YT YouTube2Text

YouTube2Text → Transcripts → Apocalypse:His God-Tier Trait Sys Lets Him Unleash Any Attack Infinitely,All Women Seek Protection!

Apocalypse:His God-Tier Trait Sys Lets Him Unleash Any Attack Infinitely,All Women Seek Protection! — Transcript

by Daily Comics · 57,725 words · 8,464 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

Open in transcriber Summarize with AI Download SRT/VTT

Full transcript

0:00What's the most valuable thing in the
0:01apocalypse? Gold, luxury watches, or the
0:04banknotes that once drove countless
0:06people mad? None of them. The truly
0:08precious things are food you can shovel
0:10into your stomach. The strength that
0:12lets you live to see tomorrow. Anyone
0:14got food? Half a biscuit will do. In
0:16front of an unfinished building, a man
0:18held his green water ghost watch high,
0:21asking everyone around him one by 1.3
0:23months ago. This watch would have taken
0:25an ordinary person years of non-stop
0:27saving to afford. But now 50 or so
0:30people huddled nearby. Some leaned
0:32against the wall. Some clutched empty
0:34backpacks. Others stared ahead, starved
0:36until their eyes turned green. Not a
0:38single one spared the watch a second
0:40glance. They all knew the same truth. A
0:43luxury watch couldn't be eaten, and it
0:45couldn't kill monsters. In this world
0:47now, it wasn't even worth half a moldy
0:49biscuit. I shook my head, too. I was
0:51about to turn away when a pale burst of
0:53light flared up above the open ground.
0:55The glow spread fast, morphing into a
0:57translucent light screen several meters
1:00wide. Choose one of the following
1:01dungeons and complete the mission to
1:03receive the corresponding reward.
1:05Dungeon one, survive 3 hours inside a
1:07zombieinfested mall or slay 10 zombies.
1:10Reward, one lucky draw chance. Dungeon
1:13two, survive 1 hour while being chased
1:15by 10 billion desert army ants. Reward,
1:18one lucky draw chance. Registration
1:20countdown, 459. The man holding the
1:23watch froze. The next second, he
1:25scrambled madly under the light screen,
1:27craning his neck and staring fixedly at
1:30that final line about the reward. A
1:32dungeon. It's a dungeon. That shout
1:34jolted the whole unfinished building
1:36awake. Footsteps thundered. People who'd
1:38been hiding in corners, conserving
1:40energy, all bolted out the door. Even
1:42several injured survivors hobbled over,
1:45leaning against the walls. It's really a
1:47dungeon. Where's Captain B? Get Captain
1:49B quick. A lucky draw chance. If we
1:52survive the mission, we can become
1:54superhumans too. Fear, excitement,
1:56greed, longing, all kinds of emotions
1:59clashed on this clearing, merging into
2:01one single thing in the end. Hope do I
2:04stared at the light screen as well.
2:05Unlike everyone else, I felt no
2:07hesitation. Only one thought looped in
2:09my head that I finally found it. Point 3
2:12months ago, the blood moon descended. No
2:14warning, no buffer, no time for humanity
2:17to prepare at all. Odd anomalies and
2:19monsters spilled across the world
2:21overnight. Cities built of concrete and
2:23steel. Order guarded by artillery and
2:25tanks. The civilization humanity had
2:28spent thousands of years building.
2:30Everything crumbled fast beneath that
2:31blood moon. Once money could buy almost
2:34anything in this world, not anymore.
2:36Money couldn't buy safety. Laws couldn't
2:38hold back monsters. People who'd stood
2:40high and mighty once might kneel on the
2:42ground just for a sip of clean water.
2:44The old world was dead. and dungeons
2:46were the only ladder to climb out of the
2:48meer for ordinary people in this new
2:50era. Clear the mission, earn rewards,
2:52food, drinking water, firearms,
2:55supernatural trinkets, seeds of power,
2:58even supernatural classes that only
3:00existed in fantasy. I'd left the
3:02mountain village where I'd hidden for 2
3:03months specifically to hunt for a
3:05dungeon. For more than 2 weeks, I'd
3:07found no dungeons, only plenty of
3:09monsters. If I hadn't joined this
3:11survival squad halfway, I probably
3:13wouldn't have made it here alive. Now
3:15the chance to rewrite my fate was right
3:16in front of me. But opportunity never
3:18tells you whether it brings power or
3:20death. Pick the second one. A man in a
3:23tracksuit suddenly yelled from the
3:24crowd. His name was Jeang Chong. There
3:27were more than 50 people in this
3:28survival group. Where there were people,
3:30there was conflict. The more chaotic the
3:32world grew, the uglier that conflict
3:34got. Apart from the leader by Kuang and
3:37the quiet hooded man, Jeang Chong held
3:39the most sway in the group. Young,
3:41strong. He had a handful of reckless
3:43followers at his back. And now he was
3:45stepping forward to show everyone the
3:47safe path. Haven't you seen zombies in
3:49movies? They carry a virus. They bite.
3:52Even a scratch and U-turn. Someone
3:54hesitated. But Dungeon 2 has 10 billion
3:56army ants. So what if there are 10
3:59billion? Jeang Chong sneered. His tone
4:01unshakable. That big number is just to
4:04scare cowards like you. How fast can
4:06army ants run? If you sprint, they can't
4:08even catch your heels. Fighting zombies
4:10means fighting for your life. Dodging
4:12ants only means running for an hour.
4:14This lucky draw chance is basically
4:16free. Did his argument make sense? On
4:18the surface, sure. When faced with
4:20danger, people always wanted to believe
4:23the option that sounded easiest, right?
4:25Ants are just ants, no matter how many
4:27there are. I can run for an hour easy.
4:29Chongs analysis checks out. Jeang
4:32Chong<unk>s lackey were the first to
4:33chime in. He savored the attention,
4:35walking proudly under the light screen
4:37and reaching out to make his choice. I
4:39picked dungeon two. His name instantly
4:41appeared on the light screen. His
4:43followers signed up one after another. 1
4:452 3. Even the man who tried trading his
4:48luxury watch for food gritted his teeth
4:50and joined the dungeon 2. You're not
4:52picking either one. An elderly man with
4:54graying temples, nearly 60 years old,
4:57whispered beside me. Everyone called him
4:59oldly that I didn't answer. My eyes
5:01stayed fixed on the rewards for both
5:03dungeons. After a moment, I spoke
5:05slowly. The reward is exactly the same
5:07for both. Oldly blinked. What do you
5:10mean? If reward matches difficulty, then
5:13surviving an hour chased by 10 billion
5:15army ants can't possibly be easier than
5:17lasting 3 hours in a zombieinfested
5:19mall. The time limit is tighter, so the
5:21difficulty might even be higher. Old
5:24Lee's face pad gradually. You're right.
5:27Same reward. How could the difficulty be
5:29that different? You don't know [ __ ]
5:31Jean Chong overheard us and whipped
5:33around. He'd already locked in his
5:35choice. He wouldn't let anyone cast out
5:37on it now. All that fancy talk. If
5:39you're so smart, go pick the zombie
5:41dungeon. Yeah, don't chicken out and
5:43refuse to sign up. Just say you're
5:45scared. Don't act like some genius. His
5:47lackey swarmed closer. Their voices rose
5:50louder as if shouting me down would
5:52prove they'd made the right call. They
5:54didn't know the person who would settle
5:55this argument had just stepped out of
5:56the building. I picked them all. The
5:59voice wasn't loud, but deep and steady,
6:01cutting through all the jeers. The noisy
6:03crowd fell quiet. A man around 30
6:06stepped out from the shadow of the
6:07doorway, broad-shouldered, sharp jawed,
6:10his wild, long hair spilled down his
6:12back by Kuang, the leader of this group.
6:14The only one among the 50 of us who'd
6:16cleared a dungeon before and wielded
6:18supernatural power. The two men who'd
6:20been yelling the loudest, clamped their
6:22mouth shut at once. Jeang Chong<unk>s
6:24face froze that he'd said the zombie
6:26dungeon was deadly, that the desert
6:27dungeon was a free pass. But by Kuang,
6:30the man who'd actually been inside a
6:32dungeon, hadn't hesitated for a second.
6:34He'd picked them all. That was a slap in
6:36the face. Worse still, it was B Kuang
6:39slapping him. He didn't dare retort a
6:41word. By Kuang offered no explanation,
6:43just walked straight through the crowd.
6:45Everyone stepped aside for him as he
6:46passed. Once he confirmed his choice,
6:49his name lit up beside dungeon one. Only
6:51then did I move. I walked past Jong
6:53Chong, whose face had turned ugly, and
6:55stopped under the light screen. I choose
6:57dungeon one, too. My name materialized.
7:00Jeang Chong felt every eye in the crowd
7:02land on him. He couldn't pick a fight
7:04with Ba Kuang. But me? A new guy who'd
7:07only joined the squad a few days ago.
7:08How dare I ignore him? Trash. Putting on
7:11airs. Jean Chong ground out a cold
7:13laugh. You just copied Captain B and
7:15hopped in to leech off him, didn't you?
7:17I didn't turn around. The second my name
7:19registered, lines of text only I could
7:21see unfurled right before my eyes.
7:24Dungeon participant identity registered
7:26successfully. Your unique talent has
7:28awakened. Concept Lexicon. Every time
7:30your life tier evolves, you gain one
7:33concept lexicon automatically. Initial
7:35lexicon draw complete. You have obtained
7:38unlimited firepower. Unique talent.
7:40Concept lexicon. Unlimited firepower. My
7:43heart hammered hard, but I kept my
7:45expression calm and darted. A quick
7:46glance around. N strange prompts popped
7:49up when Jang Chong and the others signed
7:51up. By Kuang didn't look my way either.
7:53That meant no one else could see these
7:55words. This talent belonged only to me.
7:57New text appeared right after. Unlimited
8:00firepower. Any ability you release can
8:02be fired continuously, infinitely. No
8:05ammunition cost, no energy cost, no cool
8:08down. When channeled through a tool, the
8:10carrier will not break from non-stop
8:12firing. Lexicon activated. I read it
8:14once. Then again, only one thought
8:16exploded in my mind. Holy hell, this is
8:19broken. The rest of the crowd churned
8:21with mixed feelings. Several who'd
8:23already locked in dungeon 2 regretted it
8:25so badly their guts twisted, but names
8:28on the screen couldn't be changed once
8:30confirmed. They had to swallow their
8:31bitterness. Oldly walked over next. I'm
8:34picking dungeon one, too. I raised an
8:36eyebrow at him. Oldley, can you handle
8:38it? At my age, this is when I've got to
8:40fight. He forced a bitter smile.
8:42Besides, our rations won't last much
8:44longer if I don't take the chance. Two
8:46more people stepped up and joined the
8:48dungeon 1 Q. With 10 seconds left on the
8:51countdown, the quiet hooded man Yin Yuan
8:53walked out silently and lined up with us
8:55for dungeon one. Banguang shot Y Linuan
8:58a quick glance, then spoke to the four
9:00of us, including me. This is your own
9:02choice. You're responsible for
9:04yourselves. I'm not going out of my way
9:05to protect any of you. And if you drag
9:07me down, don't expect mercy from me. The
9:10two late recruits pad with fear. They'd
9:12signed up counting on by Kuang's
9:14protection, but there was no turning
9:15back now. Jean Kuang burst out laughing
9:18when he heard that. full of shot and
9:19frea. The countdown hit zero. Everyone
9:22registered for a dungeon vanished from
9:24the clearing in an instant. A stench of
9:26rot drifted into my nose that I opened
9:28my eyes and found myself in an employee
9:30corridor on the fourth floor of a mall.
9:32Overhead fluorescent lights flickered.
9:34Black and blood stained the walls and
9:36floor and a janitor's cart piled with
9:38cleaning supplies tipped over beside me.
9:40You have entered the dungeon.
9:42Zombieinfested mall mission timer. 2
9:44hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds.
9:47Personal kill progress. Zero tents. You
9:49may leave and settle rewards voluntarily
9:51once either victory condition is met
9:54that I scan my surroundings fast. No by
9:56Kuang, no oldly. It looked like we'd all
9:59been scattered to random spots inside
10:01the dungeon. Groan, a low growl echoed
10:04from outside the corridor that I tensed,
10:06pressed myself flat against the wall,
10:08and peaked through the half-open fire
10:09door. A zombie in a mall uniform
10:11shambled down the hallway. Half its face
10:13had been torn away, its gray gums bared,
10:16cloudy eyes sweeping mechanically back
10:18and forth. Less than 10 m separated us.
10:21I didn't move recklessly. I'd just
10:23gotten unlimited firepower, but I didn't
10:25have a single weapon yet. Charging out
10:27now would be suicide. The zombie dragged
10:29its stiff right leg, lumbering closer. 8
10:32m, 5 m, 3 m. I held my breath and
10:36steadied my hand on the janitor cart to
10:38keep it from scraping the floor. The
10:39zombie paused outside the fire door for
10:41a few seconds. Its nose twitched and
10:44guttural snars rumbled in its throat. I
10:46could practically taste the reek pouring
10:48from its mouth. Luckily, the zombie
10:50sight and sense of smell had degraded
10:52badly. It failed to pick up my scent and
10:54soon shuffled onward toward the far end
10:56of the hall. I waited a few more seconds
10:58before slipping quietly out of the
11:00corridor. I didn't wander off blindly.
11:02First, I hunted for something to defend
11:04myself with. Soon, a splash of red
11:06caught my eye. A fire cabinet jutted out
11:08of the wall not far away. Most of the
11:10glass on its door was shattered. Inside,
11:13beside two fire hoses, hung a red fire
11:16axe ei lit up. I hurried over and
11:19grabbed the axe off its hook. The wooden
11:21handle felt heavy in my grip. I finally
11:23had a little confidence, but the fire
11:25axe was only good for close combat.
11:27Zombies carried a virus. Even a scratch
11:30could get me killed. To safely hunt 10
11:32zombies, I needed a ranged weapon. Malls
11:34didn't stock real guns, but there was
11:36another thing that could pass for one
11:38dot. A nail gun. I glanced up at the
11:39floor directory. Fifth floor, home
11:41improvement hardware section. That's
11:43where I'm going. I tightened my grip on
11:45the fire axe, circled around the
11:47wandering zombie, and headed up the
11:49escalator on the other side. The fifth
11:51floor was even more wrecked. Overturned
11:53shelves littered the ground. Glass shop
11:55fronts lay shattered. Thick smears of
11:57blood crusted across counters and walls
11:59that I'd barely stepped off the
12:01escalator when I heard ragged gasping
12:03nearby. I followed the sound, oldly
12:05leaned against the railing, shoving a
12:07mop handle hard against the zombie's
12:09chest that it was him. The wooden mop
12:11pole bent under the string. The zombie
12:13kept lunging, its black, bloodc fingers
12:16swiping inches from old Lee's face. He
12:18gritted his teeth, his face flushed
12:20purple, backing away step by step. The
12:23escalator drop loomed right behind him.
12:25If he fell, the zombie would pin him
12:27down instantly. Oldly I barked softly
12:29and sprinted forward. Oldly turned his
12:31head at my voice. Xiao Kuan, hold on. I
12:35charged to the zombie side. Both hands
12:37locked around the fire axe and brought
12:39it crashing down with my momentum.
12:41Crack. The axe bit deep into the
12:43zombie's temple. The zombie stiffened.
12:45Its grabbing arms went limp and it
12:47collapsed to the ground. Personal kill
12:49progress. One/tenth, I planted my foot
12:51on the corpse and wrenched the ax free.
12:53You all right? That was too close. Oldly
12:56tossed aside the broken mop handle and
12:58leaned on the railing, gasping hard. If
13:00you'd been a second later, you'd only be
13:02collecting my body. I was about to reply
13:05when zombie snarls erupted one after
13:07another from the shops around us. Grown.
13:09Who groan? The crash of the axe
13:11splitting bone had drawn nearby zombies.
13:141 2 3. In the blink of an eye, several
13:16lurched out from shadowed storefronts.
13:19Two more staggered into view from the
13:20far end of the hallway. Old Lee's face
13:23went pale. [ __ ] Run. I gripped the fire
13:25axe and swept the area quickly. Zombies
13:28blocked both directions. The closest two
13:30were less than 10 m away. With only an
13:33axe, I could fight one or two at most.
13:35If they swarmed us, I wouldn't be able
13:37to cover every angle. Just then, a
13:39shrill scream rang out from downstairs.
13:41Help! Stay back. Ah! The cry echoed
13:44through the whole mall. The zombies
13:46rushing for old Lee and me froze. All of
13:48them twisted their heads toward the
13:50sound below. In the next instant, they
13:52abandoned us, fixated on the scream, and
13:55lurched toward the railing. More zombies
13:57poured out of shops drawn by the noise.
13:59They didn't bother hunting for stairs.
14:01They only knew the sound came from
14:03below, piling against the railing and
14:05hurling themselves over. Thud, thud,
14:08thud. Heavy crashes echoed from the
14:10ground floor. I in seconds the zombies
14:12that had surrounded us were all gone.
14:14Oldly stared in shock, then whispered,
14:17"Some poor bastard took the heat for
14:19us." I didn't answer. I glanced at the
14:21empty hallway and said it once, "Now's
14:24our chance. Move. Where to? Hardware
14:26section. Find a nail gun. A nail gun.
14:29Oldly frowned and glanced at my axe.
14:31Aren't you armed already? This thing
14:33only works up close. Fine for one or two
14:36zombies, but useless in a crowd. I said,
14:38"There has to be a nail gun in
14:40hardware." With that, we'll actually
14:42have reliable defense. Oldly perked up.
14:45I know exactly where one is. You saw it?
14:47I just came from that direction. He
14:49nodded toward the far end of the hall.
14:51There's an unfinished storefront back
14:52there loaded with tools. If we check, we
14:55might get lucky. Lead the way. We didn't
14:57waste time and hurried toward the shop.
14:59A few crippled zombies still lingered
15:01along the path, but all of them were
15:03crawling toward the railings, drawn by
15:05the screams below. We kept our steps
15:07quiet and soon reached the
15:09half-rennovated shop. Half a roll of
15:11caution tape strung across the entrance.
15:13Only half the floor tiles were laid.
15:15Planks, ladders, and open toolboxes
15:17lined the walls. I stepped inside and
15:20spotted a red and black tool case under
15:22the workbench. I dragged it out and
15:24flipped the latches open. Dot. A nail
15:25gun sat inside. Jackpot. I picked it up
15:28at once. Dust coated the heavy body of
15:30the gun. I checked it first. No nails
15:33were loaded inside. I walked over to a
15:35thick plank propped upright, pressed the
15:37muzzle against it, depressed the nose,
15:39and pulled the trigger. Bang. A steel
15:41nail slammed all the way through the
15:43wood, leaving only a small indent on the
15:45surface. The spark of joy flared in my
15:47eyes that it worked. There hadn't been a
15:49nail in the chamber at all, but it fired
15:51perfectly. Unlimited firepower was
15:53active, but I noticed a problem fast. I
15:56pulled the gun away, aimed at empty air,
15:58and squeezed the trigger again. Click.
16:00Nothing happened. Oldly spoke beside me.
16:03Regular nail guns have a safety. The
16:05front tip has to press against a solid
16:07surface to fire. If you want to shoot
16:08zombies with it, you've got to ram the
16:10muzzle into their heads first. I had no
16:13nail guns had that lock. My brows drew
16:15together. That's barely better than the
16:17axe. That's why I said it's not a real
16:19gun. Oldly took the nail gun from me.
16:21And this one's single shot. You have to
16:23reload after every firing. Useful for
16:25construction. Terrible against zombies.
16:28I sighed, disappointed. It felt like
16:30having a fancy stove, but no ingredients
16:32to cook with. Then old Lee's words
16:34rekindled my hope. Still, it could work
16:36if we modify it. Wait, modify it. Old
16:39Lee turned the nail gun over in his
16:41hands. Then looked at the scattered
16:42tools around the shop. Remove the safety
16:44that requires contact to fire and crank
16:47up the power a little. If it can shoot
16:49through the air without touching a
16:50target, it'll be almost as good as a
16:52real firearm. I lean forward. You know
16:54how to do that. Oldly grinned. Most
16:57people would struggle, but you're lucky
16:58today. I worked renovation jobs for
17:00years when I was younger. I've used
17:02plenty of these. Tools and spare parts
17:04are all right here. Shouldn't be too
17:06hard. I laughed. Perfect. I'll keep
17:09watch out here. Hurry and get it done. I
17:11hadn't expected the old man I'd saved to
17:13turn out this useful. Oldly didn't waste
17:15words. He carried the nail gun to the
17:17workbench, swept the clutter aside, and
17:19picked tools out of the box. Bending
17:21over to work, he moved quickly, casing
17:24pried open, internal parts inspected,
17:26pieces swapped and reassembled. No
17:28wasted motion that I stood guard by the
17:30door, watching the hallway non-stop. It
17:33wasn't long before a soft click sounded
17:35behind me. Done. I turned around that
17:38fast. just tweaking an existing nail
17:40gun, not building one from scratch.
17:42Oldly shook his sore wrist and handed
17:44the gun back. The contact safety is
17:47disabled. I reworked the internals for
17:49more punch. Still single shot, though.
17:51You'll need to reload after every shot.
17:53That's not a problem. I took the nail
17:55gun and stepped 5 m away from the plank.
17:58This time, I didn't touch the muzzle to
18:00anything. Raise the gun, aim, pull the
18:02trigger, bang. The steel nail tore out
18:05of the barrel, punched straight through
18:06the plank, and buried itself deep into
18:08the wall behind it. It worked. My eyes
18:11lit up. It fired from a distance now,
18:13and the power was far higher than
18:15before. I didn't stop. My fingers
18:17squeezed the trigger again and again.
18:19Bang, bang, bang, bang. Rapid shots
18:22echoed inside the shop. Nails streamed
18:24non-stop, riddling the plank with holes,
18:27sending sawdust flying. Oldly stared
18:29beside me, his eyes growing wider and
18:32wider. He hadn't loaded a single nail
18:34into the gun. And a normal nail gun
18:36could never fire repeatedly like this.
18:38One shot after another without
18:40reloading. What the hell? Lowi parted
18:42his lips, not knowing what to ask. Xiao
18:45Kuan stared at the nail gun in his hand,
18:47the corners of his mouth curling up
18:48before he could hold them back. T
18:50ordinary person. This nail gun was
18:52nothing more than a powerful singleshot
18:54tool. but bolstered by infinite
18:56firepower, reloading, ammunition,
18:59cooldowns, and all wear from continuous
19:01use vanished entirely. Its rate of fire
19:03still pald in comparison to a real
19:05firearm. Yet, it was more than enough
19:07for him to hunt zombies from a distance.
19:09Ziao Kuan glanced at the quest prompt
19:11floating before his eyes. Personal kill
19:13progress one/tenth survived for 3 hours.
19:16Right now, he no longer needed to wait
19:18that long. Most zombies had been drawn
19:20downstairs by the earlier scream, but
19:22this floor was far from cleared out. He
19:24had barely set the nail gun down when
19:26chaotic footsteps echoed from outside
19:28the shop. Gruin the snarls drew closer
19:31by the second. Lai's face turned pale
19:34and he hurried to peer outside for
19:36zombies were charging from both sides of
19:38the corridor. Point two wore mall staff
19:40uniforms. The other two were ragged,
19:42their bodies caked in crusted blackened
19:44blood. We're in trouble. Lai
19:46instinctively stepped backward. That
19:48test shots noise lured them over. He
19:50glanced between Xiao Kuan and the back
19:52of the shop. There was not even a door
19:54they could shut. Nowhere to hide. Should
19:56we run out the back? No need. Xiao Kuan
19:59raised the gun, aiming straight at the
20:01lead zombie. Bang! A steel nail tore
20:04free from the barrel, but the headshot
20:06he'd imagined never happened. The nail
20:08grazed the zombie's ear and slammed hard
20:10into the wall behind it. I missed. There
20:12was no time to dwell on it. He pulled
20:14the trigger again at once. Bang! The
20:17second nail struck the zombie square in
20:19the shoulder. The force knocked it
20:20lopsided. That wound meant nothing to a
20:22zombie, though. It stumbled a single
20:24step, then kept lumbering toward him,
20:27jaws gaping with black, congealed blood.
20:29Lowly watched, his heart hammering. Kid,
20:32can you even hit them? [ __ ] It's my
20:34first time firing a gun. Give me a
20:36minute to get the hang of it. Xiaoan
20:38shot back, never pausing his trigger
20:40pull. Bang, bang, bang. Steel nails flew
20:43one after another. Some hit the zombies
20:45chests, some pierced their arms, and two
20:48more whizzed right past its body.
20:49Shooting was nowhere near as easy as
20:51he'd thought. Dot in movies. All you did
20:53was raise your gun, aim, and pull the
20:56trigger, landing clean shots
20:57effortlessly. Doing it for real, trying
21:00to hit a bobbing, swaying head was a
21:02whole different story. Thankfully, he
21:04had endless chances to mess up. Ammo was
21:06the last thing he needed to worry about.
21:08Bang, bang, bang, bang. There was no way
21:12he could master marksmanship in such a
21:14short time. So Xiao Kuan abandoned
21:16careful aiming altogether and squeezed
21:18the trigger wildly, opting for blanket
21:20fire. In the end, that zombie was turned
21:22into a pin cushion. Nails jutted out all
21:25over its body, many punching clean
21:27through to leave oozing wounds of thick
21:29black blood. Personal kill progress. Two
21:31out of 10 in got it. Lai had barely
21:34caught his breath when the remaining
21:35three zombies reached the shop entrance.
21:37Kuan quickly swiveled his gun. Bang bang
21:40bang bang bang. Take this blanket fire
21:44barrage. Nails poured in non-stop. The
21:47rapid thuds blended into one continuous
21:49roar. Steel projectiles slammed into the
21:51oncoming zombies. Blood holes burst open
21:54on their cheeks, necks, and chests. With
21:56the final zombie collapsing to the
21:58ground, personal kill progress, five out
22:00of 10. Silence fell over the shop. Lowi
22:03leaned against a workbench, his chest
22:05heaving that he stared at the four
22:06fallen corpses, then at the nail gun in
22:08Xiaoan's hands. His lips twitched. He'd
22:11taken this gun apart himself earlier. He
22:13knew perfectly well whether there were
22:15nails loaded inside. A singleshot nail
22:17gun like this required reloading after
22:19every firing. Yet in Xiao Kuan's hands,
22:22that rule simply did not exist. From the
22:24first shot until the last zombie
22:26dropped, Ziao Kuan had never once
22:28stopped to reload. The nail seemed to
22:30spawn out of thin air. A thousand
22:32questions swirled in Lai's head. But
22:34after studying Ziaoan for a moment, he
22:36swallowed the words burning on his
22:38tongue. The apocalypse had descended 3
22:40months ago. Strange aberrations and
22:42monsters roame the outside world
22:44already. It was hardly odd for someone
22:46to carry a secret they could never speak
22:48of. And Xiao Kuan had just saved his
22:50life. He'd lived most of his years and
22:52learned one lesson well. Some questions
22:54were better left unasked. Right then,
22:57lines of text appeared before both of
22:59them. Dungeon announcement. Participant
23:01by Kuang has slain 10 zombies. Quest
23:03complete. Exiting dungeon. loudly froze,
23:06then let out a sigh of admiration. As
23:08expected of Captain Bi, it hasn't been
23:10long at all, and he's already hit 10
23:12kills. Xiao Kuan read the message
23:14without surprise. By Kuang was the only
23:17member of their group who'd cleared a
23:18dungeon before, a genuine transcendent.
23:21The zombies inside this mall were deadly
23:23to ordinary folk, but to By Kuang, they
23:26were barely a nuisance. The first
23:28message faded, and a second popped up
23:30immediately. Dungeon announcement.
23:32Participant Yin Yuan has slain 10
23:34zombies. Quest complete. Exiting
23:36dungeon. Yin Yuan. This time, Lai was
23:39genuinely shocked. That kid keeps to
23:41himself all the time. Always wrapped in
23:43that ratty hoodie. I never thought he'd
23:45finish only a little after Captain B.
23:48Xiaoan narrowed his eyes. That guy's
23:50definitely no ordinary person. I bet
23:52he's been a transcendent this whole
23:53time, just hiding it from all of us.
23:56They both probably stayed downstairs
23:58where that scream had drawn the bulk of
24:00the horde, letting them wrap up the
24:02quest fast. Even so, it spoke volumes
24:04about their strength. Anyone weaker
24:06would not have finished the quest
24:07quickly. They would have ended up dead.
24:10Xiao Kuan checked his kill count. He
24:12only needed five more zombies to finish
24:14the quest and leave the dungeon. Yet, a
24:16new thought took rooe in his mind.
24:18Lowly, the quest says we can either hide
24:20here for 3 hours or kill 10 zombies to
24:22leave. What if we kill every monster
24:24inside this dungeon? What? Lai could not
24:27follow. Xiaoan went on. If I wipe out
24:30every zombie in this mall, could I truly
24:32clear this dungeon? Lai stared at him,
24:34rooted to the spot. Xiao Kuan grew more
24:37convinced by the second he played plenty
24:39of games. Quests and games only set the
24:41bare minimum requirement. To truly
24:43conquer a dungeon, you explored every
24:45corner, killed every monster and boss,
24:48and hunted down hidden objectives deep
24:50within. Maybe this dungeon worked the
24:52same way. These zombies were not fast
24:55compared to all the zombie films he'd
24:56seen. They were just low tier regular
24:59undead. The real danger lay in their
25:01numbers. The virus and the terror they
25:03struck into ordinary people's hearts.
25:05And all fear stemmed from not having
25:06enough firepower. Xiao Kuan felt no fear
25:09now. He wanted to test it to see if he
25:11could fully clear this dungeon. You're
25:13not serious, are you? Lai finally
25:15snapped out of it. This mall has eight
25:17floors. Who knows how many zombies are
25:19in here? Hundreds, thousands. Ziao Kuan
25:22did not answer. He had not asked for
25:24Lai's opinion anyway. Since no one could
25:26give him the answer, he would find out
25:28himself. Kuan picked up a fire axe lying
25:30nearby and handed it to Lai, then hefted
25:33his nail gun, and stepped out of the
25:35shop. Let's<unk> go. Lai grabbed the
25:37axe. Where? To the top floor. Xiaoan did
25:40not look back as he spoke. Lai stared at
25:42his retreating back, glanced down at the
25:44axe in his grip, then hurried after him.
25:47Wait for me. They left the shop and
25:49headed upward along the escalators. That
25:51scream earlier had pulled most zombies
25:53downstairs. There were still undead on
25:55floors five and above, but far fewer.
25:58They only ran into two more zombies
25:59along the way. Personal kill progress.
26:02Eight out of 10. They kept climbing and
26:04soon reached the eighth floor, the
26:05mall's rooftop level. Lai was drenched
26:08in sweat from chasing after Ziaoan. He
26:10leaned on the ax to steady himself,
26:12gasping, "Why drag me all the way up
26:14here?" Xiaoan leaned against the
26:16guardrail and looked down. From the
26:18eighth floor, he could see parts of the
26:20lower levels. Hordes of zombies packed
26:22the bottom floors, snarling and slamming
26:24against barriers non-stop. Floors five
26:26and above, by contrast, were eerily
26:29empty. To kill zombies, of course.
26:31Xiaoan tore his gaze away. That scream
26:33lured most of them downstairs. There
26:35aren't many left up here. This is our
26:37chance. A chance. Lai was thoroughly
26:40confused. All the zombies were below
26:42them and they'd climb to the top floor.
26:44What kind of chance was that? Xiao Kuan
26:46nodded toward a fire cabinet a short
26:48distance away. Pull out the fire hose
26:50from the hydrant. What for? Grabbed the
26:53metal nozzle on the end, too. Hurry.
26:55Lowi was full of questions, but he
26:57stopped asking. He stroed to the
26:59cabinet, opened it, and dragged the
27:01coiled hose out. One end connected to
27:03the fire hydrant. The other fitted a
27:05heavy metal nozzled. It took some effort
27:07to unspool the whole hose. Then he
27:09dragged the nozzle back to the escalator
27:11landing. When he returned, Xiaoan had
27:13not been idle. He'd hauled chairs, low
27:16tables, counters, and shelves out of
27:18nearby shops, stacking them to block
27:20most of the escalator entrance. The
27:22barricade was flimsy, but it formed a
27:24makeshift defensive line. He'd even
27:26dragged a halfhuman tall speaker from an
27:28audio store, setting it behind the
27:30barricade, and aimed straight down
27:32toward the lower floors. Lai dropped the
27:34nozzle at Xiaoan's feet, then tugged at
27:36the limp, empty hose. The mall's water
27:38supply died ages ago. There's no water
27:41in the hydrant. He tapped the speaker
27:42next, and this thing doesn't even have
27:44its power cord plugged in. What good is
27:46it? A faint smile tugged at Xiao Kuan's
27:49lips. Just watch. Xiao Kuan turned the
27:51speaker toward the mall's central atrium
27:53and pressed play. The next instant,
27:55loud, roaring music exploded out. Drum
27:58beats mixed with old electric guitar
28:00riffs rolling down from the eighth floor
28:02layer after layer. It sounded like an
28:04old song. The male vocalist's first line
28:06drowned out the scattered zombie growls
28:08below. Lai jumped. He glanced at the
28:11loose power plug on the floor, then back
28:13at the blaring speaker. Wait, it's not
28:15plugged in. Xiaoan said nothing. Sound
28:18waves were a form of release, weren't
28:20they? As the music spread, the snarls
28:22from below multiplied sharply. The
28:24zombies drawn downstairs by the scream
28:26turned back. They jammed onto the
28:28escalators, clawing the handrails to
28:30scramble upward. Some even tried to
28:32clamber over the atrium railings,
28:34stepping on their fellow undead. Most of
28:37those fell halfway, dragged back down by
28:39the mass beneath them. The escalator
28:41landing became a writhing mess. The
28:43front ones surged upward while those
28:45behind shoved forward. Every now and
28:47then, a zombie lost its balance and
28:49toppled over the rail. Thud, thud. Heavy
28:52impacts mixed with the music and the
28:54roars of the horde. Lowi looked down
28:56from the eighth floor, his scalp
28:58crawling. You're calling every last one
29:00of them up here. Yep. Xiaoan wrapped his
29:03left hand around the fire nozzle,
29:04twisted the regulator, and cranked the
29:06water pressure to maximum. He rested the
29:09nozzle on a chair, pointing it straight
29:11down the escalator, and gripped his
29:12modified nail gun with his right hand.
29:14Lowi stepped aside, squeezing the handle
29:17of his fire axe tight. Xiao Kuan watched
29:19the horde climbing closer, resting the
29:21nail gun over the top of his barricade.
29:23The first zombie hauled itself onto the
29:25seventh floor. A second squeezed right
29:27behind it. The moment their heads
29:29drifted into range, Xiao Kuan pulled the
29:31trigger. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Steel
29:33nails tore into the packed horde on the
29:35escalator. He did not lock onto any
29:37single zombie. He kept the gun trained
29:39on the thickest cluster and fired
29:41non-stop. Nails slammed into the zombies
29:43faces and skulls point one undead fell
29:46backward, knocking over those behind it.
29:48Another took a nail straight through its
29:50eye socket, its corpse wedged halfway up
29:52the escalator. The rest simply trampled
29:54over it and kept climbing. Personal kill
29:57progress. Nine out of 10. Personal kill
29:59progress. 10 out of 10. A fresh
30:01notification popped up beforehia's eyes.
30:04Base dungeon quest completed. Slay 10
30:06zombies. You may settle your quest
30:08rewards and exit the dungeon at any
30:10time. Kuan's finger hesitated for a
30:12split second. Then he kept firing. The
30:14dungeon had not forced him out. He'd
30:17only guessed that finishing the basic
30:18quest might let him keep exploring. Now
30:21he knew for certain killing 10 zombies
30:23was only the exit condition. If he wiped
30:25out every zombie here, he might earn
30:27rewards far better than the base once.
30:29Bang! Bang! Bang! Nails continued
30:32tearing into the horde. But the piles of
30:34fallen zombies clogged the escalator.
30:36The undead behind them stepped onto the
30:38bodies, building a mound that brought
30:40several close enough to grab the eighth
30:42floor guardrail. Lai shouted urgently,
30:44"They're almost up. I see them." Xiao
30:47Kuan lifted the nozzle in his left hand,
30:49aimed it down the escalator and opened
30:51the valve. Hiss. The limp hose suddenly
30:54inflated a solid jet of white water shot
30:56from the nozzle, slamming straight into
30:58the leading zombies. They were already
31:00teetering on the sloped escalator. The
31:02water blast knocked their feet out from
31:04under them, sending them tumbling
31:06backward into the crowd behind. Lai
31:08froze completely to he checked that
31:10hydrant himself a little while ago.
31:12There hadn't been a single drop of water
31:13inside. Now the hose bulged and the
31:16nozzle sprayed a steady stream. Ew. You
31:18can make water appear too. Keep watch on
31:21the sides for me. Right. Lowi swallowed
31:23his question and stood guard by the gap.
31:25Axe raised. Xiaoan kept the stream
31:27trained on the escalator. The regulator
31:29was wide open, but the water pressure
31:31was not strong enough to kill the
31:33zombies outright. It was more than
31:35enough to stop them climbing, though. He
31:37held the water jet across the narrow
31:39choke point while his nail gun fired
31:41shot after shot. Bang, bang, bang, bang.
31:43The zombies were packed
31:44shoulder-to-shoulder. Precise aiming was
31:47unnecessary. Dot. If one nail missed,
31:49another followed instantly. If a shot to
31:51the torso failed to drop them, he put
31:53the next nail through their skull. Ino
31:55pauses to reload. No limit to his ammo.
31:58Kuan just kept squeezing the trigger.
32:00Zombies on the escalator took nails to
32:02the head and rolled downward. The next
32:04one stepped up, slipped under the water
32:06stream, and met the same steel
32:08projectiles. Chairs and tables blocked
32:10the eighth floor entrance, and the
32:12railings on either side funneled the
32:13horde. In this huge mall, the only path
32:16that could reach him was that short
32:17stretch at the top of the escalator.
32:19Lowi stood by, axe, ready to jump in.
32:22Soon, he realized there was no opening
32:23for him to strike. The closest any
32:25zombie got was reaching the edge of the
32:27barricade, only to be swept backward by
32:29the water jet, then nailed through the
32:31skull before it could rise again. He
32:34glanced over at Xiaoan. The speaker
32:36blared old music behind them, and the
32:38louder it played, the harder the zombies
32:40surged upward. Xiao Kuan held the water
32:42hose in one hand and fired with the
32:44other, holding that escalator, landing
32:46all by himself. Back on the fifth floor,
32:48they'd nearly been overrun by four
32:50zombies. Now dozens were climbing for
32:52them. Yet none could break through that
32:54rickety makeshift defense had thrown
32:57together. "This kid," Lai muttered, the
32:59rest of his thought unspoken. The music
33:02kept playing. Zombies kept crawling
33:04upward. Ziao Kuan's arm grew sore and
33:06his shoulder achd from bracing the
33:08nozzle, but he never let go of the
33:09triggered. It went on until the final
33:12zombie collapsed on the escalator, and
33:14no more snarls answered the music from
33:16below. Xiao Kuan waited a little longer
33:18and oh, new footsteps. Only then did he
33:21shut off the water and lower the nail
33:22gun, hitting pause on the speaker. The
33:25mall fell quiet, save for dripping
33:27water. Kuan leaned back against a
33:29counter and sank to the ground, gasping
33:31for breath. "Is it over?" Lai asked his
33:34voice tight. Xiao Kuan lifted his head
33:36to reply and new text materialized
33:38before his eyes. All zombies within the
33:40dungeon have been eliminated. The
33:42zombief infested mall. Perfect clear.
33:44Base quest reward granted. One lottery
33:47ticket. Special reward granted. Xiao
33:49Kuan shot upright. That it was real.
33:51He'd gambled on that hunch from playing
33:53games. And he'd unlocked the hidden
33:55clear condition. Lai saw the perfect
33:57clear message, too. He stood stunned for
33:59several seconds before turning to
34:01Xiaoan. His expression complicated
34:03beyond words. At that moment, glowing
34:06light wrapped around both their feet.
34:08The mall, the escalators, the piles of
34:10zombie corpses. Everything vanished from
34:13sight. In front of the unfinished
34:15building, loudly stumbled a step. When
34:17his boots touched familiar concrete, the
34:19weight of fear finally slipped off his
34:21chest. We're out. He exhaled heavily,
34:24still shaking with leftover terror.
34:26Haha, we really made it out. People
34:28standing nearby heard the noise and
34:30swarmed over. Xiaoan's back, too. Even
34:33Lai survived. I thought at his age, once
34:35he stepped into that zombie dungeon, the
34:37speaker trailed off, swallowing the
34:39rest. The ones who'd refused to sign up
34:41had been waiting for news. By Kuang and
34:44Yin Yuan, emerging one after the other
34:46had already sparked a storm of whispers.
34:48Now, Xiao Kuan and Lai returned alive,
34:51and Lai still clutched his blooded fire
34:53ax. It was shocking to everyone
34:55watching. By Kuang stood on the fringe
34:57of the crowd and looked over. He had not
34:59expected Xiao Kuan to survive. Even more
35:02surprising was that the nearly
35:0360-year-old Lao Lei had made it out as
35:05well. Lai met all those curious stairs.
35:08He wanted to say something, but the
35:09memory of Ziao Kuan's endlessly firing
35:11nail gun stopped him. He just waved
35:13faintly at the people he knew. Ziao Kuan
35:16ignored the murmurss around him. He
35:18still held the nail gun in his hand.
35:19Just like La's ax, it had come out of
35:22the dungeon with him. It looked like
35:23anything you carried on your person
35:25could be brought back to the real world
35:26once the dungeon ended. He pushed
35:28through the crowd and walked alone to an
35:30empty patch beside the unfinished
35:32building. His mind was fixed entirely on
35:34his rewards. He could not wait to check
35:36them. Ziao Kuan pulled up the lottery
35:38interface. Available lottery tickets.
35:411-in draw. Lights swirled and shifted,
35:43then froze. Congratulations. Primary
35:46gene enhancer times one obtained. Used
35:48to boost baseline physical attributes
35:50that a small syringe filled with pale
35:52blue liquid materialized in his palm.
35:54His eyes lit up. This was great stuff.
35:57Back in the dungeon, even with infinite
35:59nails and unlimited water, his body was
36:02still that of a regular human. Just
36:04holding the line at the escalator had
36:05left his arms and shoulders burning. If
36:07a zombie had closed the distance, he
36:09could still get hurt, still get bitten,
36:11and die. Infinite firepower, fixed
36:13weapons, and ammunition limits. His
36:16physique was something he had to upgrade
36:17himself. Xiao Kuan circled around to the
36:20side of the half-built building, making
36:21sure no one was watching, and activated
36:23the syringe at once. The next instant, a
36:26wave of warmth spread outward from his
36:28chest to every limb. Ziaoan clenched his
36:30fist instinctively. The soreness from
36:32shooting and holding the nozzle faded
36:34fast. His breathing grew easy, and fresh
36:37strength flooded his legs. He heard
36:39gravel crunch under someone's footsteps,
36:41far clearer than before. The scent of
36:43dirt and dust in the air suddenly felt
36:45sharper, more distinct. Xiao Kuan
36:48glanced down at his body. The faint soft
36:50belly fat heed had was gone. Even
36:52through his shirt, he could feel defined
36:54muscle. When he tensed his arm, he could
36:56feel raw power coiling beneath the skin.
36:59He rolled his shoulders, feeling
37:00lighter, as if a heavy burden had fallen
37:02away. "Damn, this feels amazing." Xiao
37:05Kuan grinned. Then he spotted an even
37:07bigger surprise. "Since the gene
37:09enhancer was an injectable item, it
37:11qualified for his release ability."
37:13After he injected the dose, infinite
37:15firepower triggered and the syringe
37:17refilled itself.1 vial mint endless
37:20vials. The only catch was that Ziao Kuan
37:22had already received the enhancement.
37:24Injecting more would do nothing for him.
37:26Still, he could trade these with other
37:28groups and transcendent beings later if
37:30the chance came out. He stowed the
37:32syringe away. Then he turned to his
37:34special reward. Reward weapon evolution
37:36scroll times one bound to owner upon
37:38acquisition. Cannot be traded. The
37:40scroll etched with fine silver runes
37:42appeared before him. Xiao Kuan lifted
37:44his nail gun. The modified tool Lai had
37:47built was already deadly, but its range
37:49and stopping power still had limits if
37:51he upgraded it. The advantage of
37:53infinite firepower would grow right
37:54alongside it. I'm using this on you.
37:57Xiaoan unfurled the scroll. Silver runes
38:00lifted off the parchment and coiled
38:02around the nail gun. The weapon floated
38:04out of his grasp, suspended midair,
38:06wrapped in layers of shimmering,
38:08shifting light. Its rough outer casing
38:10broke down, and the metal parts
38:12rearranged themselves inside the glow.
38:14The barrel stretched forward, the grip
38:16narrowed, and the rear molded into a
38:18black guard that fit snugly against his
38:20forearm. Silver runes glowed along the
38:22frame like trapped bolts of lightning.
38:25He'd picked a spot away from the crowd,
38:26but that swirling light was impossible
38:28to miss. The few people lingering by the
38:30entrance of the unfinished building
38:32spotted at first. "What's that over
38:34there?" Xiao Kuan<unk>s gun. It's
38:35floating. More people turned to look. By
38:38Kuang also twisted his head, locking his
38:40gaze on the weapon, reshaping itself in
38:42midair. Moments later, the light faded.
38:45The evolved nail gun drifted back down
38:47into Xiao Kuan's hands. It was
38:49completely transformed. The main body
38:51was deep black, lined with thin silver
38:54trim, far sleeker and longer than
38:56before. The muzzle tapered to a sharp
38:58diamond point, and the rear guard merged
39:00seamlessly with the barrel. Holding it
39:02felt like gripping a purpose-built
39:04combat weapon. The clunky makeshift vibe
39:06of a construction tool was gone
39:08entirely. Xiaoan hefted it. It still had
39:10satisfying weight, but the fit in his
39:12hands was far smoother. He raised the
39:14gun, watching the silver lines flicker
39:16for a heartbeat, and spoke quietly.
39:18"From now on, your name is Rainstorm."
39:21The silver runes flashed once, then
39:23dimmed again. Xiao Kuan turned and aimed
39:26at a discarded thick iron sheet at the
39:28edge of the clearing. Bang! The report
39:30was crisper than any shot before. The
39:32metal plate jolted. A neat, clean hole
39:35punched dead center. Steel nails punched
39:37through the iron plate and sank into the
39:39cement wall behind, sending fragments,
39:41showering down. The people who had
39:43crowded over froze in their tracks.
39:45Ziaoan lifted his hand and fired several
39:48more shots in quick succession. Bang!
39:50Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! A row of
39:52holes opened one after another across
39:54the steel plate. His gun stayed steady,
39:56its firing rate noticeably heightened.
