Chapter Thirty-Four: Kill

Yangzhou City, Bright Moon Residential Area, the Qin household, at the dining table.

“Old Qin, our son has been gone for several days now. Shouldn’t we try to contact him? With no news, my heart is constantly anxious!” Luo Xia took a small steamed bun but could eat no more.

“He’s out there fighting for his life. Who knows what situation he’s in? If you call and distract him, have you considered the consequences?” Qin Yicheng’s tone was sharp. “A moment’s distraction—even just a second—could get him torn apart by a ferocious beast.”

“I’m just worried, that’s all!” Luo Xia protested, her tone softening.

“Mom, Dad, this is Brother’s first time going out. Once he’s done it, he’ll go out often. How long do you plan to worry? Besides, Brother is lucky and capable—he’ll be fine,” Qin Lulu chimed in. “Instead of worrying about him, why not pay more attention to me?”

“What’s there to worry about you for? You have everything you need!” Qin Yicheng retorted.

Qin Lulu rolled her eyes at this.

At that moment, the phone rang. Qin Yicheng answered.

“Is it Ming?” Luo Xia asked quickly.

Qin Yicheng shook his head, said a few words, then hung up. “It was the master from the hall—he’s looking for me. I’ll be out for a while. You just stay home and don’t let your thoughts run wild. If you’re restless, go dance or play cards in the game room.”

Outside, Wu Tong was already waiting.

“You called me so urgently—what’s the matter?” Qin Yicheng asked.

“Have you checked the internal net?” Wu Tong inquired.

“No,” Qin Yicheng replied, feeling uneasy. “Old Wu, did something happen?”

Wu Tong hesitated, then said, “Last night, there was a rat tide at Ruins 0289.”

“A rat tide?” Qin Yicheng shuddered.

“Yes,” Wu Tong replied. “I tried to contact Wang Chui, but his phone is off. Old Qin, try Ming.”

“All right, all right!” Qin Yicheng’s face changed drastically, his voice trembling. He hurriedly dialed the number, and when the call connected a moment later, he inexplicably let out a breath of relief. “Ming, where are you?”

“Dad, you’ve heard about the rat tide last night?”

“Yes! It almost scared me to death. Where’s Wang Chui? Did his smart bracelet break?”

“Yes. Uncle Wang… he’s dead.”

“What?”

“Dad, last night we were in the city. Only Sister Niu and I made it out.”

“As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters. Wang Chui… I can’t believe it… You two come home quickly!”

“We’re already on our way back, don’t worry!”

“All right, your mother, Lulu, and I will be waiting for you at home!”

After hanging up, Qin Yicheng leaned against the wall, exhaling deeply after a long while.

“A false alarm. As long as he’s safe.” Wu Tong patted his shoulder. “It’s a shame about Wang Chui. What rotten luck—to run into a rat tide like that?”

“Ah…” Qin Yicheng sighed heavily. “Every outing, who isn’t prepared to die? But when it’s your own son, you can’t help but lose your composure. And Wang Chui—we’ve been together for over ten years. Teammates have come and gone, lived and died, but only the two of us stuck together, supporting each other. Last time, I lost an arm; this time, he… and then there were Xiao Yang, Xiao Ma, Xiao Xiong—those three, too…”

As he spoke, his eyes turned red.

The Wilderness.

County 0266—it was already close to the military encampment.

This had been Qin Ming’s first battle upon coming to the wilds.

Now, he returned once more, catching up with Hou Chong outside the county.

“Sister Niu, his teammate is yours,” Qin Ming said calmly, gazing ahead.

In just a few days, he had changed dramatically.

When he’d first set out, he’d been a gentle, sunny youth.

Now, he was cloaked in an aura of violence.

“That Xiao Liu used gene enhancers to boost himself to the level of a battle commander. There’s no way he can escape my sights,” Niu Piaopiao said, full of confidence. “But Hou Chong—he’s an outstanding mid-level commander. Are you sure you can handle him?”

“Killing him is as easy as slaughtering a chicken. Don’t worry, Sister Niu,” Qin Ming replied, utterly self-assured.

“All right then.” Niu Piaopiao shouldered her sniper rifle. As she squeezed the trigger, Qin Ming channeled his strength—his calves swelled, and he shot forward.

He moved like a flash of lightning, almost reaching the speed of sound.

In the blink of an eye, he traversed a kilometer.

Ahead, Hou Chong and his teammate Xiao Liu were walking slowly.

After a night of fighting and panic, and now fleeing, they were exhausted. Approaching County 0266, though it still harbored beasts, they no longer cared. Their vigilance slipped.

“Boss, we lost too much this time,” Xiao Liu complained, face drawn. “Yan Lei and the others… not one made it out. I saw Yan Lei with my own eyes—devoured by grey rats. Boss, there’s just the two of us left. What do we do now?”

“We’ll rest for a while. When we’ve found new members, we’ll head out again,” Hou Chong replied. “Out in the wild, disaster can strike at any moment. Who could have guessed we’d run into a rat tide? Just our luck.”

“We can only blame our luck…” Xiao Liu began, but a strange feeling overcame him. He started to turn, but a bullet struck the back of his head.

Bang—

His skull exploded, blood and brains splattering into the air.

Hou Chong’s breath caught. He immediately began to weave and dodge, trying to avoid being targeted.

But the next moment, a whistling sound came from above.

“No way to dodge!” Hou Chong instantly realized. Yet, as a seasoned hunter, he reacted in a flash: spinning his body, he raised his shield in front of him.

Bang—

The force exploded, and with a sickening crunch, his arm twisted unnaturally. Hou Chong was flung backward, blood spraying from his mouth.

He landed thirty meters away.

Qin Ming appeared before him in a single stride.

Hou Chong braced his foot, retreated quickly, and stood up. Ignoring the blood on his lips, he asked in a rush, “Who are you? Why are you attacking me?”

“You’ve forgotten me?” Qin Ming advanced steadily, his tone icy. “We met in the encampment, and again inside Ruins 0289. You should recognize me.”

“You’re Wang Chui’s new teammate?” Hou Chong realized. Seeing Niu Piaopiao approach, his heart sank. “How are you this strong?”

His left arm, from bottom to top, was shattered within.

The shield had fallen to the ground, riddled with cracks.

“If I weren’t strong, could I kill you?” Qin Ming replied, and then moved—his combat blade flashing thunderously.

“You want to kill me? You’re not worthy!” Hou Chong sneered, sidestepping in an attempt to dodge. But in the next instant, his face turned ashen.

Qin Ming’s blade suddenly accelerated, reaching a terrifying speed.

He saw it, but could not react.

Slash—

An arm severed.

“This is for my father!”

Slash—

His left shoulder fell away.

“This one is for your trampling of humanity!”

Slash—

The final blow. His head flew from his shoulders.

Clean, decisive—a merciless execution.