Runes • Rifles • Reincarnation

Early on the morning of the third day, Jin Shu’s eyes snapped open. The room was dark, the sun still hidden behind the lapping waves of the river outside his window. He inhaled deeply, his instincts suddenly sharpening. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced since his reincarnation: danger. Something is wrong.

He rose abruptly, throwing on a robe.

Glancing at Yin’er, who was soundly asleep, he quietly left the room, moving silently through the dim hallway. His senses were on high alert as he strained to detect any sound. When he reached the door leading to the deck, he finally heard it—a soft, rhythmic clinking of metal. His brow furrowed, his hand instinctively reaching for a weapon at his side, that wasn't there. His brow twitched. Ah, right. Following a brief glow from his earring a karambit appeared in his hand.

Then came a louder noise: a wet, gurgling sound followed by a heavy thump—like a fish slamming onto the wooden deck. Someone’s throat has just been slit. He analyzed.

The clinking of metal grew louder, accompanied by measured footsteps heading toward the door. Jin Shu’s karambit gleamed in the faint moonlight filtering through the cracks as the door creaked open.

A figure in dark clothing stepped into view, wielding a long, curved blade.

With a flick of his wrist, Jin Shu’s karambit flashed.

Slice!

The curved blade clattered to the floor as blood splattered—Jin Shu had severed the man’s sword arm at the wrist. A muffled groan came from behind the cloth mask covering the attacker’s face.

Jin Shu wasted no time. He grabbed the man’s injured wrist and yanked him forward, simultaneously sweeping his legs out from under him. The attacker crashed onto the wooden floor. Before the man could react, Jin Shu’s fist connected with his temple. His head hit the floorboards with a dull thud, and he went limp.

Jin Shu’s gaze flicked toward the deck outside. Under the pale glow of the moon, he spotted several figures in similar dark clothing. Ten of them, at least. Enemies.

Acting quickly, Jin Shu dragged the unconscious attacker’s body into the room and wedged it against the door, then retreated further down the hallway.

Switching his karambit to his left hand, he summoned a pistol into his right. The weapon rattled faintly, metal pieces shifting inside. Jin Shu allowed himself a brief smile. Time to test those modifications.

The door rattled as someone tried to open it. When they failed, the effort turned more forceful.

Bang!

The door burst open as two more black-clad men forced their way through, shoving aside the limp body blocking their path.

Ping! Ping!

Bam! Bam!

Jin Shu fired two shots in quick succession. The inscribed pellets tore through the air with incredible speed. The impact was brutal, flinging the attackers backward through the doorway.

“Ha!” Jin Shu grinned, unable to hide his excitement. “The Density Strike Rune works even better than I thought!”

From the muffled groans outside, he knew his enemies weren’t dead, but they wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon. The lack of light prevented him from seeing the full extent of the damage, but the results were more than satisfactory.

Moments later, another man stepped into the doorway. Unlike the others, he seemed to emit a faint glow—not from the moonlight, but something else entirely. Jin Shu’s instincts flared, but he didn’t hesitate. He calmly squeezed the trigger.

Ping!

Bam!

The pellet struck the man squarely in the chest, but he merely staggered with a weak groan.

Jin Shu’s eyes narrowed. He fired three more shots in quick succession, each finding its mark with a solid thump. The third shot forced the man back a step, but that was all.

The glowing figure advanced, each step deliberate and heavy.

Realizing his modified pellet gun was useless, Jin Shu stashed it and drew his Yarborough knife. Now armed with the Yarborough in a hammer grip in his right hand and the karambit in a reverse grip in his left, he stepped forward to meet his foe.

The man raised his curved sword and swung it down in a powerful overhead strike.

Klang!

Slice!

  Tink!

Both combatants froze in surprise. Jin Shu’s knives had cleanly sliced through the man’s sword, sending its tip clattering onto the wooden floorboards.

“What the hell?!” the man blurted, his muffled voice full of astonishment as he instinctively stepped back.

But Jin Shu gave him no time to recover. In a fluid motion, he darted to the man’s side, hooking his leg while driving his shoulder under the man’s arm. With a swift, practiced movement, Jin Shu flipped the man over his shoulder.

Bang!

