As Fang Senyan's eyes darted like lightning across the room, he noticed that the Japanese man was still seated with his back to them, seemingly never having turned around. Although the woman also appeared unconcerned while preparing the tea ceremony, the small puddle of water on the low table betrayed her nervous state.

The Bamboo Union's "Chairman," however, looked at Fang Senyan with a face ashen and eyes practically spitting fire. He slammed his hands on the floor and shouted, "Come on, let's do this! The Four Seas Gang actually managed to hire a monster like you. Count it as my bad luck, Gu Yue'an!" The Bamboo Union leader Fang Senyan had killed earlier was named Hu An; this Chairman was named Gu Yue'an—quite a coincidence. Fang Senyan ignored him, ripped off his bullet-riddled clothes, stripped a black suit jacket from a nearby corpse, slipped it on, and started to walk out. Gu Yue'an's eyes widened in astonishment. "You're not going to kill me? You're actually not going to kill me? What kind of game are you playing?" Fang Senyan turned back and snapped, "Didn't you hear what I said? Whoever wants to kill me, I kill them! If you dare point a gun at me, I'll finish you too. The only reason you're alive is because you haven't drawn your gun on me."

Gu Yue'an's expression was one of utter disbelief. "Then, then why did you attack our men?" Senyan, also stewing in his own anger, pointed at the group and roared, "I was just asking that Japanese woman for directions, and that [NOTE: Original word omitted as per instruction] was about to stab me to death with a knife! Ask that [NOTE: Original word omitted as per instruction] girl if that's true!"

Gu Yue'an’s expression was truly fascinating. He suddenly turned and spoke several sentences in Japanese to the woman still preparing the tea. Fang Senyan didn't bother staying to listen to their nonsense and reached for the sliding screen door. But just then, a chill ran down his spine—an indescribable icy feeling crept up from his back like a venomous snake, instantly freezing him in place.

Behind Fang Senyan, the ever-calm and focused man in the kimono had risen to his feet and was slowly turning. In his hand, he held a seemingly ancient samurai sword! His gaze was fixed precisely on the center of Fang Senyan's back!

"You... must... not... leave."

The man spoke with the placidity of still water. His Chinese was not entirely standard, yet his pronunciation was remarkably clear. The words, as they left his mouth, sounded like the dripping of a bamboo water feature in a serene, cherry-blossom-filled Japanese garden—each drop cold and clear, falling into one's ears and deep into the heart.

Fang Senyan spun around abruptly, pulling out his Infinite Vodka and taking two deep swigs, boosting his health back above 80%. His pupils constricted slightly. "You're a Contractor too?" But the moment the word "Contractor" left his lips, Fang Senyan immediately received a notification from the Nightmare Mark: "Warning: You have engaged in minor leakage of spatial secrets in the real world. This is a first offense; no penalty will be imposed."

"Warning: You have engaged in minor leakage of spatial secrets in the real world. This is a first offense; no penalty will be imposed."

"Damn it, how could I forget this?" Fang Senyan's heart jolted. He instantly recalled the warning transmitted in the banquet hall after completing the Terminator world.

"In the real world, under no circumstances, whether active or passive, are you permitted to reveal any information about the Nightmare world to ordinary people."

"Try not to use any of the special abilities you gained from the Nightmare world in the real world. Otherwise, it will generate immense hidden dangers (passive abilities are exempt)." The kimono-clad man with the sword had thick, dark eyebrows and a dark beard, appearing to be between thirty and forty years old. While radiating a gentle refinement, there was an underlying sharpness, like the edge of a blade—a brilliant weapon wrapped in silk, smooth and flowing, yet undeniably keen.

However, when he spotted Fang Senyan's hip flask, his eyes flashed. "Good stuff!"

Fang Senyan said lightly, "You have good taste? What do you want?" "Ibutsuo, please advise!"

After speaking, the kimono-clad man suddenly drew the sharp blade in his hand and lunged toward Fang Senyan in a crouch! The two were nearly thirty meters apart, but the motion of drawing the sword seemed to occur while he was still distant. The next second, the white silk sleeves of his kimono seemed to already be before Fang Senyan! His charging posture was indistinguishable from a Japanese soldier in the War of Resistance against Japan, yelling "Banzai!" as they charged low to the ground!

As they say, an expert reveals themselves with their first move. Based on this single maneuver alone, Fang Senyan could determine that this man's unequipped Agility was at least twenty-five to thirty points, capable of completely suppressing him in terms of speed. But for Fang Senyan, his main headache at the moment should be the truly powerful magic-type Contractors. Agility-focused melee Contractors, even without the Toughness talent, were the type of opponents Fang Senyan welcomed most.

