Chapter 8: Infinite Sniper Pursuit
Red Ribbon Army Headquarters — Central Command Base!
Inside the war room, Commander Red sat grim-faced behind his desk, the veins on his forehead bulging. He clenched his fists tightly as he listened to the report from his intelligence officer. His ever-loyal bodyguard, Staff Officer Black, stood silently beside him.
"Someone had the audacity to attack the Red Ribbon Army? Who the hell dares to challenge us?" Commander Red roared, his voice echoing across the steel-clad chamber.
The intelligence agent trembled. "Reporting, Commander! It has been confirmed that the East Branch base led by Colonel Silver (Siruba) was destroyed by two individuals—martial artists. The intel names them as Ye Lin and his younger brother, Kiraen."
"Martial artists?" Red spat, his eye twitching. "Do you expect me to believe that just two martial artists demolished one of our fortified bases? Are we a joke now? Is the entire world going to start laughing at the mighty Red Ribbon Army?"
He slammed his metallic desk with a loud clang, causing even Staff Officer Black's brow to twitch. Red's pride was wounded. The Red Ribbon Army had not endured such humiliation since its foundation. Every division—Silver, Blue, Yellow, even the notorious Violet was meant to be a pillar of global dominance.
Then, just as the tension reached a peak, the doors creaked open. A tall, half-mechanical figure entered. His skin was metal; his muscles replaced by hydraulics. A long, vertical scar ran down the left side of his face, giving him a menacing presence.
It was Jack, leader of the Shin-Kikō (Divine Machine Unit), a mercenary strike force known for deploying long-range, high-efficiency android snipers and mechanized assassins.
"Commander Red, perhaps you'd like to leave this matter to the professionals," Jack said with a sinister grin. "Let my unit handle those martial artists. We specialize in eliminating problems like these."
Red narrowed his single visible eye, puffing a cigar. "You don't offer help for free, Jack. What do you want this time?"
Jack spread his arms with mock humility. "Nothing outrageous. Payment in zeni, of course and recognition. The White Killer Group has been creeping into our territory, and their name keeps overshadowing mine. Let me take this job, and when I succeed, I want the Divine Machine Unit to be your primary contractor."
Staff Officer Black raised an eyebrow, skeptical of Jack's motives.
Red gave a cold smile and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Fine. Bring me their heads, and your squad gets permanent contractor status. Fail, and you'll end up like Colonel Silver."
Jack chuckled and turned to leave. "You won't regret it, Commander. This Ye Lin won't survive the week."
As Jack exited the room, Staff Officer Black stepped closer to Red and whispered, "Commander, are you sure about this? Jack is known for taking advantage of deals like this. When it's done, he might try to blackmail us."
Red crushed the cigar in his ashtray. "Of course I know that. I only agreed to string him along. Once he finishes the job, we'll dispose of him if necessary. No one challenges the authority of the Red Ribbon Army not mercs, and certainly not a pair of no-name martial artists."
Black nodded silently, understanding the unwritten plan.
"But damn it all..." Red muttered. "If only Tao Pai Pai wasn't in seclusion right now..."
Tao Pai Pai, the world-renowned assassin employed by the Red Ribbon Army, was currently in intense training to perfect his Dodonpa (Dodon Ray) and refine his body's limits for cybernetic enhancement.
"If Tao Pai Pai were available, we wouldn't need these mercenary clowns. He would've taken out Ye Lin and his brother in a single strike," Red continued bitterly. "But no, the world's deadliest killer has gone underground to 'surpass the limits of mortality.'"
Commander Red's pride was badly bruised. First the Dragon Radar was lost. Then General Blue had mysteriously gone silent. Now this?
"Mobilize the Divine Machine Unit's Sniper Class, and deploy Android Prototype 7X for tracking," Red ordered finally. "Whether they're martial artists or monsters, I want Ye Lin and Kiraen brought down—hard."
Outside, Jack laughed into the wind, stepping aboard his stealth aircraft. Within his team were enhanced androids with ocular lock-ons, thermal cloaks, and sniping capabilities that rivaled even Dr. Gero's earliest experiments.
The hunt had begun and this time, the Red Ribbon Army wasn't relying on brute force.
They were using precision.
There are a total of four elite assassin factions operating underground in the Dragon Ball world: the [Tao Pai Pai Killer Syndicate], [Phantom Hall], [Oblivion Tower], and the [Divine Machine Unit].
