Mercenary

Lan Du's smile only widened, her expression told the Xie sisters that she was more pumped up than she was before.She looked as if she would eat Lang Bei whole is they actually fought, no matter how many times bigger Lang Bei seemed, Lan Du still looked more terrifying to the audience.

"Seems that this little puppy knows a few tricks to turn himself into a mutt, show me how far you can go"Lan Du grinned and ran up.

Lang Bei snorted and raised his arm.He swept the whole area in front of him and caused Lan Du to get flung back.Lan Du who was sent flying was barely able to stay on her feet.But the smile didn't disappear.

"Good, this is fun"

Lan Du giggled as a cold smile appeared on her face.Her eyes were now serious and the aura around her changed.It was no longer playful but dreadful.

She ran up again, Lang Bei tried to do the same and swept his arm, but Lan Du used her hand and pushed the arm slightly to the side so it missed her completely.She then pushed it down to the ground but found out that Lang Bei was heavier than she expected.

But she just smirked and raised her leg, striking him directly in the jaw.Lang Bei felt the kick and his body swayed slightly to the right.

Lan Du then raised her legs again and kicked in the opposite direction she did last time, knocking his head the other way.

As his body swayed, the impacts on the jaws gave him a minor concussion, numbing his reflexes.Lan Du took this chance to punch him directed on the nose which ended up sending him falling backwards.

She then stepped on his torso and pressed down.

"urgh"

"You are such a big target, but your flesh sure is tough, that hit from earlier left my arms slightly numb"Lan Du shook her hand and then clenched it.

She then threw the punch towards his face.

"You gave me a pretty good fight for the last thirty seconds, congrats, you lasted a good twenty five seconds more than the others, be proud, it means your flesh is at least five times thicker"Lan Du threw another punch at his face.

Lang Bei couldn't do anything, the moment he tried to grab her leg, Lan Du would press her feet onto his shoulder and nearly dislocate it.

"When a meat bag is being used, they don't move"Lan Du said and kicked his body to the side

"Cough cough"Lang Bei began coughing as the kick landed on his stomach.He held his stomach as his body slowly went back to its normal size.

"Thats it?Useless"Lan Du felt bored and directly kicked him off the arena

"Next time you try to talk big, make sure you have the strength to back it up"Lan Du's smile was cold and cruel, if not for her blurred face, the audience would have shuddered in fear.

Xie Ying and Xie Jing was slightly more used to it but they were still a bit scared when it comes to Lan Du's fighting nature.However, despite it, they still wanted to support him in what he does.To them, Lan Du was someone who is irreplaceable by now and the didn't want to make the same mistake as last time.

Not only their own regret, but Lan Du's expression back then, it gave them a terrible sense of guilt that they never felt before.

"Lang Bei, you still did alright, you're not all bark but no bite, you at least had a small nibble"Lan Du said mockingly as she was sent back to the seats.

Lang Bei would have spat out a mouthful of blood due to stress and humiliation if not for the fact that they were in a virtual reality.Lan Du's words were just too much for anyone to bear!

Lan Du sat between the Xie sisters, she extended her arms and pulled them in.She held them close to her chest and said silently.

"I must have scared you both again...just bare with it for a bit, don't leave me like last time"She said slowly

Xie Ying and Xie Jing trembled, they wanted to say something but the words were stuck at the back of their throats.

Lan Du sighed

"Fighting is just what I love, if one day you both leave me, I can only hope for your future happiness with whoever you chose"Lan Du let go of them and looked down to the arena.Her gaze was a bit blank but there was a trace of sadness.

She just can't control herself when fighting, he emotions will go wild and her sadistic side will come out.She doesn't want to scare the sisters but it was just something she cannot hold in.

Instructor Ting tapped Lan Du's shoulders

"We need to talk, your actions and words...they shouldn't be on someone as young as you"She said coldly

Lan Du nodded

"Yes ma'am"Lan Du stood up and followed her out

Instructor Ting stared at her with cold eyes

"Speak, when did you become so cold hearted"she interrogated

Lan Du shook her head

"It's no longer a when, but why, why am I so cold hearted when fighting?Why do I seem cold blooded as I mock them?Why do I enjoy their every suffering?These are your real questions, are they not?"Lan Du responded

Instructor Ting nodded, Lan Du was spot on, at first, she wanted to slowly pry these questions out but lan Du went for the more direct approach.

"I guess you have to blame my bad childhood up bring, I just hated some things as a child, and soon this hatred turned into pure joy of the suffering of the things I hate"Lan Du said as she stared at her hand.

She closed it suddenly

"I just enjoy it, their pain, their suffering, those bast*rds who grew up with a golden spoon, I love seeing their crushed spirits"Lan Du smiled wryly

"I've really become less human, haven't I?"

Instructor listened and every sentence scared her.This was not something a twelve year old child should be speaking about!This darkness...it shouldn't exist!

"Lan Du, I don't know how you grew up, but this behaviour needs to stop"She commanded

Lan Du shook her head

"It's for my future, once I lose this nature, I will lose my drive, I will become a vehicle without an engine, if not for this nature, my mind would have shattered years ago"Lan Du laughed melancholy, her eyes filled with bitterness as she covered her eyes with her arm.

