"Huh. When’s this rain gonna let up?" I muttered to myself.

Leaning against the roadside, I’d been waiting for the downpour to stop for ages. But the rain showed no sign of easing. Ever since becoming a Mimic, my senses had sharpened in every way.

I could trace the path of each tiny raindrop.

I closed my eyes.

I could hear conversations from the house next door.

Listening to the pattering rain… ah, I didn’t miss home anymore. Right now, I just wanted to get back to my apartment and game.

Huh? Someone’s coming.

The streets were empty under the heavy rain, yet I sensed a figure slowly approaching. I turned my head. Still far off, but I could make out a man in black.

Soon, he reached my shelter and stood on the other side, waiting out the rain.

I stole a glance at him. What a weirdo…

This guy looked twenty-eight or twenty-nine, drenched in a black Zhongshan suit. His hair was slicked back with gel like Chow Yun-fat in *Shanghai Bund*—except now it hung in wet strands.

His narrow-set eyes, the slight curl of his lips, his hands clasped behind his back—he radiated an air of unfathomable depth…

Mind officially blown. *Bro, did you time-travel here?* Who still wears a Zhongshan suit these days? And that hairstyle? Sure, he was kinda handsome, but dressing like this? If he were an old man, I’d get it. So many things to rant about.

Still, I kept the吐槽 to myself.

Plus, he was soaked to the bone. If it were me, I’d have sprinted home already. Why bother sheltering? Weirdos were everywhere today.

Whatever. Not my business.

"Young man." Suddenly, he spoke to me!

Without turning his head, posture unchanged, hands still clasped behind his back—that same inscrutable aura.

"W-What is it?"

"Why aren’t you home so late?" His low, masculine voice pressed on.

*Damn. I really wanted to snap, ‘Are you blind? Can’t you see it’s pouring?!’*

"I’m waiting for the rain to stop…"

"Hmm." Then silence.

*Good. No more small talk.* The quiet stretched, broken only by the rain.

Huh!? Killing intent!

"Then you won’t be going home at all…" As he spoke, a black, flexible sword materialized in his hand from nowhere!

"Huh?!" I twisted around—just as a blade of darkness slashed toward my neck!

Fast! Too fast! An impossibly sharp angle—a single strike aimed straight for the kill spot! I could see it but couldn’t react!

Compared to that emo kid from before, this was like a swordmaster versus a toddler!

*Dead…*

*CLANG!* Steel met steel.

"Oh? You blocked it…" His low voice cut through the rain. Seeing his strike fail, the stranger instantly retreated several steps, putting distance between us, poised for his next move.

Missed? Blocked?

Sweat poured down my spine. I’d just brushed past death’s door… My mutated Spider Spikes had saved me!

Before I could even flinch, they’d shot out on their own to parry the blow!

*Do they have a mind of their own? Wait—wrong time for this!*

The black-clad stranger stood two paces away, eyes narrowed, unreadable.

His black sword trembled faintly, radiating lethal energy.

"Judge?" I asked.

This man was dangerous. Powerful. Unlike Yeping’s space-warping aura, his killing intent lay buried deep—until it erupted, focusing every ounce of malice into a single, devastating strike!

He smiled faintly, eyes still narrowed, saying nothing.

"Dregs of society must be purged!" His voice turned sharp, low, and cold.

*Heh.* All I could manage was a dry chuckle.

The killing intent exploded! The attack was coming!

He moved—a blur. Three black sword flashes engulfed his figure. Three strikes came at me: neck, heart, abdomen—all from different angles!

Blinding speed. Impossible angles. No dodging. Only blocking.

This time, I could see and react—but how to stop all three at once?!

*CLANG!* Spider Spikes intercepted the strike aimed at my heart.

I threw an arm up to guard my throat and activated Invincible Roll! Ignoring the other two strikes—hit or miss, I just needed to get clear!

The blades struck as I rolled, but I made it to the middle of the street.

I knelt on one knee. Only after two seconds did the pain hit—neck and waist bleeding…

"Disappointed?" I pushed myself up slowly.

The stranger still watched me with those narrow eyes, but his smile had vanished. His sure-kill triple strike hadn’t delivered.

My neck wasn’t slashed open—just a shallow cut. My abdomen wasn’t pierced—just a gash on my side.

"Good escape skills…" He smiled again, voice laced with mockery.

"If you can block my next strike…" He shifted his stance as he spoke, "…I’ll let you live."

He gripped the sword with both hands, planted his feet wide, coiled like a spring. Unlike his earlier sudden attack, his entire being was taut now. This strike would be absolute death.

"*Ugh…*" I almost laughed. No way I could block this.

"Take this!" His roar cut through the rain.

He lunged like an arrow, man and sword fused into one streak of darkness charging at me!

Spider Spikes shot out to impale him!

"Hmph!" A low grunt. His sword flicked sideways, deflecting my spikes effortlessly.

*Dead!* I thought.

With my spikes deflected, my body was wide open. His half-lidded eyes locked on mine as the black blade thrust straight for my forehead!

*BANG!* A gunshot cracked from behind me.

"Stand down!" A mechanical voice boomed from my back.

The black blade stopped a centimeter from my brow. The killing intent vanished, the sword now just a harmless strip of metal.

I’d just danced past death’s door again. Staring at that black sword, I scrambled backward on my butt, putting distance between me and this killer. Then I looked at the shooter behind me.

Standing there… was a robot? No. I sensed a human inside full black mechanical armor, helmet hiding his face.

"You’ve killed too many unrelated Mimics today. That breaks the rules." Even his voice was robotic.

The black-clad man glanced at him, annoyance flashing across his face. He turned to leave.

"I’m talking to you!" The mechanical voice rang out again, edged with anger.

"Talk to me when you dare show your face, Heiqi…"

"…Go." The armored man—Heiqi—said to me.

I touched the blood on my neck, standing slowly in the rain. I looked at the armored figure, then at the black-clad man vanishing into the downpour. A bitter不甘 surged in my chest!

Yuetianlei’s words suddenly echoed in my mind.

*You’re too weak…*

"Hey! Tell me your name!" I gritted my teeth, shouting at the nearly vanished figure.

He stopped. Turned his head slightly. Those narrow eyes flicked toward me—then he walked on.

"TWS, Zhao Jiansheng." His voice drifted back as he disappeared around the corner.

Heiqi had also vanished. Only I remained alone in the rain-soaked street.

Back at my apartment door, I didn’t even remember how I got here… I fumbled for my keys, but my hands shook too badly to insert them.

"*Damn it!*" I slammed my fist against the door, keys still clutched tight.

*Damn it!* My whole body trembled.

I stumbled back, sinking onto the railing, head in my hands. Yuetianlei’s words looped in my skull.

*You’re too weak… You’re too weak… You’re too weak…*

"Am I really that weak?" I looked up, tossed the keys at the door, pulled out my phone, and dialed Yeping.

"Who is it?" Her voice snapped through the receiver.

"It’s me…"

"What do you want?"

"I want to get stronger…"

"…"

"I *will* get stronger!" I repeated fiercely.

"Come see me this Saturday night." She hung up.

"I swear…" I growled at the dead line, "…I’ll never need saving again!"