Bad woman, am I pretending to be bad?

He grinned, his dry, wrinkled lips revealing a bitter expression.

Having heard this, Charlotte's thoughts became clearer, and this made it even more suspicious that the India Party was involved in the case.

While capital need not be sympathized with, leaders who turn their backs on the workers are even more despicable and infuriating.

The ritual of arbitrators lingers in my mind. If a trial were to be conducted to determine justice or evil, wouldn't they be the best choice?

The crimes committed openly, accompanied by the cheers of the people, not only aligned with Charlotte's groundwork but also provided a focal point for future developments.

Although nothing has been done yet, this is indeed a good thing.

"Sir, thank you for your kindness, but I am not a weak girl and I will not collude with them."

Her fingertips traced the stock of the gun, gently stroking the hammer; the coldness of the metal made the girl's mind even clearer.

Lowering her hat brim, Charlotte stepped alone into the seemingly bright street, illuminated by the still-lit streetlights, under the gaze of several pairs of hopeful eyes.

The dampness continued, and now that it was closer to the bay, the moisture was heavier, and you could even hear the muffled sound of waves crashing against the shore.

Wearing the armband that had been peeled off the arm of an Indiya party member, she adjusted her gait, tensing her body as she walked, like an arrow about to be released.

With each step taken and each landing, the waist and limbs move like a string being strung, gradually approaching the optimal state for exertion.

Click, click.

As you turn left into the narrow alley, the dampness fades, but the sound of chewing slowly rises, accompanied by a faint smell of rust.

Standing at the entrance of the alley where light and shadow mingled, she saw the person, completely wrapped in cloth, with their back to her, bent over, head bowed, prostrate before a human body, incessantly biting and tearing, letting dark red blood soak into their clothes, just like—

Sea fish eat shellfish as naturally as seafood.

Oh, the scene of the first crime.

It seems that no evidence is needed. Even if the victim's identity is unknown, killing someone and destroying the body is enough to warrant punishment. The kind-hearted Miss Watson will not let such evil deeds be exposed to the public.

She pulled the revolver from its holster, her fingertip pressed against the trigger, but didn't fire immediately. She estimated the commotion after the shot and measured the time it would take to get away.

Her senses were sharpened here; the feedback of the sea breeze on her body, the undulations of her muscles beneath her clothes—these subtle changes were magnified as the girl observed them, transforming into more concrete information.

Arm span, stride, weight, fat, fascia, the force of a bullet piercing flesh—stripping away irrelevant factors, she weighed the core of the battle in her mind, and wherever she looked, it was like a transparent world.

There are no obvious extraordinary features, but the density of the muscles is far greater than that of ordinary people. Unlike the Arbitrator's single specialization, this unknown path seems to be more inclined to physical enhancement.

No longer lost in thought, she used her senses to measure the situation and, excluding any extraordinary abilities, confirmed that the opponent's body could still be pierced by bullets. For Charlotte, this meant victory was already assured.

Let me calculate how long it would take for people in the vicinity who might belong to the India Party to notice and arrive after the gunshots rang out.

Hmm, it seems there's more than enough room.

Perhaps it was a subtle change in the wind direction that made the person who was bending down feel it. He looked up at the girl, blood still dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"you?"

Before the hoarse question could be uttered, those thin pink lips released a silencing note.

"Shh-"

The gun barrel was raised, the sights were adjusted, the hammer struck, and a beautiful melody pierced through the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore.

Sea fish prey on scallops, and tonight she joins the hunt.

After the music ended, blood splattered.

Chapter Forty: Extracts and Non-Thoughts

boom--

The silver bullet evaded the airflow, precisely tearing through clothing and striking the person's most vulnerable spot—the neck.

Dark red blood gushed out, but Charlotte frowned, concealing her surprise.

Beneath the scorching silk, several greasy, shiny green scales covered the neck and shoulders. Although the bullet's impact pierced the skin, the oily surface deflected the trajectory, taking only a superficial layer of flesh.

Just like the scales of a sea fish, it seems that this is why the other party is wrapped in cloth to cover every inch of skin.

Fisherman, what a fisherman! He complements the theme of the port area perfectly.

Clutching his bleeding neck, the burly man seemed to freeze in disbelief for a moment. Then, the pain stimulated his heart, and anger overwhelmed his astonishment. He roared so loudly that the sea breeze paused and the bricks and tiles cracked.

