Absolute Death Game

The operation seemed to be going smoothly, and Qin Shimoon's earpiece was periodically alive with status reports.

"First squad has entered the elevator. The elevator is functioning normally."

"Second squad is advancing upward from the main staircase."

"Seventh squad is clearing the first floor, encountering Otherworldly Creatures, engaging in combat."

"Fifth squad has found survivors. They claim to be from the Xuanwu Group and express their willingness to cooperate. Awaiting instructions."

Xuanwu Group? Qin Shimoon was momentarily taken aback; those guys could actually be of some use.

"They could be very useful, take them into custody, and bring them down here," Qin Shimoon ordered.

"Seventh squad has finished clearing the first floor."

Qin Shimoon nodded with satisfaction. These people's abilities were quite impressive. After all, they were professional soldiers, and when it came to combat prowess, they were much more reliable than those gamers with varying strengths.

She nodded at a team leader behind her, "Take your men, let's move in as well."

As they made their way towards the building, they occasionally saw Demon Clan corpses riddled like honeycombs, indicating that these Otherworldly Creatures weren't as formidable as the legends suggested—at the end of a bullet, they could still be hurt, still die.

"All units, be advised, high energy reaction detected up ahead!" The soldier responsible for scouting suddenly announced as a huge humanoid shape appeared on the screen of his thermal imager.

With an icy tone, Qin Shimoon said, "That thing's at the door, break it down."

As the door was breached, a towering Demon General appeared before everyone.

"Foolish mortals, tremble before the will of the Abyssal Lord!" The colossal Demon General, standing three meters tall and clad in dark armor that made him look partly human, partly demonic, akin to a humanoid Gundam in its imposing presence, didn't alarm the Seventh Assault Squad so much, as they had already encountered many from the Demon Clan.

"Prepare heavy weapons, this one looks tough."

A soldier shouldered a rocket launcher, pulled the trigger, and a rocket with a fiery tail shot forward.

"Foolish mortals, put away your laughable spells, you cannot harm me...." Boom!

The high-temperature grenade instantly generated thousands of degrees of heat, turning most of the Demon General's body into charred ash, abruptly silencing his taunts.

Qin Shimoon looked at the fallen body with a cold smirk, "Just flesh and blood after all, keep moving."

The sound of gunfire kept coming, and Xiao Buli glanced towards the source, gesturing for everyone to stop.

"The gunfire seems to be heading this way," Lu Xinying said. Wu Min'er signaled, and the entire Vermilion Bird Group hid in an office on the side. After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Buli also squeezed in.

The group exchanged silent, calm glances. The sound of gunfire was drawing closer, now clearly audible. Suddenly, Wu Min'er said, "That's an automatic rifle, doesn't sound like regular police—probably military."

Xiao Buli listened for a while then his face showed a trace of doubt, "That's not a QBZ-95. Sounds like an AUG rifle. I suspect these guys aren't military."

Wu Min'er was somewhat surprised, "You can tell just by the sound?"

Xiao Buli nodded slightly; he was quite skilled at shooting games. Identifying the opponent's weapon by the sound of gunfire was one of the basics, and of course, he could tell.

"Maybe it's a special forces unit."

Xiao Buli shook his head, "I'm afraid they're not military at all."

"Oh, why do you say that? Just because of their weapons?"

Xiao Buli responded, "If this company's background were really military, they wouldn't need to do all this. They could just establish a secret base in the deep mountains, pick volunteers from soldiers, without the need to make such a big fuss. And people like Dugu Han—do you think someone like him could blend in with the military?"

Wu Min'er thought it over and found it made sense. She was about to ask more when heavy footsteps suddenly drew closer, prompting everyone to fall silent until the footsteps gradually faded. Only then did they push the door open and walk out.

Xiao Buli peeked around, "All clear on this side, let's evacuate."

A group of people slipped towards the exit like thieves, and a few soldiers were guarding the place. Xiao Buli was just planning to dash past them relying on the invisibility effect when a soldier suddenly raised his weapon—an AUG automatic rifle indeed. "Don't move! Hands up!"

Xiao Buli was startled, "Damn, discovered? How is that possible?"

He glanced at the thermal imaging device on the soldier's face and instantly understood.

Without a word, he turned and ran. A volley of gunfire erupted from behind him, and a troop of soldiers gave chase, shooting as they pursued.

Approaching a fork in the path, Xiao Buli shouted, "Split up!" Wu Min'er responded with an affirmation, and immediately, they took separate routes.

