The room was quiet—so quiet that Mainz felt every hair on his body stand on end. Even on the battlefield, he had never felt such a suffocating tension.
Suddenly, a faint click echoed about two or three meters ahead. Mainz's heart skipped a beat. The killer had just touched something, exposing his position.
Judging by the sound, the intruder wasn't far. If he had a gun, this was the moment to strike—but Mainz's own pistol was locked in the safe.
A sharp bang! shattered the silence. The intruder fired blindly, aiming toward Mainz's general direction. Twelve bullets—he intended to use them all in one burst. But after the eleventh shot, the gun went silent.
The opportunity was clear. Mainz didn't hesitate. He charged forward with all his strength, his instincts honed from years of training and combat.
With a precise, devastating punch, he struck the intruder square in the face. The killer hadn't expected his last bullet to jam—or Mainz to act so decisively.
Click!
In one fluid motion, Mainz applied a throat lock he had learned in army grappling exercises. In an instant, the intruder's neck snapped.
And just like that, Mainz realized—he had acted too decisively.
"Oh no… now there's no one left to tell me who sent you!"
Standing and calming his racing heart, Mainz switched on the light. The intruder lay sprawled on the floor, a pistol in hand, the last bullet jammed. Several spare magazines still clung to his body—had he managed to reload, Mainz might not be alive.
Who had sent this assassin? Mainz had no clue. There were simply too many enemies, and now the trail had gone cold.
From that moment, Mainz resolved to take his personal safety seriously. Human life was cheap, and without protection, all his grand plans and ambitions could vanish in an instant.
"System," he said, "what can I do to improve my self-preservation? Weapons, equipment, armor—anything."
[System Response: Trap security facilities are available, including body armor, silenced pistols, bulletproof vehicles, stab-proof suits, and more.]
Mainz frowned. "Is there… anything more advanced? Some kind of black technology?"
[System Response: A golden silk coat is available. Functions: bulletproof, stab-proof, color-changeable, even fully transparent. Does not hinder movement. Cost: 1,000 points. Confirm purchase?]
Mainz groaned. "Black shop robbery! I just spent half my points on the Bismarck upgrade, and now this costs the same?"
Yet after glancing at the corpse on the floor, he knew he had no choice. Survival came first.
[System Response: Alternative battlefield equipment available: silenced pistols, bulletproof cars, anti-mine vehicles. Choose one.]
"Can I have them all?" Mainz asked, but the system remained silent.
Moments later, the door burst open. Himmler, Dietrich, and several aides rushed in, forming a protective circle around Mainz.
"Your Excellency! Are you all right?" Himmler exclaimed.
"I'm fine. The intruder has been neutralized," Mainz replied calmly.
"Colonel, it seems someone wanted to kill you! We must leave immediately," Himmler warned. This was enemy territory; any interference from local police or military could turn the tables, framing them for murder. The safest course was immediate departure.
"Then let's go," Mainz said decisively. He quickly packed, and the group headed to the docks.
An hour later, they boarded a cruise ship bound for the Netherlands. Five hours later, they docked at Rotterdam, finally returning to continental Europe after a tense four-month mission.