Exposed? Even with a second chance at life, Qin Siyang had never felt the terror of facing arrest and punishment. Panic surged within him—more intense than when he'd eaten god remains in the trash can, killed men in a dark alley, or even when he'd first been reborn, staring at countless glowing moths crawling on the windowpane. He sat dumbfounded at the computer, unsure what to do next.
Just then, the message on the screen changed again:
[Manager's Friendly Reminder]
[Keep browsing. Don't leave when you're done—wait for me in the alley behind the café.]
Qin Siyang stared at the words, all desire to continue browsing Godslayer Camp gone. The manager had been watching him this entire time. Confusion nagged at him—was the manager really that free? Did he have nothing better to do than spy on every customer's online activities?
But he'd already paid for the time; sitting idle would be a waste. Calming his nerves, he opened Godslayer Camp again. This would likely be his last time in this café—no, his last time in any café. He had to find a disguise Sequence before he left.
Qin Siyang resumed scrolling through the Sequence summary post, searching for the perfect cover. Finally, his gaze locked on one:
[Phantom Assassin]
[Sequence Level 1: Assassin Apprentice]
[Skill: Between Life and Death. Doubles agility for 5 minutes; afterward, causes extreme exhaustion, rendering one immobile for 30 minutes.]
[Sequence Level 2: Swift Assassin]
[Skill: Between Life and Death (Enhanced). Doubles agility and strength for 5 minutes; afterward, causes extreme exhaustion, rendering one immobile for 20 minutes.]
Qin Siyang realized his Brutality skill fully covered both Level 1 and Level 2 of the Phantom Assassin Sequence, letting him blend in seamlessly for a while. He memorized the skill descriptions thoroughly, then searched the forum for more about the Sequence—thousands of posts popped up instantly, confirming it was quite common.
[What's the best gear for a Phantom Assassin?]
[Who makes the best teammates for a Phantom Assassin?]
[My Phantom Assassin teammate is useless—he only uses his skill to run away in fights. What do I do?]
[Phantom Assassin looking for a god-hunting team. Warriors preferred.]
...
Qin Siyang clicked on a pinned post titled [Phantom Assassin Guide (Essential)]. It detailed training methods, how to use Administration resources wisely, and how to buy the best gear. He also learned that Phantom Assassin Level 3 was Shadow Assassin:
[Skill: Between Life and Death (Enhanced II). Triples agility and doubles strength for 10 minutes; afterward, causes extreme exhaustion, rendering one immobile for 10 minutes.]
Unlike most Sequences that unlocked new skills with each level, known Phantom Assassins only had one skill, which grew stronger upon leveling up. Qin Siyang couldn't decide if this linear progression was good or bad—it had its pros and cons. If they failed to take down enemies before their skill expired, survival was nearly impossible. Undoubtedly, Phantom Assassins relied heavily on teammates.
This skill was perfect for hiding his true abilities. Brutality completely overshadowed the first three levels of the Phantom Assassin's skill, so he'd need to deliberately hold back to play the part of a Swift Assassin. Comparing God-Eater to Swift Assassin only reinforced how powerful his own Sequence was—Brutality, unlocked at Level 2, was already stronger than the repeatedly enhanced skill of the Swift Assassin.
From the forum, he also learned that Swift Assassins were in high demand; many god-hunting teams wanted to recruit them. And that wasn't his only advantage—his base attributes already matched, or even exceeded, a Phantom Assassin using Between Life and Death. He could be invincible among low-level Ability users without using any skills at all.
The key to playing a Phantom Assassin? Holding back.
Having found his "cover" Sequence, Qin Siyang got a notification that his time was up. He exchanged a glance with the manager at the counter, logged out, and left the café under the man's watchful eye. After avoiding the surveillance camera at the entrance, he headed to the alley behind the café as instructed.
The alley, outside the café owner's jurisdiction, had no cameras—it was a neglected, messy area piled with garbage and disposable food containers, reeking of swill, a scent faintly reminiscent of the school cafeteria. There was barely a clean spot to stand; Qin Siyang wiped a stone slab clean, placed it on the greasy steps, and sat down.