Xiao Buli thought to himself that if it really came down to it, he would have to use that move. He ran towards the upper floors, intermittently looking back to see that the team of soldiers following him was led by Qin Shimoon.

Qin Shimoon signaled with her hand not to fire and said to the person in black beside her, "You take some men and chase those few, I'll deal with that newbie."

The man in black nodded, and both parties set off with their respective groups.

Xiao Buli ran while occasionally glancing back. The pursuers kept up a steady pace, tightly coordinated and relentless, giving him no chance to break through the chaos. He could do nothing but be driven towards a dead end.

Having climbed several floors and encountering soldiers blocking the way above—probably the ones from the elevator earlier—a few isolated Demon Clan soldiers appeared. Xiao Buli was delighted, thinking maybe he could use them to fight his way out. Activating Fleeting Light and Shadow, he dashed straight through the middle of the two Demon Clan soldiers.

Turning a corner, he peered out to check the situation behind him, and a burst of gunfire rang out, turning both Demon Clan soldiers into a honeycomb.

"Damn, that effective!?" He was shocked; the Demon Clan seemed so feeble before these soldiers.

As the encirclement tightened, Xiao Buli, in a panic, pushed open the door to an office and rushed in. Only after entering did he realize it was an office with windows, probably belonging to someone with high status. Not only was the office spacious and brightly decorated, but there was also a balcony. He rushed to the balcony, scanning his surroundings, realizing he was truly trapped.

All around him was open air, with only the entrance to the balcony behind him. At such a point, he felt a sense of calm settling in.

He clad himself in Ethereal Armor and stood before the railing, gazing at the distant street scene, lost in thought.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from behind, followed by the sound of rifle bolts being pulled, and a row of soldiers aimed a dozen gun muzzles at him.

Qin Shimoon stood among them, looking at him with a slight smile.

"Don't run, Xiao Buli, there's nowhere for you to go. Besides, I never intended to hurt you. Why don't you come over so we can have a proper chat?"

As Xiao Buli turned around, a smile appeared on his face, a smile that puzzled Qin Shimoon, (Maybe this guy has resigned himself to his fate,) she thought.

"I have to say, you do look better in a military uniform," Xiao Buli suddenly said, his words causing Qin Shimoon to pause. "It seems you know when to cooperate. Take my advice and don't resist. Join us. We could really use someone with your unique talents."

"Join you?" Xiao Buli feigned confusion, gesturing towards the soldiers. "You mean with?"

"Of course, with the military."

"Ha, don't take me for an idiot, okay? If you really want me to join, at least be more upfront about it." Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire

A mix of admiration and surprise flashed across Qin Shimoon's face. After a moment, she sighed, seemingly convinced Xiao Buli couldn't escape. "Alright, I can't reveal too much, but I can tell you we are an independent organization. Beyond that, you will naturally come to understand once you formally join us."

Out of caution, Qin Shimoon didn't disclose much, but although it wasn't much, it did resolve some of the doubts in his mind.

Indeed, a look of realization spread across Xiao Buli's face. As he was about to ask more, Qin Shimoon urged, "Now, please disarm yourself and come down with us."

Xiao Buli, surprised, asked, "It seems I never said I would join you, did I?"

Qin Shimoon snorted, "Don't play games with me. You have no way out now, unless you have the ability to fly, but as far as I know, that's impossible. You're just a newcomer; it's not possible for you to have a flying power that even the veterans lack."

"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you." While saying so, Xiao Buli stretched his limbs, looking eager to try something outside.

"Don't shoot, he's just bluffing," Qin Shimoon said with a sneer. "I know you practice Qinggong, but don't forget the height here. Even if you knew Qinggong, you'd still fall to your death."

Xiao Buli ignored her completely. He crouched slightly like an athlete, closed his eyes, and tried to hypnotize himself. Moments later, he suddenly opened his eyes, and Qin Shimoon was surprised to see a strange blue light emanating from his eyes.

That blue lightning quickly enveloped his entire body, and the next instant, he forcefully jumped into the air, transforming into a streak of lightning that soared into the sky and disappeared from sight.

Qin Shimoon stared at the charred mark left on the balcony, standing there in shock—(He could actually fly).

A curious smile appeared on Qin Shimoon's face. Indeed, an interesting man. She turned to look at the expressionless soldiers and made a gesture, "Retreat."

As she walked downstairs, she muttered to herself, "I wonder how things are on the other side."(To be continued. If you like this work, you're welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation vote and monthly ticket, Your support is my greatest motivation.)