"Tch... I was careless. I didn't expect someone to be even better at hiding than I am."
The dark figure dropped a hemispherical object, then clutched her bleeding abdomen, staring with a fierce gaze at the silhouette that had just delivered a brutal blow to her stomach.
Bathed in the moonlight, the petite figure revealed her appearance—it was none other than Hong Guoguo.
But unlike her usual self, Hong Guoguo's long, jet-black hair had turned silver-white, shimmering with a faint luster under the reflection of the moon. Atop this silver-white hair sat a pair of fluffy white cat ears, and a matching silver-white tail had emerged behind her.
"What do you think you're doing!"
Hong Guoguo held a dripping dagger, warily watching the shadow on the ground while slowly closing the distance.
However, when the shadow caught a clear look at Hong Guoguo's appearance, she froze for a moment before her tone turned vicious:
"You're a Genetically Modified Human from Genesis Tech too? Why are you stopping my mission! Are you planning to betray Genesis Tech!"
As she spoke, the shadow slowly pushed herself up.
"Who's a Genetically Modified Human like you?"
In the face of the shadow's accusation, Hong Guoguo muttered back in a disgruntled whisper that only she could hear. Then, her form blurred. Like an arrow released from a bow, she lunged straight toward the shadow!
The shadow, already prepared, reacted with startling speed, side-stepping to dodge Hong Guoguo's thrust. She wasn't merely evading; almost at the exact moment they crossed paths, a treacherous glint of dark light sliced silently toward Hong Guoguo's thigh joint. Her goal was clear: cripple Hong Guoguo's mobility.
But Hong Guoguo's perception was even sharper. Sensing the intent in an instant, she pressed forward instead of retreating. The tip of her dagger lunged accurately toward the shadow's heart, forcing her to abandon the attack. Pressed by this life-for-a-life counter, the shadow had to halt her momentum and twist her waist, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike.
During the struggle, the shadow's features became clearer: she also possessed a pair of cat ears and a tail, but they were as pitch-black as the night itself. Furthermore, unlike Hong Guoguo's clean face and human feet, the shadow's cheeks were covered in fine black fuzz, and emerging from beneath her pant legs were the short-furred lower limbs of a black feline.
"Tch..." The shadow dodged another swift dagger strike, feeling her rhythm grow strained. "Looks like I've messed up. I didn't expect this doctor to have a 'kindred spirit' with such a high degree of gene modification hidden by her side."
Consequently, the thought of retreat instantly took hold.
"Hmph! Die!" the shadow shrieked. Her speed surged as she closed in, pirouetted, and lashed out. Her dagger, like a streak of black lightning, sliced toward Hong Guoguo's slender neck!
Confronted with this sudden, lethal burst of speed, Hong Guoguo's pupils constricted. She leaned back to the extreme, the cold edge of the blade practically grazing her throat and shearing off a few strands of silver-white hair.
Having forced Hong Guoguo back, the shadow changed her tactics. She completely abandoned all defense, acting like a cornered beast driven mad. Throat, heart, temple... every strike was delivered with suicidal resolve, aimed straight at Hong Guoguo's vitals.
Though Hong Guoguo could rely on her superior reaction speed to leave constant wounds in the gaps between the fierce attacks, none of the injuries were fatal. She could have delivered a killing blow, but she didn't dare. If she went for it, she might kill the shadow, but she would likely be taken down with her.
Forced by the situation, Hong Guoguo could only retreat repeatedly.
Something's wrong! With this much noise... why hasn't anyone come over yet?!
After dodging another thrust toward her throat, alarm bells rang in Hong Guoguo's mind.
"Hmph, I'm done playing with you!" The shadow seemed to glimpse her distraction. The moment Hong Guoguo tilted her head to dodge the knife, the shadow lowered her center of gravity and slammed into her, putting her entire body weight into the collision.
Bang!
A dull thud echoed. Although Hong Guoguo raised her arms in time to block, the sudden, massive force sent her staggering back. She was knocked right toward the open window, her body tilting outward as she lost control.
At that exact moment, while her balance was compromised and she was using one hand to grip the window frame to steady herself—
The shadow seized the only window of escape! Without hesitation, she kicked off the floor and leapt through the window, rapidly flying out of the room.
Hong Guoguo, having steadied herself, immediately reached out to grab her.
Rippp—
It was too late. Her fingers only tore away a tuft of cold, black fur. Outside, the night remained silent, and the shadow had vanished without a trace.
"Cursed traitor. Just you wait. Once I return to Genesis Tech and undergo two or three more rounds of gene modification, I'll reach that level too. When that time comes, I'll dig your heart out with my own hands!"
In a secluded alley, the shadow clutched her wound and shuffled along the wall toward the Genesis Tech branch, cursing Hong Guoguo under her breath.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted her tirade.
"Then I'm afraid you won't be able to do that in this lifetime."
"Who is it? Come out!"
The shadow froze, her gaze darting warily around the surroundings. But aside from the emptiness and the dark, she saw no sign of anyone.
"Stop hiding! You think I haven't noticed you? Come out!"
She didn't believe for a second that what she heard was a hallucination; the only possibility was that someone was concealing their presence.
"Eh~ don't be so nervous. Didn't you want to know where I am?"
"In that case... why don't you look behind you?"
Startled, the shadow whipped around, but still saw nothing. Just as she thought she was being toyed with...
A small, fair hand wearing a black fingerless glove and sporting gold nail polish appeared from behind and rested gently on her shoulder.
"What—"
Her pupils dilated. Her legs tensed as she tried to put distance between herself and the hand's owner.
Snap—
A crisp sound of bone shattering rang out. The shadow's body stiffened, and she collapsed face-first onto the ground, devoid of life.
At that moment, the owner of the hand emerged from the shadows—it was Cipher herself.
"To think that was Hong Guoguo's secret... Combined with what Li Yan said about feline demi-humans from a magical world, he must have been referring to her, right?"
Thinking of this, Cipher turned her gaze toward the inn, her eyes narrowing.
"Things are starting to get interesting."