The shot rang out, but the manner of the gunshot did not unfold according to Zajjad's script. The hidden shot completely saw through Zajjad’s scheme, ignoring the pistol tumbling in the air entirely, instead delivering a curved trajectory straight for his life.

The second shot followed immediately. The tumbling gun landed at Zajjad's feet, but he had no inclination to retrieve it.

The timing of this second shot was impeccable. Zajjad had just executed a maneuver to dodge the first bullet, leaving him unable to pivot to anything else; even knowing a second shot was coming, he couldn't seize the chance to flee.

And after the second shot rang out, the trigger of the handgun at Zajjad's feet was completely blown off. Even if he picked it up, it was now useless.

“I’m not in a hurry. I’ll wait for my main force to arrive,” Qin Fen’s voice was utterly placid. “I want you to experience what it’s like to be tortured to death.”

Doubt flickered in Zajjad’s eyes. Was this man speaking the truth? Or was it a bluff? A psychological tactic?

Facing a completely unknown opponent whose voice betrayed no flicker of emotion, Zajjad’s blood began to pulse with a fierce rhythm.

Unlike others, Zajjad didn't feel fear; he felt exhilaration. Perhaps it was precisely this kind of situation that excited him that led him down the path of becoming a terrorist in the first place. As for the so-called freedom, in his view, it was utter nonsense—a fabrication meant to fool young people dissatisfied with society who believed they were unrecognized geniuses.

Crack!

Zajjad snatched up the supposedly ruined pistol from the floor, forcefully pulling back the firing pin with his thumb.

No trigger means no firing? Kid, you severely underestimate an elite terrorist! A vicious, sinister smile touched the corner of Zajjad’s mouth!

Qin Fen was smiling too. This was exactly what he wanted—to draw Zajjad into direct combat. A proper exchange of fire would reveal the true opening! Knocking off the trigger only conferred a slight disadvantage. If he truly wanted to disarm him, one bullet would have utterly destroyed the weapon.

Qin Fen had complete confidence in this assessment.

Xue Tian, meanwhile, had fully taken up his combat position. The sheer deterrent effect of the gun in Qin Fen’s hand was immense. The terrorists’ focus was entirely on him, terrified of a stray bullet piercing a skull if they faltered for a moment.

From the very beginning, since Qin Fen started firing, every person killed bore a hole through their temple. This clearly signaled a profound confidence in one's marksmanship; otherwise, one wouldn't target the temple even with a curved shot.

Phoenix watched the clouds shift overhead. Qin Fen had been inside the building for fifteen minutes. Eleven minutes had passed since the first shot, and nine minutes since the last heavy concussion from the building’s powerful explosion. During this time, the structure had been eerily silent.

“He’s Qin Zhan’s brother. He’ll be fine,” Phoenix repeated the very words she had just used to reassure herself barely ten seconds prior.

Phoenix, who never knew the meaning of tension on a mission, felt sweat beading in the palm gripping her sidearm.

“Don’t worry, Qin Fen will be fine. He was trained by Butcher,” nearby, Butcher rapidly exchanged a series of concise hand signals. Phoenix’s anxious heart found a measure of calm.

A massive hole gaped in the ceiling of the building’s fifth floor. Tables, mattresses, stone pillars, and countless fragments of debris and dust floated within the fifth-floor hall. Occasionally, chunks of rubble dropped from the ceiling above.

“Your marksmanship is the best I have ever seen,” Zajjad murmured, his temple faintly reddened, chest heaving as he stared at Qin Fen, his face etched with abnormal excitement.

Two bullets had struck high-explosive grenades lying on the ground, sending them toward targets ready to attack; the second bullet simultaneously pulled the safety off the first grenade.

This was not merely achievable through precise shooting; it demanded rapid mental calculation regarding the surrounding environment and the grenades’ flight paths.

Yet, that was not the most terrifying aspect. The truly terrifying part was the third bullet! It wasn't aimed at the grenades but flew directly toward Zajjad's temple, predicted based on his most likely escape route.

The third bullet required not only the initial set of complex calculations but also a deep study of psychology. This man was a high-precision killing machine!

What Zajjad hadn't anticipated was how young this machine was! Had he not been prepared beforehand, that last bullet would likely have pierced his skull.

“Kid, if you still have plenty of ammunition, I’ll have to use my ultimate move,” Zajjad remained perfectly still, watching Qin Fen. During the recent chaos, two of his comrades had lured away the other opponent. Now, it was a true one-on-one. Without that viper-like hidden operative, movement would be less restricted than before.

Ultimate move? Qin Fen focused on the red mark on Zajjad’s temple. A shot meant for a guaranteed kill had only resulted in a graze. This clearly connected to the "ultimate move" Zajjad had mentioned.

