Chapter 198: The Shapeshifter

Chapter 198: The Shapeshifter

After finishing the grilled skewers, Lin Zeyu yawned and headed home.

Su Muyu stepped out onto the balcony and admired the night view for a while before suddenly turning around and asking, "That metahuman, who transformed into my appearance, what did she do to you?"

Lu Heng hesitated and stammered, "Nothing much."

"Really?"

"Of course, it's true."

"Then what did she want to do with you?"

"How would I know what others are thinking? I don't have mind-reading abilities."

Su Muyu's eyes curved into a crescent, and she asked suspiciously, "Then what do you want to do?"

Lu Heng was taken aback several times before suddenly changing his attitude. He stood up and walked towards her, asking, "Do you really want to know?"

This time, it was Su Muyu who was stunned. She glanced at the upper right corner and said, "I just want to know what you two were up to."

Lu Heng grabbed her shoulder and turned her around, then hugged her from behind, saying, "It was something like this. You just hold me like this."

Su Muyu leaned her arm on the railing and frowned as she argued, "It wasn't me."

Lu Heng pushed her against the railing and chuckled, "I don't care. I thought it was you at that moment."

Su Muyu became slightly angry and hummed, "I'm not like that."

Lu Heng continued to smile mischievously, "So, do you not want to do this, or do you want to but feel embarrassed?"

"I don't even understand what you're saying," Su Muyu pouted, elbowing Lu Heng's stomach.

Lu Heng hugged her, feeling the cool night breeze, and memories from his past life surfaced in his mind.

In his previous life, their relationship had been very close, and they had even come close to crossing the boundaries of friendship.

They had embraced like this before.

However, during one of their embraces, Lu Heng had touched her prosthetic limb.

For that brief moment, Lu Heng's hand had paused.

Su Muyu's sensitive nerves immediately triggered her defensive posture, and she pushed Lu Heng away, blocking her prosthetic limbs with her skirt.

From then on, Su Muyu had always avoided physical contact.

This was also the reason why, in his past life, they never crossed the boundaries of friendship.

The emergence of the Abyss brought forth superhuman abilities. If her legs were simply fractured, with nerve damage and an inability to stand, there were many superhuman powers that could heal her.

However, in his past life, Su Muyu had suffered a comminuted fracture in both legs, requiring amputation, which was why she had to use a wheelchair.

At that time, Lu Heng hadn't meant to touch her prosthetic limb; it was just a reflexive reaction. His hand had only paused for a moment, but it had triggered her sensitive nerves.

Because of this incident, Lu Heng always felt guilty and indebted to her.

Recalling this, Lu Heng's hand unconsciously moved downwards, touching one of her slender legs. It was as if a missing piece within him had finally been restored.

Su Muyu, feeling so lightly touched, frowned and slapped his hand away, asking, "What are you doing?"

Lu Heng snapped out of his memories, quickly releasing her and coughing twice to hide his embarrassment. He scratched his head, pretending nothing had happened.

Su Muyu pouted, her face turning red. Her eyes and nose seemed to be somewhere else, and she felt she should be angry, but her heart was like a playful fawn.

...

The next day.

Lin Zeyu purchased a cyber laser gun and brought it for the Mechanical Tiger's installation.

This cyber laser gun was B-Class, and if used by a metahuman, it was often less effective than a B-Class assault rifle or sniper rifle of the same level.

This was because the battery of a single laser gun limited its energy output power.

But when installed on the Mechanical Tiger, it was different. It could be powered by the mechanical core, and additional battery modules could be equipped.

The energy output power could be increased several times over.

After obtaining the laser gun, the Mechanical Tiger underwent modifications, transforming it into a laser emitter. The interface was then matched and installed inside its mouth.

With just a roar, it could shoot a high-energy laser, and due to the improved energy supply, its power was significantly enhanced.

After installing the laser emitter, Lin Zeyu prepared to take the Mechanical Tiger out for a spin.

He had made plans with a group of friends at the newly opened Ultimate Club. He brought the Mechanical Tiger to show off.

At the Ultimate Club, young masters and young ladies from prominent families and corporations gathered, drinking and chatting.

Lin Zeyu, with the Mechanical Tiger, greeted his friends whom he hadn't seen in a while, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

When the Mechanical Tiger spread its mechanical wings and flew into the air, it elicited a wave of admiration.