39:58The blasts rolled together just like a
40:00torrential downpour. Is that really a
40:02nail gun? How can it hit that hard? That
40:04steel plate got shot clean through. What
40:06the hell did he get inside the dungeon?
40:08It looks totally different from before.
40:10So cool. He must have drawn a reward
40:12that upgrades weapons. Some stared at
40:14the silver runes along the gun's body,
40:16envy plain on their faces. Others eyed
40:18the perforated plate and quietly stepped
40:20half a pace back. The folks who'd been
40:22too scared to sign up were tangled
40:24expressions. They dared not take the
40:26risk, yet burned with longing, even
40:29jealousy, over the rewards others had
40:31earned. by Kuang, who'd been keeping an
40:33eye on the commotion, watched the whole
40:35thing. His gaze drifted from the
40:36punctured plate to the downpour, slung
40:39in Xiaoan's hands, then settled on
40:41Xiaoan himself. For the first time, his
40:44eyes carried a flicker of genuine
40:45regard. I knew there was no hiding
40:47downpour. It drew too much attention.
40:49Secrecy was impossible anyway. More than
40:52that, there was no point hiding it.
40:54Sure, it might make people covet it, but
40:56it also sent a warning. Anyone thinking
40:58of picking a fight with me now would
40:59first have to ask themselves if they
41:01could survive a barrage from Downpour. I
41:03just set Downpour down when old manly
41:06squeezed out of the crowd. "Brother
41:07Xiao! Brotherhiao!" He trotted over and
41:10skidded to a halt in front of me. He
41:12glanced first at Downpour slung over my
41:14back, then back at the riddled steel
41:15plate. Shock still etched deep on his
41:18face. Back inside the dungeon, that gun
41:20could fire rapidly. Yes, but it had
41:23still just looked like a modified nail
41:24gun. Not anymore. That single shot
41:27punching through steel was enough to
41:28keep the people around us wary.
41:30Something you need? I asked. Old Manly
41:32rubbed his hands together, gratitude
41:34written all over his face. I came to
41:37thank you. Back in the dungeon, I'd be
41:39dead for sure without you. I huffed a
41:41laugh. Don't make it sound that dire. If
41:43you hadn't helped modify that nail gun,
41:45I wouldn't have gotten through it so
41:46smoothly. That's not the same. He shook
41:49his head quickly. All I did was turn a
41:50few tools. You were the one killing the
41:52zombies. I only lent a hand. I'm alive
41:55because of you. He leaned in a little
41:57and dropped his voice. I got the special
41:59reward for a perfect clear, too. My
42:01brows lifted. It looked like the dungeon
42:03had marked us as a team. When I cleared
42:05it, old manly had cleared right
42:07alongside me. Still, I didn't reply
42:09straight away. I could tell he hadn't
42:11come just to say thanks. As he drew
42:13near, I felt several sets of eyes locked
42:15on me from a short distance off. Thanks
42:17to the basic genetic enhancement agent,
42:19my senses were far sharper than before.
42:22One pair, two, at least four or five
42:24sets of eyes. I understood immediately.
42:27These cowards wouldn't step foot in a
42:29dungeon, so they targeted people who'd
42:30just come out. Only four of us had
42:32emerged from the mall dungeon so far. By
42:35Kuang finished the mission first, and as
42:37the group leader, he'd already shown off
42:39supernatural strength. Even if someone
42:41craved his loot, nobody dared make a
42:43move. Yinuan stepped out right after by
42:45Kuang. Only moments later, quiet and low
42:48profile on the surface, he'd still
42:50killed 10 zombies fast enough to clear
42:52the dungeon. He practically invited
42:54fools to test him, waiting to strike
42:56from the shadows. No one dared provoke
42:58him lightly. I'd come out later, but I'd
43:00carried the nail gun the whole time.
43:02Just now I'd upgraded it into downpour
43:04and showed its firepower. That
43:06perforated steel plate was still sitting
43:07not far away. Anyone dumb enough to
43:10target me hadn't clung to life long
43:11enough. Compared to the rest, old man
43:14Lee was the easiest mark. He was old,
43:16armed with nothing but a fire axe, he
43:18probably couldn't swing many times.
43:20Still, these people weren't stupid. No
43:22one knew exactly what reward he'd drawn.
43:25If it boosted his strength directly,
43:27jumping him would be like slamming into
43:28that steel plate. So, they held back,
43:31watching from the sidelines. Now, old
43:33man Lee had walked right up to me,
43:34pouring out thanks. I guessed his reward
43:36probably didn't boost his combat power.
43:39It couldn't protect him from the people
43:40eyeing him. That's why he'd come to me.
43:42The special reward is bound to me. I
43:44can't give it away, old manly said,
43:46acting oblivious to the stairs on his
43:48back. But we get one extra draw after
43:51finishing the quest. I want to give you
43:52whatever I pulled from that draw to pay
43:55you back for saving my life. I studied
43:57him. I got the subtext. This was
43:59protection money. He wanted me to shield
44:01him. I didn't mind it, though. In a
44:03world like this, fighting to stay alive
44:05was only natural. Besides, free benefits
44:08handed straight to me. Why turn them
44:09down? One thing nod at my curiosity. Why
44:12me? Not by Kuang. Tell me first, what's
44:15your special reward and what did you
44:16draw? Relief washed over his face when I
44:19didn't reject him outright. My special
44:21reward is a profession seed. A
44:23profession seed? Yeah. Old Manly nodded.
44:26I used it as soon as I got out. I'm a
44:28field mechanic now. Surprise flickered
44:30through me. I hadn't expected the old
44:32man to get that lucky. A supernatural
44:34profession straight out of the reward.
44:36What can it do? I asked right away. Only
44:38two skills for now. He held up two
44:40fingers. First is mechanical analysis.
44:43Touch any machine and I can quickly work
44:45out its structure, faults, and possible
44:47ways to refit it. Second is scrap refit.
44:50I can use discarded parts and whatever
44:52tools I have to modify ordinary
44:54machinery. Better materials mean a
44:56stronger end result, he added. But I'm
44:58lowle right now. I can't handle anything
45:00too complex. What I can build depends on
45:03what parts I've got. I looked him up and
45:04down. Neither skill-packed fighting
45:06power, but they were incredible support
45:08abilities. Nice luck, I said, pulling a
45:11whole profession. It's good, just not a
45:13combat one. Old Manly gave a bitter
45:15smile. That was the real reason he'd
45:17rushed over to me. I nodded slowly. I
45:20already had Downpour, and Old Manly
45:21could maintain, tweak, and refit
45:24machinery. Sticking together him made
45:26far more sense than splitting up. So,
45:27what did you get from the extra draw? I
45:29pressed. A faint smile finally tugged at
45:31his face. A van? A vehicle? I raised an
45:34eyebrow. Yeah, just a regular van. Cars
45:38had been common once, yet rare now.
45:40After the blood moon rose, anomalies and
45:42monsters erupted everywhere. Ordinary
45:44people could only hope to enter
45:46dungeons, complete quests, and earned
45:48supernatural rewards to defend
45:50themselves. Dungeons appeared randomly,
45:52no fixed time or location. That's why
45:54survivors rarely stayed in one place for
45:56long. They wandered, chasing new
45:59dungeons, praying for a reward that
46:01would change their fate. That wasn't the
46:03only reason they kept moving, though. If
46:05too many people gathered in one spot for
46:06too long, it drew anomalies. Those
46:09things were far deadlier than ordinary
46:11monsters. A safe, permanent home was
46:13nothing but a fantasy. This group
46:15traveled together partly to hunt for
46:17dungeons, partly to outrun any anomalies
46:19that might track them. A working vehicle
46:21would be priceless. For travel, hauling
46:24supplies, escaping danger. The world was
46:26littered with cars by the side of roads,
46:29in parking lots, in ruined cities. But
46:31the moment the blood moon arrived,
46:33humanity's technology seemed locked away
46:35by some rule. Phones went dark, no
46:38signal, screens dead, guns wouldn't
46:40fire, cars wouldn't start. Nearly every
46:42electronic and mechanical device turned
46:44into scrap all at once. Everything
46:47modern society relied on collapsed in an
46:49instant. Roads were dead, communication
46:52gone, factories silent. Before monsters
46:54and anomalies even spread fully, human
46:57civilization began to crumble. All those
46:59abandoned cars out there were just
47:00useless husks. Things pulled from
47:02dungeons were different. Weapons, items,
47:05vehicles, they all worked under the new
47:08rules of this broken world. So, this van
47:10old manly had drawn might look plain
47:12next to a powerful weapon, but its value
47:14was huge. At the very least, we wouldn't
47:16have to travel on foot anymore. The
47:18system says it's a dungeon vehicle. It
47:20runs. Old Manly said, "It's no good just
47:23sitting with me alone. That's why I want
47:24to give it to you. We'll have transport
47:26wherever we go." I stared at him and
47:28chuckled. You've got quite the scheme
47:29cooking. Old manly stiffened, about to
47:32rush out an explanation, but I kept
47:34going. You hand the van over to me. Once
47:36I decide to move on, I can't exactly
47:38leave you stranded by the side of the
47:40road, can I? He laughed sheepishly. Some
47:43things are better left unsaid. He didn't
47:45beat around the bush any longer. Brother
47:47Xiao, I'm 57. I can't keep up with young
47:49folks like you. Even as a field
47:51mechanic, I can't swing an axe against
47:53monsters for long. I can fix things and
47:55I'll work hard. Call on me whenever you
47:57need. All I ask is that you pull me out
47:59of trouble when things go south. The old
48:01man was sharp. On the surface, giving
48:03away such a valuable dungeon vehicle
48:06looked like a terrible deal. But if I
48:07took it, he'd secured himself a
48:09protector. And with his field mechanic
48:11skills, I'd never dump him anyway. If I
48:13found any machinery later, I'd need him
48:16to refit it. Even if the van counted as
48:18mine, he'd ride in it, too. Still, his
48:20bargain wasn't unfair. Old man Lee
48:23brought real value to the table, and I
48:24got what I needed. That was way better
48:26than people who expected protection
48:28without giving anything in return. All
48:30right, you can stick with me, I said.
48:32Don't drag your feet, and I won't treat
48:34you badly. Count on it. Old man Lee's
48:37face lit up. This was what he'd been
48:38waiting for. I won't brag, but I know my
48:41way around repairs. These new skills
48:43only make me more useful. I won't
48:45freload, I nodded. Bring the van out.
48:48The last of his worry melted away. He
48:50claimed his reward. The empty space
48:52before us flared with white light. The
48:54glow spread upward from the ground,
48:56outlining a blocky shape. Seconds later,
48:58the light faded. A van materialized out
49:01of thin air for everyone to see. Dark
49:03gray, nothing fancy, plain and boxy,
49:06short, flat hood, squared off body, a
49:09door on each side, and double rear barn
49:11doors. The windshield was intact, tires
49:13spotless, not a speck of mud on them.
49:15The crowd chattering about downpour felt
49:17quiet. I snapped toward the van. A car.
49:20He pulled a car. It's a dungeon reward.
49:23It must run with that. Who needs to
49:25walk? Hushed exclamations rippled
49:27through the crowd. The men who'd been
49:29watching old manly covertly grew
49:31restless. One man stepped half out from
49:33behind a broken wall, gaze glued to the
49:35doors, throat bobbing. Another tightened
49:38his grip on a steel pipe, mentally
49:40timing how long it would take to charge
49:42over. A working vehicle in this
49:43apocalypse was too tempting. It wasn't
49:46just transport. It was a chance to run
49:48for your life. Then they spotted me
49:49standing beside old man Lee and downpour
49:52on my back. The man who'd stepped
49:53forward froze, then casually slipped
49:56back into hiding. The one with the pipe
49:58loosened his hold and looked away like
50:00nothing had happened. Greed burned in
50:02them, but nobody wanted to become the
50:03next thing shot through like that steel
50:05plate. I noticed the restless lot, but
50:07ignored them. With downpour at my back,
50:10they wouldn't dare strike. Old Manly
50:12also felt the heavy atmosphere and
50:13shuffled closer to my side. If he'd
50:16summoned the van alone, they would have
50:17swarmed him before the tires even
50:19turned. I circled the van and knocked
50:21twice on its side panel. Thud, thud. The
50:24metal wasn't thick. It worked, but its
50:26protection was no better than a normal
50:28vans. I turned back to old manly. You
50:30said mechanical analysis lets you read a
50:32machine structure and figure out how to
50:34refit it. Yeah, take a look at this van.
50:37Then I patted the door. You're a field
50:39mechanic now. We can't leave it like
50:41this forever. Far from being daunted,
50:43old man Lee's eyes lit up. You mean
50:45refit this van? Can you do it?
50:47Absolutely. Now that he'd thrown his lot
50:49in with me, he needed to prove his worth
50:51fast. The goodwill bought by the van
50:53would run out eventually. He had to make
50:55himself indispensable. He hurried to the
50:57front of the van and pressed his palm
50:59against the hood. He closed his eyes. A
51:01faint glow seeped out from his palm and
51:03streamed across the whole vehicle.
51:05Frame, engine, drivetrain, wiring,
51:08tires. Floods of data rushed through his
51:11mind. The inner workings that had once
51:13been foreign unfolded crystal clear. He
51:16saw which sections could be reinforced,
51:18which parts could be swapped out, how
51:19much extra weight the frame could bear.
51:21Old man Lee opened his eyes, grinning
51:23widely. He pulled his hand away, voice
51:26sharp with excitement. We can reinforce
51:28the body, add plating over the windows.
51:30If we find enough materials, I can even
51:32boost its off-road capability. I just
51:34don't have any supplies right now. We'll
51:36need to scavenge parts nearby first. I
51:39was about to reply when a low rumble
51:41rolled in from the distance. Boom! We
51:43both twisted our heads. The dungeon
51:45curtain hanging before the unfinished
51:47building flickered violently. Its pale
51:49blue light contracted sharply, then
51:51burst outward. A figure stumbled out
51:53through the curtain, covered in blood,
51:55clothes torn to rags, cuts
51:57criss-crossing his exposed arms and
51:59face. He looked utterly broken. It was
52:01Jeang Chong who'd entered the army
52:04dungeon. The second he fell out, the
52:06curtain shrank into countless tiny
52:08specks of light and vanished completely.
52:10Jean Chong staggered the moment his feet
52:12hit the ground, nearly dropping to his
52:14knees. He glanced back at the fading
52:16curtain, terror still raw in his eyes.
52:19Endless desert, scorching sun, army ants
52:22hiding beneath the sand, ready to erupt
52:24anywhere. Before going in, Jeang Chong
52:26had thought it simple. Just survive an
52:28hour while the ants chased us, outrun
52:30the others, and live. The reality was
52:32nothing like that. Everyone got
52:34scattered randomly. Nothing but dunes in
52:36every direction. No landmarks, nowhere
52:39to hide. The ants didn't line up in a
52:41pack chasing from behind. They lurked
52:43under the sand. Sometimes the sand
52:45bulged underfoot, and before you could
52:47react, swarms of black ants boiled up.
52:50No one knew what was safe, which way to
52:52run. The group sprinted blindly across
52:54the dunes, lost and panicking. It wasn't
52:56long before the first scream rang out.
52:58One man got swarmed, ants crawling all
53:01over him in seconds. He screamed and
53:03rolled wildly in the sand, but more ants
53:05kept pouring on. The sound made every
53:07hair stand on end. Jeang Chong hadn't
53:10survived because he was strong. He'd
53:11hunted down other survivors, lied that
53:14he knew the way, tricked a handful into
53:16following him. Whenever ants surged up
53:18from the sand, he let them step forward
53:20first. While the ants descended on them,
53:22he ran the other way again and again.
53:25His companions dwindled one by one. the
53:27last ant attack. He even shoved a man
53:29begging for help straight toward the
53:31swarm. He heard the scream and ran
53:33without looking back. Even so, he hadn't
53:36escaped and scathed. Every cut on his
53:38skin was a bite from those ants. Lots of
53:40people had gone into that army ant
53:42dungeon. Only he had made it out alive.
53:44Jeang Chong dropped heavily onto the
53:46ground, gasping for air. Blood streaked
53:48his face, neck, and arms. Crushed black
53:51ant corpses were stuck in some of his
53:52wounds. The onlookers recoiled at the
53:55site. Jeang Chong. He's the only one
53:57from the ant dungeon. What about the
53:59rest? Someone stared at the empty spot
54:01where the curtain had been. Nothing
54:03remained. The answer was obvious.
54:05Everyone else who'd signed up for the
54:06army ant dungeon was dead. The crowd
54:08stirred. Those who'd stayed out of the
54:10dungeons had mixed looks. Some glanced
54:12at Downpour on my back, then the van
54:14that had just appeared, drowning in
54:16regret. If they'd been brave enough to
54:18join the mall dungeon, could they have
54:20gotten rewards, too? Others looked at
54:22Jeang Chong's mangled body and felt
54:24quiet relief. They probably weren't any
54:26tougher than him. If they'd stepped into
54:27that ant dungeon, they'd be dead now,
54:29too. While they whispered, a new murmur
54:32rippled through the crowd. What's the
54:33captain doing? He's walking over. He's
54:36not heading for Jeang Chong. Heads
54:38turned away from the bleeding man. I'd
54:40been sitting cross-legged beside the van
54:42resting, and I lifted my gaze. Buang had
54:44left his resting spot. He walked
54:46straight through the crowd, not toward
54:48the bloody Jong Chong, not toward me
54:50with my upgraded downpour. He crossed to
54:52the far side of the half-built ruin,
54:54away from everyone else. Yin Yuan sat
54:57alone by a broken concrete pillar
54:59wrapped in that loose, dark hooded top.
55:01He'd stayed there ever since leaving the
55:03dungeon. A cold aura hung around him,
55:05warning everyone off. Buang stopped
55:08before him. His tall frame blocked the
55:10sunlight, casting Yi Linuan entirely in
55:12shadow. Fight me. By Kuang stared down
55:15at him, voice flat. It wasn't a request.
55:18It was a statement. The captain's
55:19challenging Yi Linuan. Why him? What
55:22else? Y Lin Yuan got out only moments
55:24after the captain. He's no ordinary
55:26person. Who do you think is stronger?
55:28More people gathered, keeping a careful
55:30distance, craning their necks from 10 m
55:33away. Even Jean Chong lifted his head to
55:35watch. Dot. Why Linuan acted like he'd
55:37heard nothing. His head stayed bowed,
55:39hands resting loosely on his knees. He
55:42didn't answer, didn't stand. By Kuang
55:44waited a few seconds, his brows drawing
55:46together. Without warning, he threw a
55:48punch. His fist h hurtled straight
55:50toward Yilin Yuan. A split second before
55:53it landed, Yin Yuan vanished from the
55:55spot. Boom! By Kuang<unk>s fist slammed
55:58into the ground. Concrete shattered.
56:00Dust billowed up. Gravel sprang outward.
56:03When the dust settled, a deep crater
56:05marked where Yin Yuan had sat. The
56:07watching crowd stumbled backward. What
56:09kind of power is that? A hit like that
56:11would kill a man instantly. Where's
56:13Yinuan? People scrambled to spot him. He
56:16was several meters away now, head still
56:18bowed, had covering most of his face. No
56:20one had seen him move. It was as if the
56:22figure Bang had punched had only been a
56:24ghostly after image. Banguang slowly
56:27pulled back his fist. Far from looking
56:29disappointed, a flicker of excitement
56:31sparked in his eyes. The next instant,
56:33he pushed off with his foot and charged
56:35Yilin Yuan once more. The few meters
56:37between them vanished in the blink of an
56:39eye. By Kuang raised his arm and swung a
56:41horizontal fist straight for Yiling
56:43Yuan<unk>s head. The howling wind made
56:45the onlookers nearby turn pale that Wii
56:47Linuan shifted his stance, gliding
56:49backward, almost flush with the fist's
56:51edge. The punch sailed past his face.
56:53The gust of wind it stirred even flipped
56:56the hood of his cloak backward. But
56:57before Buang could retract his arm, Yin
57:00Yuan had already retreated several
57:02meters, reopening the gap between them.
57:04Buang gave chase immediately a third
57:06fist crashed down right after. Y Lin
57:08Yuan twisted aside to dodge, tapping his
57:11toe lightly on a warped slab of
57:13concrete. His body darted sideways in a
57:15fluid leap. Banguangs knuckles grazed
57:18the hem of his shirt and slammed into a
57:20half-colapsed wall behind him. Crack.
57:22The wall already riddled with fissurers
57:24chipped off an entire corner on impact.
57:27Rubble tumbled down, kicking up a cloud
57:29of dust to be why. Then Yilin Yuan had
57:31reappeared on the other side. By Kuang
57:34changed direction repeatedly, launching
57:36a string of follow-up strikes. Every
57:38punch carried a heavy whooshing force,
57:40staggering in its raw power. Yet, no
57:42matter how fast his assault came, Yilin
57:45Yuan always slipped away a split second
57:47early. One pressed relentlessly forward,
57:49the other kept evading from start to
57:51finish. Yin Yuan never threw a single
57:54counterblow. After another punch meant
57:56nothing but air, by Kuang finally
57:58halted, he stood rooted to the spot,
58:00staring at Yinuan a short distance away,
58:02the excitement on his face fading
58:04noticeably. Are you only capable of
58:06running? Yin Yuan lifted a hand to pull
58:09his windousled hood back over his head.
58:11His tone held no discernable emotion. I
58:14never agreed to fight you. Buang stared
58:16at him for several seconds, clearly
58:18unsatisfied with that answer. Still,
58:20since he Linuan had not struck back
58:22once, he did not force the fight any
58:24further. Boring. With those two words,
58:26Bang turned and walked off. Only once
58:29the distance between them widened did
58:31the watching crowd start chattering
58:32again. That's it. Just like that, Yin
58:35Yuan never threw a punch. How can this
58:37count as the end? But the captain didn't
58:39land a single hit on him either. Did
58:42anyone see exactly how he dodged? No, it
58:44was way too fast. Some stared at the
58:47crater gouged into the ground and the
58:48shattered wall a etched across their
58:50faces. What Bang displayed was brute,
58:53unrefined PowerPoint one punch could
58:55dense solid concrete. That Wii Linuan
58:58was the complete opposite. From the
58:59first swing to the end of the exchange,
59:01he had not retaliated once. Yet, Buang
59:04had not touched him even once. No one
59:06could say for sure who would win if they
59:08truly went all out against each other.
59:10That uncertainty only stoked the crowds
59:12heated debate. I, Ziao Kuan, stayed
59:15sitting beside the van, rubbing my chin
59:17as I replayed that brief clash in my
59:19head that I had not been with this group
59:20long, so I barely knew Bang. Still, from
59:23everything I had seen along the way,
59:25plus that fight just now, Bang hardly
59:27acted like a team leader. He cared far
59:29more about finding someone strong enough
59:31to trade blows with him than managing a
59:33crowd of dozens. The group was usually
59:35chaotic. People fell behind, fought over
59:38rations, formed secret clicks. Buang
59:41mostly ignored it all. As long as no one
59:43got killed, and nobody crossed his
59:44bottom line. He let everyone fend for
59:46themselves. That it was less like
59:48leading a team and more like hurting a
59:50loose pack of traveling companions. I
59:52had heard rumors about why Ba Kuang
59:54brought so many people along. It was not
59:55some sudden burst of kindness. Dungeons
59:58spawned with no fixed pattern. The more
1:00:00people in a group, the wider the range
1:00:02they could scout and the higher the
1:00:03chance of stumbling on a dungeon or
1:00:05being chosen by one. Dot. By Kuang
1:00:07needed dungeons, and these ordinary
1:00:09survivors needed a powerful leader to
1:00:11ward off outside threats. They simply
1:00:13benefited from sticking together. By
1:00:15Kuang's a battle maniac, but Yin Yuan
1:00:18refuses to take him on. I glanced toward
1:00:20Yin Yuan, who had retreated back into a
1:00:22corner deep and thought, "As I mold this
1:00:25over." A clatter of metal rang out
1:00:27behind me. Clang, clank, brother Xiao.
1:00:29Old Lee's excited voice carried over
1:00:31from the other side of the unfinished
1:00:33building that I turned to see him
1:00:34trundling toward me, clutching a dented
1:00:37metal crate. The crate was stuffed full
1:00:39of parts of all sizes, two rusted chains
1:00:41dangling from its edges. His arms could
1:00:44not hold everything, so he slung several
1:00:46metal rods of varying thickness over his
1:00:48shoulder, which jingled with every step.
1:00:50He set the hall down beside the van once
1:00:52he reached me and wiped sweat off his
1:00:54forehead. Lucky find. He kicked the
1:00:57metal crate at his feet and grinned.
1:00:59There's tons of scrap around here. I
1:01:00picked through it for ages and I
1:01:02actually dug up a pile of usable parts.
1:01:04Steel plates, chains, even a few sets of
1:01:07bearings and springs I can strip down.
1:01:09Oldly padded the side of the van, eyes
1:01:11bright with eagerness. The materials are
1:01:14shoddy, sure, but it'll be enough for a
1:01:16first round of modifications. I can
1:01:18start working on this van right now. At
1:01:20the edge of the crowd, Jeang Chong
1:01:22leaned against a broken wall. He had
1:01:24watched the whole fight between Buang
1:01:26and Yi Linuan too. When Buang<unk>s
1:01:29punch punched a crater into the ground,
1:01:31his face had turned grim. When Yinuan
1:01:33dodged strike after strike, his gaze
1:01:35turned dark and bitter. Damn it. Jeang
1:01:38Chong gritted his teeth and cursed under
1:01:40his breath. He had always wanted to
1:01:42replace Buang and become the true leader
1:01:44of this group. By Kuang barely bothered
1:01:46with management most days. Aside from
1:01:48his overwhelming strength, he had none
1:01:50of the makings of a proper leader. Jeang
1:01:53Chong thought he was far more suited for
1:01:54the role. Over these past days, he had
1:01:57quietly won over plenty of followers.
1:01:59Most of the people who went into the
1:02:00army ant dungeon with him were his loyal
1:02:02lackeyis, but all of them were dead now.
1:02:04The faction he had built up bit by bit
1:02:06was wiped out in a single dungeon run.
1:02:09Worse still, Bangs strength was even
1:02:11greater than he had imagined that a
1:02:13punch like that would blow him apart if
1:02:14it landed. And that quiet, unassuming
1:02:17Yin Yuan was just as unfathomable. By
1:02:19Kuang threw punch after punch and could
1:02:21not even graze his clothes. With these
1:02:23two standing in his way, seizing control
1:02:25was all but impossible. Hatred bubbled
1:02:28up inside Jong Chong. His hand clenched
1:02:30tight, pulling at the wounds on his arm.
1:02:32A sharp twinge made his face twitch.
1:02:35Uggh. The bites left by the army ants
1:02:37were still oozing blood. The gashes
1:02:39along his waist stung like fresh needles
1:02:41every time he moved. Just then, Jean
1:02:44Chong felt several eyes lock onto him.
1:02:46He lifted his head and scanned the
1:02:47crowd. A few men immediately looked
1:02:49away, pretending to keep discussing the
1:02:51fight, but Jean Chong recognized that
1:02:53look all too well. Greed, scrutiny,
1:02:56undisguised malice. They had set their
1:02:58sights on the loot he had brought out of
1:03:00the dungeon. A bunch of trash. Jeang
1:03:02Chong sneered inwardly, too cowardly to
1:03:04venture into dungeons themselves, yet
1:03:07quick to covet the rewards of those who
1:03:09survived. Greedy, weak, stupid, these
1:03:12same men would not dare raise their
1:03:13voices to him before. Now that he was
1:03:15injured, they thought they could take a
1:03:17bite out of him. Jeang Chong pushed
1:03:19himself up slowly, using the wall for
1:03:21support. His injuries made his steps
1:03:23unsteady, yet he straightened his back,
1:03:25swept a cold gaze over the man, and
1:03:27walked toward the rear of the unfinished
1:03:29building. That area was far from the
1:03:31crowd, littered with collapsed walls and
1:03:33discarded construction debris. Soon his
1:03:35figure vanished behind a broken
1:03:37partition. The second Jean Chong left,
1:03:39several men huddled together. A lanky
1:03:42man clutching a steel pipe glanced
1:03:43toward where I stood and lowered his
1:03:45voice. No chance with oldly obviously.
1:03:48The bald man beside him shot him a
1:03:50glance. Didn't you see he's teamed up
1:03:52with Xiaoan? That gun of his punches
1:03:54straight through steel plate. You want
1:03:56to try robbing that van? The lanky man
1:03:58flinched. He had watched the nail blast
1:04:00pierce metal earlier. A hit from that
1:04:02weapon would punch a hole clean through
1:04:03a person. "Old Lee, sharp," said another
1:04:06man, gripping a machete. He came
1:04:08straight out of the dungeon and handed
1:04:09the van he drew to Xiao Kuan. Who's
1:04:11going to dare touch him now? If we can't
1:04:13get old Lee, there's still Jeang Chong.
1:04:15The lanky man nodded toward the
1:04:17direction Jeang Chong had gone. All his
1:04:19boys died in the dungeon, and he's badly
1:04:21hurt. He could barely stand a minute
1:04:23ago. He survived that run, so he must
1:04:25have gotten a reward. Wonder what he
1:04:27pulled. One man hesitated. The bald man
1:04:30snorted. If he got something that boosts
1:04:32his power, he'd have used it already. He
1:04:34wouldn't be sitting there bleeding all
1:04:35over. Maybe it's something good he can't
1:04:37use right away, just like old Lee's van.
1:04:40At those words, the men's eyes lit up.
1:04:42The machete wielder tightened his grip
1:04:44on the hilt. Jeang Chong robbed us
1:04:46plenty of times before. He took my half
1:04:48sack of heart attack once, said it
1:04:50needed to be shared equally. I didn't
1:04:52get a single crumb. Another man jumped
1:04:53in. He stole my water. When I refused,
1:04:56he kicked me twice. Struted around
1:04:58prouder than Captain B. Now his gang's
1:05:00gone and he's hurt. Perfect time to
1:05:02settle scores. The lanky man licked his
1:05:05cracked lips. Let's follow him, kill
1:05:07him, get our revenge, and take his
1:05:09dungeon loot. What about Ba Kuang? We'll
1:05:11move fast. Who's going to find out? The
1:05:13bald man cut him off. This place is a
1:05:16mess. Monsters roam everywhere out
1:05:18there. No one will think twice if an
1:05:20injured Jeang Chong goes missing. They
1:05:22exchanged glances. The last of their
1:05:24hesitation melted under greed. Let's go.
1:05:27Gripping their weapons, they circled the
1:05:28crowd and hurried after Jeang Chong. The
1:05:31rear of the unfinished building was
1:05:32piled high with concrete rubble. They
1:05:34followed the trail of blood past two
1:05:36broken walls and found Jean Chong inside
1:05:38a half-colapsed room. He stood in the
1:05:40center, his back to them. There was no
1:05:43other exit. It looked as though he had
1:05:44run himself into a dead end. Seeing
1:05:47this, the lanky man's last flicker of
1:05:49worry faded. Chongu, what are you doing
1:05:52all alone out here? He still used the
1:05:54respectful name, but he raised his steel
1:05:56pipe. Jeang Chong did not answer. The
1:05:58bald man, armed with a sharpened wooden
1:06:00stake, circled around from the other
1:06:02side to cut him off. You always had your
1:06:04pack around you. Must feel strange being
1:06:06on your own now, huh? Quit wasting
1:06:08words. The machete wielder stared at
1:06:10Jeong Chongs back and growled. Hand over
1:06:13whatever reward you got from the
1:06:14dungeon. Cooperate and we<unk>ll make it
1:06:16quick. Jean Chong stayed silent. To them
1:06:19that silence read as fear. The lanky man
1:06:22grew bolder. Aren't you so tough?
1:06:24Stealing food, stealing water, beating
1:06:27anyone who disobys. Did you ever think
1:06:29this day would come? You remember that
1:06:31half sack of heart attack you took from
1:06:32me? The machete man stepped forward. I'm
1:06:35going to make you pay it back with
1:06:36interest. The bald man grinned at the
1:06:38blood soaking Jean Chong<unk>s clothes.
1:06:41Don't pretend you're fine. You can
1:06:42barely stand. You're not the big shot
1:06:44you used to be. Hand over the reward and
1:06:46we'll give you a clean death. If not,
1:06:49we<unk>ll break every bone in your body
1:06:50first, then search you slow. They closed
1:06:53in as they spoke. When only three or
1:06:55four meters separated them, Jeang Chong
1:06:57finally moved. His shoulders shook
1:06:59slightly. At first, they thought he was
1:07:01terrified, but soon a low laugh drifted
1:07:04out. He Jang Chong turned slowly. There
1:07:07was no fear on his face, only an
1:07:09unsettling cold smile. What are you
1:07:11laughing at? The lanky man frowned.
1:07:14Jeang Chong lifted his eyes and swept
1:07:16his gaze over every one of them. He
1:07:18looked at them, not like enemies, but
1:07:20like food delivered right to his door.
1:07:22You think you've got me cornered? He
1:07:23reached into his pocket and pulled out a
1:07:25small purple black sphere about the size
1:07:27of a walnut. Fine dark red veins crawled
1:07:30across its surface, and it throbbed
1:07:32faintly in his palm like a living thing
1:07:34that a premonition of dread twisted in
1:07:36all their guts the second they saw it.
1:07:38Jean Chong<unk>s smile widened. Humph,
1:07:40you're the prey. The weak exist only to
1:07:43feed the strong. Before the words faded,
1:07:45he shoved the sphere into his mouth and
1:07:47swallowed it whole. Move. The machete
1:07:50man reacted first. He roared and
1:07:52charged, swinging the blade hard toward
1:07:54Jeang Chong<unk>s shoulder. The others
1:07:56rushed in with their weapons, too. But
1:07:58before the blade landed, Jeang
1:07:59Chong<unk>s body arched violently. Ugg.
1:08:02He clutched his stomach, a strangled
1:08:04snarl tearing from his throat. Purple
1:08:06black lines surfaced beneath his neck
1:08:08and spread rapidly across his cheeks.
1:08:10Muscles and flesh rit lead under his
1:08:12skin as if countless creatures burrowed
1:08:14inside. Thick blue veins bulged, snaking
1:08:17from his temples down his arms, chest,
1:08:19and back. Bones popped and cracked
1:08:21non-stop. The old wounds left by the
1:08:24army ants split open again, but the
1:08:26fresh blood was sucked right back into
1:08:28his writhing flesh. His face twisted in
1:08:30agony, yet his mouth still tugged upward
1:08:32in a grin. The next instant, the shirt
1:08:34on his back bulged out sharply. Rip.
1:08:37Several dark red tendons tore through
1:08:39the fabric, bursting from his shoulders,
1:08:42waist, and spine. They were as thick as
1:08:44wrists, lined with throbbing blood
1:08:46vessels, and lashed out like snakes. The
1:08:48machete wielder had no time to dodge.
1:08:51One tendril coiled tight around his
1:08:52wrist and wrenched hard. The blade flew
1:08:55from his hand. Before he could scream, a
1:08:57second tendril wrapped around his neck
1:08:59and lifted him off the ground. Help!
1:09:01Help me! The rest pald and spun to run,
1:09:04but they only got a few steps before
1:09:06more tendrils shot from Jean Chan<unk>s
1:09:07body. Squaltch, squelch. The tips
1:09:10sharpened and pierced their shoulders,
1:09:12backs, and chests. The lanky man froze,
1:09:14his steel pipe clattering to the ground.
1:09:16What the hell is this? Let go of me.
1:09:19Jeang Chong, let me go. I don't want the
1:09:21reward anymore. I don't want anything.
1:09:23The men who had surrounded him with
1:09:24menace moments before hung suspended in
1:09:27the air, thrashing wildly. They clawed
1:09:29at the tendrils binding them and kicked
1:09:31their legs yet could not break free.
1:09:33Jeang Chong straightened slowly. His
1:09:35irises had turned a deep crimson. He
1:09:37drank in their struggles. The pain on
1:09:39his face melting away into near ecstasy.
1:09:42Easy now. It won't hurt for long. The
1:09:45tendrils tightened all at once. Streams
1:09:47of life force surged through them and
1:09:49flooded into Jeang Chong. Their screams
1:09:52warped. Their skin shriveled before
1:09:54everyone's eyes. Cheeks caving inward by
1:09:56sockets hollowing. Their flailing limbs
1:09:58wasted away to skin stretched tight over
1:10:01bone. Their hair dulled and turned dry
1:10:03and yellow. Within a handful of breaths,
1:10:05they fell silent. Jeang Chong flicked
1:10:07the tendrils. The shrunken, desiccated
1:10:10corpses, still draped in loose clothes,
1:10:12crumpled onto the ground with soft
1:10:14thuds. A wave of warm power flooded
1:10:16Jeong Chong. The bites from the army
1:10:18ants sealed over rapidly, the weakness
1:10:21from blood loss vanishing completely.
1:10:23His unsteady legs grew firm again, and
1:10:26muscle bulked up across his chest and
1:10:28arms. The sensation was far more
1:10:30addictive than a full stomach. Jeang
1:10:32Chong spread his arms wide, blood
1:10:34streaked tendrils twisted behind him,
1:10:36stretching his shadow into that of a
1:10:37monster. I see now, he stared down at
1:10:40his newly strengthened hands, his grin
1:10:42stretching wider and wider. This is what
1:10:45it feels like to grow stronger. A low
1:10:47laugh echoed through the ruins. Time
1:10:49slipped by until noon since his
1:10:51challenge to Yin Yuan ended without a
1:10:53fight. By Kuang had wandered deep into
1:10:55the unfinished building and not come
1:10:57back out. In no one knew what he was
1:10:59doing in there, and no one dared go
1:11:01check on him. Since the leader would not
1:11:03leave, the rest of us had to make camp
1:11:05here. Some scavenged for food, some
1:11:07tinted injuries, others clustered
1:11:09together, and kept rehashing what had
1:11:11happened to the survivors from the
1:11:12dungeon that morning that I did not
1:11:14waste my time, though. In a sheltered
1:11:15clearing behind a broken wall on the
1:11:17side of the building, I set up a few
1:11:19crude targets. Bang, bang, bang. Storm
1:11:22spat steel nails non-stop, sending with
1:11:25chips flying everywhere at a first. Only
1:11:27three or four out of every dozen nails
1:11:29hit the circled zone, but I was in no
1:11:31rush. If one attempt failed, I tried
1:11:33again. If 10 failed, I fired 100 more.
1:11:36Most people who practiced shooting had
1:11:38to conserve ammo. That was the one thing
1:11:40I did not need to worry about with
1:11:41Storm. Bang, bang, bang, bang. A volley
1:11:44of nails hammered into the wooden board.
1:11:46I kept adjusting my grip, learning the
1:11:48gun's weight, its recoil and its firing
1:11:50rhythm. If I lifted my arm too high, the
1:11:52shot drifted upward. If my wrist wobbled
1:11:55when I pulled the trigger, the nail
1:11:56veered sideways. There was no secret
1:11:58trick to fix this. Only endless
1:12:00repetition with unlimited ammo to burn
1:12:03through. My accuracy improved visibly.
1:12:05By midday, six or seven out of 10 nails
1:12:08landed inside the circle that I was
1:12:10nowhere near a skilled marksman. But at
1:12:11least I would no longer aim for
1:12:13someone's head and hit their shoulder by
1:12:15mistake. I was about to swap out the
1:12:17target board when footsteps sounded in
1:12:18the distance. I turned to look at a
1:12:20figure rounded the rear of the
1:12:22unfinished building. It was Jeang Chong.
1:12:24His clothes were still torn and stained
1:12:26with old blood, but he walked without
1:12:28the staggering weakness he had shown
1:12:30right after the dungeon. His back was
1:12:32straight, his steps steady. I watched
1:12:34him for a second and frowned. Something
1:12:36was off. On the surface, he looked
1:12:38mostly the same. But the moment I laid
1:12:40eyes on him, a strange, unsettling
1:12:42feeling washed over me. It was like
1:12:44staring not at an injured survivor, but
1:12:46a beast that had just finished feeding
1:12:48and had not yet sheaved its fangs. Jeang
1:12:50Chong must have felt my gaze because he
1:12:52glanced over this way. Our eyes met
1:12:54briefly. He did not taunt me, nor wear
1:12:57that usual sneering disdain. He simply
1:12:59looked away, expression blank, and
1:13:01walked to the edge of the crowd to sit
1:13:03apart from everyone else. That unusually
1:13:05low profile made me watch him longer.
1:13:07Has he changed? I did not buy for a
1:13:09second. He had hated me already, and he
1:13:12had lost all his men in the dungeon. A
1:13:14man like him would not let that go
1:13:15easily, especially not after our run-ins
1:13:18that I kept my guard up. Surprisingly
1:13:20though, Jeang Chong did nothing for the
1:13:22rest of the time. He never came to pick
1:13:24a fight, barely spoke to anyone. He just
1:13:26huddled in his corner, seemingly trying
1:13:28to stay unnoticed that I found it
1:13:30strange. But I had no reason to provoke
1:13:32him first. I turned back and kept
1:13:34practicing. When I finished training, I
1:13:36headed back to the van. Before I got
1:13:38close, oldly wriggled out from
1:13:40underneath it. Sweat soaked his hair,
1:13:42dust coated his clothes, and streaks of
1:13:45black grease marked his cheeks. He
1:13:47tossed his wrench into his toolbox,
1:13:48grabbed his lower back, and stood
1:13:50slowly. Oof, these old bones of mine.
1:13:53Oldly twisted his shoulders and
1:13:55stretched. His joints popped softly.
1:13:57Then he patted the van, and broke into a
1:13:59satisfied smile. All finished. I circled
1:14:02the van to inspect it. The original
1:14:04matte gray body was now patched with
1:14:06welded steel plates of mismatched
1:14:08thickness, their edges jagged. Metal
1:14:10mesh and crossarss covered most of the
1:14:12windows. A frame of steel pipes jutted
1:14:14out at the front as a crash guard and
1:14:16fresh weld marks dotted both sides. It
1:14:18looked like scrap metal crudely bolted
1:14:20and welded onto the frame. The
1:14:22aesthetics leave a lot to be desired. I
1:14:24tapped one of the outer steel panels on
1:14:26the door. Thunk. Thunk. It sounded far
1:14:29sturdier than before. Liu wiped the
1:14:31sweat off his brow and explained, "This
1:14:33is all the material we've got. It's a
1:14:35miracle it works at all. What more do
1:14:37you want? Something pretty." I added
1:14:38steel plates to the doors and all the
1:14:40weak spots on the body. I put protective
1:14:42grills over the windows, too. Ordinary
1:14:44monsters won't just be able to lunge
1:14:46straight and that easy. I tweaked the
1:14:48chassis and suspension as well.
1:14:50Reinforced it with springs and spare
1:14:52parts once scavenged. Even with all this
1:14:54extra weight, it won't slow the vehicle
1:14:56down too bad. As he spoke, he pulled
1:14:58open the side door and gestured toward
1:15:00the inside of the cabin. One of the
1:15:02original second row seats had been
1:15:04removed. Near the window sat a single
1:15:06heavily reinforced seat. Beside the seat
1:15:08was a movable metal bracket perfectly
1:15:11shaped to cradle Storm's barreled. A
1:15:13hinged firing port had been cut into the
1:15:15side armor plate. Once sat here and slid
1:15:18the cover open, he could fire straight
1:15:20out of the vehicle. Storm didn't need
1:15:21reloading in the first place. With this
1:15:23firing position, he wouldn't even have
1:15:25to step out of the van to keep hostiles
1:15:27pinned down non-stop. I sat down to test
1:15:29it out. Rested Storm on the metal
1:15:31bracket. The muzzle pointed straight at
1:15:33the empty lot outside that I could
1:15:34adjust it up, down, left, and right
1:15:37within a decent range. Not bad. A smile
1:15:40finally tugged at my lips. Ugly as sin,
1:15:42but practical enough. At my approval,
1:15:44Liu grinned, too. He'd spent the whole
1:15:47morning slaving away, and all that work
1:15:49hadn't been for nothing. Oh, right.
1:15:51There's one more thing. Liu glanced
1:15:53around, lowering his voice. While I was
1:15:55modifying the van, a bunch of people
1:15:57came looking for me. What did they want?
1:15:59A ride? He patted the vehicle's body.
1:16:02They know this thing runs and they all
1:16:04want to claim a spot ahead of time. A
1:16:05few said they'd trade food and drinking
1:16:07water, begging us to take them when we
1:16:09leave. I didn't promise anybody
1:16:11anything. Told them to wait till you got
1:16:13back. I opened the rear door and peeked
1:16:15inside. Even after all the
1:16:17modifications, there was still plenty of
1:16:19room for more people that lau and I
1:16:21alone would never use up all those
1:16:23seats. More importantly, our food
1:16:25supplies were running low. Guns and a
1:16:28truck boosted our odds of surviving, but
1:16:30they couldn't fill our stomachs. If
1:16:31people were willing to trade supplies
1:16:33for a ride, taking on a few of them
1:16:35didn't sound like a bad deal. Fine, I
1:16:37said. But we can't let just anyone climb
1:16:39aboard. I get it. Liu nodded quickly.
1:16:42Plenty of folks are offering stuff.
1:16:44We<unk>ll pick four. the ones giving the
1:16:46most and who look honest enough. Word
1:16:48spread fast. Before long, a crowd
1:16:51swarmed over with their belongings. Some
1:16:53brought compressed biscuits, others
1:16:55their last cans of food. One man even
1:16:57handed over most of a bottle of drinking
1:16:59water. For a seat on this van, they were
1:17:02handing over nearly everything precious
1:17:04they owned at the end. Lee Lau and I
1:17:07settled on four people.3 men and a young
1:17:09woman in her 20s. combined the supplies
1:17:12they handed over would keep us fed for
1:17:14several days that I didn't hesitate and
1:17:16took everything. After counting it all
1:17:17out, I grabbed a pack of biscuits and a
1:17:20bottle of water and tossed them straight
1:17:21to Liu. He caught it quickly. This is
1:17:24for me. You built this van. Can't have
1:17:26you working on an empty stomach. Liu
1:17:28chuckled and didn't turn it down. All
1:17:30right, then. I won't say no. We sat
1:17:32beside the van and ate a simple meal.
