88: Chapter 88 A-Level Showdown

Chen Mo waited in the Farmhouse for three days.

Shadow did not come.

But that feeling of being watched remained.

Every evening, when the sun set, a point would appear in his Time Perception—one kilometer away, moving slowly, then disappearing before dawn.

She was observing him.

Waiting for his wounds to heal completely, waiting for him to lower his guard, waiting for the perfect moment.

Chen Mo did not deliberately take precautions.

He just ate, slept, and organized supplies as usual.

The wound on his left arm had mostly healed, and his Serialization progress was stable at 1.1%.

He re-categorized the fragments; the Void Realm core and sniper core were stored separately, while Shadow's short blade fragments were kept within reach.

On the evening of the third day, that feeling changed.

It was no longer being watched, but being locked onto.

Chen Mo stood up from his chair and gripped his cleaver.

Lin Wei was nearby; seeing his expression, she also became tense.

"She's here?"

Chen Mo nodded.

He walked out of the Basement and stood in the yard.

The setting sun dyed the sky a dark red, a color rarely seen in the Ghost Realm—usually, dusk was grey, but today it was red.

In his Time Perception, that point was moving rapidly.

One kilometer.

Five hundred meters.

Two hundred meters.

Fifty meters.

She appeared.

Shadow stood at the entrance of the Farmhouse, wearing a black bodysuit, the wound on her shoulder already healed.

Her complexion was still very pale, but her eyes were sharper than last time.

The two locked eyes.

The silence lasted for about ten seconds.

Then Shadow spoke.

"I have come to kill you."

Chen Mo did not speak.

Shadow took a step forward.

"This time, I will not miss."

Chen Mo looked at her.

In his twenty-second Prediction, her next movements were clearly visible—she would first launch a feint, stabbing his right shoulder, then immediately change direction to stab his throat.

The same routine as last time, but faster and more ruthless.

Chen Mo spoke. "You shouldn't have come."

Shadow did not answer. She moved.

Twice as fast as last time.

That black shadow was in front of him almost instantly, the short blade stabbing toward his right shoulder.

Chen Mo dodged to the side, Shadow's blade grazing his clothes.

Her second strike had already arrived—the throat.

Chen Mo lowered his head, the blade sweeping over his head.

The third strike, the fourth strike, the fifth strike.

Every strike was faster than the last.

Chen Mo could only dodge; he couldn't fight back.

His Prediction could see every strike, but his body couldn't keep up.

Although the wound on his left arm had healed, his strength hadn't fully recovered.

By the twelfth strike, Chen Mo was too slow.

Shadow's short blade slashed across his chest.

It wasn't deep, but blood gushed out.

Chen Mo retreated, putting distance between them.

Shadow did not pursue; she just stood there, watching him.

"Your wounds haven't healed," she said.

Chen Mo did not speak.

He looked down at the wound on his chest, then looked back up at Shadow.

In his twenty-second Prediction, she would next launch an even stronger attack—thirteen consecutive strikes, each aimed at a vital point.

He couldn't dodge.

Chen Mo activated Eerie Power Burst.

All attributes increased by 50%.

Thirty seconds.

Shadow rushed over.

The first strike, Chen Mo dodged to the side.

The second strike, he lowered his head to dodge.

The third strike, he jumped to dodge.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth strikes.

Each strike grazed his body.

The thirteenth strike.

Shadow's short blade stabbed toward his heart.

Chen Mo did not dodge.

He raised his left hand and caught the blade with his palm.

The blade pierced his palm, and fresh blood splattered out.

But the blade stopped.

Shadow's eyes widened.

She hadn't expected someone to catch a blade with their hand.

Chen Mo did not give her time to react.

He raised his cleaver with his right hand and slashed at her shoulder.

Shadow wanted to dodge, but the blade was still in his hand.

She couldn't pull it out.

The cleaver bit into her shoulder, in the same spot as last time.

Blood gushed out.

Shadow released the short blade and retreated.

Chen Mo pulled the blade out of his left palm and threw it on the ground.

The wound was very painful, but he did not stop.

He rushed over.

The second strike, the third strike, the fourth strike.

Shadow had no weapon and could only dodge.

But she couldn't dodge anymore.

The wound on her shoulder slowed her down.

The fifth strike slashed into her side rib.

Shadow fell to the ground.

Chen Mo stood in front of her, raising his cleaver.

Shadow looked at him; in those pure black eyes, there was no fear, only something indescribable.

"Do it."

Chen Mo looked at her. He looked for a long time.

Then he lowered his cleaver.

Shadow was stunned. "Why?"

Chen Mo did not speak.

He turned and walked back to the Basement.

Behind him, Shadow's voice chased after him. "Next time, I will kill you."

Chen Mo did not stop. "I know."

He walked into the Basement and closed the door.

Lin Wei rushed over, looking at his wounds. "Are you crazy?"

Chen Mo did not speak.

He sat on the chair and let Lin Wei bandage him.

【Repelled A-Rank Assassin "Shadow"】【Obtained: Shadow's Short Blade × 1】【Obtained: Assassin Intel × 1】【Serialization Progress: 1.3%】

He looked at that line of text. It was 1.3%. It had gone up 0.2%. But it was worth it.

Because he had proven that even when injured, even without using his full strength, he could still win.

Shadow would remember this.

Outside the window, dawn was approaching. The Ghost Night was over.

Chen Mo closed his eyes. He slept.

When he woke up, it was already afternoon.

Lin Wei was not there; there was food and water on the table.

Chen Mo ate the food and stood up to stretch his body.

The wound on his left hand had been bandaged, and the wound on his chest wasn't deep; it would heal in a few days.

He walked out of the Basement and stood in the yard.

The sunlight shone on his face, feeling warm.

Traces of last night's battle remained on the ground—bloodstains, footprints, and that short blade.

Chen Mo walked over and picked up the short blade.

It was pitch black, with intricate runes carved into the blade.

It was very light, much lighter than it looked.

【Shadow's Short Blade · A-Rank Item】【Effect: Holder's stealth ability increased by 30%】【Description: Shadow's exclusive weapon, abandoned by her】

Abandoned. She had left the blade for him.

What did this mean? Chen Mo did not know.

He put the short blade away.

When he turned around, he saw something else on the ground.

A note. He unfolded it; there was only one line of text on it: "Next time, I will not hold back. — Shadow"

Chen Mo looked at that line of text. Then he put the note away.

Next time. He knew there would be a next time.

But it didn't matter. He would wait.

Waiting for her to come, then letting her know—who the real hunter was.

In the distance, the sun was setting. The Ghost Night was coming again.

But Chen Mo was not afraid. Because he was Chen Mo.