Did My Best

Xu Yue had spent his previous life muddling along without ever finding a goal. What he disliked most were debts of gratitude. Because the orphanage had raised him, he could spend his entire life working toward the goals set by its director. That was one of the few emotions he possessed.

If it was merely a disguise for achieving his goals, Xu Yue could violate any agreement made beneath that mask without the slightest burden, exploit loopholes, find flaws, and use any means necessary.

But if it was something he had sincerely promised, then he would inevitably do his utmost to fulfill it.

Amid ruins that looked as though they had been gnawed apart, traces of a giant beast’s battle were everywhere. They bore the unmistakable style of the Armored Titan, yet it was nowhere to be seen. Only several corpses remained.

Looking at those bodies, drained of life and no longer even human-shaped, and faintly making out the terror on the little girl’s face, Xu Yue’s eyes remained calm.

I’m a little… unhappy.

"Did they go after the Armored Titan? Looks like they want to confirm it. Fine. Judging by the other Wood Clone’s movements, it should have latched onto them by now."

After sweeping his gaze over the traces at the scene, his eyes turned crimson. Three sinister Magatama spun continuously, revealing every detail of the battlefield and even allowing him to reconstruct the battle that had taken place.

"They did not even bother to disguise themselves. Looks like I was not intimidating enough…"

After confirming the Tracking Card’s direction, Xu Yue shot forward at high speed.

Tracking Card: After use, marks a target and allows you to roughly sense their location. Can be overridden by items with higher-level permissions. An item from the Merit Shop.

It was one of the contingency items he had left with his clone. He had not expected it to be used in the end.

At least it had not been wasted…

Seeing the dark-red signal zone in the night, as conspicuous as an open flame, Xu Yue did not pause in the slightest.

"Yan Jun! Trust me just once. Leave—we have to leave right now. We have already achieved our objective. It would not be a loss even if we forcefully returned with an item. You saw how strong that person chasing us is. I keep getting this feeling that something even more dangerous is coming!"

Zeng Yang’s face was pale as he spoke to Yan Jun. Items for forced return were expensive, but elite squads at their level still possessed them.

That brief encounter had cost Han Ju half his life. Understanding the urgency of the situation, they had spared no expense and used up all their costly recovery items to forcibly restore Han Ju’s combat strength, ensuring all three of them were at their peak.

But Yan Jun’s expression only grew uglier upon hearing Zeng Yang’s words.

"We cannot return. The permissions on my return item are not high enough. That guy keeps harassing us with long-range attacks, and we cannot effectively disengage from combat."

"And just now, when I tried to use the item, I discovered that we have been locked onto by a Tracking Card."

The moment those words were spoken, silence fell over the scene aside from the crackling campfire. All three understood the gravity of the situation. No wonder the enemy had been able to follow them all this time—it was a Tracking Card!

"A Tracking Card! The card he used earlier was a Tracking Card?! How could he? How would he dare?!"

All along, they had assumed the card their opponent had used in the end was some kind of permission card, like a Substitute Card. They had never expected it to be a military-rank card from the Merit Shop!

And the other side had deliberately washed those spinal fluids into guaranteed drops. This…

"What? You took what was mine. Do I not even have the right to take it back myself?"

A gentle voice sounded, and Xu Yue’s slender figure emerged from the shadows. He slowly pulled down his mask, revealing his face beneath it.

The flickering firelight illuminated his expression.

It was the harasser who had kept ambushing them from afar with shuriken during the day!

"Mm, perhaps you will find this appearance more familiar."

As he spoke, Xu Yue formed a hand seal and transformed directly into the appearance his second Wood Clone had maintained all this time.

"So it was you!"

Yan Jun and the others had seen Xu Yue’s Wood Clone from afar before, so they naturally remembered its face clearly!

"Do you think we would fall for the same trick after suffering once? We have already seen through your abilities."

Although Zeng Yang felt an inexplicable chill crawl down his spine, he still forced himself to remain calm. Based on the opponent’s performance in their previous encounter, he was indeed strong, but that had only been because they had not understood his abilities and had been caught off guard!

Now that he had stepped out so openly and without warning, this was undoubtedly the best chance to crush him.