1:17:35The rest of the onlookers watched from a
1:17:36distance, undisguised envy in their
1:17:38eyes. a working vehicle plated with
1:17:40steel that I in this world it was
1:17:42infinitely safer and more comfortable
1:17:44than the concrete floors inside the
1:17:46unfinished building. Night fell soon
1:17:48after the blood moon rose into the sky
1:17:50once more. Crimson moonlight spilled
1:17:53across the ruins, casting twisted
1:17:55shadows from snapped steel bars and
1:17:57broken walls. All six of us decided to
1:17:59rest inside the minivan. There was
1:18:01enough space, but once all six lay down,
1:18:04it felt cramped. Dell. Iu leaned back in
1:18:07the driver's seat and was soon snoring
1:18:09softly. The young woman curled up in the
1:18:11back row, covered by her jacket. I lay
1:18:13beside my firing position, storm within
1:18:15arms reach. The other three men talked
1:18:17it over and agreed to take turns keeping
1:18:19watch. The cabin slowly fell quiet. I
1:18:21didn't know how much time had passed and
1:18:23my eyes flew open all at once. Shu sh. A
1:18:27faint scraping sound drifted from the
1:18:29door. It was quiet, but with the gene
1:18:31booster pumping through my veins, I
1:18:33picked it up clear as day. Someone was
1:18:35slowly prying the door latch open. I
1:18:37didn't move a muscle. I kept my
1:18:39breathing steady, only cracking my eyes
1:18:41open a sliver. By the scarlet moonlight
1:18:43filtering through the windows. I stared
1:18:45toward the noise. The middle-aged man
1:18:47who'd seemed so honest in the daytime
1:18:49hunched low, slowly pulling the side
1:18:51door. A jar point, two dark figures
1:18:53stood outside. They were the other two
1:18:55men from our group assigned to night
1:18:56watch, working together from inside and
1:18:59out. All trace of drowsiness vanished
1:19:01from my gaze. That man had traded food
1:19:03for a spot in the van by day. Yet here
1:19:05he was sneaking the door open after
1:19:07everyone fell asleep. The other two had
1:19:09used their watch shift as cover to meet
1:19:11him. Dot. I didn't need to guess what
1:19:12they were after. Storm in this modified
1:19:15minivan. If they killed me and took care
1:19:17of Lee Laauu, everything here would
1:19:19belong to them. Cold and tent settled in
1:19:21my chest. I'd let my guard down. Most
1:19:24days since the apocalypse, I'd hidden
1:19:26away in a remote mountain village. I
1:19:28hadn't seen enough of how cruel people
1:19:30could be. I'd only seen they were
1:19:31willing to hand over supplies back then.
1:19:33Noticed the empty seats and let them
1:19:35ride with us, I'd forgotten that in a
1:19:37world where surviving till tomorrow was
1:19:39a struggle, a working vehicle and a gun
1:19:41that could punch through steel were
1:19:42enough to drive people mad. The door
1:19:45creaked open a crack. Cold wind gusted
1:19:47into the cabin. The two men outside
1:19:49ducked down and slipped silently inside.
1:19:52The middle-aged man whispered, "Keep it
1:19:54quiet. Don't wake the old man or the
1:19:56girl. The guns right next to him." The
1:19:58man by the door stared at the weapon
1:20:00beside me. Grab the gun first, then hold
1:20:02him down. Why me? You're closest. You
1:20:05want to rush him without taking the gun.
1:20:07The other man snapped impatiently. Stop
1:20:09doawling. Once Shiao Kuan<unk>s dead,
1:20:11this van is ours. The old man knows
1:20:13machinery. We'll keep him alive for now.
1:20:16What about the others? Once we finish,
1:20:18they won't dare cause trouble. The three
1:20:20of them had clearly planned this long
1:20:22before. The middle-aged man dropped to
1:20:24his knees on the cabin floor and crept
1:20:26toward me. I in his right hand, he
1:20:28clutched a sharpened screwdriver. The
1:20:30other two blocked the side doorway, one
1:20:32gripping a steel pipe, the other a
1:20:34machete.3 steps 2 steps. He stretched
1:20:37his left hand out, reaching for Storm's
1:20:39grip. That was the second it moved. M y
1:20:41hand shot forward, wrapping around
1:20:43Storm. I pushed myself upright in one
1:20:45sharp motion, pressing the muzzle
1:20:47straight against the man's chest. He
1:20:49froze instantly. The other two went
1:20:51rigid, too. You You're not asleep.
1:20:54They'd moved so carefully. None of them
1:20:56expected I was awake. The man with the
1:20:57machete recovered fastest and hurried to
1:21:00speak. Brother Xiao, you misunderstand.
1:21:03We were just misunderstand. What was
1:21:05there to misunderstand? That screwdriver
1:21:08had been aimed at my throat. The pipe
1:21:10and machete were already in their hands.
1:21:11If I hadn't woken up in time, would they
1:21:13have stopped to explain? No. They would
1:21:15have killed me, stolen Storm, and taken
1:21:18this V and S. Oo. Why the hell should I
1:21:20give them a chance to talk? They'd
1:21:21already decided to take my life.
1:21:23Hesitation would only get me killed.
1:21:25Kill intent surged and I squeezed the
1:21:27trigger. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Storm
1:21:30roared inside the cramped cabin. Dozens
1:21:32of steel nails tore through the
1:21:34middle-aged man's chest in an instant.
1:21:36Blood burst from his back and the force
1:21:38threw him backward. I didn't stop firing
1:21:40that I swept the muzzle sideways toward
1:21:42the two men by the door. Bang! Bang!
1:21:44Bang! Bang! Bang! Steel nails slammed
1:21:46into flesh one after another. The man
1:21:48with the pipe lunged forward, only for
1:21:50blood holes to bloom in his shoulder and
1:21:52chest. He crashed into the door and slid
1:21:54down onto the floor. The last man's eyes
1:21:56widened in terror. Before he could lift
1:21:58his machete, several nails punched
1:22:00through his throat and cheek. He
1:22:02stumbled backward out the door and
1:22:04collapsed flat on the concrete outside.
1:22:06From the moment they froze to the moment
1:22:08I pulled the trigger, only a few seconds
1:22:10passed. They'd plotted for half the
1:22:12night. What they got instead of storm
1:22:14and the van was the storm itself. The
1:22:16gunshots echoed far into the night. L I
1:22:18Loud who jolted awake and smacked his
1:22:20head against the steering wheel. What's
1:22:22going on? The young woman in the back
1:22:24sat bolt upright. First she spotted the
1:22:26bloodied man on the floor. Then the two
1:22:28bodies outside the door. Her face turned
1:22:31deathly pale. Hh. Her screams sliced
1:22:34through the night. Shouts erupted from
1:22:36the unfinished building. What was that
1:22:38noise? Monsters. Monsters are attacking
1:22:41us. People who had been asleep grabbed
1:22:43their weapons and poured out of the
1:22:44building. By Kuang stood in front of the
1:22:46corpses that he glanced down at them,
1:22:48then lifted his gaze to lock onto me.
1:22:50The rest of the awakened survivors
1:22:52ringed the scene. They realized it
1:22:54wasn't a monster attack, yet they were
1:22:56transfixed by the killing that had
1:22:57unfolded after dark. Everyone wondered
1:22:59what Bang, their leader, would do. I
1:23:02still held Storm in my hands. Even after
1:23:04killing three men, my expression stayed
1:23:06calm. Behind me, Lee allowed his hands
1:23:09clenched tight. His face was pale.
1:23:11Whenever his eyes drifted to the bodies,
1:23:13he looked away instinctively. L Iu was
1:23:16terrified. Of course, people who'd
1:23:18shared the van with us that afternoon
1:23:19were corpses now. Blood had even
1:23:21splattered the cabin walls. The shock
1:23:23hit hard. Still, he didn't step away
1:23:26from me. The other survivor woman had
1:23:27already slipped over to the crowd,
1:23:29scared of being marked as my accomplice.
1:23:31By Kuang saw all this, but paid it no
1:23:34mind. He kept staring at me and spoke
1:23:36out of the blue. killed three men and
1:23:39your face doesn't even flinch. You're
1:23:41impressive. This odd compliment made the
1:23:43onlookers exchange confused glances.
1:23:45Buang didn't seem to think there was
1:23:47anything strange about it. He tilted his
1:23:49chin toward the bodies on the ground.
1:23:51Tell me what happened. I didn't hide
1:23:53anything and laid out the whole story
1:23:55briefly. The crowd's expressions shifted
1:23:57once they heard it, especially the
1:23:59others who tried trading supplies for a
1:24:01ride earlier that day. They stared at
1:24:03the bodies, cold dread coiling in their
1:24:05stomachs. They knew my gun was powerful,
1:24:07but only now did they understand I
1:24:09wouldn't hesitate to kill. By Kuang
1:24:11nodded slightly. Greed clouded their
1:24:13judgment. Foolish. His voice stayed
1:24:15flat. They deserve to die. By Kuang was
1:24:18the leader of this group. If even he
1:24:20said the three men had it coming.
1:24:21Everyone around took that as the
1:24:23verdict. It seemed like that would be
1:24:24the end of it. But was it really over?
1:24:26Just as people started to turn to leave.
1:24:28By Kuang spoke again. However, that
1:24:31single word tightened the loose
1:24:32atmosphere instantly. Buang lifted his
1:24:35head and looked straight at me. Didn't I
1:24:37tell all of you that no killing among
1:24:38our own is allowed? My brows drew
1:24:41together. They were the ones who Bang
1:24:43raised a hand, cutting me off. I don't
1:24:46care what your reason was. You broke my
1:24:48rule. You faced the consequences. No
1:24:50room for explanation that he wouldn't
1:24:52let me defend myself that a moment ago
1:24:54he'd said those three deserved death.
1:24:56Yet he still meant to hold me
1:24:57accountable that it looked
1:24:58contradictory. But it wasn't. Those
1:25:00three idiots deserve to die, but I'd
1:25:02broken his rule. That was a fact. By
1:25:04Kuang didn't care who was more wronged.
1:25:06He only knew once a rule was broken.
1:25:09Someone had to pay the price to him. Why
1:25:10grip on Storm Titan? Hell. Iu stepped
1:25:13half a pace forward, lips parting as if
1:25:15he wanted to speak for me. But when
1:25:17Buangs gaze swept toward him, the
1:25:19invisible pressure choked the words
1:25:20right out of his throat. Buang wasn't
1:25:22looking at Liu, though. His gaze drifted
1:25:25through the crowd and settled at the
1:25:26back. And you? Everyone turned to follow
1:25:29his line of sight. Jean Chong, hiding at
1:25:32the rear of the crowd, stiffened. Buang
1:25:34said calmly. The men who left with you
1:25:36this afternoon haven't<unk> come back.
1:25:38Care to explain where they went? Jean
1:25:40Chong<unk>s pupils shranked. He hadn't
1:25:42expected this. Not at all. Buang seemed
1:25:45to ignore most things, letting people
1:25:47fight among themselves. But he'd noticed
1:25:49those men who'd followed him away. Had
1:25:51he been watching Jean Chong this whole
1:25:53time? Had Jean Chong been exposed
1:25:55already? Did Buang know about his plans?
1:25:57Jang Chan<unk>s heart hammered. The
1:25:59strange flesh beneath his clothes
1:26:00twitched with his surging emotions.
1:26:02Knowed it wasn't time for this. The
1:26:04power he'd gained grew by consuming
1:26:06life. But so far, he'd only absorbed a
1:26:08handful of ordinary people. He hadn't
1:26:11fully matured. He wasn't strong enough
1:26:13to fight Bang head on. If a fight broke
1:26:15out now, what were his odds? He didn't
1:26:18know. But worse than the uncertainty was
1:26:20the burning humiliation had Bangu seen
1:26:22through all his schemes from the start.
1:26:24recruiting followers in secret to seize
1:26:26leadership. Sacrificing his men in the
1:26:28dungeon to save himself. Killing the
1:26:30ones who tried to steal his new power
1:26:32after he got it. How much did Bangu
1:26:34know? Maybe every plan he'd thought was
1:26:36clever was just a joke to Ba Kuang.
1:26:38Maybe Jeang Chong was nothing more than
1:26:40a clown performing for him. Damn it.
1:26:43Jeang Chong ground his teeth, his fists
1:26:45clenched tight inside his sleeves. Fear
1:26:47bloomed inside him, but humiliation
1:26:49burned hotter. The more he thought, the
1:26:52harder it was to hold back his rage.
1:26:54Buang didn't wait for his answer. Dot,
1:26:56or rather, that question had never
1:26:57really been an inquiry. He'd only laid
1:26:59out what Jeang Chong had done. Then he
1:27:02announced his judgment. Buang folded his
1:27:04hands behind his back, standing sideways
1:27:06between Jeang Chong and me. Crimson
1:27:08moonlight draped over him, stretching
1:27:10his tall shadow far across the ground.
1:27:13I'll give you both a chance. You two
1:27:15fight me together. He paused, his eyes
1:27:18sliding between Jeang Chong and me. 10
1:27:20strikes. If you're both still alive
1:27:22after 10 strikes, everything that's
1:27:24happened before is forgiven. What?
1:27:26Muffled gasps rippled through the crowd.
1:27:28By Kuang wanted Jong Chong and me to
1:27:31fight him side by side. And his
1:27:32condition wasn't just blocking 10 hits.
1:27:34It wasn't holding out without losing in
1:27:3710 strikes that it was staying alive.
1:27:39Those two words told everyone just how
1:27:41deadly this fight would be. They all
1:27:43still remembered by Kuang punching
1:27:45straight through concrete that same
1:27:46afternoon. What would a blow like that
1:27:48do to a human body? My expression turned
1:27:50heavy. Storm hit hard. And its unlimited
1:27:53fire meant I could shoot non-stop
1:27:55without worrying about ammo. But even
1:27:56with the basic gene booster, my body
1:27:59couldn't compare to a man who could
1:28:00shatter concrete with one punch. That a
1:28:02single clean hit up close might take me
1:28:04out of the fight. And Bang was fast,
1:28:06too. I wasn't sure whether Storm's nails
1:28:08could even hit him or pierce his skin if
1:28:10they did. If I'd had a choice, I never
1:28:12would have fought Buang right now that I
1:28:14wanted more gear, more skills first to
1:28:17let unlimited firepower grow before
1:28:18facing a monster like him. But Buang
1:28:21wouldn't give me a choice that I saw
1:28:22that clearly in his eyes. Just then,
1:28:24footsteps sounded from the back of the
1:28:26crowd. Jeang Chong pushed past the
1:28:28people in front and stepped out into the
1:28:30open. His face was dark and a faint
1:28:32crimson flickered deep in his eyes.
1:28:34There was no running from this, so he
1:28:36wouldn't run. He hated fighting by Kuang
1:28:38now. But he hated being looked down on
1:28:40like a clown even more. The new power
1:28:42inside him wriggled deep in his flesh,
1:28:44hungry to be unleashed. By Kuang smiled
1:28:47faintly when he saw Jeang Chong step
1:28:49forward. Now that's more like it. Jeang
1:28:51Chong was ready to risk everything. And
1:28:53Buang clearly wouldn't call this off.
1:28:55Seeing both of us, I knew whether I
1:28:58wanted to or not. This battle couldn't
1:29:00be avoided. Liu, get back far away. I
1:29:03spoke in a low, heavy voiced. L I
1:29:05Louda<unk>s face tightened. Brotherhiao,
1:29:07move back. I didn't turn my head, only
1:29:10holding storm ready in front of me. Lauu
1:29:12knew he couldn't help, only distract me,
1:29:15he gritted his teeth and hurried back to
1:29:16the edge of the crowd that I turned
1:29:18toward Jeang Chong, who'd walked to
1:29:20stand beside me, and spoke quickly.
1:29:22Whatever reward you got in that dungeon,
1:29:24cover me once this starts. I'll handle
1:29:26the long range fire. Jeang Chong didn't
1:29:29reply. He simply stepped half a pace
1:29:31forward, positioning himself between me
1:29:33and Bang. That single move was his
1:29:35answer. By Kuang stood opposite us, a
1:29:37smile still playing on his lips that I
1:29:39drew a deep breath, aiming storm at him.
1:29:42I kept an eye on Jong Chongs back. Who
1:29:44would have thought the two of us who'd
1:29:45clashed only that morning would now
1:29:47stand side by side against a common
1:29:49enemy. The fight was about to break out
1:29:51beneath the shocked stairs of everyone
1:29:53watching. Jeang Chong<unk>s shirt bulged
1:29:55suddenly on his back. Rip fabric tore.
1:29:58Dozens of dark red tendrils burst out
1:30:00from his shoulders, waist, and spine.
1:30:02The tendrils hit the ground and writhed
1:30:04constantly. Blood vessels under their
1:30:06surface pulsing like snakes tasting
1:30:08blood. What is that thing? Jeang Chong
1:30:11is turning into something. A monster?
1:30:13He's a monster. The watching crowd
1:30:15scrambled backward and O1 expected the
1:30:17man who'd stumbled out of the army ant
1:30:19dungeon hiding power like this. By Kuang
1:30:22didn't retreat. He just stood there
1:30:24under the blood moon watching with
1:30:25obvious amusement. Jeang Chong<unk>s
1:30:27mutation didn't shock him. If anything,
1:30:30it finally made him interested. That
1:30:31look stoked Jeang Chong<unk>s fury. That
1:30:34same condescending gaze again. Bi Kuang.
1:30:37Jeang Chong roared. More than a dozen
1:30:39tendrils shot upward at once, cutting
1:30:41through the air, striking by Kuang from
1:30:43every angle, front, left, and right,
1:30:46above. The tendrils weaved together,
1:30:49sealing off almost every escape route. A
1:30:51normal person wouldn't have time to
1:30:53react to such an attack. Buang only
1:30:55sidestepped once. Whoosh! Several
1:30:57tendrils swept past him and slammed hard
1:31:00into the concrete. Chips of stone
1:31:02sprayed everywhere. Deep cracks split
1:31:04the ground where they hit. By Kuang
1:31:06slipped through the tiny gap between the
1:31:07tendrils with ridiculous ease. Not so
1:31:10fast. Panic flared in Jong Chong. The
1:31:12mist tendrils twisted around and lunged
1:31:14at Buang from behind. But right before
1:31:16they coiled around him, Banguang spun
1:31:18around, fist drawn back that he struck.
1:31:21First strike. Boom. His fists smashed
1:31:24straight into the mass of tendrils. Raw
1:31:26brute force burst the attacking
1:31:28appendages apart in an instant. Bits of
1:31:30flesh flew through the air. The broken
1:31:32tendrils twitched wildly in midair
1:31:34before crashing to the ground. "Uggh."
1:31:36Jeang Chong grunted in pain. The
1:31:38tendrils were part of his own body, and
1:31:40the blows sent agony shooting through
1:31:42him. He staggered back several steps,
1:31:44his face paler. Just the first strike,
1:31:47and Buang had shattered his attack
1:31:48completely. Gasps burst from the crowd,
1:31:51smashed apart with one punch. Those
1:31:53tendrils cracked concrete, and they
1:31:55couldn't stop the captain. How strong is
1:31:57Ba Kuang? Before the whispers died down,
1:32:00a rapid storm of gunfire erupted. Bang,
1:32:02bang, bang, bang, bang. Like rain
1:32:04hammering down. Dozens of steel nails
1:32:06tore through the air, fired from behind
1:32:08Jong Chong. That was me that I didn't
1:32:10freeze when Jong Chong got hurt. That I
1:32:12didn't waste the opening he'd bought.
1:32:14The second Bangu crushed the tendrils
1:32:16and his punch finished. Storm locked
1:32:18onto his body. A dense wave of steel
1:32:20nails swarmed toward him. Chest,
1:32:22stomach, throat. Even his eyes that I
1:32:25held nothing back the second I pulled
1:32:26the trigger. By Kuang<unk>s eyes flicked
1:32:28and he darted sideways. Most nails
1:32:30buried themselves in the concrete wall
1:32:32behind him, but two still struck his arm
1:32:34and thigh. Clang clang. Dull impacts
1:32:37rang out. The nails tore through his
1:32:39shirt, but when the tips hit his skin,
1:32:41it was like hitting thick metal. They
1:32:43didn't pierce through. Not even a cut
1:32:45was left. My pupils shrank. How was this
1:32:47possible? After the weapon scroll
1:32:49upgraded storm, it punched straight
1:32:51through thick steel plate yet nails that
1:32:54powerful hit by Kuang dead on and
1:32:56couldn't break his skin. Was his body
1:32:57harder than steel? Buang glanced down at
1:33:00the fallen nails. Then his gaze drifted
1:33:02past Jong Chong and landed on me. Or
1:33:04more accurately, on Storm in my hands,
1:33:07this gun, it's interesting. Buang
1:33:09laughed, not because I was weak, because
1:33:11Storm had hurt him, if only a little.
1:33:13Jeang Chong roared again at that moment.
1:33:15You're fighting me. The wounds on his
1:33:17body writhed, and even more tendrils
1:33:19burst out from his back and sides. There
1:33:21were more this time, faster, too. Jeang
1:33:24Chong stopped hiding. All he wanted was
1:33:26to pin down the man who'd looked down on
1:33:28him for so long, drive his tendrils into
1:33:30Buangs body, and drain every drop of
1:33:33that powerful life force. The tendrils
1:33:35surged forward once more. Dot. I moved
1:33:37too. Dot. I circled the fight, keeping
1:33:39storm raised, shifting my position and
1:33:41firing non-stop. Bang, bang, bang. nails
1:33:44shot toward by Kuang from every new
1:33:46angle. The gene booster boosted my
1:33:48stamina, speed, and reflexes above
1:33:50ordinary humans. Hours of shooting
1:33:52practice had let me grow familiar with
1:33:54Storm's trajectory that I am
1:33:56specifically for his eyes, throat,
1:33:58temples, and joints. Jeang Chong pressed
1:34:00forward from the front that I circled
1:34:02and fired from the sides. Tendrils and
1:34:04steel nails tangled together, weaving a
1:34:07trap that would break the spirit of any
1:34:09normal survivor. What would Bangu do? He
1:34:11didn't step back. Instead, he charged
1:34:13straight into the tendrils and incoming
1:34:15nails and threw another punch. Second
1:34:18strike. Boom. This punch didn't hit
1:34:20anyone. His fist meant nothing but air.
1:34:23But when strength and speed reached this
1:34:24level, the air itself became a weapon
1:34:26that a shock wave exploded outward the
1:34:29instant his fist snapped forward. People
1:34:31saw the air warp and ripple right in
1:34:33front of his knuckles. Then the blast of
1:34:35force spread in every direction. Jeang
1:34:37Chongs oncoming tendrils were blasted
1:34:39away. Hundreds of steel nails veered off
1:34:41course from the wind pressure, screaming
1:34:43passed by Kuang. And he walked calmly
1:34:45through the gap, opened by the shock
1:34:47wave, not a scratch on him. What kind of
1:34:49power is this? My face darkened. He
1:34:52threw a punch at empty air and still
1:34:53broke apart our combined assault. By
1:34:55Kuang strength far outstripped what I'd
1:34:57guessed. Before Jean Chong and I could
1:34:59regroup, Buang vanished from sight
1:35:01faster, much faster than before. Jean
1:35:04Chong only caught a blur, and the
1:35:06towering man was already right in front
1:35:07of him. By Kuang pulled his right arm
1:35:09back, power coiled in that fist. Third
1:35:12strike. This punch was aimed straight
1:35:14for Jeang Chong. There was no time to
1:35:16dodge. Jeang Chong gritted his teeth.
1:35:18All his tendrils snapped back, twisting
1:35:21and weaving together in front of him to
1:35:23form a thick shield of living flesh. The
1:35:25surface of the flesh darkened. It
1:35:27hardened. But would it hold against
1:35:29Buang? The next instant, his fist
1:35:31slammed into the flesh shield. Boom. The
1:35:34black fleshy tendons caved inward
1:35:36sharply. Cracks spread outward instantly
1:35:38from where the fist landed. The tendons
1:35:40could no longer bear the overwhelming
1:35:42force and burst apart all at once. Flesh
1:35:45splattered everywhere. Jeang Chong<unk>s
1:35:47body was lifted off the ground by the
1:35:48shock wave, sent flying backward. Blood
1:35:52gushed from his mouth. The fist hadn't
1:35:54struck him directly. Yet, even through
1:35:55the hardened flesh tendons, the blow
1:35:57still left Jeang Chong critically
1:35:59wounded. As Jeang Chong went flying,
1:36:01Xiao Kuan frantically squeezed the
1:36:03trigger again. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
1:36:05Bang! The storm roared. Dozens of steel
1:36:08nails chased after Buangs body in a
1:36:10continuous hail of fire. But By Kuang
1:36:13started moving. His footwork was not as
1:36:15ghostly as Yulinguans. He could not
1:36:17vanish in an instant like teleportation.
1:36:19Yet his speed still far outstripped
1:36:21ordinary humans that a sideways step
1:36:23dodged the steel nail aimed at his eyes
1:36:25that the twist of his torso let the shot
1:36:27targeting his throat pass by. Several
1:36:29steel nails slammed into his shoulders
1:36:31and back, leaving nothing but white
1:36:33marks on his skin. They could not truly
1:36:35pierce his body, and the distance
1:36:36between Buang and Xiao Kuan shrank
1:36:39rapidly on the other side. Jeang Chong
1:36:41crashed heavily beside three corpses.
1:36:43Nearly all his front tendons had
1:36:45shattered, and his chest throbbed as if
1:36:47crushed by a boulder. Without healing,
1:36:49his body would not hold for another
1:36:51fight. Jeang Chong lifted his head. His
1:36:53gaze fell straight onto the three still
1:36:55warm corpses beside him. His eyes lit up
1:36:57at once. He no longer cared if his
1:36:59ability was exposed. Give it to me.
1:37:02Surrender all the life you have left. A
1:37:04few remaining tendons shot out abruptly,
1:37:06piercing the chests of the three
1:37:08corpses. The skin that had still held a
1:37:10hint of crimson drained dry in an
1:37:12instant. Flesh lost its moisture. I
1:37:14socket sank inward. Hair turned yellow
1:37:17and brittle before their eyes. In just a
1:37:19few breaths, the three corpses turned
1:37:21into desiccated skeletons wrapped in
1:37:23skin. This horrifying scene unfolded
1:37:25right before everyone's eyes. He's
1:37:27draining the corpses. A monster. Jeang
1:37:30Chong really is a monster. Wow. Everyone
1:37:33back off. The onlookers shrank back in
1:37:35terror. Jeang Chong paid them no mind.
1:37:38As the residual life force flooded into
1:37:40his body, his broken tendons wriggled
1:37:42and regrrew, and the searing pain in his
1:37:44chest eased somewhat. It was not enough.
1:37:47The life held within three corpses pald
1:37:49in comparison to living humans, but it
1:37:51was enough to let him stand again. Zang
1:37:53Chong raised his head and looked toward
1:37:55the battlefield. Xiaoan had been backed
1:37:57into a corner and no escape left. At
1:38:00that moment, Ba Kuang raised his right
1:38:02fist. Fourth move. The fist fell.
1:38:04Ziao<unk>s pupils contracted. He could
1:38:06see Banguangs motion. Yet, he could not
1:38:08fully dodge in time. A direct hit from
1:38:11this punch would overwhelm even his
1:38:13primary gene enhanced body. In that
1:38:15split second of mortal danger, a fleshy
1:38:17tendon shot through the air from the
1:38:18side and coiled tight around Ziao's
1:38:21ankle. Immense force pulled him
1:38:23backward. Boom. By Kuang<unk>s fist
1:38:25slammed into the ground barely an inch
1:38:27from Ziao Kuang<unk>s body. Concrete
1:38:29shattered. The ground caved in, forming
1:38:31a crater nearly 2 m wide. Stone sprayed
1:38:34outward in all directions that a thick
1:38:36cloud of dust billowed upward. Xiao Kuan
1:38:39tumbled several meters away and rolled
1:38:41quickly back to his feet. He glanced
1:38:43down at the tendons still wrapped around
1:38:44his ankle, then turned his gaze toward
1:38:46Jeang Chong. Jeang Chong had risen to
1:38:49his feet once more. His face remained
1:38:51pale with blood still clinging to the
1:38:53corner of his mouth. If Jean Chong
1:38:55hadn't intervened just now, Ziao Kuan
1:38:57would either die or suffer crippling
1:38:59wounds from that fourth strike. Kuan
1:39:01nodded at Djang Chong. Zong Chong
1:39:02retracted his tendons and stepped to
1:39:04Zhiao Kuan<unk>s side. Both stood fully
1:39:06alert, watching the roing dust ahead.
1:39:09Tap, tap. Heavy footsteps echoed from
1:39:11within the dust cloud. The next instant,
1:39:14a powerful figure stepped out slowly by
1:39:16Kuang. After unleashing four consecutive
1:39:18strikes, his aura had not weakened at
1:39:21all. It had grown stronger. Still, he
1:39:23was not completely unscathed. Under Ziao
1:39:25Kuan<unk>s relentless hail of fire,
1:39:27several steel nails had torn wounds
1:39:29across his shoulders and chest. Thin
1:39:31trails of blood trickling out. He looked
1:39:34at Xiao Kuan, then at Dang Chong as his
1:39:36tendons regrrew, and suddenly broke into
1:39:38a grin. Good. That single word sent a
1:39:41chill through every onlooker's heart.
1:39:43One packs enough firepower, the other
1:39:45has a stubborn hold on life. Far from
1:39:47dragging each other down, you even
1:39:49coordinate well and save one another.
1:39:51You two are more impressive than I
1:39:53expected. Buang lifted his right hand,
1:39:56slowly curling his fingers into a fist.
1:39:58A series of sharp pops came from his
1:40:00knuckles, but do not think surviving
1:40:02four punches earns you the right to
1:40:04live. Six more moves remain. Attack with
1:40:06all you have. Struggle with everything
1:40:08you've got. Let me see whether you truly
1:40:11have what it takes to live through the
1:40:1210th strike. Powerful wild doineering
1:40:15disregard for life itself. By Kuang
1:40:18never cared for explanations that he
1:40:19only wanted to see if Xiao Kuan and
1:40:21Jeang Chan could carve out a path to
1:40:23survival beneath his fists. Xiao Kuan
1:40:25raised the storm once more. The tendons
1:40:27on Jeang Chong<unk>s back all rose high.
1:40:29The two sides were about to clash again.
1:40:32Suddenly, a strange vibration rumbled
1:40:34from above. H. Everyone froze mid dash
1:40:37action. I in the night sky above the
1:40:39unfinished building, massive streams of
1:40:41light gathered out of nowhere. Blue
1:40:43white rays wo together, stretching wide
1:40:46to either side, forming a gigantic light
1:40:48curtain. In an instant, a familiar wave
1:40:51washed over the ruins. The battle was
1:40:53cut short by the sudden anomaly, and
1:40:55everyone recognized what it meant that a
1:40:57new dungeon.it had spawned. Choose one
1:40:59of the following dungeons. Complete the
1:41:01mission to receive corresponding
1:41:03rewards. Dungeon one, survive two hours
1:41:05within the vampire layer. Reward, one
1:41:08lottery draw, one crate of compressed
1:41:10biscuits. Dungeon two, eliminate 10
1:41:13mutated creatures at sight in 7. Reward,
1:41:16one lottery draw, one crate of mineral
1:41:18water. Registration countdown 459. The
1:41:22light curtain hanging in the night sky
1:41:24spilled pale blue white light over the
1:41:26ruins. N01 expected a new dungeon to
1:41:28spawn so soon, less than a day after the
1:41:31last one ended. even by Kuang, who had
1:41:33been ready to throw his fifth punch,
1:41:35slowly lowered his fist and stared at
1:41:37the light curtain. Seeing this, I let
1:41:39out a quiet breath of relief that I
1:41:41looked up at the two missions. The
1:41:43rewards this time were noticeably richer
1:41:45than last time. Besides the lottery
1:41:46chance, each dungeon also granted a full
1:41:49crate of compressed biscuits or bottled
1:41:51water. Before the apocalypse, these
1:41:53things would not have been worth much.
1:41:55But now, a whole crate of food or water
1:41:57was enough to make countless people
1:41:59fight to the death. better rewards. That
1:42:01almost certainly meant the dungeon
1:42:03difficulty would rise, too. Very likely.
1:42:05The last two dungeons had already
1:42:07claimed many lives. The system was
1:42:09offering greater rewards this time, so
1:42:11it could not possibly be easier that I
1:42:13read the mission descriptions again.
1:42:14Dungeon one required us to spend 2 hours
1:42:17inside the vampire layer. Dungeon two
1:42:19tasked us with wiping out 10 mutated
1:42:21creatures. How strong were vampires
1:42:23anyway? What exactly were the mutated
1:42:25creatures at site N7? Nobody knew, but
1:42:28judging by the mission format, dungeon
1:42:302's objective was clearer. Locate the
1:42:32mutated beasts, kill 10 of them, the
1:42:35mission would be done. Dungeon one only
1:42:37demanded survival. Yet, it forced us
1:42:39straight into the vampires nest. A place
1:42:41called a layer could hold how many
1:42:43vampires? Dozens, hundreds, or more. So,
1:42:46I judged that clearing 10 mutated
1:42:48creatures might be simpler than facing
1:42:50an entire vampire nest. Yet, this time,
1:42:53I did not pick the slaying mission. I
1:42:55choose dungeon one. Registration
1:42:57successful. Once I made my choice, I
1:42:59turned around immediately. Old Lee, come
1:43:01over. Old Lee, standing at the edge of
1:43:03the crowd, glanced at the dungeon panel,
1:43:06then at me. Vampires. Just hearing the
1:43:08name sent a shiver down his spine, but
1:43:10his hesitation lasted only a second. The
1:43:13next moment, oldly gritted his teeth and
1:43:15hurried over to me. I'm coming with you.
1:43:18He also selected dungeon one dot on the
1:43:20other side. By Kuang walked beneath the
1:43:22dungeon two prompt. The battle
1:43:23interrupted by the light curtain did not
1:43:25anger him at all. Instead, he looked at
1:43:28the mission, eliminate 10 mutated
1:43:30creatures, fresh interest lighting up
1:43:32his eyes. Jeang Chong stared at his
1:43:34back, his expression shifting. In the
1:43:36end, he retracted his tendons and
1:43:38stepped slowly toward dungeon 2. He
1:43:41would pick this one, too, that he needed
1:43:42combat. Defeat enemies, consume them,
1:43:45and grow stronger fast. Right after Jean
1:43:47Chong finished his selection, another
1:43:49figure appeared at the edge of the crowd
1:43:51at a wide dark hood hid most of his
1:43:53face. That it was Yi Lin Yuan. No one
1:43:55knew where he had been. He seemed to
1:43:57have stood there all along or only
1:43:59stepped out from the night after the
1:44:00light curtain appeared. But why Lin Yuan
1:44:02ignored everyone, not even glancing at
1:44:04Buang. He simply walked under the
1:44:06dungeon too prompt and confirmed his
1:44:08choice. Seeing this, Jeang Chong turned
1:44:11his head and grinned at me. You don't
1:44:13even know how strong a single vampire
1:44:15is, and you dare march straight into
1:44:17their lair. Those things are far
1:44:18deadlier than zombies. His words sounded
1:44:21like mockery. Yet, I caught his hidden
1:44:23meaning. Our fight against Buang had
1:44:25been paused by the dungeon. But Buang
1:44:27had never declared the fight over. If we
1:44:29came back from the dungeon and the
1:44:30battle resumed, and I died inside
1:44:32dungeon one, Jeang Chong would be left
1:44:34alone facing Buang that I slung the
1:44:37storm over my shoulder. Are you sure you
1:44:39want to enter the same dungeon as Buang?
1:44:41Jean Chong<unk>s grin froze for a split
1:44:43second. Dot. I went on. If he decides to
1:44:45kill you inside the dungeon, there will
1:44:47be no me there to help. My subtext was
1:44:49plain. Worry about yourself. I might not
1:44:52die, but you easily could. Jeang Chong
1:44:54fell silent. He glanced instinctively
1:44:56toward Buang. By Kuang turned his head
1:44:58at the exact same time. Their gazes
1:45:00clashed midair. By Kuang suddenly
1:45:02smiled. Amusement lingered in that
1:45:04smile. He seemed eager to see whether
1:45:06Jean Chong would make it back alive from
1:45:08the dungeon. Jeang Chong<unk>s face
1:45:10darkened, but he said nothing. The rest
1:45:12of the onlookers murmured among
1:45:13themselves. Vampires? Do they really
1:45:16exist? What are mutated creatures? Lab
1:45:18creations like in sci-fi movies. So many
1:45:21died last time, yet they still dare to
1:45:23go in. Many stepped backward. They
1:45:25remembered those who had entered the
1:45:27army ant dungeon and never returned.
1:45:29They also remembered Jang Chong
1:45:30stumbling out covered in wounds, barely
1:45:33able to stand when he left the last
1:45:34dungeon. Whether vampires or mutated
1:45:36beasts from the research base, just
1:45:38their names sounded terrifying. But not
1:45:40everyone was afraid. Some people kept
1:45:42glancing back and forth between Buang,
1:45:45Yin Yuan, Jeang Chong, and me. By Kuang
1:45:48could smash a concrete floor with one
1:45:50punch. Yin Yuan could dodge his attacks
1:45:52seamlessly, letting Ba Kuang not even
1:45:54touch a corner of his clothes. Jeang
1:45:56Chong could grow massive fleshy tendons
1:45:58and drain life from corpses to heal his
1:46:00wounds. Even I, who had been an ordinary
1:46:02man not long ago, now wielded a weapon
1:46:05that could fire continuously and even
1:46:07injure by Kuang. Why did these people
1:46:09possess such power? The answer stood
1:46:11right before them. Dungeons that if they
1:46:13survived and cleared dungeon missions,
1:46:15they too could become superhum.
1:46:17Registration countdown 02 to 31. But the
1:46:20timer kept ticking down to at last. A
1:46:23man gripping a short steel spear stepped
1:46:25out from the crowd. I'm taking the
1:46:27chance. Staying here. We don't know how
1:46:29many more days we've got left. As he
1:46:31spoke, he selected dungeon one that with
1:46:33the first person to set the example,
1:46:35several more followed. Most of them
1:46:37picked dungeon one. The reasoning was
1:46:39simple. Dungeon one only required
1:46:41surviving 2 hours. There was no rule
1:46:43forcing them to kill vampires. Maybe
1:46:45once inside, they could just find a safe
1:46:47hiding spot and wait out the timer.
1:46:49Dungeon two was different. No matter how
1:46:52powerful those mutated creatures were,
1:46:54they had to slay 10 of them with their
1:46:55own hands. Anyone with no fighting
1:46:57ability entering it would barely have a
1:46:59chance to finish the mission that I in
1:47:01the end. Besides old Lee and me, six
1:47:04more people chose dungeon one. For
1:47:06dungeon two, only by Kuang, Jeang Chong,
1:47:09and Yin Yuan signed up. Registration
1:47:11countdown 03 0201.
1:47:15Registration complete. Blue white light
1:47:17exploded outward. Everything turned dark
1:47:20before my eyes. The unfinished building,
1:47:22the light curtain, the blood red
1:47:24moonlight, and the surrounding crowd all
1:47:26vanished in an instant. When my vision
1:47:28cleared, hard ground pressed beneath my
1:47:31feet. Dripped a drop of filthy water
1:47:33fell from a rusted pipe and struck an
1:47:35iron bucket beside me. The sound echoed
1:47:38far through the narrow space. I quickly
1:47:40raised the storm and scanned my
1:47:41surroundings. This was a dim alley. Tall
1:47:44walls rose on both sides, covered in
1:47:46water stains and dark green moss.
1:47:48Overhead, tangled pipes and power lines
1:47:51sliced the sky into fragments. Only a
1:47:53small patch of cloud-covered night sky
1:47:55was visible. The air smelled damp, mixed
1:47:58with alcohol and rotting garbage. Beside
1:48:00me stood old Lee and the other six
1:48:02people. All eight of us were here. It
1:48:04seemed we had not been teleported to
1:48:06separate locations this time. Everyone's
1:48:08here. Old Lee quickly counted heads.
1:48:11Once he confirmed no one was missing, he
1:48:13visibly relaxed, but before he could
1:48:15fully exhale, someone pointed toward the
1:48:17far end. Look at the alleys end hung a
1:48:20dim red neon sign. The light flickered
1:48:22on and off that it dyed the surrounding
1:48:25walls as if soaked in fresh blood. Only
1:48:27four words were written on the sign.
1:48:29Blood feast bar. Beneath the sign set a
1:48:31closed black wooden door. Intricate
1:48:34patterns were carved across its surface.
1:48:36The silver bat ornament hung from the
1:48:38doororknob. Dungeon mission. Survive 2
1:48:40hours inside the vampire lair. The
1:48:42mission timer starts once you enter
1:48:44Blood Feast bar. The system prompt
1:48:46floated into view. Everyone stared at
1:48:48the black door and none dared step
1:48:49forward immediately. So that means the
1:48:51timer won't start until we go inside the
1:48:53bar. The speaker was Sun Chong, a man in
1:48:56his 20s. While the rest of us were
1:48:58examining the bar and surroundings after
1:49:00teleporting, he had been staring toward
1:49:02the other end of the alley. No lights
1:49:04there. Beyond the alley mouth stretched
1:49:05a darker street, empty and silent. No
1:49:08people or cars in sight. Sunshing stared
1:49:11at that street, his expression shifting.
1:49:13The system only says the timer starts
1:49:15once we enter the bar. It never says we
1:49:17have to go in right away. So, why don't
1:49:19we leave this alley first? As long as
1:49:21the mission hasn't officially started,
1:49:23we'll have plenty of time to find
1:49:24weapons and map out the terrain. Once
1:49:26we're fully prepared, we can come back
1:49:28and enter the bar. Wouldn't that be
1:49:30safer? The other people listening were
1:49:32tempted. Sounds logical. If we can find
1:49:34guns out here, or even police in this
1:49:36world, we'd stand a better chance once
1:49:38we go inside. We might even uncover the
1:49:41vampires weaknesses. Sun Chong grew
1:49:43straighter as he heard their agreement.
1:49:45Exactly. The system gave us a mission.
1:49:47It never forbids us from preparing
1:49:49ahead. This isn't running away. It's
1:49:51exploiting the rules. I glanced at him
1:49:53but did not bother arguing. Exploiting
1:49:55the rules. If the system left such an
1:49:58obvious loophole, what was the point of
1:49:59this dungeon? Besides, the mission
1:50:02hadn't officially begun. That did not
1:50:04mean we were completely safe right now.
1:50:06Sunsh so-called clever plan was simply
1:50:08gambling with his life. Testing a rule
1:50:10that had never been proven to exist. I
1:50:13disagree. Just as several people moved
1:50:15toward the alley mouth, a young woman
1:50:17spoke up. Her name was Suo. Around 20
1:50:20years old, dust stained her clothes, yet
1:50:22they were neatly tidied. Sun Shung
1:50:24turned to her. Why not? Su pointed
1:50:27toward the dead street outside the
1:50:28alley. The system wants us to go into
1:50:30the bar. It won't just hand us extra
1:50:32time to prepare out here. How do you
1:50:34know we won't run into something far
1:50:36more dangerous than vampires once we
1:50:38step out of the alley? How can we know
1:50:40if we don't try? Then you go try. Su
1:50:43stepped aside. No one's stopping you.
1:50:45Sunsh stiffened. His words sounded bold.
1:50:48Yet he never actually stepped toward the
1:50:50alley exit. Su looked back at the
1:50:52flickering neon sign deep in the alley.
1:50:54Unlike the others, she showed little
1:50:56fear, barely holding back a flicker of
1:50:58anticipation in her eyes. Besides,
1:51:01vampires don't necessarily kill anyone
1:51:03they see. True ancient bloodline nobles
1:51:06value etiquette and status. They have
1:51:08old clans and follow their own laws.
1:51:10This is a bar after all. That means it
1:51:12needs guests. As long as we behave
1:51:14politely, we might not face danger at
1:51:16all. As she spoke, she checked her
1:51:18clothing, brushing stray hair behind her
1:51:20ear. Oldly stared at her, confused.
1:51:23Girl, we're going in to face vampires.
1:51:25Those things drink human blood. Su gazed
1:51:28at the silverbat ornament on the wooden
1:51:30door and whispered, "Some nobles among
1:51:32the blood clans do not attack guests
1:51:34randomly. Maybe the owner of this bar is
1:51:36a prince from an ancient clan. If we
1:51:38really get to meet such a being who has
1:51:40lived for hundreds of years," she did
1:51:42not finish the sentence, yet the corner
1:51:44of her mouth lifted faintly. Sunshing
1:51:46stared at her for a few seconds, then
1:51:48asked, "Do you really think that vampire
1:51:50prince will come out to greet you? Maybe
1:51:52even fall for you in some romance novel
1:51:54plot?" Sue Rose<unk>'s smile faded. It's
1:51:57still better than rushing blindly
1:51:59outside like you suggested. You enough.
1:52:02I cut off their argument. I lifted the
1:52:04storm from my shoulder and walked deeper
1:52:06into the alley. The mission location
1:52:08given by the system is straight ahead.
1:52:10Those who want to finish the mission
1:52:11follow me. Anyone who wants to scout
1:52:13outside is free to go. Oldly hurried
1:52:15after me at once. The rest exchanged
1:52:18glances. Sunsh flickered with indecision
1:52:21to eye in the end. He did not head for
1:52:23the alley mouth. He muttered a curse and
1:52:25hurried to catch up to Suo followed
1:52:27right behind. The other four dared not
1:52:30stay alone, so they stepped forward. 2.8
1:52:32sets of footsteps echoed through the
1:52:34narrow alley. The neon sign for blood
1:52:36feast bar drew closer. The dark red neon
1:52:39lights flickered and that closed black
1:52:41wooden door waited quietly ahead of us
1:52:42that I reached out and pushed the black
1:52:44door open. Boom! Drum beats, laughter,
1:52:48screams all flooded out at once.
1:52:50Crossing the door felt like stepping
1:52:51into an entirely different world. The
1:52:54alley only held dripping water. Inside
1:52:56blazed shaking lights, a packed crowd,
1:52:59and music pounding heavy enough to thud
1:53:01in your chest. On the dance floor,
1:53:03hundreds of men and women swayed to the
1:53:05rhythm. Some stood on tables raising
1:53:07cups. Others leaned close and whispered.
1:53:09Bottles behind the bar glinted with
1:53:11different hues under the lights. If not
1:53:13for the Blood Feast bar sign above, we
1:53:15might have thought we'd returned to a
1:53:17nightclub before the catastrophe. But
1:53:18the moment all eight of us stepped
1:53:20inside that a woman tossing her hair on
1:53:22the dance floor froze. Then the man
1:53:24holding his cup, the young man leaning
1:53:26on the rail, even the bartender wiping
1:53:28glasses. Every pair of eyes turned
1:53:30toward the entrance at the same time.
1:53:32The music kept playing. The people who
1:53:34had been partying a second ago were
1:53:36paused as if a button had been pressed
1:53:38in 01 spoke. Only gazes sliding across
1:53:41our faces, down our necks, and along our
1:53:43collars. A man slowly licked his lips.
1:53:46His cup tilted. dark red liquids
1:53:48spilling down his fingers. He paid no
1:53:50attention to the spill, only staring at
1:53:52the pulsing vein on Old Lee's neck. Old
1:53:55Lee froze midstep. The people behind him
1:53:58also stiffened. The smile Suo had tried
1:54:00to form vanished before it even
1:54:02appeared, and those stairs pricricked
1:54:04her skin. They were not looking at new
1:54:05guests. They were looking at food
1:54:07delivered to their table. My grip
1:54:09tightened on the storm. Before I could
1:54:11act, the woman on the dance floor
1:54:12flicked her hair again. The man lifted
1:54:14his wine glass. The bartender lowered
1:54:17his eyes and continued polishing the
1:54:19glass. Chatter and laughter blended back
1:54:21into the music. Everything returned to
1:54:23normal far too fast. Fast enough to make
1:54:26us wonder if what we had just seen was
1:54:27only an illusion. Xiao lad oldly leaned
1:54:30closer, voice low. I saw it. I did not
1:54:33turn my head. My eyes swept across the
1:54:35dance floor, then landed on several
1:54:37ruddy young men leaning against the bar.
