Rion had long accepted the fact that this day was inevitable. Even when he'd first started dealing with Cobra, his instincts screamed that this man was not someone you could trust in the long run. Cobra was smart, powerful, and ruthlessly ambitious.
So he had always assumed it was just a matter of time before their mutually beneficial relationship turned into something far more dangerous. He knew he was probably walking into a trap. But then again, wasn't that where he excelled? Adapting to impossible situations?
He had also spotted the man in sunglasses standing just outside Cobra's headquarters, long before he got close. The man was trying to blend into the surroundings, but the slight twitch of his jaw, the bulge under his jacket-it screamed 'government agent.' He was sure there was a whole contingent nearby, waiting for the right moment to raid the place and bag not just Cobra but everyone else.
For a moment, the temptation to bolt crossed his mind. But he quickly discarded the idea. Running now would only solidify their suspicions. There was probably a sniper lying in wait, finger hovering over the trigger, ready to take him down the second he made any sudden moves.
No, the smart play was to keep calm, act oblivious, and let them think he was unaware of their presence. So he continued on his way, his strides casual, his hand always near the duffel bag he carried.
He walked towards Cobra's office as if he had all the time in the world, barely acknowledgingthe guard escorting him.
As he opened the doors to the office, he met the man seated at his desk, with three henchmen standing behind him. The other guard returned to the entrance after escorting him here.
"Mr. Nobody, you're here. I'm so glad you could make it," Cobra said, while puffing out smoke from his cigarette.
This guy....
"Hey man. Are there any problems?" Rion replied as he sat on the opposite chair, his hand still in the duffel bag.
As he always walked about with the duffel bag, Cobra leaned back in his chair and instinctively ignored it, exhaling more smoke.
"Mr. Nobody, my friend, does anything have to be wrong for me to want to see you? I like to think that our relationship should have advanced past that point," he said, a sly smile playing on his lips.
"After all, you've helped me make money. A lot of money. And you know what they say: money is power. And power is everything," he said while crushing his half-lit cigarette in the tray.
Rion simply nodded. Cobra loved to hear himself talk, but this speech was different. There was a sharp edge to it, as though he were winding up for something bigger. He watched him carefully, noting the way the man's eyes flicked toward the henchmen before landing back on him.
"It's just a pity," Cobra continued, his voice dropping to a menacingly soft tone. "That the feeling of camaraderie is not mutual. After all, I still don't know who you actually are."
Rion's mind raced. That was the cue he'd been waiting for. Cobra, for all his bluster, likely had no idea that the entire garage was under surveillance. He was aware that people outside weren't here just for the show, they were watching, waiting. If anything went wrong, they'd come in guns blazing.
I can use this.
Seemingly unfazed, he continued the banter, "Does it matter? Secrets keep things interesting," he mused. "But whatever. It's not like my appearance is some kind of big secret."
With a slow, exaggerated motion, Rion pulled the mask from his face, revealing his youthful features. The room went silent for a beat, and then Cobra laughed-a deep, belly-shaking laugh that echoed off the garage walls.
"You? You're just a kid!" he guffawed, wiping a tear from his eye. "I've always been curious about your true identity, but it turns out that you're just some snotty nosed brat playing gangster. I must admit, you've been remarkably cautious all this time."
The laughter quickly died away, and his face darkened.
"But even your caution has failed you this time. I'm sorry, but you've become too much of a liability for me."
"What do you mean, Cobra?" Rion asked, pretending to be surprised.
"I mean that you know too much. You know how I operate, and you know where I work from. You're a loose end, Mr. Nobody. And I don't like loose ends. They tend to get snipped," Cobra said, his voice turning cold.
"So, I'm sorry, but I have to let you go. But before that, be a dear and hand over everything you know about making guns."
The snapping of his fingers signaled the three henchmen behind him to raise their guns, all pointed directly at Rion.
Rion leaned back and chuckled, seemingly amused." What if I don't want to?"
Cobra laughed coldly. "Well we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. I do hope you choose the easy way though. Saves you some pain."
Rion's demeanor shifted abruptly, shedding the facade with a newfound intensity. "Do you truly believe you've trapped me?"
Cobra, sensing the sudden change, felt a twinge of alarm but dismissed it with a shake of his head. "You're in no position to make threats, brat. Hand over the information, and maybe we can find a way for your body to leave this place in one piece."
But Rion's grin widened, a mix of defiance and cunning. "What if I revealed that government agents are monitoring this location, ready to burst in at any given moment?"
Cobra's confident facade wavered for a moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. "You're bluffing."
Rion shrugged his shoulders, sighing, "Fine. You caught me. Why don't we all just take a step bac—"
Before anybody could react, he swiftly threw a small device onto the table. A moment later, an ear-shattering explosion rocked the room, sending debris flying in all directions. The force of the blast shattered windows and crumbled walls, leaving chaos in its wake.
The explosion tore through the air with a deafening blast, throwing Cobra and his henchmen across the room like ragdolls. Their bodies collided with furniture, sending chairs and tables skidding across the floor as they struggled to regain their bearings.
The force of the blast left them dazed and disoriented, their minds racing to catch up with the chaos. Thick clouds of smoke rapidly filled the air, swirling in every direction and obscuring vision, further disorienting anyone still conscious.
In the midst of this madness, Rion remained calm and controlled. His senses sharpened as he swiftly adjusted to the chaos around him. His body reacted instinctively, and he executed a fluid duck-and-roll maneuver, narrowly avoiding the blast's shockwave. His roll took him across the floor, his movements smooth and precise, positioning him out of the immediate danger zone.
«Whizz!»
