Chapter 16: I Have Killed Someone

A single round of wiping out the enemy and defusing the bomb—anyone with decent marksmanship and awareness could pull it off; there was nothing much to discuss. At the very least, the infiltrators paid it no mind. In their eyes, victory in this match was already inevitable. With a hint of disdain, they simply grabbed their weapons and headed off to their assigned positions once more.

On the defenders’ side, however, they were still immersed in shock and admiration.

Godlike awareness, godlike command—in short, it was divinity at play.

They had grown weary of losing; if not for the promise of five times the experience points today, many might have quit halfway. But this newcomer, “Yi Ran,” was like a guiding star, miraculously bringing them hope of a comeback, a new year’s miracle.

Gao Tianhao pressed V and said, “Bro, that was insane. I’m impressed.”

“Heh, it’s your marksmanship that’s good. Let’s go, everyone—don’t just stand there. We’re behind now, so defend; don’t try to attack,” Li Xin replied calmly, pulling his teammates’ focus back to the game.

“Three in B warehouse, hold and defend the choke. Two guard mid, three go to A—one behind the big train, the other two at the pillar and the alley. Give it your all and listen to my calls. If we take this round, then we’ll have the confidence to talk about a comeback.”

“Understood,” the team replied in unison.

“I’ll take sniper duty on mid—give me a machine gunner for support. ‘Ten Miles of Spring Breeze’ (Gao Tianhao), you take two with you to hold A long; the other two lieutenants head to B. Let’s show them our spirit!”

“Let’s go!” the voices rang out, morale surging, stirring the heart. In any game, there’s nothing as exhilarating as clawing back from a huge deficit to turn the tide.

A few seconds had passed with the brief instructions. The defenders sprinted to their assigned positions, setting up their defenses. At that moment—

Bang! The sniper’s report echoed from mid-spawn.

Player Yi Ran scored first blood.

“That fast?!”

“Holy—! That’s nuts!”

“Calling the shots and scoring the first kill—what terrifying skill!”

The defenders were deeply shaken, their admiration only growing. If a true master was this invested, could they themselves still cower in fear of death or defeat? Was that still manly? To counterattack from despair, to overcome the strong as the weak—this was the ultimate dream of every gunner, the very yearning of their souls.

“Ten Miles of Spring Breeze, two on the alley, push forward and try to pick them off,” Li Xin called.

“Got it!”

Gao Tianhao rushed up the alley, tossed a flashbang and a high-explosive grenade, then unleashed a barrage of bullets, immediately taking down the first enemy. The second infiltrator, blinded, was left with only 21 health and, panicking, retreated, barely escaping death.

Fearless, Gao Tianhao pressed on, quickly advancing and hiding at the alley’s corner. Well-timed, this position would certainly yield remarkable results.

Meanwhile, good news came from B warehouse as well. The three defenders, pushing together, lobbed three grenades and blew up the second enemy sneaking across the B bridge. Excited, they were about to push further when Li Xin spoke up.

“B warehouse, you three fall back, hold the bombsite—don’t go anywhere else. No one spotted mid, and A long is clear for now. They’re probably heading for B.”

A bucket of cold water snapped them back to clarity. They took a deep breath, realizing they’d almost made a costly mistake. Hurrying back to B, they each found a good hiding place. Unless the enemy committed all their forces, there was no way they’d have time to deal with flanking from three points.

In the rear bedroom of the Mingran Apothecary, Li Xin took a quick sip of water. The state of “Phantom Realization” he was in was tantamount to cheating. Other players could only judge the enemy’s position by footsteps and weapon swaps; he, however, had his own eyes to rely on—because, for him, the game had become reality. Everything in the game was real.

He swept mid with his sniper scope, took out an opponent, popped a red smoke, and quickly made for A long, calling out, “Ten Miles of Spring Breeze, hold the alley. Don’t move. You two on A long, fall back to mid. I’ll watch A long.”

He didn’t need to press the V key for voice—just speaking was enough.

Though his teammates didn’t reply, they followed his orders without hesitation.

Suddenly, bang!

One of the players rotating from A long to mid was killed. The other panicked, hesitating in place.

“Don’t freeze up, get to mid doors. I’ve got A long.”

“Okay.” The teammate snapped out of it and hurried off.

Now it was time for Li Xin’s solo show. Just as he predicted, after the enemy’s feint at B failed, they immediately switched to attacking A long.

Headshot.

Double kill.

Triple kill.

Li Xin of the Flying Tigers sniped three opponents in a row, then quickly switched to his pistol and ran toward the A long corner. As he rounded the bend, he came face-to-face with the enemy’s ACE. Without a moment’s hesitation, Li Xin activated his special skill, “Heaven and Earth.” A flash of light—a seven-foot red tassel spear appeared in his hand. He drew a deep breath and thrust it fiercely at the enemy’s head.

As the saying goes, “the longer the weapon, the greater the advantage.” The sudden encounter caught the opponent completely off guard—Li Xin’s spear became the reaper’s scythe.

One strike pierced the forehead, a direct headshot. Blood spurted out, splattering Li Xin from head to toe.

Quadra kill! The whole map was shaken, hearts stunned.

Four kills in fifteen seconds—unbelievable speed, unerring aim. The defenders roared in voice chat, venting their excitement; but the infiltrators felt their hearts sink in unison.

Especially the ACE, “Wang Kai, Handsome Beyond Compare,” who was livid. When he’d come face-to-face with the opponent, he’d clearly seen him holding a pistol. The trigger hadn’t even been pulled—no bullets fired. He couldn’t fathom how he’d been killed.

Had he imagined it?

Gritting his teeth, Wang Kai, Handsome Beyond Compare, typed in all-chat: “Yi Ran on the other side, next round, A long, one-on-one.”

“Alright!” The white text of a non-member floated up. Li Xin still stood at A long, a spear slanted across his back.

The roar of helicopters echoed above, distant explosions and gunfire flickered on the horizon. A corpse lay at his feet, a gaping hole through the forehead, blood pooling into a garish lotus of crimson.

This round was already won, but Li Xin was lost in a daze. “Phantom Realization” had melded game and reality, amplifying his enjoyment and granting him a cheat-like superpower. Victory was a breeze—something to be happy about.

But now, something worse pressed on him. That moment of killing the enemy had been so real. It was supposed to be just another in-game death, but to Li Xin, it felt as though he had truly killed someone. After days of trial and experimentation, he had never before dealt a killing blow at such close range—never expected such a bloody scene today.

A living, breathing person, struck down by his hand.

For the first time, Li Xin was plagued by doubt. The terror and despair that flashed in the dimming eyes of his vanquished foe haunted his mind. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t shake off that memory.

He slumped to the floor, clutching his head and shouting, trying desperately to release the shock and fear that gripped his heart.

“I killed someone. I killed someone…” Li Xin murmured, unable to calm himself. He could no longer distinguish between reality and illusion—everything felt so real.

Ding!

Mission success! Counter-terrorists win!

A flash of light—Li Xin, sobbing with his head in his hands, vanished from the spot and reappeared on the respawn platform.

Suddenly enlightened, he whispered to himself, “It was just a game.”