"Lin Zeyu, is this tiger for sale? Name your price, and I'll buy it no matter the cost," said the young master of a corporation, immediately taking a liking to the Mechanical Tiger.

A mechanical beast with a metallic body and mechanical wings, propelled by ion thrusters, soared through the air. Who wouldn't want one?

The young masters of large families and corporations, having grown up with every desire fulfilled, knew that if they couldn't get something, it was simply a matter of not paying enough. And money was one thing they had in abundance.

Lin Zeyu looked at the young master of a multinational corporation and said with a hint of arrogance, "Jiu Shaocong, it's not that I look down on you, but this Mechanical Tiger is indeed beyond your means."

The young master, Jiu Shaocong, was instantly displeased. "There's nothing in this world I can't afford. Name your price."

Lin Zeyu shook his head and smiled. "Jiu Shaocong, don't be too full of yourself. Go and check first. Find out what level of Sikes Civilization's Mechanical Beast you're dealing with."

Information about Sikes Civilization was no longer a secret among the large corporations and influential families on Blue Planet. After all, several teams of Ability Warriors had ventured into Sikes World, and the news had undoubtedly spread among the upper echelons.

Lin Zeyu, leading the Mechanical Tiger, showed off to the group of formerly arrogant individuals, who now tried to get close to him. Satisfied, he was about to head home.

After the display, he planned to return to training and improve his skill proficiency, including his gun skills.

Ever since confirming his path of firearm enhancement, he had committed to a daily training regimen of a thousand rounds, using the opportunity to also practice his Advanced Armor Piercing Rounds.

As a result, his proficiency with Advanced Armor Piercing Rounds was also nearing completion.

Just as he was about to leave, Jiu Shaocong led in three beautiful women and said, "Lin Zeyu, let me introduce you to some new friends."

The three women were indeed stunning, and one of them happened to fit Lin Zeyu's aesthetic perfectly.

They found a private room, sat down, and continued drinking and chatting.

"Hello, Lin Shao. I'm Rose," said the beauty who had captured Lin Zeyu's attention, raising her glass for a toast. They sat together, and the conversation grew more exciting.

Rose's fingers traced his arms and legs, saying, "Your muscular physique is amazing."

Lin Zeyu raised an eyebrow. In a situation like this, he couldn't back down. He straightened his back and said, "Not only are my muscles impressive, but I also have an incredibly powerful skill. Want to give it a try?"

His second-tier job, Demon Hunter, allowed him to mark a target and lock onto it with his spirit, enabling him to see the target's location even when it was out of sight or with his eyes closed.

Furthermore, this skill increased damage by 30% and could be activated a second time to detonate the mark, recalculating the damage dealt to the target during the marking duration.

The skill's power lay in the fact that only the Demon Hunter could perceive the mark; the target remained unaware of its existence.

The damage inflicted by this skill depended on the amount of damage dealt during the marking period.

If the damage dealt was low, the mark's detonation would result in similarly low damage.

Moreover, the attack location remained the same.

In theory, using this skill for a particular purpose could potentially double the pleasure.

As they chatted, Lin Zeyu casually placed a mark on her.

"This Mechanical Tiger is so cool. Can you give it to me?" Rose asked playfully, making a small request.

Lin Zeyu was adept at handling such situations. "Sure, how long do you want to play with it?"

"Ugh," Rose said as her phone rang. She nudged Lin Zeyu, stood up to check his phone, and then turned back. "I need to touch up my makeup. I'll be right back."

Lin Zeyu remained in the private room, continuing to drink with his friends from the same circle.

Another beautiful woman approached and flirted with him.

After half an hour, Rose still hadn't returned.

Lin Zeyu wasn't particularly interested in the other women. He stood up, stretched his neck, and looked around, only to find that Rose hadn't come back.

His priorities had changed; he no longer wanted to waste time drinking here. He prepared to leave with the Mechanical Tiger.

Jiu Shaocong, with an arm around a voluptuously dressed woman, said, "Don't rush off. We've barely started. Let's open a couple of bottles of Musigny and continue drinking."

"I have important matters to attend to," Lin Zeyu said, waving goodbye as he left, even if Rose returned. His interest had waned.

"But you were having such a good time with Rose. Why not ask her to continue drinking with you somewhere else?" Jiu Shaocong suggested.

Lin Zeyu shook his hand and left the private room.

After leaving, Lin Zeyu felt something was amiss.

He had been getting along well with Rose, but she had left to touch up her makeup and hadn't returned.

