Chapter 129: Changing Waterguns for Cannons

After Chen Xiaolian shared out the quest details and the picture to his team members, all of them were speechless.

Nicole stared at Chen Xiaolian with an odd expression and mumbled something in a low tone.

“What did you say?” Roddy, who was seated beside Nicole glanced at the female Mech pilot.

“I said: Is your Guild Leader by chance the illegitimate son of the system? How could there be such a kind of good luck? We just so happened to bring an ordinary person with us. But that ordinary person turned out to be the target that the system notified us to protect.”

The reckless Roddy shrugged his shoulders and replied. “That’s nothing big. It is probably just a coincidence.”

“Bloody Hell! Do you not realize how much of an advantage we have gained here?” Nicole’s eyes bulged out. “Generally speaking, the second phase of the quest would have a higher level of difficulty compared to the first phase. This time, the quest only gave us a picture, demanding us to protect the target while escorting her to the designated location.

“If we are to follow the normal procedures, the hardest part should be to figure out how to find the quest target!

“Consider how big Tokyo is and the tens of millions of people within it! It only gave us one picture! No name, no address, nothing! We don’t have any way to search her up at all! Even if we are to enter the police database, we will still need to search one by one, comparing the picture!

“Do you have any idea how much work is needed? Can you imagine how difficult those efforts are?

“But now, this chick is just right beside us! We are now able to leave out the most troublesome part of this quest!

“From the moment the second phase of the quest began, we had already sprinted far ahead of the other participants!

“If this is a marathon, it would be the equivalent of us having crossed one third of the distance while the other competitors have just set off from the starting line!

“Such a huge advantage, you dared call it nothing?”

Roddy was at a loss for words.

“Thankfully, we did not toss this girl out halfway through,” Lun Tai was relieved. “Truthfully, I was somewhat against the idea of bringing this girl along as I felt her to be very cumbersome. But now… Guild Leader, even though you are too kind for your own good, good deeds do get rewarded.”

Chen Xiaolian forced out a smile. “Is that supposed to be a praise?”

Chen Xiaolian patted the armrest before him as he slowly said. “Now, let us discuss the second phase of the quest. Let us discuss it together.”

As the leader, Chen Xiaolian first expressed his own analysis.

“In the quest, it is stated that if the quest target were to die before we found her, then we will have failed the quest.  If the quest target dies during the escorting process, then the quest will also fail.

“From what we can see, we may encounter quite a number of problems.

“First, the quest target will encounter unknown dangers! Take note of this, according to the system prompt, the quest target could potentially die even before we find her… here comes the question: Who or what will become a threat to her life?

“I doubt it’s be as simple as a chaotic Tokyo or some robbers or criminals coming after her – the system would never give us such a simple quest.

“Thus, I feel that we could make several conjectures.

“According to the system prompt, I speculate that every participant with the qualification to this second phase of the quest will be given a different quest. As stated by the system, it is ‘random’.

“Then… could it be… the ones to pose danger to the quest target will be the other participants?

“In other words, it is possible that while our quest is to protect the quest target, there will be other participants whose quest is to kill the quest target?”

“It is possible,” Nicole nodded.

“Of course, this is not the only possibility. There is another possibility… could it be that monsters will appear within this instance dungeon and harm the quest target?”

“Monsters?” Roddy widened his eyes. “Tokyo had already fallen into a state of chaos once before. If any monsters were to appear… is it going to create a Wicked City instance dungeon [1]?”

“It’s not impossible,” Chen Xiaolian sneered. “As Lun Tai mentioned, the system is so outrageous that I would not be surprised even if everyone in Tokyo is turned into Smurfs.”

“In short, regardless of it being other participants or monsters brought out by the system, there will be a certain force moving with the objective of harming the quest target,” Chen Xiaolian made his speculation. “This may be the biggest obstacle facing us as we attempt to complete the second phase of the quest.”

This opinion of his was agreed upon by everyone present.

Nicole sat there as she silently listened to Chen Xiaolian’s analysis.

She secret gave a sigh. Even though this rookie Guild Leader’s strength is only average, he has made me view him in a new light.

Strength can be improved, but this level of mind… this level headed intellect and analysis capability is indeed rare.

“The second key point is the escort destination,” Chen Xiaolian frowned. “I have checked the map earlier. That location… lies outside Tokyo city!”

Everyone was shocked as they simply sat there.

“In other words, we can now leave Tokyo?” Qiao Qiao furrowed her brows. “The instance dungeon restriction is lifted?”

“Not necessarily,” Chen Xiaolian deliberated. “Do you still recall the train we took to the northwest? Perhaps… that kind of situation would occur. Under a designated small and particular environment, we will be absorbed into the instance dungeon area. [2]”

“Where does the coordinates point to?” Nicole asked with a serious tone.

“The address is Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo,” Chen Xiaolian answered. “If we make our way using a car, we will probably require half a day.”

