Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 223 - Striving for a Breakthrough

Chapter 223 - Striving for a Breakthrough

The next morning on June 16, in a verdant forest surrounding a small town, the crisp sounds of birds calling out to one another rang out. A cool breeze swept through, bringing with it the scent of grass and brushing droplets of dew off leaves.

At the Black Ops Agency branch, a dozen agents in gray uniforms encircled a three-story building. They patrolled around the building in four groups, leaving no corner unchecked.

On the second floor inside a small building, the white curtains were open, swaying slightly in the breeze. Near the window, a bed was bathed in sunlight, forming a warm golden patch where a girl with features so perfect and a face so flawless she resembled a sleeping beauty, lay. Her long black eyelashes curled slightly, reflecting the light.

At the foot of the bed, Ole sat peeling an apple, relaxed and free from the usual gravity he displayed in front of others. There was a faint, natural curve to his lips.

After he finished peeling the apple, Ole looked out the window. Whatever he saw prompted him to stand up and leave the room.

Half a minute later, footsteps echoed down the hallway on the second floor. Ole led the way with Cassius and the other two following, chatting as they walked. A small incident had occurred the night before when two outstanding male commissioners of the Black Ops Agency had been affected by Xiqin’s special aura.@@@@

The tension quickly escalated into a fierce fight with the second patrol squad catching them in the act. The news quickly spread, leading to a negative impact to radiate throughout the entire branch.

Ole spent a lot of time that night trying to suppress the incident. He didn't punish the two commissioners, knowing that the source of the problem lay with his daughter. One could even say she had unintentionally caused their behavior.

Jack and Oliver had only been with the Beiliu County branch for a few years, both talented young men in their early twenties with bright futures ahead. However, after that incident, it was clear that they could no longer stay at the branch. Therefore, Ole sought help from two administrators to transfer them to other branches.

Li Wei's era was not like the future; news spread slowly and was often confined to one region. If Jack and Oliver were quietly transferred to other branches, they might avoid being too badly affected by the incident.

Ole, being ever so thoughtful, had planned to separate Jack and Oliver by sending them to different branches of the Black Ops Agency to avoid any further awkwardness.

To his surprise, despite the old butler Franz’s willingness to help, Jack and Oliver themselves were unwilling! They weren't opposed to being transferred but didn't want to be sent to separate branches. In fact, they were more than happy to leave the Beiliu County branch but insisted on being transferred to the same branch. Ole had been utterly shocked by this request!

After confirming their wishes multiple times, he finally agreed. It seemed the two young men had awakened to something significant, but it wasn't Ole's business. He was still drowning in the joy of his daughter's recovery.

Perhaps due to his all-consuming happiness, he even sought out Cassius at midnight to discuss the possibility of letting him handle the remaining parasitic dark creature in their custody. Thanks to Xiqin's success story, he believed that the other infected person could also recover. Plus, Ole thought it would be a win-win situation for both of them.

However, Cassius chose not to do it again.

The Physical Body stage of his Golem Covert Martial Arts had already reached its limit. Any further attempts to channel the vibration would have no effect, simply dissipating within his body.

In his current state of heightened awareness, Cassius was more inclined to focus on sensing the essence of martial arts—Qi of the Fist, Will of the Fist, and Dao of the Fist. He possessed the physique of a combat artist but was not yet at the realm of combat artist. It was frustrating being stuck at that stage, and he needed a breakthrough.

Covert Martial Arts wasn't just about strengthening the body. Some Secret Techniques could multiply one's strength in one explosive instant. Other combat techniques were so refined they could precisely dismantle an opponent's defenses. Strength and technique complemented each other, and neither could be neglected. Simply put, each combat artist had their own strengths. Some excelled in technique, while others dominated through sheer physical power.

That being said, all of these aspects needed to be equal in strength. A fighter with great strength and defense still needed decent speed and technique. What use was power if it couldn't hit its target?

Likewise, a master of technique needed at least average strength, for no amount of skill mattered if a punch couldn't break through an opponent's defense.

