Bennett mengusap pipinya yang terkena pukulan Han Xiao dan berkata dengan pasrah, "Jangan pukul wajahku."
"Kau beruntung hanya wajahmu yang kena."
Han Xiao menatap Bennett dalam diam sejenak.
Bennett tiba-tiba merasakan angin dingin menyusup di antara kedua kakinya. Ia menggigil dan bingung. Apa itu cuma halusinasi?
Sebagian besar informasi penting tentang Bennett tidak diketahui. Namun, Han Xiao tahu Bennett punya lebih dari lima belas skill khusus, dan sebagian besarnya skill standar! Skill paling menakutkan bukan yang menambah kekuatan serang, HP, atau atribut, melainkan [Lucky Glow]. Namanya mungkin tidak terdengar hebat, tapi begitu efek skill itu terungkap atau namanya diganti, bisa-bisa orang terkejut setengah mati.
Cahaya si Timah Panas!
Galaxy sangat luas. Berbagai planet dan peradaban yang membentuk dunia Galaxy selalu punya salah satu dari ribuan epik kepahlawanan. Lucky Glow adalah skill standar yang dimiliki para tokoh utama.
Misalnya, jika Bennett memakai [Flaming Will], atributnya bertambah setiap ronde. Itulah kemampuan yang dianugerahkan 'Lucky Glow' padanya.
Bennett mungkin sedang terluka diam-diam saat ini dan baru akan pulih nanti. Han Xiao ingat saat pertama kali Bennett muncul di hadapan para pemain, ia memiliki energi naga dan macan yang aktif. Bisa dibilang ia T-Rex yang dipaksa masuk ke tubuh manusia.
Di puncaknya, Bennett berada di tahap C, tapi sekarang ia hanya D+.
Syarat energi untuk tahap C adalah 2.000 poin, dan D+ berarti level energi 1.600 poin ke atas. Karakter itu masih sangat kuat.
Kekuatan tempur Han Xiao saat ini terhenti di tahap D, sekitar 800 poin. Hanya setelah tambahan dari perlengkapannya ia bisa mencapai tahap D.
Tahap karakter tidak mewakili kekuatan tempurnya. Pada akhirnya, karakter berbeda dengan skill berbeda punya kekuatan berbeda di medan dan lingkungan tertentu. Namun, selama level energinya tinggi, berarti pasti ada aspek yang sangat ia kuasai.
Setelah berpamitan pada Bennett, Han Xiao kembali ke posisi snipernya. Tiba-tiba ia merasakan firasat aneh dan menoleh. Sniper wanita di sampingnya sedang menatapnya tajam. Han Xiao mengenali wanita itu. Ia dikenal sebagai Golden Fox, pembunuh baru yang baru tiba kemarin.
Han Xiao meraba wajahnya beberapa kali untuk memastikan maskernya masih terpasang. Ia sungguh bingung. Tidak mungkin ia bisa menembus maskerku. Bagaimana bisa ia tertarik pada wajah tampanku padahal aku memakai masker?
Golden Fox melangkah mendekat. Senyum manis terukir di wajahnya dan ia berkata genit, "Tuan Black, bolehkah kau mengajariku sedikit teknik sniping?"
Sambil bicara, Golden Fox diam-diam meremas dadanya untuk memperlihatkan belahan yang dalam.
Dia mencoba menggodaiku? Han Xiao menyipitkan mata. Apa pun niatnya, Han Xiao tidak tertarik pada godaan seperti itu. Ia mengangkat tangan ke depan tubuhnya dan berkata tegas, "Nona, tolong jaga harga dirimu!"
Mata Golden Fox berkilat. Ia sadar Tuan Black sangat kebal terhadap godaan seksual. Ia langsung ganti strategi. Ekspresinya berubah dari menggoda menjadi gadis kecil tak berdaya yang mencari bantuan. Perubahan mendadaknya lebih cepat dari pertunjukan Bian Lian. Ia menyilangkan tangan di depan dada dan berkata dengan napas sesak, "Aku... aku hanya ingin minta bimbingan; tidak ada niat lain."
