Dark Crow Valley Base, members of the Divine Clan gathered together. Jupiter rubbed his brow, looking troubled. The beta testers were all busy levelling up and experiencing the game, and no one was paying attention to their bounty, which was frustrating.
"Guild Leader, the quest prompt has changed!"
The guild members exclaimed.
Jupiter was taken aback and quickly checked. He discovered that the area indicated in the quest prompt had changed, indicating that Zero's specific location was in Western Capital.
"The quest suddenly updated?"
Jupiter was surprised and confused.
However, narrowing the scope from a country to a city was more advantageous for them.
It was the twelfth day of the beta test, and today was the last day."Now that we've pinpointed the location, after the open beta, let the guild members go to Western Capital. We have to find the target no matter what."
"Once the open beta starts, with the guild's numerical advantage, there's no way we can't complete the task."
"Just waiting for the open beta." Jupiter looked confident, he already considered this B-level task as something in the bag, within easy reach.
"This time we'll definitely crush those old rivals," the guild members looked excited.
...
The leader stood with his hands behind his back, listening to the assistant's report."Nosa's executive went missing in Western Capital, along with Lu Gaoen Cybran. Zino, the head of the Eye of the Storm, said he would send a new contact person as soon as possible to replace Lu Gaoen's position and be responsible for the intelligence network in Western Capital..."
"It's Zero." The leader suddenly said, "He killed Nosa and Lu Gaoen to avoid revealing his specific address. Hmph, so he was hiding in Western Capital. It must be the Bureau 13 of Star Dragon protecting him!"
Nosa was the organisation's super assassin, and to lose him at the hands of Zero is a huge loss. The leader also had an impression of Lu Gaoen, who seemed to be a talented, lurking type of intelligence operative. It's Zero again!
The leader is furious, "Zero... thinks that just because he's found a backer, I can't do anything about him?!"
A little rat who defected from the organisation, he originally didn't take him seriously, but after what's happened recently, the leader has realised the threat Zero poses to the organisation.
According to the lab's surveillance, Zero hasn't done anything out of line in the six months he's been with the organisation. Where did his information come from? That's a mystery.
The leader doesn't know how many secrets Zero has learned, so he can only prepare for the worst. A thousand-mile dam can be destroyed by an anthill. It's time to use swift and decisive measures to eliminate this hidden danger!"Have the people in the Eye of the Storm find Xiao's exact address. Even if he's hiding in the Bureau 13 headquarters, find him for me, no matter the cost!"
"Two hundred Night Owls and five Executors are on standby. Once you find his exact location, kill him for me! I authorise the use of short-range missiles!"
The leader issued a series of orders, his tone filled with chilling murderous intent.
"As long as you dare to show your face, I'll kill you!"
...
"The closed beta is over."
Mad Blade Raging Sword looked at the thirty-second countdown on the panel, feeling a little regretful. He wished the time could be extended a little longer so he could level up a bit more. Of course, he's already quite satisfied with his current progress. Xiao's missions are tough, but the experience is really plentiful. Plus, he bought a lot of Xiao's equipment, forcibly boosting his combat power.
Although most of the Mechanic class skills are about manufacturing, which doesn't suit Mad Blade Raging Sword's taste at all, the thought of Xiao's strength reignites his confidence. As long as he levels up, he'll definitely become that strong too.
"The professional stage definitely has a place for me!"
As the beta test period ended, the excited Mad Blade Raging Sword vanished on the spot.
…
Beta Test Ended.Count down to Public Release:122days,1hour,23minutes
Xiao raised his eyebrows and glanced at the forum entrance. Sure enough, it had turned grey and was now inaccessible.
"Just as I guessed—the real-world timing for version updates doesn't match the timeline here." Xiao Han shook his head.
"What are you shaking your head for? How much intel are you still hiding?" Gu Hui said in a deep voice.
At this moment, Xiao Han was in the headquarters meeting room. Sitting opposite him were Gu Hui, the Intelligence Minister, and the Secret Operations Minister—three big shots, looking like they were about to conduct a tribunal.
The Bureau 13 knew Xiao Han had some combat ability, but they hadn't expected him to kill a genuine Esper—and not just any Esper, but a notorious assassin. Of course, that wasn't the main issue. What really concerned them was how easily Xiao Han had exposed Lu Gaoen, a sleeper agent for Sprout.
Lu Gaoen had been undercover in Western Capital for over two years without slipping up. The Bureau 13 had tried tracking him multiple times, all ending in failure. Yet Xiao Han locked onto him effortlessly. This proved that Xiao Han's intel was far beyond what they had imagined.
Hence today's meeting—Gu Hui wanted more answers.
Xiao Han snapped back to reality, rubbing his chin as he sidestepped the sharp question. Slowly, he said, "My location's exposed. Sprout doesn't know my exact address, but they know I'm in Western Capital. They'll definitely send more assassins."
Gu Hui frowned, displeased with Xiao Han's evasiveness, but followed up anyway: "So what's your plan?"
"No more hiding. I'll openly oppose Sprout. Next operation—I want in."
Gu Hui's brows furrowed so tightly they could warp space. "That's too dangerous. If you show up, Sprout will have plenty of chances to strike."
Xiao Han coughed lightly. "Can we talk privately?"
Gu Hui hesitated, then stood and walked aside with him.
The Intelligence Minister and Secret Operations Minister exchanged helpless looks. Seriously? Does he not trust us? Questioning someone's loyalty is asking for trouble.
Xiao Han glanced around and whispered, "I can change my appearance."
Gu Hui was stunned. "You have an ability?"
Xiao Han shook his head. "I can make a gadget that alters my looks. So I won't expose my real face—Sprout will never find me."
A face-changing mask? That's not a bad idea. The Bureau could make those too, but judging by Xiao Han's tone, his version sounded far more advanced.
Gu Hui pondered. "Even with a mask, you'll have to take it off eventually. Still risky."
Xiao Han's eyes gleamed. "Mine will be easy to wear."
"Fine. Once you've made it, I'll let you join the operation."
Xiao Han insisted on joining for two reasons: first, to gain more experience—the public release was looming, and pressure was mounting. Second, he didn't want to stay in Western Capital forever. Going out meant chances to trigger external events.
After the assassination attempt, Xiao Han had set his sights on a target: the Dark Raven Valley base near the Hai Xia border—a major Sprout stronghold, far larger than the previous three outposts. It was guarded by armed escorts, loaded with vehicles and weapons, and fortified with defensive systems. The base chief was "Blade Soul" Pan Kuang, a martial artist just one step away from reaching D-rank—extremely formidable.
Near Dark Raven Valley lies a large wanderer settlement: Crow Forest Town, one of the newbie starting points.
Dark Raven Valley was a key foothold for future players joining Sprout, and also the location for the Divine Clan's investigation quest.
If Xiao Han could destroy the base, it would drastically reduce the number of players joining Sprout later. This idea came to him after reading a Divine Clan post on the forum—and after some thought, he deemed it highly feasible.
Cutting off one of Sprout's future lifelines without their leader even realising the loss? Nothing could be more satisfying.
That sneaky thrill—absolutely exhilarating.