Chapter 1 "Huff... Heh..."

Sullen hung from the corner of a steel-structured high-rise in Fourth District, suspended by his spider arms, panting heavily.

He was forty stories high, and the wind was strong.

Looking down, he could see uniformed security, Umbrella Organization members in trench coats, and fully armed Mechanical City Guardsmen searching around the building. Occasionally, someone would look up from the base, seemingly having spotted the traces of his climb.

Sullen narrowed his eyes slightly, remarking, "The Umbrella Organization's intelligence tracking capabilities are indeed well-deserved."

A saying circulated widely in the outer city gangs: Be careful, the fruit vendor on the street might be an outer informant for the Umbrella Organization.

Just now, Sullen had experienced it firsthand.

He was walking down the street two blocks away when he suddenly noticed a fruit vendor giving him a strangely malicious look.

Without hesitation, Sullen shot the guy's head off and found a military-issue pistol hidden in his fruit stand.

That triggered this desperate battle that forced him to hang on the outer wall to survive.

After catching his breath, Sullen finally had the strength to remove the alloy bulletproof plate from his chest.

He looked at the pale muscles on his side waist, almost frozen stiff, his gaze hardening slightly.

He rummaged through his storage ring and found a "Superior Frost Healing Potion." After injecting it, he gradually felt the blood flow return to the muscles in that area.

His complexion gradually recovered, and the return of warmth made him feel alive again.

If it weren't for the ultra-light bulletproof armor, salvaged from the chest plate of the [PX-911 Mechanical Limb], blocking most of the frost damage, that round of frost artillery might have cost him half his life.

The City Guard's "Frost Giant Armor" was indeed a headache.

Fortunately, he'd managed to snatch a few sets earlier and had studied them thoroughly. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had a chance to escape, not knowing the weak points of the thing.

They could fight, they could defend, and their high-pressure artillery could even output frost wind cannons to control targets in a wide area.

With all his skills, Sullen might be able to kill one or two of them, but they wouldn't give him a chance for a one-on-one fight, coming at him with well-trained tactical encirclements from an entire squad.

He could only be beaten and forced to flee in a sorry state.

Two minutes later, the potion took full effect, the frost sensation largely dissipated, and his limbs were no longer stiff.

Sullen tried moving his spider legs, and the sluggishness in his nerves had mostly disappeared.

He knew he wouldn't be able to hide on this outer wall for long before being discovered.

He looked up at the "Mid-Level City District," still seventy or eighty stories above, its lights shining brightly, exceptionally prosperous.

It was the last possible escape route he could think of.

Because the "Moonlight Inn" was located in the Merchant District above.

Without delay, he drove his spider arms to climb up the building.

........

The first day Sullen joined the Cross Society, he witnessed the exciting deathmatch between "Red Devil" Golon and "Shadow Scorpion" Aberke in the Scarlet Stronghold arena.

In the end, Golon survived, and Aberke was killed.

Aberke was an "A-level wanted criminal" active in the inner city at the time and a notorious master thief.

Putting everything else aside, the guy's escape ability was undeniable.

Sullen had now personally witnessed the Umbrella Organization's control in the inner city, which made him even more shocked that the guy could commit crimes so frequently and still remain at large for so many years.

Back then, Sullen had extracted a piece of memory from the guy's soul fragments: "Too bad, that [Sealed Item] is still at the 'Moonlight Inn.' Otherwise, I wouldn't have been caught."

Now forced into a desperate situation, he thought of Aberke's obsession.

If that thing gave the master thief confidence that he could evade the Umbrella Organization's pursuit, Sullen figured it could also solve his situation.

However, his concern was that if the thing wasn't at the inn anymore, he would truly be in dire straits.

After all, the "Mid-Level City District" was a wealthy area in the inner city, with several times the city defense forces of the lower levels and a large number of high-level professionals.

This required a gamble on luck.

.......

The buildings in the inner city were very dense, and almost all the high-rises had connecting structures: steam pipes, sky bridges, iron frames.

This made things easier for Sullen.

He climbed to the top of one building, and then he could climb along the attached structures to the outer wall of another building. He deliberately avoided the eyes of the crowd and quickly climbed to that commercial district.

The good news was that the "Moonlight Inn" was a very high-end inn in the inner city, and he could see its pink neon sign hanging on the building from a distance.

But the bad news was that it was located right in the center of the commercial street.

If Sullen wanted to enter the inn, he had only one choice: to walk directly down the street.

This street, called "Dunwich District," was similar to a high-end shopping mall from his previous life, with shops on both sides displaying various colorful signs.

Unlike the streets in the outer city, which only sold necessities like rice, flour, and oil, this place had many luxury stores, jewelry shops frequented by wealthy ladies, high-end tailor shops for gentlemen, bag shops, cane shops, music shops...

The people on the street looked rich and noble, their clothes and jewelry giving a strong visual impact with their colorfulness. It felt like the outer city was a scene from a black-and-white movie, while this place was truly the era of color film.

