But Rian only turned his body slightly, then swung the axe at lightning speed.
One slash across.
Sreet!
The Ganado's head flew off, his body collapsing silently.
Ding!
[Killing Ganado +100 System Points!]
Blood sprayed wildly from the base of the severed neck, staining the ground around it. Rian stood between the two corpses, a bloody axe in his right hand and his bright blue eyes blazing under the dim light of the village sky.
Seven Ganado still remained, Rian quickly moved and took care of them.
Meanwhile, from behind the grass, Luis stood still. He watched everything with his eyes wide open.
One sentence slipped from his lips, half chuckle, half awe. "Dios mío... Your movements are very good. You're no ordinary agent, amigo."
But beneath his casual expression, Luis' mind was working fast as he gazed into Rian's bright blue eyes, too clear, too sharp. Not like ordinary blue eyes.
'Those eyes...' Luis thought silently. 'Has he undergone some kind of biotech transplant experiment? A super soldier, perhaps?'
As a former Umbrella scientist and Las Plagas researcher, such speculations were not foreign to him. And the more he thought about it, the more it all made sense.
"Well then... that explains why he wanted Amber," Luis muttered in a low voice, his eyes now more serious.
While Luis was immersed in his analysis, Rian stood tall among the pile of Ganado corpses. Total: ten, perfect. His system recorded 1000 system points earned.
Rian exhaled, turned slowly, towards Luis and his gaze remained as relaxed as ever. But in his left hand, the axe that was still covered in blood was raised and immediately thrown.
Whuuuush!
Crot!
The axe smashed right into the head of a Ganado with a butcher knife, who emerged silently from the bushes behind Luis, almost attacking him.
Ding!
[Kill Ganado +100 System Points!]
Luis was startled for a moment, then turned his head towards the collapsed body. Beads of blood splashed onto the grass.
He looked back at Rian, who was now wearing his ultra-black lensed glasses again.
"Don't get too lost in thought, Luis," Rian said with a faint smile.
Luis could only chuckle softly, shaking his head in awe. "You're really no ordinary agent, Rian Andromeda."
"Isn't it obvious?" replied Rian casually, taking out a small mirror from his shirt pocket and looking in the mirror for a moment. "There is no man as handsome as me in this world."
The mirror spun lightly on his finger before slipping back into his pocket.
"So," Rian continued calmly, "where do we go next? Where can I get firearms and walkie talkies?"
Luis let out a short breath while patting the dust off his shoulders, then walked out from behind the grass. "Amigo, come here. Follow me. We'll be there in a minute."
Without saying much, Rian followed behind him, steps light and relaxed, as if the previous fight was just a morning warm-up exercise.
***
Rian and Luis finally arrived at the place in question, a hidden cave that jutted directly into the water.
The air inside was damp and cold, shrouded in the metallic and fishy scent of the waters.
There, stood a man who looked suspicious from any angle. He was wearing a long black coat.
The man also wore a hood over his head, and a purple bandana partially wrapped his face, leaving only a sharp gaze from the shadows.
In front of him, a large wooden table was filled with various firearms, ammunition, knives, and bombs, and even something Rian needed was neatly arranged but created a thick aura of danger.
"Amigo," Luis said casually as he pointed at the man, "he's the black marketeer-the arms dealer in this place. Of course, everything is illegal. Just call him 'Merchant'."
Merchant just nodded slowly.
Rian stepped forward, approaching the weapons table. Behind him, Luis leaned his back against the stone wall and took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He took a bite of one and began to light it, as if this was just a daily routine.
Once Rian reached the front of the table, the Merchant greeted him with his trademark heavy yet friendly voice, "Welcome... What're ya buyin'?"
Rian paused for a moment, his gaze tracing the mysterious man from head to toe, before his inner mutterings emerged, 'I thought there would be no Merchant... and as it turns out, he still looks just like I remember.'
Rian's eyes briefly swept over all the weapons and equipment on the table. 'Leaving aside game logic... how did Luis get cigarettes and firearms? Well, now it all makes sense.'