1:54:40None had skin pale as death. Nir fangs
1:54:42constantly beared. Some wore shirts,
1:54:44some leather jackets, one even wore
1:54:46glasses, smiling exactly like ordinary
1:54:49people. Yet for that split second, every
1:54:51soul in the bar had watched us. I
1:54:53suspected that besides the eight of us,
1:54:55there was not a single true human inside
1:54:57this place that I lifted my eyes that a
1:54:59new prompt appeared. Entered Blood Fast
1:55:01Bar. Mission timer started. Remaining
1:55:04time 0159
1:55:0659.2 hours. Since they had not swarmed
1:55:09to kill us immediately, there was still
1:55:11room to maneuver. I pulled my gaze away
1:55:13and kept walking inward. Old Lee
1:55:15followed closely. The other six, afraid
1:55:18of standing apart, crowded behind me.
1:55:20Sun Chong even shifted sideways to
1:55:22position himself between Old Lee and me,
1:55:25stopped stepping on my feet. Someone
1:55:27whispered a complaint from the back.
1:55:29Move over then. They bickered quietly,
1:55:31yet none dared drift away that I ignored
1:55:33them. I found a booth against the wall
1:55:35behind the dance floor. I stepped aside
1:55:37to let the others sit first, then took
1:55:39the outermost seat myself. This spot let
1:55:41me see both the front door and the
1:55:43corridor leading deeper into the bar. I
1:55:45took off my coat and draped it over the
1:55:47storm resting beside me that a bartender
1:55:49carrying a tray walked past. I lifted a
1:55:51hand. One drink. The bartender halted.
1:55:54His gaze fell first on the side of my
1:55:56neck, then slowly drifted up to my face.
1:55:58What kind of drink would the guest
1:56:00prefer? Whatever you usually serve
1:56:02customers. The bartender smiled. One
1:56:04moment oldly craned his neck, watching
1:56:06his retreating back, then leaned in
1:56:08toward me. You dare drink the wine here?
1:56:11Just sit tight. I leaned back into the
1:56:13sofa, offering no explanation. A short
1:56:15while later, a glass filled with amber
1:56:18liquor was set down on the table. Ice
1:56:20clinkedked softly against the glass
1:56:21wall. I picked up the glass and twisted
1:56:23it casually half a turn. I did not
1:56:25drink. The others, seeing me sitting
1:56:27calm and steady, relaxed their tinsed
1:56:30bodies little by little. The man
1:56:31clutching the short spear lowered his
1:56:33weapon onto his lap. A middle-aged man
1:56:35tugged at his collar and murmured,
1:56:37"Seems nothing bad is happening." No one
1:56:39replied. Still, those words lightened
1:56:42the looks on several faces. Right then,
1:56:44a young man at the next booth pulled
1:56:46back his body, which had been leaning
1:56:48our way. Two men standing by the
1:56:49corridor each stepped aside. High heels
1:56:52clicked across the floor. A woman
1:56:53holding a slender wine glass stopped
1:56:55right in front of me. She wore a black
1:56:57slip dress, thin straps resting on her
1:56:59shoulders, the cut at her neck and waist
1:57:02perfectly tailored. A slit ran up one
1:57:04side of the skirt. As she walked, it
1:57:06revealed a long calf, only to cover it
1:57:08again with fabric. Her long hair was
1:57:10pinned up at the back of her head with a
1:57:12few loose curly strands falling beside
1:57:14her cheeks. Her face was strikingly
1:57:17beautiful. Her eyes crinkled with a
1:57:19smile, yet her lip color was darker than
1:57:21the wine in her glass. When she looked
1:57:23down at me, her long drop earrings
1:57:25swayed gently, drawing the eyes slowly
1:57:27toward her bare neck. Inside the booth,
1:57:29the middle-aged man, who had just tugged
1:57:31his collar, suddenly sat up straight.
1:57:33The woman's eyes stayed fixed only on
1:57:35me. "Is the wine not to your taste?" Her
1:57:37gaze lingered for a second on the
1:57:39untouched glass, or are you waiting for
1:57:41someone to drink with? I lifted my head.
1:57:43Without waiting for my invitation, she
1:57:45sat down beside me. She sat very close.
1:57:48Her dress brushed my trouser leg. Her
1:57:50cool fingers rested on the sofa back,
1:57:52landing right behind my shoulder. First
1:57:54time here? Can you tell? I wouldn't
1:57:57forget a guest as handsome as you if I'd
1:57:59seen you before. She tapped her glass
1:58:01lightly against mine. Clink. Not to
1:58:03mention, you've brought so many friends
1:58:05along. When she said, "Friends," her
1:58:07eyes swept briefly over Old and the rest
1:58:10of the group. Old Lee subconsciously
1:58:11shrank his neck. The woman pulled her
1:58:13gaze back, smiling brightly as she
1:58:16asked, "Who told you about this place?
1:58:18If I'd known we'd get a guest like you,
1:58:20I would have met you at the door myself.
1:58:22I found it on my own." "Then you're
1:58:23lucky." She swirled her wine. Our sign
1:58:26isn't obvious. Take a wrong alley and
1:58:28you might end up somewhere else
1:58:29entirely. I smiled, too. I didn't take a
1:58:32wrong turn. I came here looking for this
1:58:34place. She stopped swirling her drink.
1:58:36She stared at me, her smile unchanged,
1:58:38but the fingers resting on the sofa back
1:58:40tapped once softly. "Oh, here to find
1:58:43someone. I've come to deliver a gift." I
1:58:45set my glass back on the table. A big
1:58:47gift for all of you vampires. Her
1:58:49fingertips froze. The bartender who had
1:58:52been passing by slowed his steps half a
1:58:53pace. oldly stared at me, his mouth
1:58:56falling slightly open. When had we
1:58:58prepared a gift? The woman's eyes swept
1:59:00over my side again. Beneath my outer
1:59:02coat, the outline of storm was easy to
1:59:04make out. A gift? She let out a light
1:59:06laugh and leaned forward a little. Just
1:59:09delivering a gift. No drinking, no
1:59:11searching for anyone. I'll deliver the
1:59:13gift first. We can talk about everything
1:59:15else later. Then I must take a good
1:59:16look. She raised her hand as if brushing
1:59:19dust off my collar. But before her
1:59:21fingertips touched my skin, I caught her
1:59:23hand. I did not squeeze hard. I simply
1:59:26moved her hand gently away. Before that,
1:59:29you have to grant me one request. She
1:59:31glanced at the hand I held, then back to
1:59:33my face. Her lips curved even higher.
1:59:36So, this is what you were waiting for.
1:59:38Speak. She did not pull her hand free.
1:59:40As long as it isn't too unreasonable. I
1:59:42let go of her and clapped Old Lee on the
1:59:44shoulder. Get him the materials he
1:59:46needs. The woman blinked in surprise.
1:59:49Old Lee was equally stunned. Me? He gets
1:59:52whatever he asks for. Find somewhere for
1:59:54him to work, too. I leaned in close to
1:59:56Old Lee's ear, the music blaring loud. A
1:59:59few words slipped into his ear. At
2:00:01first, he frowned. Then, he shot me a
2:00:03sharp look. What do you want that for? I
2:00:05did not answer, lowering my voice to add
2:00:07a couple more sentences. The confusion
2:00:09on old Lee's face slowly turned to
2:00:11disbelief. Well, it isn't complicated.
2:00:14You can make it. I can, but what you're
2:00:16talking about? I pressed his shoulder.
2:00:18Just build it first. Oldly met my eyes
2:00:20and swallowed the rest of his words. The
2:00:22woman watched every reaction between us.
2:00:25Keeping secrets for me? What's the fun
2:00:27in spoiling the surprise ahead of time?
2:00:29Don't make me wait only to find out this
2:00:31was just a joke. She still smiled as she
2:00:33spoke. Yet her voice carried a faint
2:00:35chill that I met her gaze without
2:00:37flinching. I guarantee it will satisfy
2:00:39you. She studied me for several seconds.
2:00:42There was no forced smile on my face and
2:00:44my hand stayed steady. I knew exactly
2:00:46where I was. dared to name it plainly
2:00:48and sat in a room full of vampires
2:00:50making demands. Her eyes settled once
2:00:52more on my young face. Then she laughed
2:00:54out loud. Interesting since you're my
2:00:57type. Very well. I'll grant you this
2:00:59favor tonight. She stood up and tilted
2:01:01her head toward the corridor. Old
2:01:03master, come with me to pick whatever
2:01:05supplies you need. Oldly stayed seated.
2:01:07The woman glanced back at him. He turned
2:01:09quickly toward me and lowered his voice.
2:01:12Brother Xiao, I'm going with her. What
2:01:14about you here? I glanced at the woman.
2:01:16Get all the materials ready. Make it as
2:01:18fast as you can. Oldly clenched his
2:01:20fingers. Staying here, he could not help
2:01:22at all. But I had specifically entrusted
2:01:24this task to him. Clearly, I trusted him
2:01:26enough that he finally stood up. All
2:01:28right, wait for me. The woman walked a
2:01:30few steps and waved the bartender over.
2:01:32Look after this gentleman. Her gaze
2:01:34swept across the room, voice quiet.
2:01:37Nobody disturbs him until I return. The
2:01:39bartender nodded quickly. Oldly followed
2:01:41her down the corridor. As they neared
2:01:43the corner, he glanced back once more. I
2:01:45was still sitting there and I nodded at
2:01:47him. Oldly gritted his teeth and turned
2:01:49away. The moment the woman left, one of
2:01:51the men at our booth breathed out a long
2:01:53sigh. Are we really allowed to stay
2:01:55here? Didn't she say no one is to bother
2:01:57us? Two men whispered. Sun Chun stared
2:02:00toward the corridor deep in thought. Su
2:02:02sat furthest inside, her gaze already
2:02:05pasted all of them, fixed on the bar
2:02:07counter nearby. A young man in a white
2:02:09shirt sat there. His cuffs were neat,
2:02:11collar slightly loose, a silver watch on
2:02:13his wrist. He had not joined the others
2:02:15crowding the dance floor. He sat quietly
2:02:18lifting his glass now and then. Lights
2:02:20streaked across his profile. He had a
2:02:22sharp nose, flawless skin. When his eyes
2:02:24met Su Rose, he raised his glass. Su
2:02:27ducked her head quickly. A few seconds
2:02:29later, she could not help but look
2:02:31again. He was still watching her. This
2:02:33time, he smiled. Su smoothed her skirt
2:02:36and shifted a little toward the edge of
2:02:37the seat. Someone beside her nudged her
2:02:39arm. Where are you going? It's Stuffy
2:02:42sitting here. What's there to wander
2:02:43around here? Don't forget what they are.
2:02:45Surro glanced at me. That stunning woman
2:02:47had sat beside me just now, had not hurt
2:02:50me at all, and had even agreed to fetch
2:02:52supplies for me. As for the man at the
2:02:54bar, his manner was even gentler than
2:02:56the woman's. I'm just going to sit over
2:02:58there. She pointed toward the bar. I
2:03:00won't go far. She squeezed out of the
2:03:02booth. No one pulled her back. Halfway
2:03:04there, the man stood up and pulled out a
2:03:06chair for her. You've been staring at
2:03:08me. I haven't. Suo sat down, her ears
2:03:11growing warm. He did not call her out,
2:03:13only asked, "Here with friends?" Sort
2:03:16of. "You seem different from them." Su
2:03:18lifted her head. "In what way?" He
2:03:20looked at her and smiled slowly. "They
2:03:22are all afraid of us." Su<unk>s
2:03:24heartbeat quickened. She tried to keep
2:03:26her voice natural. "That's only because
2:03:28they don't understand you. And do you
2:03:30understand? I know a little. You have
2:03:32long lifespans, ancient families. Not
2:03:34all vampires like hurting people for no
2:03:37reason." Her voice hesitated on the last
2:03:39few words. The man nodded earnestly,
2:03:41rare to hear someone think that way. He
2:03:43held out his hand in front of her, not
2:03:45reaching to touch her directly. It's too
2:03:47noisy here. I know a quiet place. Would
2:03:50you come talk with me?" Surro glanced
2:03:52back toward the booth. Through the
2:03:53swaying crowd, she could no longer make
2:03:55out my face. She turned back. His hands
2:03:58still waited patiently before her. "Is
2:04:00it inside this place?" "It is." She
2:04:02placed her hand in his. At the end of
2:04:04the corridor, a private room door closed
2:04:06softly. Only a wall lamp lit the room.
2:04:09The man lifted his hand and brushed a
2:04:11strand of hair behind Su<unk>'s ear. Su
2:04:14tilted her face up and noticed his eyes
2:04:16had turned a deep crimson. The color
2:04:18made her catch her breath. Yet, she did
2:04:19not pull away right away. Your eyes,
2:04:22they really changed color. His thumb
2:04:23brushed her lower lip. Don't speak. He
2:04:26lowered his head. Surro closed her eyes,
2:04:28but what came down was not the kiss she
2:04:30expected. Sharp pain stabbed the side of
2:04:32her neck and her eyes flew wide open.
2:04:34"You." One hand clamped over her mouth.
2:04:37The other pinned her shoulder. The
2:04:39gentleness that had been in his eyes a
2:04:40moment ago was gone, inches from her
2:04:43face. There was no tenderness left at
2:04:45all. Su grabbed his wrist, pushing hard.
2:04:48She could not move him. Her nails
2:04:49scraped against the silver watch, making
2:04:51a faint scratching sound. Her legs
2:04:53kicked uselessly against the carpet. The
2:04:55man glanced down at the cuff she
2:04:57gripped. "Easy, miss. I'm quite fond of
2:04:59this shirt." He gently pried her fingers
2:05:01away and leaned down again. Outside the
2:05:04room, the music hit its loudest, most
2:05:06intense peak. No one heard the brief
2:05:08struggle inside. Dot. A few minutes
2:05:10later, he let go. Surro slid down to the
2:05:13edge of the sofa. Her face drained of
2:05:15color. Her hand still rested near his
2:05:17wrist. He pulled his arm back, smoothed
2:05:19his crumpled cuff, and pushed the watch
2:05:21band back into place. Then he looked
2:05:23down at her lifeless face, and smiled
2:05:25faintly. Thank you for the treat. You
2:05:27taste better than the wine here. When he
2:05:29left the private room, his mouth was
2:05:31wiped clean. Sunqing noticed Suo was
2:05:34gone. He stood up and glanced toward the
2:05:36bar, but could not find her. Still, he
2:05:38did not ask anyone. He was about to sit
2:05:40back down when a flash of cold metal
2:05:42glinted behind the bar. The bartender
2:05:44was packing a leather case. The lid was
2:05:46open. Inside, besides several watches
2:05:49and small trinkets, lay a black pistol.
2:05:51Sun Cheng's gaze froze. A gun. Not the
2:05:54modified nail gun I carried, but a real
2:05:56handgun. The bartender picked up the gun
2:05:58and wiped the barrel slowly with a soft
2:06:00cloth. Then he set the cleaned pistol
2:06:02inside the bar and continued sorting the
2:06:04other items. Sunshing did not sit back.
2:06:07His eyes moved from the gun to the
2:06:08bartender's face. Then to me, I could
2:06:11sit here negotiating with vampires
2:06:12because of my courage and because I had
2:06:14storm. If he could get a gun, too, he
2:06:16would not have to panic every time
2:06:18someone glanced at him. The bartender
2:06:20seemed to finish packing. He put the
2:06:21watches back into the case and reached
2:06:23for the pistol. Sun Chun made up his
2:06:25mind. He left the booth and walked up to
2:06:27the bar. Got a question? The bartender
2:06:29lifted his head. What can I get for you?
2:06:32Sun Chun glanced toward the gun, not
2:06:34reaching for it. Do you use these
2:06:35things? Occasionally, the bartender
2:06:38casually set the gun back inside the
2:06:40case. Most of the time, their things
2:06:42left behind by others. Sun Chun did not
2:06:44stop to wonder what left behind meant.
2:06:46He only saw the bartender handled the
2:06:48gun as casually as he had wiped wine
2:06:50glasses. Clearly, it was nothing
2:06:52precious. At least not to these vampires
2:06:54that he nodded toward me. You heard what
2:06:56our guy was negotiating with you. I did.
2:06:59The old man who went with you works for
2:07:00him. So do I. The bartender paused
2:07:03before closing the case lid. So So I'm
2:07:05here to see if there's anything useful
2:07:07for us. Sun Chong jerked his chin toward
2:07:09the leather case. That gun looks good.
2:07:11The bartender stared at him without
2:07:13answering. Sunshing grew uncomfortable
2:07:15under the look and quickly added, "He
2:07:17promised you a big gift. Surely you
2:07:19wouldn't begrudge us something this
2:07:20small. He glanced toward me on purpose.
2:07:23The bartender followed his gaze. I
2:07:25remained seated in the booth, not
2:07:26turning around. The bartender suddenly
2:07:28smiled. Of course, we don't mind. He
2:07:31lifted the leather case. But that one's
2:07:33my favorite. I can't give it to you. If
2:07:35you really want one, come pick from the
2:07:36back. There are more back there. A few.
2:07:39The bartender lifted the side panel of
2:07:41the bar and opened a path. You need to
2:07:43pick something that fits your hand,
2:07:45don't you? Suns heart leaped. He had
2:07:47actually agreed. These creatures had no
2:07:50idea what his real standing was with me.
2:07:52Taking advantage of this deal, I'd
2:07:53struck to grab some gear for himself.
2:07:55What was wrong with that? Sun Chong
2:07:57followed the bartender into the storage
2:07:59room at the back. Rows of shelves lined
2:08:01the room. All kinds of objects sat on
2:08:03them. The bartender set one of the boxes
2:08:05onto the table. Take a look. Sun Chong
2:08:07stepped forward at once. Click. The
2:08:09sound of the lid opening mixed with the
2:08:11lock snapping shut. Sunqing<unk>s
2:08:13movement froze. He turned his head. The
2:08:15bartender stood in the doorway. Why are
2:08:17you closing the door? To keep us from
2:08:19being disturbed. The bartender turned
2:08:21and walked slowly toward him. Sunqing
2:08:24looked down at the box. It was empty.
2:08:26Nothing inside at all. [ __ ] I've walked
2:08:28into a trap. He hurled the box straight
2:08:30at the bartender and spun around, trying
2:08:32to dart past the table for the door, but
2:08:34he had only taken one step when a hand
2:08:36clamped onto his shoulder. Immense
2:08:38strength crashed into him. Bang. Sun
2:08:41Chong was slammed hard against the metal
2:08:42shelving. The bartender's voice held a
2:08:45hint of anticipation. She gave explicit
2:08:47orders. Do not harm that gentleman.
2:08:49Sunsh pressed against the cold metal
2:08:51shelf, his voice cracking. I'm with him.
2:08:54I told you I was. I heard you. The
2:08:56bartender tilted his head, looking at
2:08:58him. Unfortunately, you are not him.
2:09:00Sun<unk>s lips trembled. He opened his
2:09:03mouth wide. Help. Before the cry could
2:09:05escape, a hand clamped his jaw shut,
2:09:08choking to shout away. Fang sank into
2:09:10flesh. Objects on the shelf rattled
2:09:12faintly. Sunsh legs thrashed wildly. His
2:09:15shoes dragged streaks across the floor.
2:09:17He clung desperately to the shelf, yet
2:09:19his fingers slowly lost their strength
2:09:21as blood drained away until at last his
2:09:24hands fell limp. The storage room fell
2:09:26quiet again. Back at the booth, I still
2:09:28sat in my original spot. Much of the ice
2:09:30in my glass had melted. I glanced toward
2:09:33the corridor every so often. Oldie had
2:09:35not come back. Neither Su Row nor Sun
2:09:37Chong had returned. I had seen both of
2:09:39them leave. Now that some time had
2:09:41passed, I knew better than to think they
2:09:43had simply met friendly people to chat
2:09:44with. Still, I did not stand up. I was
2:09:47not the leader of this group, nor was I
2:09:49their caretaker. If they chose to stay
2:09:51seated, we would wait together. If they
2:09:53chose to leave on their own, I had no
2:09:55duty to drag them back, especially in
2:09:57this place. Even I needed to buy time.
2:09:59What could I use to guarantee everyone's
2:10:01survival? My fingers rested on the glass
2:10:04wall for a moment. Several people on the
2:10:06dance floor had glanced away repeatedly.
2:10:08Their gazes burned hotter, as if
2:10:10restraining themselves, but plainly
2:10:12their patience would not last forever.
2:10:14My eyes narrowed. I set the glass down
2:10:17and rested my right hand over my coat.
2:10:19The four remaining men grew restless.
2:10:21The man holding the short spears stared
2:10:23at a small plate on the next table, then
2:10:25quickly looked away. The plate held
2:10:27several slices of cooked meat. He had no
2:10:30idea what kind of meat it was, but it
2:10:31was golden brown on the surface, served
2:10:33with sauce. He had not eaten hot food in
2:10:35a long time, and his stomach rumbled
2:10:37right then. The people at the next table
2:10:39heard it. A heavy set man turned his
2:10:41head and smiled, pushing the plate
2:10:43toward us. Hungry? The spearman said,
2:10:45"Nothing. There's more over there. Just
2:10:47brought out." The fat man nodded toward
2:10:49a side door not far away. Go try some.
2:10:52Your table hasn't gotten any food yet.
2:10:54Can you bring it over? Sure, but there's
2:10:56more variety in the back. Wouldn't it be
2:10:58easier to pick yourself? The spearman
2:11:00stared toward that door. Only seconds
2:11:03before, a waiter had come out carrying a
2:11:05tray. He licked his lips, gripped his
2:11:07short spear, and stood up. I'm going to
2:11:09get some. I did not reply. Inside, I
2:11:11cursed. Fool. Vampires fed only on
2:11:14blood. All the ordinary food served in
2:11:16this bar existed for one single purpose.
2:11:19Bait for hunting. He hesitated for a
2:11:21second, but followed through anyway. The
2:11:23side door closed. A waiter shifted an
2:11:26empty wine crate to block the crack. The
2:11:28second to leave was the middle-aged man.
2:11:30He was not thinking about food. He kept
2:11:32staring at the corridor, growing more
2:11:34anxious the longer oldly stayed gone.
2:11:36Just then, a waiter walked over to our
2:11:38booth and bent down. Does anyone here
2:11:40know Master Lee? The middle-aged man
2:11:42looked up at once. What's wrong? He
2:11:44needs someone to help him. Sent me to
2:11:46fetch one person. My gaze fixed on the
2:11:48waiter's face. He bowed his head
2:11:50slightly, angled toward the inside of
2:11:52the booth. He was clearly not here for
2:11:54me. The middle-aged man asked quickly.
2:11:56What exactly is he working on? Sorry, I
2:11:59don't know. The man thought it over,
2:12:00then stood up. If he went to help oldly
2:12:03finish the work, then if trouble erupted
2:12:04later, I could hardly abandon him. I'll
2:12:07go. He stood and glanced toward me. I'll
2:12:09help oldly finish up and be right back.
2:12:12I glanced at the waiter. Take his words
2:12:13with caution. This was clearly another
2:12:15trap, but I could not play the saint and
2:12:18stop them from leaving. If I held them
2:12:19back, these blood sucking creatures
2:12:21might lose their patience and make the
2:12:23situation far worse. For these people
2:12:25who had entered this instance with me,
2:12:27whether they lived or died would depend
2:12:29only on their own luck. Hearing my
2:12:31words, the middle-aged man paused. The
2:12:33waiter waited quietly, not rushing him.
2:12:35He glanced again toward the corridor and
2:12:37muttered, "I'll just take a quick look."
2:12:39Their two figures vanished around the
2:12:41corner. No one came back. Only two men
2:12:43remained at our table. They sat closer
2:12:45to me, opening their mouths several
2:12:47times to speak, only to swallow the
2:12:49words. More patrons wandered past. Some
2:12:52merely glanced over. Some paused and
2:12:54raised their glasses to us. A woman in a
2:12:56leather jacket sat right on the armrest
2:12:58of our booth. Her leg was close to the
2:13:00last young man left. He tried to shift
2:13:02inward, but there was little room left.
2:13:04The woman leaned forward with a smile.
2:13:06Why are you hiding back here? I'm not
2:13:08hiding. Then come have a drink with me.
2:13:10She held a glass out toward him. The
2:13:12young man dared not take it. She did not
2:13:14push him. She set the glass on the
2:13:16table, moving closer still. The other
2:13:18man suddenly stood up. I'm heading to
2:13:20the restroom. His voice was tight. He
2:13:22had not dared leave since we sat down.
2:13:24Now, with all those eyes watching him,
2:13:26the urge to urinate grew unbearable.
2:13:29Someone nearby heard him and pointed
2:13:31toward another passage. This way, the
2:13:33man glanced toward the sign right in
2:13:35front of him and walked off. The person
2:13:37who had pointed the way followed half a
2:13:38step behind him into the washroom. Water
2:13:40ran. Someone flipped the door sign to
2:13:43cleaning in progress. The young man at
2:13:45the booth watched them leave, his face
2:13:47turning paler by the second. The woman
2:13:49in leather still sat on the armrest. She
2:13:51seemed to notice his fear, her tone
2:13:53softening even more. Too many people
2:13:56making you uncomfortable. The man nodded
2:13:58weakly. There's a private lounge in the
2:14:00back. That girl who came with you is
2:14:02there too. Su, I don't know her name.
2:14:04Young, long hair, wearing a dress. The
2:14:07woman reached out and adjusted his
2:14:09collar. Want to go see her? Your friend
2:14:11is sitting right here. What could we
2:14:12possibly do to you? The young man lifted
2:14:14his head and looked toward me.
2:14:16Unfortunately, Shiaoan didn't give him
2:14:18any answer that he parted his lips. In
2:14:20the end, he said nothing and stood up to
2:14:23follow the woman in the leather jacket.
2:14:24The booth emptied completely. Only Xiao
2:14:27Kuan remained. A little while later, the
2:14:29woman in the leather jacket walked back
2:14:31to the dance floor. Her lips were even
2:14:33redder than before. The heavy set man
2:14:35returned to the adjacent table and wiped
2:14:37his hands with a napkin. I met his gaze
2:14:39as he looked over at me. This time, he
2:14:41didn't touch the plate of pans seared
2:14:43meat. Your friends don't have much guts.
2:14:45He spoke abruptly. Dot. I said nothing.
2:14:47The heavy set man tossed down his
2:14:49napkin. his eyes sliding slowly up from
2:14:51the back of my hand. You though you sit
2:14:53there real calm. If I didn't sit, I'd
2:14:56have to stand. When I stand up, I'm not
2:14:58nearly so easy to talk to. The man froze
2:15:00for a moment. Then he laughed. As he
2:15:02laughed, a sharp fong peaked out from
2:15:04the corner of his mouth. Behind the bar,
2:15:06the bartender slammed a cup down hard.
2:15:09The heavy set man glanced toward him.
2:15:11The bartender shook his head. His jaw
2:15:13tightened, but he leaned back into the
2:15:14sofa again. He didn't leave. None of
2:15:17them left. The two empty tables nearby
2:15:19had somehow filled with people. Everyone
2:15:21was waiting. I lowered my eyes. Time
2:15:23remaining. 1 hour 18 minutes and 42
2:15:26seconds. Not even half the time has
2:15:27passed. Where the hell is oldly? Beneath
2:15:30my coat. My fingers curled around the
2:15:32grip of my gun. The gift I'd offered had
2:15:34bought the woman's patience for now, but
2:15:36she was the one willing to wait. Not
2:15:38every vampire in this room. Even though
2:15:40Su and the others had bought me extra
2:15:42time, it clearly wasn't enough to
2:15:44satisfy these creatures. Their stairs
2:15:46grew more and more menacing. He smells
2:15:48different. A buzzcut man by the dance
2:15:50floor muttered quietly. No one beside
2:15:52him argued. They didn't need to get
2:15:54close. Just standing there, they could
2:15:56catch that scent unlike any ordinary
2:15:58humans. Fresher, far richer compared to
2:16:01me. The blood from those people earlier
2:16:03was nothing but watered down cheap wine.
2:16:06The buzzcut man took another step
2:16:07forward. The bartender lifted his head
2:16:09from behind the bar. Back off. The man
2:16:12ignored him. His gaze stayed fixed on
2:16:14me. I heard his heavy, ragged breathing.
2:16:16I watched his throat bob up and down.
2:16:18Genetic enhancement had strengthened my
2:16:20body, but it had also turned me into an
2:16:22even more tempting meal in the eyes of
2:16:24these vampires. "I can't hold back," the
2:16:27buzzcut man shouted. "Just one taste,"
2:16:29the bartender's face hardened. She said,
2:16:32"He never finished the sentence." The
2:16:34man lunged forward fast. He crossed
2:16:36several meters in the blink of an eye.
2:16:38One hand reached for my shoulder, his
2:16:40lips stretching wide, fangs aiming
2:16:42straight for my neck. I flung my coat
2:16:44open. Downpour rose from under the
2:16:46fabric. Its muzzle aimed straight at the
2:16:48charging man's chest. Bang! Bang! Bang!
2:16:50Bang! Continuous blasts tore through the
2:16:53bar's music. Steel nails punched into
2:16:55his chest. The force twisted his body
2:16:57sideways. He crashed into the table
2:16:59edge, knocking over the untouched glass
2:17:02of wine. Glass shattered. Wine spilled
2:17:04across the floor, but he didn't fall.
2:17:06The hand he' stretched out kept reaching
2:17:08toward me instead. I dodged to the side
2:17:10and raised the muzzle. Bang! A steel
2:17:12nail grazed his cheekbone and embedded
2:17:14itself in the side of his face. The
2:17:16buzzcut man screamed and stumbled back.
2:17:19At the same time, the heavy set man rose
2:17:22to his feet. Two figures on the dance
2:17:24floor vaulted over empty tables. Others
2:17:26circled around toward me from behind the
2:17:28sofa. Once someone made the first move,
2:17:30the rest stopped holding back. Whoever
2:17:32bit first would get the first sip of
2:17:34blood. I didn't chase the buzzcut man to
2:17:36keep shooting. I swept the gun sideways.
2:17:39A hail of steel nails forced the nearest
2:17:41two men to dive behind tables that I
2:17:43kicked the low table in front of me
2:17:45aside and retreated deeper into the
2:17:46booth. My back hit the wall. At least I
2:17:49wouldn't have attacks coming from every
2:17:50direction at once. Bang! Bang! Bang!
2:17:52Bang! Bang! Down never stopped firing.
2:17:55Wood splinters burst in the air. Sofa
2:17:57backs were pierced and glass cups
2:17:59shattered one after another. A man in a
2:18:02floral shirt flipped over the low table.
2:18:04The moment he popped his head up, a shot
2:18:06went through his shoulder. His body
2:18:08toppled backward. Yet, in an instant, he
2:18:10pushed himself up off the floor again. I
2:18:12saw it clearly. The bloody hole in his
2:18:14shoulder was closing. It was no
2:18:16illusion. The wound punched through his
2:18:18flesh was healing before my eyes. My
2:18:20heart sank. I immediately lowered the
2:18:22gun, fired to snap his knee, and forced
2:18:24him to crash back down. Meanwhile, the
2:18:27buzzcut man who charged first had pulled
2:18:29the steel nail out of his face. Blood
2:18:31dripped off his chin. His flesh writhed
2:18:33and rippled. That whole barrage of shots
2:18:36had only hurt him, not truly taken him
2:18:38out of the fight. These vampires didn't
2:18:39show any so-called bloodclin magic. Nor
2:18:42could they directly turn into bats like
2:18:44in movies and TV shows. But their speed,
2:18:47strength, and their ability to keep
2:18:48recovering after being injured had
2:18:50already far surpassed the zombies in the
2:18:52previous instance. Hitting their bodies
2:18:54was not enough at all. I turned the
2:18:56muzzle and kept aiming at the heads and
2:18:57knees of those trying to get close. But
2:18:59they weren't creatures that would only
2:19:01charge straight into the gun's muzzle,
2:19:02either. Just as the flower shirt man
2:19:05fell, someone on the side had already
2:19:07lifted a table. Bang, bang, bang. Steel
2:19:10nails pierced through the tabletop. But
2:19:12the man took advantage of the moment he
2:19:13was blocked from view and darted out
2:19:15from beside the table. I immediately
2:19:17turned the gun. Another chair came
2:19:19flying from the other side. I hurriedly
2:19:21ducked. The chair leg grazed the top of
2:19:23my head, smashed into the wall, and
2:19:25splinters flew all over my face. I
2:19:28couldn't stop. If the gunfire paused
2:19:30even slightly, these things would
2:19:32immediately pounce right in front of me.
2:19:34I gritted my teeth and kept sweeping
2:19:36with rainstorm. The gun wouldn't run out
2:19:38of ammo, nor would it be damaged by
2:19:40continuous firing. But I only had two
2:19:42hands and one pair of eyes. If I guarded
2:19:44the left, someone would approach from
2:19:46the right. One vampire was knocked to
2:19:48the ground, and another had already
2:19:49stepped on his back and leaped up. I
2:19:51jerked the muzzle upward. got a steel
2:19:53nail shot through that man's cheek and
2:19:55his body fell from midair, smashing
2:19:58through a section of tabletop. That very
2:20:00moment, a hand reached out from behind
2:20:02the sofa armrest. It grabbed the front
2:20:04of rainstorm. My whole body tensed, and
2:20:06I violently pulled the gun back, but the
2:20:08other side used that force to lean out,
2:20:11revealing a blood smeared face that it
2:20:13was that fat man. He opened his mouth,
2:20:15and in his eyes there was only my neck.
2:20:17I kicked him hard in the abdomen. The
2:20:19fat man's body swayed, but he didn't let
2:20:21go. Footsteps approached from the side
2:20:23that a hand had even touched my sleeve.
2:20:26My eyes turned fierce. I was just about
2:20:28to ram him with both the man and the gun
2:20:30when a voice suddenly came from the
2:20:32corridor. All of you stop. The voice
2:20:34wasn't loud, but it made the
2:20:36handgripping rainstorm freeze instantly.
2:20:38Have you all forgotten what I said? The
2:20:40woman in the black dress stood at the
2:20:42corridor entrance. The smile was already
2:20:44gone from her face. Several vampires who
2:20:47had been about to pounce stopped in
2:20:48their tracks. The fat man slowly
2:20:50released his hand and took a step back.
2:20:52I immediately pulled Rainstorm back. The
2:20:55muzzle was still pointed at them. Those
2:20:57things that had been dying to tear me
2:20:58apart and devour me just moments ago now
2:21:01backed away one by one. Dot some lowered
2:21:03their heads. Some wiped the blood from
2:21:04the corners of their mouths. The buzzcut
2:21:07man still wanted to say something, but
2:21:08after the woman glanced at him, he
2:21:10immediately shut his mouth. Brother
2:21:12Xiao. Old Lee's voice came right after.
2:21:15He ran out from behind the woman,
2:21:16tightly hugging a strange device in his
2:21:19arms. The outer shell was obviously
2:21:21pieced together temporarily with fresh
2:21:23metal color still showing at several
2:21:25seams. Two hoses were wrapped around one
2:21:27side, their ends connected respectively
2:21:29to a slender metal connector and a
2:21:31nozzle with a grip. He had run too fast
2:21:34and almost slipped, nearly stepping on
2:21:36broken glass. Oldly staggered, but
2:21:38hugged the thing even tighter, I stepped
2:21:40forward half a step and reached out to
2:21:42catch it. It's done. It's done. Old Lee
2:21:45was drenched in sweat, panting so hard
2:21:48his voice trembled. I made it according
2:21:49to all your requirements. I changed the
2:21:52parts twice in the middle. Otherwise, it
2:21:53would have been even faster. He looked
2:21:55at the broken tables and chairs all over
2:21:57the floor, then at the vampires pulling
2:22:00steel nails out of themselves, and the
2:22:02color drained from his face bit by bit.
2:22:04They just now I heard gunshots inside
2:22:06and knew something had gone wrong. Say
2:22:08no more for now. I took the device that
2:22:10it was heavier than it looked that I
2:22:12flicked the grip with my thumb. Click.
2:22:14The switch popped back smoothly. Old
2:22:16leaned close to me and lowered his
2:22:18voice. But are you really going to do
2:22:20this? Yeah. Old stared at me blankly,
2:22:23mouth half open as if he still wanted to
2:22:25say something. But in the end, he said
2:22:27nothing. Not far away, the woman in the
2:22:29black dress smiled again. She didn't
2:22:31pursue the mess on the floor, nor did
2:22:33she ask who had started the fight. She
2:22:35just looked at me, then at the thing in
2:22:37my hand. The thing is built. and I
2:22:39brought the person back for you, too."
2:22:41She crossed her arms and leaned against
2:22:43the corridor, interest in her gaze.
2:22:45"Now, shouldn't you let me see that
2:22:46gift?" I slowly let out a breath. "If I
2:22:49had been even a little later, I probably
2:22:51really wouldn't have been able to hold
2:22:52on. With my current strength, trying to
2:22:55fight over a hundred vampires head-on
2:22:56was still too much of a stretch.
2:22:58Fortunately, Oldie had made it in time."
2:23:00I temporarily handed Rainstorm to Old
2:23:03Lee, then placed the device on the
2:23:04relatively intact table beside the
2:23:06booth. Then, I lifted my foot. Bang! I
2:23:09stepped straight onto it. The bars
2:23:11lights swept across my face around me.
2:23:13Those dark red eyes also rose little by
2:23:15little with my movement. The swallowing
2:23:17sounds that had been suppressed just now
2:23:19rose again that I stood high above them
2:23:21and swept my gaze over face after face
2:23:24bearing fangs that in my heartbeat was
2:23:25still very fast. But the corners of my
2:23:27mouth slowly curled up. Vampires their
2:23:30lair point two hours. Why had I chosen
2:23:32to come in even though I knew this place
2:23:34might be even more dangerous? Because to
2:23:36kill 10 mutated creatures, I had to find
2:23:39them, chase them, and fight them. But
2:23:41facing a group of vampires, I had
2:23:43another way. What did these things want?
2:23:45Blood. What they desired most, what they
2:23:47found hardest to resist was fresh human
2:23:50blood. And my infinite firepower was a
2:23:52conceptual entry. Any release type
2:23:54action could be infinite. Firing a gun
2:23:56was release. Sound waves were released.
2:23:58Then what about bleeding? I held the
2:24:00metal connector at one end of the device
2:24:02in my hand. With my other hand, I
2:24:04gripped the nozzle and slowly raised it.
2:24:06The woman in the black dress's gaze
2:24:08shifted slightly. She seemed to have
2:24:10finally guessed something, but I was
2:24:11already laughing. Didn't you want to
2:24:13drink my blood? That shout drowned out
2:24:15the nearby whispers. Then I'll let you
2:24:17drink your fill. I raised my head and my
2:24:20voice rang throughout the bar. Tonight,
2:24:22the whole house is on Mihao. As soon as
2:24:25the words fell, the metal connector
2:24:27stabbed fiercely into my artery. Old
2:24:29Lee's pupil shrank. The woman in the
2:24:31black dress also straightened up. Then I
2:24:34pressed the switch. H. The temporarily
2:24:36modified device suddenly started
2:24:38operating. Bright red blood poured into
2:24:40the hose, passed through the pump, and
2:24:42rushed rapidly along the other end
2:24:44toward the nozzle. Pain came from the
2:24:46wound, but the physical strength that
2:24:48should have drained away didn't decline
2:24:50in the slightest. Blood kept surging
2:24:52out. Dot. It did not run dry. It did not
2:24:55stop. Infinite firepower was in effect.
2:24:57I raised the nozzle high, aimed it at
2:25:00the upper part of the bar, and suddenly
2:25:01squeezed the grip. Splash! A stream of
2:25:04blood shot into the air. Under the
2:25:06pressure of the nozzle, the bright red
2:25:07liquid suddenly scattered, crashing into
2:25:10the interlaced lights and turning into
2:25:12dense raindrops falling downward. The
2:25:14bar counter, the dance floor, the
2:25:16booths. Drop after drop of blood fell
2:25:18toward those upturned faces. Inside the
2:25:21blood feast bar, a rain of blood began
2:25:23to fall. A flash of blue white light.
2:25:26Hard ground returned beneath my feet.
2:25:28The noisy music disappeared. The rain of
2:25:30blood filling the sky disappeared. Those
2:25:33vampires who had fallen into madness
2:25:35were all left behind in another world.
2:25:37When my vision recovered, I was standing
2:25:39once again on the empty ground in front
2:25:41of the unfinished building. The night
2:25:43wind blew past. The blood moon still
2:25:45hung overhead. It was as if everything
2:25:48that had happened in the blood feast bar
2:25:49had just been an absurd dream. But the
2:25:52wound on my arm was still there. And the
2:25:54bloodstained pressure device in old
2:25:55Lee's arms was still there, too. They
2:25:57both proved that it had not been a
2:25:59dream. I said nothing. Lines of system
2:26:02prompts had already appeared before my
2:26:03eyes. Instance quest completed. The
2:26:06participant successfully spent 2 hours
2:26:08in the vampires lair. Basic reward
2:26:10issued. One draw chance. One box of
2:26:12compressed biscuits. Detected that the
2:26:14participant has achieved one of the
2:26:16perfect clear conditions. You satisfied
2:26:18all blood clans in the blood feast bar
2:26:20with your own blood and gained the
2:26:21recognition of the bars person in
2:26:23charge. Perfect clear. Evaluation
2:26:25achieved. Special reward obtained.
2:26:28Title: Friend of the blood clan. Perfect
2:26:30clear. My eyes brightened slightly that
2:26:32I hadn't expected that the blood rain I
2:26:34had created would unexpectedly trigger a
2:26:36perfect clear. Then I saw the perfect
2:26:38clear requirements for this instance.
2:26:40There were actually two routes. Besides
2:26:42gaining the friendship of the blood
2:26:44clan, one could also kill all the
2:26:46vampires that would grant another title,
2:26:48blood clan slayer. So that was how it
2:26:50was. The conditions for a perfect clear
2:26:52were not necessarily limited to just
2:26:54one. Two titles point two routes. Yet
2:26:57both could let the participant achieve a
2:26:59perfect clear. Did that mean that in the
2:27:01instances I had experienced before,
2:27:03there were also other perfect clear
2:27:05methods I hadn't discovered? I
2:27:06temporarily suppressed that thought and
2:27:08looked at the newly obtained title.
2:27:10Title: Friend of the Blood Clan. Effect.
2:27:13After equipping the title, initial
2:27:14favorability when facing blood clan
2:27:16creatures is increased. Equip. Equip. I
2:27:19made the choice. Friend of the blood
2:27:21clan wasn't very useful right now, but
2:27:23if I encountered blood clans again in
2:27:25the future, this title might save me
2:27:27quite a bit of trouble. While I was
2:27:29checking the rewards, the crowd in front
2:27:30of the unfinished building also stirred.
2:27:33They're out. It's Kuan and Oldly. What
2:27:36about the others? Why are there only two
2:27:38of them? Everyone crowded around but
2:27:40when they clearly saw the number of
2:27:42people their footsteps involuntarily
2:27:44slowed that a total of eight people had
2:27:46entered the vampire instance. Now only
2:27:48Xiao Kuan and Oldly had come out. Su was
2:27:51not there. Sun Chun was not there. The
2:27:53other four had not appeared either. The
2:27:55answer was already obvious. Apart from
2:27:57the two of us before them. Everyone else
2:27:59had died in the instance. Some people
2:28:01looked at the empty ground behind us as
2:28:03if still hoping the instance would spit
2:28:05out a few more figures. But there was no
2:28:07change there. Six people, all dead. What
2:28:09exactly is inside the vampire instance?
2:28:12How did the two of them survive? Why are
2:28:14they covered in blood? Low murmurss rose
2:28:16one after another. Some people's eyes
2:28:18were full of shock. Others guessed what
2:28:20we had experienced in the instance, but
2:28:22more people's attention was quickly
2:28:24drawn to something else. Light
2:28:25flickered. Two cardboard boxes appeared
2:28:28out of thin air beside my old Lee's
2:28:30feet. The boxes were printed with the
2:28:32words compressed biscuits. They were
2:28:34exactly the basic rewards we had
2:28:36received after completing the instance.
2:28:38The surrounding breathing immediately
2:28:40grew much heavier. Compressed biscuits
2:28:42and two whole boxes. In an era where
2:28:44food was becoming harder and harder to
2:28:46find. These biscuits alone were enough
2:28:48to drive people crazy. Envy, greed, and
2:28:52regret. All kinds of gazes moved back
2:28:54and forth over the two boxes. If they
2:28:57had chosen to follow Ziao Kuan into the
2:28:58instance earlier, would they have been
2:29:00one of the people who came out alive? If
2:29:02they had been a little braver back then,
2:29:04would the person getting a box of food
2:29:05now have been them? Some even could not
2:29:07suppress other thoughts. But when they
2:29:09saw a rainstorm in my hand and
2:29:11remembered the three corpses shot
2:29:12through by steel nails, the greed that
2:29:15had just risen was quickly forced back
2:29:17down. The reward was indeed tempting,
2:29:19but there was only one life. I ignored
2:29:21the gazes around me. I raised my eyes
2:29:23and scanned the crowd, quickly spotting
2:29:25Yuluan on one side of the unfinished
2:29:28building. Why Lin Yuan had already come
2:29:30out. He was still alone in the dark, far
2:29:32away from everyone. His wide head
2:29:34covering most of his face as if the
2:29:36instance just now had left no effect on
2:29:38him at all. But beside him, there was an
2:29:41extra cardboard box containing bottled
2:29:42water that I looked toward the instance
2:29:44light screen again. By Kuang and Jeang
2:29:46Chong had not come out yet. Three people
2:29:48had entered the N7 experimental base and
2:29:51now only Yin Yuan had returned first.
2:29:54What had happened to those two inside
2:29:55the instance? I didn't know. But given
2:29:57the relationship between Buang and Jeang
2:30:00Chong, even if there were no mutated
2:30:02creatures in the instance, it was
2:30:04probably impossible for them to get
2:30:05along peacefully. Brother Xiao Old Le's
2:30:08voice came from beside me. Let's get
2:30:10back in the car first. Your arm is still
2:30:12bleeding. I glanced down. The wound left
2:30:14by the metal connector stabbing into my
2:30:16artery was still seeping blood. Let's
2:30:18go. I bent down and picked up a box of
2:30:21compressed biscuits. Oldly hurriedly
2:30:23picked up the other box and followed me
2:30:24toward the modified van. The crowd
2:30:26subconsciously opened a path. Everyone's
2:30:29eyes followed the two boxes. So many
2:30:31compressed biscuits. Someone licked
2:30:33their cracked lips. If I could get just
2:30:34two packs, I wouldn't have to go hungry
2:30:36for days. Another person nearby
2:30:38whispered, "What are you thinking?