Faced with the enemy's silent approach, like a drifting maple leaf, Fang Senyan’s first action was to retreat! This was experience gained from his fierce battle with the second-tier creature, the Vampire, in the Harry Potter world. Behind him was a sliding Japanese wooden door, but it in no way hindered his rapid retreat. With a slight exertion on his back, the door shattered into several pieces with a loud crash, scattering window paper everywhere! As the blade flashed, it nicked Fang Senyan’s chest and left upper arm, causing blood to spray out violently. Because Fang Senyan was simultaneously retreating rapidly, the blood traced two wavy lines in the air before hitting the ground!

Despite being wounded upon first contact, Fang Senyan did not slow his pace until his back slammed against a hard brick and concrete wall! He stopped in a rather shameless position, precisely nestled into the corner of the building! This meant one thing: the opponent’s attack angle was now limited only to the front—the doorway—meaning he would naturally be severely restricted by the environment. For a fast melee fighter like this, attempting to use his speed advantage to circle around to the sides or back was completely impossible. Even abilities that required positioning behind the enemy were naturally out of the question!

A chilling sword light flickered, and a smear of blood appeared on Fang Senyan’s left shoulder. He hadn't even seen the shadow of the blade before a smooth, ragged wound appeared on his flesh. But Fang Senyan remained unmoved; he could endure this level of damage! More importantly, from the Nightmare Mark's notification, he realized that the protective rules for Contractors also applied in the real world! This made the fire burning in his eyes even more intense.

Ibutsuo struck four times in quick succession, yet the beast-like man before him swallowed them all. Although the enemy now bore four new wounds, for some inexplicable reason, every time Ibutsuo met his gaze, he felt a searing pain, as if he himself were being burned.

He, who cherished tranquility and elegance, intensely disliked this discordant feeling!

What troubled him even more was that the enemy’s perception seemed to be suppressing his own; he was utterly unable to view the enemy's information through combat logs, while the enemy could see all combat information clearly... This battle immediately placed him at an absolute disadvantage in terms of intelligence!

This only intensified his desire to sever the enemy's head and dye his pristine white kimono red with blood. Only then would he feel that life had reached its most profound state!

As he launched his fifth strike, Ibutsuo noticed the enemy before him shift slightly. He couldn't help but sneer, "Can't hold back anymore? Think you’ve figured out my sword path?" "Even without equipment bonuses, my Agility is still twenty-three points; I can even evade most ordinary bullets fired at me." "I, Ibutsuo, have practiced the sword since I was four until I was thirty-eight! That’s exactly thirty-five years of practice, drawing my blade a thousand times every day. Every cut has been tempered countless times by me. Now, after only four swings, you think you’ve seen my flaw?" Indeed, everything unfolded as Ibutsuo had anticipated. The enemy lowered his shoulders, seemingly having seen through the trajectory of the attack and attempting to dodge. Ibutsuo laughed loudly, twisting his wrist. The long blade suddenly bent, slashing towards the enemy's flank at an uncanny angle! The subtlety of this bend... was like a swift, powerful current crashing cleanly against a mountain wall, then, amidst the spray and mist, arcing out at a sharp angle to form an otherworldly waterfall!

As the blade flashed and folded, it cut a long gash across Fang Senyan's flank, the flesh curling back to reveal the stark white of his ribs underneath. But Ibutsuo’s momentum was spent at this point, much like a master calligrapher whose strokes are vibrant and spirited, yet there is always a momentary pause at the final turning point of the brush.

And right at the instant the blade paused, Fang Senyan intentionally drove his abdomen against the edge!

Blood sprayed as Ibutsuo was completely unprepared for such a self-injuring maneuver! The blade and the technique are both weapons meant to harm the opponent, so no matter how subtly Ibutsuo varied his moves, he never missed an opportunity to pierce the enemy’s body. Against this formidable swordsman, his opponents were often finished after a single stab to the abdomen. This caused Ibutsuo to experience a brief moment of slackness at this instant.

The blade was buried in his gut; the resulting pain and injury were imaginable. However, if Ibutsuo had been familiar with the centaur sub-BOSS Hertzruur Bloodmark from the Harry Potter world, he would have immediately and astonishingly realized: Fang Senyan was repeating an old trick! More importantly, even if this gamble of a sacrificial strategy failed this time, given Fang Senyan's high health and defense stats, he could still afford to lose and gamble without risking total ruin.