"Miss Cipher, how about it? If you plan on giving up, we'll simply inject you with a sedative to ensure you don't resist during transport."
"But if you insist on struggling, I'm afraid we'll have to get physical."
As his voice fell, numerous ice spikes condensed around Chu Ke, their sharp tips all swiveling to point directly at Cipher.
"Are you finished?"
Facing this display, not a trace of panic appeared on Cipher's face. She tucked her right hand behind her back and calmly uttered those three words.
Chu Ke blinked. He hadn't expected Cipher to remain so composed under these circumstances.
'Is it a bluff? Or does she really have a trump card?'
"If you're done talking, then I suppose it's my turn."
With a flick of her wrist, a flickering coin appeared in Cipher's hand.
"Do it!"
At Chu Ke's command, the ice spikes surrounding him shot toward Cipher's limbs. Simultaneously, the men holding rifles pulled their triggers, aiming for her hands and feet.
Ding—
The coin was flipped. Following that crisp, clear chime, everything—from the jagged ice spikes to the whistling bullets—froze mid-air.
"Sigh... and here I thought you were something special. After all that buildup, you're just an organization chasing unrealistic ideals by kidnapping and hurting others."
Cipher stretched lazily and sauntered past the suspended bullets and ice shards until she stood directly in front of Chu Ke. His expression was still frozen in a mid-command scowl.
"You really think you're a big shot. I wonder... have you ever been kicked at the speed of light before?"
She delivered a brutal kick square into his stomach.
Based on the principle that higher velocity equals higher kinetic energy, she figured that unless this man shared Tan Rui's ability, he would be lucky to survive, let alone avoid critical injury.
She then moved through the crowd, delivering a heavy blow to every single person present.
Cipher knew this would likely kill them, but for some reason, she felt nothing about taking these lives anymore.
'I guess the only reason I didn't kick those mercenaries to death before was because there were too many of them, not because of some "good citizen" mindset from my past life about only having killed chickens.'
Once she had kicked everyone except Tan Rui, she finally approached the man himself.
"You like setting ambushes, don't you?"
Cipher buried a kick into his gut.
"Sneak attacking me, huh?"
Another kick landed against Tan Rui's chest.
"A 'misunderstanding,' was it? Genomic modification, was it? Calling for backup, was it...?"
With every phrase, Cipher landed another hit on a different part of his body. After a dozen consecutive strikes, there wasn't an inch of Tan Rui that she hadn't pummeled.
"Phew... this cat is exhausted. Next up, it's harvest time, nya!"
Wiping non-existent sweat from her brow, Cipher looked excitedly at the two terminals in her hands. She had swiped them from Chu Ke and Tan Rui while she was beating them.
As for the ordinary grunts and the two guys with gravity and telekinesis powers, she hadn't found any terminals on them.
"Let's see... just how much money do you two have!"
[Tan Rui's Personal Terminal] (White Item)
"After gaining a C-rank rapid regeneration ability, he was captured by Genesis Biotech for experimentation. Although the experiments raised his rank to B-, the gene-editing process was agonizing."
Stellar Jades: 43,862
"No wonder he hates Genesis Biotech so much. But what does that have to do with me? I'm just a weak, pitiful, and helpless kitty who happens to run a bit fast."
After mocking herself, Cipher pulled out her Quantum Storage and sucked in the 40,000+ credits.
"It's nowhere near what Boss Shen had, but it's still a decent haul. As for Boss Shen, I'll settle that score later."
She tossed Tan Rui's terminal onto the ground and turned her attention to Chu Ke's device.
[Chu Ke's Personal Terminal] (White Item)
"Born into the Countercurrent Alliance, he is the son of a high-ranking member. Since childhood, he was brainwashed to believe the four Megacorps and the AMA are villains. Consequently, he harbors a deep hatred for anyone associated with companies or the government."
Stellar Jades: 156,728
"So he's a brainwashed brat. I thought his brain seemed a bit off; turns out there really is a problem with that place."
"But I guess being the son of a VIP pays off—150,000 credits! I'll take it, nya!"
Seeing the numbers, Cipher grinned and transferred all 150,000 credits. Adding the 90,000 left over from Boss Shen, her secret stash had successfully grown to 290,000 credits!
Having drained both terminals, Cipher scanned the room to ensure everyone had been kicked at least once. She then walked to the door and deactivated her Chrono Surge state.
"AAAAAGH!" "Pfft—!" "Guh..."
Instantaneously, screams, the sound of vomiting blood, and muffled groans erupted all at once. Everyone was sent flying as if they had suddenly engaged "Flight Mode."
Some slammed into walls, others hit the ceiling, and some crashed into their own comrades, dealing a miserable "backstab" to their teammates.
Chu Ke was the exception; he flew directly toward Cipher. She simply tilted her body slightly to the side, letting him whistle past.
As she stepped aside, Chu Ke's consciousness began to fade. He only remembered the moment he moved against her—then, a world of agony exploded from his stomach. Before his brain could process what had happened, he was airborne.
"How... is this... possible..."
Those were the last words he uttered before blacking out.
As for Tan Rui, even the strongest regeneration couldn't withstand over a dozen light-speed strikes. The moment Cipher deactivated her power, he fell into a deep sleep without making a sound.
'I'll give him credit for being a tough guy—taking that many hits without even screaming.'
[Partially killed or heavily injured members of the Countercurrent Alliance. Stellar Jades +1,600]
"Mission accomplished. A direct reward of a ten-pull—how generous! I'll gather their guns and gear, then head back to meet Luo Lin and the others. As for the ten-pull... I'll save that for when I'm resting!"
Cipher brushed the non-existent dust off her hands and prepared to re-enter the warehouse to loot the battlefield.
But before she could take more than a few steps, her cat ears twitched again.
She heard the sound of engines starting in the distance. They were rapidly approaching her location.
"..."
"Is there seriously no end to this, nyaa?!" Cipher shouted in frustration.