Chapter 011: The Cruel Interrogation

“Screech!”
The tires ground against the pavement, coming to an abrupt halt.
It was exactly four o’clock in the afternoon.
Cassius had only taken two minutes to drive back.
16:01.
The usual spot, by the edge of the white wall.
Xiu Nan checked the mini-map; the three remaining assassins were still in the same positions as yesterday. Two upstairs, one—Assassin B—on the ground floor, all searching separately.
Same old method! First, sneak in through the window on the first floor, turn on the faucet to lure Assassin B over, then take him out!
Then, enter Meditation Mode, rush upstairs at maximum speed, and eliminate the remaining Assassin A and Assassin C.
Whether he could pull this off depended entirely on his performance in the moment.
Xiu Nan trusted the hand speed he’d honed in twenty years of singlehood.
Let’s do this! One tap on the keyboard.
Cassius the assassin slipped over the wall like an eel.
He landed in the narrow gap between an ornamental tree and the wall.
He crept forward in a low crouch, reaching the side of the house.
The window of the maid’s room came into view.
Controlling his character, he deftly undid the latch and slipped inside, standing up to close the window behind him.
His movements were as slick and decisive as ever!
First thing upon entering the room:
Take off your shoes!
If not for the dusty footprints by the sink last time, Xiu Nan would have already taken out Assassin B on the ground floor!
Lesson learned—solve the problem at its root.
If the soles are dirty and caked with mud…
Then just go barefoot, right?
Thankfully, the game allowed him to unequip items. He wondered if it was possible to strip off everything, even underwear, for utter honesty?
Xiu Nan thought so; Cassius immediately followed suit. Off came the shoes, revealing a pair of size forty-six feet still clad in black socks.
He tossed the shoes under the bed and paced around.
After a moment’s thought, two seconds later, Cassius pulled off his socks as well, standing barefoot on the floor.
Socks only reduce friction—barefoot is best!
This game was realistic in every detail.
Xiu Nan didn’t want a scenario where, in the heat of a firefight, bullets and flames flying, Cassius activated Meditation Mode for a killing spree—only to trip and face-plant.
That would be mortifying! Just imagining it was embarrassing enough.
Suppressing a shudder, Xiu Nan directed Cassius to the door, twisting the handle gently.
A quick sidestep—a leap out of the maid’s room.
He pressed himself against the wall, holding his breath, keeping a sharp lookout.
On the mini-map, a red dot indicated a presence in a room at the other end of the corridor—Assassin B was searching for something.
Something was wrong—the red dot started moving!
Xiu Nan quickly guided his character to the bathroom, hiding by the corner just as a door creaked open.
Assassin B stepped out, heading toward the main hall.
Checking the mini-map—red dot stationary.
Xiu Nan waited a moment, then struck decisively.
⊙Washbasin: Interactable
“Press ‘J’ to open”
“Water flow adjusts with the mouse”
Same bait as before, but this time Xiu Nan would not make the same mistake. Assassin B was as good as dead!
He returned to his spot, switched to his pistol, and waited for his chance.
The sound of running water soon caught Assassin B’s attention. The red dot on the mini-map moved closer.
Tap, tap, tap—a series of footsteps, growing nearer.
“Alertness: 50/100”
“Alertness: 57/100”
[Alertness: 53/100]
…
Xiu Nan began counting under his breath.
“Five, four, three, two, one…”
A figure leaned into view.
Bang!
Without hesitation—a lethal shot!
“-130”
Assassin B jerked to the right, a gaping hole in his temple as blood poured forth.
Nice! Only two left!
Meditation Mode—activate!
He whipped the mouse to change direction, hit shift to sprint forward at full speed!
Cassius shot out, ruthlessly shoving aside the still-frozen Assassin B at the doorway.
He dashed down the corridor, across the hall, and up the stairs.
A streak of shadow darted to Cassius’s bedroom door.
Inside, Assassin A had already heard the gunfire from downstairs. He realized, with a start, that an intruder was here!
He spun, left hand gripping the door handle, right hand reaching into his coat for the Violet Rose pistol.
His eyes glinted with murderous intent.
But then—a click.
The handle was wrenched open from outside!
Assassin A barely had time to react before the door was kicked in, slamming into his forehead.
He staggered back, dizzy, as a dark figure rolled into the room.
“Damn! I have to—”
Bang, bang, bang… bang, bang, bang…
Two pistols—eight bullets in all!
Assassin A tried to dodge, but it was futile; six blooms of blood erupted on his body, a series of damage numbers flashing.
His health was wiped out—dead.
He collapsed with a thud.
Xiu Nan tapped the spacebar; Cassius leaped up from a half-kneeling stance, turning and rushing out of the room.
Dual pistols in hand, he sprinted like a leopard.
The door to Robin’s bedroom was wide open.
Assassin C had already burst out, Violet Rose pistol in his right hand, firing instantly down the hallway.
Whoosh! A bullet grazed Cassius’s hip.
Cassius was sprawled on the floor, pistols raised.
Both barrels spat flames—bullets tore through the air.
“-41” “-38” “-42” “-142”…
Mixed in was a three-digit number—real damage. That shot alone was enough to finish Assassin C!
From below, a bullet angled up through Assassin C’s jaw, exiting through the top of his skull.
The body crashed heavily to the floor. Cassius stood.
He combined both pistols, held them upright, and gave a light blow across the barrels.
“Wait! Something’s wrong…”
“This is bad…”
He opened the quest log.
[Quest 1: Kill the five members of the mysterious organization]
[Quest 2: Investigate the origin of the mysterious organization]
Quest one was complete, but what about quest two? Xiu Nan recalled the system’s initial instructions.
Character’s temporary abilities:
[Passive: Nine Lives Cat]
[Skill: Interrogation (Cruel Version)]
Interrogation (Cruel Version)!
Wasn’t that a clear hint to capture someone for questioning?
But just now, swept away by bloodlust and the thrill of slaughter, he’d killed the last one outright!
Now, who was left to interrogate?
Unless he killed himself and tried again…
Xiu Nan slammed his palm on the desk in fury.
“No, this run was perfect! There must be another way to complete the investigation quest!” Xiu Nan sneered, clicking the mouse.
Two hours later, on a bustling street,
A man in a suit stood in the middle of the road.
Passersby stared as they walked around him.
Suddenly, he raised a pistol to his own head.
Bang!
Blood and flesh exploded, splattering on everyone nearby.
Men and women screamed, fleeing in panic.
The camera panned up, words slowly appearing. The city street blurred into the background as game time accelerated.
Police intervened, cordoning off the scene. Outside the yellow tape, a group of Crescent City residents pointed and whispered.
“Character: Cassius the Assassin is dead…”
“Time: June 8, 2017, 12:02”
“Location: Oak Street, East District, Crescent City”
“Killer: Cassius the Assassin”
“Murder weapon: Violet Rose Pistol”
[Notice: Nine Lives Cat (2/9)]
Xiu Nan said nothing, moving to his next life.
“This time, I’ll go deathless and godlike!”
It went smoothly—remarkably so. Having played through once, his actions were even more fluid.
Xiu Nan took out Assassins D and E at the clock tower, returned to Cassius’s house to instantly kill Assassins A and B, and subdued Assassin C.
On screen, Xiu Nan stood expressionless in his own bedroom, Assassin C tightly bound and tossed onto the bed.
Xiu Nan sneered coldly.
“Heh…”