Chapter 22: Hands-on Learning Aproach
Chapter 22: Hands-on Learning Aproach
Tia pushed herself through the crowds, moving deeper and deeper into the city jungle. Her black cloak blended into the swarms of colorfully dressed people moving in both directions in seemingly chaotic, unpredictable patterns.
The smell of street cuisine and juicy meat mixed with the odor of human sweat brought by the day's heat.
The scorching sun shone upon her, the tall buildings on both sides of the street doing only a little to make it better, enveloping her in the sweltering heat intensified by her black cloak and the endless sea of concrete around her.
With vigilant eyes, she meticulously surveyed the crowds, studying each passerby from head to toe, keeping the handler's warning firmly etched in her mind.
No, even without it, she would believe there was a high chance of it being a trap, 'Even if it is a trap, I will do it.'
Still, she was determined to do it, not just for her personal motivations but also to hone her skill and get some practice, as the handler advised.
With a vigilant gaze, she surveyed her surroundings before discreetly slipping into a narrow sidestreet. Her eyes traced the ascent of a towering concrete wall stretching an imposing five floors above her.
Tia took a deep breath, centering her focus. With a determined glint in her eyes, she channeled her telekinetic power. Then, in an instant, an invisible force gripped her, pulling her upwards with incredible speed. It felt like an exhilarating rollercoaster ride as she soared toward the sky, her cloak flapping like wings behind her.
The gray concrete rushed past her in a gray blur. The wind whipped against her face, a refreshing rush of freedom. She felt weightless, untethered from the ground below.
She angled her flight trajectory, homing in on the neighboring building. As she neared the rooftop, she braced for impact. Her landing was graceful, akin to a nimble cat. Her feet touched down soundlessly, absorbing the kinetic energy with ease.
In an instant, she crouched low, concealed by the rooftop's edge. Her heart raced with adrenaline, but her composure remained unwavering.
She carefully leaned over the edge of the roof, her eyes dimly glowing as the smart lenses came to life, zooming her vision toward the neighboring building.
'Those lenses are truly worth having smart in their name.'
From her vantage point, she had a perfect overview of the building shorter by one floor.
A single man quietly walked around its roof's edge, his long gray coat swaying in the wind and sun reflected in his black sunglasses. The small bulk beneath the coat betrayed the concealed gun.
'So those are the shits that dared to kidnap my small cousin.' Even though she hated her aunt to the bone for what she had done to her, she couldn't make herself hate the girl she used to play with as a child. No, she still considered her to be the last relative she didn't hate.
Even if it was a trap, she wouldn't let the kidnappers get away with it, 'Phh, even if the dumb guards got them, they would at best be thrown to a prison for a few years and at worst painlessly shot.'
She carefully aimed her gun, aligning the crosshair of the holographic scope with the man's head. The lines, trajectories, and numbers projected into her mind, predicting the patrols, and movement, correcting her aim.
The clever computer calculated the trajectory and adjusted for the slightest environmental factors. The wind, the distance, the angleeverything meticulously predicted and turned into data.
Then, with lightning precision, she pulled the trigger, and a short pulse of blue light flashed.
The next moment, the man collapsed to the ground, smoke rising out of his seared, blackened head, turned into a piece of charcoal.
'This world is ridiculous. With this kind of equipment, even some random kid from a street would be able to kill a knight that trained for years.'
With a fearless leap over the rooftop's edge, Tia surrendered herself to the unseen telekinetic force, which eagerly hoisted her across the gap between buildings.
The exhilarating rush filled her with a mix of excitement and concentration, causing her surroundings to blur as the busy street loomed far below.
Her landing on the second rooftop was precise, her feet finding solid ground with a soft thud. The wind rushed past her, causing her cloak to dance around her like a dark specter.
Without wasting a moment, she approached the lifeless guard sprawled before her. Her heart remained steady, her senses alert to any potential threats. With methodical efficiency, she crouched beside him, her gloved hands swiftly searching his pockets for anything of use.
'Hmm, nothing. Not even a wallet? Also, his gun is a cheap piece of crap.'
Moving with the grace of a seasoned predator, Tia walked swiftly across the rooftop, her steps soundless as she approached the door with her instincts honed from her previous life slowly reawakening.
With practiced ease, she opened the doors, revealing a dimly lit staircase spiraling downwards. Her senses were heightened, her ears straining to capture even the faintest of sounds.
She froze as she caught two voices only a few meters further down.
"Big Bob, do you really think this will work? They look rich! I would bet the guards are already splurging resources on this hunt."
"Big Bob doesn't think! Me smash stuff! Me, being the big Bob!"
"Yeah, I get it, Bob. "
"Me not Bob, me Big Bob."
Tia froze for a moment, feeling her head would explode from what she just heard, getting flashbacks to the dumb fire maniac she fought before.
'Why is every criminal in this town like this?!' She already heard rumors of the sketchy body-strengthening drugs that were turning their users into idiots. However, until now, she only considered it to be a rumor.
Just the thought of being forced to fight more dumb, superstrong muscleheads in the future made her shudder. She hated them and how inelegant and brute they were. She also hated, even more, their dumb yelling during the fights.
"Big Bob smash!" The next moment, the wall exploded, with pieces of concrete flying everywhere and an oversized fist tearing through it. The world seemingly slowed down as she reacted.