"Instructor, some day you will understand, this world is not as nice of a place you think it is, I may sound old saying this, but you are too pure to know the cruelty of life"Lan Du then logged off the virtual reality without any warning.

Outside, she had a smile on her face

"Instructor Ting, you're too naive to mess with me, I may not be able to control this nature, but I'm not as cruel as I said I am, what am I , a demon?Jeeze, way to bring out the dark side of humans, instructor Ting"Lan Du sighed and left.

Although she felt a bit tense in her heart, there was no major problems.He knew that Xie Ying and Xie Jing wouldn't hate her for something like her fighting personality, she just hoped they won't be scared of her.

Being afraid of something and hating it was two different matter, it's like how some people like spice but complain when it's too hot, but still continue to eat it.Hatred and fear is like that, being afraid doesn't mean they hate it.

She stretched her arms and calmed herself down

"Whatever, if they hate me, so be it, my future is destined to be cold, taking them along will only hurt them"Lan Du felt her heart throb at that thought, but she forcefully suppressed that throbbing pain.

She put up a forced smile and walked out.She didn't want to hurt the twins in any ways, they deserved more than this, after all, she was still a girl.

When she first teased them, it was purely to make the boys jealous, but as time went on, she found herself more and more attached to them.

'I'm really hopeless'

She laughed bitterly before leaving the school grounds.To her, there were so few people she could trust that even in the open, she didn't let her guard down.At one point, she nearly injured someone because they bumped into her.

She stood outside a large building, it was that of a mercenary guild.She stepped in after placing a mask over her face.It was not only to hide her looks, but also her age.In these types of places, people her age were looked down upon.

She went to the front desk and placed some money on the desk.

"I'd like to sign up"She said to the receptionist

"Age?"The receptionist asked

"17"Replied Lan Du

He gave her a strange look

"Your number is 2443, you will take a test when your number is called, if you pass, you may register a name to become a mercenary"

Lan Du nodded and took a seat

"Lad, this is not a place for a hairless brat like you"A large man said, his musles bulged and there was a scar at the side of his face.

Lan Du turned to him

"Being hairless is still better than a animal, didn't expect that the accepted even gorillas here"She said with a sneer

The man trembled, he was furious

"How dare you!"He raised a fist but was stopped by someone nearby

"Watch out for your image, there are others here"He said

The burly man calmed himself and nodded, but he was still angry at Lan Du's mockery.

"Count yourself lucky"He said and left

The man who stopped him turned to Lan Du

"You should be more careful, he is notorious for bullying newbies"he said out of kindness

Lan Du nodded but didn't say anything else.She wasn't in the mood to speak to people.What happened at the academy put her in a bothersome mood.

It was already surprising that she didn't go ahead and beat someone up for what had happened, she sat there alone and waited for her number to be called.

"2389..."

"2390..."

"2400..."

"2443"

Lan Du stood up and headed to the counter when her number was called.The examiner was a bulky man, he had a rough expression and his messy hair gave off a predatory feeling.She was impressed by that, it wasn't often to see these types of people who gave her these vibes.

"Are you really 17?"He asked sternly

Lan Du nodded

He sighed

"Fine, follow me"He turned around and led her to a chamber.Inside there was many machines that she was familiar with.

He pointed at a punching machine

"Show me what you got"He said with a rough smile

Lan Du walked up, the machine could withstand hundreds of kilos.She took a step back, held back her fist and threw it at the machine with all her strength.

A loud bang was heard and the numbers began to shoot up, it only slowed down when it reached 256kg.The examiner standing at the side was staring.His jaws almost dropped from shock.

"t-this..."

200kg is already very good, in fact, very few adults could get to that strength.The man has never seen someone this young with this much strength.Only the war veterans and soldiers could get to such heights, yet the young man in front of him has reached it.

"cough, strength is one matter, you still need skills to match that strength"He said awkwardly

Lan Du nodded

He then led her to another machine, there were two parts to it, one at where she was, another is twenty metres away.The examiner pointed at the other end and said:

"The next is a burst speed test, burst speed is a major factor when initiating combat, if you can get to them before they get to you, your chances of striking is higher"

Lan Du walked over and prepared herself.The moment she heard the start signal, she dashed.In matter of seconds, she made it to the other side.Not even a drop of sweat came out from the ease of this test to her.

The man wasn't as surprised this time, her results were still good but it wasn't as shocking as her brute strength.He felt more relaxed now that Lan Du seemed more normal to him.

"The last...will be a mock battle, if you can make me retreat, then you will pass"He held a stick and tossed it to her.Lan Du caught it with her right and and examined it.

'Its not a normal stick...interesting, to think the mercenary guild could produce training weapons harder than steel'

Lan Du's lips curved upward as she fiddled with the stickIt was quite heavy but she handled it without much problem.

"Come"She said as she gestured that she was ready.The examiner also held a stick, his was much larger to suit his standards.

