Chapter 488 (2/2)

The metal of the power suit around Heath’s arm had been ripped away, and a long gash ran up his arm, before puncturing his shoulder and eviscerating a large amount of flesh near the wound. There was even a small hole visible in the meat of Heath, where the bullet had passed completely through.

Howling, Heath disengaged the powersuit, the front opening to allow him to stumble out. The Asian man was groaning to the side, while Ezekiel advanced on him with a queer, malicious grin on his face. Hank holstered his pistols and raised his hands to a boxing stance, smiling widely.

There was panic in Heath’s eyes, even as the man forced himself to come meet Hank in close combat. After all, this is exactly the way Hank had dispatched him on their previous duel.

Anyways, Heath was a fool for challenging Hank to a duel, to begin with. Not that he advertised having the Skill Dueling Edge, but people should know never to challenge a Gunslinger to a duel. It was like no one else in the world understood how dominant that sort of hero was, with a gun, alone against the opposition.

“Sharp Left.” Heath tried to raise his arms in a defense, but Hank was too quick for him. As a teenager, he had gotten through his repressed anger towards his father by getting involved in boxing. Hank had been good, too. Nationally ranked in High School. After he graduated, his trainer pushed Hank to go into MMA, but Hank didn’t have any interest.

Hank had always dreamed of being a boxer, but his height and slender body had worked against him, in that regard. Although he never went for it, every instinct told him that the shorter men, built like bulls, would weather his blows and crush his body when they came in close at the highest levels of boxing. So Hank had become a park ranger.

But the System breathed life into those dreams, as they also gave life to the nightmares.

Hank’s jabs ripped through Heath’s guard, bloodying the man’s nose and jaw. Heath was slightly stunned, but he was still good. He swiped with his hands, aiming to pull Hank in for a grapple, but Hank stepped sharply back, the haymaker grab sailing harmlessly past. Then Hank stepped forward again.

“Hard Right.”

Heath’s jaw broke, at the same second that Gunslinger Instincts kicked into high gear. Without even thinking, Hank Dodge Rolled backward, turning to face the source of this powerful, cutting anger. To his surprise, it wasn’t directed at him, but at Ezekiel, who was shuffling backward, nursing what looked like a broken wrist.

“You… are a detestable creature,” The newcomer announced, staring balefully at Ezekiel, the air around him roiling with the anger. On the ground behind him, the Asian man coughed up some blood, his skin so pale his veins stood out like black worms on his skin.

Hank sucked in a breath; he knew this man. Or rather, this… being.

“Jade Prince, to what do we owe tha’ pleasure,” Hank said, watching their Zone’s Champion carefully. He was dressed in a silk shirt, ruby colored, as well as matching silk pains, embroidered with roaring tigers. He looked exactly like a normal person, but Hank had seen the Jade Prince fight the Whisper Man for the right to be Champion of their Zone, and had seen the man transform into a 3 meter tall Jade Colossus. He was not someone to underestimate.

But when the Jade Prince turned to Hank, he actually smiled, the killing intent melting away like spring snow. “Ah, Mr. Howard. You are… excellent. A small confusion is all. I generally do not interfere in administrative matters, so when the Temple on the Hill was asked for a representative for this expedition, Genji here volunteered himself and departed immediately. But I had other thoughts on who should accompany you but… they took some time to arrange.”

His eyes shifted meaningfully to Ezekiel. “It is also good that I made such arrangements… Genji’s wounds will take some time to recover from.”

Ezekiel brazenly snapped his wrist back into place and drank a Health Potion, as if one of the most powerful entities in Zone 1 wasn’t glaring daggers at him. Then he produced a sandwich from an interspatial watch, with the crust removed, and began to nibble at it.

Everyone ignored Heath, who was moaning on the ground in an overly dramatic manner.

Turning back to Hank, the Jade Prince then stepped to the side with a flourish, revealing a small girl. She was likely just below 5 feet tall, and her eyes were blank staring upwards. She had a bamboo cane, which she tapped on the ground, swaying side to side, as she walked forward. She wore dark, nondescript clothes, but Hank stared at her.

‘How… where the fuck did she come from?’ Hank thought. ‘And she’s…. blind? Is it just a ploy, or-’

“This is Affina Yu,” The Jade Prince announced. “She will be joining your expedition. I wish you well in working together.”