I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield Chapter 1060 - 668: Li Qi’s Inner Demon (Part 2)

As soon as the Iron-masked Man left, everyone present immediately glanced around warily, gripping their various weapons tightly, each slowly withdrawing into the forest. No one wanted to leave their back exposed to others, and no one wanted to be the first to fall.

At that moment, A Hao walked up to Li Qi and lowered his voice, "A Jun, let’s go too."

Li Qi tightened his grip on the dagger in his hand, took a deep breath, and left the scene with A Hao.

Soon, the two reached an uninhabited area.

The dried leaves underfoot crunched and shattered, filling the air with a damp, decaying smell. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled spots of light on the faces of the two boys, sometimes bright, sometimes dark, much like their current fate—half in the light, half in the shadow.

"A Jun, what is your trial task?" A Hao asked first, his tone casual, like inquiring about what to eat today.

Li Qi was silent for a moment and then said, "Kill three people."

"That seems the same as mine." A Hao smiled, the smile looking relaxed, "I have to kill three people too. If we join forces, it won’t be hard for us to complete each of our tasks."

He paused, then spoke to himself, "A Jun, do you think if we become assassins, we’ll have the chance to avenge our parents?"

Li Qi nodded, "We definitely will."

Their parents were neighbors, door to door. The relationship between the two families was as close as relatives. During the children’s school days, the families would take turns preparing lunch or dinner, and after bringing the children home, they would dine together. On that long table, there were always steaming hot dishes, always two smiling faces.

Until that day.

A wanted Spiritualist invaded their homes, killed their families, took all the cash and liquid assets, and fled. Overnight, the two families were reduced to them alone.

They had escaped the calamity by being at school, but all the family members had died. From that day on, the two became orphans, sent to an orphanage, drifting around, eventually chosen by the Shadow Division.

As long as they became assassins in the Shadow Division, they could leverage the intelligence resources to find the wanted criminal who murdered their families and avenge them personally.

A Hao smiled, with a trace of longing and sentimentality in his tone, "I really hope that day comes sooner."

He exhaled deeply, as if calming the waves within his heart, then turned to look at Li Qi, "Let’s go, A Jun. Let’s find the first prey."

A Hao reached out to grab Li Qi’s arm.

Just as his fingers were about to touch Li Qi’s sleeve, Li Qi suddenly leaped back sharply.

A flash of cold light brushed past his arm.

"Ssssss—"

The sleeve was split open, revealing the skin beneath, with a shallow blood trace seeping droplets of blood. If Li Qi had been a moment slower, that flash would have sliced open not his sleeve, but his blood vessels.

Li Qi tightened his grip on the dagger, looking at A Hao opposite him with a complicated expression.

And A Hao straightened up, staring directly at Li Qi, a slow smile emerging at the corner of his mouth—a smile containing relief, bitterness, and an indescribable sense of liberation.

"A Jun, it seems our tasks are the same, both destined to kill each other."

Li Qi didn’t speak. His lips were sealed shut, and his fingers gripping the dagger were slightly pale.

A Hao smiled again, continuing, "During training in the camp, the coach said that assassins mustn’t have ties. Can’t have family, can’t have friends, can’t trust anyone. Any emotion becomes a weakness, any bond a deadly flaw. Today’s trial is to personally sever this bond and become a person without weaknesses."

He looked at Li Qi, eyes devoid of hatred, only a calm determination, "A Jun, come forward. Today only one of us brothers can leave here alive. The one who survives must find that person and avenge our parents."

As soon as he finished speaking, A Hao charged directly at Li Qi.

His speed was astonishing, the dagger slicing a cold arc in the air, thrusting straight for Li Qi’s heart—without any probing, his move was purely lethal.

Li Qi gritted his teeth, a flash of struggle in his eyes, finally turning into resolve. He charged at A Hao as well.

"Ding—ding—ding—"

The two daggers clashed repeatedly in the gloomy forest, sparking flashes. The images of the two boys crisscrossed in the dappled light, each crossing accompanied by the crisp sound of metal clashing.

Their movements were fierce and incisive, each strike aiming for vital spots, yet both managed to dodge at the last moment. They were too familiar with each other—having trained together for six years, every move, every habit, every flaw of the other imprinted into their bones.

When you draw your blade, you start by moving your right shoulder, I know.

When you dodge, you tend to jump to the back left, I know.

When you defend, you tend to tilt your dagger three inches upward, I know as well.

Li Qi furrowed his brow slightly.

He felt he had been through more battles, far more brutal, far more dangerous than this one. Facing A Hao’s assault, he was far more composed than he’d anticipated, every judgment was precise, every response just right. He even felt—if he truly wanted to win, he’d had several chances to take A Hao’s life.

But...

"A Jun, if you keep holding back, I’ll take your life!"

A Hao suddenly shouted fiercely, a cold light bursting from his eyes. His speed surged suddenly, the dagger in his hand stabbing at Li Qi’s heart at an extremely sharp angle.