Volume 5 Chapter 2: The Trap

Qin Lun stepped downstairs and exchanged looks with the two other serial killers. Smiles appeared on all their faces. The changes weren’t just for Qin Lun; Hansen and Hill had also undergone significant physical transformations.

Hansen’s physique grew more burly. His forehead bulged, his nose bridge seemed flattened, and dense, wine-red sideburns and beard covered his temples and cheeks. The backs of his hands, exposed beyond his shirt cuffs, were thickly covered in brown hair. It was as if he had devolved from human into ape in an instant.

The Shattered Starry Sky’s exchange list offered many ape bloodlines. Among them, three high-rank ape species had wine-red fur: King Kong Ape, Primeval Devil Ape, and Hercules Ape. The King Kong Ape possessed the strongest physique and defense. Both the Primeval Devil Ape and Hercules Ape gained high-rank racial abilities equivalent to S-rank Apostle Skills when their bloodline purity reached a certain level.

Hill still largely resembled a human, but watery ripples occasionally shimmered across his skin, giving the impression his entire being was constructed from water elementals. This was undeniably a water element bloodline, classified as Nature-type.

Nature-type bloodline abilities wield influence over geography and weather phenomena at high-rank stages, demonstrating their formidable power. In fact, Madame Monica, the Queen of Sandstorms Qin Lun had encountered before, hadn’t even reached the high-rank stage in her Sandstorm bloodline. Had she done so, she alone would have been capable of annihilating the Allied Forces’ armored train.

“Mr. Hansen, Mr. Hill, isn’t it time we fulfilled the agreement we made?” Seeing the stark changes in the three serial killers, Sas’s attitude unconsciously softened a little. He didn’t act superior anymore, though his perpetual haughtiness remained etched on his face.

“Of course, as you wish!” Hill said cheerfully, pulling a broad purple shield and a short, translucent emerald-green jade rod from his Storage Space and handing them to Sas.

Qin Lun lowered his head. Instantly, his pupils morphed into clock dials. The two hands on the clocks jumped slightly as he flicked a glance at the purple shield and the green rod, before his eyes swiftly reverted to the blue irises of a Moonlit Elf. This shift lasted barely a moment. Had anyone noticed, they might have dismissed it as a trick of the light.

That staff was actually Dark Gold Quality! A thought flickered through Qin Lun’s mind. These two had invested far too much. Did that mean Sas and his wife possessed a powerful hidden card, something that would be immensely helpful in the upcoming unknown battle?

“In that case, we are settled! The remaining payment has been sent to you via the Team Channel. Please check!” Taking the purple shield and the emerald staff, Sas beamed, his sea-blue face crinkling into a rare smile of respect directed at Hill. His wife, Cora, flushed deeply with excitement as she accepted the green staff.

“That’s fine. I trust your word!” Hill replied, his own smile widening. “Then, moving forward, we will rely on the gracious cooperation of you and your esteemed wife!”

“Rest assured,” Sas boasted, swinging the purple shield a few times, his confidence soaring. “With this Monk Shield and Emerald Staff, just the two of us can stand against a five-person team!”

“Sas!” Cora shot her husband a look that seemed to chide him for speaking so freely, then said with restrained politeness, “Of course, it will still require everyone’s unity and cooperation to support us!”

“Naturally, naturally!” Hill and Hansen exchanged a knowing glance, smiles playing on their lips.

Despite looking down on Terrans, Sas and his wife weren’t boasting too much this time. The purple shield, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, was a hexagonal large tower shield. The imposing Sas, standing two point two meters tall, only needed a slight crouch to be fully protected behind it.

Sas had been a patrol officer on Esmira Star, possessing extensive riot control experience. He was exceptionally proficient with large riot shields. Upon first arriving in Shattered Starry Sky, he already held Intermediate mastery in large shields. Now, he had progressed to an advanced specialized skill level, acquiring dedicated Shield Bash and Stomp control skills.

Equipping this shield truly transformed Sas into a capable team Main Tank. Back on Esmira Star, his wife Cora had been a magical support officer. Years of duty had honed her abundant Mana, her Mana Value exceeding 2000 – nearly four times Qin Lun’s.

Now armed with the Dark Gold Quality Emerald Staff, Cora virtually became a miniature artillery tower. Compounded by the couple’s shared understanding and seamless teamwork, holding off a five-person team in the short term wasn’t mere bragging. Their success, of course, hinged on the opposing team being roughly on their level, and crucially, containing no High-Rank Apostles!

Qin Lun watched coldly from the side, a charming smile fixed on his face. Seeing Hansen and Hill exchanging suggestive glances, simmering with an intense, almost illicit bond, his inner vigilance grew stronger. Hansen was vicious and brutal, while Hill was cunning and shameless. Combining these two created an overpoweringly troublesome pair.

Should I find a serial killer partner within the team later to counterbalance them? Qin Lun rubbed his chin, his thoughts turning instinctively to Clown Grant. His options seemed limited.

Clown Grant possessed the Parasitic Virus Bloodline, making him the hardiest tanking choice among the four killers. Qin Lun himself was the strongest ranged attacker. Clown Grant appeared crude but was meticulous in his schemes, harboring a streak of madness. Qin Lun possessed superior intelligence… and Joey’s potential for fury.

