying attention, slowly raised his weapon again.
Swish—Clang—
Thud!
In a flash, the hand gripping Whisper was pinned to the ground by a shuriken, while Zed’s foot came crashing down onto Jhin’s chest.
“You’d better drop those little schemes of yours.”
“Hey! Who are you?!”
Rebecca’s voice suddenly rang out nearby. Both of them turned their heads.
They saw Rebecca pull out the weapon Roland had given her and immediately open fire on Zed.
Zed activated his energy blades, slicing through the bullets as his figure vanished and reappeared behind Rebecca.
“She’s someone the boss is watching.”
Buzz—
The heat-radiating fist blade stopped at the back of Rebecca’s neck—then retracted.
Only then did Rebecca, who had been frozen by Zed’s killing intent, dare to gasp for air.
Zed walked back over and hauled Jhin up.
Jhin dusted himself off and gave Zed a deep, theatrical bow.
“Please give the orders, my Captain.”
Watching everything unfold from the shadows, Roland finally let out a breath.
For a brief moment just now, he had genuinely thought Rebecca was about to end up like Louis XVI…
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