Was she taken away by another big boss?

Lin Zeyu recalled the mark he had placed on Rose earlier and wanted to test its effect. He closed his eyes to search for her.

As he closed his eyes, his vision darkened, and the target with the mark appeared as a red silhouette in the darkness.

As soon as he closed his eyes, he saw a red human silhouette right in the first-floor hall of the club in front of him.

Lin Zeyu opened his eyes and walked into the first-floor hall, looking in the direction of the red mark.

However, he couldn't find Rose no matter where he looked.

Lin Zeyu was a bit puzzled and closed his eyes again to search, only to find the red silhouette in the sofa area of the first-floor hall.

He opened his eyes once more and was stunned by what he saw.

There was indeed someone sitting on the sofa, but it wasn't Rose, nor was it someone from Great Xia. Instead, it was a blonde Caucasian man.

The appearance of this blonde man was completely different from Rose's, clearly indicating they were not the same person.

But why was the Hunter's Mark on someone else?

Lin Zeyu suddenly realized what was happening and quickly retreated, hiding in the hallway. He took out his phone and sent a message to Lu Heng.

Just as he finished sending the message, he heard someone greeting him, "Lin Shao, what are you doing here?"

Lin Zeyu looked up and was stunned for a moment. The person greeting him was none other than Rose.

After a brief pause, Lin Zeyu quickly put on a smile and replied, "You took so long to touch up your makeup that I was about to leave."

Rose walked over and hooked her arm around his, saying, "Come on, let's have a few more drinks. I'll keep you company."

"Okay... sure," Lin Zeyu tried to maintain a normal demeanor and followed her back to the private room, checking with his eyes closed along the way to confirm that the mark was still on her.

His mind raced, and he suddenly stopped, saying, "Why don't we go somewhere else to drink? It's too crowded here, and it's no fun."

"Sure," Rose agreed readily.

The two of them went to the neighboring hotel and booked a luxurious suite.

"Let's take a bath together," she suggested.

Once inside the suite, Lin Zeyu headed towards the bathroom.

"Don't be like that. You go first," Rose said as she shook off his arm and pushed him into the bathroom.

Lin Zeyu entered the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and sat on the edge of the bathtub, taking out his phone to check the message. He muttered anxiously, "Read the message, read the message. Otherwise, this Tang Sanzang's flesh will be devoured by a female demon."

He quickly sent his location as well and then sent a message to Su Muyu, also posting one in the team group chat.

After sending the messages, he stood up and set up a Void Eye at the bathroom door, then waited quietly.

Time ticked by, second by second.

With his eyes closed, Lin Zeyu could see Rose's silhouette as she moved around the suite, checking her pistol and bullets before putting them away.

If it were just Rose, Lin Zeyu wouldn't be too concerned.

However, when he was in the first-floor hall earlier, he had seen her talking to another Caucasian man in the sofa area, clearly planning their next move.

At this moment, that Caucasian man should be outside the room, and there might even be more than one person.

If Lin Zeyu were to take out this Rose now, the others outside might rush in, and he wasn't sure he could handle them all.

After all, a sniper trapped in a hotel suite couldn't utilize their long-range sniping specialty, and they could easily be defeated by close-range metahumans.

He anxiously waited in the bathroom for five minutes, listening to the sound of the running faucet. His heart was beating faster and faster.

Five minutes earlier, a message had been sent in the team group chat, asking him to stall for time.

However, the Rose outside the bathroom started pacing back and forth, clearly preparing to make her move.

Lin Zeyu stared at his phone, and finally, it vibrated, indicating a new message in the group chat.

Su Muyu: "There are three suspicious individuals outside the hotel room, two Caucasians and one African-American, likely metahumans. The suite's curtains are drawn, so we can't see the situation inside."

Lu Heng: "We'll handle the three outside the suite. We'll take action in 30 seconds. You deal with the one in the room. If you can't handle it, let us know in advance."

Lin Zeyu sent an emoji indicating he had received the message and then set up a Decoy Trap in the bathtub, preparing for what was to come.

The Decoy Trap skill creates a decoy doppelganger identical to the user.

The decoy doppelganger has no offensive capabilities and cannot fight. When attacked, it transforms into a trap, restraining the attacker.

Time ticked by.

Through the Hunter's Mark, Lin Zeyu could see Rose reaching out to grasp the bathroom doorknob through the wall.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end