«Whizz!»
Without hesitation, Rion's hand shot to his side, drawing his magnetic handgun with practiced speed. In a single fluid motion, he raised it and fired two quick, calculated shots. The rounds struck their targets—two of Cobra's henchmen—both in the head. They dropped instantly, collapsing to the floor without a sound, their bodies crumpling unnaturally.
In a seamless motion, he deftly swapped clips on the gun, loading it with incendiary bullets. With cold efficiency, he targeted the weak points of the room—the brittle walls and the thin ceiling panels. Each shot rang out, sharp and decisive, the incendiary bullets slamming into their targets with pinpoint accuracy.
Within moments, the walls of the room began to catch fire, flames licking at the edges, quickly spreading and consuming everything in their path. The ceiling above buckled as the fire tore through it, puncturing openings and sending hot ash raining down.
The fire raged around him, and the smoke thickened, adding to the disarray. He could already hear Cobra and his remaining men coughing and struggling to find their bearings amidst the inferno.
With everything unfolding in a blur, Rion sprinted toward the nearest opening under the effects of [Dash], leaped through it, and landed gracefully outside Cobra's now-burning office.
"STOP HIM!!!!" screamed an enraged, bloody faced Cobra.
As Rion burst out of the burning office, he swiftly assessed the chaotic scene. The workshop was a maze of damaged cars and debris, offering both cover and obstacles.
Bullets whizzed through the air as Cobra's henchmen, who were stationed outside desperately tried to stop Rion.
Utilizing his enhanced reflexes, he skillfully maneuvered through the maze of damaged cars, using them as cover from the hail of bullets unleashed by Cobra's enraged henchmen.
Behind the car he used as cover, he changed the half-spent incendiary magazine clip back to the normal ferromagnetic rounds. Due to the fact that he wasn't able to gather enough materials, he had only being able to craft 10 incendiary bullets, most of which he used to escape the office and get to cover.
I still have 96 bullets and 3 grenades.
Rion reevaluated his inventory before peeking out from the corner for just an instant. Bullets were fired almost instantly.
Six men. Four with guns.
Rion's mind raced. It had been less than thirty seconds since he set the office on fire. Apart from the six people in front, he could also see another 4 running towards them, with more on the way, so he did not have much time left.
Alright, let's do this.
He took in a deep breath and activated his [Combat Frenzy II] and [Iron Skin] techniques simultaneously. As his pupils narrowed, the time seemed to slow down. His mind entered the state of battle clarity, banishing all unnecessary thoughts.
He had never properly had the chance to test out his body after he'd begun cultivating. He knew he was stronger by quite a bit, yet the sensation of seeing the world move just a bit slower when he focused, coupled with the ability to effortlessly manipulate his body with mere thoughts.
The feeling was quite intoxicating.
First, he tossed out a grenade, causing the six henchmen to frantically jump for cover.
«Kaboom!»
Then, with the smoke of the blast as cover, he sneaked up to the nearest man. His hands lit up with bright blue sparks as he smoothly activated his [Overclock] and used it to enhance his gloves.
«Bam!»
Rion gave him a well-timed punch in the face, blasting him some distance away and crippling him. He had been diligently practicing his Resonance ability, mastering the control to seamlessly switch between [Normal] mode and [Overclock] mode, and had made significant progress.
"Shoot! Quickly shoot!"
The other henchmen resumed shooting. Rion rolled and ducked as he closed in on them. His clothing was riddled with holes as bullets rained upon it. Luckily, his bulletproof vest held on and he was able to close the distance, swiftly dispatching another three henchmen.
Suddenly, Rion grimaced.
As the remaining two henchmen scattered further back to pull apart from him, a bullet had found its way into his shoulder.
It felt like countless sharp wind blades cutting through, burning and stinging the wound.
Relying on his solid mental fortitude and slightly enhanced physical endurance courtesy of [Iron Skin], he evaded the other shots and pulled out his magnetic pistol to return fire, enhancing it with his Resonance.
«Whizz!»
«Whizz!»
Two resonating magnetic pulses reverberated throughout the area as the silent guns shot out bullets with immense speed, piercing both their chests before erupting in two fist-sized exit wounds on their backs, instantly killing them.
The power of the magnetic guns fueled by his Resonance were unexpectedly strong, and due to their incredible craftsmanship and design, they produced less recoil, allowing Rion to keep a steady aim.
But there was no time to relax. Seeing that more henchmen were converging on his location, he moved back to cover and began applying pressure on his wound. He then uncorked a vial of the Rapid Regeneration potion and downed its contents.
At this point, he deduced that he only had about half of his origin energy left, enough to last about 20 seconds or so once he activated his ability and techniques.
A head-on assault is too dangerous. I'm outnumbered.
The acrid scent of burning wood and fuel lingered in the air as the flames cast an eerie glow on the chaotic scene. The four men from earlier were nearby and had already started shooting. With practiced precision, he ensured his magnetic pistols were fully loaded, his movements swift and deliberate despite the impending danger.
As the first bullets whizzed past him, Rion's mind raced, swiftly formulating a plan of action. With a quick flick of his wrist, he pulled the pin of his sole flashbang, its metallic clink drowned out by the cacophony of gunfire. With expert aim, he lobbed the grenade towards the group of oncoming henchmen.
The sudden eruption of blinding light and deafening blast caught the henchmen off guard, disorienting them momentarily. Seizing the opportunity, Rion surged forward, his movements fluid and precise amidst the chaos. With a series of well-aimed shots, he dispatched the blinded and stunned henchmen one by one, their grunts of pain drowned out by the relentless roar of the firefight.