Qin Fen felt a pang of regret. He had been too cautious, dialing down the kinetic energy of the HK45C too much. Otherwise, even a mere graze would have generated enough airflow disruption around the bullet to give Zajjad serious trouble.

For an opponent who hadn't broken through the Four-Star strength level, resisting a bullet was impossible. Even with reduced force, Qin Fen didn't believe any hard body-guarding technique could stop a metal projectile.

During the exchange of fire amidst the previous explosions, Qin Fen had only one round left in his current magazine. Reloading under face-to-face pressure was something he couldn't manage at this moment.

“It seems you aren’t capable of replacing your magazine while simultaneously firing back to block my attack in my presence,” Zajjad’s grin grew increasingly triumphant. The outcome of this confrontation was now decided.

“Make good use of your final bullet!” Zajjad slowly shuffled toward Qin Fen, his feet scraping the floor. He dared not leap into the air, nor let even one foot leave the ground. As long as Qin Fen held one round, he held Death’s scythe.

What to do? Settle the score one-on-one? Or retreat to draw out the pursuit and utilize the external special forces experts for a coordinated trap?

“If you retreat, I won’t pursue,” Zajjad stated calmly. His pace seemed slow, but he was actually closing the distance quickly. “Judging by your demeanor, you came prepared. You must have set up an external snare network as well, haven't you?”

This single sentence sealed off Qin Fen’s plan to feign weakness to draw the opponent into a chase.

A single, lethal shot? Qin Fen quickly dismissed the idea. Without knowing what Zajjad's ultimate move was, this final bullet seemed unlikely to be effective, especially since his sure-kill shot had failed just now.

In that instant, Qin Fen’s eyes flared with an unprecedented, sharp killing intent. The bullet spun rapidly as it left the muzzle.

Zajjad’s eyes flashed savagely. His calf muscles contracted and expanded explosively. His body twisted and swept across the ground, truly resembling a grass snake sprouting wings.

The bullet arrived instantly before Zajjad. If it were an ordinary shooter, he could anticipate the angle and evade. But facing Qin Fen’s shot, he didn't believe simply seeing the angle guaranteed evasion.

Ultimate move!

A flash erupted within Zajjad’s body. Countless lines of light coalesced into a shell resembling a tortoise’s carapace, forming a defensive layer right over his temple. The bullet struck it but could not penetrate the tortoise-shell energy shield.

Bioweast!

Qin Fen was shocked. He had pored over data concerning his own Bioweast in recent days. Zajjad actually possessed an incredibly expensive Bioweast! And it was in the Second Fusion stage—the Manifestation Fusion stage!

There was no time to regret reducing the power setting on his HK45C. Qin Fen decisively threw the now-empty HK45C aside and used a Dragon Concealment maneuver to evade Zajjad’s lunge.

If he had used a different firearm, even a second-stage Bioweast, especially a turtle-type beast renowned for its defense, might not have withstood the bullet’s impact.

Qin Fen regretted his initial caution. He blocked Zajjad’s incoming punch with crossed arms, his body shaking violently as he was forced to retreat step after step. With every footfall, the floorboards beneath him trembled.

The Bioweast fusion was even fiercer than the data suggested! Despite both being Four-Star, this punch possessed power far exceeding the Five-Star Meteor grade! If not for his habit of sparring with high-level masters, giving him a degree of ability to fight above his rank, Zajjad’s punch would have utterly shattered his guard.

Pain flared in his arms, and data regarding Bioweast fusion flashed through Qin Fen’s mind.

First Fusion, also known as Parasitic Fusion, was the initial state where the Bioweast parasitized the user’s body. It shared resources with human muscle, skin, and organs, doubling the user’s overall cellular efficiency and offering minor bodily repair during injury.

Second Fusion, or Manifestation Fusion, was a state where the Bioweast cells began to merge with the user’s own cells. Building upon the First Fusion, it doubled biological efficiency again, and crucially, during combat, the Bioweast itself could manifest in an energy state, generating auxiliary attacks and defenses.

Second Fusion provided double the physical enhancement of First Fusion? Qin Fen calculated internally. Did that mean this Four-Star Zajjad possessed strength comparable to a Six-Star martial artist? No wonder Bioweasts were so prohibitively expensive!

Forced by a young man wielding a handgun that might not even penetrate the most common bulletproof vest, Zajjad had lost several comrades and was now resorting to his trump card Bioweast. This attack marked Zajjad’s complete eruption!

Roars of savage beasts echoed from within his body. With every step, he threw a punch. The surging sound of blood in his veins was like the distant thunder before a downpour, the resulting shockwaves from his fists even scattering the dust suspended in the air.

Qin Fen rapidly swung his arms, meeting Zajjad’s frenzied assault head-on. With every step back, the floorboards beneath him cracked. Shards of reinforced concrete flew everywhere, resembling the heavy hammering of a colossal pile driver demolishing the ground.