2:30:40That's what they traded their lives for.
2:30:42I didn't say I was going to rob them."
2:30:44"Rob?" With the example of old Joe and
2:30:46the other two right there who would
2:30:48still dare to rob. I reached the van,
2:30:50pulled open the door, and put the box
2:30:52into the cabin. Old also stuffed the
2:30:55other box inside. The two boxes sat
2:30:57together, taking up almost half a row of
2:30:59seats that I got into the car. Oldie dug
2:31:01out the remaining clean water and cloth
2:31:03strips and helped me clean the wound.
2:31:05Bear with it. Water poured over the
2:31:07wound that a stinging pain came that I
2:31:09frowned slightly but didn't make a sound
2:31:11as oldly wrapped the cloth strips, he
2:31:13said with lingering fear. Thank goodness
2:31:15your ability really worked. Otherwise,
2:31:18with the extraction speed of that thing,
2:31:20let alone lasting over an hour, it could
2:31:22have drained a person dry in minutes.
2:31:25Remembering the blood rain in the bar,
2:31:27he still felt his scalp go numb. A man
2:31:29standing on a table, spraying his own
2:31:31blood across the entire bar. Around him,
2:31:34groups of vampires looked up and fought
2:31:36over it, falling into endless realry
2:31:38that he would never forget a scene like
2:31:40that for the rest of his life. I moved
2:31:42my bandaged arm. Done. Oldly tied a knot
2:31:45and withdrew his hands. I nodded. Then I
2:31:47turned my attention to the draw chance.
2:31:49Use this draw chance. Use. Then a book
2:31:52with a black cover stopped in front of
2:31:54me. Congratulations. You have obtained
2:31:56the skill book. Rapid fire. Rapid fire.
2:31:59Active skill. Skill effect. After
2:32:01activating the skill for a certain
2:32:03period of time. The firing speed of
2:32:05shooting type weapons increases by 100%.
2:32:08Firing speed increased by 100%. In other
2:32:11words, doubled rate of fire. A trace of
2:32:13light immediately appeared in my eyes.
2:32:15This skill was simply too suitable for
2:32:17me. If an ordinary person used rapid
2:32:19fire, the faster they shot, the faster
2:32:22their ammunition would be consumed if
2:32:23the weapons reload speed couldn't keep
2:32:25up, or if they weren't carrying enough
2:32:27ammunition, doubled rate of fire would
2:32:29instead make the bullets run out even
2:32:31faster. It might even cause the gun to
2:32:33overheat from continuous shooting and
2:32:35affect its use. But to me, none of those
2:32:37problems existed. Infinite firepower
2:32:40already allowed me to ignore reloading,
2:32:42ammunition, cooling, and were caused by
2:32:44continuous use. Now, with rapid fire
2:32:47added, Rainstorm's firepower could
2:32:49double again on top of its original
2:32:51basis. I didn't hesitate. Use skill
2:32:53book. The black skill book turned into
2:32:55points of light and quickly merged into
2:32:57my body. You have mastered the active
2:32:59skill. Rapid fire. I clenched my hand.
2:33:02If it weren't unsuitable to test fire
2:33:04inside the car, I would have wanted to
2:33:06see right now just how dense a barrage
2:33:08rainstorm could produce with doubled
2:33:09rate of fire. What did you draw? I
2:33:11pulled my mind back and looked at Old
2:33:13Lee. When rewards were mentioned, some
2:33:15joy appeared on Old Lee's face as well.
2:33:18It's something strange. He reached out
2:33:20and tapped in front of him that a faint
2:33:22light flashed that a silver gray device
2:33:24only half the size of a palm appeared in
2:33:26his hand. Its shape was somewhat like a
2:33:28human cookia. The main body was a curved
2:33:30half ring with no buttons on the
2:33:32surface, only a few pale blue lines. A
2:33:35very thin transparent support extended
2:33:37from the inner side, looking as if it
2:33:39could fit perfectly against the ear. I
2:33:41took it. Equipment information
2:33:43immediately appeared. Equipment N1 smart
2:33:46auxiliary brain. Equipment type. Smart
2:33:48auxiliary terminal. Equipment
2:33:50description. Earmounted device with a
2:33:52built-in N1 level preliminary
2:33:54intelligent AI. It can perform
2:33:56information recording, voice reminders,
2:33:58and basic data analysis to assist the
2:34:01user. N1 smart auxiliary brain that I
2:34:03handed the device back to Old. Put it on
2:34:06and try. Oldly studied it for a while,
2:34:08then placed it behind his right ear
2:34:10according to its shape. The silver gray
2:34:12shell automatically tightened. The
2:34:14transparent support extended along the
2:34:16contour of his ear and fixed firmly in
2:34:18place. The pale blue lines lit up.
2:34:20Device activated. A calm voice spoke
2:34:23directly into Old Lee's ear,
2:34:25establishing initial profile. Old Lee
2:34:27was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly
2:34:29touched the side of his ear. It talked.
2:34:32"This thing is really talking right next
2:34:33to my ear." He looked left and right,
2:34:36then lowered his voice and asked, "Can
2:34:38you understand what I'm saying?" The
2:34:40device beside his ear quickly responded,
2:34:42"Yes, the current intelligence level is
2:34:45N1. Basic commands can be completed."
2:34:47Old Lee's eyes immediately lit up. He
2:34:50was a field mechanic. In the future,
2:34:52whether analyzing machinery, recording
2:34:54materials, or organizing modification
2:34:56ideas, he would need to handle a large
2:34:58amount of information. This thing
2:35:00couldn't directly increase combat power,
2:35:02but it happened to be able to handle
2:35:04many trivial tasks for him. Not bad.
2:35:07Oldly touched the side of his ear,
2:35:09looking more and more satisfied. But I
2:35:11suddenly remembered another matter. What
2:35:13about your special reward? What special
2:35:15reward? The special reward for a perfect
2:35:18clear. Old was startled. Then he shook
2:35:20his head. No, the system only told me
2:35:22the quest was completed and gave me one
2:35:25draw chance and one box of compressed
2:35:27biscuits. It didn't say anything about a
2:35:29perfect clear. My brows slowly furrowed.
2:35:32Don't know. In the previous mall
2:35:33instance, Oldie had clearly received a
2:35:35perfect clear evaluation together with
2:35:37me. His field mechanic class seed was
2:35:40the special reward from that instance.
2:35:42But this time, I had obtained a friend
2:35:44of the blood clan title while oldly had
2:35:46not received any special reward. Why was
2:35:49it? Because last time in the mall
2:35:51instance, we had been in a state of
2:35:52joint combat and the system had by
2:35:54default treated the two of us as a team.
2:35:56And this time old had left me while
2:35:58making the device. So he wasn't judged
2:36:00as having jointly completed the perfect
2:36:02clear conditions. Or was it because the
2:36:04title friend of the blood clan itself
2:36:05was unique and would only be issued to
2:36:08the person who truly completed the key
2:36:10action. Or perhaps there were other
2:36:11judgment rules I hadn't discovered. I
2:36:13thought for a while but couldn't find an
2:36:15accurate answer. I had experienced too
2:36:17few instances. My understanding of
2:36:19instance quests, evaluations, and reward
2:36:21judgments was limited to what I had seen
2:36:23so far. There were clearly many
2:36:25undiscovered secrets hidden in these
2:36:27instances. If I wanted to figure them
2:36:29out, I could only continue entering more
2:36:31instances and verify them bit by bit.
2:36:33Just as I was thinking about this,
2:36:35outside the unfinished building, a
2:36:37scream suddenly came. Ah, the sound was
2:36:40shrill. The crowd outside the car fell
2:36:42silent for a moment. Then, terrified
2:36:44cries rose from the outer edge.
2:36:46Monsters. Monsters are coming. Run. My
2:36:49eyes sharpened and I grabbed rainstorm
2:36:51and pushed open the car door. The area
2:36:53in front of the unfinished building was
2:36:55already in chaos. People on the outer
2:36:57edge desperately crowded inward. Some
2:36:59threw away what they were holding. Some
2:37:01swung weapons trying to make the people
2:37:03blocking them move aside. Others fell to
2:37:05the ground and were immediately stepped
2:37:07over by those behind them. Dot. On the
2:37:08outer side of the chaotic crowd, several
2:37:11grey black figures were moving quickly.
2:37:13They were wolf- type monsters. Their
2:37:15bodies were a fulls size larger than
2:37:16ordinary wild wolves with shoulders and
2:37:19backs close to an adult's waist. Gray
2:37:21black fur clung to their bodies. A row
2:37:23of backwards slanting bone spikes grew
2:37:25along their spines and their fangs
2:37:27jutted out from their lips. Under one of
2:37:29the direwolves feet, there was a man who
2:37:31had just been knocked down. Blood was
2:37:33already pouring from the side of his
2:37:35neck. The auxiliary AI told me this is a
2:37:38rift fang direwolf, a low tier monster.
2:37:41Old Lee's voice came from behind. I
2:37:43nodded slightly. then looked at the
2:37:44terrified crowd. "Don't run around," I
2:37:47shouted sternly. But people whose
2:37:49courage had already been broken couldn't
2:37:50listen at all that I directly raised
2:37:52rainstorm and fired several shots above
2:37:54the crowd. Bang! Bang! Bang! Steel nails
2:37:58shot into the concrete wall nearby. The
2:38:00loud reports finally overpowered the
2:38:02chaotic screams. Everyone subconsciously
2:38:04stopped. "All of you hide in the
2:38:06unfinished building." I raised the gun
2:38:09and pointed it at the entrance. If
2:38:11anyone else blocks here, when the
2:38:12direwolves charge over, none of you will
2:38:14survive. Seeing the muzzle of rainstorm,
2:38:17the crowd finally regained a little
2:38:19order. The people closest to the
2:38:21entrance were the first to rush into the
2:38:22unfinished building. The people behind
2:38:24no longer ran around randomly and all
2:38:27followed the evacuation inside. "Oldly,
2:38:30get back in the car." Hearing that,
2:38:32Oldie hurriedly turned around and locked
2:38:34the car door again. "Be careful." The
2:38:36riff fang direwolves on the outer edge
2:38:38had already begun charging. Three dire
2:38:40wolves came from different directions.
2:38:42They grew faster and faster. They kept
2:38:44low, claws continuously scraping the
2:38:47ground. And in the blink of an eye, they
2:38:49crossed a large area of ruins. I raised
2:38:51Rainstorm. Perfect chance to test the
2:38:53skill I had just obtained. Rapid fire.
2:38:56The skill activated. A strange sensation
2:38:58spread through both my arms. Rainstorm's
2:39:01weight had not changed. But the movement
2:39:03of my trigger finger and the rhythm of
2:39:05the gun's continuous fire instantly
2:39:06doubled in speed. Bang! Bang! Bang!
2:39:08Bang! Bang! bang. The explosive reports
2:39:11suddenly cracked out in one continuous
2:39:13string. If the previous shooting had
2:39:15been a rainstorm, then now it was a
2:39:17bursting flood. Dense steel nails
2:39:19instantly enveloped the three riff fang
2:39:21dire wolves at the very front. They were
2:39:23indeed fast, but facing steel nails so
2:39:26fast they almost blended into one
2:39:28continuous stream. There was no room to
2:39:30dodge at all. Puffed, puffed, puffed,
2:39:32puffed. Blood flowers burst out one
2:39:34after another. The first direwolf's
2:39:37chest was pierced repeatedly, and its
2:39:39charging body flipped over, sliding
2:39:41several meters along the rubble. The
2:39:42second had only just leaped when its
2:39:44abdomen and limbs were hit by a large
2:39:47number of steel nails. It lost balance
2:39:49in midair and crashed heavily to the
2:39:51ground. The last one tried to change
2:39:53direction, but the steel nails had
2:39:55already swept after it. In the blink of
2:39:57an eye, it was stuck like a hedgehog.
2:39:59All three Riff Fang dire wolves were
2:40:01covered in steel nails without even
2:40:03managing a single counterattack. The
2:40:05three dire wolves lay on the ground.
2:40:07After twitching a few times, they never
2:40:09rose again. I looked at Rainstorm in my
2:40:11hands, excitement flashing through my
2:40:13eyes. The firing rate really had
2:40:15doubled. The same weapon, the same
2:40:17power, but the density of firepower had
2:40:19been raised to an entirely different
2:40:21level. If I had possessed this skill
2:40:23back in the blood banquet bar, those
2:40:25vampires would have found it even harder
2:40:26to rush up to me. Maybe I could even try
2:40:29to kill all the vampires and take
2:40:31another perfect clear route. A wo from
2:40:33the woods in the distance. A wolf howl
2:40:35suddenly came. Then dot a second, a
2:40:37third. More howls rose from different
2:40:40directions, quickly linking into one
2:40:42continuous sound. The excitement on my
2:40:44face faded. Not it wasn't just a few
2:40:46demon wolves coming to it. Was an entire
2:40:49pack. Gray black figures appeared one
2:40:51after another. 5.10.20. They spread out
2:40:54constantly moving along the outer
2:40:56perimeter of the unfinished building.
2:40:58Pairs of dark yellow eyes stared fixedly
2:41:00at me. Drool dripping from the corners
2:41:02of their mouth struck the dust on the
2:41:04ground, leaving dark spots that I slowly
2:41:06turned Storm's muzzle. The Rift Fang
2:41:09demon wolves did not pounce immediately.
2:41:11The deaths of three of their kind just
2:41:13now had clearly made them realize how
2:41:14dangerous Storm was. They were
2:41:16encircling, looking for an opening. At
2:41:18that moment, apart from me and the dead
2:41:20on the ground, everyone else had
2:41:22retreated into the unfinished building.
2:41:24One demon wolf suddenly lowered its
2:41:26body. Several others on the flank
2:41:28simultaneously tensed their limbs. They
2:41:30were going to attack together. I pressed
2:41:32Storm against my shoulder and put my
2:41:34finger back to the trigger. Just then, a
2:41:36figure in a dark hoodie slowly walked
2:41:38out from the shadows. It was Y Linuan.
2:41:41The surrounding demon wolves growled,
2:41:42"luan
2:41:44did not look at them. He simply raised
2:41:47his right hand and slowly clenched it in
2:41:49the empty air, his five fingers closed
2:41:51as S if gripping something." The next
2:41:53moment that a deep blue glimmer lit up
2:41:55in his palm. The light stretched to both
2:41:57sides that a narrow hilt was drawn out
2:41:59of the void. Bit by bit. First the hilt,
2:42:02then the guard. Finally, a long, narrow,
2:42:05straight blade. The whole sword
2:42:07resembled its tang saber. The blade was
2:42:09narrow and long, almost ink black, yet a
2:42:12very thin silver blue line flowed along
2:42:14its edge. When the blade left the void,
2:42:16a black crack lingered in the air, slow
2:42:19to close. Yinuan pulled the long saber
2:42:21completely free. The tip pointed
2:42:23slanting toward the ground. He did not
2:42:25assume any stance. Yet a rift fang demon
2:42:28wolf seemed to sense danger and lunged
2:42:30at him. Yeling Yuan's figure blurred.
2:42:33Gone. No, it was not true disappearance
2:42:35that it was simply too fast. So fast
2:42:37that human sight could not catch it. I
2:42:40only saw a flash of silver blue blade
2:42:42light sweep across the open ground. When
2:42:44Yinuan appeared again, he was already
2:42:46standing behind that demon wolf. The
2:42:48long saber remained slanting downward.
2:42:50The demon wolf landed. It still rushed
2:42:53forward two steps. Only then did a thin
2:42:55line of blood appear across its waist
2:42:57and abdomen. Puffed blood sprayed. The
2:43:00riff fang demon wolf's body split along
2:43:02the bloodline and broke into two pieces.
2:43:05The remaining wolves stirred at once.
2:43:07Three demon wolves lunged at Yu Linuan
2:43:09from the side. The Wii Linuan did not
2:43:11even turn his head. His foot shifted
2:43:13slightly. His figure flickered again.
2:43:15Silver blue blade light flashed in
2:43:17succession. The first demon wolf's head
2:43:19flew up. The second was cut diagonally
2:43:21from the chest. The third had just
2:43:23landed when all four limbs lost strength
2:43:25and its body tumbled into the rubble.
2:43:28Fast. Far too fast. Earlier when Buang
2:43:31had challenged him, Yilin Yuan had only
2:43:33dodged and never attacked. Everyone knew
2:43:35he was fast, but no one knew that once
2:43:37he truly held a weapon, killing could be
2:43:40this fast. Left side is mine. Yuan
2:43:43suddenly spoke. Dot. I grinned. Just
2:43:44what I wanted. The demon wolves on the
2:43:46right had already charged. I turned
2:43:48storm and pulled the trigger without
2:43:50hesitation. Bang. Bang. Bang! Bang!
2:43:52Bang! Steel spikes formed a dense wall
2:43:54of fire and swept toward the pack. The
2:43:57demon wolf at the very front lowered its
2:43:58head to dodge. I pressed the muzzle down
2:44:01after it. The steel spikes shattered the
2:44:03ground, then ran up along its foregs
2:44:06chest. Two others split off from the
2:44:08side, trying to bypass the direct line
2:44:10of fire. I immediately swung the muzzle
2:44:12sideways. The rapid fire state had not
2:44:14ended. Storm spat steel spikes at a
2:44:17terrifying speed. One demon wolf had
2:44:19only run a few steps when its hind legs
2:44:21were broken outright and its body
2:44:23tumbled. The wolf behind it could not
2:44:25dodge in time and tripped over it,
2:44:27falling forward. The steel spikes
2:44:29followed, nailing both wolves to the
2:44:31ground together. On the other side, Wing
2:44:33Yuan's figure kept flickering. Every
2:44:35disappearance was followed by a flash of
2:44:37silver blue blade light. Every
2:44:39reappearance left another wolf corpse on
2:44:42the ground. One man with a gun point,
2:44:44one man with a saber. I used frontal
2:44:46firepower to seal off the entire area,
2:44:48giving the demon wolves no chance to get
2:44:50close. That why Linuan moved at high
2:44:52speed through the pack, specifically
2:44:54cutting down those trying to slip around
2:44:56the firepower from the flanks. We had
2:44:57not planned it beforehand. We had not
2:44:59even exchanged many words. Yet, in an
2:45:02extremely short time, we had formed a
2:45:04coordination. Bang, bang, bang, bang,
2:45:06bang, bang. Gunshots exploded
2:45:08continuously. Blade light flashed again
2:45:11and again. Rift fang demon wolves kept
2:45:14falling. The remaining wolves,
2:45:15stimulated by the smell of blood, became
2:45:18even more frenzied. They no longer
2:45:20tested seven or eight demon wolves
2:45:22charged at the same time from different
2:45:24directions. I did not retreat. The
2:45:26muzzle swept from left to right, drawing
2:45:28a dense line of death. Steel spikes
2:45:30poured out. The three demon wolves in
2:45:32front were hit one after another. The
2:45:34ones behind stepped over their
2:45:35companions corpses and tried to keep
2:45:37advancing. But Yulinuan had already
2:45:39appeared among them. The long saber
2:45:41turned out. A ring of silver blue light
2:45:43swept horizontally from waist height.
2:45:45Blood burst out at the same instant.
2:45:48Several demon wolves still maintained
2:45:50their forward charging posture, but
2:45:51their bodies had already lost support
2:45:53and fell one after another. The last
2:45:55riff fang demon wolf turned to flee that
2:45:58I raised the gun before I could pull the
2:45:59trigger. Yin yuan had already flashed
2:46:02past its side. The demon wolf continued
2:46:04running a few meters. Its head suddenly
2:46:06slid off from the side of its neck. The
2:46:08headless body ran a little farther
2:46:10before heavily collapsing. The gunshot
2:46:12stopped. The blade light vanished as
2:46:14well. I in just a short while, more than
2:46:1620 riff fang demon wolves lay dead on
2:46:19the ground. A thick smell of blood
2:46:21spread through the ruins. Inside the
2:46:23unfinished building, all was silent. The
2:46:25people hiding behind the entrance stared
2:46:27at the wolf corpses all over the ground,
2:46:29shock filling their eyes, forgetting
2:46:31even to breathe that I slowly lowered
2:46:33storm. Yin Yuan stood on the other side.
2:46:36There was not much blood on the long
2:46:38saber in his hand. Only the thin silver
2:46:40blue line along the blad's edge still
2:46:42flowed slowly in the darkness. The two
2:46:44of us looked at each other across the
2:46:46field of corpses before we could speak
2:46:48that a deeper wolf howl suddenly came
2:46:50from the distance. A woo! The sound was
2:46:52far more powerful than before. Even the
2:46:55small stones on the ground trembled
2:46:56slightly with a howl. Yin yuan and I
2:46:59turned at the same time. Behind the
2:47:01abandoned vehicles, a huge gray black
2:47:03figure slowly walked out. It was also a
2:47:05riff fang demon wolf, but its body was
2:47:07at least two sizes larger than an
2:47:09ordinary demon wolf. Its limbs were
2:47:11thick and strong. Its shoulder height
2:47:13was almost level with the windows of a
2:47:15van. The bone spikes on its back were no
2:47:17longer gray white, but tinged with dark
2:47:19red, as if they had just grown out of
2:47:21flesh and blood. Two fangs protruded
2:47:24from the corners of its mouth, nearly
2:47:26the length of an adult's forearm. Every
2:47:28step it took left clear claw marks on
2:47:30the concrete ground. The riff fanged
2:47:32wolf king, the leader of the pack. It
2:47:34had finally appeared after all the
2:47:35remaining demon wolves were dead. My
2:47:37expression turned grave. Ordinary riff
2:47:40fang demon wolves were already fast.
2:47:42This wolf king before me in both size
2:47:44and aura was far beyond those ordinary
2:47:47demon wolves could storm steel spikes
2:47:49easily pierce its body. I was not sure
2:47:51that why Linuan did not attack
2:47:53immediately either. He held the long
2:47:55saber, the tip slightly raised. The two
2:47:57of us stood left and right. Though
2:47:59neither spoke, we had already made the
2:48:01same judgment at the same time. This
2:48:03wolf king was strong to kill it. Joining
2:48:06forces was the best choice. The riff
2:48:08fanged wolf king lowered its head. Its
2:48:10dark yellow beast pupils moved back and
2:48:12forth between the two of us. The low
2:48:14growl rose from deep in its throat, but
2:48:16I raised storm. Why Linuan also slowly
2:48:19adjusted his blade. The atmosphere
2:48:20between the two sides quickly tightened.
2:48:23Just as the riff fanged wolf king was
2:48:25about to pounce, a voice suddenly came
2:48:27from the other side. friends. The voice
2:48:29was not very loud, but it carried a
2:48:31doineering will to fight and reached
2:48:33every ear clearly. Leave this prey to
2:48:36me. How about it? My finger, which had
2:48:38been holding the trigger, paused
2:48:40slightly. Dot. Why Lin Yuan also turned
2:48:42his gaze. We both looked toward the
2:48:44source of the voice at the same time
2:48:45that on the other side of the unfinished
2:48:47building, the blue white instance light
2:48:49was rapidly contracting that a tall
2:48:51figure walked out of the light. His
2:48:53clothes were torn, his fists and arms
2:48:55were covered in blood. But that powerful
2:48:57body still stood straight, and the aura
2:49:00around him was even stronger than before
2:49:02he entered the instance. By Kuang, from
2:49:04the moment he appeared, his gaze had
2:49:06already fallen on the riff fanged wolf
2:49:08king. That undisguised fighting intent
2:49:10made even the wolf king stop advancing.
2:49:12And behind by Kuang, a person was lying
2:49:15prone. Jeang Chong, his clothes had been
2:49:17completely shredded. The flesh tendrils
2:49:19on his back that had once been able to
2:49:21crack concrete were now almost all
2:49:23broken off. Only a few bloody stumps
2:49:25remained, twitching slightly. His face
2:49:27was pressed against the ground. One arm
2:49:30was twisted at an unnatural angle at his
2:49:32side. His whole body was like a pile of
2:49:34mud. He did not even have the strength
2:49:36to lift his head. Im gaze focused
2:49:38slightly. I did not know what exactly
2:49:40had happened in the N7 experimental
2:49:42base. Nor did I know whether Bangu and
2:49:44Jeang Chong had fought again, but the
2:49:46result was clear enough. Jeang Chong had
2:49:48lost and lost badly, but he was not dead
2:49:51at least. By Kuang had not killed him.
2:49:53The last trace of blue white light
2:49:55slowly dissipated behind the two of
2:49:57them. The instance light curtain
2:49:58completely went out. The instance light
2:50:00completely dissipated. Buang stepped
2:50:02forward. The riff fanged wolf king<unk>s
2:50:04gaze also moved away from Y Lin Yuan and
2:50:07me, landing on him. The two lines of
2:50:09sight collided in midair. No probing, no
2:50:12yielding. The next moment, the Rift Fang
2:50:14Wolf King's four limbs exploded with
2:50:16force. Bang! Large cracks burst open in
2:50:19the concrete beneath its feet. And that
2:50:21huge body crossed more than 10 meters in
2:50:23an instant, carrying a foul wind as it
2:50:26slammed toward Buang. By Kuang did not
2:50:28dodged. He twisted his waist, clenched
2:50:31his fist, and the muscles all over his
2:50:33body tightened one by one. Come on, he
2:50:36threw a punch. Fist and wolf claw
2:50:38collided head-on. A dull, heavy impact
2:50:41exploded in front of the unfinished
2:50:42building. The ground beneath by Kuang's
2:50:44feet suddenly sank and rubble shot out
2:50:47in all directions. The riff fang wolf
2:50:49king was also knocked off balance by the
2:50:51punch. After landing, it slid several
2:50:53meters sideways, its four claws plowing
2:50:56deep marks into the ground. By Kuan
2:50:58looked down at his fist point, three
2:50:59bloody cuts had appeared on the back of
2:51:01his hand, but he grinned, the fighting
2:51:03intent in his eyes burning even hotter.
2:51:06Huh, that's more like it. As soon as the
2:51:08words fell, Buang charged forward on his
2:51:11own. The rift fanged wolf king let out a
2:51:13low roar and opened its mouth to bite.
2:51:15The two fangs closed together, but by
2:51:17Kuang's head tilted aside at the last
2:51:19instant. His shoulder brushed past the
2:51:21fangs. His clothes were torn open and a
2:51:24large patch of flesh rolled back, but at
2:51:26the same time, his fist slammed into the
2:51:28wolf king<unk>s abdomen. Bang! The fur
2:51:30on the Wolf King's flank caved inward
2:51:33and its huge body was actually knocked
2:51:35off all four feet. By Kuang chased
2:51:37forward, the second punch heading for
2:51:39its lower jaw. The Wolf King's forpaw
2:51:41swept across. Blood splashed. Several
2:51:43claw marks immediately appeared on By
2:51:45Kuang's chest, and he was sent flying,
2:51:48crashing into a bare concrete pillar.
2:51:50The pillar shook. Cracks spread rapidly
2:51:52from behind him. Before Buang even
2:51:54landed, the Rift Fang Wolf King had
2:51:56already pounced again. Its huge mouth
2:51:58opened. Fangs aiming straight for his
2:52:00neck. By Kuang raised both arms and
2:52:03desperately held the wolf king<unk>s
2:52:04upper and lower jaws apart. The immense
2:52:07force pressed his body down
2:52:08continuously, his shoall sliding
2:52:10backward across the ground, the fangs
2:52:12drew closer and closer to his face. The
2:52:15stench from the wolf's mouth had already
2:52:16sprayed onto his face. "Beast! Is that
2:52:19all the strength you have?" The veins on
2:52:21by Kuang's arms bulged, and the veins at
2:52:24his temples rose as well. "Then get off
2:52:26me!" A furious roar, he actually forced
2:52:29the wolf king<unk>s huge mouth open,
2:52:31then raised his knee and slammed it into
2:52:33its lower jaw. Bang! The rift fanged
2:52:36wolf king<unk>'s head jerked upward and
2:52:38Bang took the chance to grab the fur on
2:52:40its neck. He put strength into his waist
2:52:42and back and flipped that huge body to
2:52:44the ground. Man and wolf rolled out
2:52:46together. Rubble flew. Wolf claws and
2:52:49fists collided continuously, dull
2:52:51impacts linking into one sound. In just
2:52:53over 10 seconds, the two sides had
2:52:56already clashed head-on more than 10
2:52:58times. I stood not far away, watching
2:53:00with a slightly focused gaze. by Kuang
2:53:03was strong. Even though he had just come
2:53:04out of the instance and was already
2:53:06injured, he could still face the rift
2:53:08fanged wolf king head on. But the wolf
2:53:10king's body was far tougher than a
2:53:12humans. When Buang punched it, he could
2:53:14only make it recoil in pain. When its
2:53:16claws landed on Bang, they tore open
2:53:18flesh and blood every time. This kind of
2:53:21trading injury for injury. The longer it
2:53:23dragged on, the worse it was for Buang.
2:53:26And that was exactly what happened. The
2:53:27Riff Fang Wolf King gradually adapted to
2:53:30Ba Kuang's attacks that it no longer
2:53:32collided head-on with his fists, but
2:53:34used its size and speed to keep circling
2:53:36to his side. Banguang missed several
2:53:37punches and in return was hit by the
2:53:39wolf claws again and again, shoulder,
2:53:42waist, back, more and more wounds. Blood
2:53:45quickly soaked through his torn clothes.
2:53:47Bang! The rift fanged Wolf King rammed
2:53:49into Bangu's chest. By Kuang flew
2:53:52backward and after landing slid several
2:53:54meters, a trail of blood spilling from
2:53:57the corner of his mouth. The wolf king
2:53:59did not pause. It lowered its body and
2:54:01charged again, its huge claws sweeping
2:54:03toward the top of Buang<unk>s head with
2:54:05a whistling wind. Buang crossed his arms
2:54:08in front of him. Boom! His two legs
2:54:10immediately sank into the ground, his
2:54:12knees bending slightly, and several more
2:54:14wounds split open on his arms. Anyone
2:54:17could see it. By Kuang was beginning to
2:54:19fall into a disadvantage. The people
2:54:20hiding in the unfinished building held
2:54:22their breath. If even that monster-like
2:54:25man died under the wolf king's claws,
2:54:27who else could stop that beast next? On
2:54:29the other side, Jeang Chong, lying on
2:54:32the ground, was propping himself up with
2:54:34one still mobile arm, dragging his body
2:54:36and crawling bit by bit toward the
2:54:38nearest demon wolf corpse. The broken
2:54:40flesh tendrils on his back twitched. One
2:54:43of them barely extended and pierced into
2:54:45the rift fang demon wolf's not yet cold
2:54:47corpse. The demon wolf's fur quickly
2:54:49lost its luster. Wisps of life force
2:54:51that had not yet fully dissipated flowed
2:54:54through the tendril into Jeang Chongs
2:54:55body. His twisted arm made soft sounds,
2:54:58and the broken part began to slowly
2:55:00reset. Several tendrils on his back that
2:55:02had been reduced to stumps also regrrew
2:55:05like thin snakes drilling out of flesh
2:55:07and blood. Jeang Chong panted heavily
2:55:09and raised his head. His gaze turned
2:55:11toward Buang. In those eyes was hatred
2:55:13that could not be suppressed, but Buang
2:55:16did not even look at him. dot I in by
2:55:18Kuang's eyes. At that moment, there was
2:55:20only the riff fanged wolf king. The wolf
2:55:22claw fell again. By Kuang dodged
2:55:24sideways and turned his hand to punch
2:55:26the wolf king<unk>s shoulder. The wolf
2:55:28king only swayed. Its tail had already
2:55:30whipped over like an iron whip, heavily
2:55:33striking his waist by Kuang staggered
2:55:35two steps. The riff fanged wolf king
2:55:37seized the chance and pounced, biting
2:55:40down on his left arm. Its fangs pierced
2:55:42into muscle. Blood immediately flowed
2:55:44down the wolf's muzzle. I tightened my
2:55:46grip on Storm and slightly raised the
2:55:48muzzle. By Kuang<unk>s fighting spirit
2:55:50was strong, but his body was not made of
2:55:52iron. Before entering this instance, he
2:55:54had fought Yin Yuan, then Mi and Jong
2:55:57Chong. After entering the N7
2:55:59experimental base, he had clearly gone
2:56:01through multiple rounds of battle as
2:56:02well. Otherwise, when he came out, Jeang
2:56:05Chong would not have been reduced to
2:56:06that state, and Buang would not have
2:56:08been injured beforehand. Now, he was
2:56:10fighting the Rift Fang Wolf King headon.
2:56:12If this continued, he would sooner or
2:56:14later be warned to death. I put my
2:56:16finger on the trigger. Should I
2:56:17intervene, if By Kuang died, I would
2:56:20lose a dangerous battle maniac. That did
2:56:22not seem like a bad thing for me, but
2:56:24the wolf king was still there. No one
2:56:26knew how much strength this beast would
2:56:28have left after killing Buang. Firing
2:56:30now and helping Buang surround and kill
2:56:32the wolf king was clearly safer, but I
2:56:34was just about to make my decision when
2:56:36my peripheral vision caught Yuan. about
2:56:38why Linuan was still standing where he
2:56:40had been. But he had already released
2:56:42the saber hilt. Starting from the tip,
2:56:44the black long saber sank into the void
2:56:46inch by inch to eye. In the blink of an
2:56:48eye, the entire saber had disappeared.
2:56:50MY eyebrows rose slightly. Was that Yin
2:56:53Yuan<unk>s ability or an effect of the
2:56:55saber itself? More importantly, Yilin
2:56:57Yuan had put away his blade that he did
2:56:59not intend to act. Why? Could it be that
2:57:02he also had a grudge against Ba Kuang
2:57:04and wanted to watch Ba Kuang die under
2:57:06the wolf king<unk>s claws, but with a
2:57:07great enemy right in front of us? Before
2:57:09my thoughts could finish, a faint
2:57:11crackling sound suddenly reached my
2:57:13ears. Crackle like dry firewood bursting
2:57:16dot or tiny electric sparks jumping in
2:57:18the air. My gaze immediately snapped
2:57:20back to Bangan. A wisp of blue white
2:57:22electric light flashed from the wound on
2:57:24his left arm where he had been bitten.
2:57:26At first, the electric light was very
2:57:28faint. In an instant, however, it became
2:57:31clearer and clearer. Crackle arcs jumped
2:57:34along the exposed flesh, and the edges
2:57:36of the wound quickly charred. The blood
2:57:38that had been flowing continuously was
2:57:40actually stopped by the high temperature
2:57:41cauterized flesh. The riff fang wolf
2:57:44king seemed to sense the danger, too. It
2:57:46suddenly released its bite and
2:57:47retreated. Buang looked down at his arm.
2:57:50Electric arcs spread outward from the
2:57:52wound, crawled over his hand, covered
2:57:54his shoulder, and then flowed along his
2:57:56chest and back through his whole body.
2:57:58That already badly wounded body
2:58:00tightened again under the stimulation of
2:58:02the current. Stronger power surged out
2:58:04from deep within his flesh and blood.
2:58:06Buang first laughed low. Then the
2:58:08laughter grew louder and louder. Huh?
2:58:11Huh? Huh? He raised his head, his loose
2:58:14hair drifting upward with the electric
2:58:16arcs, his eyes frighteningly bright.
2:58:18Good. Good. A riff fanged wolf king. If
2:58:21you hadn't pushed me to this point, I
2:58:23wouldn't have known how long I'd have to
2:58:25wait to cross this threshold. By Kuang
2:58:27clenched both fists. Boom! Blue white
2:58:30current instantly surged, exploding
2:58:32around him again and again. "Thank you
2:58:35for letting me successfully advance to
2:58:37electric drive." As the voice fell, the
2:58:40ground beneath Banguang<unk>s feet
2:58:41exploded. His figure vanished with it.
2:58:43The rift fanged Wolf King<unk>s pupils
2:58:45contracted, and it almost instinctively
2:58:47lunged to the side, but it had only just
2:58:49raised a claw when Ba Kuang appeared in
2:58:51front of it. One punch right in the Wolf
2:58:54King's face. Bang! The rift fanged Wolf
2:58:56King's huge head jerked violently to the
2:58:59side and its massive body flew sideways,
2:59:01smashing through several concrete blocks
2:59:03before tumbling to the ground. It
2:59:05quickly climbed up. In its originally
2:59:07fierce beast pupils, there was for the
2:59:10first time surprise and doubt. By Kuang
2:59:12did not pursued, he stood where he was,
2:59:15feeling the current running through his
2:59:16flesh and blood. Every crackling burst
2:59:19gave his muscles stronger stimulation.
2:59:21Every bone, every tendon seemed to let
2:59:24out an excited roar. Not far away, I was
2:59:26also stunned. Only then did I finally
2:59:29understand why you had put away his
2:59:31blade. Could it be that he had seen it
2:59:32long ago, seeing that Bang was not
2:59:34really about to lose, but was borrowing
2:59:36the wolf king<unk>s pressure to break
2:59:38through his own limits? This guy, he
2:59:40really was not going to die that easily.
2:59:42Roar. The riff fanged wolf king let out
2:59:44a roar that it seemed to be dispelling
2:59:46the fear in its heart. It gathered
2:59:48strength in its four limbs and lunged at
2:59:51Ba Kuang again. Buang met it head-on.
2:59:53The wolf claw fell. He threw a punch,
2:59:56current exploding on his knuckles and
2:59:58actually blasted that form, thicker than
3:00:00his own body. Aside, the second punch
3:00:02hit the wolf king's chest. The third
3:00:04punch smashed into its lower jaw.
3:00:07Electric light flashed continuously with
3:00:09the shadows of his fists. The rift
3:00:11fanged wolf king, which had just been
3:00:12able to suppress by Kuang, was now
3:00:15beaten back again and again. Its claws
3:00:17swept out several times, but Bang
3:00:19blocked them head-on. Its fangs had just
3:00:21come close when a heavy punch smashed
3:00:23blood from the corner of its mouth. By
3:00:25Kuang<unk>s wounds were still there.
3:00:27Some had even split open again, but he
3:00:29seemed unable to feel pain. His attacks
3:00:32growing heavier with every punch. What's
3:00:34wrong, Wolf King? Where did all that
3:00:36ferocity from before go? B Kuang grabbed
3:00:39the Wolf King's forpaw as it swung at
3:00:41him and currents surged through his
3:00:42fingers into its body. A burned smell
3:00:45spread. The Wolf King trembled all over
3:00:47and actually let out a short whimper,
3:00:49instinctively shrinking back that it was
3:00:51afraid. The mad fighting intent
3:00:54radiating from this blood soaked human
3:00:56had actually overwhelmed its ferocity as
3:00:58a wolf king. But Bang did not let it
3:01:00retreat. He stepped forward, clenched
3:01:03his fingers, and the smile on his face
3:01:05grew even wilder. Why retreat? Our fight
3:01:08isn't over yet. Come on again. Boom. By
3:01:11Kuang braced against the Wolf King's
3:01:12charging head and hammered it with both
3:01:14fists continuously. Every punch that
3:01:17landed set off electric arcs. The Wolf
3:01:19King's huge body shook continuously, and
3:01:21the concrete beneath its feet cracked
3:01:23layer by layer. It wanted to
3:01:25counterattack, wanted to bite, but by
3:01:27Kuang's fists were faster, heavier, and
3:01:29crazier. 10 punches, 20 punches. The
3:01:32shadows of his fists blurred into one.
3:01:34Only when the rift fanged wolf
3:01:36king<unk>s movements had completely lost
3:01:38form, its forlims bending and its head
3:01:40drooping. Did By Kuang suddenly stopped,
3:01:43he pulled his right fist back. The
3:01:45current all over his body seemed to
3:01:47gather into his arm at that moment. You
3:01:49helped me take this step, so you are
3:01:51qualified to receive my strongest punch
3:01:53as I am now. The riff fanged wolf king
3:01:55felt the threat of death. It struggled
3:01:57to raise its head and opened its huge
3:02:00mouth, a fierce roar rising from its
3:02:02throat. B Kuang punched at the same
3:02:04instant. High-speed cannon punch. Fall
3:02:06for me. Boom. The fist struck the wolf
3:02:09king<unk>s brow. Wild current and power
3:02:11exploded at the same time. The riff
3:02:13fanged wolf king's roar stopped
3:02:15abruptly. Its huge head first jerked
3:02:17downward, then exploded from the inside.
3:02:19Blood and bone fragments splattered in
3:02:22all directions. The headless wolf corpse
3:02:24stood frozen for a moment, then crashed
3:02:26to the ground. The ground shook with it.
3:02:28By Kuang stood before the wolf corpse,
3:02:30fine electric arcs still coiling around
3:02:32his fist. All around was quiet. He
3:02:35slowly straightened up and turned
3:02:37around. My heart immediately tensed.
3:02:39Storm was already raised to my waist.
3:02:41The muzzle seemingly pointed down, but
3:02:43my finger stayed close to the trigger. I
3:02:46still remembered. The fight between
3:02:47Bangu and us earlier had not truly
3:02:50ended. By Kuang had only used four
3:02:52moves. Now that he had broken through to
3:02:54so-called electric drive, would he
3:02:56continue with a fifth? On the other
3:02:57side, Jeang Chong had already absorbed
3:02:59more than 10 demon wolf corpses. The
3:03:02corpses pierced by the flesh tendrils
3:03:04quickly withered while the remaining
3:03:05life force continuously flowed into his
3:03:08body. His originally twisted arm had
3:03:10recovered, and most of the tendrils on
3:03:12his back had grown back. Although his
3:03:13face was still ugly, at least he was no
3:03:16longer like a pile of mud. Several
3:03:18tendrils slowly rose behind him, their
3:03:20tips pointed toward Buang, ready to
3:03:22strike at any moment. By Kuanguangs gaze
3:03:24swept over me, then toward Jeang Chong.
3:03:27But there was no longer the fighting
3:03:28intent from before in those eyes. It was
3:03:30as if after breaking through to electric
3:03:33drive. The opponents who had once
3:03:34interested him had temporarily lost
3:03:36their flavored. He did not even look for
3:03:38Yin Yuan. He only raised his head,
3:03:41sniffed the thick smell of blood in the
3:03:43air, and spoke lightly. The smell of
3:03:45blood here is too heavy. Get ready.
3:03:48After dawn, we leave here immediately.
3:03:50After saying that, Ba Kuang turned and
3:03:52walked into the unfinished building that
3:03:54I did not fire. Jeang Chong<unk>s
3:03:56tendrils behind him tinced for a moment,
3:03:58but in the end, they did not thrust out
3:04:00either. In his current state, even if
3:04:02most of his injuries had recovered, he
3:04:04was not confident about facing the
3:04:06already broken through Buang. Besides,
3:04:09Buang no longer attacking was good for
3:04:11all of them. I turned to look at the
3:04:12other side. why Linuan had disappeared
3:04:14at some point. Only a patch of shadow
3:04:17remained there if not for the neat saber
3:04:19marks on the demon wolf corpses on the
3:04:21ground. It would have seemed as if that
3:04:22person had never appeared at all that I
3:04:24withdrew my gaze. Then I saw Jeang
3:04:27Chong<unk>s tendrils pierce into another
3:04:28demon wolf corpse. One was not enough.
3:04:31He split out several more and reached
3:04:33toward the nearby corpses. That's about
3:04:35enough. I immediately walked toward the
3:04:37van and knocked on the window. Oldly
3:04:40come out and get to work. The van door
3:04:42opened a crack from the inside. Old
3:04:44first poked his head out and wearily
3:04:46glanced in the direction of the wolf
3:04:47king<unk>s corpse and whereby Kuang had
3:04:49gone. Only after confirming that nothing
3:04:52was going to pounce again did he open
3:04:53the door and get out. What is it? What
3:04:56is it? Where robbing me, of course. I
3:04:58pointed at the rift fang demon wolf
3:05:00corpses on the ground. Oldly followed my
3:05:02finger, then looked at Jeang Chong, who
3:05:04was frantically absorbing corpses and
3:05:07immediately understood, "Can this stuff
3:05:09be eaten? Wolves can be eaten, so why
3:05:11can't these? They're monsters. Monsters
3:05:14might be even more nutritious. I walked
3:05:16to a demon wolf with a clean cut and a
3:05:18relatively intact corpse, grabbed its
3:05:20hind leg, and started dragging it toward
3:05:23the van. Hurry up. If we're any slower,
3:05:25that guy will drain them all dry. Old
3:05:28looked at the blood soaked fur, and the
3:05:30corner of his mouth twitched. But he
3:05:32also knew now was not the time to be
3:05:33picky. Compressed biscuits could fill
3:05:35the stomach, but they could not be eaten
3:05:37as every meal forever. These demon
3:05:39wolves weighed at least several hundred
3:05:41lb. Whether they could be eaten or not,
3:05:44at least we had to grab them first. He
3:05:46quickly opened the back door of the van
3:05:47and pushed the two boxes of compressed
3:05:49biscuits further inside to make room.
3:05:51Dot. I dragged one over. Oldly lifted
3:05:54the front legs and together we stuffed
3:05:56the wolf corpse into the back. Then the
3:05:58second, the third. While absorbing,
3:06:00Jeang Chong also raised his head and
3:06:02glanced at us. He snorted coldly but did
3:06:05not stop us. His tendrils turned toward
3:06:07other corpses that I did not say
3:06:09anything more either. Di was enough to
3:06:11grab a few anymore and the van would not
3:06:13hold them. And just like that, the two
3:06:15sides seemed to reach some kind of tacid
3:06:17understanding. Each keeping to their own
3:06:19side, each doing their own thing. The
3:06:21sky was just beginning to brighten when
3:06:23people started packing up their things.
3:06:25They were leaving this place that I
3:06:26leaned against the van and swept my gaze
3:06:29across the surroundings. When the group
3:06:30had first set up camp here, there had
3:06:32been more than 50 people. Now only about
3:06:3430 remained and many of them were
3:06:36elderly women and children. There were
3:06:39far fewer young able-bodied men because
3:06:41they had all died in instances and
3:06:43because of their own greed on the other
3:06:45side of the van stood two men and one
3:06:47woman. They were the people who had
3:06:49handed over supplies yesterday in
3:06:51exchange for seats in the vehicle. The
3:06:52middle-aged man who had died last night
3:06:54was the only one among the four riders
3:06:56who had taken part in plotting against
3:06:58me. The other two who had acted were
3:07:00members of the group's night watch. But
3:07:02now the remaining three clearly no
3:07:04longer dared to ride in the van. They
3:07:06stood far away, glancing at me from time
3:07:08to time, then quickly looking away. The
3:07:10young woman among them was clutching an
3:07:12old backpack to her chest. Her lips
3:07:14moved several times as if she wanted to
3:07:17say something, but in the end she did
3:07:19not dare come closer. Obviously in their
3:07:21eyes, walking with the group was safer
3:07:23than sitting in my vehicle because they
3:07:25had truly been frightened by how
3:07:27decisively I killed before. With B Kuang
3:07:30keeping everyone in check, there had
3:07:31been all sorts of small schemes within
3:07:33the group, but no one dared cross the
3:07:35line. The three people who had died last
3:07:37night could be considered the first open
3:07:39deaths in the group. And what frightened
3:07:41them most was the look in my eyes when I
3:07:43killed that I did not try to make them
3:07:44stay. After what had happened last
3:07:46night, I likewise did not want
3:07:48unfamiliar people around me anymore that
3:07:50I jerked my chin at Old. Give their
3:07:52things back, I said. Old was sorting
3:07:54compressed biscuits in the van. Hearing
3:07:56that, he poked his head out. All of it.