Han Xiao memutar mata dan berkata, "Nona, jangan buang tenaga. Aku tidak suka wanita."
Wajah Golden Fox mengeras, dan ia menatap Han Xiao dengan takjub dan tergagap, "Ka, kau suka..."
"Bukan, aku tidak suka pria." Han Xiao menyentuh dagunya dan berkata, "Sebenarnya, aku bahkan tidak tertarik pada manusia... er... atau apa pun yang hidup."
Golden Fox benar-benar bingung. Ia menunduk dan berkata, "Maaf, maaf sudah mengganggu."
Ia lalu berbalik dan lari tanpa ragu.
Han Xiao tertawa terbahak. Tidak kusangka ia mencoba menggodaiku. Ia cuma pemula. Ngomong-ngomong, dulu aku sangat populer di kalangan wanita. Tapi itu semua masa lalu, dan sungguh tidak berarti apa-apa.
Setelah tertawa beberapa kali, Han Xiao tiba-tiba berhenti. Ia menghela napas dalam dan mengeluarkan sebatang rokok lalu menyalakannya.
Saat itu, sebuah mobil mendekati manor. Han Xiao melihatnya dan langsung terkejut.
Mobil itu dicat hitam. Ada lambang di pintunya. Lambangnya naga yang mengelilingi tiga bintang.
Itu kendaraan Divisi 13!
Kenapa Divisi 13 ada di sini?
...
Mengikuti instruksi Wang Yuan, pasukan tentara bayaran membuka gerbang dan mengarahkan mobil Divisi 13 masuk ke manor.
Sebuah kaki terbungkus pakaian ketat tempur keluar dari pintu mobil. Kakinya ramping, dan menarik perhatian banyak pasukan. Begitu sepatu botnya menyentuh tanah, orang pertama yang keluar dari mobil adalah teman lamanya, Di Su Su.
Di Su Su memiliki aura angkuh, seolah tidak ingin didekati siapa pun. Anggota tim lainnya mengikuti di belakangnya.
Beberapa pasukan kasar mencoba menggoda dengan siulan, dan mereka mengamati sosok indah Di Su Su.
Seorang pria paruh baya dengan kerutan di sudut matanya turun dari mobil. Kehadirannya yang tegas bisa dirasakan. Jelas ia pemimpin Di Su Su dan rekan-rekan agennya. Rombongan itu menuju mansion.
Di Su Su merasakan hawa dingin menjalar di punggungnya. Ada juga rasa dingin muncul di hatinya. Ia tahu dirinya sedang dibidik oleh seseorang yang sangat berbahaya. Ia menoleh dan melihat pria paruh baya berpakaian hitam lengkap bersandar di dinding dengan snipernya menatapnya. Tatapannya sebenarnya cukup menenangkan, tapi meski begitu, ia merasa tegang dan hawa dingin di hati seolah merasakan ancaman yang akan datang.
Siapa orang itu? Di Su Su was-was. Lalu ia merasakan keakraban pada pria berbaju hitam itu. Sebelum sempat memikirkannya, ia sudah masuk ke mansion. Pintu tertutup, dan pandangannya terhalang.
Di tepi dinding, Han Xiao melihat para agen Divisi 13, dan matanya berbinar.
...
Para agen Divisi 13 langsung naik ke lantai tertinggi mansion, tempat Wang Yuan dan Bennett menunggu mereka.
"Wang Yuan, lama tak jumpa," kata pria tua pemimpin para agen itu. Meski wajahnya datar, nada suaranya terdengar seperti akhirnya bertemu teman lamanya.
"Mo Ran," kata Wang Yuan, "sudah lebih dari sepuluh tahun. Kau salah satu kartu as Divisi 13, dan aku pemimpin Organisasi Dark Web. Kalau bukan karena situasi kali ini, kita mungkin tidak akan bertemu lagi."
