Death Notice

As Lieutenant Solin’s words faded, Qin Lun felt the scene before his eyes suddenly split into two entirely different, overlapping images.

In the first image within his normal vision, the entire mountain hollow training ground abruptly seemed vast and empty. Everyone, from Lieutenant Solin standing before him to the spectators at the edge, had transformed into towering giants dozens of meters tall, their expressions cold as they looked down upon him.

Qin Lun instantly realized that in this image, it wasn’t that others had grown larger; he had been shrunk infinitely, reduced from a normal person’s size to that of a mouse. Lieutenant Solin wore a ferocious grin as she raised a massive hand, slamming down hard towards the top of his head like she was swatting a fly.

However, in the second image overlapping it, what his Clock Eye perceived was completely different. The training ground and the spectators appeared unchanged, identical to reality. Lieutenant Solin was instead charging towards him, dragging her scythe.

The most peculiar thing was that, relying on his powerful Perception, Qin Lun observed that the tadpole-like magical runes flowing from Solin’s tattoos into the ground now floated around him, glowing blood-red. They had combined to form a transparent crimson crystal prison—perfectly cube-shaped and covered in mysterious symbols.

Simultaneously, within the surrounding blood-red crystal prison, Qin Lun caught a faint whiff of the metallic blood scent he had smelled earlier near Captain Hans. It seemed Lieutenant Solin’s Superhuman bloodline might originate from the same source as Hans’s, though the manifestation of their abilities was entirely different.

“Illusion Art?” Watching the two overlapping images in his sight, Qin Lun’s expression turned strange. But right now was clearly not the time for reflection. The tracking “Magic Bullet” behind him was already dangerously close…

Qin Lun twisted slightly to the side. His left hand flipped over, putting away the black pistol—Demon’s Song. He opened his palm to block the path of the approaching Magic Bullet. As he did, a dazzling multi-faceted gem suddenly appeared in his palm.

Looking closely, this glowing, faceted gem seemed formed by over a dozen hexagonal crystal mirrors of varying sizes, fitted together. It rotated slowly, radiating mysterious magical light.

The Hexagram Crystal Mirror, a magical skill Qin Lun had acquired early on, had been honed by him over this long period to an almost sublime level of control.

After his Magic Network Core reached an advanced level of technique, this magic skill’s casting rhythm and mana requirements were greatly reduced. With sufficient Energy Points, he could layer as many mirrors as he desired.

Bang! The crystal mirror gem burst apart. A brilliant ray of light, visible to the naked eye, shot from Qin Lun’s left palm, perfectly intercepting the Magic Bullet. Propelled by the elemental backlash of the Elemental Burst, his body shot forward like a cannonball towards the charging Lieutenant Solin.

Qin Lun appeared almost instantly before Lieutenant Solin. The blood-red crystal prison that had trapped him shattered behind him, causing him no harm at all.

Mid-flight, Qin Lun twisted his body and lashed out with a whip kick towards Solin. Though he wasn’t particularly skilled in barehanded combat, the acceleration from the Elemental Burst made this kick terrifyingly fast. It tore through the air with a sharp crack and left an afterimage.

Solin’s pupils contracted sharply. Shock flooded her mind; she couldn’t believe her proudest ability had utterly failed to affect Qin Lun. In her panic, she barely had time to raise her large scythe like a shield in front of her.

Thud! Qin Lun’s precisely timed kick landed squarely on the flat of the scythe. The Lieutenant felt as if she’d been struck by a heavy hammer. She was knocked airborne helplessly. The scythe’s handle slammed hard into her chest, forcing an unnatural flush onto her face.

Kaboom! Only then, behind the two of them, did the Magic Bullet struck by the Elemental Burst finally explode with a small detonation.

“Fairly powerful, but the firing rate seems less than impressive!” Qin Lun flicked his eyes over the explosion towards Lieutenant Lieber, who was already preparing to fire again.

“At this distance, if I gave you another shot, what kind of Master Marksman would I be?” Qin Lun didn’t wait to land. Still mid-air, he snapped his right arm forward.

Bang! A muzzle flash erupted from Angel’s Praise. A bullet traced a graceful arc through the air, its trajectory gleaming like a crescent moon, speeding towards Lieutenant Lieber.

Simultaneously, without anyone noticing when, Qin Lun’s left hand had already drawn Demon’s Song again. He raised the pistol and fired another shot—Bang!

When Angel’s Praise fired, Lieutenant Lieber had already been alert. She threw herself sideways, dodging the first arcing white bullet. But just as she prepared to roll away again, the second black bullet fired from Demon’s Song underwent an unexpected change.

A black glow flashed over its surface. A ghostly Witch materialized, letting loose a deafening, soul-shaking wail. “Witch’s Wail,” the inherent ability of Demon’s Song.

Lieutenant Lieber felt phantoms flood her mind; her ears buzzed uncontrollably. Her body froze for an instant. Though she snapped out of it quickly, she could no longer completely avoid the black bullet. Resignedly, she held her rifle horizontally in front of her as a shield.

Clang! The black bullet struck squarely against the metal barrel of the musket. A tremendous force hit her. Lieber stumbled backwards, only steadying herself after staggering several steps.