Among them, the most feared is undeniably the Tao Pai Pai Killer Syndicate, led by Tao Pai Pai, the world-famous assassin who once killed with his tongue and could fly by throwing a pillar. His skills border on the supernatural. Despite that, the Divine Machine Unit is still one of the four apex groups in the assassin world—ranked fourth, but formidable enough to strike terror.
And while the Divine Machine Unit lags behind Tao Pai Pai's legendary skill, Marshal Reiter of the Red Ribbon Army is convinced they're still more than sufficient to eliminate a "mere martial arts brat."
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Meanwhile, Ye Lin had already gathered six Dragon Balls. The final seventh ball remained elusive. What puzzled him most was that the Dragon Radar—which could typically locate even deeply buried Dragon Balls—was not showing any signal for the last one.
Thus, Ye Lin found himself aimlessly wandering the forests and valleys of the Earth, hoping for the radar to pick up even the faintest resonance.
BOOM!
With a swift punch, Ye Lin obliterated a massive wild tiger that had leapt at him. His current combat strength, boosted by training, Ki control, and several system rewards, allowed him to shatter boulders like glass.
He settled near a clearing and began roasting the tiger's meat over a makeshift campfire. After half an hour, the air was filled with the rich aroma of cooked meat.
Just as he was about to dig in, Ye Lin's instincts flared. His brows tightened.
Whoosh!
He tilted his head slightly—just enough to dodge a sniper bullet that whizzed past his cheek and struck the ground beside him.
"Sniper rifle? That came from long range. Likely two clicks out."
Without hesitation, Ye Lin leapt into the treetops, blending into the canopy for cover. He casually pulled off a piece of meat with one hand, eating it while scanning his surroundings and processing the enemy's probable location.
---
Elsewhere, perched on a hillside cloaked in camouflage, a masked sniper adjusted his rifle and whispered into a headset.
"Target evaded the shot. This is Operative No. 155 mission failure. Target has lost visual."
After the report, the sniper began packing up his rifle swiftly, preparing for extraction.
But before he could even lift his bag
"So this is where you were hiding."
A calm voice spoke behind him. The sniper froze. He whirled around, reaching for his pistol
Too late.
Ye Lin had already closed the distance and struck him hard in the gut, pinning him to the ground. The sniper's limbs were instantly disabled by Ye Lin's precise kicks.
"You... How are you here? This is over two kilometers away from the attack site!"
"It's just a short jog. Don't act so surprised. Now, talk. Who sent you?"
The sniper grimaced but laughed coldly.
"Heh. We're trained not to spill anything. You think you'll get info out of me?"
Ye Lin didn't respond. He simply pressed his foot against the sniper's arm—then crushed down.
CRACK!
A sickening bone-breaking noise followed, and the sniper screamed in agony.
"If you don't talk, that arm's done for. A comminuted fracture—you'll never snipe again. So start talking."
The sniper's face twisted into a crazed grin, blood leaking from his lips.
"Long live the Divine Machine Unit!"
Suddenly, a red light blinked on his chest.
Ye Lin's eyes narrowed. "Self-destruct!"
BOOM!!
The hillside exploded, sending a plume of dirt and dust into the sky. Ye Lin somersaulted backward mid-blast, emerging from the dust cloud mostly unscathed, but singed.
As for the sniper? Nothing remained but fragments and a scorched crater.
Ye Lin touched down and exhaled sharply.
"Divine Machine Unit, huh? That confirms it. The only organization I've pissed off this badly is the Red Ribbon Army. Looks like they've outsourced to this killer unit."
He frowned. The Divine Machine Unit operated like androids—no fear, no hesitation, and no hope of extracting intel. That made them incredibly dangerous.
---
DING!
System Task Alert:
1. Simple Mode – Evade the pursuit of the Divine Machine Unit.
2. Normal Mode – Defeat the Divine Machine Unit.
3. Hard Mode – Defeat the Divine Machine Unit within ten days.
Ye Lin's lips curled into a smirk.
"Do I even need to think about it? Of course I'll choose hard mode. The better the challenge, the better the loot."
System Confirmation: You have chosen Hard Mode.
Mission Accepted: Eliminate the Divine Machine Unit in 10 Days.
Reward: One God-Level Lottery Spin.
A fire ignited in Ye Lin's heart. He didn't know the Divine Machine Unit's full capabilities yet—but if they started this fight, he'd be the one to finish it.
After all, Ye Lin had never been one to tolerate threats. If you strike him once, he'll burn your entire house down in return.
And this time, he had a god-level prize waiting on the other side of the battlefield.
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