While observing the street, Sullen casually glanced into the window of a shop selling men's canes and saw a cane with a silver lion head, priced at 348,888 Leso; in the glass display case of a jewelry store, he saw a diamond necklace that was purely decorative, priced at 1,256,666 Leso; a silk scarf, 7,777 Leso, three months' wages for an ordinary worker in the outer city...

Before Sullen had time to take a closer look at the bustling street, his brow suddenly furrowed.

He had already noticed that as soon as he appeared on the street, several gazes were roving over him.

But then, a relaxed smile appeared on his lips.

He muttered to himself, "So I was discovered so quickly..."

This time, feeling the obviously malicious gazes, Sullen didn't dodge or draw his gun.

Instead, he put on his suit jacket, straightened his wig, which had been messed up from climbing, and calmly walked out without making any attempt to lower his hat or hide himself...

The smile on his face grew wider and wider, suddenly turning into a bright, toothy grin.

He was as happy as a child.

Could the situation get any worse?

No, it couldn't.

This was the last chance.

So, should he dance?

Of course.

Adversity can't stop me from loving this world.

Sullen was like a dancer taking the stage, and at this moment, all the spotlights were on him.

He... was the only protagonist.

Stepping to the soothing melody playing from the mall, he made a grand entrance. His steps were light, occasionally twirling to make way, his coattails fluttering gently. He would even give a friendly smile to strangers passing by. He was like a lone waltzer, aloof, elegant, calm, and composed.

"He" loved this feeling of dancing in a desperate situation.

At this moment, it seemed as if the world consisted only of the stage, the music, and the audience.

.......

Those plainclothes officers, who didn't know whether they were from the Umbrella Organization or the City Guard, thought Sullen hadn't noticed them and slowly surrounded him.

But after only a few steps, they clearly saw Sullen, as he reached up to straighten his wig, was holding a device with a red button in his hand.

Upon seeing the inconspicuous button, the expressions of the plainclothes officers changed drastically. The encirclement instantly scattered, and they abandoned any attempt to forcefully apprehend him.

Urgent reports came through the communicators.

"Retreat, retreat immediately!"

"The target has been spotted on 'Dunwich Commercial Street.' The suspect is holding an unidentified device suspected to be a 'pressure detonator,' please advise..."

"There are a large number of civilians on scene. Do not use area-of-effect weapons. Do not approach the suspect, do not cause panic, evacuate the crowd from the outer perimeter. We've notified top-level professional to handle the situation..."

"Yes."

"..."

At this moment, Sullen saw no one else. He walked and looked around with ease.

Then, a colorful ball suddenly rolled to his feet.

Sullen bent down and picked up the ball, handing it to the blond-haired little boy who had chased after it.

The little boy, wearing a checkered vest, took the ball and politely said, "Thank you, sir."

Sullen touched his forehead and gave a bright smile: "You're welcome."

The little boy's parents were a few meters away, watching their cute, well-mannered son, their faces also showing happy smiles.

"Goodbye, uncle."

"Goodbye, little one..."

Sullen smiled.

What a wonderful world.

He didn't feel like picking up the ball had wasted his time. Instead, he suddenly felt cheerful.

He squeezed the red button on the lighter, put his hand back in his pocket, and swaggered toward the Moonlight Inn.

Probably... they would think of it as a bomb, right?

Sullen thought.

But even I believe it myself, who wouldn't?

.......

Not far from the entrance of the Moonlight Inn was a boutique jewelry shop, its display window sparkling with samples.

This was a shop frequented by young girls.

At that moment, a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old black-haired girl and a blonde girl happened to walk out of the shop together.

"Lena, I heard you went to the outer city yesterday? The outer city is very dangerous. Why would you want to go to a place like that..."

"Yeah, to broaden my horizons."

"What's so good about broadening your horizons in a place full of sin, filth, and disease?"

"Yulia, the outer city isn't that bad. I found that the outer city isn't as scary as everyone says."

"That's impossible... My mother says the outer city is a paradise for gangs and criminals, and poverty will make them do many crazy, incomprehensible things, like kidnapping, child trafficking, and it's very dangerous for girls like us... I'm never going to leave the city in my life."

"..."

Hearing her best friend say such things, a bald head suddenly flashed through Lena's mind, and she murmured, "Gangs... there are good people, too."

The blonde girl argued, "No, there aren't!"

"Yes, there are..."

Just as Lena was about to argue, she suddenly heard someone call out her name on the street: "Miss Lena!"

Lena looked up and saw a stranger walking towards her.

The voice sounded familiar, but she frowned, seemingly trying hard to remember.

Because she had never seen that face before.

At that moment, the burly bodyguard not far away saw her expression and immediately stood in front of her.

.......

Sullen didn't expect to run into Lena while she was shopping.

