Sky-cracking Rider

"Katerina Lucia had a history of asthma and allergies; she would die of suffocation,"

holding the "Death List," Miyoshi Xuesen determined the manner of death for the target.

Under the brilliant sunshine by the lakeside, beneath the shade of trees and the rippling blue waves, a slender yet resilient fishing line dangled leisurely from a rod, waiting for fish to bite.

Katerina Lucia, who rarely had a moment to fish by the lake, took a sip of juice from beside her and let out a comfortable moan.

Just then, the bobber that drifted with the waves suddenly moved. She quickly reached out for the fishing rod, but halfway through, something felt wrong. Her heart inexplicably began to race uncontrollably, she was overcome with severe itching all over her body, her eyes reddened slightly, and she felt an intense irritability without cause.

It was an allergic reaction!

The corporate executive with a history of related illnesses immediately realized what was happening. Just as she was about to call for someone to get her medication, her head spun, and she wobbled before her feet gave out, losing her balance.

Splash!

A sudden intense allergic reaction left Katerina Lucia, who was starting to lose clarity of thought, tumbling into the murky green waters, from which muffled coughing sounds emerged.

The bodyguards on the shore reacted instantly, plunging into the water and frantically pulling her out in a chaotic rescue attempt.

However, even after being brought back to shore, Katerina continued to scratch at her throat, her eyes rolling back like a dead fish, unable to make a sound. The bodyguards were in a state of panic, shouting for more help while doing everything they could think of to save her.

By the time the medical professionals arrived, Katerina Lucia was already cold, having died from suffocation caused by asthma and anaphylactic pharyngeal swelling. The helplessly futile bodyguards were all ashen-faced, now collectively unemployed.

In reality, at the first sign of the symptoms, adrenaline should have been administered immediately, followed by antiallergic medication. However, once pharyngeal swelling had progressed to the point of obstructing breathing, it was too late for medication. The best course of action would have been to decisively perform a tracheotomy.

But the bodyguards lacked the necessary emergency medical experience and could only watch as their employer slowly lost vital signs.

"Jiu!"

Xiao Jiu, having flown back from the lakeside, landed on Chen Fei's palm, chirping merrily. A small flashlight emitted blue light onto its feathers. The brownish-yellow color gradually faded, revealing its original glossy black feathers. Above its eyes, the size of mung beans, a pair of white eyebrows also returned to their original color.

This was a ninja's technique, using photosensitive pigment to disguise Xiao Jiu, the Pure Light Sparrow, as a thrush, carrying a fast-dissolving allergen and dropping it into Katerina Lucia's drink

The allergen, the size of a sesame seed, almost instantly integrated with the juice in the cup.

The bodyguards were only on the lookout for threatening humans, beasts, and Magical Beasts, never paying mind to a creature as small as a fist.

Moreover, with so many birds flitting to and fro by the lake, it was impossible to be aware of each one; an occasional audacious little one landing on the collapsible low table would not cause much of a stir.

Despite all precautions, one could never guard against a little bird secretly tampering with materials; the death was as unsuspecting as it was deserved.

The allergen Xiao Jiu carried was a specially-made colorless and tasteless capsaicin. Coincidentally, Katerina Lucia's primary allergen was chili, and she could not consume any food containing capsaicin for life.

Birds don't have capsaicin receptors and are thus unaffected by spicy flavors, so even if they accidentally swallowed this super-concentrated special capsaicin, it would be like Zhu Bajie consuming Ginseng Fruit — ingesting it harmlessly, toxin-free, environmentally friendly, and healthy.

But for a target susceptible to an allergic reaction, it was as deadly as poison passing through the intestines.

"Katerina Lucia confirmed dead!"

Miyoshi Xuesen finally checked off the third target on his hunting list.

So far, the Huntsman Squad had not exposed itself and the deaths of the targets appeared entirely natural, leaving no trace of foul play.

-

A week later, Biology Professor Francisco Duncan from the Ivy League Hafuron University in the American Federation died of a severe intestinal infection caused by food poisoning.

A few days after that, on the Europa Continent in Gaul, the head instructor of the King Arthur Training Camp, a renowned mercenary enterprise at Black Mountain Security Company, and former Army Major General Everol Ivanovsky, were fatally attacked by a 2000-pound adult European brown bear during a hunting trip. Half of his body was mauled; a double-barreled shotgun loaded with a slug only managed to fire once before becoming a mangled pipe, leaving it uncertain whether it could fire again, though a barrel burst would be inevitable if it could.

...

For about a month and a half, the Huntsman Squad crisscrossed the northern and southern continents of the American Federation and the Europa Continent across the Atlantic, successfully harvesting a dozen targets. After a brief rest, they boarded the small Magic Cube Warship once again for Europe.

After consecutive missions, the team members gradually developed a tacit understanding.