"Ya." Mo Ran mengangguk. Ia melihat Bennett di samping, dan meski wajahnya tetap tanpa ekspresi, keheranan terdengar di suaranya. "Orang ini juga ada di sini‽"
"Kau masih mau menantangku?" balas Bennett dengan nada tidak ramah. "Aku tidak tertarik mengalahkanmu lagi."
"Itu semua masa lalu, Bennet. Tidak ada gunanya mengungkitnya lagi." Mo Ran langsung mengakhiri topik itu.
Bennett‽
Di Su Su dan rekan-rekan agennya terkejut. Bennett sangat terkenal di antara semua badan intelijen. Ia bukan hanya pahlawan era perang lama tapi juga individu dengan kekuatan tempur luar biasa. Ia biasanya tercantum dalam tiga ancaman teratas di semua berkas kasus. Mendengar nama Bennett, Di Su Su sulit menahan sarafnya.
Mo Ran mengerutkan kening dan bertanya, "Dalam pertempuran sepuluh hari terakhir, meski semua terjadi di luar kota, itu juga menimbulkan pengaruh negatif. Suara meriam dan tembakan terlalu jelas. Apa yang kalian lakukan?"
Wang Yuan menggeleng. "Kami, para pemimpin asli Organisasi Dark Web, ingin mempertahankan posisi netral, tapi sebagian petinggi serakah ingin melepaskan netralitas karena menginginkan kekuasaan jika memihak. Mereka mengincar posisi kepemimpinan kami dan ingin menggantikan kami untuk menguasai Organisasi Dark Web. Serangan-serangan itu semua direncanakan para pengkhianat ini.
"Xena mencoba melacak lokasi para pengkhianat ini melalui petunjuk apa pun yang bisa ia temukan. Banyak penyerang telah dihabisi, tapi kami perkirakan para pengkhianat akan melakukan perlawanan terakhir dalam dua hari ini."
"Temui aku di Kota Seagull dua hari lagi. Kita perlu berbincang baik-baik," kata Mo Ran. Dengan Bennett di sekitar, ia tidak khawatir soal keamanan Wang Yuan.
Setelah menyelesaikan urusan penting, Mo Ran berbalik dan pergi—efisiensi adalah gaya Mo Ran. Di Su Su dan yang lain mengikuti di belakangnya.
Agen Covert Ops dari Divisi 13 adalah yang terbaik di departemen itu tapi jelas bukan yang paling elit di seluruh negeri. Ada tim elit yang lebih kecil yang menjadi senjata rahasia negara. Mereka biasanya menjaga pos terdepan dan mengomando situasi dari balik layar. Mereka jarang muncul dan dikenal sebagai kartu as. Mo Ran salah satunya. Tokoh seperti itu ada di setiap negara.
Periode yang begitu intens dengan banyak kejadian sekaligus, pikir Di Su Su.
Sekitar tiga bulan lalu, Stardragon menghadapi beberapa peristiwa penting. Pertama, mereka berhasil menghancurkan markas tersembunyi Organisasi Germinal di dalam perbatasan mereka. Setelah itu, Stardragon melakukan ekspedisi ke Dark Crow Valley. Sumber laporan intelijen penting itu sangat misterius.
Selain itu, respons Organisasi Germinal juga sangat aneh. Organisasi itu tampak sedang mencari seseorang. Setelah operasi Dark Crow Valley, agen Organisasi Germinal lebih berani dalam tindakan mereka. Sepertinya mereka tidak peduli jika identitas mereka terbongkar. Mereka mencari dengan histeris di dalam perbatasan Stardragon. Situasi paling intens terjadi di Ibu Kota Barat. Lebih dari seratus agen dari Phoenix Eye Society—organisasi anak Organisasi Germinal—tertangkap. Sebagian besar hanya anak buah kecil yang tidak berguna bagi interogator.
