CH 23

23. Why is it you?

The quiet path remained tranquil, with only the faint rustling of leaves stirred by the evening breeze. Ji Mingzhu stood in place, surrounded by a circle of black-clad individuals slowly closing in on him.

"You've finally arrived." 

Ji Mingzhu said, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. He smirked and spoke with a deep voice, "I've been waiting for you."

The footsteps of the black-clad individuals came to a halt. What did he mean?

From Ji Mingzhu's tone, it sounded as if he had anticipated their actions in advance, and he seemed to have a plan in place. Otherwise, why would he remain so calm, knowing they intended to harm him?

The black-clad individuals immediately became cautious and refrained from making any sudden moves.

Ji Mingzhu's eyes flickered. Now was the moment!

In the next second, he swiftly took a step forward and dashed towards a gap on the side of one of the black-clad individuals.

Ji Mingzhu's sudden movement, coupled with his previously calm and composed demeanor, momentarily confused the black-clad individuals closest to him.

...Is this guy bluffing?

The black-clad individuals quickly regained their composure. However, in the blink of an eye, Ji Mingzhu had already reached the side of one of them.

"The opponent's right arm muscles are tensing, calculating the trajectory. The projected punch trajectory is from four o'clock to nine o'clock, with an estimated speed of 12 m/s..."

Upon seeing Ji Mingzhu rushing towards him, the black-clad individual instinctively prepared to strike him down.

But just as his arm muscles tensed, Axiu had already analyzed him thoroughly from head to toe—muscle tension points, attack direction, trajectory, speed—everything was examined in detail.

Even without Axiu's "Asura Mode," being an intelligent AI provided more than enough analytical abilities. It allowed Asura to remind Ji Mingzhu of the best timing for a counterattack in the shortest amount of time.

"Swoosh—"

Ji Mingzhu suddenly accelerated, simultaneously crossing his arms to protect his head. Using the forward momentum, he swiftly collided with one of the black-clad individuals, pressing his shoulder against the opponent's armpit to prevent an immediate counterattack. At the same time, following Axiu's guidance, he grabbed onto the tactical gear on the black-clad individual's body and quickly pulled back—

Caught off guard!

The opponent didn't expect Ji Mingzhu, a seemingly untrained student, to possess such precise combat skills. His attack was completely anticipated, and Ji Mingzhu even used it to his advantage. Ji Mingzhu's pull didn't require much force, but the angle and timing were incredibly clever, causing the black-clad individual to lose balance and fall to the ground.

"Squat down!" 

Axiu's urgent voice echoed in Ji Mingzhu's mind!

Ji Mingzhu didn't have time to think. Although he had momentarily created a gap in the encirclement by pulling down the black-clad individual in front of him, he didn't rush to escape. Instead, he immediately followed Axiu's instruction and quickly crouched down.

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out, the bullet barely grazing his hair as the path ahead of Ji Mingzhu exploded into a small crater!

If he hadn't followed Axiu's instructions and had simply run forward, that bullet would have undoubtedly taken his life.

Ji Mingzhu's pupils contracted.

They wanted to kill him?!

The sense of dread, like being targeted by the Grim Reaper, surged through his heart. After evading the gunshot, Ji Mingzhu didn't hesitate and immediately sprinted forward!

The black-clad individual holding the gun frowned and fired several shots towards Ji Mingzhu's running figure.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

However, the young man before them seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. Every time a shot was fired, he would make a precise and timely dodge, narrowly avoiding the bullets.

Ji Mingzhu's speed was naturally no match for the bullets, and he didn't have eyes in the back of his head.

But he had Axiu.

Every time the black-clad individual raised the muzzle to aim, there would be subtle changes in his arm muscles. Axiu, based on the opponent's body data, instantly simulated the trajectory of the bullet, calculated the optimal evasive route, and alerted Ji Mingzhu to dodge the bullet.

To onlookers, it seemed like the black-clad individual firing the gun was drunk, shooting left and right but unable to hit the target.

Even the companion next to the black-clad shooter couldn't help but look at him with suspicion.

Seeing Ji Mingzhu about to disappear from their sight as he approached the corner, the black-clad shooter didn't have time to explain. Through gritted teeth, he uttered a single word, "Chase!"

...

Ji Mingzhu ran with heavy breaths, feeling the consequences of a lack of training during ordinary times. It seemed that he was caught off guard at critical moments.

"Still unable to establish communication?"

"I've been trying."

Axiu's calm voice was incredibly reassuring at this moment. "They have communication jamming devices on them. Normal terminals cannot use communication functions. However, I can directly send a distress signal through the private network of Zongbingyi Academy."

Ji Mingzhu rejected Axiu's suggestion.

Those black-clad individuals were fully prepared with various equipment. If Ji Mingzhu had truly only shown his surface level abilities, he would have died long ago.

