The First Battlefield
Gerard and Jian move to secure the list Lin Bao wants, but they aren't the only ones hunting tonight. The assassin sent by Madam Wei is closing in, and for the first time, Gerard will be forced to fight in the open world—no shadows, no restraints. The hunt has truly begun.
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Tracking the Target
The information Lin Bao gave them led to an old warehouse district on the edge of the city.
Once, this area had been a hub of industry. Factories and shipping yards bustled with workers, and the economy thrived.
Now?
Rusting skeletons of buildings lined the cracked roads.
Streetlights flickered, barely holding back the darkness.
The smell of old oil, damp concrete, and rot clung to the air.
The perfect place for criminals to disappear.
Jian tapped his phone, checking the notes Lin Bao had given him.
"Our guy's name is Wu Shen. He used to run high-stakes smuggling for Lin Bao but tried to cut himself a better deal with one of Madam Wei's competitors."
Gerard's eyes scanned the surroundings. Every alley, every rooftop, every shadow was a potential threat.
"And now he has a list of names Lin Bao wants."
Jian grinned. "Exactly. So, we take it back."
Gerard's voice was flat. "We take it, or we take him?"
Jian gave him a mock gasp. "Walker, are you suggesting murder?"
Gerard didn't respond. The answer was obvious.
---
Meanwhile – The Assassin Moves
The city streets were loud.
The assassin barely noticed.
He walked with controlled precision, his footsteps lost in the urban noise.
His eyes stayed forward, but his awareness stretched in every direction.
He was close now.
He had studied Gerard's pattern from the moment he escaped the asylum.
The way he moved.
The way he assessed threats.
The way he operated with patience, not recklessness.
This wasn't a fool seeking vengeance.
This was a professional killer in the making.
But that didn't matter.
Because the assassin was better.
He slipped into an alleyway, pulled out a phone, and checked the tracker.
A small, blinking dot appeared on his screen—moving toward the warehouse district.
He smirked.
"Found you."
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The Warehouse – A Breach into the Unknown
The warehouse was dark, silent, and massive.
The metal doors were rusted, the windows long shattered.
Jian exhaled. "Why is it always a creepy warehouse?"
Gerard ignored him. His focus was razor-sharp.
He motioned for Jian to move along the left side, while he crept toward the entrance.
As soon as he stepped inside, his senses heightened.
A faint shuffle of feet—someone moving near the back.
A whiff of cigarette smoke—recently lit.
A creak of metal—someone shifting their weight.
Gerard signaled to Jian. "Two. Armed."
Jian nodded. "Standard thugs or professionals?"
Gerard listened for another second.
Then, he moved.
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First Kill – Gerard's Turn
The first guard stood near a stack of crates, a cigarette in one hand, a pistol holstered at his hip.
Gerard didn't hesitate.
Two quick steps.
A silent grip around the man's mouth.
A brutal twist of the neck.
The body slumped without a sound.
Jian, meanwhile, handled the second guard with his own trick.
He phased out of sight, reappeared behind the thug, and drove a knife into his throat.
A wet gurgle. A spurt of blood. Then silence.
Jian wiped his blade. "I love this job."
Gerard ignored him and moved deeper inside.
At the far end of the warehouse, a desk sat under a flickering overhead light.
And behind that desk, Wu Shen sat, counting money.
---
[Ding! New Mission Activated]
A sudden chime echoed in Gerard's mind.
[Survival Mission Activated!]
Objective: Survive for the next 5 minutes.
Condition: Do not allow yourself to be incapacitated or killed.
Reward: $100,000
Bonus Condition: Eliminate the enemy for a higher reward.]
Gerard stiffened.
Something was coming.
Something dangerous.
---
Wu Shen – A Man Out of Time
Wu Shen was a rat dressed in silk.
His suit was expensive, but his face was lined with stress, his eyes twitching constantly.
The moment he saw Gerard and Jian, he dropped his cigarette.
"Lin Bao sent you, didn't he?"
Gerard stepped forward. "The list. Now."
Wu Shen's lips curled. "You think I'm afraid of Lin Bao?"
Jian sighed. "No, but you should be afraid of us."
Wu Shen's fingers twitched toward his gun.
Gerard moved before he could pull it.
One step. A brutal punch to the chest.
Wu Shen crashed back against the desk, gasping for air.
Gerard grabbed him by the collar, eyes cold.
"The list."
Wu Shen coughed. "It's… it's in the safe. Back wall."
Jian moved to the safe, quickly working on the lock.
Gerard, however, felt it first.
A shift in the air.
A foreign presence entering the warehouse.
His new sensory ability screamed a warning.
They weren't alone anymore.
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The Assassin Arrives – A True Test of Survival
The door creaked open.
Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed inside.
Wu Shen's eyes widened in horror.
Jian glanced over his shoulder. "That doesn't sound friendly."
Gerard turned just in time to see the assassin step into the dim light.
A cold, calculating gaze.
A relaxed grip on a silenced pistol.
No hesitation.
No emotion.
Just death in human form.
The assassin raised his gun.
Gerard moved.
---
[Timer Started – 5:00 Minutes]
The fight exploded instantly.
Gunshots rang out.
Gerard and Jian dove for cover.
The assassin moved with precision, cutting off escape angles.
It was a battle of seconds, inches, instincts.
The assassin was skilled—faster than Gerard expected.
But Gerard was not easy prey.
Two minutes.
A knife whizzed past Gerard's face, cutting his cheek.
Three minutes.
Jian managed to disrupt the assassin's rhythm, allowing Gerard to land a brutal kick to the ribs.
Four minutes.
The assassin staggered, but vanished into the darkness before Gerard could finish him.
Five minutes.
The silence returned.
---
[Ding! Mission Complete]
[Survival Achieved – Reward: $100,000]
[Bonus Incomplete – If you had eliminated the enemy, your reward would have been $1,000,000.]
Gerard exhaled sharply.
He had let the assassin escape.
And now, he had unfinished business.
Jian whistled. "We need to move. That guy's not done with us yet."
Gerard nodded.
Next time, he wouldn't just survive.
Next time, he would kill.
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