"Good. I do not know where you found the nerve to scheme against us like this, but your strength is at most comparable to ours! Today, we will use your life to honor Xiao Yan and Li Si!"

Yan Jun, on the other hand, could no longer restrain himself. He roared in fury as green flames ignited across his body. They were clearly flames, yet they radiated an eerie chill.

"If you had kept running like before, we really would not have been able to catch you!"

"But you actually came out on your own. You are courting death!"

Yan Jun’s entire body transformed into a skeleton, Soul Fire dancing within his eye sockets.

It was filled with death, evil, and ominousness.

Even Xu Yue was somewhat surprised by that powerful, frigid aura.

"Ghost Rider? A crippled version without even a mount? I wonder how strong it is."

Xu Yue’s voice remained as gentle as ever, yet it inexplicably sent a chill through everyone present.

The others could not help but feel their hearts sink. Their opponent had clearly concealed his appearance before. The face he had displayed earlier must have been his true one.

Yet when he came out just now, he had openly stopped hiding it. They naturally understood what he meant by that!

Moreover, he had spent most of his time harassing them from afar, and even that one ambush had relied on surprise. This showed that he had a clear grasp of the situation. His sudden appearance now must mean there was some other reason!

But they could no longer worry about that…

"Hmph. Try me and find out!"

A flaming whip lashed wildly toward Xu Yue.

Its range completely sealed Xu Yue in, forcing him to block it head-on.

Just as the attack began to take shape, Yan Jun’s already skeletal face twisted into a savage grin. The Soul Fire in his eyes danced as he stared straight into Xu Yue’s eyes.

Pseudo-Judgment Eye!

This was his trump-card ability, his ultimate killer move. It could inflict backlash upon a Reincarnator’s heart based on the slaughter and sins they had accumulated in the Reincarnation Space!

The more times an opponent had experienced the Reincarnation Space and the stronger they were, the more effective the attack became. It was practically a super skill that could grow alongside him forever.

"It hit! You are already dead!"

Feeling his skill connect and his mental energy plummet frantically, Yan Jun’s heart filled with vengeful madness despite the dizziness and exhaustion.

Yet the next instant, the dense web of whips was torn apart like rotten cloth—ripped apart through sheer physical force, as though Xu Yue did not care about the flames on them at all.

At the same time, the Ghost Rider’s skeletal body shattered into a pile of broken bones, utterly blown apart!

The afterimage of that high-speed movement remained in the other two men’s vision even after the bones scattered across the ground like celestial maidens scattering flowers. They could vaguely see a flash of blue light in his hand.

Rasengan!

"This… at least intermediate Body Mastery! His body can actually withstand it?!"

"Did Yan Jun’s Judgment Eye not activate? What is going on?"

That explosive power, the Body Flicker Technique effect produced through high-speed taijutsu, left Zeng Yang—who had been preparing to support his companion—with a face full of disbelief.

And given his understanding of and trust in his teammate, he naturally knew Yan Jun’s ultimate technique. Yet he had not expected it to have no effect whatsoever!

When Xu Yue dealt with Han Ju earlier, he could still have judged it to be advanced combat mastery.

But now, with his own eyesight, he would naturally not mistake such terrifying explosive power again.

"You really are tough to kill. I wonder how many times you can avoid dying like this."

The green flames from the whip burned all over Xu Yue’s body, giving off the smell of charred flesh, but he acted as though it was not his own body that was on fire.

He casually raised a hand to knock aside Zeng Yang’s spear thrust, then used the spear shaft to block the blade Han Ju brought down in a leaping slash.

The spear shaft collided with the blade, sending sparks flying.

The sinister Magatama and ominous crimson revealed in Xu Yue’s gaze as he looked at Zeng Yang made Zeng Yang’s heart sink.

Sharingan? But even so, you are no match for the combined attack of the three of us…

Meanwhile, the scattered skeleton was reassembled under the connection of flames that had dimmed considerably.

Seeing Xu Yue still able to contend with his two companions even after being struck by Soul Fire, Yan Jun felt a trace of fear rise in his heart.

The Judgment Eye had failed. Could it be that even Soul Fire was ineffective?