3:07:58All of it. They already rode for a while
3:08:00yesterday. I shot him a glance. I can
3:08:02spare this much. Oldly nodded. Found the
3:08:05supplies the three had handed over
3:08:06yesterday. Roughly divided them from
3:08:08memory and delivered them separately.
3:08:10The three were clearly a little
3:08:12surprised. They had not expected me to
3:08:14return the supplies. Just as they turned
3:08:16to leave, I suddenly called them back.
3:08:18Hey. The three stiffened and slowly
3:08:20turned around and I smiled at them. Say
3:08:22thank you. They bowed hurriedly. Thank
3:08:24you. Thank you. I waved my hand. Go on.
3:08:27The three hurried away. After handling
3:08:29that, I pulled open the van door, sat
3:08:32down in my firing position, and placed
3:08:34rainstorm on the metal mount. After last
3:08:36night's battle, the unfinished
3:08:37construction site was filled with the
3:08:39smell of blood. Staying here any longer
3:08:41would sooner or later attract other
3:08:43things. By Kuang had clearly thought of
3:08:45this, too. So, even though his injuries
3:08:47were not healed, he still wanted to
3:08:49leave immediately. As for why we had to
3:08:51wait until dawn, naturally, because
3:08:53traveling at night was even more
3:08:55dangerous. When everyone had almost
3:08:57finished packing, he stood in front of
3:08:59the unfinished building and briefly laid
3:09:01out the route ahead. Avoid central
3:09:03Chinu. Keep heading north. Someone in
3:09:05the crowd immediately asked, "Captain,
3:09:07isn't it easier to find food and
3:09:09medicine in the city?" But Buang only
3:09:12glanced at him and did not answer. It
3:09:14was the person beside him who answered
3:09:15for Buang. If you can think of it,
3:09:18others can too. After the blood moon
3:09:20appeared, cities fell one after another.
3:09:22Where there are more people, there are
3:09:24more dead. There are indeed supplies in
3:09:26the city, but there are also more
3:09:28monsters. He paused, his voice lowering
3:09:30a little. Most importantly, there are
3:09:32anomalies, too. The crowd immediately
3:09:34fell silent. No matter how strong
3:09:37monsters were, at least they had
3:09:38physical bodies to everyone. They could
3:09:40be regarded as stronger beasts. But
3:09:42anomalies were different if given a
3:09:44choice. They would rather face monsters
3:09:46than anomalies. large-scale human death
3:09:49more easily nourishes those things. The
3:09:51centers of the major cities now may
3:09:53actually be the most dangerous places.
3:09:55By Kuang interrupted the discussion and
3:09:57continued, "Go around the city center
3:09:59and head north. Take anything useful you
3:10:02see on the way. Anyone who can't keep up
3:10:04stays behind." After saying that, he
3:10:06took the lead and walked out of the
3:10:07construction site. The group quickly
3:10:09followed that I started the van and let
3:10:11oldly sit in the driver's seat while I
3:10:13guarded the firing port on the side. The
3:10:15gray black wheels crunched over the
3:10:17rubble strewn road outside the site,
3:10:19jolting continuously. The others
3:10:21followed behind the vehicle, heading
3:10:23north along the broad but deserted roads
3:10:25of Beahuan New City. Most of the
3:10:27surroundings were half-built new
3:10:28buildings. The shops by the roadside
3:10:30still had leasing advertisements hanging
3:10:32outside, but their glass doors had long
3:10:35since shattered. Several abandoned cars
3:10:37blocked intersections, their doors open,
3:10:39only black and blood stains left inside.
3:10:41The group had to detour several times.
3:10:44Fortunately, Beijuan Newu City had never
3:10:46had a high occupancy rate to begin with,
3:10:48so the roads were not completely
3:10:49blocked. It was not until close to noon
3:10:52that a row of blue gray warehouses
3:10:54appeared at the end of the road. A faded
3:10:55sign hung above the entrance, Hon
3:10:57Logistics Park. This place had been a
3:10:59transfer point for several nearby
3:11:01courier and freight companies, and it
3:11:03covered no small area. Several box
3:11:05trucks were parked beside the gate. The
3:11:07guard booth on the outermost side had
3:11:08half collapsed and was empty. The
3:11:10logistics park was very quiet. A plastic
3:11:13bag was blown by the wind across the
3:11:14open ground and caught on a rusted
3:11:16railing, rustling continuously. By Kuang
3:11:19raised his hand to signal the group to
3:11:21stop. Several braver people picked up
3:11:23steel pipes and wooden clubs and
3:11:25followed him into the park. Only after
3:11:27confirming there was no danger near the
3:11:28entrance did the others gradually
3:11:30followed as soon as oldly got out of the
3:11:32van. His eyes fixed on the repair room
3:11:34outside the warehouse. The sign reading
3:11:36vehicle maintenance hung on the door and
3:11:38several old tires were piled nearby. He
3:11:41took his toolbox, hurried over, and used
3:11:43a crowbar to pry open the already
3:11:45deformed rolling shutter. When the
3:11:47shutter had risen halfway, Old Lee bent
3:11:49down and slipped inside. Not long after,
3:11:52sounds of rumaging came from within.
3:11:54Wrenches, sockets, and a hand drill. Old
3:11:57Le's voice was full of barely concealed
3:11:59excitement. There's even a welding torch
3:12:01here, though I don't know if the gas
3:12:03cylinder still works. To other people,
3:12:05those things were heavy and bulky, far
3:12:07less valuable than a pack of food. But
3:12:09in old Lee's hands, they could all
3:12:11possibly become weapons or vehicle
3:12:13parts. He quickly dragged several
3:12:15toolboxes out. Then found a relatively
3:12:18complete jack by the wall. The smile on
3:12:20his face growing wider and wider. The
3:12:22others in the group also dispersed. Some
3:12:24went to check the packages piled in the
3:12:26warehouses. Some searched for drinking
3:12:28water, and some specifically looked for
3:12:30cardboard boxes with the word food
3:12:32printed on the packaging. This place had
3:12:34obviously been searched through long
3:12:36ago, but they still held on to a thread
3:12:38of hope. hope that they could find some
3:12:40overlooked supplies. Suddenly, an
3:12:42exclamation came from behind one of the
3:12:44warehouses. Someone? There's someone in
3:12:46the back. The people who had been
3:12:48searching for supplies immediately
3:12:49became tense. Several people gripped
3:12:51their steel pipes and quickly moved
3:12:53toward the direction of the sound that I
3:12:55also raised rainstorm, aiming the muzzle
3:12:57at the narrow passage between the two
3:12:59rows of warehouses. Rustling footsteps
3:13:02soon sounded. Several figures walked out
3:13:04from the back. Their clothes were
3:13:06ragged, their cheeks sunken, and they
3:13:08held rebar, wooden clubs, and box
3:13:10cutters in their hands. The person at
3:13:12the very front was so nervous that his
3:13:14arms were trembling. Yet, he still
3:13:15forced himself to stand in front of the
3:13:17others. There were more people behind
3:13:19them, old people, women, teenagers, one
3:13:22after another. There were about 30 in
3:13:24total. They were not monsters. They were
3:13:26a group of drifters hiding in the
3:13:27logistics park. The two sides faced off
3:13:30across a distance of more than 10 m.
3:13:32When the drifters saw how many people
3:13:33were in by Kuang's group, and that there
3:13:35was even a modified van among them,
3:13:37their expressions clearly became more
3:13:39uneasy. "Do not attack, we mean no
3:13:42harm," the man at the front swallowed
3:13:44and said in a tight voice. Buang walked
3:13:46out from the crowd. When the man saw the
3:13:48blood still nod dry all over him, he
3:13:50instinctively stepped back half a step.
3:13:52By Kuang asked, "Any superhumans?" The
3:13:55drifters looked at each other. The man
3:13:57shook his head. "No, how many people in
3:13:59total?" "32." B Kuang swept another
3:14:02glance over them. If you want to live,
3:14:04follow the group. The man froze. You're
3:14:06willing to take us? A lot of people died
3:14:08last night. We're<unk> short-handed. By
3:14:10Kuang<unk>s tone had little warmth. You
3:14:13can follow, but don't cause trouble and
3:14:15don't hold us back. The drifters were
3:14:17silent for a few seconds. Then some of
3:14:19them showed joy. They were all ordinary
3:14:21people. Without superhuman protection,
3:14:24they could only hide in the warehouses
3:14:25and survive on the small amount of food
3:14:27they found by opening packages. Every
3:14:30night, at the slightest noise from
3:14:31outside, they would barricade the
3:14:33warehouse door and not even dare breathe
3:14:35too loudly. Now, suddenly encountering a
3:14:38group willing to take them in. Very few
3:14:40would refuse. The two sides quickly
3:14:42mixed together, Bangu did not
3:14:44immediately lead the group out. Instead,
3:14:46he let everyone rest and reorganize in
3:14:49the logistics park that I parked the van
3:14:51beside an open lot. Not far away, under
3:14:53a locust tree, several landscaping
3:14:55stones used for decoration were set into
3:14:57the ground. Banguang walked over alone
3:14:59and sat cross-legged on one of the
3:15:01stones. He closed his eyes and let his
3:15:04hands rest naturally on his knees.
3:15:06Crackle. Fine arcs of electricity
3:15:08appeared on the surface of his skin,
3:15:10continuously crawling along his arms and
3:15:12chest. His injuries from last night had
3:15:14been extremely severe. The wounds torn
3:15:17open by wolf claws had been so deep that
3:15:19bone could be seen at the deepest parts.
3:15:21Yet after only one night, most of the
3:15:23wounds had already scabbed over as the
3:15:26electric current continuously stimulated
3:15:27his body. The edges of those charred
3:15:29wounds were still slightly contracting.
3:15:31When the newcomers saw this, they knew
3:15:33he was a superhuman and became even more
3:15:36nervous and excited. With a superhuman's
3:15:38protection, it was at least safer than
3:15:40hiding here. I also looked at by Kuang.
3:15:43Electric propulsion did not only greatly
3:15:45increase his speed and strength, it
3:15:47could even accelerate the recovery of
3:15:49injuries. That ability was far more
3:15:51wondrous than it appeared on the
3:15:53surface. By Kuang was clearly planning
3:15:55to use the rest time to recover more
3:15:57from his injuries that I did not disturb
3:15:58him. Since yesterday, I had not really
3:16:01eaten anything proper. After all the
3:16:03running around, my stomach had long been
3:16:05empty, and I walked to the rear of the
3:16:06van and patted the back door. "Oldly,
3:16:09stop digging through those tools for
3:16:10now." A reply soon came from the repair
3:16:12room. "What now? Meat?" Those two words
3:16:15were clearly more effective than urging.
3:16:17Not long after, Oldley came running back
3:16:20with a cleaver and several tools he had
3:16:22just found. The two of us opened the
3:16:24rear doors of the van. Three rifttoed
3:16:26demon wolf carcasses were crammed into
3:16:28the compartment, almost filling all the
3:16:30remaining space. Oldly covered his nose.
3:16:33Good thing the weather isn't too hot.
3:16:35Otherwise, after another day, no one
3:16:37would be able to stay in this van. So,
3:16:39we eat now. I grabbed one demon wolf by
3:16:41the hind leg and dragged the carcass
3:16:43out. oldly found a discarded iron barrel
3:16:46nearby and removed several shelf support
3:16:48rods that I in his hands. Those things
3:16:50quickly changed form. Vince were cut
3:16:52into the iron barrel. The support rods
3:16:54were crossed and fixed and a clean metal
3:16:56mesh was placed on top. A simple stove
3:16:59was built just like that. The logistics
3:17:01park had no shortage of wooden pallets
3:17:03and cardboard boxes. The fire was
3:17:05quickly lit. Old Lee swung the cleaver,
3:17:07removed a wolf leg, peeled off the skin,
3:17:10and trimmed away the blackened flesh and
3:17:12blood on the surface. I had originally
3:17:14been a little worried whether this thing
3:17:15would have a strange smell. But as the
3:17:17wolf leg was placed over the fire, fat
3:17:19gradually seeped out and dripped into
3:17:21the flames, and a rich meaty aroma
3:17:23quickly spread around. Sizzle flames
3:17:26leaped up. Old Lee turned the wolf leg
3:17:28and used his knife to score several cuts
3:17:30into the thicker parts of the meat. I
3:17:32stared at the gradually browning wolf
3:17:34meat, and my Adam's apple moved. The
3:17:36people around who had been searching
3:17:38packages gradually slowed down. Point
3:17:40one gaze after another was cast toward
3:17:42the stove. Some people had obviously
3:17:44been hungry for a long time. Upon
3:17:46smelling the meat, their stomachs
3:17:47growled audibly, but they looked at me.
3:17:50Then at rainstorm, which I always kept
3:17:52by my side, and no one dared approach.
3:17:54The survivors who had been in the group
3:17:56before had all seen how I killed last
3:17:58night. Although the newly joined
3:17:59drifters did not know what had happened,
3:18:01they quickly heard from others that this
3:18:03young-looking man had used a nail gun
3:18:05last night to kill three people who
3:18:07wanted to steal the van without even
3:18:09blinking. Several drifters who had been
3:18:11about to come closer immediately
3:18:13stopped. Someone even reached out and
3:18:15pulled the child beside them away,
3:18:17telling them to stay farther from me.
3:18:19Just then, a figure suddenly walked out
3:18:21from the back of the crowd that it was a
3:18:22young woman. Her features were delicate
3:18:25and even without makeup, she had a
3:18:26natural beauty, but her head was shaved
3:18:29and her expression seemed somewhat
3:18:30blank. She wore a loose light blue
3:18:32garment that was so dirty its original
3:18:34color could no longer be seen. The style
3:18:36looked like a hospital gown. She was not
3:18:38wearing shoes. Her originally fair feet
3:18:41were now covered in dust and dried
3:18:43blood, and the saw seemed to have wounds
3:18:45cut by gravel. The people nearby were
3:18:47all watching my expression. She only
3:18:49stared at the meat over the fire. Then
3:18:51she walked straight over. Before Oldley
3:18:53could react, the woman had already
3:18:55reached out and grabbed a piece of
3:18:56freshly cut wolf meat from the metal
3:18:58mesh. The meat was still steaming, but
3:19:00she acted as if she could not feel the
3:19:02heat and bit into it. Hey. Old Lee's
3:19:05expression changed and he immediately
3:19:07scolded her. Who said you could take
3:19:09that? Put it down. The woman stopped
3:19:11chewing and looked up at him. Half a
3:19:14piece of meat was still in her mouth.
3:19:15Get lost. Oldly grabbed the cleaver and
3:19:18glared. If you reach out again, don't
3:19:20blame me for being rude. He looked
3:19:22fierce on the surface, but he shifted
3:19:24half a step forward, just blocking
3:19:26between me and the woman. Seeing that
3:19:28the woman was unmoved, he shouted
3:19:30anxiously, "Hurry up and go, go!" I
3:19:33glanced at him and suddenly smiled. The
3:19:35old man's reaction had been so intense.
3:19:37Besides the meat, there was probably
3:19:39another reason he was afraid that this
3:19:41woman of unknown origin would anger me
3:19:43and get shot dead by me. That was why he
3:19:45had lashed out before I could speak,
3:19:47wanting to drive her away first.
3:19:49Speaking of it, although the two of us
3:19:50were in the same group, our real
3:19:52interactions had only happened in the
3:19:54past day or two. The old man clearly did
3:19:56not know me well enough. That's enough.
3:19:58I pressed down old Lee's raised hand.
3:20:00It's just some wolf meat. Let her eat.
3:20:03Old Lee's lips moved, but he still
3:20:05lowered his voice and said, "These
3:20:07people are so hungry their eyes are
3:20:09green. If you let one eat, what if they
3:20:11all swarm over later? Then let them
3:20:13come." I raised my head and looked at
3:20:15the people around us who kept swallowing
3:20:17their saliva. M y voice quickly spread.
3:20:20Anyone else who wants to eat can come
3:20:21over. The crowd immediately stirred.
3:20:24Several hollow cheek drifters
3:20:25instinctively stepped forward. But
3:20:27before they could truly approach, I
3:20:29added another sentence. But I'm not a
3:20:31charity. If you want meat, fine, but you
3:20:33have to trade something for it. The
3:20:35crowd, which had just been restless,
3:20:37suddenly quieted for a moment. I turned
3:20:39the wolf meat over the fire with my
3:20:41knife. Fat dripped into the flames with
3:20:43a sizzling sound. Clean drinking water,
3:20:45gasoline, medicine, tools, and all kinds
3:20:48of useful parts. I'll take them all.
3:20:51Whatever your things are worth, I'll
3:20:52give that much meat. First come, first
3:20:55served until it's all gone. The crowd
3:20:57looked at each other. Some were
3:20:58disappointed, some hesitant, and some
3:21:00immediately turned and ran toward the
3:21:02warehouses in the logistics park. This
3:21:04place had originally been a freight
3:21:06transfer station. Although the food and
3:21:08drinking water had been searched through
3:21:09many times, there was still a large
3:21:11amount of miscellaneous stuff scattered
3:21:13in the warehouses. Those things were
3:21:15useless to drifters who only wanted to
3:21:17fill their stomachs. But maybe they
3:21:18might catch my eye. After all, I had
3:21:20said tools and parts were fine. There
3:21:22was no harm in trying their luck. What
3:21:24if? Oldie leaned close to me and lowered
3:21:27his voice. Are you really planning to
3:21:28bring out all the remaining wolf
3:21:30carcasses? Otherwise, save them for us
3:21:32to eat slowly on the road. Old looked
3:21:35pained. A demon wolf this big isn't
3:21:37something you can just run into outside.
3:21:39I glanced at him. These three wolves
3:21:41together weigh at least a thousand gene.
3:21:43How much can the two of us eat? There's
3:21:45no freezer and no cold storage in the
3:21:47van. The weather isn't too hot now, but
3:21:50how many days can a monster carcass like
3:21:51this last? Oldly opened his mouth, but
3:21:54said nothing. I cut open the wolf meat
3:21:56with the tip of my knife, confirmed it
3:21:58was cooked through, and then continued,
3:22:00"Once the meat starts to rot, forget
3:22:02about eating it. No one will even be
3:22:04able to stay in the van. Rather than
3:22:06hauling a van full of uneaten rotting
3:22:08meat on the road, it's better to trade
3:22:10it while it's still valuable for
3:22:11drinking water, gasoline, and other
3:22:13supplies. Rotten meat is just stinking
3:22:16meat. Water and gasoline can save lives.
3:22:19The pained look on old Lee's face
3:22:20gradually disappeared. He looked back at
3:22:22the wolf carcasses crammed into the van,
3:22:25then at the tools he had just moved out
3:22:26of the repair room and finally smacked
3:22:28his lips. You kid really know how to do
3:22:30business? This isn't business. It's
3:22:33making use of waste. As the two of us
3:22:35talked, the first person to trade had
3:22:37already run back. He was a drifter in
3:22:39his 40s. He was carrying two packs of
3:22:41unopened bottled water in his arms. The
3:22:43plastic packaging was covered in dust,
3:22:45but it was not damaged. Can these be
3:22:47traded? Yes. I gestured to Oldly. Oldly
3:22:51walked over, opened the packaging to
3:22:52check, then unscrewed one bottle and
3:22:55sniffed it. No problem. I cut a strip of
3:22:57meat from the wolf leg and handed it to
3:22:59the man. After taking it, the man was
3:23:01clearly a little surprised. He had
3:23:03originally thought I would use my
3:23:05strength to drive the price down, but
3:23:07the meat I gave him was more than he had
3:23:08expected. Is that enough? Enough? More
3:23:11than enough? The man nodded repeatedly
3:23:14and quickly left with the wolf meat.
3:23:16Back in his original corner, he and
3:23:18several people around him built another
3:23:19small fire and cut up the traded wolf
3:23:21meat to share. With the first person
3:23:23taking the lead, the others quickly took
3:23:25action as well. I have alcohol and two
3:23:27rolls of gauze here. This bucket has
3:23:29gasoline. I found it next to the
3:23:31generator in the park. I have tools.
3:23:34They're a little broken, but the parts
3:23:36should still be usable. I just opened a
3:23:38box of seasonings. There's salt and
3:23:40chili powder. People kept running back
3:23:42and forth between the warehouses. Before
3:23:44long, all kinds of supplies were piled
3:23:46beside the van. Aside from drinking
3:23:48water and gasoline, most of the traded
3:23:50items were miscellaneous objects that a
3:23:52drive shaft broken in one section.
3:23:54several bearings of different sizes,
3:23:56rusted gears, copper wire, springs,
3:23:59clips, bolts, and so on. In the hands of
3:24:02ordinary people, these things were heavy
3:24:04and took up space. If I had not clearly
3:24:06stated they could be traded for meat,
3:24:08probably no one would have been willing
3:24:10to give them a second glance, but oldly
3:24:12looked as if he had fallen into a
3:24:14treasure vault. He squatted beside that
3:24:16pile of junk, picking this up to look at
3:24:18it, and knocking on that, someone came
3:24:20over carrying a long aluminum alloy
3:24:22instrument case. One side of the case
3:24:24was dented and one latch was broken. The
3:24:26instrument originally inside was long
3:24:28gone, leaving only several layers of
3:24:30thick black cushioning foam. Can this be
3:24:33traded? The person clearly lacked
3:24:35confidence to eye in his view. This was
3:24:37just a broken empty case. But old Lee's
3:24:39eyes lit up and he took the case at
3:24:41once. He waited, opened the lid, and
3:24:43pressed the cushioning foam inside a few
3:24:45times. Then he looked up at me. Trade. I
3:24:48cut off a piece of wolf meat and handed
3:24:50it to the man. After the man walked
3:24:52away, Oldley immediately carried the
3:24:54case over beside Rainstorm and roughly
3:24:56measured its length. Just right. What's
3:24:59just right? Your gun. Old padded the
3:25:01aluminum alloy case. The case is broken,
3:25:04but the main body isn't deformed. When
3:25:06we have time, I'll make it into a gun
3:25:08case for you so you can carry it on your
3:25:10back. He pointed at Rainstorm mounted
3:25:12beside the van. This thing is heavy and
3:25:14long. You can't carry it in your hands
3:25:16wherever you go. With a gun case, it'll
3:25:19not only be easier to carry, but also
3:25:21protect it from rain and bumps. I looked
3:25:23at the aluminum alloy case, then at the
3:25:25various parts beside Old Le's hands.
3:25:28Originally, it had just been a pile of
3:25:30junk despised by others. After Old Lee's
3:25:32brief explanation, it immediately became
3:25:35useful. Can you make it sturdy? Take
3:25:37that kin out of your sentence. Old
3:25:39glared at me. As long as the tools are
3:25:41complete, forget a gun case. If you get
3:25:43me a few more materials, I can even make
3:25:45you a roof weapon mount. All right, then
3:25:47I'll leave it to you. I glanced at the
3:25:49growing pile of supplies in front of me.
3:25:51Feeling quite good, several boxes of
3:25:53drinking water, more than 30 L of
3:25:55gasoline, a batch of tools and parts
3:25:58oldly could put to use. There were also
3:25:59gauze, alcohol, seasonings, and a whole
3:26:02box of unopened baiou. The cost was
3:26:04merely a portion of wolf meat that we
3:26:06could not finish anyway and could not
3:26:08keep for long. That and no matter how I
3:26:09calculated it, this trade was not a
3:26:11loss. And there was still quite a lot of
3:26:13wolf carcass left. a te least old Lee
3:26:16and I would not have to worry about food
3:26:17for the next few days. Soon more than a
3:26:20dozen small fires were lit around the
3:26:21area. Those who had completed their
3:26:23trades each carried their meat back to
3:26:25their original groups and scattered
3:26:27throughout the logistics park in small
3:26:28clusters. They asked for the bald woman.
3:26:30She was still squatting not far away.
3:26:32She held the piece of wolf meat she had
3:26:34taken earlier in both hands and tore off
3:26:37small bites. She did not join any of the
3:26:39fires, nor did she come over to ask for
3:26:41more. like a wild beast that had been
3:26:43away from people for too long and had
3:26:45forgotten how to interact with them that
3:26:47I looked at her deeply. For some reason,
3:26:49when I saw this woman, I had a strange
3:26:51feeling. Dot. Of course, it was not some
3:26:53[ __ ] like love at first sight. It
3:26:55was a feeling I could not describe even
3:26:57to myself. It made me unable to resist
3:26:59paying a little more attention to this
3:27:01woman that I did not think about it for
3:27:03long. I sat back down in front of the
3:27:05stove, scored several cuts into the wolf
3:27:07leg, and evenly sprinkled the newly
3:27:09traded salt and seasonings over it. Fat
3:27:11seeped out. Flames leaped up again.
3:27:14After the seasonings were added, the
3:27:16meat's aroma was clearly richer than
3:27:17before. I turned the wolf leg, my gaze
3:27:20crossing the flames, and looking toward
3:27:22the corner of the logistics park that
3:27:24why Linuan had appeared again at some
3:27:26point. He leaned against a lampost, his
3:27:28hood covering most of his face, keeping
3:27:30some distance from the people scattered
3:27:32around roasting meat. This person was
3:27:34very strong, and his ability was
3:27:36mysterious. If I could win him over,
3:27:38then the next time Buang suddenly turned
3:27:40hostile, I would at least have one more
3:27:42helper. I cut off a piece of already
3:27:44cooked wolf meat with my knife and
3:27:46raised it toward Yilin Yuan. Yiluan,
3:27:48come eat some. Yuan did not answer that.
3:27:51I tea was as if he had not heard that I
3:27:52did not mind. I bit into the wolf meat.
3:27:55After adding salt and seasonings, the
3:27:57taste was indeed much better. Although
3:27:59the meat was still rather tough, it had
3:28:01a unique chewiness. After a few bites, I
3:28:04looked up again. It's freshly roasted.
3:28:06If you miss it, it'll be gone. Yin Yuan
3:28:08remained silent. Beside me, oldly
3:28:11fiddled with the aluminum alloy case and
3:28:13whispered, "Maybe he's not hungry. He
3:28:15hasn't eaten anything all day. How could
3:28:17he not be hungry?" I called out to Yulin
3:28:19Yuan, "Give me some face." This time,
3:28:22Yilin Yuan finally moved. He looked up
3:28:24at me. The two of us looked at each
3:28:25other for a moment through the rising
3:28:27fire light. Then Yinuan left the lampost
3:28:30and walked over slowly. The corners of
3:28:32my mouth curved up slightly and I tossed
3:28:34him the piece of meat I had prepared in
3:28:36advance. Why Linuan raised his hand and
3:28:38caught it. Thanks. Still only two words.
3:28:41After saying that, he sat down on the
3:28:43other side of the fire that I did not
3:28:45immediately try to get close to him.
3:28:47Being willing to come over was enough.
3:28:49Some people could not be pushed too
3:28:50hard. Then I turned my gaze to Jean
3:28:52Chong not far away. Jeang Chong was
3:28:54sitting alone on top of an abandoned
3:28:56forklift. Old Jeang. I raised my hand
3:28:59toward him. One a piece. Jeang Chong
3:29:01glanced down and sneered. Only ordinary
3:29:04people like you need food to replenish
3:29:05your strength. My flesh tendrils can
3:29:08directly absorb life force. I don't need
3:29:10to eat at all. I nodded. Then you really
3:29:12are impressive. I did not keep urging
3:29:14him. Instead, I picked up a piece of
3:29:16torn off cardboard and slowly fan the
3:29:19stove. The flames quickly grew stronger.
3:29:21Fat continuously dripped from the
3:29:23surface of the wolf meat. The aroma
3:29:25mixed with salt and seasonings drifted
3:29:27with the smoke toward the abandoned
3:29:28forklift. A tea first Chong could still
3:29:31maintain his sneer, but before long his
3:29:34nostrils twitched slightly, I kept
3:29:36fanning. Jeang Chong<unk>s Adams apple
3:29:37bobbed as well. Although flesh tendrils
3:29:40could absorb life force, they were still
3:29:42hardpressed to withstand the human
3:29:43instinct for food that I laughed
3:29:45inwardly, pretended not to see, and cut
3:29:47off a piece of wolf meat that was crispy
3:29:49outside and tender inside. "You really
3:29:52aren't eating? Then I'm going to start."
3:29:54Jeang Chong stared at that piece of
3:29:55meat, his expression changing several
3:29:57times. Finally, he leaped down from the
3:30:00forklift. "Since you insist on treating
3:30:01me, I'll give you this face." I
3:30:04suppressed a smile and tossed the meat
3:30:05over. "Then I really have to thank you."
3:30:08After catching it, Jeang Chong first
3:30:10took an unhurried bite. Then the second
3:30:12bite was clearly much faster. I withdrew
3:30:14my gazed. It seemed that whether
3:30:16superhuman or not, no one could escape
3:30:18the law of it smells so good. Y Linuan
3:30:21and Jeang Chong had both come. Finally,
3:30:23I looked at Ba Kuang under the tree.
3:30:25There was no irreconcilable hatred
3:30:27between me and Bangu. By Kuang<unk>s
3:30:29earlier attack had not been to avenge
3:30:31those three dead people. He had only
3:30:33wanted to find an opponent who could
3:30:35give him a satisfying fight. If I could
3:30:37ease the relationship, that would
3:30:39naturally be best. Besides, Bangu was
3:30:42the captain of this group and one of the
3:30:43earliest superhumans. He definitely knew
3:30:46more instance information than I did. I
3:30:48raised my voice. By Kuang, stop training
3:30:51and come eat meat. The electric arcs
3:30:53under the tree gradually faded. By Kuang
3:30:55opened his eyes. He first glanced at his
3:30:58already scabbed arm, then looked toward
3:31:00the rising flames on my side. Haha, with
3:31:03meat. How could I be missing? Buang
3:31:05stood up and stroed over. He was not
3:31:07like Yili Yu in silence, nor is Sundra
3:31:10as Jeang Chong. I had just placed a
3:31:12piece of roasted wolf meat on the metal
3:31:14plate when Buang reached out and grabbed
3:31:16it. Hot fat fell onto his fingers. He
3:31:19did not care at all and bit down with a
3:31:21big mouthful. Not bad. Buang swallowed
3:31:24the meat in a few bites, a look of
3:31:25satisfaction on his face. We have meat.
3:31:28It's a pity we're short on wine. At a
3:31:30time like this, if I could have another
3:31:32sip, that would be truly satisfying. I
3:31:35reached out and patted the cardboard box
3:31:37beside me. The side of the box was
3:31:39printed with a Baijo trademark, and the
3:31:41courier tape outside had not yet been
3:31:43torn open. It was exactly what someone
3:31:45had traded for wolf meat earlier.
3:31:47There's wine, too. By Kuang's eyes
3:31:49immediately lit up that he reached out,
3:31:50tore open the tape, took out a bottle of
3:31:52Baiio, popped the cap open, tilted his
3:31:55head back, and took a big gulp. The
3:31:57liquor ran down the corner of his mouth.
3:31:59B Kuang wiped it with his hand and
3:32:01laughed loudly. Good wine and meat. This
3:32:04is the life. I watched with my mouth
3:32:06twitching. Good heavens. Chugging strong
3:32:08Baiju straight from the bottle. Was this
3:32:10even human? The liquor in the bottle
3:32:12visibly decreased. Banguang did not even
3:32:15frown. He tilted his head back and took
3:32:17another big gulp, then grabbed a piece
3:32:19of wolf meat, tore it apart in a few
3:32:21bites, and ate until his mouth was
3:32:23greasied. He had just been through a
3:32:25life and death battle, and his injuries
3:32:27were not even healed. But judging by
3:32:29that appearance, forget one bottle of
3:32:30Baiou. Even several more bottles
3:32:33probably would not necessarily knock him
3:32:34down. I cut off a piece of wolf meat
3:32:36with my knife and chewed it slowly. Only
3:32:39after Bangu had drunk his fill did I
3:32:41speak as if casually, "Let me ask you
3:32:43something." Banguang raised the bottle.
3:32:45"Go ahead. You've entered instances
3:32:47before, right?" Buang bit off a piece of
3:32:50wolf meat and said casually, counting
3:32:52these two for times in total. My hand
3:32:54paused slightly that I had only known
3:32:56that Buang had entered instances before,
3:32:58but I had not expected he had already
3:33:00entered two more times. No wonder he was
3:33:03so strong. Jeang Chong and Yi Lin Yuan
3:33:05also looked over, especially Jean Chong.
3:33:08Although he still put on an indifferent
3:33:09look, his pace of eating clearly slowed
3:33:12a little that I continued asking, "Are
3:33:13there always two instances each time?"
3:33:16"Of course not." By Kuang shook his
3:33:18head. There's no pattern to the number
3:33:19of instances that appear. Sometimes
3:33:21there's only one. sometimes two or
3:33:24three. I've heard there have even been
3:33:26six instances at the same time. The more
3:33:28there are, the more choices you
3:33:30naturally have. I thought for a moment,
3:33:32then asked, "What about the difficulty
3:33:34of the instances?" By Kuang looked up at
3:33:36me, a hint of a smile at the corner of
3:33:38his mouth. "Haven't<unk> you already
3:33:39guessed? Instances don't directly mark
3:33:42their difficulty, but the tasks and
3:33:44rewards don't lie. For the same survival
3:33:46task, living 10 minutes and living 10
3:33:49days are naturally not the same thing.
3:33:51only being required to stay alive and
3:33:53being required to kill a certain target
3:33:55are also not the same thing. The better
3:33:57the reward, the higher the task
3:33:59requirements and the greater the danger
3:34:00inside is usually. Although you can't be
3:34:03completely certain, at least it can give
3:34:05you a rough judgment before you enter. I
3:34:07nodded. This was about the same as my
3:34:09previous inference. Beside us, Jeang
3:34:12Chong suddenly gave a low snort. The
3:34:14sound was not loud, but the several
3:34:16people sitting by the fire all heard it
3:34:17clearly that I looked toward him. Jeang
3:34:19Chong lowered his head, tore off a piece
3:34:21of wolf meat and chewed hard. His
3:34:23expression was clearly somewhat ugly.
3:34:25Dot. I knew why he was like this.
3:34:27Obviously, bringing up the old matter
3:34:29between the two of them made him feel he
3:34:30had lost face. I did not pay him any
3:34:33attention. Instead, I asked Bang a
3:34:35question I cared about more. Instance
3:34:37tasks don't explain the failure penalty.
3:34:40For survival type tasks, as long as you
3:34:42can live until the time ends, that's
3:34:44enough. But if it's a task that requires
3:34:46completing a certain objective and in
3:34:48the end you don't complete it, what
3:34:50happens? I poked the fire with the tip
3:34:52of my knife, will I be trapped in the
3:34:54instance forever? After Bangu heard
3:34:56that, he suddenly chuckled darkly. The
3:34:58first instance I ever entered was
3:35:00exactly the kind you're talking about.
3:35:01And it was a large-scale instance. A
3:35:04large-scale instance? My eyes flickered
3:35:06slightly. That was another term I had
3:35:08never heard before. By Kuang tilted his
3:35:10head back and took a drink, as if
3:35:12recalling the scene from back then.
3:35:13There were over a thousand people who
3:35:15entered that instance. Over a thousand,
3:35:17oldly looked up, even temporarily
3:35:19setting aside the aluminum alloy case in
3:35:22his hand. Can that many people enter one
3:35:24instance? Why not? By Kuang said. There
3:35:27isn't much sense to be made of what's
3:35:28happening now anyway. In the end, fewer
3:35:31than 300 people actually completed the
3:35:33mission and came out alive. It grew
3:35:35quiet around the fire. Even Yin Yuan,
3:35:38who had been silent all along, raised
3:35:40his head. Over a thousand entered. Fewer
3:35:42than 300 came out at least 700 people
3:35:45hadn't made it out of that instance. I
3:35:47got my magnetic field seed from that
3:35:49instance. By Kuang said my heart stirred
3:35:52magnetic field seed. It was the first
3:35:54time I had heard Bang voluntarily
3:35:56mentioned the source of his own ability.
3:35:58Earlier when Buang fought his body kept
3:36:00discharging electric current. I had
3:36:02thought his ability was simply
3:36:04controlling electricity. Now it seemed
3:36:06that wasn't the case at all. Current
3:36:07propulsion was only part of the power of
3:36:09the magnetic field. or rather it was
3:36:11only a kind of power manifested after
3:36:13the magnetic field seed had grown to a
3:36:16certain stage. By Kuang didn't explain
3:36:18the specific function of the magnetic
3:36:19field seed that I didn't ask immediately
3:36:21either directly prying into a
3:36:23superhuman's ability details easily
3:36:26aroused caution. I merely continued
3:36:28asking, "What about the people who
3:36:30didn't complete the mission? Did they
3:36:31die in the instance?" "I don't know." By
3:36:34Kuang answered bluntly. After I
3:36:36completed the mission, I was sent out.
3:36:38"Not one of the people who failed the
3:36:39mission came out with us. Later, I never
3:36:42saw them again." By Kuang looked down at
3:36:44the flames, his eyes barely wavering.
3:36:46"Maybe they're still trapped in that
3:36:48instance. Or maybe the moment the
3:36:50mission failed, the instance erased them
3:36:52outright. Who knows?" He said it
3:36:54lightly. Old Lee's face had gone
3:36:56somewhat pale. The monsters in the
3:36:58instances were already dangerous enough
3:36:59that if failing a mission meant being
3:37:01directly erased, then some instances had
3:37:04no retrieve from the moment you signed
3:37:05up. That I quietly noted this point as
3:37:07well since I couldn't be sure of the
3:37:09consequences of failure. I would have to
3:37:11be more cautious when choosing instances
3:37:13in the future, especially those with no
3:37:15time limit or those that could only end
3:37:17after killing a certain target. Choose
3:37:19wrong once and I might never get out. I
3:37:21finished the meat in my hand and wiped
3:37:23the grease from my fingertips. Number of
3:37:25instances, mission difficulty,
3:37:27consequences of failure. These questions
3:37:29were important, but they weren't what I
3:37:31most wanted to know. Dot. I paused for a
3:37:33moment, then looked at Buan. Then, how
3:37:35exactly do we superhumans level up?
3:37:38Level up? I used a term everyone would
3:37:40think of. This world was becoming more
3:37:42and more like a game. Instances,
3:37:44missions, rewards, skill books,
3:37:46equipment with all kinds of special
3:37:48effects. Since these things had
3:37:50appeared, asking how to level up
3:37:51wouldn't seem strange. But what I really
3:37:53wanted to ask wasn't that. I wanted to
3:37:55know how to make my life level transform
3:37:57again. Concept entry. Every time the
3:37:59life level transforms once,
3:38:01automatically gain one concept entry.
3:38:04That was the first piece of information
3:38:05I saw when I awakened my talent. Every
3:38:08time my life level transformed once, I
3:38:10could gain another concept entry. I had
3:38:12already truly experienced the first
3:38:14entry. Infinite firepower.it wasn't
3:38:16simply infinite bullets. A as long as it
3:38:18was a release type action, it could be
3:38:20released infinitely and continuously.
3:38:22When I picked up a nail gun, I had
3:38:24infinite steel nails. When I picked up a
3:38:26water gun, I had infinite water. Even
3:38:28bleeding could be judged by infinite
3:38:30firepower as a type of release. The
3:38:32blood in my body could flow out
3:38:34endlessly. Given enough time, I could
3:38:36theoretically create a sea of blood just
3:38:38by bleeding, even drown the whole world.
3:38:41And from another angle, it was
3:38:42equivalent to having some kind of locked
3:38:44health ability. It meant I wouldn't die
3:38:46from massive blood loss after being
3:38:48injured. Just the first concept entry
3:38:50was already this powerful. What about
3:38:51the second? The third. If I could keep
3:38:54transforming my life level, how many
3:38:56unreasonable abilities would I
3:38:57eventually gain? Of course, I looked
3:38:59forward to it, but I couldn't directly
3:39:01ask how to make my life level transform.
3:39:03That would be too precise. It could
3:39:05easily make others realize I had some
3:39:07special ability related to life level.
3:39:09So, I chose the vagger and more normal
3:39:12term level up. Hearing my question, Ba
3:39:14Kuang didn't answer immediately that he
3:39:16drank all the remaining liquor in the
3:39:18bottle, then casually placed the empty
3:39:20bottle on the ground. People by the
3:39:22nearby fires couldn't help but prick up
3:39:24their ears. How to become stronger? In
3:39:26one would be uninterested in that
3:39:27question. By Kuang didn't avoid them
3:39:29that he pondered for a moment, then
3:39:31said, "You should know that people are
3:39:33different. Just as there are no two
3:39:35completely identical leaves in the
3:39:37world, every person's body, abilities,
3:39:39and experiences can't be exactly the
3:39:41same. So the path each person must take
3:39:44to break through their limits and
3:39:45achieve the level up effect you
3:39:46mentioned is different too. Different
3:39:48paths naturally mean different things
3:39:51gained after transformation. I frowned.
3:39:53No unified method. None by Kuang
3:39:56replied. At least I don't know of one.
3:39:58Take me for example. After I obtained
3:40:00the magnetic field seed, it took root in
3:40:03my body. From that moment on, I had a
3:40:05growth system that belonged only to me.
3:40:07As Bang spoke, electric arcs appeared on
3:40:10his body again. With a crackle, several
3:40:12flexcks of dust that had fallen on his
3:40:14shoulders were instantly repelled.
3:40:16Combat pressure breaking limits. As long
3:40:19as I can cross the threshold under the
3:40:20pressure brought by a powerful enemy, my
3:40:23power can continue to advance. Last
3:40:25night's current propulsion was a
3:40:26breakthrough of that kind. But this path
3:40:28only suits me, someone with a magnetic
3:40:31field seed. If it were any of you, even
3:40:33if you trained exactly the way I do, you
3:40:35couldn't achieve the same result. I
3:40:37instinctively looked at Yulin Yuan and
3:40:39Jeang Chong. That why Lin Yuan remained
3:40:41silent. Jean Chong didn't speak either.
3:40:44He just stared at the electric arcs
3:40:45around by Kuang. And I couldn't tell
3:40:47what he was thinking. Everyone's path
3:40:49was different. Then Yelin Yuan<unk>s
3:40:51long blade and extreme speed and Jeang
3:40:53Chongs flesh tendrils and life
3:40:55absorption. Most likely each had their
3:40:57own different way of growing. that I
3:40:59asked, "If there's no unified way to
3:41:01level up, how are you sure other people
3:41:02can level up, too?" The electric current
3:41:05on by Kuang gradually died down because
3:41:07after leveling up to current propulsion,
3:41:09I could feel that my life had changed.
3:41:12It wasn't just an increase in strength
3:41:14and speed. My body, my perception, even
3:41:17some things harder to describe, all
3:41:19crossed a boundary that couldn't have
3:41:20been crossed before. Bangu reached out
3:41:23and pointed to his chest. It's as if
3:41:25there was originally a shackle here.
3:41:27When power accumulates to a certain
3:41:28level and then you find the key that
3:41:30belongs to you, the shackle will open.
3:41:33It was only after reaching this step
3:41:34that I gained some rough understanding
3:41:36of leveling up as it applies to
3:41:38everyone. Of course, part of the reason
3:41:40is that I once met a superhum who had
3:41:42truly completed an upgrade and I learned
3:41:44some information from him. My eyes
3:41:46narrowed a superhum who had truly
3:41:48leveled up. By Kuang looked at the fire
3:41:51and continued. To level up, you have to
3:41:53break the shackles of life and make
3:41:55yourself undergo a true transformation.
3:41:58To make it easier to understand, we can
3:42:00actively turn it into data. People who
3:42:02haven't completed a transformation
3:42:04aren't counted in the tiers for now. The
3:42:06first time you break the shackles of
3:42:07life, you can be called tier one.
3:42:09Transform again, and you're tier two. As
3:42:12for whether there will be tier three,
3:42:13tier four, or even higher in the future,
3:42:16I can't be sure right now. I listened
3:42:18very carefully. How exactly should one
3:42:20break them? By Kuang spread his hands.
