Chapter 88: The Overtime Mission and a Desperate Gambit

Realizing she was still standing in the middle of the main road, Mo Qiu quickly sought refuge in a secluded corner, furtively observing Bai Chen as he confronted the mysterious figure alone.

The familiar silhouette was no mere illusion.

‘Of course, how could I have forgotten? He is Bai Chen, the future hero destined to save the world! If he were to flinch even from a mere mysterious person, how could he possibly save the world?’

Despite the odds being stacked against him, Mo Qiu found Bai Chen’s defiance against the mysterious person inexplicably dashing.

‘It was as if she was truly seeing the hero from her previous life; he was indeed the one she had set her sights upon!’

The young woman leaned halfway out, her cheeks flushed with excitement, as her small brown leather boots tapped lightly on the ground, emitting crisp sounds.

Completely oblivious to the numerous young women watching him from behind, Bai Chen’s full attention remained fixed on the enemy before him.

A single glance was enough to reveal that this foe was far beyond the likes of Saluk or Xinleit.

The Mysterious Person stood atop a colossal plant, advancing like a commander astride a warship, propelled by spreading roots, while numerous vines whipped through the air like tentacles.

‘To effortlessly destroy an entire street alone, that’s simply too exaggerated.’

‘Could this be one of the fabled demon tamers from the Imperial organization? Or perhaps even a high-ranking cadre?’

‘Should I flee?’

The mere thought of such a question made Bai Chen inwardly scoff at himself.

While the streets the Mysterious Person had traversed lay in ruins, the city behind Bai Chen remained untouched.

‘If I run, will I be allowing him to wreak even more havoc?’

This was clearly not a question that required deliberation; the longsword in Bai Chen’s hand dissipated, and faint blue electrical arcs gradually began to coil around his body.

Bai Chen crouched slightly, then, propelled by the explosive power of the lightning, he shot forward like a missile.

The shockwave generated by his burst of speed swept back to Mo Qiu’s hidden spot, lifting her long, dark blue hair as her large eyes, filled with anticipation, sparkled brightly.

‘Slay the Mysterious Person, become a great hero!’

‘Bai Chen finally…’

Bang!

Watching the figure get sent flying and land on the ground, the young woman’s mouth gaped wide enough to fit an apple.

Even more astonishingly, after he scrambled back to his feet, he fled without so much as a backward glance.

Mo Qiu gasped, all her previous emotions vanishing as her luminous eyes fixated on Bai Chen’s retreating back.

“I really did overestimate you… completely unreliable!”

Noticing the vines slithering across the ground like venomous snakes, pursuing Bai Chen at an even faster pace, she couldn’t help but sigh.

“I should have brought more cards with me.”

The young woman immediately patted her cheeks; in her disguised form, she was more susceptible to emotional fluctuations and needed to calm herself quickly.

Gazing at her reflection in the card, a faint smile played on Mo Qiu’s lips:

“Every time I have to clean up after you, I feel a bit like your mother.”

‘If Mo Qiu truly were Bai Chen’s mother, she would probably be so uncontrollably fond of her son that she couldn’t help herself.’

‘Who was the woman who carried Bai Chen for ten months? The thought alone makes me, a young woman, practically insane with envy~’

Humming a tune, the young woman chuckled softly as she emerged from cover, stepping into the Mysterious Person’s line of sight.

“Hey, haven’t you been looking for what Saluk lost?”

Feeling his keen gaze, Mo Qiu’s smile remained unwavering.

“It’s right here on me. If you want it, come and get it.”

After a moment of stillness, the previously static vines surged with renewed fury, writhing as they launched an attack toward the young woman.

****

Bai Chen ran until he was breathless, forced to stop and rest, turning to look back at the monster not far behind.

‘The monster isn’t pursuing me?’

Seeing the colossal plant still lingering on the shattered street, Bai Chen felt a surge of relief mixed with confusion.

‘If it had truly kept chasing me, I probably wouldn’t have been able to escape its grasp.’

Despite a full-force charge, he couldn’t even wound the opponent, and was even casually swatted away. The disparity in strength was even greater than when he fought Saluk.

Though Bai Chen possessed a fiery passion, he was not a reckless individual.

He needed to rest quickly and devise a strategy to deal with that monster. The longer it survived, the more incalculable the damage it would inflict upon the city.

Just as Bai Chen was regaining his breath, he looked up to see a car in the distance, careening wildly from side to side like a drunken beast, hurtling straight toward him.

‘Wait, I’m on the sidewalk.’

As Bai Chen stood bewildered, the car executed a dramatic drift and a 360-degree spin, coming to a screeching halt right in front of him.

Bai Chen: ?

The passenger door was the first to swing open, and Su Wanghai stumbled out, promptly falling to his knees and retching profusely onto the ground.

‘How is this guy in the car?’

Before Bai Chen could even process the sight or speak, the driver’s side door also opened, and another familiar figure emerged from the vehicle.

It was Manager Cheng Xuan, who, in stark contrast to the nauseated Su Wanghai, appeared almost invigorated, raising an eyebrow at Bai Chen.

“Your leisurely date is over, Bai Chen; it’s overtime now,” she declared, pointing at the person still continuously vomiting. “I happened to run into this guy on the way and just dragged him along.”

Bai Chen let out a sigh of relief, then asked with a hint of confusion, “Just the two of you?”

“Who said that?”

As if in response to Manager Cheng Xuan’s words, more and more vehicles appeared in Bai Chen’s vision, and one familiar figure after another emerged. “Everyone’s here.”