Before she could cover her ears, the surging sound waves pierced her eardrums, causing the girl to experience temporary hearing loss.

Immediately afterward, the former took a step forward, ruthlessly crushing the corpse beneath his feet, causing bones to break and flesh to split, and blood to splatter along the wall.

A gust of wind rushed towards him, and the enormous figure rapidly approached like a small mountain, crashing into him.

Even though it was unexpected, Charlotte did not panic. Despite the buzzing in her head, she suppressed her discomfort and stared intently at the other person's closeness.

As if time itself had stopped flowing, the contraction of the fascia and the undulation of the muscles were all so clear and distinct to her, completely transparent.

The next strike is a side kick with a raised leg.

Charlotte braced herself against the wall with her palms out, leaning back to narrowly avoid the direct hit, and then, with a close call, regained her balance.

The powerful side kick almost grazed the girl's neck. Even though it didn't hit her, it still broke her skin and blasted layers of cracks into the wall behind her, causing countless pieces of mud bricks to fall off.

A terrifying force.

Having confirmed that the other party was indeed an extraordinary being, if such a savage physique could be obtained even at a low sequence level, then it was no less impressive than the Arbitrator's words becoming law.

Analyzing the battle situation quickly, it was extremely difficult for a young girl who was still an ordinary person to make a decisive move when the ambush failed.

However, even after reaching the extraordinary level, one is still subject to the rules of physics. Due to inertia, it is unavoidable that one cannot stop exerting force in time.

Since it's uncertain whether these oily scales cover other parts of the body, let's try a different approach—

Lowering her knees and hunching her shoulders, she used the momentum of her movement to leap to the man's side, then raised her elbows and pulled the trigger.

boom!

The second shot was aimed directly at the exposed ear canal.

The hammer slammed into the primer, and the burning black powder, carrying the bullet layer by layer with smoke, penetrated the flesh, shattered the bone, and flew out of the eye socket.

An eyeball immediately exploded into a bloody mist; however, although the shot caused severe damage, it still missed slightly.

It's not that Charlotte's marksmanship was poor; rather, at the crucial moment, her opponent slightly turned his head, avoiding vital areas.

"Heh, heh, who... hired you to kill me, Talon?"

He was breathing heavily, his face was a bloody mess, not only were his eye sockets empty, but his nasal cavity was also torn apart by the force of the bullet, from which thick blood flowed out.

Talon initially thought it was just an ordinary person who was overestimating himself and provoking him, but to his surprise, in just a moment, the seemingly inconspicuous revolver fired twice, shattering his arrogance and composure.

Even the most skilled marksman cannot adjust his posture and seize an opening at close range. How could this girl, who has no sense of direction, have such a quick reaction?

however--

"Sir, isn't a precious life enough for an advance payment?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte glanced at the corpse that had been gnawed open, revealing its white bones. Her dark eyelashes trembled slightly, and she asked softly but firmly.

She could see the victim's tanned skin and calluses on his fingers; undoubtedly, he was just an ordinary, innocent laborer.

"What are you pretending to be, a good person for!"

With a hoarse, roaring voice, the clothes that tightly bound his legs suddenly ripped apart, revealing thighs and webbed feet covered in green scales.

Blood dripped onto the ground, but the man ignored his injuries and stomped on the ground with all his might, swinging his arms left and right like a torrential downpour.

Despite losing half of his sight, Talon's every strike could still shatter walls, carve trenches, and easily sever the girl's body, yet it was utterly ineffective.

The silver-haired girl simply took a half step back, tilted her neck to the side, or slightly tucked in her waist and abdomen, and gracefully dodged the onslaught, like a fluttering butterfly.

This tiny distance is like an insurmountable wall; even when fists and feet are close, you can always dodge and move at the absolute limit.

Charlotte measured both her arm span and foot stride before making a move. She knew exactly how far her opponent's attack radius was. Therefore, she was able to use her superb reflexes to detect the muscle contractions first, predict the direction of the attack, and make full use of every advantage she had.

Although she couldn't spare the energy to aim and shoot accurately under these circumstances, she wasn't just skilled with a gun; the girl from her previous life had already honed her combat skills countless times.

In the modern world of simplified combat, this gentleman's crude physical strength is simply not enough.

Blood gushed out like a fountain. The injuries to his face and the repeated mishaps made Talon increasingly anxious. Unable to contain his anger, he lowered his legs and recklessly spread his arms, intending to use his wide arm span to grab the girl, leaving her no way to escape.