3:42:22That's the problem right now. There's no
3:42:24systematic method at all. No one can
3:42:26tell you that by exercising a certain
3:42:28number of times, killing a certain
3:42:30number of monsters, or absorbing a
3:42:32certain amount of instance rewards,
3:42:34you'll definitely break the shackles of
3:42:36life. You can only rely on yourself to
3:42:38find that path. Maybe it's endless
3:42:40fighting. Maybe it's a certain instance
3:42:42reward. Or maybe even an epiphany. In
3:42:45any case, everyone is different. Here by
3:42:48Kuang Grand. But you don't need to worry
3:42:50that you won't know when you've leveled
3:42:51up. Once you truly complete the
3:42:53transformation, you will definitely
3:42:55sense it yourself. That feeling is hard
3:42:57to describe. It's like you've always
3:42:59been trapped in a narrow shell. And then
3:43:01in one moment, you tear that shell open
3:43:03with your own hands. You'll know very
3:43:05clearly that you are no longer the
3:43:07person you used to be. Mysterious and
3:43:09elusive yet incomparably clear. D was
3:43:12silent for a moment, then pressed
3:43:14further. You said you've seen
3:43:15superhumans after they leveled up. If we
3:43:17use the tier one and tier 2 division
3:43:19from just now, what's the highest tier
3:43:21you've seen? Tier 2. By Kuang answered
3:43:24without hesitation. My brow moved
3:43:26slightly. How strong? For the first
3:43:28time, a look that resembled reminiscence
3:43:30appeared in By Kuang<unk>s eyes that it
3:43:32was an uncontrollable yearning. After
3:43:34having seen a higher peak, I saw him act
3:43:37with my own eyes. With just one punch,
3:43:40he blasted a cruise ship in half from
3:43:42the middle. The area around the fire
3:43:44instantly fell silent. Old Lee's eyes
3:43:46widened. One punch. An entire cruise
3:43:49ship. Yes. By Kuang said. The hull, the
3:43:52deck, the interior cabins, all of it was
3:43:54pierced through by that punch. That's no
3:43:57longer power an ordinary person can
3:43:59understand. Once fully unleashed, he's a
3:44:01human-shaped natural disaster. Given
3:44:04enough time, he alone could slaughter an
3:44:06entire city. A scene appeared in my mind
3:44:08on a massive cruise ship broken in the
3:44:11middle by a single person's fist. Sea
3:44:13water pouring in through the break. The
3:44:15two halves of the hull slowly tilting
3:44:17amid a huge roar. Was this the power of
3:44:19a tier 2 superhuman? No wonder Bang
3:44:22hadn't shown satisfaction even after
3:44:24successfully advancing to current
3:44:26propulsion. He had seen that level with
3:44:28his own eyes. Naturally, he wouldn't
3:44:30stop where he was now. By Kuang looked
3:44:32at everyone who were caught in shock and
3:44:34yearning and gave a light laugh. I just
3:44:36said that people are different. Even if
3:44:38they're both tier 2, because the paths
3:44:40they walk are different, the effects
3:44:42they display won't be the same. But one
3:44:44thing is certain, this is indeed the
3:44:46only systematic path currently known,
3:44:48and also the most primitive and
3:44:50fundamental path. I nodded in agreement,
3:44:53at least I had one effect after
3:44:55ascending that others didn't have, that
3:44:56was unlocking concept entries. I leaned
3:44:59back against an abandoned cargo crate,
3:45:01took the liquor oldly handed me, and
3:45:03took a sip. The spicy liquid slid down
3:45:05my throat. This conversation had let me
3:45:08learn a lot of information I hadn't
3:45:10known before. But the most crucial
3:45:12question still hadn't been solved. How
3:45:14exactly could I truly break through to
3:45:16tier one? There was no cultivation
3:45:17method and no clear standard and no
3:45:20predecessors experience I could directly
3:45:22copy. It was like the little horse
3:45:24crossing the river. Some said the water
3:45:25was shallow. Others said it was deep
3:45:27enough to drown yourself. But in the
3:45:29end, how to cross could only be found by
3:45:32stepping into the water yourself. This
3:45:34gave me a feeling of not knowing where
3:45:35to start. That I didn't even know how
3:45:37far I was from that so-called shackle of
3:45:39life. I took another sip of liquor and
3:45:41suppressed the irritation rising in my
3:45:43heart. Forget it. If I couldn't figure
3:45:45it out, I wouldn't think about it for
3:45:46now. At least I now knew there really
3:45:49was a road ahead. As for how to walk it,
3:45:51I could look for that slowly later. What
3:45:53was more important right now was to keep
3:45:55strengthening myself around infinite
3:45:56firepower, find more powerful weapons,
3:45:59improve my physical qualities, obtain
3:46:01more skills and equipment. A as long as
3:46:04my strength kept growing, I would
3:46:05eventually encounter the opportunity one
3:46:07was meant to encounter. I down the rest
3:46:10of the liquor in one gulp. The
3:46:11surrounding roast meat was also mostly
3:46:13finished. After resting a little longer,
3:46:15Banguang stood up from the ground. The
3:46:17electric arcs around his body had
3:46:19completely withdrawn. After recovering
3:46:21for this period, his originally somewhat
3:46:23pale face had improved a lot. "Pack up,"
3:46:26By Kuang said, brushing the dust off
3:46:28himself. "Keep moving," his voice
3:46:30spread. The people scattered around the
3:46:32logistics park immediately got busy. The
3:46:34fires were put out one by one that the
3:46:36remaining wolf meat was wrapped
3:46:38separately in plastic sheeting and
3:46:40packaging bags they had found. The
3:46:42water, gasoline, tools, and parts they
3:46:44had traded for were also stuffed into
3:46:46the van by oldly one after another. The
3:46:48cabin was soon packed full. Oldly held
3:46:50the aluminum alloy case and kept
3:46:52measuring the length of the rainstorm,
3:46:54muttering about how the gun cases
3:46:56buckles and straps should be installed
3:46:58that I stood beside the vehicle and put
3:47:00a few unfinished bottles of liquor into
3:47:02the box. According to the original plan,
3:47:04we would continue north next that we
3:47:06would go around Ching Yu<unk>s main
3:47:07urban area and find a road leading to
3:47:09the northern mountains that I was about
3:47:11to get in the car when I suddenly felt
3:47:13someone come up to me that I looked up.
3:47:14It was the bald woman. She was still
3:47:17wearing that dirty light blue hospital
3:47:18gown. Her feet were bare and the wounds
3:47:21on her soles had already gathered new
3:47:23dust. She just stood in front of me
3:47:25staring at me blankly that I waited a
3:47:27while. She didn't move aside or speak.
3:47:29What is it? I asked. The woman slowly
3:47:32raised her hand and pointed east of the
3:47:34logistics park. Go east. Her voice was a
3:47:37little horse. That was as if she hadn't
3:47:39spoken for a long time that I was
3:47:40slightly startled. It was the first time
3:47:42I had heard this woman speak. What do
3:47:44you mean? She didn't explain. She still
3:47:46kept pointing east. Go east. I looked in
3:47:49the direction she was pointing that on
3:47:51the east side of the logistics park was
3:47:52an abandoned road. The road surface was
3:47:54overgrown with weeds and farther away it
3:47:57was blocked by several rows of
3:47:58warehouses. So I couldn't see where it
3:48:00led. What's to the east? I withdrew my
3:48:02gaze. Is there danger to the north? Or
3:48:05is there something we need to the east?
3:48:07The woman's eyes were empty. She seemed
3:48:09to understand and yet seemed not to
3:48:11understand at all. Her lips parted and
3:48:13she only repeated those three words. Go
3:48:16east. I frowned. Old Lee, who was
3:48:19nearby, also came over. What's this girl
3:48:21saying? She's telling us to go east. Go
3:48:24east. Oldly looked at the road to the
3:48:26east. Didn't Buang say we're going
3:48:28north? I didn't answer. The woman had
3:48:30already lowered her arm and turned to
3:48:32walk aside that I watched her back and
3:48:34that strange feeling rose in my heart
3:48:36again. The first time I saw this woman,
3:48:38I had felt something was off that it
3:48:40wasn't danger, nor was it closeness that
3:48:42it was more like some hard to grasp
3:48:44connection. There was no evidence that I
3:48:46couldn't find its source. Yet, I
3:48:48couldn't completely ignore it that I
3:48:49stood there thinking for a moment. In
3:48:51the end, I didn't get in the car.
3:48:53Instead, I turned and walked toward
3:48:55Buang. By Kuang had already reached the
3:48:57front of the group. Seeing me approach,
3:48:59he raised his eyes and asked, "Something
3:49:01else?" I glanced around. The bald woman
3:49:04had already blended back into the newly
3:49:06joined wanderers, crouching beside an
3:49:08abandoned truck and no longer looking
3:49:10this way, and I withdrew my gaze. I
3:49:12suggest we change route. By Kuang was
3:49:14slightly startled. Change route. Yes. I
3:49:17raised my hand and pointed east. Not
3:49:19continue north. Go east. By Kuang didn't
3:49:22agree immediately. Why? I pressed my
3:49:24lips together. The bald woman's state
3:49:26was clearly abnormal that I still
3:49:28couldn't determine her purpose or why
3:49:30she was so insistent that I go east. If
3:49:32I said it out right now, it would only
3:49:34draw more attention. Whatever secret
3:49:36that woman carried, there was no need to
3:49:38let everyone know before I understood
3:49:40it. No clear reason. I paused. Just a
3:49:43premonition. I feel that going east is
3:49:45the right choice. Buang looked at me.
3:49:47Dot. He didn't speak. I didn't avoid his
3:49:49gaze either. After a moment, Buang
3:49:51suddenly laughed. A premonition on just
3:49:54that. You want the whole group to change
3:49:56direction? That's why I'm only
3:49:57suggesting it. I said the final decision
3:50:00is yours. You're the captain. Buan
3:50:02looked at me a few more times. I didn't
3:50:04show guilt, nor did I continue
3:50:06explaining. Before the catastrophe,
3:50:08changing route based on a mere
3:50:09premonition would indeed have been
3:50:11absurd. But now, instances, monsters,
3:50:14and anomalies had all appeared. Some
3:50:16feelings that seemed to have no basis
3:50:18might not truly be meaningless. And
3:50:20besides, I wasn't someone who spoke
3:50:22carelessly. By Kuang was silent for a
3:50:24few seconds, then finally turned around.
3:50:27Then I'll trust you this once. We go
3:50:29east. I raised an eyebrow slightly. You
3:50:31believe me just like that? By Kuang
3:50:33grinned. There was never an absolutely
3:50:35safe choice when it came to routes.
3:50:38Going north might mean encountering
3:50:39monsters. Going east might mean
3:50:41encountering anomalies. Since that's the
3:50:44case, what's wrong with trusting you
3:50:46once? After saying that, Bang raised his
3:50:49arm and pointed east toward the
3:50:50gathering crowd. Change direction. Go
3:50:53east. Everyone who had just finished
3:50:55packing was stunned. Some instinctively
3:50:57looked toward the northern exit, then
3:50:59toward the road on the east side of the
3:51:01logistics park. Though they were
3:51:02confused, no one dared object to Ba
3:51:05Kuang's decision. The group quickly
3:51:06adjusted direction again. Oldly started
3:51:09the van. The engine sound rang out in
3:51:11the logistics park. I got into the
3:51:12shooting position and took one last look
3:51:14at the bald woman. She was still
3:51:16standing at the edge of the crowd.
3:51:18Seeing that the front of the vehicle had
3:51:20turned east, she lowered her head and
3:51:22followed the group barefoot. We left the
3:51:24Hawaiian Logistics Park through the east
3:51:26gate. The road was even harder to travel
3:51:28than before. This area was close to a
3:51:30freight passage and abandoned vehicles
3:51:32were everywhere on the road. An
3:51:34overturned box truck lay across the
3:51:36middle of the road and stinking goods
3:51:37were scattered inside. Several sedans
3:51:40had crashed together. Glass shattered
3:51:42all over the ground and dried blood
3:51:44could still be seen in the gaps. Oldly
3:51:46drove the van and had to stop from time
3:51:48to time to take detours that I sat in
3:51:50the side shooting position. The
3:51:51rainstorm was mounted on a metal stand,
3:51:53its muzzle sticking out of the firing
3:51:55port, ready to fire outward at any
3:51:57moment. I had originally been worried.
3:52:00After all, even I didn't know whether
3:52:02changing the route was the right choice
3:52:04or whether we would encounter even
3:52:05greater danger. I was only betting on my
3:52:07own feeling. But as we traveled, the one
3:52:10who actually acted wasn't me. Less than
3:52:12an hour after leaving the logistics
3:52:13park, a roar came from ahead that a
3:52:15monster covered in gray white flesh
3:52:17tumors burst out from an overturned bus.
3:52:20It stood on all fours, its back about as
3:52:22high as an adult's chest. Its mouth
3:52:24split from both sides all the way to its
3:52:26ears with rows upon rows of teeth
3:52:28crammed together. The crowd had just
3:52:30begun to stir. Jeang Chong had already
3:52:32charged out. All of you get lost. The
3:52:35clothes on his back bulged violently.
3:52:38Several flesh tendrils tore through the
3:52:40fabric and extended from his back,
3:52:42whistling through the air as they
3:52:43stabbed toward the monster. The monster
3:52:45didn't even make it to the crowd before
3:52:47two flesh tendrils wrapped around its
3:52:49forlims. The remaining tendrils stabbed
3:52:51into its neck and eye sockets one after
3:52:53another. Blood sprayed. The monster
3:52:55struggled madly, but Jeang Chong sneered
3:52:57and yanked backward, dragging it to the
3:53:00ground by force. Immediately after, all
3:53:02the flesh tendrils tensed at once. With
3:53:05a wet rip, the monster's head was torn
3:53:07open on the spot. The fight ended
3:53:09extremely quickly. A cruel smile
3:53:11appeared at the corner of Jeang Chongs
3:53:12mouth. Several flesh tendrils remained
3:53:15buried in the corpse, and the tumors on
3:53:17its surface withered at a visible rate
3:53:19as the remaining life force flowed
3:53:21continuously through the tendrils into
3:53:23his body. By the time he stood up again,
3:53:25his complexion was noticeably ruddier.
3:53:27Bangu only glanced at it from beginning
3:53:29to end that a monster of this level
3:53:31wasn't even qualified to make him stop,
3:53:33keep moving. After saying that, Bangu
3:53:36walked around the corpse. Jeang Chong
3:53:38watched his back and the smile on his
3:53:40face gradually disappeared. With a cold
3:53:42snort, the flesh tendrils slowly
3:53:44retracted behind him. He didn't speak,
3:53:47only followed the group again. Over the
3:53:49next few hours, the group encountered
3:53:51several more monsters. Every time a
3:53:53monster appeared, Jeang Chong would be
3:53:55the first to charge at it. He moved so
3:53:57fast it was as if he was afraid someone
3:53:59would snatch it away that a
3:54:00black-skilled monster hiding in a
3:54:02roadside convenience store was wrapped
3:54:04around its limbs by his flesh tendrils
3:54:06and torn apart alive. Two long snout
3:54:08monsters that crawled out of a drainage
3:54:10ditch and tried to attack the crowd from
3:54:12the side were also pierced through the
3:54:13head one after another. Several times I
3:54:15raised the rainstorm, but in the end I
3:54:18never pulled the trigger. Yin Yuan
3:54:20meanwhile stayed at the edge of the
3:54:22crowd the whole time, not even drawing
3:54:24that black long blade. By Kuang was
3:54:26happy to let it be. Those monsters were
3:54:28too weak to stir his fighting spirit.
3:54:30Since Jean Chong was willing to act, he
3:54:32let Zong Chong do the killing. It wasn't
3:54:34until the afternoon that the group
3:54:36finally encountered something
3:54:37troublesome. The monster had originally
3:54:39been lying between two scrap trucks.
3:54:41From a distance, it looked like a pile
3:54:43of rustcovered scrap. Only when the
3:54:45group approached did it slowly stand up.
3:54:48Boom! One thick forpaw landed on the
3:54:50ground and large cracks immediately
3:54:52appeared in the concrete road. Its
3:54:54appearance was somewhat like a brown
3:54:55bear, but its body was close to the size
3:54:58of a small truck. Its shoulders, back,
3:55:00and limbs were covered in dark brown
3:55:02bone armor, and the edge of each piece
3:55:04of armor protruded outward as if it wore
3:55:06a layer of natural heavy armor. A thick,
3:55:09forward- curving single horn also grew
3:55:11from the top of its head. The monster
3:55:13shook its head. Its horn struck the
3:55:15truck beside it and actually tore a gash
3:55:17in the cab. The crowd quickly retreated.
3:55:19The N1 smart auxiliary brain beside old
3:55:22Lee's ear lit up with a pale blue glow.
3:55:24He listened for a few seconds, then
3:55:26immediately shouted, "Careful!" The
3:55:28smart auxiliary brain analysis says its
3:55:30strength and defense are far higher than
3:55:32those of the previous monsters. I had
3:55:35already raised the rainstorm, but Jang
3:55:37Chong still charged out. The stronger
3:55:39the better. I finished the dessert, so
3:55:41it's perfect time for a big meal. Flesh
3:55:43tendrils shot out from his back and went
3:55:45straight for the monster's face. Clang.
3:55:48Several tendrils stabbed into the bone
3:55:50armor, producing a sound close to metal
3:55:52colliding. Their tips only left a few
3:55:54white marks on the surface of the armor
3:55:56and failed to pierce through it all. The
3:55:58heavily armored demon bear let out a
3:55:59roar and charged with its head lowered.
3:56:02Despite its huge body, it wasn't slow at
3:56:04all that I in just a few steps. It had
3:56:06already reached Jong Chong. Jeang Chong
3:56:08manipulated a flesh tendril to wrap
3:56:10around a nearby street light pole and
3:56:12pulled hard, sending his body flying
3:56:14sideways. The single horn grazed past
3:56:17the soles of his feet. The next second,
3:56:19the heavily armored demon bear suddenly
3:56:21raised its forpaw. Bang! Jeang Chong
3:56:24along with his flesh tendrils was sent
3:56:26flying. His back slammed into the
3:56:28rolling shutter door of a repair shop.
3:56:30The shutter door caved in on the spot.
3:56:32Jeang Chong slid down the sheet metal,
3:56:34blood already spilling from the corner
3:56:36of his mouth. "Jang Chong!" someone
3:56:38shouted instinctively. "I also aimed the
3:56:40muzzle at the side of the demon bear's
3:56:42face. I don't need any of you."
3:56:44Chong raised his head and roared.
3:56:46Whoever dares interfere, I'll kill them
3:56:48first. There was a barely suppressed
3:56:50ruthlessness in his voice. Several flesh
3:56:53tendrils braced against the ground and
3:56:55lifted him back up. The heavily armored
3:56:57demon bear was already charging again.
3:56:59Jeang Chong didn't retreat. He
3:57:01controlled the tendrils to avoid the
3:57:03bone armor and stab at the demon bear's
3:57:05belly, joints, and mouthpoint. Two
3:57:07tendrils were struck by the bear's paw
3:57:09and snapped on the spot. Another one,
3:57:12however, took the opportunity to wrap
3:57:14around its hind leg. Jean Chong pulled
3:57:16hard. The demon bear's body twisted and
3:57:18its horn scraped past his shoulder and
3:57:20smashed into the wall. Boom! Bricks and
3:57:23stones flew. Half of Jean Chong's
3:57:26shoulder was torn open as well. Blood
3:57:28instantly, dying his clothes red. The
3:57:30life force he had absorbed earlier took
3:57:32effect. The mangled flesh quickly
3:57:34stopped bleeding, and the edges of the
3:57:36wound began to contract. Immediately
3:57:38after, he lunged forward again. The man
3:57:40and the beast kept colliding in front of
3:57:42the repair shop. The heavily armored
3:57:44demon bear had the advantage in both
3:57:46strength and defense. Every time its paw
3:57:48came down, it cracked the concrete
3:57:50ground. Any of Jeang Chongs flesh
3:57:52tendrils that were hit head-on would
3:57:54twist and break. But he never retreated.
3:57:56If one broke, another grew out. If he
3:57:58was knocked away once, he got back up
3:58:00again. Before long, his chest, arms, and
3:58:04thighs were covered in wounds. The worst
3:58:06wound stretched from his waist to his
3:58:07back, blood constantly dripping down.
3:58:09Dot. I looked at Ba Kuang. By Kuang
3:58:11stood to the side with his arms crossed,
3:58:13showing no intention of acting at all.
3:58:16There was no fighting spirit in his
3:58:17eyes, only a bit of interest, as if
3:58:19watching a show. Obviously, this demon
3:58:22bear still wasn't worth him acting. I
3:58:24turned my gaze back to the battlefield.
3:58:26Since Jang Chong had refused help, there
3:58:28was no need for me to force my way in.
3:58:30The battle lasted a long time. More and
3:58:32more cracks gradually appeared on the
3:58:34heavily armored demon bear's bone armor.
3:58:36Jeang Chong was also covered in
3:58:38injuries. The two sides collided head-on
3:58:40once again. The demon bear's horn thrust
3:58:42out, but Jeang Chong didn't dodge it.
3:58:45The last moment, he turned his body
3:58:47sideways and let the horn pass under his
3:58:49armpit. The sharp bone horn tore open
3:58:51flesh and nearly came out right against
3:58:53his ribs. Jeang Chong<unk>s face
3:58:55instantly turned pale, but at that
3:58:57moment, the several flesh tendrils that
3:58:59had been circling the demon bear's sides
3:59:01tightened at the same time. Two wrapped
3:59:03around its forlims, point two, locked
3:59:05around its neck. The last one rose high
3:59:07and stabbed straight into the demon
3:59:09bear's open mouth. With a wet pierce,
3:59:11the tendril went through its upper jaw
3:59:13and out the back of its head. The demon
3:59:15bear's body suddenly went stiff. Jeang
3:59:17Chong raised his bloodstained face, his
3:59:20eyes fierce. Die! All the flesh tendrils
3:59:23exerted force at the same time. The
3:59:25demon bear's massive body was flipped to
3:59:27the side and crashed heavily onto the
3:59:28ground. The ground shook with it. Those
3:59:30huge claws twitched a few times and
3:59:32finally lost all strength. Jean Chong
3:59:35also dropped to one knee, gasping for
3:59:37breath. Blood dripped down his body and
3:59:39pulled into a small puddle beneath his
3:59:41feet. Someone wanted to step forward.
3:59:43Here is the translation in first person
3:59:45POV from Xiao<unk>s perspective, but
3:59:48Jeang Chong suddenly jerked his head up.
3:59:50Get lost. The man stopped midstep, not
3:59:53daring to come any closer. Jeang Chong
3:59:55directed the remaining fleshy tendrils
3:59:57and drove them all into the heavily
3:59:59armored demonic bear's body. The bear's
4:00:01swollen muscles rapidly shriveled that a
4:00:04large amount of still undissipated life
4:00:06force was forcibly drawn out through the
4:00:08tendrils. The wounds on Jean's body
4:00:10began to stop bleeding. Torn muscles
4:00:12slowly regrrew, and the broken tendrils
4:00:15drilled back out from his back. He knelt
4:00:18beside the gradually shriveling corpse.
4:00:20Yet his aura only grew stronger. After a
4:00:22while, he stood up again. Although his
4:00:24clothes were soaked in blood, most of
4:00:26his injuries had recovered. Jeang Chong
4:00:28turned around. His gaze swept over me,
4:00:31and Yin Yuan first, then finally landed
4:00:33on by Kuang<unk>s faced. It was as if he
4:00:36was waiting for something, but Bangu
4:00:38only glanced at the demonic bear's
4:00:39corpse. At least you look somewhat
4:00:41decent. Then he continued walking
4:00:43forward. The expression on Jeang
4:00:45Chong<unk>s face froze. The tendrils
4:00:47behind him also tensed at I. In the end,
4:00:49he said nothing and followed with a cold
4:00:51face that I watched this and already
4:00:53understood. Jeang Chong had been so
4:00:55active along the way, not only to absorb
4:00:57the life force of monsters. He wanted to
4:01:00prove that he was not completely
4:01:01useless, especially in front of Ba
4:01:03Kuang. Unfortunately, after breaking
4:01:05through electric current propulsion last
4:01:07night, the gap between Buang and him had
4:01:10only grown wider. At least for now, the
4:01:12monster that had nearly beaten Jean
4:01:14Chong to death still failed to interest
4:01:16Ba Kuang. Along the way, Ba Kuang did
4:01:18not forget the rules he had set. Every
4:01:20so often, he had people form small teams
4:01:23and search both sides of the road. They
4:01:25did not need to go deep into buildings.
4:01:27Their main task was to check for
4:01:29abnormal lights nearby or traces left
4:01:31when an instance was about to appear.
4:01:33Even so, searching was still dangerous.
4:01:35The fiveperson team entered a roadside
4:01:37factory, and only three came back. The
4:01:40other two were dragged into the darkness
4:01:42by monsters hidden in the factory, and
4:01:44their bodies could not even be
4:01:45recovered. Another team was attacked at
4:01:47a fork in the road. By the time the
4:01:49others heard the shouts and rushed over,
4:01:51one person was already dead and the
4:01:53other died soon after returning to the
4:01:55group. Before the day was over, the
4:01:57group had lost another four people. But
4:01:59the search did not stop. N1 knew where
4:02:01the next instance would appear. For
4:02:03ordinary people, joining the search
4:02:05teams meant danger. But only by finding
4:02:07an instance would they have a chance to
4:02:09change their fate. It was not until the
4:02:10sky gradually darkened that everyone
4:02:12stopped. We had already left the
4:02:14abandoned new district of Northr Ring
4:02:16New City and reached a road running east
4:02:18to west. Farther away, the tower cranes
4:02:20and containers of a freight yard could
4:02:22be seen. The sun had already pressed
4:02:24close to the buildings. Soon, the blood
4:02:26moon would rise. By Kuang told everyone
4:02:28to find a place nearby to spend the
4:02:30night that I jumped down from the van
4:02:32and rolled my somewhat sore shoulders.
4:02:34Little Xiao. Old Le's voice came from
4:02:36the back of the van that I turned
4:02:37around. Old Lee dragged a long box out
4:02:40of the compartment. Obvious pride on his
4:02:42face. The thing you wanted is done. My
4:02:44eyes lit up. The aluminum alloy box I
4:02:46had traded for at the logistics park had
4:02:48completely changed. The box had been
4:02:50recut, its length almost identical to
4:02:52Storms. The originally dented areas on
4:02:55the surface had been hammered flat, and
4:02:57a layer of dark gray metal protective
4:02:59plating had been added outside that on
4:03:00the side closest to the shoulder and
4:03:02back, there were two broad, thick
4:03:04straps. There were no ordinary locks at
4:03:07the opening, but several sets of movable
4:03:09mechanical catches. Several guide rails
4:03:11dismantled from abandoned equipment
4:03:13extended all the way into the box that a
4:03:15small indicator light only two fingers
4:03:17wide was embedded in the side. Try it
4:03:20put the gun case on my back and fastened
4:03:22the chest strap for me. The gun case fit
4:03:25against my spine and did not affect the
4:03:27movement of my arms. The weight was
4:03:29distributed through the straps on both
4:03:30sides and the support at the waist. It
4:03:33was much easier than carrying Storm
4:03:34directly. Reach your hand back. Oldly
4:03:37said, "Grip the handle and pull it
4:03:39slightly outward." I did as told that.
4:03:41As soon as my palm gripped Storm's
4:03:43handle, the sensor catch at the case
4:03:44mouth gave a soft click. Click. The lock
4:03:47released on its own. The internal
4:03:49ejection rail immediately pushed upward,
4:03:51sending most of Storm out. Dot. I pulled
4:03:53forward in one motion. Storm was already
4:03:55in my hand. The whole process was
4:03:57extremely smooth. That it was even
4:03:59handier than picking a weapon up from a
4:04:01table. that a trace of surprise appeared
4:04:03in my eyes. Put it back. Oldly pointed
4:04:06behind my shoulder, I brought Storm back
4:04:08toward the entrance of the gun case.
4:04:09They, as soon as the muzzle entered the
4:04:11range of the guide rails, the mechanical
4:04:13slots on both sides automatically closed
4:04:16and accurately gripped the gun body.
4:04:18Then a force came from inside the box.
4:04:20Storm automatically slid along the rails
4:04:22into the gun case. Clack. After the tail
4:04:25was completely inside, several catches
4:04:27closed at the same time, securing the
4:04:29weapon firmly. The indicator light on
4:04:31the side changed from red to green that
4:04:33I twisted my body. The gun case did not
4:04:35shake. I tried several more times.
4:04:37Reach, grip, draw, put it away, bring it
4:04:41close. Automatic loading. Whether in
4:04:43speed or convenience, it far surpassed
4:04:45before. Not bad, oldly. I put Storm away
4:04:48again and patted the gun case. You got
4:04:50it working like this in one afternoon.
4:04:52Look at what my class is. Old Lee first
4:04:54raised his chin proudly, then touched
4:04:56the silver gray device behind his right
4:04:58ear. But this time, we also got lucky
4:05:01thanks to Yuyu<unk>s help. I paused.
4:05:03Yuyu, who oldly pointed to the N1 smart
4:05:06auxiliary brain at his ear, the name I
4:05:08gave the assistant AI. I looked at the
4:05:10faint blue lines flickering there. You
4:05:12named an AI Yuyu? What? It doesn't sound
4:05:15good, oldly said discontentedly. Its
4:05:17voice is a little girl's. I can't keep
4:05:20calling it N1 smart auxiliary brain, can
4:05:22I? He seemed to be listening to
4:05:23something and paused briefly. Then he
4:05:26added, "You says the pronunciation is
4:05:28short and easy to recognize." My mouth
4:05:30twitched. It praises itself, too. That
4:05:33means it's intelligent. Oldly padded the
4:05:35outer shell of the gun case. This thing
4:05:37looks simple, but the rail angles, force
4:05:39structure, and catch positions inside
4:05:41can't be off by even a little. I handled
4:05:44dismantling parts and assembly, and Yuyu
4:05:46helped me calculate dimensions. It also
4:05:48repeatedly analyzed your usual movements
4:05:50when drawing the gun, especially the
4:05:52automatic recovery device. If the spring
4:05:55force is too small, it can't pull storm.
4:05:57If it's too strong, it's easy to pinch
4:06:00your hand. Yuyu calculated it more than
4:06:0210 times before settling on the current
4:06:04structure. And I added a layer of
4:06:06cushioning material inside the box. Even
4:06:08if you fall, it won't easily damage
4:06:10Storm. I reached back and drew the gun
4:06:12again. Click. The catch sprang open.
4:06:14Storm fell into my palm. Then I sent it
4:06:17back with a reverse motion. The
4:06:18mechanical rails automatically engaged
4:06:21and pulled the gun back behind me. This
4:06:23experience no longer felt like a gun
4:06:25case temporarily pieced together from
4:06:27scrap. Instead, it felt like some kind
4:06:29of precisely designed individual combat
4:06:31equipment that a battlefield mechanic
4:06:33plus a smart auxiliary brain. When the
4:06:36two work together, the effect was
4:06:37clearly not a simple sum. Not bad. I
4:06:40said, "Seriously, thanks." Oldly waved
4:06:42his hand. We're in the same boat now.
4:06:44What's there to thank me for? The
4:06:46stronger you are, the safer my old bones
4:06:48will be. Besides, when you give me
4:06:50materials, I get to practice, too. He
4:06:52walked half a circle around me. But this
4:06:55is only the first version. If we find
4:06:57better materials later, we can keep
4:06:58improving it. Ideally, we could add an
4:07:01auxiliary aiming module or connect it
4:07:03directly to the shooting position in
4:07:05your vehicle. Old Lee was getting into
4:07:07it. Suddenly, hurried footsteps came
4:07:09from the distance. A figure ran back
4:07:11from the other side of the road.
4:07:12Captain, the man shouted as he ran, his
4:07:15voice broken by panting. An instance. We
4:07:18found an instance. The resting crowd
4:07:20instantly fell silent. By Kuang turned
4:07:22almost the moment the voice sounded. Yil
4:07:24Lin Yuan also raised his head from the
4:07:26shadows beside the road. Zang Chong who
4:07:29had just sat down immediately stood
4:07:31again that I gripped Storm's handle.
4:07:33Where? By Kuang asked, "Right ahead."
4:07:35The man who had come back to report bent
4:07:37over, pointing to the side of the road,
4:07:39not far from here. You<unk>ll see it
4:07:41once you turn the corner. By Kuang
4:07:43wasted no words. Lead the way. The man
4:07:45turned and ran. by Kuang, Yilin, Yuan,
4:07:49Jean Chong, and I immediately followed.
4:07:51Old no longer bothered introducing the
4:07:53gun case. He touched the smart auxiliary
4:07:56brain at his ear and hurried after me.
4:07:58The crowd hesitated for a moment, then
4:08:00surged in that direction as well. At the
4:08:02bend of the road that a familiar blue
4:08:04white light, hung in midair several
4:08:06meters above the ground. Below the light
4:08:08screen, several search team members were
4:08:10waiting anxiously that we arrived and
4:08:11looked up at the text on the screen.
4:08:13Choose one of the following instances
4:08:15and complete the task to receive the
4:08:17corresponding reward. Instance one,
4:08:19prevent the destruction of Grass City.
4:08:21Reward, three draw chances, one adaptive
4:08:24combat suit. Registration countdown 00
4:08:27to 5950-9 seconds. My eyes quickly swept
4:08:31over the task information. This time,
4:08:33there was actually only one instance,
4:08:35and the task description was extremely
4:08:37general. Prevent the destruction of
4:08:39Grass City. What kind of place was Grass
4:08:41City? What was it facing? and in what
4:08:43way was this so-called destruction
4:08:45supposed to be prevented? The screen
4:08:46gave no explanation. The vagger the
4:08:49task, the more unknown factors it
4:08:51usually meant. Moreover, the rewards for
4:08:53this instance far exceeded the previous
4:08:55ones. Three draw chances, one adaptive
4:08:58combat suit. Just the number of draw
4:09:00chances was three times that of the
4:09:01previous two instances. I in addition,
4:09:03there was an extra reward of a combat
4:09:05suit that did not sound like ordinary
4:09:07equipment. Judging by the rule that the
4:09:09better the reward, the harder the
4:09:11instance usually was. This instance was
4:09:13definitely more dangerous than the blood
4:09:15banquet bar and in seven experimental
4:09:17base. These thoughts flashed through my
4:09:19mind. Then I suddenly thought of
4:09:21something else. My gaze went past the
4:09:23crowd to the bald woman standing at the
4:09:25back. Go east. That was the only thing
4:09:27the bald woman had ever said to me. We
4:09:29had traveled for a day in the direction
4:09:31she pointed. And then we really did
4:09:32encounter an instance. Was it a
4:09:34coincidence or had she predicted all of
4:09:36this long ago? My eyes narrowed
4:09:38slightly. If it was just a coincidence,
4:09:40it was too coincidental. But if it
4:09:42wasn't, it meant this woman who looked
4:09:44dull and slow likely had some ability to
4:09:47sense instances in advance or even
4:09:49predict the future. Registration
4:09:51countdown 00 to 42. The numbers jumped
4:09:55rapidly that I no longer had time to
4:09:56keep thinking. Only one instance had
4:09:58appeared this time. There was no need to
4:10:00choose. Either enter or give up. The
4:10:03task might be very dangerous, but if I
4:10:05backed down just because of danger,
4:10:07where else would I get the chance to
4:10:08become stronger? I had just learned from
4:10:10Ba Kuang that there was no fixed way to
4:10:12break through the shackles of life.
4:10:13Instance, rewards, battle, some special
4:10:16opportunity. All of them could become
4:10:18the key to completing the
4:10:19transformation. This instance before me
4:10:21might be a new opportunity. I would not
4:10:23miss it that I raised my hand and chose
4:10:25to register without hesitation.
4:10:27Registration successful. Behind the list
4:10:29of participants, besides by Kuang, Jeang
4:10:32Chong, and Yin Yuan, my name Xiaoan,
4:10:35appeared. Oldly stood before the screen
4:10:38and hesitated for less than a second
4:10:39that he looked at me, then touched the
4:10:41smart auxiliary brain at his ear. I've
4:10:43already gone in twice. One more won't
4:10:45make a difference. With that, he gritted
4:10:47his teeth and pressed it. Registration
4:10:50successful. After all five of us
4:10:52registered, the rest of the crowd fell
4:10:53in a hesitation. The rewards for this
4:10:55instance were indeed generous, but
4:10:57preventing the destruction of a city was
4:10:59terrifying just to hear. The vast
4:11:01majority of them were old people, women,
4:11:03and children. They had no ability to
4:11:06resist even ordinary monsters outside.
4:11:08How would they dare take part in such a
4:11:10task? The crowd shrank back. Some stared
4:11:12at the three draw chances, eyes full of
4:11:14longing. But when they thought of the
4:11:16people who had entered instances before,
4:11:18of 10 people, barely a few might come
4:11:20out alive. That longing was quickly
4:11:22suppressed by fear. Just as everyone
4:11:24hesitated, a pair of dustcovered bare
4:11:27feet stepped out from the crowd. That it
4:11:29was the bald woman. Her face was still
4:11:31expressionless. She simply passed
4:11:33through the crowd and walked straight to
4:11:34the screen. My eyes flickered. She was
4:11:37going in too. Had this woman guided us
4:11:39east precisely to find this instance.
4:11:41Whether she truly had precognition or
4:11:43could only vaguely sense certain things,
4:11:45I couldn't let her die easily now. I was
4:11:47about to speak to tell her to stay by my
4:11:49side after registering. But the bald
4:11:51woman stopped beside me first. She
4:11:53didn't look at me. She just reached out
4:11:55and registered. Registration successful.
4:11:57A new name immediately appeared behind
4:11:59it. Lingi, that was probably the bald
4:12:02woman's name. The words that had already
4:12:04reached my lips were swallowed back. The
4:12:06te least I didn't have to call out to
4:12:07her at that moment. Oldly stuffed
4:12:10something into my hand. What's this?
4:12:12Oldly said, "Didn't you say you wanted a
4:12:14communicator so we wouldn't get randomly
4:12:16teleported apart again next time we
4:12:18enter an instance? But we're short on
4:12:20materials, so I really couldn't make
4:12:22one. I barely managed to make a locator.
4:12:24It can't communicate, but being able to
4:12:26locate people is still good. Approval
4:12:28appeared in my eyes. Oldly really was a
4:12:31competent logistician that I hadn't
4:12:33expected that saving him casually back
4:12:35then would bring such a big return. An
4:12:37old man in the house really is a
4:12:39treasure. Then I held out my hand again.
4:12:41Give me another one. Old was stunned.
4:12:43What for? I do have a spare, but one is
4:12:46enough for you. I said, Cut the crap.
4:12:48I'm giving it to someone else. oldly
4:12:50understood and hurriedly took out
4:12:52another one. I only have this one spare.
4:12:54You'd better give it to Before he
4:12:55finished, I had already stuffed the
4:12:57locator into the bald woman<unk>'s hand.
4:12:59Take it. Don't lose it. Oldly was
4:13:01stunned. He had thought I wanted to give
4:13:03it to Ba Kuang, or at least to Yinuan or
4:13:06Jean Chong. He never expected that I
4:13:08would choose to give it to that dull,
4:13:09slow-l looking bald woman. And while we
4:13:11were talking, as the bald woman stepped
4:13:13forward, the crowd that had been
4:13:15shrinking back began to stir at a
4:13:16gray-haired man stared at the screen and
4:13:18gripped the steel pipe in his hand. I'm
4:13:21already this old. If I keep muddling
4:13:22along like this, I don't know how many
4:13:24days I have left. He gritted his teeth.
4:13:27I'll gamble once. The old man walked
4:13:29quickly to the screen and chose to
4:13:31register. Then a middle-aged woman
4:13:33carrying a backpack stepped forward.
4:13:35With so many superhumans going in, there
4:13:37should there should be a chance, right?
4:13:39No one could give her an answer. Her
4:13:41face was pale, but in the end, she
4:13:43reached out and chose to register with a
4:13:45second person. A third soon followed.
4:13:47Some were attracted by the three draw
4:13:49chances. Some saw that by Kuang, Yilin,
4:13:52Yuan, Jeang, Chong, and I, several
4:13:54superhumans, were all participating and
4:13:56thought they would be safer near us.
4:13:58Others saw Old Lee and the Baldwoman
4:14:00register and felt they might not be
4:14:02worse than those 2.1 name after another
4:14:04appeared below the screen. including the
4:14:06bald woman. Nine ordinary survivors
4:14:09chose to register. By Kuang, Yilin Yuan,
4:14:12Jeang, Chong, Oldi, and I, five people,
4:14:15plus them brought the number of
4:14:17participants to 14, but the rest no
4:14:19longer dared to step forward.
4:14:20Registration countdown 00 to 0800 0 to
4:14:240700 to 06. I gripped Storm's handle
4:14:28behind my shoulder. By Kuang cracked his
4:14:30neck and his joints gave a series of
4:14:32soft pops that why Linuan stood at the
4:14:35edge. His expression under the hood
4:14:37indistinguishable. Jeang Chong<unk>s
4:14:39clothes bulged slightly at the back.
4:14:41Several tendrils were ready to thrust
4:14:42out at any moment. Oldly moved closer to
4:14:45me, touched Yuyu at his ear and muttered
4:14:48something under his breath. The bald
4:14:49woman stood quietly on my other side.
4:14:52She raised her head and watched the
4:14:53numbers on the screen countdown to zero.
4:14:56That there was still not the slightest
4:14:57fear on her face. 0 to 030 to 0 to 0 to
4:15:0101. Registration ended. The blue white
4:15:04light suddenly expanded. The next moment
4:15:06all registered participants disappeared
4:15:08from where they stood and I suddenly
4:15:09opened my eyes that I found myself
4:15:11standing beside an unfamiliar street.
4:15:13Neat stone bricks paved the ground
4:15:15beneath my feet. On both sides of the
4:15:17road were buildings of different colors.
4:15:19Pale yellow, dark red, and gray white
4:15:22facades joined together. Cafes and shops
4:15:24lined the street with clothes and
4:15:26jewelry displayed in glass windows that
4:15:28a tram slowly passed along the tracks in
4:15:30the middle of the road. The words on its
4:15:32body were completely incomprehensible to
4:15:34me. People came and went on the street.
4:15:37Most had blonde hair and blue eyes, and
4:15:39their clothes were not much different
4:15:40from those in my world. In o blood moon,
4:15:42o monsters. Everything before my eyes
4:15:45looked completely normal. But I did not
4:15:46relax. The instance task was only one
4:15:49sentence. Prevent the destruction of
4:15:51grass city. Such a large city. What
4:15:54exactly would destroy it? War, monsters,
4:15:57natural disaster, or some catastrophe we
4:15:59couldn't yet understand? The task gave
4:16:01no time and no further hints that I
4:16:03raised my head and quickly scanned my
4:16:05surroundings. There was not a single
4:16:07familiar face around me. Random
4:16:09teleportation. I frowned. This time
4:16:12after entering Grass City, the 14
4:16:14participants had once again been
4:16:15completely scattered in no matter what
4:16:17would destroy the city. The most
4:16:19important thing now was to find old Lee
4:16:21and Ling E first. As for Bangu, Yilin
4:16:24Yuan, and Jean Chong, I wasn't worried
4:16:26with their strength. As long as they
4:16:28didn't run straight into the most
4:16:29dangerous thing upon entering, they
4:16:31basically had the ability to protect
4:16:33themselves. Old Lee was different. His
4:16:35battlefield mechanic class leaned
4:16:37towards support. Although he carried a
4:16:39smart auxiliary brain, he didn't have
4:16:41much combat power himself. Lingi's
4:16:43situation went without saying, "That
4:16:45woman looked dull and slow, and she
4:16:47didn't even know to find a pair of shoes
4:16:49to wear. If she fell into a dangerous
4:16:51area, she probably wouldn't even know to
4:16:53run." and that I reached into my pocket
4:16:54and took out a palmsized locator that I
4:16:56pressed the switch. The dark screen lit
4:16:58up. After a brief search, two red dots
4:17:01appeared one after another. They're both
4:17:02there, just as I thought. The two red
4:17:04dots were in different directions. Point
4:17:06one was very close to me. Only about 2
4:17:09km away. The other was already near the
4:17:11edge of the locator's display, and I
4:17:13couldn't judge the exact distance that I
4:17:15didn't hesitate that I'd go for the near
4:17:16one first. As for whether that red dot
4:17:19was old Lee or Ling, I'd know once I got
4:17:21there, dot I got my bearings and ran
4:17:23quickly along the street. Pedestrians
4:17:25around me kept glancing over some
4:17:27noticed the long gun case on my back and
4:17:29looked wary. I ignored all of that. As I
4:17:32ran, I kept observing my surroundings.
4:17:34The shops on the street were still open.
4:17:36The traffic lights at the intersection
4:17:37were changing normally. I in the
4:17:39distance. I could see the tall spire of
4:17:41a church. A few white pigeons flew up
4:17:43from a rooftop and quickly disappeared
4:17:45behind the buildings. The city showed no
4:17:48sign at all that it was about to be
4:17:49destroyed. The more that was true, the
4:17:51less reassured I felt. The dungeon
4:17:53couldn't have sent us here for
4:17:54sightseeing. The disaster mentioned in
4:17:56the mission might happen the very next
4:17:58second. I crossed two intersections in a
4:18:00road, and I had only been running for a
4:18:02few minutes when a voice full of
4:18:03surprise suddenly came from behind me.
4:18:05Shiao Kuan, wait. I stopped and looked
4:18:08back at a middle-aged woman was standing
4:18:10on the other side of the street. She
4:18:11wore a faded jacket and was still
4:18:13clutching the old backpack she had
4:18:15carried with her before entering the
4:18:16dungeon that I recognized her. She was
4:18:18one of the vagrants from Hawaiian
4:18:19Logistics Park. She had traded with me
4:18:22for wolf meat before. When she signed up
4:18:24this time, she had followed the others
4:18:25into the dungeon too at a tea. That
4:18:27moment she was clearly completely
4:18:29panicked at a foreign street and
4:18:31unfamiliar crowd. Not a single person
4:18:33around her she could rely on. She
4:18:35couldn't even understand what the people
4:18:36around her were saying. When she saw me,
4:18:38her helpless face immediately lit up
4:18:40with surprised as if she had finally
4:18:43grabbed hold of a lifeline. You're here,
4:18:45too. She hugged her backpack tightly and
4:18:47hurried across the street. Wait for me.
4:18:50I'll come with you. Before she could
4:18:51finish, crack. The paving stones under
4:18:54the woman's feet suddenly split open.
4:18:56The whole stretch of road collapsed
4:18:58downward. Ah. The woman lost her balance
4:19:00and fell forward. The next moment, a
4:19:03black shadow burst out from beneath the
4:19:05collapsed ground. Boom! A mass of broken
4:19:07stone was thrown into the air. The
4:19:09pedestrians around screamed and dodged
4:19:12backward. NY pupils contracted sharply.
4:19:14It was a giant beetle nearly 3 m long.
4:19:17It had six thick jointed limbs and a
4:19:20body covered in dark black carropase.
4:19:22The carropase was not smooth. Rows of
4:19:24sharp bone spikes slanted backward from
4:19:26it. The spikes along the center of its
4:19:28back were the thickest. They looked like
4:19:30a serrated blade forged from steel. Its
4:19:32head was flat with a compound eye on
4:19:34each side, and its mouth parts were like
4:19:36two crossed giant guillotine blades, an
4:19:39iron ridge bug. The middle-aged woman
4:19:41had only just raised her head. Those two
4:19:43giant mandibles had already clamped onto
4:19:46her waist. Crack! Blood splattered. The
4:19:48woman's voice cut off abruptly. Her body
4:19:51was bitten straight in two. Her upper
4:19:53half fell to the ground. Her lower half
4:19:55was lifted by the iron ridge bug's head
4:19:57and swallowed along with her internal
4:19:59organs. All of this happened right
4:20:01before my eyes as so fast that there was
4:20:03no time to save her at all. After a
4:20:05brief stunned silence, the whole street
4:20:07erupted. Ah, monster run. Screams rose
4:20:11from all directions. People who had been
4:20:13shopping desperately fled. Someone
4:20:15dropped the phone. Someone knocked over
4:20:17roadside tables and chairs. Others were
4:20:19pushed down by the panicked crowd.
4:20:21Before they could get up, the people
4:20:22behind trampled over them. The Iron
4:20:24Ridge bug chewed the flesh in its mouth.
4:20:27Thick blood dripped from its giant
4:20:28mandibles. Damn it. I cursed at MY right
4:20:31hand had already reached behind my
4:20:33shoulder. My palm gripped the gun
4:20:35handle. Click. The mechanical catch
4:20:37inside the gun case popped open
4:20:39instantly. The rainstorm slid upward
4:20:41along the rail. I drew it in one motion
4:20:43and aimed at the iron ridge bug. Pulling
4:20:45the trigger. Bang bang bang bang. Dense
4:20:47steel nails crossed the street and
4:20:49struck the carropase on the iron ridge
4:20:51bug side. One after another. Sparks
4:20:53flew. The first few steel nails were
4:20:55actually deflected by the carropase, but
4:20:57the following nails didn't pause at all
4:20:59point one after another. They all landed
4:21:01in the same area. Fine cracks quickly
4:21:03appeared in the hard carrapase. The iron
4:21:05ridge bug felt the pain and turned its
4:21:07head toward me. I in those compound eyes
4:21:09made of countless tiny crystallin
4:21:11facets. My figure was reflected. Hiss.
4:21:14The iron ridge bug let out a sharp hiss
4:21:16and charged at me through the steel
4:21:18nails. I stepped back twice, keeping the
4:21:20muzzle locked on its head. Oh, what if
4:21:22its carropase was hard? The thing I
4:21:24lacked least was ammunition. If one shot
4:21:26couldn't pierce it, I'd shoot 10 times.