“The Mysterious Person has caused such a huge commotion that the branch members are already in an uproar. All available demon hunters have been mobilized to eliminate the target as quickly as possible.”

Given the danger, the branch office had even disregarded the safety of their employees, mobilizing not only those from the Midsummer Night Restaurant but also demon hunters from other locations, bringing the total number to nearly fifty.

‘With so many people here, maybe it truly is possible?’

Still, a sense of unease lingered in Bai Chen’s heart.

“Bai Chen, rejoin the team!”

“Understood.”

Below the main association, there were several executive offices. Manager Cheng Xuan might usually seem relaxed, but in critical moments, she would always adopt the demeanor of a responsible leader.

There were over forty demon hunters in total, including those under her command and those from other executive offices.

“I am Manager Cheng Xuan, appointed as the team leader for this mission. Everyone, follow my command.”

Manager Cheng Xuan pointed toward the colossal plant in the distance.

“To make a long story short, let’s just kill that guy! Everyone, charge!”

Her few words ignited everyone’s passion, and they raised their arms, cheering loudly. Then, they all piled into their vehicles and surged toward the Mysterious Person.

Unfortunately, Bai Chen was dragged into Manager Cheng Xuan’s car.

Manager Cheng Xuan floored the accelerator, causing Bai Chen and Su Wanghai, who were in the back seat, to nearly fly out the windows.

It was perilous, yet it sent a thrill through their veins!

The combined roar of multiple car engines, akin to a thousand charging cavalry, advanced, drawing the Mysterious Person’s attention even before they drew close.

‘Closer, just a little closer.’

Bai Chen saw a demon hunter in an adjacent car already leaning out of the sunroof, preparing to launch an attack from a distance.

At that very instant, vines burst forth from the ground, sending the car flying, directly smashing it through a storefront window and lodging it inside the shop.

“Abandon vehicles, surround him separately!”

Manager Cheng Xuan issued the command, gripping the steering wheel with one hand.

“Wait!”

She stopped Bai Chen, who was about to exit the car, then sharply turned the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to swerve abruptly. The two men inside, caught off guard, collided and piled on top of each other.

“Manager Cheng Xuan, are you trying to kill us?” Su Wanghai exploded, his patience at an end.

“How dare you question my driving skills?”

“Do you even have a driver’s license?”

“Bai Chen, we’re doomed.”

Rather than dwelling on whether Manager Cheng Xuan actually possessed a driver’s license, Bai Chen noticed their car had broken away from the convoy, swerving in another direction before coming to an abrupt halt.

“Why did we stop?” Bai Chen and Su Wanghai exchanged bewildered glances.

“Get out of the car; there’s an important mission.”

Manager Cheng Xuan jumped out, went to the trunk, and unveiled her secret weapon to the two men.

Bai Chen watched her retrieve a shimmering silver metal case, and the moment she inputted the password and opened it, both he and Su Wanghai eagerly leaned closer.

“What is this?”

Inside the case lay only two items: a uniquely shaped firearm and a box of ammunition.

Manager Cheng Xuan thrust the gun into Su Wanghai’s arms. While it appeared to be a modified pistol, its weight was unexpectedly immense, feeling more like a hefty block of iron.

Bai Chen, meanwhile, caught the box of ammunition, and upon opening it, discovered only three bullets inside. These three bullets were perfectly transparent, like crystals, shimmering with beautiful light.

“The R&D department’s latest achievement: bullets crafted from monster remains,” Manager Cheng Xuan explained.

“They are said to possess immense destructive power against monsters, but they require this specialized heavy-caliber pistol to unleash their full potential.”

“Holy hell, this gun can only load one bullet?!” Su Wanghai exclaimed, dumbfounded.

The pre-battle briefing had been concise because it was already decided before departure that the main force would draw the target’s attention, and then these two secret weapons would be used to finish him off.

‘Can this really work?’

Clutching the crystalline bullets, Bai Chen recalled his sacrificed electric scooter.

The R&D department had promised to compensate him with a better one, a proposition Bai Chen found himself truly unable to accept.

“This is an order, understood?”

Manager Cheng Xuan’s tone left no room for jest.

“I’ll drive to get close to him; you two figure out how to end this fight quickly.”

With that, she drove off, leaving the two men utterly bewildered.

“I inexplicably feel a sense of profound mission,” Su Wanghai mused.

Su Wanghai packed the items, then, picking up the case, prepared to leave.

“Can such a colossal creature truly be pierced by a mere bullet?”

“Wait.”

Bai Chen stopped him, his gaze fixed intently on the colossal plant in the distance.

‘Something feels off.’

‘Why is only the plant wreaking havoc? Where is the Mysterious Person controlling it?’

‘The real target has vanished. Where could he be?’

‘Why am I here?’

Even if she couldn’t control her emotions, Mo Qiu couldn’t figure it out.

She had assumed that once the demon hunters arrived, she would be able to escape, but the Mysterious Person had unexpectedly—

“Where is it?”

He advanced with swift strides, like an emotionless assassin, closing in on the wounded young woman.

“Can you really only be separated from that item?”

Mo Qiu swept the strands of hair clinging to her face and forehead back, forcing a strained smile.

The Mysterious Person offered no reply, continuing to approach.

As the young woman retreated, she accidentally tripped over something, landing hard on her backside.

She rubbed her sore backside, sensing the Mysterious Person’s gaze beneath his hood, a look that promised to strip her bare of life.