Before any signs of movement could even begin, Charlotte had already raised her knee to meet the chin that the other person was offering, as if she had foreseen it.

boom.

The air trembled, and from the nearby kerosene lamp, a plump drop of oil trembled and fell.

Under the combined force, the vibration penetrated the brain, and Talon's eyes immediately rolled back, his consciousness almost becoming hazy.

Similarly, Charlotte's right leg also went limp and weak, not only tearing the eyelet of her pants but also losing all feeling in it.

Human bones vary in hardness, and it's easy to tell at a glance which joint or jaw is stronger. However, its unique characteristics cause the two to become similar, leading to the girl's knee dislocation due to the force of the impact.

However, the sting did not affect Charlotte's judgment at all. She steadied the gun again and pulled the trigger once more, as calmly as if she were doing her daily practice.

boom.

The third bullet left the barrel as expected, tearing through the previous wound and piercing the entire neck.

Crimson blood gushed out, dimming the light in his eyes. The burly man was unable to scream; his throat made a hoarse sound. He tried to raise his hand to move the fatal wound, but his shoulder and elbow joints felt as if they were filled with glue, making his movements clumsy and slow.

In the end, he channeled his resentment into reality, and with his last remaining strength, he struck down with his palm, like a black bear making a desperate counterattack before its death.

However, Charlotte simply raised her elbow to block the closed hand blade, twisting off the former's five fingers in the process, leaving them hanging ugly in one place.

Then, Talon's body slumped down, letting the blood seep out and gather into a ball of transparent fish eggs, and there was no further movement.

With her voice fading and her body nearly dead, the girl, clutching her dislocated right hand, leaned against the wall, exhaling softly to calm the lingering effects of the battle.

Gu Feng rose and fell incessantly, fine sweat seeped from her forehead, and her thin and frail figure appeared exceptionally weak at this moment, as if she had experienced exhaustion and was just a petite girl.

Given her opponent's physical condition, if Miss Watson had taken a direct hit, her bones would have been shattered instantly. Therefore, this battle, though seemingly easy, was actually incredibly dangerous. Fortunately, she ultimately—

"He did it; he surpassed the extraordinary with his mediocrity."

Ms. Mossant, what you once said was impossible, I have now created with my own hands. As your guide, you must be very proud of me, right?

Letting her thoughts wander, Charlotte, taking advantage of this distraction, gritted her teeth, tightened her fingers, and with a few crisp sounds, painfully straightened her bones, restoring her dignified posture.

Looking down, she saw the holes in her trousers and the dust and bloodstains on the polyester outer layer, and couldn't help but laugh.

Her thin lips curved slightly upward, first into a shy, dreamy smile, then into a radiant, romantic smile, and finally into an elegant, graceful chuckle as she covered her mouth.

“Mr. Talon, I didn’t mean it that way. Actually, I would like to get closer to you, chat about everyday things, and spend the night together.”

"For example, what exactly is your position in the Indiya Party, and why do you resort to cannibalism?"

Lowering her hat brim and placing her hands on her chest, Charlotte stood in the messy, dirty alley, offering a slight bow and sighing with restraint and humility.

"Unfortunately, you've become accustomed to silence and will only be able to close your eyes and sleep from now on. Therefore, I can only collect some payment in advance to obtain clues from you."

"I hope you won't take offense; after all, even if you wanted to, you couldn't bring yourself to say it now."

It was a soft murmur, but also a glimpse of a slightly smug nature.

P.S.: I'm exhausted and starving. I hope I wake up to find you guys feeding me some junk food. (Votes)

A notice

Kids, stop raising books...

The editor just released the number of people who have been following our posts. You must feel... quite disappointed.

I know my writing pace is slow and it's not eye-catching, but I've carefully crafted the words, so please don't keep it.

Having collected so many items, only to find that I haven't even collected one-twentieth of them yet, makes me doubt myself and dampens my enthusiasm.

I don't mean to play the victim, but I was genuinely saddened after reading this.

I'm even starting to have some doubts about writing a new chapter.

I apologize if this has bothered you.

It's not a pigeon, it's not a pigeon!

Chapter 41 An Extraordinary Gathering and Its Beginning

A reckless adventure is the prelude to failure, a task undertaken hastily and unintentionally.

In reality, Charlotte did not like to act without certainty, nor was she a proponent of the idea that things would work out in the end, but the urgency of time left no room for compromise or for her to plan ahead.