The tiny bathroom was no more than three or four square meters, with a toilet taking up a third of the space, and a somewhat rusty showerhead still dripping water droplets. Hanging on one side of the wall was a washbasin and a mirror.
Chen Ke looked at the person in the mirror. It was only a few hours after he had traveled through time that he finally had the chance to take a good look at himself.
The man in the mirror was Asian, with black medium-long hair, a bit of a rebellious stubble on his chin, and appeared to be about the same age as Chen Ke before he had traveled through time, not over 25 years old.
In those black eyes, Chen Ke saw bewilderment, confusion, and... madness. And from his complexion and aura alike, he gave off the impression of being exhausted in both body and mind.
"Nice face," he touched his stubble with a playful expression.
He unbuttoned his shirt, took it off, and threw it into a small basin to one side, then gazed at his figure once again.
He wasn't bulky, but definitely solid, the type who looks leaner clothed but muscular naked. His arms had smooth muscle lines, a solid chest, and his six-pack abs were as clear-cut as a bar of chocolate.
But on his arms and abdomen were many scars from the past, with even a bullet wound on his belly. He was certain his past was not clean.
"Are you taking a shower?" a woman asked from outside.
Chen Ke turned on the tap, and with a "whoosh," a stream of hot water surged from the showerhead, sending a slow rise of steam upward.
During these few hours since he had traveled through time, Chen Ke had gone through quite a few unimaginable events. He was covered in both blood and sweat, and it was indeed time for a shower. He stepped into the hot water, letting the warm streams flow down all the grooves of his muscles, covering his whole body.
The woman stirred the borscht with a wooden spoon, thick meaty aroma already laced with a hint of burn, yet she didn't notice, her gaze fixed on the first-generation iPhone in her right hand.
"Is the package at home?"
The woman turned and glanced, the bathroom was noisy with the sound of running water, and thin wisps of steam wafted out from under the door.
She texted back, "Yes, come in through the window."
The woman's eyes darted back to the bathroom, an anxious emotion evident in her gaze. Beside her lay a fruit knife, there for an emergency.
"I'm downstairs now." The phone vibrated once.
"+50 minutes"
"+50 minutes"
"+50 minutes"
"Lifetime limit reached"
...
"Red window." The woman typed rapidly in response.
She walked quietly to the door, locked it with a key from the inside, her heartbeat thumping wildly.
A blonde man's head slowly appeared from outside the window, his blue eyes swept the room alertly, and seeing the woman inside nod at him, he deftly leaped in.
He was dressed in navy blue sportswear, with a red triangular backpack on his back. He slowly took out a black FN509 pistol from the holster inside his sportswear, and screwed a silencer onto it pulled from his trouser pocket.
He heard the sound of water in the bathroom, glanced at the woman again, and she pointed towards the bathroom door. He put a "shush" finger to his lips and quietly moved in front of the bathroom door, raised the pistol, and squeezed the trigger repeatedly at the door.
"Bang... clack... bang... clack... bang... clack... bang... clack..."
The silencer could dampen the sound of the cartridges' gunpowder combustion, but it couldn't silence the mechanical noise of the chamber ejecting the shells. But it was late, and no one cared about the noise.
The wooden door was pierced by 9mm bullets, leaving nine holes, without the sound of a heavy object falling, only the shower continued to make noise. The blonde man approached the door and gently pulled it open, warm steam hitting his face. The room was empty, with only a blood-stained shirt thrown into a small basin in the corner.
He turned his head to look at the woman, a flicker of panic crossing his mind. The woman lay in a pool of blood, her eyes shut, her lower abdomen pierced by a fruit knife that was chillingly thrust through her, its tip protruding from her back.
Possibly due to the assassin's instinct, he suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of killing intent from behind. Turning around, he saw a bare-chested man preparing to strangle him.
The blond man raised his gun, intending to pull the trigger when he found the opponent had actually slipped his thumb into the trigger guard.
Indeed, a professional; even a sneak attack from behind was detected so quickly, Chen Ke inwardly lamented.
He pushed the blond man, then swiftly kicked towards the man's left knee. The blond man's leg buckled, and he fell to the ground. But the man reacted quickly too, executing a backward roll to stabilize himself and put distance between them, then raising his gun to repeatedly pull the trigger at Chen Ke.
However, the gun had nothing left but a handle.
Chen Ke whistled, tossing the grip and the spring he held in his hand aside.
The blond man turned and ran towards the door, but when he twisted the doorknob, he found the door was bolted from the inside. Cold sweat ran down his forehead; grinding his teeth, he fished a switchblade from his pocket.
"Quite well-equipped, soon they will all be mine," Chen Ke licked his lips.
The blond man brandished his dagger, and Chen Ke recognized it as a Close Quarters Combat stance.
The man's killing intent continued to pour forth ceaselessly, but this time it was different. The man had a thin red outline in Chen Ke's field of vision, as if he had been targeted.
Chen Ke deduced that this indicated a hostile alert, it seemed he could now sense killing intent from a specific target within a certain range, and not just be aware of impending danger without knowing who the enemy was!
This ability was incredibly useful, meaning he could quickly locate lurking attackers in a crowd, rather than just knowing that danger was approaching without knowing from whom!
The corners of Chen Ke's mouth turned up slightly. He decided to name this ability "Killing Aura Radar," and the previous ability to absorb killing aura and increase life expectancy he named "Killing Aura Vacuum."
The blond man had no clue what Chen Ke was smiling about and took it as mockery, his expression flashing with displeasure. He gripped the knife in reverse and charged with a leap towards Chen Ke's throat with a fierce slash.
Chen Ke leaned back, dodging the blade, and with a sideways step, they switched positions. The man relentlessly pursued, not giving Chen Ke an inch, drawing a long gash on Chen Ke's left forearm, blood gushing instantly.
The blond man smirked, stepping back, and licked the blood from the blade's edge.
Chen Ke looked at the wound on his left forearm, a thought swirling in his mind. In the corner of his eye, a line of small text appeared:
"Consume 30 minutes of life expectancy to heal the wound."
Immediately, the wound healed at a visible speed, not even leaving a scar. He was now able to control when and how to use his life expectancy.
The only dissatisfaction was that both fatal wounds and other injuries would require 30 minutes to heal, making it an imprudent decision to use this ability for minor ailments.
His life expectancy was precious and had to be used sparingly.
"what the fuck…?"
The blond man wore a ghostly expression, unable to believe his own eyes.
Taking advantage of the blond man's life-questioning moment, Chen Ke casually grabbed a pot of hot soup still on the stove and splashed it at the man.
The thick soup described an orange arc in the air, chunks of meat and vegetables tumbling with the broth, hitting the assassin's face and body.
"Ah! Motherfuck!"
The blond man cried out in pain from the scalding, clutching his injured cheek, but even so, the switchblade in his right hand was still aimed directly at Chen Ke—a sign of a qualified assassin's discipline.
Chen Ke immediately charged forward, dodging the swinging switchblade, and, seizing the man's wrist, he twisted it hard, the crunch of breaking bones sounding as Chen Ke snapped the blond man's wrist.
Chen Ke firmly gripped the blond man's fist, forcing him to drive the switchblade into his own throat. With a hiss, the blade effortlessly pierced the larynx. Chen Ke pulled, and the knife slid out from the other side of the neck, cutting out a third of the flesh, leaving the man like a human fountain, blood spurting out as he knelt on the ground.