“Public transportation should all have stopped their operations. As for trains, it is likely under heavy supervision. Even if it can be used, armed police officers will defend it. Considering that we are now wanted men, it is best if we do not go look for trouble,” Lun Tai forwarded his opinion. “Let’s use this minibus and find a place to refuel. Then, we’ll drive it all the way to Saitama Prefecture.”

“Agreed!”

“Agreed!”

All the team members expressed their agreement with Lun Tai’s opinion. Chen Xiaolian too, nodded. “I agree as well. All right, prepare to set off! First, distribute weapons and equipment. Lun Tai, Bei Tai, we need some firearms. Do you still have any spare weapons?”

Lun Tai gave a pained smile. “We came to Japan in order to visit Zero City, not to participate in an instance dungeon. Due to that, I did not prepare too many weapons. Bei Tai’s M16 is almost out of bullets as well.”

“We’ll have to think of ways to get our hands on some on the way. If we meet small groups of police officers, we can go for it,” Bei Tai licked his lips. “If we could find a tank, that would be swell.”

“The best would certainly be that Thunderstorm Tank!” Roddy rubbed his palms gleefully. “If only we could snatch one back then, that would have been great!”

“Don’t think of useless matters,” Chen Xiaolian glanced at Roddy. “I agree with Bei Tai’s suggestion. If the conditions permits… committing a crime once is not an issue.”

Just then, Nicole suddenly laughed. “If its ordinary firearms you are looking for, I can provide some.”

“You?” Chen Xiaolian looked at Nicole with a puzzled expression.

…

A few minutes later, they were stupefied by the pile of firearms before them.

Bei Tai’s pair of eyes shone and he moved forward. Pulling one out by grabbing the folding rifle butt, he performed a shooting gesture with it and laughed. “Howa Type 89 assault rifle! Haha! The standard Japanese issue!”

He also picked up a handgun. “PS9, not bad.”

Roddy too, had already moved forward to pick up a rifle. “Howa Goldenbear! Haha, I will use this one! I like using sniper rifles!”

Looking at the pile of firearms lying on the floor, in addition to the two ammunition boxes beside, Chen Xiaolian turned to Nicole. “Where did you get these things?”

“Yesterday. Before I found your team, I robbed a squad of Special Assault Team,” Nicole replied with indifference. I noticed these weapons there. Since I was there, I might as well take it with me.”

Rob a squad of Special Assault Team… welp! To be able to rob Japan’s special anti-terrorist forces, this girl is really powerful!

As he did not know much about firearms, Chen Xiaolian followed Bei Tai’s suggestion and picked an MP5 submachine gun.

“Guild Leader, just use this one. It has a quick rate of fire and low recoil.”

As he spoke, Bei Tai also kept several tactical grenades into his pocket.

Soon, they also changed their equipment.

While robbing the Special Assault Team’s squad, Nicole also looted their equipment as well. Even tactical helmets and vests could be found there.

Chen Xiaolian chose one set for himself and wore two flares on the tactical vest. After considering for a moment, he also picked up a bullet-proof shield and tested its weight.

“This is what you call changing water guns for cannons!” Roddy was excited [3]. He was already fully decked out with the Howa Goldenbear sniper rifle slung over his shoulder. He made several striking poses and brought out his mobile phone to take a few selfies.

Nicole spoke with indifference. “It seems you still do not have enough storage equipment. In the future, when you do have it, you should set aside some fixed equipment to carry with you at all times. Consider this a suggestion.”

Chen Xiaolian nodded his head.

Storage equipment was something that their guild was sorely lacking.

At present, only the veterans Lun Tai and Bei Tai have this storage equipment.

Both Lun Tai and BeiTai have a storage tactical box each. During normal circumstances, this storage tactical box could be kept inside the system’s Item Box. It has a size of two cubic metres, and it could store any non-living matter inside.

Lun Tai and Bei Tai’s firearms were all placed there to be carried with them at all times.

This storage equipment was very expensive. The thought of purchasing it from the Exchange System caused a severe amount of angst for Chen Xiaolian.

Furthermore… the larger the storage space of the equipment, the higher the price!

The tactical box used by Lun Tai and Bei Tai only required a few hundred points. However, the amount of storage space available was too small. Thus, Chen Xiaolian did not buy it.

Observing Nicole’s ability to pull out tens of different firearms and ammunitions – he was certain that the storage space of her storage equipment must certainly be very big!

As expected, Chen Xiaolian’s guess was confirmed.

“We also need a spare mode of transportation,” Nicole said indifferently. “In case we encounter a special circumstance while we are on the way and this minibus breaks down, we will need a spare mode of transportation. I will go to the parking lot to see if there are any suitable vehicles.”

“How many items can your storage equipment keep? Won’t a car be a problem?” Chen Xiaolian was stunned.

“It won’t be a problem to keep another two cars inside,” Nicole replied with indifference. “Do not feel surprised. We Floating Angels possess abilities of the technological type after all. As for the top Angels, like our Twelve Angels, each of their storage equipment is sufficient to store up a Mech. I am not talking about that small Sentinel Type Mech, but the real big deal.”

Sto… store a Mech?!

