I Reject Quests

Before he could take a single step, a loud shout came from behind. "Fire!"

*Bang*

*Bang*

*Bang*

*Bang*

*Bang*

Gunshots were fired from all sides.

Giant Leap!

Rewen used the [Giant Leap] he had been preparing for a while. He made a huge jump from the spot where he was to one of the staircases. Not bothering to pick up the spear, he made a run.

As he ran, the boy was in a tough spot as he was near where Rewen was standing. "Hey, hey, hey. Friendly fire! I'm here." 

The gunfire stopped revealing a couple of men and women.

Starting from the left, a man was wearing a leather jacket. He was David, the leader of the mission as well as a member of Runic Arms Squad. He stepped forward and looked at the direction his target had fled, then turned to the boy. "Seems like he had some tricks up his sleeve."

"Wasn't he saying that it would be easy? Strategic planning, my ass!" A young woman in hot pants snorted. "I told you that it would be better if we jump the gun and surround him. She was also a member of Runic Arms Squad and was familiar with David.

"Urgh, all you can do is complain. How about you give an actual good idea for once? Even in the discussion, you didn't participate. No one would think you are mute if you don't open your mouth!" Another young woman in her mid-twenties scolded with an annoyed look. She was from the Metal Squad and couldn't tolerate someone insulting a fellow member from the squad.

"What did you say!?" The young woman from the Runic Arms Squad had a fire in her eyes.

At this moment, a middle-aged man from Metal Squad stepped forward and tried to dissuade the situation. "Marla, Jennifer. Now is not the time to banter. Let's split up and search for him." 

"I agree. Let's not escalate the matter further. Marla, try to think ahead." The old man from Runic Arms Squad also suggested.

The two women looked at each other, then moved their eyes away, not paying further attention.

Marla then turned to David. "Should we split up or go together?"

"We should go together," David answered unhurried but looked at the boy from the corner of his eyes. "What do you think?"

The boy slightly smiled. "The target is not easy. He has at least the physical strength of an E-grade Martial Artist. On top of that, he also has hidden skills. Was it not mentioned that he has turned eighteen not long ago and is a first-year at Eastern Dream Academy. Does the academy teach skills to the freshers this quickly?"

Everyone looked at each other in silence.

A while later, a female voice broke the silence. "I got word that he bought the skills." She was another member of the Runic Arms Squad. She wore traditional clothing and appeared very beautiful.

The boy chuckled. "No wonder. So it's the rich people's way."

"So? What do we do?" Marla asked.

The boy didn't say anything but stared at David. The latter, being the leader, made the decision. "Split up seems to be the best way to deal with the situation quickly. There are many rooms and hidden spots in the apartment building so it would take a lot of time to find him together. If you encounter him, immediately tap the transmitter. Try not to fight until everyone arrives. If we successfully corner him, even if he is twice as strong as he is, we can catch him."

***

Third Floor.

"Not in this room…" Lane sighed after searching for more than thirty rooms. She was from the Metal Squad and the youngest of the eight. Life has not been smooth sailing for her. Being an orphan, she was tossed around from families to families. Eventually, when she turned eighteen, she was abandoned. Helpless and eager to survive, she somehow got the opportunity to enter the organization.

'After this, I'll live the way I want.' According to the contract she had signed, this was her last mission. 'All these years, I have endured the disgust of killing a person. No, I don't feel the disgust anymore. I have gotten used to it. I didn't want to.'

*Swoosh*

Feeling a figure near her, she grabbed her gun but before she could fire, her arm was grabbed by a stronger force. Her eyes went cold and instantly abandoned the gun and threw a kick at the figure in front of her.

Holding the gun, the figure took a couple of steps back. "Decisive but foolish." Rewen snorted. Aiming for her head, he pressed the trigger.

*Zek*

'The barrel is empty?' 

Lane sneered. "You think I would let you take a full-loaded gun?" While talking, she reached out to her pocket and pressed the transmitter slightly.

Rewen's face turned solemn. 'Shit. She just did something.' Not wasting any time, he ran towards her at the highest speed he could muster.

Lane was expressionless. This wasn't her first time facing these kinds of situations. She had hovered between life and death more than ten times. 'I can't leave. He may not follow me if I run away. If I left, the transmitter would also change the location. Since that's the case, I can only fight.' Taking a stance, she calmly watched the red-haired young man coming at her.

'From the looks of it, it's a round punch. It may not be as he is displaying but I'll raise the guard.' As she expected, a round fist came to her right ear. She raised her arm to block it but…

"Uh!" The punch brushed past her arm and made contact with her head. A groan emerged from her mouth. Staggering a few steps back quickly, she felt her vision going blurry. 'Not good!' While running, she immediately took out a small bottle of liquid from her pocket and drank the entirety of it. Only after that, her vision got better.

This time, Rewen was very straightforward. From the very first, he made it clear that he was going for a round punch on her ears. The reason it had a good impact is that he [River of Right Hand].

He didn't chase after her and analyzed the moves. 'This is not a bad skill. Too bad that only a single hit can be made. She is probably heading towards her squad members. Not following her is the best option. I should change my location.' He felt a bit of regret that he couldn't defeat her properly but he wasn't in any hurry to do so.

Observing his surroundings, he saw that there was an elevator nearby and went near it. There were no staircases around the spot he was standing. The staircase that led him to the third floor was located in the direction Lane was heading.

He casually pressed the button of the elevator. 

Meanwhile, Lane turned back to see if the target was chasing her. 'Huh? Where is he?' She stopped when she saw him standing towards the elevator. 'I have to stop him.' 

Putting all the strength into her legs, she sprinted towards Rewen.

The elevator door opened and Rewen walked in. Just as he was about to press a button, he saw the woman he previously fought appear. Out of reflex, he kicked towards her face. 

"Kuh!" Lane had the opportunity to dodge the kick but didn't do so because this way, she might lose him. Her nose bled but her legs didn't stop. Eventually, she got on the elevator and calmly looked at the young man who was sighing.

"You sure have a bad taste in picking locations to fight." As soon as he completed his sentence, he threw a punch towards the face in front of him. 'I can't let her take the time to breathe.'

Lane had no panic at the sudden assault. She saw the fist approaching but did nothing.

Dodged!

Rewen's eyes widened. 'How is that possible…' A second later, he figured out the problem. "So that's how it is. Were you hiding in the room?"

Lane coughed a few teeth along with blood. The kick was on point and did heavy damage. Raising her head, she sneered. "That's right. Took you a while to figure that out."

Rewen didn't take offence to that and instead smiled. "Care to explain your skill? It is an interesting skill. Is it related to changing vectors?"

"..." Lane didn't say anything and looked at the floor the elevator is supposed to go. '7th floor… it should take a while for them to arrive. Till then, I have to hold him off by myself.'

To test his theory, Rewen threw a couple of punches which changed direction at the crucial moment. "Why are you standing like a statue? Are you not going to fight?"

Lane kept standing like a mute. 'I'm at a huge disadvantage if I fight at close-quarters with him.'

When the elevator finally stopped, both of them got out of the elevator at the same time.