Serial Player
Chapter 45: Speculation (Thanks to Moonlight Luna for the reward)

The attacker’s screams came to an abrupt halt. Under the effect of two traits, the lv5 [Player] was successfully killed by Li Changhe without being able to use his [Skill].

Underestimation was key. The more essential factor was Li Changhe’s utilization of the [Player Backpack].

A one-hit-kill left him no chance to use his skills, not to mention his [Title Skill].

Li Changhe had already thought of a countermeasure the moment the attacker tried to trade damage for death with the skill of shooting an arrow.

In the situation where both players exchanged damage, Li Changhe placed a plate armor dropped by the Earth Knight on his body. Since he couldn’t wear it anyways, it was a good way to make use of waste.

The plate armor was like a turtle shell in the age of cold weapons, and didn’t go out of historical usage until the advent of firearms. At the time, it was ineffective against extraordinary powers like Yun Ting and [Unseen Red Dust].

But even a [Equipment] machete couldn’t pierce the plate armor in one go. And what Li Changhe was waiting for was this momentary time difference.

By utilizing the effect of the [Player Backpack] appearing out of thin air, he instantly lengthened the attack distance and pierced the attacker’s eyes in one move. This was also due to the attacker’s lack of combat experience. Why didn’t he use his [Skill] when he had the intent to kill? Li Changhe calculated that if he had to fight a lv5 [Earth Knight], he would probably be forced to reveal his trump card, Yun Ting, from the beginning.

The attacker was too weak, giving Li Changhe the opportunity.

At that moment, Li Changhe had already won. Under those circumstances, not to mention [Skill], even [Backpack] would be impossible to open. The pain of being on the brink of death was enough to make the attacker lose his mind.

Still, what truly ignited Li Changhe’s killing intent were the bastard’s last words.

"Physique probably around 8 points... or maybe 7 points. [Fierce Tiger Climbing Hard] can break bones with a single punch." Li Changhe slowly retracted his arm, letting the gradually heavier rain wash away the bloodstains.

He had killed someone... Even though the person he killed was a heinous criminal, it still made Li Changhe feel uneasy.

Nausea welled in his chest.

Seeing the flashing police lights in the distance, Li Changhe wasn’t concerned about what the [Task completed] would give him. He took the short gun and machete left by the attacker and, according to Yun Ting’s perception, retreated through a small alley with no pedestrians.

Five minutes later, the police surrounded the area, and several [Great Wall players] were dispatched. Yang Dong was among them.

Yang Dong looked at the attacker’s body with disdain. ’Ah.’ The half-broken sternum had been punctured into internal organs, the right eye had been penetrated through to the brain, and he was dead beyond dead.

"We have confirmed that he was the escaped psychopathic killer. According to the statement just now, he was stopped by a female during the attack. This is the arrow used by that female." A police officer handed over an arrow encapsulated in a large-sized sealed bag.

"We’re investigating the source of this kind of arrow and all the owners in Yanyun."

"Since she dared to leave the arrow behind, it means she’s not afraid of us finding clues from it." Yang Dong shook his head slightly.

Then he looked around. The rain had turned the ground in the area muddy. Sighing, Yang Dong said, "This rain also destroyed the scene. Anyway, continue the investigation. How is the young female victim?"

"Her arm was injured, but she’s no longer in any serious danger. However, she’s been badly frightened. A psychologist is currently providing counseling hypnosis." Someone reported in a low voice.

"The [Evolution Game] is getting harder and harder to hide lately. Similar events have occurred in many places where [Players] have attacked ordinary people, and [Players] have fought against one another. There were many witnesses each time, and hypnosis alone may not be enough to hide it." A [Great Wall Player] sighed, "This time is still considered good, we can announce to the outside that someone acted heroically and apprehended the criminal. In other places, even buildings have been demolished. We’re using construction accidents as an excuse, those who don’t know would think that Hua Country is full of dangerous buildings."

"That’s not something we can manage. Just do our own job well." Yang Dong waved his hand to end the topic. He was just a middle-level member of [Great Wall] and wasn’t responsible for considering such issues.

"Judging from the body, this killer was a lv5 [Player]. But there is no trace of [Skill] combat at the scene." A young girl holding an umbrella said in a soft voice, "What level of person can instantly kill a lv5 with just one move?"

If Li Changhe was of a similar estimation, he could see some clues. Several [Great Wall Players] were standing beside the girl, forming a protective posture. She definitely had a unique identity!

"If it’s a calculated move against someone who lets their guard down, lv1 is enough." Yang Dong spread his hands, "But according to eyewitness reports and phone notifications, both parties were in pursuit mode, and there was no carelessness involved. If a lv5 went all out, it would be very difficult to kill in an instant. I guess Xiao Nan could do it if she were willing to sneak attack."

"First, exclude the [Special Ability] holders." The girl laughed softly, "Existences like Xiao Nan have records at the national level. Excluding them, there are actually only two situations where one can instantly kill a lv5 without giving them a chance to use their skills."

"The first situation is attribute suppression. Like Captain Yang, whose average attribute exceeds 11 points, even without using skills in close combat, you can instantly kill him."

Yang Dong nodded slightly. The strength of a former special forces king was not a joke. With all his basic attributes added up, he was a killing machine even without using skills.

Killing a [Player] with a lower attribute than him in an instant was not difficult. Of course, if that [Player] had good skills, it would be another story.

"However, this situation is very rare." The girl continued, "If one has this strength, why not kill him on the spot instead of dragging it so far? So I think it’s the second situation."

"First, the [Player] level was not high, and his attributes were suppressed by the criminal." The girl looked at the surrounding buildings and continued, "The eyewitness report of lightning flashes can be considered as evidence of enhancement-type skills like Breath of Thunder or Thunder Law. This allowed him to barely keep up with her, but never quite fully catching her. To solve the problem of exhaustion, the [Player] was likely familiar with the surrounding area and used terrain to distance themselves a little before using a stamina potion or similar drug to recover."

"She notified us [Great Wall] on the way and then began fighting with the criminal in this unfinished building."

"The criminal realized that the [Player] level wasn’t high and decided to use his attribute advantage to fight." The girl shook her head slightly, "Looking at the criminal’s body, we can see that he was planning to fight with a damage-for-damage strategy. But the opponent’s close combat skills were stronger, probably using the [Backpack] to suddenly draw out an arrow, catching the criminal off guard and hitting a shot. Then using a [Skill] to finish him off."

The police and [Players] present all had rich combat experience. Listening to the girl’s instructions, two of them began demonstrating with one another. Apart from some combat details, it was almost a replica of Li Changhe’s and the attacker’s battle.

Yang Dong marveled, "As expected of the little princess of the strategy group."

The girl paused for a moment, "What about comparing her to Xiao Nan?"

Yang Dong’s mouth twitched, and he didn’t continue the conversation. The girl’s relationship with Xiao Nan wasn’t very good. He’d better keep his mouth shut.

....

At this moment, Li Changhe, who had returned home, didn’t know that someone had calculated his tactics from the clues and even begun analyzing his identity.

Right now, he was... taking a bath with incense and praying with Yun Ting to Ou Shen.

Preparing for the lucky draw.