Chen Xiaolian was left speechless.

The underground parking lot that they were in was located below a big commercial building. With Tokyo in a state of chaos, it was only natural that many cars would be abandoned here.

After walking casually around once, she picked two SUVs as spare transportation vehicles and kept them into her storage equipment.

“My Floater still needs six hours to recharge its energy. Thus, within these six hours, I will not be able to display a strong amount of battle strength,” Nicole slowly said. “However, after the six hours have passed, I will fight with everything I have and not hold back to complete this quest. We are all in the same boat after all. This is my promise to you.”

Chen Xiaolian thought about what she said and raised his right hand to slap onto Nicole’s palm.

…

After one day and one night, the streets of Tokyo have yet to stabilize. Instead, the chaos appeared to be slowly spreading.

Their minibus moved out of the parking lot and into the streets. On the way, they passed through several commercial districts. There, they saw that the shops by the street have been smashed into and looted.

Some convenience stores had its doors smashed open and the food and beverages inside were all swiped clean. Some other shops had their windows shattered and the interior was left a pile of mess.

Certain places were also lit on fire. Along the way, they caught sight of pedestrians hurrying away while police cars and fire trucks roared past them.

Twice, they had encountered police officers displaying their cards and requesting the cars to stop for an inspection. Roddy who was in the driver’s seat ignored them and simply stepped down on the gas pedal.

In less than an hour’s time, two police cars had appeared behind their minibus.

“It seems the police are really exhausted with all this rushing about,” Chen Xiaolian glanced at the police cars behind them. “It took them this long to chase up to us. Clearly, they do not have enough forces within the police department.”

“The chaos will subside soon,” Nicole shook her head. “The chaos yesterday was mostly caused by participants of this game like us. Starting up a tank, driving it around the streets and opening fire with it. Such a degree of chaos is not something that normal police officers could deal with. Now that the second phase of the quest has begun, many participants have been eliminated, leaving a smaller number of participants whom all have their own quest targets. Their movements this time should not be as big as last time. The efficiency of the Japanese police is still very high.”

“Xiaolian! Something about the police cars behind us doesn’t seem right,” Roddy frowned. “They have followed us through several streets without rushing forward, only following us from behind. Also… I feel that the police cars are being driven in a drunken manner.”

“Hmm?”

Chen Xiaolian’s heart skipped a beat and he quickly ran to the rear side of the minibus to observe for a few seconds. He immediately saw that something was indeed amiss.

The two police cars were trailing behind them while putting up a distance that was neither too short nor too far. Additionally… Roddy was right in that the police cars were swerving about, as though its drivers were drunk.

Chen Xiaolian narrowed his eyes to peer at the driver’s seat of the police cars only to see a grim, emotionless expression on the face of the police officer.

Chen Xiaolian’s instinct made him feel that something was amiss.

“Throw them off our tail first!”

Chen Xiaolian flipped open the window, produced two tactical grenades, bit out their rings and threw them out.

He did not have any intention to kill; those grenades were thrown to the side of the street.

Two explosions boomed out and two cars parked beside the street were set on fire as an orange coloured flame spread out in all directions!

A car was directly flipped upside down and it skidded horizontally through the street!

One of the police cars slammed head first into the car! The front side of the police car was immediately dented inwards. However, the police car did not stop; instead, it continued to ram its way through and continued staggering forward in pursuit.

“Something is not right!” Chen Xiaolian’s face twisted.

Chen Xiaolian suddenly noticed that the door to the first police car’s front passenger seat was opening up! After being opened, the door smashed into a car by the roadside and was sent flying.

As for the police officer, his hands and legs were on the move as he climbed out of the front seat and onto the roof of the police car!

His actions seemed rather awkward, but were in fact very stable! He stood atop the roof of the police car, his body slanting slightly amidst the buffeting winds. The wind had blown away his cap while his hair turned into a disorderly mess…

Subsequently…

“Be careful!” Chen Xiaolian abruptly shouted out loud! He quickly raised the MP5 in his hand and without hesitation, let loose a barrage of bullets forward!

The police officer standing on the roof of the police car had already leapt high up into the air! His body flew over a distance of more than 20 metres and he slammed onto the back of the minibus!

The tremendous amount of strength behind the jump caused the back part of the minibus to sink inwards. The police officer in question had his uniform torn apart and blood covered his body. However, he extended his hand and crawled in through the torn part on the back of the minibus!

1 Wicked City is a Japanese anime that tells about the coexistence of the human world and the demon world and the threats it face in maintaining peace between the two worlds.↩

2 I believe the author is referring to their trip to Shaanxi where Chen Xiaolian met Qiao Qiao, Soo Soo, Han Bi and the two veteran Awakened ones (Chapter 39). I personally call it the Lolicon Arc… Anyways, the author is probably making a comparison to that situation.↩

3 The title of ‘changing waterguns for cannons’ is a phrase used to indicate when a person is in a much better and improved condition. Eg. Someone who used to ride only a rusty bicycle can now afford a brand new BMW.↩