The Return of the God Level Assassin

SHEN JI YUN glanced at Luo Yan's reply, and a chill of dread crept down his spine. He felt like he should clarify things right away, before any misunderstandings could arise.

YUN: [I don't want to do it, but the game imposed a rule that if I don't, points will be deducted. I can't let our team lose just because I'm too much of a prude.]

YUN: [Please, don't be mad, Yan Yan.]

Noctis: [Brother Ji Yun, I'm not upset. Do you really think I'm so petty that I'd get mad over something you couldn't even control?]

Shen Ji Yun sensed it was a trick question, so he quickly responded to avoid any possible misunderstanding. .net

YUN: [Of course not. You're so thoughtful. How could I ever think that?]

His uncle had once advised him that if he and Luo Yan ever found themselves arguing—or on the verge of it—he should always take the blame, no matter what. That's the secret to a long-lasting relationship.

YUN: [Besides, you're the only one who can make my heart flutter, so you truly have nothing to worry about. Just think of it as me flirting with mannequins.]

He added for good measure.

Noctis: [(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)]

Noctis: [Brother Ji Yun, aren't you just the most adorable?]

Shen Ji Yun wasn't entirely sure, but that reply felt laced with amusement. Well, that was a good sign, right? Amusement was definitely better than annoyance.

White Marsh: [You two, you haven't forgotten this is a team channel, right? Maybe save the flirting for somewhere else so the rest of us don't have to read it.]

Morganite: [I hate to admit it, but I'm with Bai Ze on this one. Your overly sweet comments to each other are seriously making my eyes hurt.]

Luo Jin seemed to want to save face for his brother, so instead of commenting on the flirting, he chose to ask instead;

AmazingYoungMasterJin: [What is the plan now?]

YUN: [Although we all have individual missions, the most important part is still the main mission. So, focus more on that. And just try your best to not go out of character for the time being.]

Noctis: [I agree with that. I actually think that the individual missions are more like a trap baiting us with points.]

Morganite: [That makes sense, but we still need to be cautious, especially with individual missions that come with high penalties—like Bai Ze's and Ji Yun's.]

White Marsh: [Hah. I guess I have to continue complaining every 10 minutes. Ji Yun, you better flirt with every woman you see in the train.]

Shen Ji Yun decided to ignore that comment.

AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Do you think the opposing team has the same main mission as us? I mean, it wouldn't feel much like a competition if they were also tasked with stopping Jack the Ripper.]

Shen Ji Yun nodded as he read that. It was actually a solid point.

YUN: [You're probably right. Since this is a competition, the two teams should be working against each other.]

White Marsh: [So, you're saying Fenghuang's main mission is probably to help Jack the Ripper?]

Noctis: [Or maybe their goal is to stop Sherlock Holmes from stopping Jack the Ripper. There are two key characters in this scenario. If we're up against the Ripper, it makes sense that Fenghuang would be up against Holmes.]

AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Yan is most likely right.]

Morganite: [Then this could go two ways. Fenghuang could either help Jack the Ripper succeed in his third-night kill, or they could focus on stopping Holmes from interfering. The same could also be said for us. So, what shall we do? Look for Sherlock Holmes or look for Jack the Ripper?]

AmazingYoungMasterJin: [Either one is hard to do. I mean, they're both in disguise. We didn't even get any hint as to who they might be cosplaying in this train.]

YUN: [Considering Sherlock Holmes' stories, his most frequent disguises are usually that of a disheveled old man or a beggar. Since only people with money can ride this train, it's safe to assume he's likely disguised as an old man. We can start with that.]

Noctis: [Wow, Brother Ji Yun, are you familiar with Sherlock Holmes?]

Seeing the obvious admiration in Luo Yan's reply, Shen Ji Yun couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. It was satisfying to see his book knowledge come in handy today.

YUN: [Ahem. I have all copies of Sherlock Holmes' adventures, all four novels and 56 short stories.]

Noctis: [That's reassuring. At least we won't be going in completely blind.]

White Marsh: [Ji Yun, by any chance, you're not also familiar with Jack the Ripper, right?]

YUN: [Unfortunately, I only know the basics: he terrorized Whitechapel in 1888, had five known victims—all believed to be prostitutes—and vanished without ever being caught.]

Morganite: [That's plenty enough.]

White Marsh: [Wait—wouldn't Xiao Jin be in danger since Jack the Ripper is known for targeting prostitutes? What if he becomes one of the Ripper's targets over the next three nights?]

AmazingYoungMasterJin: [I don't mind. Maybe it's better if he targets me. Since he kills violently, he'd have to confront me directly. When that happens, I can send you all the details of what I see while he's trying to kill me.]

White Marsh: [We will all remember your noble sacrifice.]

Noctis: [I'm not really into the whole self-sacrifice thing, but that plan could actually work. Sorry, Ah Jin. Don't worry, Sister Yuqi will definitely compensate you.]

Morganite: [Hey, Luo Yan, since when did you become my spokesperson?]

Noctis: [(๑>؂•̀๑)]

AmazingYoungMasterJin: [...]

White Marsh: [Hahahaha! (≧ヮ≦) ]

Shen Ji Yun shook his head as he read through their playful banter. But he also couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips.

After the playful banter, the team returned to their planning. By the time they finished, it was already lunchtime. They agreed to head to the dining car and, to recognize each other in the roles they're playing, they would send details on the team channel. Like where they would be sitting or what they'd be wearing, ensuring they could identify one another without breaking character.