The private network of Zongbingyi Academy was not something an ordinary student could access, let alone something Ji Mingzhu's current identity could touch. If Axiu sent a distress signal through the private network and managed to call for reinforcements, he would undoubtedly raise suspicion afterward. The hard-earned trust of Zuo Quanzong would be immediately lost.

Fortunately, Axiu had already calculated an escape route for him, and in just two more minutes, Ji Mingzhu would encounter the security personnel of Zongbingyi Academy.

"Have I lost them?" Ji Mingzhu asked.

Axiu replied mercilessly, "No... You're running too slowly. At this rate, you will be caught within 45 seconds."

"I'm already running as fast as I can!"

After all, he was just a gamer, not accustomed to physical exertion and lacking regular training. Ji Mingzhu continued running, panting heavily. As he turned a corner, he nearly collided face-to-face with a figure.

"Hey... Why are you running so fast at this late hour?" You Jia reacted quickly, stepping back just before Ji Mingzhu could collide with him. "...It's you?"

The heavily sweating youth before him was none other than the transfer student who caused a stir earlier in the day.

"You're exercising at this late hour?"

You Jia looked at him with curiosity. "There's no need to run so urgently, as if someone's chasing you."

Ji Mingzhu was too exhausted to respond, waving his hand at You Jia and uttering a single word, "Run..."

After the brief reminder, Ji Mingzhu didn't pay any more attention to You Jia and continued running towards the direction of the security department.

"...Bizarre," You Jia muttered to himself, thinking Ji Mingzhu was acting strangely. He continued walking ahead.

Having just finished watching Tian Nan's battle, his blood was still boiling, and You Jia didn't feel sleepy at all. He was heading to the data analysis department's recording room to preserve the exciting battle footage he had just witnessed.

As he turned the corner, a chill suddenly ran down You Jia's spine, and he quickly stepped back. However, it was too late. Accompanied by a muffled gunshot, a bullet struck his left arm, splattering blood.

In front of him were several black-clad individuals rapidly approaching, blending seamlessly with the night's darkness.

You Jia's sharp eyes caught sight of the symbol on the masks of the assailants and knew what it represented.

The symbol belonged to Striker, a notorious terrorist organization that worshipped Aberrations, a group of beings with supernatural abilities.

You Jia covered his wounded left arm, unable to hide his shock.

Why are members of Striker here?!

...

"Is he dead?"

While running, Ji Mingzhu asked Axiu in his mind, "I reminded him just now..."

"He's not dead, but he's injured and running in our direction."

That poor guy.

Ji Mingzhu mourned for You Jia for a second. The members of Striker were clearly after him, and You Jia happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But Ji Mingzhu also appreciated that You Jia bought him some time. At this speed, if he could hold on for another half a minute, they would be saved...

Before Ji Mingzhu finished mourning for You Jia, in the next moment, a figure swiftly caught up to him, leaving him two or three body lengths behind.

Ji Mingzhu looked at You Jia's back, dumbfounded.

Why are you running so fast?

The students of the Mecha Combat Class, except for Ji Mingzhu as the new transfer student, had all received professional training since childhood. Without a mecha or Axiu's assistance, Ji Mingzhu doubted he could even defeat the worst-ranked girl in the class.

"Damn it, they have signal jammers..."

You Jia tried to send a distress signal but couldn't get it through. He cursed and turned back to ask Ji Mingzhu, "How did you manage to get involved with Striker? And how could they appear inside the academy?"

Ji Mingzhu was equally puzzled. "I don't know."

He had no knowledge of any grudges between the original host and Striker. From the information he currently had, his only encounter with Striker was during the battle when they kidnapped Jin Qing. Could it be that the Bureau of Aberration Affairs leaked information about his identity, leading Striker to infiltrate the academy to assassinate him?

No, there were too many inconsistencies. This explanation didn't make sense...

You Jia covered his left arm, but blood still seeped through his fingers, leaving a trail of crimson on the ground.

Unjustly caught in this situation, You Jia was filled with confusion and frustration. He wanted to scold Ji Mingzhu, but when he saw the innocent look in his eyes, he realized it wasn't fair to vent his anger on someone who was also a victim.

Suppressing his anger, You Jia ran alongside Ji Mingzhu and asked, "Why aren't you in your own dorm at this hour? What are you doing out here?"

"I received a message from the Mecha Department office..." Ji Mingzhu didn't hide anything and told You Jia about the message he received.

"Mecha suit?" You Jia was taken aback. "Our mecha suits are custom-made and delivered directly to our dorms. How could they ask you to go and pick it up yourself?"

Ji Mingzhu was also surprised. "But the message..."

Indeed, the message was sent from the Mecha Department office.

Axiu quickly took action and started tracing the true origin of the message. However...