Sejak hilangnya Han Xiao, Divisi 13 mengirim banyak agen ke seluruh dunia untuk mencarinya, tapi semuanya kembali tanpa hasil berarti. Semua kamera CCTV, catatan maskapai, dan catatan masuk perbatasan dipantau, tapi masih tidak ada petunjuk. Agen bahkan dikirim ke hutan belantara, tapi tak satu pun kembali dengan satu pun informasi.
Hasilnya sulit dipercaya di mata para petinggi departemen. Seolah Han Xiao lenyap ditelan udara.
Ke mana ia pergi?
Ke mana ia bisa pergi?
Apa yang akan ia lakukan?
Di Su Su mengenal Han Xiao dan pernah berinteraksi dengannya selama beberapa waktu. Di matanya, ia pria yang diselimuti misteri. Ia juga penasaran dengan keberadaan Han Xiao.
Setelah keluar dari mansion, Di Su Su mencoba mencari pria berbaju hitam yang ia rasa berbahaya; namun, pria itu sudah menghilang.
Para agen Divisi 13 naik mobil dan meninggalkan manor.
Setelah meninggalkan hutan, Mo Ran meminta sopir menepi. Ia lalu turun dari kendaraan sendirian dan berkata kepada para agen di mobil, "Di Su Su, kerahkan beberapa agen untuk memantau situasi pertempuran bersamamu. Laporkan padaku nanti."
Bennett stroked the cheek that had been hit by Han Xiao’s punch and said helplessly, “Don’t hit my face.”
“You are lucky it was just your face.”
Han Xiao stared silently at Bennett for a moment.
Bennett suddenly felt a cold wind breeze past the area between his legs. He gave a cold shiver and was puzzled. Was it an illusion?
Most of the critical information about Bennett was unknown. However, Han Xiao knew that Bennett had more than fifteen special skills, and most of them were standard skills! The scariest skill was not those that allowed for additional attacking power, HP, or attributes but [Lucky Glow]. The name of the skill probably would not convince one that it was powerful, but once the effects of the skill were revealed or the name of the skill was changed, it could probably scare one to death.
Glow of the Lead!
Galaxy was very large. The different planets and civilizations that made up the world of Galaxy would always have one of the thousands of the heroic epics. Lucky Glow was a standard skill that the main characters possessed.
For instance, if Bennett used his [Flaming Will], there would be gains in the attributes every round. That was the ability that ‘Lucky Glow’ bestowed upon him.
Bennett is probably secretly hurt at the current moment and will only recover in the future. Han Xiao remembered that the first time Bennett appeared before the eyes of the player, he possessed the energy of an active dragon and tiger combined. He could be described as a T-Rex forced into a human body.
At his peak, Bennett was at C stage, but he was merely D+ for now.
The energy requirement for C stage was 2,000 points, and a D+ stage meant that the character had an energy level of 1,600 points and above. The character was still very strong.
Han Xiao’s current combat power was stuck at stage D, which was around 800 points. Only after the additional gains that he could obtain from his equipment was he able to reach stage D.
The stage of a character did not represent their combat power. Ultimately, different characters with different skills had different strengths in certain types of terrain and environments. However, as long as a character had a high energy level, it meant that they definitely had an aspect they were very strong in.
After bidding farewell to Bennett, Han Xiao went back to his sniper post. He suddenly felt a weird sensation in his heart and turned back. The female sniper beside him was staring deeply at him. Han Xiao did recognize the lady. She was known as Golden Fox and was a new assassin that had arrived at the site only yesterday.
Han Xiao felt his face a few times to confirm that he had a mask on his face. He was really confused. There is no way that she can see through the mask. How can she be attracted by my handsome face even when I have a mask on?
Golden Fox walked forward to him. She had a pretty smile on her face and said cheekily, “Mr. Black, I was wondering if you can teach me some sniping skills.”
