Darkness swallowed the forest. The trees stood tall and silent, hiding the moonlight. Crickets chirped, but nothing else moved.
Liu Feng and Lin Xue sat by a dying fire. They had been walking for hours since escaping the Red River Camp.
Lin Xue leaned against a tree, her arms wrapped around her knees. "I really thought that place would be safe…"
Liu Feng stared at the flames. "The world doesn't have safe places anymore. Only stronger people."
He opened his system panel to check his progress.
[Liu Feng – Status Panel]
Level: 8
Strength: 58
Agility: 38
Constitution: 32
Skills:
Basic Combat
Sprint
Tough Skin
Threat Sense
Iron Slash
Combat Awareness
Shadow Step
Inventory:
Combat Knife (Durability: 50/55)
Reinforced Jacket (+3 Defense)
Basic Armor Vest (+6 Defense)
Healing Potion x2
Bottled Water x2
Painkiller x3
Pistol (Ammo: 11/15)
Suddenly, his Threat Sense flared again.
He stood up immediately, weapon ready.
"What is it?" Lin Xue asked quickly.
"People… and they're not friendly."
Rustling came from the trees.
Voices whispered in the shadows.
A red laser dot appeared on Liu Feng's chest.
"Ambush!"
Bang!
He moved just in time. The bullet missed.
A group of armed men in black gear stepped out from the trees. Their faces were hidden by gas masks.
Their leader, taller and wearing a black hood, raised his hand. "You're fast. Most people die with the first shot."
Liu Feng narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
"Hunter Squad. We capture Survivors with abnormal power. Like you."
Lin Xue gasped. "They're after your system…"
Liu Feng didn't answer.
The leader continued, "Come quietly. You'll be studied. Dissected. Maybe even cloned."
Liu Feng smirked. "You talk too much."
Then,he vanished.
[Shadow Step: Activated]
He reappeared behind one of the Hunters and slit his throat with the combat knife.
Blood sprayed.
"OPEN FIRE!" the leader shouted.
Liu Feng rolled and used Sprint, dodging bullets as he dashed between trees.
He used Iron Slash on another hunter CRACK! his blade cut through body armor.
One by one, he brought them down.
But they weren't weak. They had coordination.
One of them threw a stun grenade.
FLASH!
His vision went white.
"Now!"
Three hunters jumped out, surrounding him.
They tackled him to the ground, stabbing with electric batons.
ZAP!
Pain surged through Liu Feng's body.
Lin Xue screamed from behind the trees.
"FENG!!!"
But just as one hunter raised a baton for the final hit,Liu Feng's eyes snapped open.
[Skill Activated: Combat Awareness]
He twisted, caught the baton mid-air, and stabbed the hunter in the throat.
He grabbed another and used him as a shield against the last attacker's bullets.
BANG! BANG!
He then blinked with Shadow Step behind the shooter and finished him off.
Only the leader remained.
"You're impressive…" the man growled. "But not invincible."
He pressed a button.
Beep.
Suddenly, a drone in the sky activated.
It fired a laser beam toward Liu Feng.
Liu Feng dodged at the last second, but the edge of the beam burned his arm.
"Tch!"
He charged the leader, dodging more laser shots, and threw his knife.
It hit the leader in the leg.
He screamed and fell.
Liu Feng didn't stop,he used Iron Slash and ended him in one clean strike.
The drone buzzed, then exploded on its own.
[System Notification]
+8 Strength
+6 Agility
+4 Constitution
Special Drop: Neural Link Chip (Rare Item)
Description: Can be used to control or hack nearby tech drones.
Liu Feng picked it up.
"Interesting…"
Lin Xue ran over. "You're bleeding!"
"It's nothing. I've had worse."
She helped him sit down. "Why are humans doing this to each other?"
Liu Feng looked at the stars.
"Because when the world breaks, people break too."
They set up camp again deeper in the forest.
Liu Feng studied the Neural Link Chip.
"Maybe I can turn their tech against them."
He opened his system.
[New Item Unlocked: Neural Link Chip]
Use: Can hack nearby AI-controlled drones or mechs.
Cooldown: 1 hour
Control Time: 2 minutes
He smiled coldly.
"The next time they come, I'll take their eyes... and use them as mine."
Far away, inside a hidden facility…
A man in a white coat stared at a large monitor.
On the screen,footage of Liu Feng killing the Hunter Squad.
"He's growing faster than expected," the man muttered.
A voice came through a speaker. "Send the Phase-Two Units. Capture him alive, no matter the cost."
"Yes, Commander."
Back in the forest, Liu Feng sharpened his blade.
His body ached.
But he couldn't stop.
He wouldn't stop.
He looked at Lin Xue, who had fallen asleep beside him.
"She trusts me. I can't afford to lose."