Lan Du spun and smashed the stick towards the man's waist, but he effortlessly blocked it by placing the stick downwards to his side.Lan Du furrowed her brows and pulled the stick back.She spun it behind her back and struck from the other side towards his legs.

The man frowned and held up his stick before swiping Lan Du's strike to the side.Lan Du grit her teeth, this was the first time she felt so helpless in battle.She jumped back, used the stick as an additional hold by pressing it onto the ground to push herself away further.

She stared at the examiner, he gave off a strong feeling that made her body tense.But slowly, a smile appeared on her face.She held the stick with both hands and dashed forward.When she moved back, her aim was to gain more leg space to sprint.She kicked forward and lowered her body, she held the stick and swiped towards his feet.

"Useless struggle"He said and used one hand to hold the stick and slam down on her.Lan Du smirked and moved her stick upwards.It struck the examiner's rod and knocked it to the left.Lan Du then held the stick tightly and slammed downwards to propel herself up.She threw a spin kick when she did so towards his stomach.

The man squinted his eyes and held out his large hand which caught Lan Du's leg.

Seeing her kick get kicked, Lan Du immediately tried to struggle free.But the examiner's grip on her leg was much stronger than her struggling.She grit her teeth and clasped the rod tightly.She poked it down to the ground and pushed her other leg up from the other direction.

This time, the kick went for the head.

The examiner quickly dropped the rod in his other hand to stop the kick, but the moment he did so, Lan Du swung the rod to his waist.

"ng"The pain was searing but he clasped onto Lan Du's two legs.

"I lost"She said in depression.This was her first loss.

"Thats some skills kid, much better than those second generation rich brats, I will give you Serpent rank right away, you can skip the Fish and Lizard rank, it would be a waste of talent if I didn't, I would have given you Viper, but that's out of my power"He said with dejection.

"Lad, you're the first to harm me in the test, not even current Dragon ranks, hahaha, those kids back then couldn't even make me move"

Lan Du realised that she must have picked a fight with a big shot of the mercenary guild.Listening to him, he must have a long history back if he disregards dragon ranks so easily.She has heard about the ranking of the mercenary guild before and the dragon rank is no laughing matter.

The ascending order was Fish, Lizard, Serpent, Viper, Tiger, Dragon, Dragonix and finally the Slayer rank.Even dragon ranks were scarce in all the planets, much less Dragonix and Slayer ranks.Lan Du was already surprised that she got serpent rank right away.

"May I ask what rank you are?"Lan Du asked

The man laughed

"My rank is Dragonix, you've done well in injuring me"he said with a grin, he wasn't dejected that he as a Dragonix was hurt by a newbie.In fact, he was glad that the mercenary guild finally has some talents worth nurturing.

However Lan Du was befuddled, she didn't think that the man in front of her was a Dragonix!Dragonix's are existences that can match commanders in an army!

"But don't get too conceited, just because you can do something the dragon ranks can normally do doesn't mean you can win against them"He said with a smile

Lan Du nodded and calmed her heart, meeting a dragonix rank here was beyond her expectations, she expected to have a dragon rank as an examiner at most.Normal instructors are usually at Tiger!

Lan Du sighed, she actually fought a dragonix.She smiled and said slowly

"May I now register my licence?"She asked

The examiner nodded

"If anyone causes you trouble, you can use my name, Ba Tan, to get rid of pests"Ba Tan said happily

Lan Du accepted, but deep down, she knew she would never use it for anything.If using his name meant getting help from a stranger she just met, she would never do it.With her personality, until she has all the information about that person, she would never allow herself to rely on them.

Lan Du went to the reception desk with Ba Tan.He placed a note on the desk for the receptionist.

"Mister Ba, has he passed?"The receptionist asked curiously, he didn't have any expectations in Lan Du as he seemed like a rich kid that came for fun.

But out of his expectation, Ba Tan laughed

"The kid passed with flying colours, get him the Serpent rank badge"He said

"s-serpent badge!Sir, you jest, how can he be of the Serpent rank?"The receptionist asked in shock

"Am I the type to lie?The kid could even land a blow on me in the mock battle, how is he not worthy of it?!"He lifted his brows and scowled.

The receptionist almost dropped the things in his hand when he heard him.He knew how powerful Ba Tan was, he was a Dragonix ranked fighter!If not for his friendship with the guild master, he wouldn't even be here being an examiner.

"y-yes, I-I will get him the b-badge immediately!"He quickly scurried off to get the badge.

After some time, Lan Du received her badge, there was a small serpent on it with it's mouth opened.The badge was made of special steel so it won't stain or break easily.

"From now on, you are a mercenary, what will be your mercenary name?"Ba Tan asked

Mercenaries keeps their names hidden so they won't get into major conflicts from big shots.The guild also keeps their identity confidential so they are a trust worthy place.

Lan Du thought for a bit

"Little Devil"She replied with a smile

(Normally authors lets viewers comment and change the novel based on preferences so he doesn't get f**ked, but you know...I can't, I wish I can, but too late, got over 200 chapters as my original, now I can only do this, so no matter how much you complain, it's just life...sorry)