Moreover, Clown Grant, ugly and insecure, sought beautiful appearances. With his elegant and handsome Elf Bloodline, Qin Lun also carried Joey’s “artistic sensibility.” Was this shaping up to be a “Beauty and the Beast” artists’ duo?

At this thought, Qin Lun shuddered and forced himself to stop thinking about it immediately.

“Ahem, where to now?” Qin Lun asked, sounding distracted.

“We’re currently in the suburbs of Crystal Lake City. Let’s head to the city police station first to gather some intel on the quest,” Sas suggested, boosted by his new shield, his tone much more enthusiastic. “If necessary, we’ll investigate Crystal Lake ourselves!”

“Good. Then there’s no time to waste. Let’s depart immediately!” Hill, the nominal Leader, waved his hand commandingly and climbed into the vehicle first.

Regardless of their intellect, Sas and Cora were police veterans. For a murder case like the Mystery of Crystal Lake, their insight held significant weight, making it logical to let them temporarily guide the team’s direction.

“Vroom…” With the hum of the engine, the black SUV followed a silver sedan as it left the villa.

“Hey! Who’d have thought this old relic drives as smoothly as a mag-lev car?” Hill closed his eyes to focus on the sensation, then remarked, surprised. “Hansen, how do you even know how to drive this centuries-old antique?”

“Hmph,” Hansen snorted confidently. “Unlike you two doves, back when I was a mercenary in Africa, I drove things even older than this! Given enough parts, I could probably rebuild one myself. Excluding the electronic components, of course.”

“Oh, by the way,” Qin Lun suddenly interjected, his smile fading into cool indifference as he looked at Hill and Hansen. “Don’t you two have something to tell me?”

“Haha, I expect you’ve already guessed most of it, even without us saying,” Hill replied with a wry smile.

“Us two broke boys aren’t like you, sitting pretty at home with both the Elven Race and Demon Clan – diametrically opposed Sapient Races – practically throwing themselves at you,” Hansen countered, a note of envy in his tone. “We just needed some pastime hunting to earn some extra cash and ease the nerve-wracking tension from the Quest Worlds.”

Just as Qin Lun coveted their hunting gains, Hansen and Hill were equally envious of Qin Lun’s effortless rewards. Both sides understood, however, that replicating the other’s method would be difficult. They just had to go their separate ways.

“Pastime hunting? Go on…” Qin Lun pressed, his expression blank.

“The management races are the local snakes in Devil’s Horn; we couldn’t touch them. But Hill and I noticed that back in Apostle City, many Junior Apostles seemed to let their guard down drastically after returning from a Quest World…”

Hill paused, then continued, “Originally, we were only targeting low-level solitary apostles. But later… with the needs for bloodlines, Class Change… the demands were huge, and they were just too poor. So… Hansen and I hunted a complete Black Iron Team after our last world.”

“You… you what?” Qin Lun stared at the shamelessly innocent expression on the Priest’s face and almost choked.

Moments ago, Sas had bragged about holding off a five-man team, but he and Cora were already successful Professional Apostles. The two before Qin Lun were still unprofessed Junior Apostles themselves – and yet they dared to treat a full Black Iron Team like turkeys to shoot.

Such audacity and insanity were staggering, even to Qin Lun’s normally detached demeanor.

“Surprise attacks like that… were actually easier than you’d think,” Hansen said calmly, turning his head to look at Qin Lun. Fierce flames raged in his pupils, seeming capable of burning everything before him to ashes. “Care to join us next time?”

“Haven’t you considered the consequences?” Qin Lun asked after a moment of silence. “The Earth Federation has trials and prisons. In Devil’s Horn, the only distinction is between the living and the dead. Walking perpetually on the cliff’s edge…” he trailed off.

“We’ll climb back up if we’re strong enough!” Hansen retorted defiantly, holding Qin Lun’s gaze unwaveringly.

“Alright, alright, stop fighting for now. Back to our topic,” Hill intervened smoothly. “Actually, Hansen made a valid point: viewed purely on the process, the hunt proceeded exceptionally smoothly! They were totally wiped out, and we’re confident we erased all traces afterwards.”

“And then?” Qin Lun sighed wearily.

“And then… well, you were also right. We fell off the cliff!” Hill spread his hands helplessly. “We didn’t know that one of the team members had a brother in… affiliation… with a far more powerful group!”

“How do you know it was a more powerful group?” Qin Lun inquired, immediately picking up on the weaker part of Hill’s statement.

“Because among the gear we took…,” Hill explained seriously, “one item wasn’t Quest World loot at all. It was something crafted by the brother himself for his younger sibling. It carried a magical mark embedded on it. Anyone cultivating blacksmith skills in there usually wouldn’t be affiliated with a small-time outfit!” He paused. “The moment we acquired that item, the owner quickly locked onto our Apostle Soul Marks via that magical trace! We felt it immediately.”

“I see,” Qin Lun’s eyes flashed. “That item was the shield? Or the staff…?”