The beautiful Lieutenant tensed, instinctively rolling backward away. But the follow-up attack she expected didn’t come. When she focused her gaze again, she saw Qin Lun had already holstered both pistols. He smiled faintly and nodded to her before turning and walking towards the edge of the field.

“We haven’t lost!” Seeing Qin Lun simply walk away, Solin, facing her across the field, flushed crimson. Humiliation and anger filled her as she lifted her scythe again.

However, she immediately felt a firm grip on her wrist. Turning her head, she saw Captain Hans standing beside her, expressionless, only shaking his head slightly.

Seeing the Captain’s non-negotiable look, Lieutenant Solin felt completely deflated. Her face fell as she lowered the scythe. They hadn’t technically lost, but continuing the fight was pointless.

Lieutenant Lieber’s Magic Bullet might be powerful, but because her Illusion Art had zero effect on Qin Lun, their seamless teamwork had developed a fatal flaw. Combined with the incredibly slow reloading speed of the musket—utterly incapable of suppressing Qin Lun—persisting would just see them picked off one by one.

A battle everyone expected to be fierce ended with this sudden, abrupt finish.

“Major Gerthard, your performance was flawless!” Major Montana praised enthusiastically before adding, slightly puzzled, “Personally, I’m not expert on Superhuman combat. In your view, do the two Lieutenants’ Superpowers have major flaws?”

The two female Lieutenant officers walking towards them perked up with curiosity at Major Montana’s question, their eyes fixed on Qin Lun. The Millennium Bug Organization, one of the Nazi’s three secret units, leaned more towards research compared to the combat-focused Vampire Battalion and Hydra. Actual battle experience had always been their weak spot.

“Their coordination was quite good. Strengths and weaknesses are both distinct!” Qin Lun considered for a moment before saying seriously. “However, in this fight I had a big advantage— my abilities just happened to counter theirs.”

“Lieutenant Solin’s ‘magic’ has hallucinogenic and imprisoning effects. Its intensity is simply too low, making it a double-edged sword in combat. As for Lieutenant Lieber’s Tracking Magic Bullet… the power itself has no flaw. But its reliance on partners and specific terrain is too strong. It’s unsuitable for independent fighting.”

Recalling the recent fight, Qin Lun quickly offered his candid assessment. In his perception, Solin’s Illusion Art felt like a C-rank Apostle skill. It hadn’t even triggered his Demon Will; it was directly pierced by his Clock Eye’s Perception.

In Qin Lun’s view, illusions of that strength could only affect ordinary people; they had minimal impact on Superhumans with strong willpower.

However, this Illusion Art did have advantages. Most psychic-type abilities cause some degree of backlash to the caster when broken. Yet Solin hadn’t seemed affected at all. If it could distract even for an instant, paired with another attack method, such Illusion Art could be highly practical.

“Lieutenant Solin,” Qin Lun smiled and inclined his head towards her, “you cannot treat this ability of yours as a trump card. It should serve as support for your attacks. In real combat, relying on it too heavily could lead to disastrous consequences.”

“Hmm… I’ll pay attention,” Solin replied with difficulty, then asked curiously, “Major… back then… did it truly have no effect at all?”

“No, your illusion did work!” Recalling the two starkly different overlapping views, Qin Lun nodded honestly. “But as a Superhuman sniper, my Perception is extremely sharp. Even if affected, I was still able to ‘see’ the real scene.”

Solin frowned, lowering her head. She had always taken pride in her unique Illusion ability, making this setback harder to accept. However, calming down now, she realized she truly had neglected her other combat skills by relying too much on it.

“And me? What about me?” The other beautiful Lieutenant, Lieber von Wink, pushed up the glasses on her nose. Shedding her normally elegant, intellectual air, she widened her eyes, looking utterly curious and adorably clueless.

“Your Magic Bullet…” Qin Lun frowned slightly, speaking carefully. “Lieutenant Lieber, you absolutely must remember: never attempt independent combat without Superhuman comrades for cover. If forced into it alone, try to pick complex terrain like forests, cities, or hills. Avoid places with broad sightlines— open seas, plains— or confined spaces.”

“Actually,” Qin Lun glanced at Lace beside him, “You and Miss Lace are the same type. Only, the speed of her bow shots is higher than your Magic Bullet, while its range is less than yours. If possible, you need to add a close-quarters defense or dodging technique.”

As Qin Lun shared his insights, everyone fell into thought. Yet, within the Team Channel, Grant’s voice sounded, “Qin Lun, it seems our earlier estimation was overly optimistic. The Superhuman warriors within the Millennium Bug Organization… aren’t strong. They’re considerably weaker members than those we formed the Gentlemen Alliance with before.”

“Mmm. Hans is at best comparable to Skorzeny back then. As for the two Lieutenants, Solin and Lieber… they are weaker than Wurdenbeller and the others. Probably only First-Rank Apostle level. And we lack a powerhouse like the Queen of Sandstorm holding the fort.”

Qin Lun couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. He and Grant could play a supporting role last time; this time, they really had to bear the main burden themselves.

“Major Gerthard, Captain Kluge, please follow me! There is some vital intelligence you need before the operation commences.” Major Montana shook himself from his thoughts, smiling as he beckoned to the two men.