107: Ace Sniper - Natasha

Jiang Xin took a deep breath, trying to suppress the surging excitement and anticipation in his heart.

Outside the window, the hustle and bustle of the base was cut off by thick soundproofing, leaving only the steady sound of his own heartbeat echoing in the quiet space.

He was about to summon the second special hero of the Red Alert Legion, the legendary Soviet ace Sniper who struck terror into the hearts of her enemies, the hunter who traversed the shadows—Natasha.

He closed his eyes and awakened the red alert system in the depths of his consciousness: "No. 1, open the hero list and summon hero—Natasha!"

“Instruction received, summoning program for special hero unit 'Natasha' initiated... Commander, please wait patiently.” No. 1's cold and emotionless electronic voice rang in Jiang Xin's mind, like a pebble dropped into a deep pool, stirring up ripples.

The air in front of Jiang Xin began to twist and fluctuate. A speck of faint blue light appeared out of thin air, then rapidly expanded, outlining the silhouette of a massive halo about three meters in diameter. The edge of the halo was not smooth, but composed of countless fine, liquid sapphire-like energy threads that constantly rotated and intertwined, emitting a low hum. The light gradually solidified from illusory to tangible; its brightness was not dazzling, yet it carried a profound chill that pierced the soul, as if connecting to some cold, alternate dimension. The light in the room was sucked in by this faint blue halo, plunging the surroundings into a strange semi-darkness.

Time seemed to stretch. Jiang Xin held his breath, staring unblinkingly at the rotating faint blue core. The five-minute wait felt exceptionally long amidst the intertwining silence and energy hum.

Finally, the light at the center of the halo rippled like water. A foot wearing a pure black, tough-textured, over-the-knee high combat boot that reached mid-thigh stepped out first! The sole of the boot stepped onto the metal floor, making a crisp and cold "clack," which was exceptionally clear in the silent room. With just one foot and lower leg, the staggering proportions and tight, smooth lines of the leg allowed Jiang Xin to instantly judge—Natasha's height definitely exceeded 1.8 meters!

Next, another equally long and powerful leg stepped out. A tall yet harmoniously perfect figure, like a night elf tearing through a dark curtain, walked out of the halo with grace and composure. The halo quietly vanished behind her, leaving only the lingering energy resonance and a faint scent of ozone in the air.

Her appearance seemed to dim the light in the quiet room even further. Her pale blonde hair had a natural slight curl, like flowing liquid gold, cascading over her lean yet powerful shoulders. Her facial features combined the three-dimensional depth of a Nordic sculpture with the refined harmony of Eastern aesthetics—beneath a high and straight nose were two thin, pale pink lips like newly bloomed cherry blossoms. Most heart-stopping were those eyes. Faint blue, like the deep ice lakes of Siberia, crystal clear yet unfathomable; there was no warmth in them, only the pure, inorganic focus and coldness of locking onto prey. Her fair skin seemed to glow slightly in the dim light, making those ice-blue eyes stand out like cold stars.

She wore a form-fitting black one-piece combat suit; the matte material seemed to absorb the surrounding light, outlining curves that were full of power yet retained feminine flexibility. On the combat suit, complex and ancient patterns were embroidered with gold thread, like mysterious runes that flickered in and out of sight as she moved. A heavy Sniper rifle, nearly two-thirds of her height and gleaming with a cold silver light, was slung casually across her back; the rugged gun body formed a strange and highly impactful aesthetic with her elegant figure. Her slender yet strong fair forearms were wrapped in matching black tactical bracers that extended to the back of her hands, revealing long fingers. Those iconic high boots not only perfectly complemented her incredible legs but also gave every step she took a silent sense of oppression.

If Tanya was a wise and seductive Goddess of War, then the woman before him was an elegant Reaper, a cold hunter hidden in the deepest shadows.

Jiang Xin didn't even see how she moved. He only felt the pale blonde hair leave an imperceptible afterimage in the air, and Natasha's tall figure seemed to traverse space itself. With just three or four elegant strides of her long legs, she went from where the halo had appeared to standing silently less than two meters in front of Jiang Xin, bringing a cold flow of air! No footsteps, no wind pressure, only a chill that seemed to come from the depths of the Arctic rushing toward him.

Natasha's movements were clean and efficient, without the slightest hesitation. Her right knee bent slightly and her left leg retracted as she knelt on one knee in a standard warrior's posture. The movement was as fluid as if it had been practiced thousands of times. She slightly lowered her pale blonde hair, and her ice-blue eyes looked up, her gaze like two invisible ice picks landing precisely on Jiang Xin's face. Her voice rang out, like the cold wind blowing across the Siberian tundra—crisp and pleasant, yet carrying the biting chill of a blizzard:

“Commander, Natasha, reporting for duty!”

Jiang Xin felt an invisible pressure envelop him; it was the almost tangible killing intent emitted by a top-tier hunter who had spent a long time on the battlefield and viewed life as cheap as grass.

He steadied his mind, secretly thankful that his time with Jiang Feifei and his experiences with Tanya had made his immunity to "beautiful women" far greater than before. He would not lose his composure like he did when he first met Tanya.

The Natasha before him, though a beautiful woman, was also a cold, lethal, and flawless humanoid weapon. That bone-deep chill and the gaze that seemed capable of piercing the soul at any moment were enough to instantly freeze the instinctive desires of any male creature.

He nodded, his steady gaze meeting those lake-like blue eyes, his voice calm and powerful: “Very well, Natasha. No need for formalities. Your abilities are already legendary to me. Welcome to the team.”

He paused and continued: “The base has a reserve of strengthening potions. In the coming days, your primary task is to use these resources to raise your strength to the level of a Rank 2 Evolver as quickly as possible.” Jiang Xin's words carried an unquestionable decisiveness. “I need you to reach Rank 2 at the fastest speed. Afterward, there will be an important mission that only you can handle.”

Natasha remained kneeling on one knee. Hearing this, there was no emotional fluctuation in her ice-blue eyes, only that cold killing intent seemed to condense slightly more. She nodded slightly and responded succinctly: “Understood, Commander.” Her voice was still cold, but it showed the absolute obedience of a Red Alert unit.

Jiang Xin watched as she stood up. Her tall figure just standing there seemed to merge with the surrounding shadows; despite being under the lights, she gave off the illusion that she could vanish into thin air at any moment. The silver Sniper rifle on her back reflected a cold luster under the lights, its muzzle like a bottomless black hole, faintly emitting a lethal threat.

Jiang Xin could even feel a faint, phantom pain at the center of his brow—it was the invisible oppression brought by a top-tier Sniper, as if in the next second, a God-Slaying Armor-Piercing Bullet would ignore the distance of space and instantly appear there.

Natasha, this hunter in the shadows, was a peerless and ferocious blade that drew blood the moment it was unsheathed. Her arrival would temper the base's edge with a lethal touch of faint blue.