He had already seen the Three Tomoe Sharingan. Given the Sharingan’s resistance to mental Illusion Techniques, he could barely accept the Judgment Eye’s failure—but why had Soul Fire failed as well?!

If not for his companions, he probably would not have had a chance to reassemble before being brutally pinned down and beaten. The opponent’s taijutsu was simply too strong!

But now…

Everything was over!

"Your strength is indeed formidable, but unfortunately, there are three of us!"

Yan Jun spoke in a weak voice, trying to erode Xu Yue’s fighting spirit.

"Yes, with the three of you joining forces, I truly am no match for you. This fire is quite troublesome too."

Amid flashing blades and spear shadows, Xu Yue barely parried and blocked. The Soul Fire burning over him spread continuously like gangrene attached to bone.

Yet every time, Xu Yue used his Sharingan to find an opening amid the cracks and escape danger, repeatedly rendering their combined attacks futile.

First, they had the Ghost Rider ignite him with Soul Fire, then the other two attacked together. Their coordination was truly excellent!

"So, I need some help as well."

Xu Yue calmly finished speaking, and the surrounding grass began to rustle. From the shadows beyond the firelight, nine identical figures stepped out at once!

"Clone Technique? No, Shadow Clones?! Nine of them? How can you have so much Chakra?"

None of the three knew ninjutsu, but the deceased Li Si had, so they naturally understood far more than ordinary people.

"It is nothing. My recovery and refinement speed is simply faster."

But this time, it was not the figure fighting them who spoke. It was the one who had emerged last.

The next moment, the figure struggling under the combined attacks could no longer hold on and was shredded apart, turning into splinters of wood.

Xu Yue lightly clapped his hands in admiration.

"Truly impressive. You defeated my Wood Clone in such a short time. Well done."

Xu Yue’s words carried the unmistakable feeling of surprised or not? and unexpected or not?, chilling the three men from their feet to the tips of their hair!

A single clone possessed such powerful strength?

Could a clone use such tremendous power? What kind of monster was this Wood Clone?!

Right, the one who had killed Li Si before had also been a clone!

And now, the original three-against-one had been reversed. The other side still had nine!

Stared at by nine pairs of Three Tomoe Sharingan, the three men’s eyes filled with despair.

How was this possible?!

They had clearly been about to win. Victory had clearly been within their grasp. They had clearly just seen hope.

Kill a powerful enemy, avenge their comrades, complete the mission, obtain Titan Spinal Fluid, uncover the secret of the Titans, earn the legion’s favor, and rise to the top!

Why?!

Why had it turned out like this?!

"I do not believe it! I do not believe my Judgment Eye could have no effect! The stronger the target, the greater the effect! How could someone as strong as you be completely unaffected?!"

Yan Jun seemed to have gone mad, unable to accept the truth. He could barely accept that the opponent had resisted earlier, but with strength like this, should not the sins on him have shown some reaction?!

At least twitch a little and give me back some confidence!

"Oh, your crippled version of that ability seems to calculate based on slaughter within the Reincarnation Space. But unfortunately, this is only my third mission."

Xu Yue still wore that gentle smile.

Third Mission Space?

A newcomer?!!!

Already mentally shaken, the three were thrown into even greater turmoil upon hearing this.

"It is impolite not to return the favor…"

The nine figures formed hand seals simultaneously, and all nine pairs of sinister eyes began to turn.

Illusion Technique: Naraku Manifestation Technique!

"Ahhh!!…"

Miserable screams tore through the sky, then abruptly stopped…

Fine rain fell like cow hairs. Beneath dark clouds, Xu Yue returned to those ruins once more.

He carried three heads in his hand and tossed them at the collapsed entrance.

Looking at the old soldier who had also arrived there, staring blankly at the collapsed entrance and the corpses on the ground, Xu Yue let out a rare sigh.

"I am sorry. I broke my promise."

He placed a piece of candy into the dried corpse’s hand and let the rain fall. Without waiting for the old soldier’s response, Xu Yue turned and left.

"I do not blame you. In a world like this, who can we blame?"

John sighed calmly, his voice filled with desolation. Xu Yue’s footsteps could not help but pause.

"Then… I will change this world…"

The dead could not be brought back to life. All he could do was his best…

Ahem, that is all for this chapter. A big chapter, huh~