Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Shadow of the Star Thief
Editor: Noodletown Translations
The tall robber had been cornered; the little fat guy and his butler stood there unharmed, the kid from the martial arts hall who should’ve died by his hands stood perfectly fine, yet his own brother lay dead by his hands.
He knew he had failed, completely and utterly, unable to explain himself to the leader above, having nothing left to say to his brother. In this moment, a death wish overcame him; if he was to die, he would take these few in front of him with him!
The two brothers had always cooperated; he would shoot from a distance, while his brother fought in close quarters. But even his brother didn’t know that he, his older brother, was even better at close combat.
The tall man’s face contorted with a crazy smirk, a sinister laugh resting upon his lips, “The leader won’t spare me, so today, all of you must die.”
His dagger suddenly pinched between two fingers, then instantaneously turned into a blur. His hands alternated, creating a flurry of afterimages. His entire hand traced a flat Z-shaped trajectory, with distinct white lights appearing at the turning points. On close inspection, there were four such lights.
“Sky, Sky Speed Cut!! Mu Fan, get away! He’s using a dagger skill! Hurry, move!” The fat man panicked. When he saw the man’s movements in front of him, he instantly connected it to a B+-level skill from the real fighting skills on the PO Battle Net; the dagger skill—Sky Speed Cut! The trademark characteristic is that when successfully executed, three or more white lights must shine! Finger strength and wrist strength must reach level 15, and through a special exertion technique, the dagger blade slices the opponent at high speed. If struck, it results in death or serious injury. This man has four points! It indicates his complete mastery of this skill!
“Heh, the little fat guy knows his stuff, but my brother is gone, and I don’t want the money anymore. Today… you all die for me.” The tall man took a small leap forward, a crazed look filled with murderous intent in his eyes. He wanted to shred the kid in front of him, cut him to pieces!
Mu Fan’s eye twitched at the fat man’s words. His gaze pierced through the blade net, staring at the tall man’s advancing wrists. He suddenly took a deep breath.
Standing firm in an instant, his heart erupted to over four times its pulse rate, blood surging to his waist and legs! A tiny depression formed on the ground as Mu Fan stood like wood, raising his right leg. The fat man’s eyes widened in disbelief—is this…?
Mu Fan suddenly put down his right leg, striding his left foot forward rapidly. He lightly kicked to draw in the blade curtain, and just as the tall man’s blade curtain neared his body, he made a quick retreat, tucking his stomach, as the dagger’s tip brushed past his abdomen! Then, his entire body sprang up with power from his left leg, his body twisting nearly in defiance of the laws of physics, his upper body parallel to the ground, and during the near reverse twist, his right leg slashed through the night sky like lightning! A massive, crescent-shaped black afterimage reappeared!
Boom!
Before the afterimage dispersed, the fat man and Uncle Wu felt the ground tremble as if an ancient mammoth had stomped heavily; a burst of red air surged up and then scattered.
No, that was blood mist!! When the smoke cleared, the tall robber’s upper body had vanished…
The renowned skill of the PO Battle Net’s diamond-level fighter, Dark Right Foot—Half Moon Residual Wind!
It was manifested in reality!
Mu Fan’s heart rate returned to normal as the blood coursed through his body receded.
The fat man and Uncle Wu were completely stunned. Both men’s actions had been incomprehensibly fast; the fat man had a bit of mental preparation, but Uncle Wu only saw Mu Fan charge forward, the black crescent flashing by, and the opponent robber’s upper body disappearing.
Gulp, both gulped in unison. The fat man was grateful beyond measure that Mu Fan was his little partner. Uncle Wu, who had followed the master for so many years, had never personally experienced such a bloody, shocking scene… and all of it was caused by the seemingly harmless boy in front of them.
“Whew, I instinctively used all my strength, and this move turned out to be so powerful.” What surprised the fat man was Mu Fan’s expression at that moment; he looked at the horrific half-corpse without any fear, just mild surprise on his face.
When fighting for one’s life, there were only two outcomes: death or survival.
The fat man was utterly unaware of Mu Fan’s life’s perspective at his core: simplicity and clarity, everything was for… survival!
Suddenly, Mu Fan seemed to remember something and said apologetically, “Damn it, both are dead, the clues are gone.”
The fat man was stunned, but Uncle Wu suddenly spoke up, “Wait, let me take a look.”
He walked up to the short man lying on the ground, turned his arm over, and lifted his sleeve, revealing a part of a tattoo—a broken axe etched on his forearm.
A broken axe? Uncle Wu suddenly felt a chill on his back, shuddering as he spoke, “The Broken Axe Star Thief Group! They are from the Broken Axe Star Thief Group!”
What! The little fat man next to him was even more shocked, and the hostile aura around Mu Fan intensified, for “Broken Axe” was the name of the interstellar pirate group he heard killed his foster parents when he was young!
This Star Thief Group had lingered for years on the edge of the Fourth Administrative District, even having secret connections with the Gardot Empire, five light-years away. Terrifying tales about them circulated on nearby planets, known not just for plundering but for killing, too! Every bloody case they committed is still talked about by people. Due to the remote location here, the Federation army’s power is relatively weak, and the Star Thief Group even boasts two non-mass-produced sixth-generation-engine-equipped Warrior-grade mecha, a special presence compared to the mass-produced mecha defended by the military here, making them superior in firepower, pressing the Government Army in local battles.
Now these people, having disappeared for years, appeared again, and they were targeting the wealthy in each city zone!
How dare they play such a grand game!
Uncle Wu promptly urged, “I must relay this to the master, Young Master Harry, Young Master Mu Fan, we must leave.” His gaze turned to Mu Fan; seeing Mu Fan’s stunningly brilliant move with his foot, Uncle Wu dared not underestimate him.
The fat man looked at Mu Fan, “Mu Fan, come back with me, just to see my father, this has really gotten big.”
Mu Fan gazed at the fat man, “I must go home first, another day I’ll visit.”
Seeing Mu Fan’s different expression, the fat man did not persist in keeping him, and Uncle Wu immediately began calling nearby personnel to handle the aftermath.
Mu Fan nodded to the fat man and Uncle Wu, leaping into the dense forest, running towards his stronghold.
His heart was pounding, the veil of darkness torn—a sliver to reveal the enemy who killed his foster parents was about to emerge. Now he needed to return and quietly enter the Battle Net, find Black, and demand answers.
He wanted to take revenge on his enemies!!
…
No. 1 City Zone on Loga Star, the most crucial city zone on the entire planet, the administrative center, the economic hub.
In a nightclub basement near the footpath in a residential area.
The ground was a scene of chaotic revelry, the sound of music loud, the basement lit by dim lights, screens flickering.
“Leader, Signal 22’s two Jackals have disappeared.” A person monitoring in front of a screen below immediately reported after detecting it.
A metallic desk blocked the view of that person, dim lighting avoiding that area, leaving only a shadow cast on the wall behind.
“Hmm, ignore them, their hearts were never with us.” After a moment of silence, a voice lacking in care sounded.
A burly man standing on the side bowed his head, “Leader, what about the plan… what should we do?”
“Hmm, continue. Councilman Wen will help us handle it; given such a terrible outcome… how well are we expected to do?” The cold, indifferent voice continued, “No change in schedule.”
“June, people of Loga Star, are you ready to welcome my arrival? Ha ha…”
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