NOVEL WEB Vol. 1 - Ch. 394 - Disgrace
The helicopter descended steadily, landing with precision on the open ground.
Moments later, two figures emerged from inside.
One of them was none other than Zero.
At his side was a slightly thinner man who stepped forward slowly, his demeanor quiet and composed.
"These people have already passed the test. As for you, well, I guess you count as someone with connections."
Zero shrugged, sounding faintly helpless.
But the man next to him didn't ask questions. He took a step forward, as if he had returned to the very beginning.
Before him stretched a dense jungle, and behind him was the vast, endless sea.
A remote island—just like the one he faced during the Gu family's trial.
And, in a strange way, it also resembled everything he'd gone through in his previous life.
Unconsciously, he felt as if he had returned to the starting line. To where it all began.
The man was, in truth, HuMing in disguise.
With a brand-new face and a fresh identity crafted with Zero's help, he now had a new role.
A bounty hunter.
It was a title that, in essence, wasn't all that different from who he used to be.
So HuMing didn't resist it.
"I trust in your abilities. You won't disappoint me. But if you can't make it through, I'll use my own methods to replace that man. So—good luck."
Zero boarded the helicopter again, eyes never leaving HuMing.
The rotors spun, scattering sand across the clearing.
The hem of HuMing's coat flapped in the wind.
He stood still for a moment, then headed straight into the jungle.
Crossing a low ridge, he found an open field waiting beyond.
Seven people were already standing there.
Their formation seemed loose at first glance, but each of them had carefully claimed a spot that left no blind corners.
Even so, it wasn't hard to tell they had already split into two distinct groups.
HuMing quietly sat down off to the side, pulling some jerky and water from his pack to replenish his energy.
On one side, a team of four. On the other, three.
Both groups noticed him.
Naturally, members from each approached in an attempt to recruit him. After all, one more person meant a better chance at survival.
If they could overpower the opposing group, the odds would shift decisively in their favor.
"You must be new. Join us—we've got four people, better odds than their three," said a dark-skinned middle-aged man.
He sounded quite confident that HuMing would join them.
After all, who wouldn't take a chance to improve their chances of winning?
"005, why do you always pull this kind of pointless, self-serving crap? Everyone here passed the test. All we need to do now is get through this in one piece!"
Though they wore new clothes, the raw, unhealed wounds on their bodies hadn't yet scabbed over.
"009, have you ever thought about where we're actually being sent?"
005's words gave 009 pause.
Ignoring the shock on the other man's face, 005 turned to HuMing.
"I don't know exactly. But I do know this—wherever we're going, they only want one thing from us: to kill. You all should know damn well how you got dragged to this island."
Everyone—except for this man.
The middle-aged man could sense it. The others reeked of blood—the kind of stench that only comes from living with a blade at your throat.
But not this guy. He had no scent of blood, no battle-worn energy. He'd just sat there silently, calmly chewing his jerky.
005 didn't allow instability in his plans. If this newcomer couldn't be brought into the fold, then he'd have to eliminate him.
The others went quiet after 005's speech.
HuMing swallowed his last bite of jerky, then looked up at 005 with a calm expression.
"So... what? Are you going to kill them all?"
As soon as he spoke, 009's teammates tensed. Their hands went instinctively to their weapons.
And their reaction set the other group off as well.
In a flash, the atmosphere turned razor-sharp.
005's face darkened. He'd only meant to feel the guy out—but with just a few words, HuMing had turned the whole situation upside down.
He opened his mouth to explain, but HuMing gave him no chance.
"They rejected you. And you keep talking about 'odds' and 'advantage.' But I don't think that matters. Survival here isn't about who has more people—it's about who strikes first."
HuMing turned toward the stunned 009, a faint smile rising on his lips.
"Don't you think so?"
The moment the words left his mouth, someone on 009's team opened fire, shattering the fragile stand-off.
One of 005's men didn't even get a chance to react. A clean shot to the head. Gone, just like that. Not even a name left behind.
The battle exploded instantly.
The remaining three on 009's side pulled their weapons and returned fire without hesitation.
005 and 009 revealed their own blades—military combat knives, each distinct in style.
Steel clashed with steel, sparks flying with every strike.
"009! Are you insane?! You're really trying to kill us?!"
"We're not the crazy ones! You were going to kill us first!" 009's thoughts were still echoing with HuMing's voice.
If it weren't for 005's constant insistence, they wouldn't have believed him.
But now, there was no going back.
The only path left—was a fight to the death.
Elsewhere, the field was already a warzone of hot lead.
Bullets sliced through the air above their heads. No one dared lift their heads to even check the situation.
"Shit! We're sitting ducks out here!"
005's teammates were shouting, pressed flat against the ground.
"Is that grenade on your waist just for decoration?!"
A voice spoke calmly from right behind them.
Both men instinctively turned—only to be met with two clean gunshots that cut their lives short.
Their skulls now bore gruesome holes. They slumped, lifeless.
009's remaining ally, hearing the sudden silence from the other side, peeked up—only for a grenade to fly straight at him.
Across the field stood a man, casually spinning the grenade's pull ring around his finger, his gaze locked onto them.
The soldier raised his weapon in reflex—but the grenade detonated midair before he could even aim.
BOOM!
The explosion kicked up a wave of heat and dust, and HuMing's coat fluttered in the blast.
From seven combatants, the battlefield was instantly reduced to two.
Only 009 and 005 remained.
They both stopped. Eyes wide in shock as they took in the sight of their fallen teammates.
And across from them stood HuMing, brow slightly furrowed, looking at them as if they were defective products.
"How the hell did you survive this long? Were your enemies all clumsy idiots who tripped and died on the sidewalk?"
"You wanted me to join you? Yeah, no thanks. You guys are garbage."
HuMing shrugged, then shot 009 straight through the eye socket without hesitation.
009 didn't even react before collapsing to the ground.
005 dropped his weapon and raised both hands in surrender.
"I give up. Just let me live."
"I'll let you win. All you have to do... is die."
Bang!
The barrel smoked, the field littered with corpses.
Of all the candidates in this trial, only HuMing—the one who turned the game upside down—remained.
He looked over the carnage, then shook his head with a sigh.
"Always sending me trash like this to mess with me... Francis, where's your damn manners?"
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