Thug and Idol: 10X Rewards Second Identity System

The pair of thugs were careful. They didn't charge behind the corner blindly.

Tristan could tell from the sound of their footsteps, even if it was hard to catch in all the noise around.

When the first thug turned the corner, he was already holding a gun aimed at chest level and ready to shoot.

However, at first he saw only Tristan's moped parked on the sidewalk.

It took the thug a vital moment to notice the movement at the level of his feet.

Tristan was there, crouching with the knife. Because of his pose, he took the enemy unawares.

With the speed of a lunging snake, he stood up, stabbing the enemy right under the chin. The knife went hilt-deep, killing the thug in one blow.

Warm blood showered Tristan and fell to the ground, not leaving a single stain on his skin or clothes.

The second thug shouted in alarm. He was only a couple of steps behind the first one, covering his back. His gun was also ready to shoot, but he hesitated, seeing his comrade in the way.

Tristan left the knife in the man's chin and held his body like a shield. At the same time, he caught the thug's gun from the man's loosening fingers and aimed at the remaining enemy from under the corpse's elbow.

His aim was swift and true.

BANG! BANG!

The first shot hit the thug in the chest; the second went through the throat. The man fell to the ground like a sack of meat.

[Ding!]

[Firearms shooting skill increased by 1. Reward: your PP increased by 10.]

Tristan dropped the corpse from his hand, pulled his knife out of it, and went for the second body. From there, he took the second gun and checked them both.

They were simple semi-automatic Glock pistols with 17-ammo magazines. Small, reliable, easy to get.

To Tristan's joy, both magazines were also full, except for the two bullets he had just fired.

He grinned, taking a pistol in each hand. This felt like being in a movie.

Except that being shot in real life wasn't cool at all. Although the last bullet wounds—just scratches—healed long ago, Tristan didn't want to get any more.

He wished he could continue ambushing people, but the shouts in Spanish told Tristan the shooting was noticed.

He walked down the street that separated him from the direct view of the massage parlor and peeked from the corner.

It looked like the resistance inside the massage parlor was mostly suppressed by this point. Only two Cuatro Angulos thugs kept watch over this direction, and no one was shooting at them.

But three other people were moving in Tristan's direction from a distance of around 20 meters, and he was noticed as soon as he showed his face.

They lunged for the cover of the nearest car, shooting at Tristan wildly.

He hid behind the corner again as the bullets buzzed by. From this distance, the enemy's aim was poor, but Tristan knew that if he risked showing his face again, it would be better.

He cursed under his breath, counting his options. He was one of three here…

There were more shots from the massage parlor.

"Die, Mexican dogs!" someone called out from inside the building. "AAAAAAH, TASTE THE LEAD!!"

Maybe not quite alone.

There were more gunshots, followed by swearing in Spanish.

'It looks like the distraction of these thugs made whoever was holed inside the building try to make a comeback! I have to use this opportunity to attack, too, or things will just return to where they were!'

With that thought, Tristan looked over the street in front of himself one more time.

In his head, plans of advance crystallized in moments.

He grit his teeth, raised the stolen guns, and ran forward, keeping his head as low to the ground as he could.

As soon as he saw the enemies, Tristan opened fire.

Every step he took during his charge was coupled with a pair of shots. One, two, three, four.

It was already hard to shoot while running, and even harder to shoot from both hands, especially the left one. But despite all that, most of Tristan's bullets hit someone, even if not in a vital spot.

The enemy shot back from behind their covers, trying to hit Tristan and not let him advance while they were being hit themselves.

One bullet flew so close to Tristan's ear, he felt its heat on his skin. Another grazed his shoulder, leaving an ugly tear in Tristan's work shirt.

But those were just lucky shots. Tristan ran too fast for the enemy to aim at him properly! In a blink of an eye, he reached his goal—a parked car—and hid behind it.

And now, two out of three thugs were lying on the ground with bullet holes all over them.

[Ding!]

[You have terrified a person. Reward: your PP increased by 10.]

[Ding!]

[Fearsomeness attribute increased by 1. Reward: your PP increased by 100!]

[Ding!]

[You have impressed a person of high skill. Reward: your PP increased by 500!]

"Hell yeah! Show these bastards that you have the guts!" shouted the same person from inside the parlor.

'Is this the guy I just impressed? His voice seems vaguely familiar…'

Tristan peeked out of his cover and saw that the last surviving thug that tried to attack him was pale-faced with fear. Although on his dark skin, it was hard to notice.

Despite the fear, he tried to aim at Tristan, but fear made him terribly slow.

Tristan sent a bullet into his forehead just as Tristan's unknown ally shot down the thug who was keeping him suppressed.

The screech of tires made Tristan turn his head and see a car speeding away. The remaining Cuatro Angulos people were fleeing.

Tristan turned the safety on stolen weapons, stuffed them in his pockets, and cautiously walked toward the massage parlor.

'Whom did I impress enough for 500 points? Are there chances I will actually get rewarded in other ways for it?'