<h4>Chapter 48: Viin Simtor, Ch 48</h4>


    As an investigator, Fischl was familiar with almost every adventuring team, from the well-established "Windborne Adventurer''s Guild" and "Dandelion Adventurer''s Guild" to the one-man "Bet Adventuring Team."


    Yet, she had no recollection of the adventurer group before her.


    Her suspicion confirmed that this so-called "adventuring team" was indeed suspicious.


    The man, however, didn''t seem fazed. He calmly replied, "We are the Pale Adventuring Team. We travel across many nations and aren''t based in any one city. It''s normal that you haven''t heard of us. My name is—"


    "Your name is Afriel. You''re a retired captain from Snezhnaya, fond of strong spirits and archery. You enjoy dark rye bread and have two sons and a daughter," Lucas interrupted. "If I''m not mistaken, your team also includes Nokkeg, a thief from Fontaine, and Tanaka Jiro, a samurai from Inazuma. Am I right?"


    The group''s faces filled with shock, and the man named Afriel frowned. "How... how do you know that?"


    "These backstories aremon false identities used by Fatui operatives during covert missions," Lucas said casually. "Which division are you from, and who''s your superior?"


    Lucas knew this because, in the simtor, he had once served as the Fatui Harbinger, The Doctor. He had learned much about the Fatui''s tactics and methods.


    To his surprise, the real Fatui operated with the same "temte" as in the simtor.


    While these Hilichurls had kidnapped humans, they meant no harm. However, if the Fatui got hold of them, who knew what experiments or horrors would ensue?


    No one knew the Fatui''s methods better than The Doctor himself.


    The Fatui members exchanged uneasy nces. They didn''t recognize the man in front of them, but the internal hierarchy of the Fatui was incredibly convoluted. Who knew if he was some hidden higher-up?


    There was even a story about a clueless Fatui recruit who mocked the Harbinger Scaramouche for being "short" and was punished with three years oftrine duty.


    Afriel narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who are you?"


    Lucas, not wanting to escte things further, smirked coldly. "You don''t seem like rookies. How can you not recognize a Harbinger? When you return to Snezhnaya, you''d better be ready to runps around Red Square while shouting, ''I''m sorry, Lord Tartaglia, I''ll keep saying it until you can hear me!''"


    Channeling themanding aura he had mastered as a Harbinger in the simtor, Lucas radiated an intimidating presence.


    [Liar''s Bane activated: Intelligence check required.]


    [Check sessful: The target is deceived.]


    An intelligence check? This felt more like a tabletop RPG! But, luckily for Lucas, these Fatui operatives had never seen Tartaglia in person. They only knew he was young, handsome, temperamental, and extraordinarily powerful—qualities that seemed to match the man before them.


    Coupled with the dark, calcting aura Lucas was exuding, they were convinced he wasn''t bluffing.


    "Collecting these Hilichurls was an order from The Doctor," Afriel quickly bowed. "We didn''t mean to offend you, Lord Tartaglia. Once the mission isplete, we''ll be sure to put in a good word for you with The Doctor."


    So, these were The Doctor''s underlings?


    This felt like a ssic case of mistaken identity!


    Though Lucas didn''t know much about The Doctor in this world, if he was even remotely simr to the one in the simtor, it was clear these transformed Hilichurls were likely the result of his experiments.


    "Trying to use The Doctor''s name against me?" Lucas scoffed, fully embracing the role. "These Hilichurls are my prey. If you think you can take them from me... you''re wee to try."


    The tension in the air grew thick with a subtle hint of danger. The Fatui operatives stood frozen in silence.


    "I... I understand," Afriel finally sighed. "Lord Tartaglia, forgive us. We''ll leave now."


    Afriel knew that if he reported back to The Doctor, the worst he''d face was some punishment. But if he angered Tartaglia, he might lose his life.


    As the group began to depart, Lucas let out a sigh of relief. However, at that moment, footsteps came from a nearby tent, and Zhang Luo emerged, holding a short knife. It appeared he had cut himself free.


    "Brother Lucas!" Zhang Luo called out with a smile. "I knew you''de to rescue me! When we get back, I''ll make sure to sing your praises to Lady Keqing!"


    Lucas facepalmed.


    Zhang, my man... thank you, but you just ruined everything!


    The departing Fatui operatives froze, their expressions growing dark.


    "Damn it!" Afriel snarled through clenched teeth. "You dare deceive the Fatui? You must be courting death!"


    "W-what''s going on?" Zhang Luo asked, still oblivious to the situation. Before he could finish speaking, a sharp crossbow bolt pierced his abdomen.


    Afriel, holding a small crossbow, sneered coldly. "These people know too much. Kill them all. Leave no survivors!"


    "Brother Zhang!"


    Lucas''s pupils dted with shock. Though he hadn''t known Zhang Luo for long, the man had always been kind and helpful. Even though Zhang had identally exposed their cover, Lucas felt no anger toward him.


    Now, seeing Zhang cut down in cold blood, even the normally calm Lucas felt a surge of fury. His dark irises began to glow faintly with a red hue.


    "Kill the liar first!" Afriel barked, gesturing toward Fischl with a cruel smile. "As for the girl, she''s pretty enough. We can have some fun with her before we''re done."


    The other Fatui members grinned lecherously at his suggestion.


    Boom!


    A deafening bang echoed in the air, startling Afriel. A strange coldness swept over him, and he looked down to see a bloodied chunk of flesh—a severed ear—on the ground by his feet.


    After a brief moment of shock, Afriel finally registered the excruciating pain and let out a scream.


    "I may not be Tartaglia..." Lucas''s eyes were cold. "But Tartaglia might have spared you. I won''t."


