My Borderline Supervillain-Slash-Hero System-Chapter 163 The Ambushed - One

Zane and Erlin stepped out of the entrance to Fresher Meet Village—and were immediately greeted by a barrage of honking. A dozen flying vehicles hovered above the nearby park, engines buzzing loudly over the crowd that packed the pavement.

Erlin glanced at her husband, noticing the faint crease between his brows.

"What? Something wrong?" she asked gently.

Zane exhaled. "Honestly? I'm too tired for all this noise."

"Then let's take a quieter route."

"Alright. Follow me."

He led her toward a boulevard lined with towering groves of bamboo. The shift was immediate—cool air, soft rustling leaves, green shadows filtering the light. The bustling world behind them faded into the distance as the bamboo formed a tranquil tunnel around them.

They walked in comfortable silence toward the Sunflower Hotel. After a week on Mars, after Solaris City's suffocating ruins, after the exhaustion of the trial… Zane wanted nothing more than a moment of peace.

Something ordinary.

Something soft.

But peace wasn't following them.

The moment they crossed the village gates, a hidden group of assassins had fixed their sights on Zane and Erlin.

Erlin sensed nothing.

Zane did.

A razor-sharp killing intent grazed his awareness, subtle yet unmistakable.

The System within him stirred awake.

Ding!

[Killing Intent detected!]

[Warning, Host: The enemy's power level far exceeds yours.]

His body was tired, his mind worn, but the Trial of Atlantis had carved steel into him. He had survived Solaris City. He still had two trump cards untested.

Running wasn't an option.

Keeping a placid expression, Zane casually booked a flying vessel.

As they walked deeper beneath the bamboo canopy, he focused on Erlin—teasing her lightly, stealing small moments of warmth. The world softened around them for a while, turning fragile but blissfully real.

Ten minutes later, a sleek flying vessel descended with a low hum and settled on the pavement ahead.

"Is it for us?" Erlin asked, smiling brightly. "I've had enough countryside sightseeing for today. Let's go."

The vehicle's door lifted automatically, inviting her inside.

Erlin hopped in with a playful laugh.

"Come on! Quick-quick!"

"Sorry, dear," Zane said softly.

He closed the door—right on her startled expression—and slapped the side of the vessel twice.

With a roar, the craft shot upward, rising sharply into the sky. Zane watched it grow smaller and smaller, lifting a hand in farewell as it disappeared beyond the bamboo crown.

Then silence fell.

Not the peaceful kind.

The kind that settles right before the world explodes.

Zane exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing.

"Alright," he said into the empty air, "why don't you come out already? I know."

No reply.

Stillness.

The kind that tries too hard to pretend it isn't there.

Zane chuckled darkly.

"I know you're hiding in the bushes. Is this really how you ambush someone? I've already pinpointed your positions."

He bent down, scooped a handful of stones from the path—

and in a blur of motion, flicked them into the shadows one after another, each throw sharp and precise.

The tranquil bamboo grove shattered.

CRACK—CRACK—CRACK!

Ten stones sliced through the darkness, each impact ringing like steel.

Several bamboo stalks snapped clean in half, the upper halves crashing to the ground in a rustling cascade.

One by one, dark silhouettes stepped out of hiding and surrounded him.

Zane grinned.

"Thick black suits… in this humid evening? Really?"

His voice was light, almost amused.

"Why don't you take off those masks and introduce yourselves? Today might be your last day walking on Earth."

One assassin answered without words—

A dart whistled through the air, dripping with green poison.

Zane shifted.

No steps.

No blur.

Just gone and there again—untouched.

The other assassins immediately followed, tossing hidden weapons laced with mana and venom from every direction.

He counted ten of them—each dressed in dark robes like modern ninjas, their masks carved with grotesque features.

But none of their attacks touched him.

An assassin at the back formed a rapid sequence of hand seals, signaling a change in strategy.

The others nodded in silent coordination.

Zane chuckled.

"What now? Deciding to get serious finally?"

One assassin stepped forward, weaving a more complex pattern of seals, muttering under his breath.

The other nine flickered and vanished into the darkness.

Zane didn't move.

He wasn't worried about the ten assassins.

His concern was elsewhere.

I can handle these ten easily…

But the real threat is still hiding.

When will he make his move?

He muttered silently, "System, alert me the moment he acts."

Ding!

[Hidden enemy located 35 yards southeast of your current position.]

[He is observing you closely. Mana output: none. Watching. Waiting.]

Zane's eyes narrowed slightly—barely noticeable.

Meanwhile, the assassin before him completed his chant.

"Wind Chakra!"

A violent surge of bluish mana erupted from his body, spiraling around his palm.

The spinning disk of compressed wind element formed with a roar—sharp, fast, and deadly.

The energy output alone told Zane the truth:

This one was no ordinary assassin.

Maybe their hidden weapons were useless, he thought calmly.

Or maybe I'm just far too fast for them.

The assassin lunged, palm forward, the Wind Chakra screaming as it cut through the air—

a weapon capable of tearing through steel.

But the outcome was the same.

No matter how fast he moved, the assassin couldn't touch Zane.

He froze for a moment, realization dawning—

With my current speed… landing a hit on him is impossible.

Snarling behind his mask, he channeled more mana into his legs.

A sharp aura burst outward as he muttered:

"Elegance Speed—activate!"

His figure blurred, accelerating dramatically.

He darted in again, the spinning Wind Chakra screaming at his palm—the kind of strike that would end a fight with a single touch.

But even now, he struggled.

His footsteps grew frantic as he attempted to track Zane, whose casual sidesteps made the assassin look like he was chasing shadows.

The other assassins watched in growing dread.

He's too fast.

This youth… he's on another level.

They understood immediately: this mission would not be easy.

Their leader—standing further back among the bamboo—formed another rapid sequence of hand signs. It was a silent command:

Go all out.

Use your best techniques.

Hold nothing back.

Otherwise, the mission would fail.

But even that wasn't the worst part.

The leader felt the icy weight of the contract pressing against his mind.

Leaving… retreating… abandoning the assignment—

all of it was impossible.

The contract they had signed was explicit:

This mission could not be retracted.

Failure was not permitted.

Only completion… or death.

The assassin with the Wind Chakra lunged again, desperation sharpening every movement—but the youth before him remained untouchable, unreadable, and impossibly calm.

And the unseen expert still had not moved.

The tension in the bamboo grove thickened.

The real fight was only beginning.