What Cassius wanted now was to spar with a master of Covert Martial Arts, ideally, a combat artist who had mastered Qi. Only by clashing with powerful opponents could he quickly break through the bottleneck in his training.

Once both his body and martial skills reached the level of a true combat artist, his strength would surge exponentially. At that point, he would be confident enough to confront the Dead Blood.

However, challenging combat artists at that level was not easy. These Covert Martial Arts masters were often elders or leaders of their sects—respected figures with reputations to protect. They wouldn't accept challenges from outsiders so easily.

The best opponents for Cassius to spar with would be reclusive masters who had retired from their leadership positions and were more likely to accept challenges from outsiders on their own terms.

Cassius understood the reasoning. However, according to Black Ops Agency's estimates, there were only about a hundred combat artists in the entire Covert Martial Arts world across the Hongli Federation. Sixty percent of them held prominent positions, while the remaining forty percent were in hiding.

Only the rolling hills could be seen, with thick carpets of grass spread across them. Sometimes, they saw flowers and trees dotting the landscape, while bees and butterflies fluttered in the air.

They drove a little further where a green sparse forest gradually replaced the grassy hills. Suddenly, muffled sounds came from under the car. The vehicle continued moving for a short distance before slowly coming to a stop.

"What happened?" Cassius, who had been lost in his thoughts, immediately opened his eyes and asked the old butler driving the car, a frown on his face.

"Flat tire," Franz replied slowly.

"What crappy luck," Amos muttered, lifting his head briefly before returning to his detective novel. He was quite fond of such things.

"I'll go take a look." Cassius opened the door and stepped out. Lowering his gaze, he gave the situation a cursory inspection. Sure enough, there was a noticeable gash along the side of both front tires, apparently cut by some metal shards.

This meant the car couldn't go any further, and they would have to walk to the city. Alternatively, they could return to the nearby Black Ops Agency branch to get another car.

"Unlucky," Cassius echoed Amos’s previous words. He turned to look around. A black car sped past without any issues. On the side of the road, a man in a black shirt was staring in their direction, smoking a cigarette with a look of schadenfreude.

Their eyes met.

The man suddenly moved, walking toward them step by step, flicking his cigarette with his finger and blowing smoke from his mouth. He had a spiky crew cut, and stood about 1.85 meters tall with a strong build. He wore a cocky, thug-like smile on his face, and there seemed to be a tattoo peeking out on his neck.

In no time, he was mere steps away from Cassius. Looking Cassius up and down, he blew out a smoke ring while saying, "You guys came from Owl Town?" His expression appeared friendly, but the sharp eyes fixed on Cassius were hawk-like.

"Yeah, what about it?" Cassius stared blankly.

"What about it?" The crew-cut man chuckled, shaking his head ruefully. "Since you are, then you're all coming with me."

He patted his bulging waist and took another drag. The nicotine seemed to please him, making him squint in satisfaction.

"So, you're the one who ruined the tires?" Cassius narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone changing similarly.

The crew-cut man laughed again, puffing out two streams of smoke from his nose. "There ain't anyone else around, what do you think? Spout less crap," he said, patting his waist again.

"Hold on a sec." Cassius turned and rapped lightly on the car's door. The window rolled down from the driver's seat. "Can the Black Ops Agency kill people? Is it legal?"

Franz’s response was quick. "Black Ops Agency operatives have the right to kill. They’ll need to judge the threat level of the suspect themselves."

"Good." Cassius nodded, casually pushing up his sleeve as he sauntered toward the crew-cut man.

The crew-cut man looked at him, confused.

Bang!

For an instant, Cassius's right hand became a blur. After the loud sound, he retracted his fist and wiped the blood off the back of his hand with a handkerchief before rolling his sleeve back down.

A little release like this helps to placate the Killer Persona.

Thud.

A headless body collapsed to the ground with a burning cigarette still between its fingers, the tip glowing faintly in the breeze.