He wasn't intimidated by the bodyguard who suddenly moved to Lena's side. Like an old friend, he smiled and waved at Lena, "Hey, Miss Lena, long time no see."

Sullen, without the smoky eye makeup, actually had a very handsome face.

In a well-fitting suit, every gesture showed elegance and composure. The gentle, confident smile on his face made people feel a sense of warmth and closeness.

Looking at Sullen, who had suddenly changed his style, Lena stuttered, "Mr. Sullen... you..."

She had wanted to ask why Sullen had become like this, but she changed her words: "Why are you here?"

Yulia, who was standing next to her, looked at Sullen's extraordinary temperament and wondered when her best friend had met such a handsome guy, asking with a gossipy look, "Lena, who is this...?"

Sullen had a stern temperament that was completely different from that of a hothouse公子哥(gong zi ge - young master), making him instantly stand out.

Lena thought for a moment before introducing him: "Mr. Sullen... is my friend."

Sullen very naturally bent down and took the delicate hand that the blonde girl had offered a second earlier, giving it a kiss: "Oh, beautiful lady, the dimples at the corners of your mouth when you smile are truly captivating..."

He was an old sea king from the start. The young ladies of noble families had seen too many playboys.

But at this moment, Yulia felt very strange. She didn't see a trace of annoying light in this man's eyes.

She withdrew her kissed left hand and returned an equally elegant salute: "Thank you for your compliment."

Seeing that he was truly her young lady's friend, the second-order professional bodyguard quietly moved away a little.

Lena was still very curious about why Sullen had suddenly come to the inner city, and she asked again, "Mr. Sullen..."

But before she could finish her words, a pair of big hands directly wrapped around her shoulders, like extremely close friends.

Sullen's sudden intimate gesture made Lena's pretty face stiffen. The words she wanted to say vanished instantly.

Before she could react, she felt a rush of hot air in her ear, and Sullen whispered, "Don't move, do me a favor."

Hearing this, Lena didn't know why she suddenly wasn't nervous anymore.

It was as if she was back in the dungeon, where that man would always order her to do things, but every time, he saved her life.

.......

Sullen wasn't here to pick up girls. Just a second ago, he had noticed that he had been locked onto by a high-level professional.

The gaze gave him a very dangerous feeling.

Sullen knew very well that the other party would definitely not give him time to go to the inn to find the Sealed Item.

They would definitely strike when they found the opportunity.

Therefore, he needed someone whose presence would make the other party hesitate to act.

He had originally planned to just find a wealthy young master on the street, but he didn't expect to meet the more suitable Lena.

In terms of weight, the young lady of the Reis family was naturally the most appropriate choice.

......

As he led Lena away, Sullen didn't forget to turn his head and ask her best friend in a hearty tone, "Beautiful lady, would you mind if I borrowed a little bit of your good friend's time?"

Yulia really thought they were close friends and smiled brightly: "Of course~"

Sullen gave a friendly smile and led Lena away.

Only Lena, the person involved, was still in a daze.

After all, this wasn't the monster-filled dungeon, where no one was watching. In public, she felt that it was inappropriate for her, the young lady of the Reis family, to have a man's arm around her neck.

Especially in front of her best friend and bodyguard.

Was this the way friends greeted each other in the outer city?

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she rambled in her mind for a moment before taking the initiative to ask, "Mr. Sullen, what... what can I help you with?"

Sullen said bluntly: "I'm being targeted. I'm in a very dangerous situation."

"Ah?"

Lena looked up at his face, which was still wearing a smile, and couldn't reconcile the lighthearted tone with the urgent situation he was describing.

But thinking that this guy always spoke in this tone in the dungeon, she understood.

Thinking about it, she asked softly, "Then... then... what can I do to help you?"

Sullen smiled slightly and said directly: "You've been kidnapped by me."

"???"

The abrupt change of topic made Lena feel like her brain had short-circuited, losing the ability to think.

Kidnapped?

A moment later, she finally made the connection.

So, the reason he had his arm around her neck was that she had been kidnapped?

No wonder Mr. Sullen was making such strange gestures.

She suddenly understood something, but it seemed like she still didn't realize that she had become a "hostage," and there was no panic in her heart.

On the contrary, because of the physical contact, she smelled the faint scent of blood on Sullen's body. She guessed that behind Mr. Sullen's calm expression, the situation was already very critical.

Lena thought about it and asked weakly, "Then... then... do I need to cooperate with you?"

"No, just follow me."

Sullen said, looked at the very cooperative hostage, and felt very happy. He thought for a moment and added, "Well... if you can, you can make your expression a little more nervous."

As he spoke, Sullen had already pulled Lena into the Moonlight Inn.

Only then did Lena belatedly say "Oh."

.......

Not far away, Lena's best friend Yulia was already dumbfounded.

Is this what you mean by "borrow a little time"?

Straight to the inn?

Is it really okay for you to be so blatant in front of a single girl?