4:21:28If 10 times wasn't enough, I'd shoot a
4:21:30100. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The
4:21:32rainstorm's gunfire became continuous.
4:21:35Steel nails kept hammering the same
4:21:37spot. More and more cracks spread across
4:21:39the armor on the iron ridge bug's head.
4:21:41When it had charged to within a few
4:21:43meters of me, that patch of armor
4:21:45finally shattered completely.
4:21:47The following steel nails lost their
4:21:49obstruction and instantly pierced into
4:21:51the flesh inside. Dark green fluid
4:21:53sprayed from the wound. The iron ridge
4:21:55bug's body shook violently. I shifted
4:21:58the muzzle sideways and fired
4:21:59continuously at the joint of its mouth
4:22:01parts where the carropase didn't cover.
4:22:04The two giant mandibles were knocked
4:22:05backward by the steel nails. More steel
4:22:08nails shot through its mouth and into
4:22:10its head. The iron ridge bug rushed
4:22:12forward a few steps. Then its huge body
4:22:14crashed onto the street. Its six-jointed
4:22:16limbs twitched for a moment, then
4:22:18finally went still that I didn't stop to
4:22:20check the corpse. Because while the
4:22:21gunfire was still sounding, the sound of
4:22:24road cracking came again from not far
4:22:26away. Boom! Boom! Boom! First one spot,
4:22:29then a second, a third, the middle of
4:22:31the street, in front of shops, even the
4:22:33green belt beside a building. All began
4:22:36to collapse downward. Dark black dorsal
4:22:38spikes pushed up from beneath the
4:22:39ground. More iron ridge bugs drilled
4:22:42out. 1.3.5.
4:22:44In the distance, even more ground was
4:22:46bulging upward. A moving car couldn't
4:22:48break in time and crashed head-on into
4:22:50an iron ridge bug, the front and
4:22:52crumpled instantly. The iron ridge bug
4:22:54was only knocked back half a step. It
4:22:56swung a forlum, its sharp jointed limb
4:22:59piercing straight through the windshield
4:23:01and dragged the driver out. Another iron
4:23:03ridge bug lunged into an open air cafe.
4:23:06Tables and chairs toppled one after
4:23:07another. Two customers who hadn't
4:23:09managed to escape were caught by its
4:23:11giant mandibles. Their screams were
4:23:13replaced in an instant by the sound of
4:23:15tearing flesh. Watching the bugs keep
4:23:17emerging from underground, I finally
4:23:19knew what Grass was about to face. Damn
4:23:21it, a swarm invasion. And this was
4:23:24probably only the beginning. The dungeon
4:23:26mission required stopping the
4:23:27destruction of the entire city. These
4:23:29iron ridge bugs alone might not be
4:23:31enough to completely destroy a city.
4:23:33That meant there were likely more and
4:23:35even stronger swarm creatures to come.
4:23:37An iron ridge bug that had just emerged
4:23:39from the ground spotted me. It shoved
4:23:41fleeing people aside and charged quickly
4:23:43toward me. Dot. I raised the rainstorm
4:23:45and fired continuously. Steel nails
4:23:47struck its carropase with dense
4:23:49clattering sounds that on the other
4:23:51side. Two more iron ridge bugs turned
4:23:53around. More and more compound eyes
4:23:55locked onto me. My sustained shooting
4:23:57and the death of one of their kind had
4:23:59clearly made me a target that I didn't
4:24:00stay where I was. The iron ridge bugs
4:24:03carropaces were hard one-on-one. I could
4:24:05force my way through with infinite
4:24:06firepower. But if a dozen or so
4:24:08surrounded me at once with my current
4:24:10physical toughness, one bite from those
4:24:12giant mandibles could take me out of the
4:24:14fight, there was no point in staying.
4:24:16More importantly, the nearest red that
4:24:18was still moving as I backed away. I put
4:24:21the iron ridge bug blocking my path and
4:24:23my sights. Bang, bang, bang, bang. All
4:24:25the steel nails concentrated on the
4:24:27joint of one form. The carrapase
4:24:29cracked. The limb was shot clean off by
4:24:31the dense nails. The iron ridge bug lost
4:24:33balance and toppled sideways that I took
4:24:35the chance and rushed past. I aimed the
4:24:38rainstorm at the gap on its abdomen
4:24:39where there was no carropace, firing as
4:24:41I ran. Dark green blood kept spraying
4:24:44out that B. Why the time I passed it,
4:24:45the bug had been pierced by steel nails
4:24:47from abdomen all the way to its back and
4:24:50could no longer rise that I didn't look
4:24:51back. I kept running in the direction
4:24:53the locator indicated. Screams kept
4:24:55coming from behind me. I ran on. After
4:24:58basic genetic enhancement, my stamina,
4:25:00speed, and reactions far surpassed those
4:25:03of ordinary people. The panicked crowd
4:25:05was dense, but it couldn't really stop
4:25:06me. I squeezed between two crashed cars,
4:25:09vaulted a barrier, and kept closing in
4:25:11on the red. Fleeing people were
4:25:13everywhere along the way. The congestion
4:25:15spread quickly. Shrill sirens, screams,
4:25:18and the sound of collapsing buildings
4:25:20mixed together and spread through the
4:25:22surrounding blocks. The city was not
4:25:24without defenders. After running a few
4:25:26hundred meters, I heard police sirens
4:25:27ahead. We woo wee woo. The sound grew
4:25:30closer. Then dense gunfire broke out.
4:25:33Rat. The gunfire came from the exact
4:25:36route I had to take that I glanced at
4:25:37the locator. The nearest red that was in
4:25:39that direction that I had no choice but
4:25:41to keep going. After rounding the
4:25:43corner, the scene ahead came into view
4:25:45at once. Several police cars were parked
4:25:47across the road, forming a temporary
4:25:49defense line. All the doors were open.
4:25:51There had originally been more than a
4:25:53dozen police officers here, but now more
4:25:55than half of them laid dead in the
4:25:57street. Only six were still firing from
4:25:59behind the cars. Bodies lay everywhere
4:26:01around them. Severed limbs and torn
4:26:03organs were scattered between the
4:26:05vehicles and blood flowed along the
4:26:07cracks in the street toward the lower
4:26:08ground. The air was full of the smell of
4:26:10blood and gunpowder. Five iron ridge
4:26:13bugs were advancing through the fire.
4:26:15Dense bullets hit their carrapases,
4:26:17sending sparks flying. Ordinary pistols
4:26:19only left shallow marks on the
4:26:21carrapase. A few automatic rifles could
4:26:23crack it, but it was hard to shoot all
4:26:25the way through in a short time. The
4:26:27iron ridge bugs lowered their bodies,
4:26:29using the hardest armor on their backs
4:26:31to block bullets, and closed in on the
4:26:33police line step by step, "Fire!" A
4:26:35policeman hiding behind a car door
4:26:37shouted, "Aim for their legs. Don't stop
4:26:40firing." The gunfire grew denser, but
4:26:42the distance between them was already
4:26:44less than 10 m. One Iron Ridge bug
4:26:46suddenly accelerated. Its huge body took
4:26:48the bullets and slammed into a police
4:26:50car. Bang! The car rolled onto its side
4:26:53point. Two policemen hiding behind it
4:26:55were thrown into the air. One of them
4:26:56had just hit the ground when a jointed
4:26:58limb came down from above and pierced
4:27:00straight through his chest. The other
4:27:02bugs also charged into the defense line.
4:27:04The gunfire quickly fell into chaos.
4:27:06Someone turned to run. He only got a few
4:27:08steps before an iron ridge bug caught
4:27:10him from behind. its giant mandibles
4:27:12clamped onto his shoulder and tore him
4:27:14apart along with his arm. One policeman
4:27:17emptied all the bullets in his automatic
4:27:19rifle. Before he could change magazines,
4:27:21an iron ridge bug was already on him.
4:27:23The guillotine-like mandibles snapped
4:27:25shut sideways. Crack! The policeman's
4:27:28body was severed at the waist. His lower
4:27:30half fell where it was. His upper half
4:27:32was flung by the mandibles, flew over
4:27:34the police car, and landed right in
4:27:36front of me. Bang! Blood splashed across
4:27:38my shoes. The policeman had not died
4:27:40immediately. He was still clutching his
4:27:42automatic rifle with both hands, his
4:27:44body twitching on the ground, his mouth
4:27:46opening and closing. He seemed to be
4:27:48trying to warn me to run. But every time
4:27:50he opened his mouth, only bloody foam
4:27:53came out of his throat that I didn't
4:27:54understand his language, and I had no
4:27:56time to try. I reached out, grabbed the
4:27:58automatic rifle, and pulled it from the
4:28:00policeman's weakening hands. The rifle
4:28:02was still warm. The magazine was already
4:28:04empty. For me, that was no problem. The
4:28:07moment the weapon fell into my hands,
4:28:09infinite firepower took effect. I held
4:28:11the rainstorm in my right hand and
4:28:12raised the automatic rifle with my left
4:28:14at an iron ridge bug shoved a police car
4:28:16aside and lunged at me. I pulled the
4:28:18triggers of both weapons at the same
4:28:20time. Die. Bang bang bang bang bang. Rat
4:28:23tat tat tat tat tat. Steel nails and
4:28:26rifle bullets poured out at the same
4:28:28time. The automatic rifle's magazine was
4:28:30clearly empty, yet the muzzle didn't
4:28:32pause at all. Bullet after bullet fired
4:28:34out of thin air, joining the steel nails
4:28:36from the rainstorm in two criss-crossing
4:28:38lines of fire. Sparks kept bursting from
4:28:40the armor on the bug's head. It tried to
4:28:42use its back armor to block, but I moved
4:28:45both arms at once, hammering its head
4:28:47and limb joints from different angles
4:28:48left and right. Infinite ammunition, no
4:28:51reloading. The guns would not overheat
4:28:53or be damaged by continuous fire. That
4:28:56meant as long as I kept my fingers on
4:28:57the triggers, the firepower would never
4:28:59stop. The iron ridge bug pushed through
4:29:02the hail of bullets for a few meters.
4:29:03Its left forlum was shot off first, then
4:29:06the right. Its huge body pitched forward
4:29:08and its head slammed into the ground
4:29:09that I didn't stop firing. Bullets and
4:29:12steel nails all pounded the already
4:29:14cracked armor on its head. Crack. The
4:29:16armor finally shattered. Dark green
4:29:18flesh was instantly torn open by the
4:29:20sustained fire. Large holes were blown
4:29:22through the bug's head. Its two compound
4:29:24eyes burst one after the other. Its body
4:29:27shuddered under the dense bullets and in
4:29:29moments became a whole riddled civ. I
4:29:31didn't release the triggers until it was
4:29:33completely still. The gunfire stopped
4:29:35briefly. The whole exchange had lasted
4:29:37only a few seconds, but the remaining
4:29:39iron ridge bugs had all noticed me.
4:29:41Pairs of compound eyes turned. The bugs
4:29:44that had just slaughtered the policemen
4:29:45turned their bodies toward me. Bits of
4:29:47flesh still hanging from their mouth
4:29:49parts. From the other end of the street
4:29:51came even denser hissing. More iron
4:29:53ridge bugs were approaching. My
4:29:55expression darkened. "Is there no end to
4:29:57you?" I didn't stay to fight head-on. I
4:29:59turned and ran toward the side of the
4:30:01road, diving into an alley between two
4:30:03buildings. Behind me came the sound of
4:30:05jointed limbs striking the ground that
4:30:07click clack click clack. Two iron ridge
4:30:09bugs chased me in. The alley was narrow.
4:30:11Trash cans and discarded junk were piled
4:30:14on both sides and metal fire escapes
4:30:16connected overhead. The terrain limited
4:30:18the bug size advantage, but gave me more
4:30:20room to dodge that I stepped on a trash
4:30:22can and used it to launch myself up. The
4:30:24strength from my basic genetic
4:30:25enhancement exploded fully in that
4:30:28moment that I reached up, grabbed the
4:30:29lower bar of a fire escape, and swung
4:30:31myself upward, and I iron ridge bug
4:30:34lunged past beneath me. Its giant
4:30:36mandibles snapped shut, missing my legs
4:30:38by inches, I let go and landed behind
4:30:40the bug. The moment my feet touched the
4:30:42ground, I turned and fired. The
4:30:44automatic rifle swept the joints of its
4:30:46hind legs while the rainstorm aimed at
4:30:48the gaps between the armor plates on its
4:30:50abdomen. Rat, bang, bang, bang, bang.
4:30:53The two kinds of gunfire echoed
4:30:55endlessly in the narrow alley. Bullets
4:30:57broke the jointed limbs. Steel nails
4:31:00drilled into its abdomen. The iron ridge
4:31:02bug let out a piercing hiss and tried to
4:31:04turn and lunge, but without the support
4:31:06of its hind legs. It crashed heavily
4:31:08into the wall. I rushed a few steps
4:31:10forward. The muzzle almost pressed
4:31:12against its compound eye. Firepower
4:31:14erupted again. The compound eye and the
4:31:16tissue behind it were instantly
4:31:18shattered. The first iron ridge bug
4:31:20fell. The second had already climbed
4:31:22over its companion's corpse. A thick
4:31:24forlum swept toward me, flattening a
4:31:26nearby trash can. I rolled backward to
4:31:29avoid the attack. As I rose, both
4:31:31weapons were already raised again. The
4:31:33iron ridge bug lowered its head and used
4:31:35its hardest back armor to block the
4:31:37frontal fired. I fired while running
4:31:39deeper into the alley. Bullets and steel
4:31:41nails kept hitting the same spot. Cracks
4:31:43quickly spread across its back armor.
4:31:45The bug kept chasing. The distance
4:31:47between us kept shrinking that a corner
4:31:49piled with wooden crates appeared ahead
4:31:51that I kicked the bottom crate. The
4:31:53stacked boxes crashed down and blocked
4:31:55the alley. The bug barreled straight
4:31:57through with brute force. The wooden
4:31:59boards burst apart. Its speed paused for
4:32:01a moment that I seized the chance,
4:32:03turned and poured all my firepower into
4:32:05the already cracked back armor. Crack.
4:32:08The armor was blown through. Bullets and
4:32:10steel nails pierced its body, tearing
4:32:12open an ever widening bloody hole in its
4:32:14back. The bug still tried to advance
4:32:16that I gave it no chance to breathe. The
4:32:18firepower kept suppressing it. Dark
4:32:20green blood splashed across the walls on
4:32:22both sides. Only when all six of its
4:32:25jointed limbs lost strength did its huge
4:32:27body finally collapsed that I fired a
4:32:29few more shots. Only after confirming
4:32:31both iron ridge bugs were dead did I
4:32:33stop shooting. Outside the alley, chaos
4:32:36continued. I didn't rest that I took out
4:32:37the locator again. Both red dots were
4:32:40still on the screen. The nearest one was
4:32:42now very close. that it was just on the
4:32:44other side of the building ahead. I put
4:32:45the locator away, slid the rainstorm
4:32:48back into its case and hung the
4:32:49automatic rifle across my chest with its
4:32:51strap that I stepped over the broken
4:32:53boards on the ground and continued along
4:32:55the alley. At the end was a gap less
4:32:57than 2 m wide that I turned sideways and
4:33:00slipped through. The view suddenly
4:33:01opened up. This was a wider street than
4:33:03before, but as far as I could see, the
4:33:06whole street had fallen into complete
4:33:07chaos. Out of control cars had crashed
4:33:10into each other. White smoke pouring
4:33:11from their hoods. Glass from roadside
4:33:14shops littered the ground. Fleeing
4:33:16people shoved one another. Every so
4:33:18often, someone fell and was trampled by
4:33:20those behind. Bodies lay scattered
4:33:22everywhere. More than a dozen iron ridge
4:33:24bugs were spread across the street.
4:33:26Screams, insect hisses, and car crashes
4:33:28blended together. Yet amid that chaos,
4:33:31one figure stood out sharply that I
4:33:33spotted her at once. Lingi. She was
4:33:35still wearing that filthy light blue
4:33:37hospital gown. Her bald head was very
4:33:39conspicuous in the crowd. Her bare feet
4:33:41walked across the street. The Sauls
4:33:43stained with dust and blood. Everyone
4:33:45around was running desperately. She
4:33:48wasn't. She hadn't even quickened her
4:33:50pace. Ling E walked alone in the middle
4:33:52of the street, turning her head
4:33:54slightly, curiously looking at the
4:33:56buildings, cars, and the iron ridge bugs
4:33:58emerging from underground. There wasn't
4:34:00much fear in her expression. It was more
4:34:02like she had come to a strange place for
4:34:04the first time and was curious about
4:34:06everything. Her whole presence was out
4:34:08of place amid the chaos. It was as if
4:34:10she and everything before her were not
4:34:12even on the same layer. A group of
4:34:14refugees rushed toward her. Judging by
4:34:16their positions, the man in front would
4:34:18definitely collide with Lingi. But when
4:34:20he was still a few steps away, the man
4:34:22suddenly changed direction and went
4:34:24around her. The people behind did the
4:34:26same. The crowd kept streaming past on
4:34:28both sides of Ling. Yi. N1 looked at
4:34:31her. No one touched her. N1 even cursed
4:34:34at her for standing in the middle of the
4:34:35road. That it was as if everyone
4:34:37instinctively avoided her. Yet none of
4:34:39them even noticed she existed. M steps
4:34:42gradually slowed. The strangest part
4:34:43wasn't just the people. Ahead, an iron
4:34:46ridge bug flipped a car and chased
4:34:48several fleeing pedestrians. Those
4:34:50people happened to pass right by Lingi.
4:34:52The bug pursued them closely to be why
4:34:54its original charge path. Ling E would
4:34:56definitely have been knocked flying. But
4:34:58as it neared Ling E, the bugs
4:35:00six-jointed limbs adjusted direction on
4:35:02their own. Its huge body curved around
4:35:04her, almost brushing against her. Its
4:35:06sharp limbs struck the ground less than
4:35:08half a meter from her feet. Broken
4:35:10stones flew at a few, even grazed her
4:35:12calf. Ling he merely stopped, looked
4:35:15down once, and that was all. The iron
4:35:17ridge bug didn't look back. That it
4:35:19still acted as if it had never noticed
4:35:21her. This my eyes narrowed slightly. If
4:35:24one person avoiding her could be a
4:35:26coincidence. Then everyone and every
4:35:28iron ridge bug all being blind to her
4:35:30was absolutely abnormal. This woman
4:35:32really was not simple. I had originally
4:35:35only suspected Ling he had some ability
4:35:37to find dungeons. Now it seemed she had
4:35:39even more secrets than I had imagined. I
4:35:41hesitated no longer and charged out of
4:35:43the alley. Ling E. Hearing someone call
4:35:46her name. Ling E paused slightly. She
4:35:49turned her head. When her blank eyes saw
4:35:51me, they seemed to gain a little light.
4:35:53But before she could speak, I had
4:35:55already pushed through the crowd to her
4:35:56and grabbed her arm. I have something to
4:35:58ask you. Ling Yi<unk>s body visibly
4:36:00jerked when I suddenly grabbed her. She
4:36:02instinctively pulled her hand back, but
4:36:04I was holding on tight. She tugged twice
4:36:06in a row, but still couldn't pull free,
4:36:09so she could only look at me with a
4:36:10somewhat blank expression at the same
4:36:13time. A judgment flashed through my
4:36:15mind. Her strength wasn't great. At
4:36:17least judging by the strength she'd
4:36:18shown while struggling, Ling was not
4:36:21much different from an ordinary woman.
4:36:22But how exactly had she managed to make
4:36:24everyone around her and all the iron
4:36:26back bugs ignore her? Some kind of
4:36:28mental ability? Or could she actively
4:36:30erase her own sense of presence? I
4:36:32couldn't figure it out for the moment,
4:36:34and I didn't have time to probe slowly.
4:36:36I'm asking you. I stared into Ling
4:36:38Yi<unk>s eyes. When you told me to go
4:36:39east earlier, did you already know a
4:36:41dungeon would appear here? Lingi didn't
4:36:43answer. She lowered her head and looked
4:36:45at my hand, gripping her arm, her lips
4:36:48pressing lightly together. She tried to
4:36:50pull back again. Still couldn't break
4:36:52free that a trace of grievance gradually
4:36:54appeared on her face. But I didn't let
4:36:56go. Answer my question first. Did you
4:36:58know that going east would lead to a
4:37:00dungeon? Ling e raised her head. Our
4:37:02eyes met for a few seconds. Then she
4:37:04slowly nodded once. M eyes flickered
4:37:07immediately. You can really predict the
4:37:09appearance of dungeons. Ling e opened
4:37:11her mouth. It t first no sound came out.
4:37:14After a moment, broken words were forced
4:37:16from her throat. I I She seemed not to
4:37:19have spoken normally with anyone for a
4:37:21long time. Her voice was very soft and
4:37:23her words came out somewhat stiffly. I
4:37:26can sense I immediately pressed. Sense
4:37:28what? Lingi paused for a few seconds as
4:37:31if trying hard to find the right way to
4:37:33say it. Sense. Direction. The direction
4:37:36where the dungeon is. Lingi nodded
4:37:38again. Em. My breathing hitched
4:37:40slightly. Although Ling E hadn't
4:37:42admitted that she could predict the
4:37:43appearance of dungeons, and I still
4:37:45didn't know whether she could judge the
4:37:46exact time and place a dungeon would
4:37:48open in advance. Even just sensing the
4:37:51direction of a dungeon was astonishing
4:37:53enough. After the blood moon descended,
4:37:55monsters and anomalies were everywhere
4:37:57outside that if humans wanted to become
4:37:59superhumans to obtain equipment and
4:38:01abilities, the main path was to enter
4:38:03dungeons. But there was no pattern at
4:38:05all to win or where dungeons appeared.
4:38:07For the vast majority of people,
4:38:09encountering a dungeon depended purely
4:38:11on luck. Lingi, however, could actively
4:38:14sense their direction. That meant that
4:38:16as long as her ability was stable
4:38:18enough, I would no longer have to rely
4:38:20on luck. I could actively search for
4:38:22dungeons. A living map that could
4:38:24continuously provide me with chances to
4:38:26grow stronger. At that thought, a surge
4:38:28of delight rose in my heart. I had to
4:38:30keep her alive. At least before I
4:38:32understood the exact effects of this
4:38:34ability, I absolutely could not let her
4:38:37die here. Just then, a sharp insect
4:38:39screech suddenly came from not far away.
4:38:42SSS. My expression tightened, and I
4:38:45immediately turned my head. An iron back
4:38:47bug was standing more than 10 m away. It
4:38:49had originally been chasing a runaway
4:38:51car, but now its shell-covered head had
4:38:53turned this way. Its two compound eyes
4:38:55shifted slightly. Its gaze fell on Ling
4:38:58E and me, more precisely on me. My
4:39:01arrival seemed to have broken the
4:39:02special state on Ling E that made
4:39:04everyone ignore her. The Ironback bug
4:39:06abandoned its original prey. Its
4:39:08six-jointed legs began moving quickly,
4:39:11faster, and faster. SSS. The Ironback
4:39:14bug opened its giant mandibles and
4:39:16charged straight down the street. I
4:39:18immediately released Ling Yi<unk>s arm,
4:39:20but I didn't let her leave that I turned
4:39:21my hand and gripped her wrist, pulling
4:39:23her behind me in one motion. Stay behind
4:39:26me. I turned sideways and placed myself
4:39:28between Ling E and the Iron Back Bug.
4:39:31I'll protect you. Ling E stumbled
4:39:33forward a step from the pole. She didn't
4:39:35run, nor did she scream like everyone
4:39:37else. She simply stood behind me and
4:39:40raised her head somewhat blankly. What
4:39:41entered her eyes was my solid back and
4:39:43shoulders that I in that moment. They
4:39:45completely separated her from the
4:39:47charging monster. Lingi's gaze grew a
4:39:49little unfocused. She seemed not to
4:39:51understand why I was standing in front
4:39:53of her. She just watched. Even the
4:39:55screams and insect cries around us
4:39:57seemed to grow somewhat distant. Ahead
4:39:59of her, I had already raised both hands.
4:40:01My right hand reached behind my
4:40:03shoulder. Click. The mechanical
4:40:05structure inside the gun case responded
4:40:07instantly. Rainstorm slid out along the
4:40:09rail and dropped into my palm. M left
4:40:12hand directly grabbed the automatic
4:40:13rifle hanging at my chest. Both guns
4:40:16came up, their muzzles pointed at the
4:40:17charging iron back bug at the same time.
4:40:20Come on. I pulled the trigger. Dot.
4:40:22Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Da. Steel nails
4:40:24and bullets wo into a dense barrage that
4:40:27blasted straight at the iron back bug.
4:40:29The iron back bug immediately lowered
4:40:31its head. The thick shell on its back
4:40:33ridge blocked the front. Bullets and
4:40:35steel nails landed on the shell, sparks
4:40:38constantly bursting. It didn't stop
4:40:39charging. Instead, it pressed against
4:40:41the dense fire and closed in fast. My
4:40:44body trembled slightly from the recoil.
4:40:46The dense firepower didn't pause for
4:40:48half a second. The Iron Back Bug shell
4:40:50began to crack. The cracks rapidly
4:40:52expanded. Crack. Its left forlum was
4:40:55forcibly broken off by the steel nails.
4:40:57Right after that, the joint on its right
4:40:59side was completely torn open by
4:41:00bullets. The charging ironback bug lost
4:41:03balance. Its massive body tipped forward
4:41:05and slid several meters along the
4:41:07ground. I didn't retreat a single step.
4:41:09I pressed both weapons down at the same
4:41:11time and kept firing at the iron back
4:41:13bug's mouth parts and compound eyes. Now
4:41:15unprotected by shell.
4:41:17Flesh burst. Dark green fluid splattered
4:41:20across the ground. The Iron Back Bug's
4:41:22six legs twitched violently as it tried
4:41:24to push its body up again, but I gave it
4:41:27no chance. The gunfire continued. Only
4:41:29when the Iron Back Bug's head was
4:41:31completely blasted apart did its massive
4:41:33body finally lose strength that I
4:41:35released the trigger. But the gunfire
4:41:37had already alerted the other bugs
4:41:38nearby that an ironback bug that had
4:41:40been biting a corpse stopped. Then a
4:41:42second dot a third. More and more
4:41:44compound eyes turned this way. Sharp
4:41:46insect screeches rose one after another
4:41:48along the street. My expression changed.
4:41:51I could kill an iron back bug
4:41:52one-on-one. But there were more than a
4:41:54dozen here. Once surrounded, even with
4:41:56infinite firepower, I would be torn to
4:41:58pieces alive. Go. I turned and grabbed
4:42:01Lingi<unk>s hand. Only then did Ling E
4:42:03recover from her earlier days. She
4:42:05glanced down at our clasped hands, then
4:42:07looked at me. Before she could react, I
4:42:10had already pulled her into a run that
4:42:11we rushed into the fleeing crowd. Langy
4:42:14stumbled along behind me. her bare feet
4:42:16stepped across the cold road. She didn't
4:42:18struggle and she didn't try to pull her
4:42:20hand back again that I turned through
4:42:21several streets in a row. After
4:42:23confirming that no bugs were closely
4:42:25pursuing us, I slowed down slightly.
4:42:27Ling E barefoot followed behind that I
4:42:30took out the locator. The red dot
4:42:32representing Ling E was right beside me.
4:42:34The other red dot was farther away and
4:42:36still moving that it should be oldly.
4:42:38The old guy had clearly run into trouble
4:42:40too. But since the red dot was still
4:42:42moving, it proved he was still alive.
4:42:44Can you still run? I looked back at
4:42:46Lingy. Lingy nodded. Then stay close to
4:42:48me. I reoriented myself and led her
4:42:51toward the distant red dot. But before
4:42:52we had gone far, a burst of dense
4:42:54gunfire came from ahead. Bang, bang,
4:42:58bang. The gunshots merged into a
4:43:00continuous roar. Several explosions were
4:43:02mixed in. Boom. Fire light rose between
4:43:05two buildings. The blast shattered the
4:43:07glass of nearby shops. Laney stopped and
4:43:10looked toward the sound. Dot. I stopped
4:43:12as well. According to the locator, old
4:43:14Lee's direction did not overlap with the
4:43:16exchange of fire. A as long as we went
4:43:18around from the side, we could avoid
4:43:20this area, but I hesitated for only a
4:43:22few seconds before putting the locator
4:43:24away. Come on, let's go take a look.
4:43:26Laney blinked. She seemed not to
4:43:28understand why I would willingly
4:43:30approach danger, but I had already
4:43:31started running toward the gunfire. What
4:43:33we face now was not just a few bugs.
4:43:35That it was an insecttoid invasion
4:43:37capable of destroying the entire city of
4:43:39grass. Rainstorm was indeed effective
4:43:42against iron back bugs. The newly
4:43:44acquired automatic rifle had also raised
4:43:46my firepower another level, but it still
4:43:48wasn't enough. Infinite firepower was
4:43:50indeed a nearly invincible talent, but
4:43:53it didn't mean I could push through
4:43:54every enemy with empty hands. It was
4:43:56like how even the god of cookery needed
4:43:58ingredients before cooking without
4:44:00weapons, without skills. Even the
4:44:02strongest trait couldn't display its
4:44:04proper power since there was dense
4:44:06exchange of fire ahead. That meant there
4:44:08had to be a large number of weapons
4:44:09there. We continued forward along the
4:44:11side of the street. The gunfire grew
4:44:13closer that I didn't charge straight
4:44:15into the exchange of fire. Instead, I
4:44:17used the cars parked along the road to
4:44:19hide my body and approached little by
4:44:21little. Soon, the scene ahead came into
4:44:23view. More than a dozen cars were
4:44:25stretched across the middle of the
4:44:26street. There were police cars. There
4:44:28were also modified black off-road
4:44:30vehicles that a large number of armed
4:44:31people used the vehicles as cover and
4:44:33kept firing toward the other end of the
4:44:35street. Some wore police uniforms,
4:44:37others were clearly not good people.
4:44:39Most of them were black and their style
4:44:41was very street. They had various
4:44:43tattoos, some had buzz cuts, and some
4:44:45had scars on their arms and faces. They
4:44:47were obviously local gang members.
4:44:49Normally, if the police met these people
4:44:51and didn't start shooting immediately,
4:44:53that counted as restraint. But now, they
4:44:55were back to back against the same cars,
4:44:57firing in the same direction. Because at
4:44:59the other end of the street, more than
4:45:0120 Ironback bugs were steadily closing
4:45:03in. The police's weapons were relatively
4:45:05uniform. Most used pistols and automatic
4:45:07rifles, and when firing, they tried as
4:45:09much as possible to avoid the fleeing
4:45:11civilians. The gang members had no such
4:45:13scruples at all. Their weapons were more
4:45:15varied. Submachine guns, shotguns, light
4:45:18machine guns. Their firepower was
4:45:20actually fiercer than the police's. A
4:45:22bearded gang member pulled the pin from
4:45:24a grenade and threw it straight at the
4:45:26swarm. The grenade landed between two
4:45:28Ironback bugs. There were still several
4:45:30civilians nearby who hadn't managed to
4:45:32escape. No. A police officer saw it and
4:45:35immediately roared. There are still
4:45:37people there. The bearded man didn't pay
4:45:39him any attention at all. The next
4:45:40second, boom. The explosion went off.
4:45:43Fire light and smoke rose together. An
4:45:46iron back bug was flipped over by the
4:45:48blast and the shell on its abdomen was
4:45:49torn open with more than a dozen gaps by
4:45:52shrapnel. The nearby civilians were also
4:45:54thrown by the shockwave point. One of
4:45:56them never got up after landing. The
4:45:58bearded man laughed instead. It works.
4:46:00Blow these sons of [ __ ] to death with
4:46:02grenades. The other gang members all
4:46:05increased their firepower, but my gaze
4:46:07fell on the bearded man's waist. The
4:46:08dark green grenade pouch hung there. My
4:46:11eyes immediately lit up. Grenades. These
4:46:14things could directly cause large-scale
4:46:16casualties, especially against enemies
4:46:18in groups. Their effect was even better.
4:46:20I looked into the distance. Behind the
4:46:22swarm, several patches of ground were
4:46:24beginning to bulge. Blackback spikes
4:46:26broke through the road surface one after
4:46:28another. More iron back bugs were
4:46:30crawling out from underground. The
4:46:31police and gang members could still
4:46:33maintain the defense line with firepower
4:46:35for now. But as the number of bugs
4:46:37increased, this balance couldn't last
4:46:39long at all that I quickly made a
4:46:41decision. I pulled Lingy back into the
4:46:42doorway of a shop by the street. It
4:46:44wasn't far from the exchange of fire,
4:46:46but it was just blocked by several
4:46:48abandoned cars. Ling I held her
4:46:50shoulders and looked at her seriously.
4:46:52That ability from earlier, the one that
4:46:54made other people and the iron back bugs
4:46:56unable to see you. Can you use it again?
4:46:59Lany thought for a moment. Then she
4:47:01nodded. I pointed to the corner at the
4:47:03very back of the doorway. Then use your
4:47:05ability and stay here for now. Don't go
4:47:07anywhere. Lying didn't nod right away.
4:47:10She glanced at the people still firing
4:47:12not far away, then looked at me. Dot. I
4:47:14added, I'm going to get something. I'll
4:47:16be back soon. Only after hearing that
4:47:18did Ling nod slightly. She retreated to
4:47:20the corner of the doorway. I crouched
4:47:22down and using the cars by the street as
4:47:24cover, approached the bearded man
4:47:26holding the grenade. At this moment,
4:47:28everyone's attention was fixed on the
4:47:30swarm. N01 noticed me approaching from
4:47:33behind. Just then, an ironback bug broke
4:47:35through the firepower and slammed into
4:47:37the defense line. Stop it. Open fire.
4:47:40The gunfire around us grew even denser.
4:47:42The bearded man subconsciously turned
4:47:44his head. I seized the chance and rushed
4:47:46out from behind a car. There were less
4:47:48than 5 m between us. The bearded man
4:47:50seemed to sense something. He whipped
4:47:52his head around. You before he could
4:47:54finish the single word. I had already
4:47:56raised rainstorm. Bang. A steel nail
4:47:59shot into his eye socket and pierced out
4:48:01the back of his skull. Blood sprayed
4:48:02onto the car door. The bearded man's
4:48:04body stiffened and before he could even
4:48:06pull the trigger. He fell flat on his
4:48:08back. The gunfire and explosions around
4:48:11us were too dense. N1 noticed what had
4:48:13just happened, I caught the grenade in
4:48:15his hand. Then I yanked the pin and
4:48:17threw it at an iron back bug in the
4:48:18distance. The grenade traced an arc
4:48:20through the air. It landed by the Iron
4:48:22Back Bug's feet. Boom! Fire light burst.
4:48:26The Iron Back Bug was flipped over by
4:48:28the explosion and large cracks appeared
4:48:30in the shell on its side. Several pieces
4:48:32of shrapnel even embedded themselves
4:48:34directly into the gaps in the shell and
4:48:36tore open the flesh inside. But my eyes
4:48:38lit up. These things really were
4:48:40powerful. If I could throw them without
4:48:42limit, then never mind these ordinary
4:48:44ironback bugs. Even if the swarm were
4:48:47several times larger, I could blast a
4:48:49path through them by force. But after
4:48:51the explosion ended, the joy on my face
4:48:53gradually faded. My hand was emptied and
4:48:56a new grenade appeared. Infinite
4:48:57firepower had not taken effect. What's
4:49:00going on? I frowned. After a gun's
4:49:02magazine was emptied, the bullets could
4:49:04be replenished directly. Even when
4:49:06rainstorm had no steel nails inside, it
4:49:08could keep firing. Why didn't it work
4:49:10with grenades? I quickly recalled how it
4:49:12felt when I used the ability. Guns and
4:49:14Rainstorm shared one common trait. They
4:49:17could be fired continuously by pulling
4:49:18the trigger. Ammunition would also be
4:49:21continuously replenished during that
4:49:22process. But a grenade was only a single
4:49:25item. Once thrown, the entire weapon
4:49:27left my hand. There was no longer a
4:49:29carrier that could keep releasing. Could
4:49:31it be that infinite firepower only
4:49:32triggers when there's a condition for
4:49:34continuous release? I looked down at the
4:49:36bearded man's corpse that I quickly
4:49:38noticed the dark green grenade pouch at
4:49:40his waist. The pouch had four slots in
4:49:42total. The grenade in the bearded man's
4:49:44hand just now had been taken from one of
4:49:46them. Now there was only one left in the
4:49:48pouch. My heart stirred that a single
4:49:50grenade couldn't be released
4:49:51continuously. But what about the pouch
4:49:53that held grenades? I quickly unfassened
4:49:55the belt at the bearded man's waist and
4:49:57took the entire grenade pouched. I slung
4:50:00it diagonally across my body. Then I
4:50:02reached out and grasped the only
4:50:03remaining grenade that I pulled it
4:50:05upward. The grenade left the pouch and
4:50:07in that instant I clearly felt infinite
4:50:10firepower trigger. The four slots that
4:50:12had been empty simultaneously bulged
4:50:14outward four identical grenades
4:50:16reappeared in the pouch. Not one was
4:50:18missing. I looked down at the refilled
4:50:20grenade pouch and a smile finally
4:50:22appeared on my face, just as I thought.
4:50:24I looked at the fully stocked grenade
4:50:26pouch and the corners of my mouth
4:50:28gradually curled upward. Infinite
4:50:30grenades. A single grenade couldn't
4:50:32trigger infinite firepower. But as long
4:50:34as this pouch served as the carrier, the
4:50:37situation was completely different. As
4:50:39long as the pouch was still hanging on
4:50:40me, I would never have to worry about
4:50:42running out. I turned to look at the
4:50:44other end of the street. More than 20
4:50:46iron back bugs were still steadily
4:50:47pressing forward. The police and gang
4:50:49members used the cars to form a defense
4:50:51line, and their muzzles almost never
4:50:53stopped spitting fire, but their
4:50:55firepower still couldn't truly stop the
4:50:57swarm point. One iron backbug had two
4:50:59legs blown off. Its massive body still
4:51:02dragged dark green blood and crawled
4:51:04forward against the hail of bullets.
4:51:06Another had already charged into the
4:51:07defense line. Its forlim pierced through
4:51:09a car door and ran through the police
4:51:11officer hiding behind it. A scream rang
4:51:13out instantly, but I didn't pick up the
4:51:15automatic rifle again. First, I slid
4:51:17Rainstorm back into the gun case on my
4:51:19back. Click. The mechanical lock
4:51:21automatically closed. I also secured the
4:51:23automatic rifle on my back with its
4:51:25strap. Then, I gripped a grenade in each
4:51:27hand. My thumbs flicked off the
4:51:29safeties. I bit the pull rings. Everyone
4:51:31get a taste of this FSS. I pulled the
4:51:34pins. I threw both grenades at the same
4:51:37time. After basic genetic enhancement,
4:51:39my strength far exceeded that of an
4:51:40ordinary person. The grenades flew
4:51:42across the street and landed accurately
4:51:44in the middle of the swarm. Boom! Boom!
4:51:47Two balls of fire light burst at the
4:51:49same time. The blast wave swept through
4:51:51the surroundings. Shrapnel shot out in
4:51:54all directions, striking the Iron Back
4:51:56bug shells and producing a dense
4:51:58clatter. The Ironback bug closest to the
4:52:00center of the blast had its abdomen torn
4:52:02open directly. Dark green blood and
4:52:05shattered organs sprayed outward.
4:52:07Another iron back bug was flipped over
4:52:08by the shockwave. Its six legs flailing
4:52:11wildly in midair that I didn't stop. I
4:52:13reached both hands into the grenade
4:52:15pouch point. Two more. Pull the pins.
4:52:17Keep throwing. Boom. Boom. The third,
4:52:19the fourth, the fifth. One grenade after
4:52:22another flew into the swarm. The
4:52:24explosions merged into a continuous
4:52:26roar. The moment one fireball died down,
4:52:28the next rose right after it. The road
4:52:30shook. Car windows shattered one after
4:52:33another that a large amount of smoke and
4:52:34dust mixed with dark green bug blood
4:52:37churned in the middle of the street. The
4:52:38police in the middle of the fight were
4:52:40all stunned. Even the gang members who
4:52:42were known for their fierce firepower
4:52:44stopped what they were doing one after
4:52:45another. They looked in the direction
4:52:47the grenades were coming from. They saw
4:52:49a strange eastern man standing behind a
4:52:51car. His hands kept reaching into the
4:52:53grenade pouch at his waist. Take out.
4:52:55Pull the pin. Throw. His movements were
4:52:58so fast they almost didn't pause. And
4:53:00that grenade pouch, which didn't look
4:53:02very big, was like a bottomless pit.
4:53:04Grenade after grenade was taken out.
4:53:06There was no sign of it running out at
4:53:08all. Who is he? A police officer stared
4:53:10dumbfounded. The gang members beside him
4:53:13were equally astonished. How many
4:53:15grenades is he carrying? That pouch
4:53:17obviously only has four slots. Why
4:53:19hasn't he run out yet? No one could
4:53:21answer that. I was completely hooked on
4:53:22throwing them. Earlier, when I used
4:53:24Rainstorm against the Iron Back Bugs, I
4:53:26had to keep hammering the same spot to
4:53:28force my way through their hard shells.
4:53:30But grenades were completely different.
4:53:32The blast could directly flip an iron
4:53:34back bug over. The shrapnel flying in
4:53:36all directions would enter through the
4:53:38gaps in the shell, and the relatively
4:53:39softer abdomen. 0.1 wasn't enough. Then
4:53:4210. 10 wasn't enough. Then 20. Boom.
4:53:46Boom. Boom. Boom. An ironback bug had
4:53:49just crawled up out of the smoke when
4:53:51four grenades landed beside it at the
4:53:53same time. The violent explosion flipped
4:53:55it into the air again. Its hard back
4:53:57shell burst apart on the spot. Before
4:53:59its body even landed, several more
4:54:01grenades came flying in succession.
4:54:03Boom! Boom! Boom! The massive insect
4:54:05body was completely swallowed by fire
4:54:07light. Another ironback bug tried to go
4:54:09around from the side. I threw three with
4:54:12a flick of my hand. The blast wave
4:54:13flipped a nearby sedan over onto its
4:54:16side. The iron back bug was pinned under
4:54:18the car before it could struggle free.
4:54:20More grenades had already landed around
4:54:22the vehicle. I didn't care about wasting
4:54:23them at all. The thing I lacked least
4:54:25was firepower. For a moment, the entire
4:54:28street seemed to be covered by artillery
4:54:30fire. Explosions. Explosions. Still
4:54:33explosions. I was like someone throwing
4:54:35ordinary stones he could pick up
4:54:36anywhere. Not stingy at all. Just
4:54:39throwing madly. In just a short while,
4:54:41the group of Ironback bugs closest to
4:54:43the defense line was blown to pieces.
4:54:45The remaining few that had just crawled
4:54:47out of the ground also stopped advancing
4:54:49amid the explosions. Instinct told them
4:54:51that a lethal threat existed ahead. The
4:54:53police and gang members seized the
4:54:55opportunity and opened fire at the same
4:54:57time. Dense bullets landed on the wounds
4:55:00no longer protected by shell. Thoroughly
4:55:02shredding the iron back bugs that
4:55:04weren't quite dead. Yet I in just a few
4:55:06minutes, the swarm that had been
4:55:08steadily closing in was reduced to a
4:55:10ground full of mangled corpses. I took
4:55:12out two more grenades that M Y gaze
4:55:14swept across the street. Only after
4:55:16confirming that there were no longer any
4:55:18moving iron back bugs nearby did I stop.
4:55:20The gunfire around us gradually thinned.
4:55:23The police and gang members were all
4:55:25looking at me. In their eyes were both
4:55:27shock and vigilance that a police
4:55:28officer stood up from behind a car and
4:55:30shouted loudly at me. Several gang
4:55:32members were also waving at me point.
4:55:34One of them pointed at the grenade pouch
4:55:36at my waist as if wanting to ask
4:55:37something that I didn't pay them any
4:55:39attention at all. Whether these people
4:55:41could hold the defense line had nothing
4:55:42to do with me that my goal had already
4:55:44been achieved. The grenade pouch was
4:55:46mine. My firepower had now risen another
4:55:49level. Staying here any longer might
4:55:51instead bring trouble that I turned and
4:55:52left. People behind me were still
4:55:54shouting that I didn't even turn my
4:55:56head. Passing through several abandoned
4:55:58cars, I soon returned to the shop
4:56:00doorway from before. At first glance,
4:56:02the corner looked empty and I frowned.
4:56:04Ling E. Hearing my call, the special
4:56:07state around Ling E gradually faded. Her
4:56:09figure became clear again. Come on,
4:56:12let's<unk> go find Oldly first. Lingi
4:56:14glanced at the smoke outside that had
4:56:16not yet dispersed. Then she walked out
4:56:18of the corner. She didn't ask where I
4:56:20had just gone, nor did she ask what the
4:56:22explosions outside had been about. She
4:56:24simply came quietly to my side that it
4:56:26was as if I told her to walk, she would
4:56:29follow. If I told her to stop, she would
4:56:31stay where she was. Like a leaf that
4:56:33didn't know where it should drift, able
4:56:35only to follow the wind forward, I took
4:56:37out the locator again. The red
4:56:38representing old Lee was still moving.
4:56:41After confirming the direction, I put
4:56:43the locator away and took two grenades
4:56:45from the pouch that I handed them to
4:56:47Laney. Take these. Lying looked down at
4:56:49the grenades, but didn't reach out
4:56:51immediately that I directly stuffed them
4:56:53into her arms for self-defense. If you
4:56:55see a bug getting close, pull the pin on
4:56:57top and throw it. Remember to throw it
4:57:00far. Don't hold it in your hand too
4:57:01long, and don't throw it at your own
4:57:03feet. Lang held one grenade in each
4:57:06hand. She looked down at them for a long
4:57:08while. Only then did she nod slightly.
4:57:11Looking at her dazed expression, I still
4:57:13felt a little uneasy, but Ling E could
4:57:15make the bugs ignore her. As long as she
4:57:17didn't actively seek death, she probably
4:57:20wouldn't need the grenades. Stay close
4:57:22to me.

About this transcript

This page contains the full transcript of Apocalypse:His God-Tier Trait Sys Lets Him Unleash Any Attack Infinitely,All Women Seek Protection! by Daily Comics, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 57,725 words across 8,464 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

What you can do with it

Use the transcript to take notes, quote the speaker, build a study guide, generate a summary with ChatGPT or Claude via the YouTube Summary tool, or export it as a timed subtitle file with YouTube to SRT. You can also re-open it in the transcriber to translate the transcript into 100+ languages.

Free YouTube transcript tool

YouTube2Text is a free YouTube transcript generator — no signup, no daily limit. Paste any YouTube link and get the full transcript instantly, with timestamps, click-to-jump, translation to 100+ languages, AI prompts for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and exports to TXT, SRT, VTT, or Markdown.