    "It''s... it''s a firearm!" Afriel gritted his teeth through the pain,manding, "Find cover! Firearm troops, prepare to counterattack!"


    The Fatui soldiers, well-trained as they were, reacted quickly. But before they could find shelter, two sharp pops rang out. Two Fatui soldiers were shot directly between the eyes, falling to the ground instantly.


    This time, Lucas wasn''t using rubber bullets.


    This was his first time killing someone in the real world, but strangely, he felt no turmoil. It was as though he had just performed a mundane task. Perhaps it was because, in the simtor, he had already taken countless lives.


    "Redeem skill—Gun Kata."


    [Skill Redeemed]


    [Gun Kata Beta]


    [Effect: Abat technique thatbines close-quartersbat with firearms. Must be equipped with at least one firearm to use.]


    "Fire!"


    At Afriel''s order, two riflemen raised their firearms and shot at Lucas.


    Guns weren''t umon in Teyvat. Although powerful, they were cumbersome to reload and maintain. As a result, only Snezhnaya deployed them on arge scale.


    The riflemen''s shots weren''t bullets but pellets. One grazed Lucas''s cheek, while the other hit him square in the forehead.


    "Got him!" Afriel grinned wickedly. "Not so tough after all, huh?"


    "Tough after all, huh?" Lucas''s voice echoed.


    The pellet hadn''t pierced Lucas''s skull but had dropped harmlessly to the ground, as if hitting steel. Only a shallow mark was left on his forehead.


    [Effect of ''Diamond Body'' activated, 90% of damage blocked (remaining uses for the day: 0).]


    True, Lucas didn''t have the monstrous body of The Doctor from the simtor, but his Diamond Body skill had helped absorb much of the damage.


    The riflemen were low-tier, unable to wield elemental powers, but their ammunition was still potent enough to pierce boar hide. Yet to this man, it was nothing more than a scratch.


    "He... he''s a monster!"


    One of the riflemen trembled violently, dropping his weapon and trying to flee. He didn''t get far before a shot to the back of his head ended his escape.


    "Three bullets left. Seven targets remaining," Lucas said as he charged forward, wielding both a gun and a sword.


    "Damn it!"


    Seeing Lucas charging, Afriel discarded his crossbow and drew a short sword. He swung at Lucas, but his strength were not even close to the Hilichurl chieftain that Lucas had already bested earlier. With one swing, Lucas''s sword shattered Afriel''s de.


    At that moment, a rifleman behind Lucas finished reloading and fired at him again. Lucas, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, grabbed Afriel by the cor and used him as a shield. The shot hit Afriel in the chest, leaving a bloody hole.


    "These three bullets..." Lucas pressed his M1911 to Afriel''s lower back and fired three shots. Three more holes appeared in Afriel''s body. "...are for Zhang Luo."


    Lucas casually discarded Afriel''s corpse like a broken toy.


    He brought the smoking gun to his nose, inhaling the scent of gunpowder deeply. His body trembled ever so slightly.


    Rather than feeling anxious or ufortable from taking his first life, Lucas felt a long-lost thrill.


    After reloading the magazine with expert precision, Lucas fired two shots into the air before turning to the remaining six Fatui soldiers. He smiled.


    "There are five bullets left in the magazine. One of you might survive."


    The six soldiers, already terrified by Lucas''s monstrous prowess, dropped their weapons and fled, hoping to outrun the others. They weren''t fighting Lucas now—they were racing against each other to live.


    Formerrades were now their greatest threat.


    Boom! A loud crash followed by a scream: one of the soldiers tripped over a vine and desperately grabbed the leg of the person in front of him.


    "Help... help me..."


    "Get off me!"


    His plea was answered with a vicious kick.


    Dazed, the soldier looked up, only to see the barrel of Lucas''s gun pointed at him.


    "One down."


    pping his hands, Lucas called out to the fleeing soldiers with a famous movie quote, "Run, Forrest, run!"


    The sound of gunfire cracked through the air like a whip. The soldiers ran faster, feeling as if the Grim Reaper himself was chasing them.


    In Lucas''s mind, the fleeing soldiers began to morph, turning into the Mondstadt citizens who had once thrown garbage at him, the soldiers of Snezhnaya who had tried to stop him, even the Fatui Harbinger Capitano and the Tsaritsa herself.


    "Second down."


    A bullet pierced through a soldier''s throat, sending a fountain of blood spraying several meters into the air.


    "Third down."


    The third soldier was shot in the lung. He wouldn''t die instantly, but the blood and air leaking from his chest would soon suffocate him.


    Fourth and fifth...


    Thanks to his Doctor talent, Lucas''s knowledge of the human body allowed him to target precisely where his bullets would be most lethal.


    Five shots, five corpses. The final surviving soldier, now several hundred meters away, screamed with joy.


    "I''m alive! I survived!"


    But at that moment, the ground trembled. A massive shadow loomed over him.


    The surviving soldier slowly turned, only to find himself facing a colossal creature with ck armor ting and blue stripes across its body.


    Its sharp horns and wed limbs gleamed under the sunlight.


    The beast opened its maw wide, and within it, arge fireball began to form.


    "No... no!"


    Before he could finish his plea, the fireball engulfed him, reducing him to a charred corpse.


    "Return, Greymon."


    Far in the distance, Lucas held a PokeBall between his fingers, and the massive creature dissolved into light, returning to the PokeBall in his hand.


    This was one of the rewards he had obtained from the loot box: Greymon.


    "I only said I wouldn''t shoot," Lucas said softly.


    Of course, no one was left to hear him.


    As the battle ended, Lucas finally realized he had just killed ten people. More precisely, it wasn''t a fight—it was a massacre.


    And yet, his heart remained unsettlingly calm.


    -----


    Author''s Note: He''s changing....