The man hit the floor hard, the impact shaking the deck. Jin Shu didn’t hesitate. He struck the man’s temple with the pommel of his knife, the blow bouncing the man’s head off the wooden floorboards.

Dazed and clearly in pain, the man stared up at Jin Shu with glazed eyes, but he wasn’t unconscious.

Jin Shu pulled back his arm, ready to strike again, when hurried footsteps sounded behind him. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder and saw two more attackers charging toward him, their swords raised high.

No time. Jin Shu rolled forward, directly over the man on the ground. As he moved, he slashed his blades under the man’s arms, slicing through the tendons beneath his armpits. The glowing figure let out a strangled cry, his arms falling limp and useless.

His Yarborough vanished as the pellet gun replaced it. Jin Shu spun in a crouched position, aiming at the charging men.

Ping! Ping!

Bam! Bam!

The pellets struck with devastating force, slamming into their targets like the charge of a raging elephant. The two attackers were flung backward, crashing heavily onto the floor and skidding a few feet before coming to a stop. Groaning in pain, they clutched at their concave chests.

Jin Shu winced at the sight. “Yeah… definitely can’t use those for sparring,” he muttered, a tinge of worry creeping into his voice.

Behind him, the creak of doors opening caught his attention. He turned to see several sailors stepping cautiously into the hallway, their faces pale as they took in the carnage. Among them, Biyu and Sun Li stood out, their expressions unreadable.

Biyu approached swiftly, her brow furrowed. “What’s happening?”

“Night raid,” Jin Shu replied curtly, his eyes flicking back toward the doorway.

“Huh?”

He sighed, clarifying, “We’re under attack.” He gestured at the groaning attackers sprawled across the floor.

“By who?” she pressed.

Jin Shu shrugged lightly, his gaze locked on the open doorway. No more men had entered yet. It seemed the enemy might be regrouping.

A sudden realization hit him. He turned sharply to the nearest sailor. “Is there another entry point into this area?”

The sailor hesitated, then pointed down the hallway. “There is. It leads to the cargo hold.”

Jin Shu’s stomach sank as a terrible premonition washed over him. At that moment, the door at the far end of the hallway creaked open, and three men slipped through. One of them gave a sharp whistle.

Jin Shu whipped back toward the deck entrance just as three more attackers emerged from that doorway as well.

They were boxed in.

“Biyu, get everyone into their rooms!” Jin Shu barked, his eyes locked on the three men advancing from the deck. He raised his pellet gun, but the crowded hallway left him no clear shot at the group behind them.

The attackers moved cautiously, holding makeshift wooden shields fashioned from planks. Jin Shu fired three quick shots.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The pellets slammed into the shields, splintering the wood and forcing the men back a step. But the shots ricocheted harmlessly, leaving the attackers unharmed.

Jin Shu’s brow twitched in irritation. “Haa… I didn’t want to use this, but you’ve forced my hand,” he muttered. With a flick of his wrist, the pellet gun vanished, replaced by his M17 pistol. Its familiar weight grounded him for a brief moment.

There was no time for hesitation. He steadied his aim, targeting their exposed limbs.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three shots, clean and precise. The first hit an ankle, the second a shoulder, and the third drove through the gap in a shield to strike a knee. The three attackers crumpled to the floor, groaning in pain.

Jin Shu spun around, already seeking the next threat.

The other three men, seeing their comrades fall, abandoned their shields and charged forward. Jin Shu raised his pistol but froze—there were still too many people in the hallway. Sailors crowded around, gawking at the chaos, while Biyu desperately tried to herd them into their rooms.

“Get out of the way!” Jin Shu snapped, but the sailors were too paralyzed with fear to listen.

A flicker of movement caught his eye. Sun Li stood at the far end of the hallway, directly in the path of the charging men.

Jin Shu cursed under his breath. If he swapped back to the pellet gun, a stray enhanced pellet could kill one of the mortals. He didn’t have time to risk it.

He surged forward, shoving past the frightened sailors. The crowd slowed his progress, and before he could reach her, the attackers were upon Sun Li.

The lead man grabbed her, pulling her close as he pressed a curved blade to her throat.

“Stop!” the attacker barked, his voice sharp and commanding.

Sun Li’s eyes were wide with terror, her breath caught in her chest. Jin Shu froze, his hands tightening around the pistol's grip as he locked eyes with the intruder.