"The message has been automatically deleted."

It was a personal message sent to Ji Mingzhu's terminal, and the IP address was correct. Axiu couldn't perform a deeper analysis on this message.

But at that moment, Ji Mingzhu realized it. It was a trap!

The fact that members of the Striker organization were able to bypass the firewall set up by the Calamity Control Bureau and infiltrate Zongbingyi Academy to send fake messages was impossible. If they had such capability, they would have already breached the city walls of Satellite City and allowed the Aberrations to invade en masse.

That meant there were members of the Striker organization within Zongbingyi Academy...

Before Ji Mingzhu could fully process this realization, You Jia suddenly came to a halt, nearly causing Ji Mingzhu to collide into his back.

"What's wrong?" Ji Mingzhu asked.

You Jia's expression turned grave.

Axiu issued a warning: "There are... Aberrations here."

Sparse rustling sounds came from the surrounding bushes, and several pairs of green-glowing eyes flickered within the foliage.

Soon, an Aberration resembling a hyena emerged from the bushes, blocking their path. It emitted a hungry growl from its throat.

The growl was eerie and unsettling, resembling the fragmented cries of a human infant, especially chilling in the quiet darkness of the night.

Ji Mingzhu was no longer an ignorant newcomer to this world. He had seen news related to the Aberrations and recognized the creatures in front of him.

It was a Ruminant Hound, a Hardship-level Aberration. Among the Aberration species, they were considered the smallest, standing at just over one meter tall. They were highly agile and often served as scouts and vanguards within the Aberration ranks.

Although they were the lowest-ranked Aberrations, they were a considerable nuisance for the Calamity Control Bureau. These small-sized Aberrations were adept at evading Satellite City's surveillance, lurking within the city and remaining undetected. Even though they were only Hardship-level Aberrations, they posed an unstoppable threat to those without mecha protection.

Being stopped by the Ruminant Hound for a brief moment allowed the black-clad individuals behind them to close in.

Uh-oh.

Ji Mingzhu realized he was in trouble. His mind raced, but he couldn't come up with a good solution in such a short time.

Without a mecha, he had very limited combat abilities. You Jia, although slightly better at fighting, was still no match for the Aberrations. 

The only option seemed to be buying some time and letting Axiu send a distress signal through the secret network... even if it would raise suspicions later. But at this moment, with their lives on the line, they couldn't afford to worry about the consequences.

"Axiu..." Ji Mingzhu whispered, preparing to ask him to send the distress signal.

But in the next second, a figure suddenly darted out of the bushes!

The figure moved incredibly fast. Ji Mingzhu barely caught a glimpse before seeing the figure swiftly infiltrate the group of black-clad individuals, followed by cries of pain and groaning.

When Ji Mingzhu snapped back to reality, he saw the gun-wielding black-clad person lying on the ground, motionless, with an uncertain fate.

In the dim moonlight, Ji Mingzhu finally recognized the face of the person who had come to their aid.

Tian Quan?!

What was he doing here?!

Ji Mingzhu mirrored the shocked expression on You Jia's face, but inside, his heart sank.

Although he hadn't interacted much with Tian Quan, he had some understanding of the man's methods. Back then, an innocent member of the Calamity Control Bureau who had merely seen their faces was ruthlessly shot dead by Tian Quan.

Regardless of why Tian Quan appeared here and even helped him in a moment of danger, the trouble lay in the fact that You Jia was still present.

It wasn't that Ji Mingzhu had any personal attachment to You Jia; they were merely classmates who had never even spoken. But if You Jia died here, even if Tian Quan took care of all these Striker organization members, it would bring about a lot of trouble... No, it would be extremely troublesome.

Ji Mingzhu's mind raced, but before he could come up with a plan, he heard You Jia's surprised and relieved voice.

"Senior?"

Ji Mingzhu: "?"

What's with the "senior" talk?

"You dare set foot on the territory of Zongbingyi Academy?"

Tian Quan wore a slightly cruel smile on his face. After taking down the armed black-clad individual, he swiftly turned, evading another person's attack. With a swift twist of his hand, the sound of bones snapping filled the air as he ruthlessly broke his opponent's arm.

He delivered a powerful side kick, sending the man with the broken arm flying with a resounding thud. Then, before the other enemies could react, he wielded the gun he had taken from the black-clad person and aimed it at the remaining individuals.

The situation fell into a brief stalemate.

The lurking Aberration took a step forward and emitted a warning growl towards Tian Quan.

Tian Quan showed no fear on his face. Instead, he seemed somewhat intrigued. His gaze swept over the two individuals being pursued, and when he recognized Ji Mingzhu's face, his smile faltered for a moment.

Ji Mingzhu and Tian Quan locked eyes from a distance, and both had the same thought echoing in their minds.

—Why is it you?