The merchant waited patiently, as if unperturbed by the silence. Rian then turned to Luis. "Luis, can I borrow some of your money? I'll pay you back later."
Luis, who was enjoying his cigarette, only raised an eyebrow. He walked casually over, cigarette smoke billowing from his mouth.
Wordlessly, Luis reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a sparkling emerald gem, placing it on the Merchant's desk "Consider this my way of saying thank you, amigo," he said with a small grin.
The Merchant greeted the gem with a subtle hand gesture, and his distinctive voice rang out again, "Ah... well a gem. I'll make it worth your while."
"Relax, there's no need for you to return it, amigo. Think of it as my previous thanks," Luis said as he lightly patted Rian's shoulder.
Rian smiled slightly, then replied,
"Then... thanks you."
Luis just looked away briefly and gave a small nod, "No need to thank me."
Without prolonging the conversation, Rian turned to the Merchant, who was still standing quietly waiting.
Rian picked up a walkie talkie, a revolver with a classic design, a box of .50 Magnum revolver ammunition, a holster and another waist bag. His finger traced the surface of the items for a moment, confirming their condition.
"I want all of these," he said, glancing at Merchant. "That should be enough, shouldn't it?"
Merchant looked at the jewels on the table, then the weapon Rian had chosen, and a small nod followed. "That should be enough."
After the transaction was completed and the new weapon was in Rian's hands, he put on the holster to store the revolver. Not forgetting to put on his new waist bag, where he kept his box of ammunition.
Then, Rian held the walkie talkie for a moment before placing it in the left breast pocket of his trench coat.
Without needing to say much, Rian and Luis exchanged a brief glance. Not long after, the two of them left the place, walking down the path.
Their steps were purposeful and steady.
The next destination was obvious: the hidden place of the Amber samples that Luis kept, one of the assets that was the key to everything.
***
As they stepped out of the cave, raindrops began to fall on the ground in fine specks that danced in the air.
Although the cold began to seep into their clothes, the two did not stop walking.
Rian looked up at the overcast sky from behind his black-lensed glasses.
'Is it going to rain already?' Rian thought with a furrowed brow, 'I don't like the rain because every layer of my skincare gets penetrated. It's painful for a handsome guy like me.'
On the other hand, Luis dropped his cigarette butt on the wet ground, then stomped on it lightly. He looked back at Rian, then back at the front.
"Amigo, you know what?" Luis said softly, his voice almost drowned out by the sound of the hardening rain. "My life was... like garbage."
Rian turned his head, listening silently.
"I joined that organization not because I wanted to," Luis continued, "but because I didn't know their purpose. After I found out, I was very disappointed."
Rian looked at him for a moment, then looked down slightly. "And now you want to get out of this place?"
Luis was still staring straight ahead, his steps steady despite the slippery ground. "More than anything," he said softly. "I just want a quiet life... away from all this. I think everyone deserves a second chance."
"Right," Rian nodded slowly. "Just like skincare."
Luis frowned and glanced at Rian, confused. "What?"
"If it doesn't suit your face," Rian continued in a light tone, "then we replace it with a new one. Something more suitable. So it doesn't get damaged."
Luis closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, then shook his head slowly. "Dios mío... sometimes I forget that you're weird."
"But handsome," Rian said quickly, flashing a faint smile. "That's the important part, don't forget it."
Luis didn't reply. He just stared straight at the rain-soaked road, with an expression somewhere between resignation and exhaustion.
Even so, the corners of his lips were slightly raised, barely noticeable, but enough.
Soon, their pace slowed down. On the other side, the rain that had been just a sprinkle turned into a heavy downpour, soaking the ground, clothes, and blurring the view.
Luis looked up at the gray sky and let out a long sigh. "The rain is getting crazy, amigo."
Rian just nodded slowly. His hair and shoulders were already getting wet, water dripping from the tips of his bangs. Their eyes met for a moment, both realizing: forcing a trip in this condition was not a wise move.
"Find some shelter first," Luis said, his voice almost drowned in the roar of the rain.
Without another word, they quickened their pace, making their way down the path that was now slippery and muddy.