Chapter 3 Life Is All About Acting (2/2)
”How is my sister doing?”
”Don't forget the deal,” the man warned. ”I gave you permission to visit her once every two months. Don't cross the line.”
Hila clenched her fists.
...
The interior of the underground Valkyrie lab was almost entirely white. Guards constantly patrolled the grounds.
After a night's rest, Han Xiao was brought to an isolated training field where Hila awaited.
While he was not too sure of what arrangements the organization had for him, he was certain that they would value his 'learning ability', meaning he would definitely get the chance to level up his Mechanic abilities.
It was virtually impossible to escape from such a tightly guarded fortress, so Han Xiao had steeled himself for the long haul.
”Zero, you will undergo daily combat and shooting practice from today onward.”
Hila tossed a suit to him.
”Put it on.”
Han Xiao quickly wore it.
As soon as he put the suit on, Hila attacked, launching a vicious kick at chest level.
Bang!
Too fast!
Han Xiao was unable to react, and the kick cracked his ribs through armour. He staggered back over a dozen paces and clutched onto his chest, coughing.
As expected of a superhuman.
Although she was obviously not going all out, she was still several times faster than an ordinary person.
”30 seconds of rest,” she stated blandly.
Combat training was tough, but straightforward. No words were exchanged between the pair.
They continued like this for two hours, by the end of which Han Xiao was completely exhausted and covered in bruises. He also now suspected that Hila had masochistic tendencies.
'Are all ice queen types like this?' he wondered.
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Hila (Lv. 30) has taught you [Basic Combat]
Progress Rate: 5%
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Hila left wordlessly.
A stout, burly man arrived to yank Han Xiao to the target practice field.
”I am your shooting trainer, and one of the vice-managers of this base, Baltar,” introduced the scary looking man with a hideous knife scar across his forehead.
He pushed a 73-WASP into Han Xiao's hands and said, ”There's ten bullets, hit the bullseye with all of them.”
Han Xiao frowned. How could a beginner who had never touched a gun in real life before hit the bullseye‽ Moreover, the target was a moving dummy 30 metres away.
”I'm no Olympic champion!”
Han Xiao shrugged his shoulders and raised the gun with his aching arms.
Bang, bang, bang...!
After ten shots, Han Xiao took a look at the scoreboard. As expected, he had failed.
Suddenly, he felt a searing pain in his back. It was only with great restraint that he did not scream out.
He turned around, only to see a frenzied Baltar licking blood off a black tactical knife.
”Continue. One miss, one cut. Let's see how much blood you will lose today.”
Han Xiao moved a hand across his back, and it returned bloody.
”Bastard!” he cursed inwardly.
One of the glass panels in the room was a one-way mirror. Hila and Lin Wei Xian were observing from the other side.
”Baltar is being too careless with my precious test subject! Might as well let me dissect him now,” bemoaned Lin Wei Xian.
Hila cast a plain look at Lin Wei Xian and replied, ”The organization will not approve of your request.”
Lin Wei Xian laughed coldly in response.
”I will have my way sooner or later. I created him! He is mine!”
Hila remained silent.
...
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Baltar (Lv 15) has taught you [Basic Shooting]
Progress Rate: 5%
[Agent] Profession Unlock Rate: 1%
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Han Xiao was cut again and again. The cuts themselves might not have been deep, but there were so many of them that his clothes were completely drenched in blood.
Baltar watch the weakened Han Xiao with a grin. He reveled in the smell of fresh blood.
”Why are you not screaming?” he asked. ”A good toy screams.”
Damn bastard!
Han Xiao took a deep breath to compose himself. While he really felt like punching Baltar, he knew that he could not afford to act recklessly. It was similar in some sense to LoL - when you trash talk despite losing, you are only setting yourself up for a more spectacular fall.
For now, all he could do was suck it up.
'Laugh while you can...' Han Xiao gritted his teeth.