CHAPTER 38: CHANGE OF PLANS

Suddenly, one of the black-clad men raised his palm, and a glowing red orb formed above it as fast as the wind. Before Ye Qingxue could react, the orb was flying towards her.

Whoosh!

"Damn it, move!"

The guy hurled it towards Ye Qingxue like a meteor, but thanks to Ling Yu’s quick reflexes, Ye Qingxue dodged the orb as both of them fell in the opposite direction. The ground where the orb struck exploded, sending dirt and stone flying.

Ye Qingxue’s eyes widened. "What— what the hell was that?!"

Her shock was evident as it was something terrifying that Ye Qingxue had never imagined that she would see something like that before.

Ling Yu’s pupils contracted.

This is...

It wasn’t martial arts or any kind of technology.

A system skill?

Where’d they find it?

Ling Yu’s mind raced.

In her past life, such abilities only manifested after the first wave of disaster, when the Apocalypse System had descended upon the world and chosen individuals had become "Awakeners." Gated Dungeons had begun opening, spewing monsters and quests. Only then did the System start rewarding powers like Skills, Traits, and Titles, all in exchange for participation in its death game.

But it’s six months too early.

Even Jiang Meng, despite her hatred and obsession, was not qualified to control these kinds of people, not unless someone else with a System’s backing was aiding her.

"Sit here and don’t move, you aren’t their match." Ling Yu put Ye Qingxue in a safe zone away from the men in black as she stood up straight with calmness. "I’ll take care of this hassle."

’Who could it be that wishes for my death so hard?’

The moment the thought crossed her mind, another attacker dashed toward her, blades glowing faintly purple, covered in an ominous mist.

It wasn’t the time to think about that. For now, she needs to take care of those small fries first.

"Activate ’Appraisal’ skill," Ling Yu whispered as she sheathed the sword out of her belt and dashed towards one of the men in black. She bought it just in case, but didn’t expect to use it so soon.

[Scanning the attribute...]

Ding!

[Dark attribute: Poison (C-class)]

[Attribute is lower than existing skill]

[Attribute has been nullified automatically.]

Ling Yu dodged the guy easily, sweeping her leg in a graceful arc and knocking the attacker off balance. With inhuman grace, she managed to slice his throat as she landed a kick on his chest right after, pushing him back.

Where did these guys come from? How did they gain access to System-like abilities?

As much as she was concerned, aside from that guy, no one else should have access to the system like her.

If powers were already appearing... if Awakeners already existed now, before the Gates even cracked open...

Then everything she knew was starting to fall apart.

She sidestepped another explosive blast and retaliated with a whip kick that sent two attackers flying. "These are not Jiang Meng’s people," she muttered to herself.

"She doesn’t have this kind of influence. Someone else is pulling the strings behind the scenes..."

Ye Qingxue’s scream was heard as she turned around and blocked a scythe with her sword, kicking the guy on the knees and hands before throwing him off balance as she thrust the sword into his chest, panting. "What do they want with you?!"

Ling Yu parried another strike, her hands moving like flowing water. She wasn’t using any powers, yet her martial prowess alone was enough to keep up.

"I wish I knew," Ling Yu said through clenched teeth. "But if I had to guess... I’d say they want me dead."

Well, since it was already clear that they made a move, there was no reason for Ling Yu to hold back, either, is there?

Suddenly, one of the attackers stepped back and raised both hands, drawing on something unnatural. The air vibrated as red markings bloomed across his arms. He started chanting in a low, guttural language that didn’t belong to any human tongue.

Ling Yu’s eyes narrowed. ’He’s casting a Skill Rune...’

This was bad. If she let that complete, it might bring destruction on a scale Ye Qingxue couldn’t defend against.

She sprinted forward.

"Qingxue— drop to the ground!" she ordered.

Ye Qingxue didn’t hesitate. She threw herself into a roll, evading the burst of fire that came next. Ling Yu appeared before the rune-user in a blink, her fingers glowing faintly as she used a skill and sent the guy flying.

Crack—!

Her palm hit his chest directly. A shockwave burst out, breaking his concentration and sending him flying into a tree.

That one move destabilized the group as they glanced towards each other. This girl didn’t seem like someone ordinary, considering how she sent that guy flying just now. The others faltered, hesitating. And in that heartbeat of stillness, Ling Yu looked around.

’More than a dozen men using the system skills before the Gates open is abnormal! Thankfully, they don’t look like they have accessed high-level menus yet. Possibly first-stage Users... which means someone is experimenting with them through fighting me.’

If so, how did they gain access?

These people were using the power to kill others, and she couldn’t stop them. Her hand was already washed in blood; she wasn’t afraid of having more than this, if it was to protect others.

Ling Yu’s smile turned cold. "Change of plans."

She blurred into motion. Her movements became sharper, more brutal, no longer just gentle, and dodging. She began striking with force, disabling joints, breaking bones, and shattering weapons.

The assassins didn’t seem to be ready for her sudden strike.

Ye Qingxue watched with blurry, but wide eyes as her Master turned into a force of nature. Elegant, deadly, unrelenting. A beast dressed in white silk.

"You..." One of the last assassins grunted, holding his side. "This isn’t what our information gave... who are you? You aren’t the real target, right?"