I've Become the King of Villains in the Game

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The bullet hit the trunk of the tree, splintering wood chips.

In his line of sight, the tall figure disappeared into the shadows.

"Damn it!"

Hiding behind a building, the assassin cursed.

In a nearby corner, another masked man urged.

"Hurry up and find him. Finish the job within thirty seconds; the patrolling guards will be here any minute!"

"Got it!"

The assassin replied impatiently, about to change positions when a large hand suddenly grabbed his protruding head.

Crack!

The strength in the hand was immense, and the man realized he couldn't break free.

Looking up, he saw the unexpressive face of his assassination target. The other man's face was hidden in backlight, leaving only a pair of cold vertical pupils!

The assassin made a snap decision, withdrawing the short dagger from his waist and stabbing towards Chen Lun's abdomen.

Clang!

The expected sensation of the blade piercing flesh didn't come, and the assassin's face turned pale.

The sharp dagger seemed to have struck steel, ringing out clearly. That fleeting dark golden sheen was the last color in his vision.

Chen Lun shoved the hand holding the assassin's head, then pulled back, his five fingers snapping together at the man's throat.

Blood-stained fingers wiped across the assassin's collar, and he turned to walk away.

Thud!

The assassin had just collapsed to the ground, clutching his neck.

[You have killed a member of the Black Knife Brotherhood, gaining 50 Experience Points]

"The Black Knife Brotherhood... Who's put a price on my head?"

Chen Lun sneered.

The Black Knife Brotherhood was a notorious assassin organization, similar to the Silver Dragon Trade Association, but all their business involved human lives.

Chen Lun had reached the end of the alley. On either side were narrow passageways leading to different streets, but he saw no other suspicious figures.

"Got away? Lucky you..."

Chen Lun muttered to himself.

He straightened his top hat and turned to leave.

As his footsteps faded into the distance, a black-clothed assassin perched atop the wall let out a sigh of relief.

He leaped from the wall, rolling on the ground to break his fall.

As he raised his head, preparing to retreat, his hair stood on end; he heard a voice by his ear:

"Quite the somersault."

Turning his head stiffly, he saw his intended victim quietly standing by his side, smiling at him.

"Death!"

The assassin reached for his gun to shoot, but felt a sharp pain in his wrist.

Chen Lun kicked his hand, breaking it as it reached inside his coat. He then grabbed the assassin by the neck, lifting him as if he were a little chicken.

"Who wants my life?"

A dim glow emanated from the "Mermaid's Song" on his chest, trying to hypnotize the assassin.

Unexpectedly, the assassin's body stiffened, and he began bleeding black blood from all orifices, dying on the spot.

"The Conspiracy Faction's contract. I should have known..."

Chen Lun casually tossed the corpse to the ground, and scowled in frustration.

[Trigger C-level mission: Clouds of Conspiracy]

[Mission description: It seems you've been drawn into a plot! Someone is targeting Viscount Pompey with a series of murder schemes, and you've inadvertently touched someone's interests!

Find out the mastermind behind the scenes. Snuff out the conspiracy and schemes!]

[Mission rewards: 1500 Experience Points, 2 Gold Pounds, Pompey's Affection, and a copy of "Low Sequence Flesh Faction Mystic Book" *1]

"Find nothing!"

Chen Lun accepted the mission but had no intention of searching for any mastermind.

```

Although he coveted the [[Flesh Faction]] Sequence pathway listed in the task reward, Chen Lun had more important matters to attend to and neither had the time nor the inclination to bother with it.

Since the task didn't set a time limit, he decided to put it aside for now.

The most likely condition for failure would be the death of Viscount Pompey, but as Chen Lun spent most of his days in the manor, he was ready to kill anyone who dared to come after him.

Images of Baron Barnie flashed through his mind, and the situation mostly likely had something to do with this man.

"Bring it on, I was worried I wouldn't be able to catch you."

…

The next day, Chen Lun arrived early at Pompey Manor.

While Rebecca was still resting, he sneaked into the study to read.

The Yellow-covered book containing [[Nature Faction]] supernatural knowledge was thin, and Chen Lun took two hours to finish reading it.

[By carefully reading, you have gained 450 Experience Points]

[Nature Faction Mystic Book 'On Survival Instinct' (Progress 100%) has been completely read!]

[You've additionally gained 1 Skill Point and 1 Attribute Point]

"Not bad at all!"

Chen Lun gave himself a thumbs up and then pocketed the Yellow-covered book, planning to take it home after work.

Just as he was about to search the study for the next "treasure," his interest was interrupted.

It was his old friend Binose, who knocked on the door and tactfully reminded him that it was time to go down for lunch. Today's lessons were scheduled in the afternoon, and it was already the time for lunch.

During the luncheon.

Chen Lun chatted with the Viscount about the Pompey Family, indirectly inquiring for some information.

Originally, he just wanted to know about some past history, but inadvertently, he learned that Viscount Pompey had an adopted son.

"Vigrey is the son of my comrade-in-arms. That 'overseas landing battle' was extremely brutal, and my comrade rests forever on that island...

His wife remarried afterwards, leaving only Vigrey behind, so I adopted him."

Viscount Pompey looked melancholic, sipping his drink and reflecting:

"Vigrey is just like his father, wholeheartedly dedicated to the Empire, and still actively engaged in military service abroad, seldom returning home."

During this, he had Butler Binose bring over an album to show Chen Lun a photo.

It was a young man with brown short hair, in military dress, and not given to smiling.

Chen Lun found him somewhat familiar but couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

After the luncheon.

Rebecca rolled over excitedly with a newspaper in hand.

The wheelchair made a rumbling noise on the floor, scaring Binose, who was ready to come to the rescue at any moment.

"Mr. Jack! You made the headlines!"

Chen Lun took the newspaper from her, and following Rebecca's guidance, he found himself featured in a large section.

"——Uproar at the Emerald Scream Zoo! Tiger unleashed! Elephant kills!

Mysterious young man casts magic to subdue the beasts? Controls the ferocious animals!?"

After reading the title, he saw a photo of himself standing next to two elephants, revealing only a blurry profile.

Chen Lun frowned.

The news report was quite detailed, as if it had witnessed the entire process in person. Moreover, it was highly exaggerated, speculating conspiratorially about Chen Lun's identity and "magic."

The article failed to mention the injured crowd but instead fabricated a two-digit death toll, implying the suspicion towards his "magic."

Although not stated outright, there was an insinuation that he caused the tragedy.

"The Cypress Leaves Post always comes up with such sensationalist 'stories,' if not tabloids then rumors..."

Butler Binose, who had finished reading along, sarcastically expressed his opinion.

As if he had thought of something, Viscount Pompey came over and whispered to Chen Lun:

"This newspaper, just like the zoo, is owned by Earl Bradley. The negative impact of the zoo incident is too great, they probably want to find someone to shift the attention...

You may be approached by a special department in the coming days, Mr. Jack."

He patted Chen Lun's shoulder.

"But don't worry, I'll handle them for you...

However, it would be best for you to stay in the manor for the time being. I'm concerned they might use some methods against you."