As she was speaking, Golden Fox surreptitiously squeezed her breasts with her hands to reveal her deep cleavage.
She’s trying to seduce me? Han Xiao squinted his eyes. Regardless of her intention, Han Xiao had no interest in such seductions. He raised his hand before his body and said sternly, “Miss, please have some self-respect!”
Golden Fox’s eyes flashed. She realized that Mr. Black was very resistant to sexual seductions. She immediately changed her strategy. Her expression turned from a sexy one to that of a helpless little girl who was seeking help. The sudden change was even faster than a Sichuan mask-changing show. She crossed her hands in front of her breasts and said breathlessly, “I... I just want to ask you for some guidance; I don’t have any other intentions.”
Han Xiao rolled his eyes and said, “Miss, don’t waste your energy. I don’t like ladies.”
The expression on Golden Fox’s face stiffened up, and she looked at Han Xiao in astonishment and stuttered, “You, you like...”
“No, I don’t like men.” Han Xiao touched his china and said, “Actually, I am not even interested in humans... er... or anything that is living.”
Golden Fox was completely dumbfounded. She lowered her head and said, “Sorry, sorry to disturb.”
She then turned around and ran away without hesitation.
Han Xiao laughed heartily. Can’t believe she tried to seduce me. She is just a greenhorn. Speaking of which, I was so popular with women back then. But that is all in the past, and it really meant nothing.
After laughing to himself a couple more times, Han Xiao suddenly stopped. He then gave a deep sigh and took out a cigarette and popped a light.
At that moment, a car neared the manor. Han Xiao looked over and was instantly shocked.
The car was painted black. It had an emblem on the car’s door. The emblem was a dragon that surrounded three stars.
It was Division 13’s vehicle!
Why is Division 13 here?
...
Heeding the instructions given by Wang Yuan, the mercenary troops opened the gates and directed Division 13’s car into the manor.
A leg wrapped in a combat tight suit emerged out of the doors of the car. The leg was slender, and it drew plenty of the troops’ attention. Once the boot landed on the ground, the first person to emerge out of the car was his old friend Di Su Su.
Di Su Su had an air of arrogance, and it was as if she did not want to be approached by anyone. The other members of the team followed behind her.
Some of the boorish troops were attempting to tease her with their wolf-whistles, and they were checking out the beautiful figure of Di Su Su.
A middle-aged with wrinkles at the edge of his eyes alighted from the car. His firm presence could be felt. It was obvious that he was the leader of Di Su Su and her fellow agents. The group headed toward the mansion.
Di Su Su could feel a chill up his spine. There was also a cold feeling emerging within of her heart. She knew that she was locked onto by a very dangerous individual. She turned her head and saw a middle-aged man suited up in complete black leaning against the wall with his sniper staring at her. His look was actually pretty calming, but even with that, she could feel herself on edge and the chill in her heart as if she sensed some sort of impending threat.
Who is that person? Di Su Su was alarmed. She then felt a sense of familiarity about the man in black. Before she could even think about the issue, she entered the mansion. The doors shut, and her view was blocked.
At the edge of the wall, Han Xiao saw the agents of Division 13, and his eyes brightened up.
...
The agents from Division 13 went straight up to the highest floor of the mansion, where Wang Yuan and Bennett were waiting for them.
“Wang Yuan, long time no see,” the old man leading the agents said. Although, he said it with a poker face, the tone of his voice sounded like he had finally met his long-time friend.
“Mo Ran,” Wang Yuan said, “it has been more than ten years. You are one of the trump cards of Division 13, and I am the leader of the Dark Web Organization. If not for the situation this time, we probably would not have met again.”
“Yeah.” Mo Ran nodded. He saw Bennett at the side, and although his face was still expressionless, one could tell the astonishment in his voice. “This fellow is also here‽”
“You still want to challenge me?” Bennett replied in an unfriendly tone. “I have no interest in beating you again.”
