John instantly leaned out, raising his Pistol and pointing it forward, but he didn't find anyone, so he immediately pulled back.
The next moment, a silver dart flew in from an angle, embedding itself in the floor nearby.
"Hmph, the old man is as treacherous as ever."
Looking at the dart that had grazed his leather shoe and stuck into the ground, a drop of cold sweat trickled down John's forehead.
In fact, while his bulletproof suit offered some protection against bullets, it was somewhat helpless against such darts.
After all, a bulletproof suit isn't omnipotent.
But the Professor's poisoned darts could certainly cause him trouble, and this feeling was very unpleasant; he had expected a gunfight, but the opponent pulled out a magic weapon.
"Old friends meeting, isn't greeting each other this way a bit unfriendly?" John said coldly, leaning against the wall.
"Is that so? But I think my toy is much better than that thing in your hand." Harris clearly wasn't falling for his trick, but John had already pinpointed his position.
Based on the direction the dart came from, and the direction the sound came from just now, John immediately left his position.
If he was locating the opponent, the opponent would naturally be locating him too.
Battles between assassins are not turn-based games where one moves then the other; instead, they are physical, with eyes, ears, mouth, and nose working in sync. Whoever shoots first, whoever strikes first, has the advantage. Whoever can hit the opponent more accurately wins.
John, who had circled around from behind, didn't find Harris's position, and Harris had also stealthily reached John's hiding spot. The two had thus unknowingly swapped places.
Realizing this, John immediately felt for a stick nearby and then threw it out forcefully.
Clatter!
The sound of the stick hitting the ground was crisp.
Harris didn't rush to attack; instead, he was like a beast lurking in the shadows, quietly waiting for the right moment.
This feeling was very bad; John's personality had always been to charge in directly, and encountering someone like Harris really tested his patience.
John, who moved again, this time moved away from the area. As he retreated, his Pistol was aimed forward, his gaze was fixed ahead, and his ears were listening for sounds from both sides.
This wasn't the first time he and Professor Harris had crossed paths, but each time it felt like punching cotton.
Just as John retreated to the next intersection, a dart pierced John's neck from the side. Even though John had sensed something was wrong, he was still inevitably struck.
The moment he was struck, John immediately reached up and pulled the needle out.
But inevitably, some of the emerald green liquid still injected into John's body.
Knowing that things were bad, John immediately retreated. He already knew where the Professor was hiding.
He turned directly and fired three shots in that direction.
Unfortunately, there was nothing there; Harris had immediately moved after striking.
The three shots had no effect, and John immediately turned and began to run in another direction.
After running a few steps, John felt something was off.
He could feel his body becoming extremely sensitive; the wind blowing across his skin, the sensation of his hair pricking his neck, all were unusually clear.
Just then, someone suddenly lunged out from the side, tackling John to the ground.
The impact of his elbow hitting the ground was very strong, and the pain was also very intense.
It felt like he had been shot.
"Do you feel it? This is my new drug."
Harris stood a little further away, looking at John, then pulled a pair of golden brass knuckles from his pocket. "You have always been a legend in the assassin world, forging your own reputation in this world through your own strength."
Harris slowly put on the golden brass knuckles.
"Everyone recognizes your fighting style, even the High Table admires you greatly." After both golden brass knuckles were on, Harris gently pushed his gold-rimmed glasses with his index finger.
"But I don't think so. Today, I'll let you experience something entirely new."
With that, Harris adopted a boxing stance, and by this time, John had also stood up.
The pain in his left elbow continued, stimulating John's nerves in waves.
He had a rough idea of what kind of drug he had been hit with.
"Sensory amplification?" John murmured.
His Pistol had been knocked aside, and there was no time to pick it up.
He directly removed his tie and wrapped it around his fist.
That last blow had made him break out in a cold sweat from the pain, so he had to be careful in the upcoming fight and absolutely avoid getting hit again.
The next second, Harris threw a punch. John dodged in time and simultaneously used his left arm to block Harris's incoming right punch.
Thud!
Harris's right hand collided with John's left arm. What would normally be a small pain was now infinitely amplified.
The pain was so intense that John almost couldn't block it.
But now was not the time to cry out in pain. John continuously focused his concentration, diligently defending against Harris's attacks.
Although Harris was old, his movements were not slow.
Punch after punch, he seemed to enjoy the rhythm of the offense, while John silently endured.
Because his senses were amplified, every one of Harris's punches, even if it didn't hit him directly but merely grazed him, brought intense pain.
Finally seizing an opportunity, John landed a powerful punch directly on Harris's abdomen, a blow that made Harris feel a bit drained of strength.
"F*ck!"
After uttering that, Harris immediately widened the distance between himself and John. By this time, John also saw his Pistol. He quickly bent down and picked it up. When he looked up again, he found that Harris had disappeared.
"Rats hiding in the sewers can never look at the sun openly!" John cursed angrily, then, gripping his Pistol, he cautiously moved away in another direction.
It wasn't until this moment that Harris, who had been hiding in the shadows, slowly emerged. Looking at the departed John, a cold sneer appeared on his lips.
"Don't worry, there will be plenty of time. I'll treat you well."
When John returned to the coronation ceremony, it was still bustling with people, as if nothing had happened. But John keenly noticed that there seemed to be a few unusual people among the crowd.
And he had now been affected by Harris's drug. Although not fatal, the sensation was truly very uncomfortable; every step he took made him feel strange sensations.
Giana, who had been observing the crowd, saw John return, so she stood up and approached him.
Seeing John with cold sweat on his forehead, she also realized something was wrong. "You ran into Harris?"
She was aware of the conflict between John and Harris; although it wasn't that serious, they always had to contend with each other when they met.
But looking at John's state, it was highly likely he had been ambushed by Harris.
"Come with me." With that, Giana turned and walked in another direction, and John followed closely.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"