Chapter 21: The Sniper (Fourth Update)
“I need a sniper from you.”
Su Xiao got straight to the point.
“Haha, how about it, my subordinates are useful, right?”
Upon hearing Su Xiao ask for one of his men, Kazuma Kihara’s smug laughter came through the communicator.
“Bai Ye, you and I are both direct subordinates of Aleister. In terms of position, we’re equals. But the members of the Hound Team are all handpicked by yours truly. Want someone? Dream on!”
Kazuma Kihara’s attitude did a complete 180-degree turn. He had been polite before, but the moment he heard Su Xiao wanted someone, his tone changed instantly.
Su Xiao had dealt with many people like Kazuma Kihara before and knew exactly what was going through their minds.
“That magic agent is of great research value.”
Su Xiao glanced sideways at the bar not far away.
“What’s the use of value? My men already silenced him.”
Kazuma Kihara’s tone was indifferent.
“Oh? Is that really so?”
“Of course. Are you doubting that I’m hiding someone from the magic side?”
“Leaving one behind for research now and then—isn’t that what researchers like you enjoy doing most?”
“Tch. Tell me, which lucky bastard got this chance? In the past, the only way to leave the Hound Team was death.”
Kazuma Kihara relented. Su Xiao looked at the sniper, whose heartbeat began to quicken. Joining the Hound Team had been a last resort for him. For the sake of a certain matter, he wouldn’t hesitate even if it meant making a deal with a demon. But after joining, Kazuma Kihara became the person he despised most, treating him as nothing more than a killing tool.
Although Su Xiao wasn’t particularly warm toward him and had barely spoken to him, the sniper could feel that in Su Xiao’s eyes, he was a warrior, not a tool for murder.
“Yegor.”
The sniper gave his name. From the sound of it, he was Russian. “Yegor” was a transliteration, meaning “farmer” in translation.
“Yegor...”
Kazuma Kihara fell silent.
“You really know how to pick them. This guy was brought in from the battlefield recently. Excellent sniping skills, so I threw him straight into the Hound Team. Haven’t had time to brainwash him yet.”
Kazuma Kihara clearly sounded reluctant.
“Compared to the value of that magic agent, giving up one sniper is a fair trade.”
From Kazuma Kihara’s tone, Su Xiao already knew the outcome.
“Deal. I’m curious how that woman managed to hide in District 10 for so long. Of course, I won’t rule out the possibility that Aleister deliberately let her stay there.”
Su Xiao hung up the communicator. That was how the dark world worked—profit above all else. Kazuma Kihara might seem arrogant, but he wouldn’t actively court death. Besides, he was somewhat curious about magic.
The team’s membership increased from three to four: Su Xiao, Bubu Wang, Musujime Awaki, and the newly added burly white man, Yegor.
Yegor removed his gas mask and helmet, revealing a bald, muscular white man about two meters tall. His entire body was packed with muscle, straining his black combat uniform.
The trio and the dog stood together, looking nothing like members of the same team.
Though Su Xiao didn’t appear strong or tall, his fierce aura immediately marked him as the team leader.
Musujime Awaki had a girlish style, with her long red hair tied into two thin pigtails, a bandage wrapped around her chest in a distinctive way, and a black short skirt that made her look less like a combatant.
Bubu Wang kept yawning, his eyes radiating a goofy gleam—the king of idiots.
As for Yegor, his two-meter-plus frame, muscles, and bald head, combined with the smell of gunpowder he exuded, marked him as a battle-hardened, fearless warrior.
The team’s first impression was peculiar; the second was that they were not to be trifled with.
“Head to the vicinity of the Juvenile Reformatory.”
Su Xiao gave the order, and the trio and the dog drove toward the reformatory.
Ten minutes later, a black car slowly stopped near the Juvenile Reformatory. The driver, Yegor, had changed into a set of camouflage military uniform, likely from his previous unit. After changing, Yegor’s aura shifted. He was no longer a lifeless killing machine but a fierce, fearless soldier.
“Sir, we’ve arrived at the Juvenile Reformatory. Based on the surrounding terrain, there are seven warehouses. Five are in regular use, one is semi-abandoned and occasionally stores easy-to-preserve goods. The target is unlikely to be hiding in these six.
In my experience, the seventh, abandoned warehouse is the most suitable for hiding and treating injuries. It has convenient transportation, with a daily foot traffic of about 10 to 20 people. There are three abandoned drainage systems underground, and it’s closest to the edge of Academy City. In a critical moment, the target might try to break through the electronic alert defense line and guards at the edge.”
Yegor was more than just a sniper; he had solid tactical acumen. Noticing this, Su Xiao used the Apostle’s Eye to check Yegor’s data.
[Comparing both parties’ intelligence attributes... Comparison complete. Intelligence attribute is 15.8 times that of the ally. Obtained 100% of ally’s data.]
Data as follows:
Name: Yegor
Category: Human
Affiliation: Dark (Su Xiao’s team)
Health: 100%
Mana: 50
Strength: 10
Agility: 9
Stamina: 10
Intelligence: 5
Charm: 6
Skill 1, Heavy Firearms Proficiency (Passive Lv.29): Increases attack power of heavy firearms by 40% (weak point strikes, trajectory prediction, etc., not the original damage of the firearm). Greatly increases proficiency with heavy firearms.
Skill 2, NX-Type In-Battle Combat Assistance Device (Passive Lv.25): Neural reflex speed +10%, dynamic vision +23%. Allows visual tracking of dust-sized particle movement trajectories.
Skill 3, Heart-Embedded Neural Attenuation Device (Passive Lv.10): Permanently reduces pain sensation by 20%. After significant blood loss, the neural attenuation device activates, lowering heart rate and using an internal oxygen supply system to mix oxygen into the blood, slowing blood loss and extending combat endurance after injury.
Skill 4, Arm and Torso Bone Modification (Passive Lv.16): To withstand the recoil of heavy firearms, 53% of Yegor’s bones have been modified.
Skill 5, Subcutaneous Nano-Biofiber Protective Layer (Passive Lv.16): Greatly enhances physical defense. Physical toughness +9.
...
Yegor’s attributes weren’t strong—in fact, they were quite weak—but his skills were not. After joining the Hound Team, he underwent a series of modification surgeries. The extent of the modifications was considerable, but Yegor remained within the realm of human capability.
The shots Yegor had demonstrated earlier were the main reason Su Xiao brought him into the team. Those shots were precise, with angles and timing that were exceptionally tricky. That wasn’t something achievable through hard work alone; it required talent and strong mental fortitude.
The trio and the dog got out of the car. Before Su Xiao could speak, Yegor proactively handed him an electronic map, marking the location of the abandoned warehouse.
Not only that, but Yegor’s gaze swept across the surrounding buildings. Su Xiao knew what he was doing—looking for a suitable high point for sniping.
“Head to the abandoned research institute 350 meters east.”
Su Xiao’s words made Yegor pause, as he had also felt that was the best sniping spot.
“For fire support, I want armor-piercing rounds plus optical flash-bang rounds. Electromagnetic shock rounds are also acceptable. You decide the timing yourself.”
“Yes, sir.”
Yegor picked up his suitcase and walked away, vaguely sensing that his new commander seemed equally skilled in sniping.
PS: (Two more updates coming soon)