“It’s all in the past, Bennet. There is no point bringing it up again.” Mo Ran immediately put an end to this topic of conversation.
Bennett‽
Di Su Su and her fellow agents were shocked. Bennett was very well-known among all intelligence agencies. He was not only a hero of the old-war era but also an individual with an amazingly powerful fighting prowess. He was commonly listed in the top three threats in all case files. Upon hearing the name of Bennett, Di Su Su found it hard to keep her nerves under control.
Mo Ran frowned and asked, “In the battles of the past ten days, although they all took place outside the city, it also resulted in negative influences. The sounds of the canons and the gunshots are too obvious. What are you guys doing?”
Wang Yuan shook his head. “We, the original leaders of the Dark Web Organization want to maintain our neutral position, but some of the greedy higher ups want to give up the neutrality as they are keen on the powers they might get if they take sides. They are eyeing for our leadership positions and want to replace us to gain control of the Dark Web Organization. The attacks are all planned by these traitors.
“Xena is trying to track the location of these traitors through any clues she can find. Many of the attackers were wiped out, but we expect the traitors to make their last stand within these two days.”
“Find me in Seagull City in two days. We need a proper catch-up,” Mo Ran said. With Bennett around, he was not worried about the security of Wang Yuan.
After settling the important matters, Mo Ran turned and left—efficiency was Mo Ran’s style. Di Su Su and the rest followed behind him.
The Covert Ops agents from Division 13 were the best of the department but definitely not the most elite of the entire country. There was a smaller elite team that was the secret weapon of the nation. They were usually guarding the outposts and commanding the situation from behind the scenes. They rarely revealed themselves and were known as trump cards. Mo Ran was one of such individuals. There were such figures in every nation.
What an intense period with so many occurances at once, Di Su Su thought to herself.
About three months back, Stardragon had faced a several important events. First, they managed to destroy a hidden base of the Germinal Organization within their own borders. After which, Stardragon made an expedition for Dark Crow Valley. The source of the critical intelligence reports was very mysterious.
Also, the response from the Germinal Organization was also very weird. The organization seemed like it was searching for someone. After the Dark Crow Valley operation, the agents of Germinal Organization were more blatant with their actions. It seemed like they did not care if their identities were exposed. They were searching hysterically within the borders of Stardragon. The situation was most intense in the Western Capital. More than a hundred of the agents from the Phoenix Eye Society—a subsidiary organization of the Germinal Organization—were caught. They were mostly small fries that did not offer any value for the interrogators.
Since the disappearance of Han Xiao, Division 13 sent out many agents to all parts of the world to look for him, but they all returned without any substantial results. All the CCTV cameras, airline records, and border entry records were monitored, but there was still no clue. Agents were even sent out to the wilderness, but none returned with a single piece of information.
The result was unbelievable in the eyes of the higher ups of the department. It was as if Han Xiao had vanished into thin air.
Where did he go?
Where could he go?
What was he going to do?
Di Su Su knew Han Xiao and had interacted with him for a period of time. In her eyes, he was a man enshrouded in mystery. She was also curious of Han Xiao’s whereabouts.
After heading out of the mansion, Di Su Su tried to look for the man in black who she felt was dangerous; however, the man had already disappeared.
The agents of Division 13 boarded the car and left the manor.
After leaving the forest, Mo Ran asked the driver to pull over. He then stepped out the vehicle alone and said to the agents in the car, “Di Su Su, get some agents to monitor the battle situation together with you. Report back to me later.”Bian Lian (literally: “Face-Changing”) is an ancient Chinese dramatic art that is part of the more general Sichuan opera. Performers wear brightly colored costumes and move to quick, dramatic music. They also wear vividly colored masks, typically depicting well known characters from the opera, which they change from one face to another almost instantaneously with the swipe of a fan, a movement of the head, or wave of the hand. (Wikipedia)
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