He waited idly for three or four hours until the café's lights finally turned off. He felt as if he'd absorbed the stench of swill into his bones. A while later, the greasy middle-aged manager appeared at the alley's entrance—wearing a white shirt, jiggling with every step, an outer coat draped over his shoulder, and sweat stains yellowing his collar and cuffs.
The manager paid no mind to the trash, kicking it aside casually as he walked, smearing oil on his shoes. Qin Siyang stared at him in disgust, while the manager looked back with greedy eyes.
"Kid, the cops were looking for you because you killed someone, right?" The opening line hit Qin Siyang right where it hurt. He said nothing. He doubted news of the murder near Exit 89757 had spread to this remote area in just one night—the manager must have guessed. There was no need to admit it.
The manager chuckled. "Even if you don't talk, I know. You were on that Ability user forum last time, and you're on it again today." He addressed Qin Siyang's unspoken question, prompting Qin Siyang to ask: "Do you remember every customer?"
"Of course not—I don't have a memory-based Sequence ability."
"Just me?" Qin Siyang wondered why he'd been so unlucky to catch the eye of this disgusting man.
"You look like a poor drifter from the edge of the safe zone. A guy like you spending money on internet time? I had to take a second look. And you wore the same jacket both times, so I remembered you." The manager's voice rose with excitement. "You lingered on the Immortal and Scentsmith Sequences—most users of those work for the police on cases. Then the cops showed up, and you deleted your browsing history in a hurry, opening a text file to pretend you were reading an e-book. I knew right away—you'd killed someone and were checking if the police's Ability users could track you."
The manager's fat cheeks trembled with delight, as if celebrating a brilliant deduction. Qin Siyang remained noncommittal. He refused to respond to any of the guesses, even if they were correct. Never let your enemies read your mind—he couldn't remember which movie he'd heard that line from, but it was his strategy now. He wouldn't give the manager a single more clue about himself.
Qin Siyang stared silently, waiting for the man to continue. The manager seemed surprised by his lack of reaction but didn't panic—he still held all the cards.
"I called you here for something simple. I won't tell anyone about your little secret… but you have to give me one silver coin as hush money."
Qin Siyang laughed coldly, his sharp gaze cutting into the manager. "One silver coin? Are you crazy?"
The manager flinched under the murderous aura in Qin Siyang's eyes—an intensity that couldn't be faked. This teenage boy had definitely killed someone. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to stand his ground. "I'm not crazy. One silver coin is cheap for your life. Besides, you're already a murderer—there's nothing you won't do." Emboldened, he added, "I don't care how you get it—steal, rob, kill. Just get me that silver coin."
Qin Siyang watched him ramble indifferently, as if observing a stranger's absurdity. The manager felt as if he was being hunted by a tiger, his skin crawling. But he forced a laugh. "You can't scare me. We're both just ordinary guys stuck in this dump—neither of us is better than the other."
Hmm? So the manager didn't realize Qin Siyang was a Sequence Ability user. That was a small silver lining in the mess. Qin Siyang didn't let the manager dictate the conversation—he'd noticed the man's breathing quickening, a sign of nervousness. He pressed further. "If you know I killed someone, why aren't you afraid I'll kill you too?"
The manager wiped cold sweat from his face. "I wrote an email reporting you, with a close-up photo of you from the surveillance camera. It's set to send to the police station at 3 AM tomorrow. I reset the time every day, pushing it back by 24 hours. If I die, you get exposed too." To convince Qin Siyang, he added, "Don't believe me? Try it! Kill me right now!"
The scheduled email was like a ticking time bomb, forcing Qin Siyang to proceed carefully. The manager's trick had tied his hands—he couldn't risk killing the man.
"Bring me 1,000 copper coins by next week! Otherwise, I'll turn you in to the police!" The manager grinned triumphantly, revealing a set of yellow, broken teeth.
Qin Siyang said nothing, turning and walking out of the alley. The manager watched his retreating figure, snorting in disdain. "So what if you're a murderer? You'll still grovel and give me money. I'll milk this secret for the rest of my life! Keep working, kid—you're gonna buy me a house and a car!"
Suddenly, he realized he didn't know Qin Siyang's name. "Hey! I'm Liu Dazhi! What's your name?"
Qin Siyang kept walking in silence, never looking back. A dead man didn't need to know his name.