"This time's target, the Aircrew Base and the contractor Mental Health Knights Corporation, from top to bottom, leave no creature alive."

Still following the familiar procedure, Miyoshi Xuesen only divulged the detailed information about the next target shortly before arriving at the destination.

Even if there were spies within the squad, they simply had no time to send out any information.

In matters of war, the state's most crucial affair, the ground of life and death, the path of survival or extinction, one must not fail to scrutinize.

"Military contractors?"

Chen Fei was the first to widen his eyes in shock.

He himself had come from the ranks of military contractors, yet he had never imagined that the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee would actually target military contractors and the Aircrew Base.

"Is this true?"

Aunt Caroline, a B-rank Fire Ability User, had a son who took over the family business as a military contractor boss, and Caroline was really just a homemaker washing clothes and cooking for her son, joining the Huntsman Squad as a stand-in for her child.

When a rabbit dies, the fox grieves. Hearing that the Huntsman Squad was going to target military contractors and the Aircrew Base, those who also came from the ranks of military contractors inevitably worried a little, fearing that one day the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee might suddenly act irrationally and strike at their colleagues, bosses, or friends, likely leaving them entirely defenseless.

Tuert, Andrew, and Masuya, however, held positions in Hablav City and were directly affiliated with the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee because of their official capacity, showing little reaction to Miyoshi Xuesen's words due to their stance.

"That's right, Mental Health Knights Corporation is the traitor, and this cancer must be cut out. Before the operation, with 631 Aircrew Base nearby, the contractor Sulte Defense Co., Ltd of 633 Aircrew Base will initiate a corporate war. They are responsible for feigning a big show, and we'll be in charge of taking action."

Corporate wars between military contractors always start brutally, often resulting in bloody, horrific battles with countless casualties, and ending just as tragically.

Because every conflict tends to evolve into do-or-die battles, actual irreconcilable animosities necessary for arms to be borne against each other among competitors are rare; everyone is out to earn their living, not to spend for their burial. It's always better to generate prosperity peacefully and amicably; there's no need to risk life without good reason. Even if there were disagreements, finding a mediator to negotiate a settlement would usually allow for reconciliation with a handshake.

"How could a military contractor do such a thing?"

Aunt Caroline still found it unbelievable.

Military contractors' job is to eliminate naturally spawned mutants, and within their contracted area, regardless of the presence of mutants, they receive a hefty contract fee; there's no need to nurture mutants for trouble.

Moreover, if there's peace all year round, the military contractor could save a significant amount on routine and operational costs, all of which would translate into substantial profits. To generate revenue and save on expenditures was the way to survive.

"The uninhabited area near 631 Aircrew Base is an open breeding ground for mutants. Everyone, be careful this time. If the mutants are provoked, it could very likely directly impact Aircrew Base 631..."

Miyoshi Xuesen hadn't finished speaking when his words were interrupted by a loud bang and a violent shake.

"We've been hit by artillery, it's a railgun!"

A loud shout came from the cockpit, suggesting that the situation seemed grim. If it was a missile, at least there would have been an advance warning, but the ultra-high muzzle velocity of a railgun was virtually impossible to defend against.

The destructive power of a railgun projectile was considerable, and it appeared to have caused significant damage. The tremors of the small Magic Cube Warship grew stronger, and everyone inside the cabin felt a distinct sensation of weightlessness, indicating that the airship was in free fall.

"Attention, fasten your seat belts, hold on tight, we are preparing for an emergency landing!"

The small Magic Cube Warship wasn't just passively taking hits; upon detecting the railgun's position through ballistic radar, it didn't hesitate to retaliate with a missile during the forced landing process.

Boom!~

The warship was hit by another shell, making a dire situation even worse, increasing the speed of the fall. Had it not been for their seat belts, everyone inside might have already been floating around by now.

Pure Light Sparrow Xiao Jiu, who didn't have a seat belt, found herself inexplicably losing gravity, able to float up lightly without any effort to flap her wings.

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She cried out in confusion.

"Chirp?"

The pilots were doing their best, one of them shouting in frustration, "Altitude from ground 500 meters, let's leave life and death to the hands of fate!"

Without hesitation, Chen Fei commanded, "'Adam,' take control of the airship, ensure a safe landing as far as possible!"

He extended his left wrist and slapped it onto the cabin wall, where there was a data port, which could serve as the physical access point for "Adam" to hack into the warship.

Adam: Accessing permissions, 'Spear Falcon' control acquired, hull integrity at 73%, power remaining at 15%, distance from the ground 371 meters, emergency landing in progress.

With "Adam"'s assistance, the small Magic Cube Warship, although it didn't completely lose control and tumble in the sky, still swayed as if it were a small boat caught in a violent storm.

"Miyoshi, I'm going to 'sacrifice' this airship!"

"No, no, that's not acceptable!"