"Useless trash, fall back!"
A deep voice, carrying the screech of electromagnetism, rang out. From amidst the dust and smoke, three silhouettes stepped in. Leading them was a tall male, a glittering Gold-rank badge pinned to his chest.
Thuong Sinh, standing high above, narrowed his eyes; that leading man gave him a sensation very different from the others, even compared to the other ability users he had met.
The leading ability user raised his hand; immediately, countless metallic sand particles flew up from the floor, enveloping the man's hands into two giant steel scepters.
"You monster, lie down obediently for me!"
He stomped his foot hard; the alloy floor vibrated violently.
Rumble
A wall made of extremely compressed metallic dust suddenly rose from the ground, tossing that monster and pinning it tightly against the wall. The two accompanying him did not stand idly by; one's figure blurred then transformed into a series of shadow ropes that tightly bound the monster's writhing limbs. The other swung his hand out; a surge of high-frequency sonic waves was unleashed, making the monster screech in pain as its vacant white eyes began to leak black fluid.
Their coordination was incredibly rhythmic and precise, completely different from the miscellaneous hunter rabble outside. However, even though they suppressed the monster, Thuong Sinh still saw the tension on their faces. To maintain that massive energy source, their bodies were bearing a considerable load.
Down in the room below, the leader roared; the metallic block on his hands transformed into a large cage, preparing to lock the entity before him once again.
The giant metallic cage closed with a dry screech; dense steel bars interlaced, sealing off every exit for the monster. The sonic waves and shadow ropes continued to maintain pressure, forcing the creature to succumb.
"Roar... crack..."
The monster struggled desperately, its bones creaking under the thousand-kilogram pressure. However, after a period of frantic resistance, the murky resentment-aura surrounding it began to disintegrate. Its vacant white eyes closed listlessly, and its scrawny body gradually became motionless, collapsing onto the cage floor like a pile of minced meat devoid of life.
"Phew... finally finished."
The shadow-system ability user retracted his power; he staggered back a step, sweat pouring down his forehead. The leader also retracted the metallic blocks; his face turned a bit pale, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. Maintaining high-intensity abilities to suppress this rare-class specimen had drained almost all of their energy.
The old doctor from behind the protective glass saw this and was overjoyed; he hurriedly turned on the public address system: "Excellent! Return it to the special detention area immediately!"
"However..." The old doctor suddenly paused, his voice over the loudspeaker trembling: "That... where is that intruder from earlier?"
The leader startled, his eyes scanning everywhere; but having just undergone an over-exhausting battle, his originally sharp senses were now interfered with by the residual resentment-aura of that specimen. He mobilized the metallic dust on the floor to begin rising, surrounding his body in a thin layer of armor.
"Be careful! He is no ordinary ability user..."
Before the words were finished, Thuong Sinh stepped out from the darkness of the technical corridor; he did not hide, instead standing high above looking down, the hem of his silver coat fluttering amidst the cold air inside. His deep purple-black eyes were calm, like a black hole swallowing all surrounding light.
"He's above!" the old doctor behind the reinforced glass screamed frantically, his hand pressing a button to activate the room's entire backup turret system.
Click! Click! Click!
The three ability users, despite being exhausted, still tried to mobilize their abilities. The leader threw a compressed metallic block toward Thuong Sinh with wind-tearing speed, while the shadow-type user tried to unleash pitch-black ropes to lock Thuong Sinh's feet.
The compressed metallic block lunged past Thuong Sinh's previous position, slamming into the steel wall behind and creating a massive explosion along with a spray of sparks. The shadow-system chains only managed to coil around a faint afterimage dissipating in mid-air.
"Phantom Steps"
His figure was not falling, but disappearing and reappearing continuously amidst the laser rounds of the backup turrets. Each time he appeared, the position was closer to the three ability users.
"Too fast! The scanners cannot lock the target!" the sonic-system ability user screamed in terror; he tried to open his mouth to emit a supersonic surge to disrupt the surrounding space.
But Thuong Sinh was faster.
He landed on the floor right before the shadow-type user; toxic internal force erupted from the soles of his feet, creating a black shockwave ring that directly shattered the dark veil surrounding the man. The Marsh-Blood Sword in Thuong Sinh's hand was not fully drawn from its bandages, only partially revealed, but enough to kill the man.
Flash
The blade was only exposed by an inch, yet the toxic blade-force was razor-sharp as it tore through space. The shadow-system ability user didn't even have time to close his mouth to scream; a thin bloodline appeared right at his Adam's apple. The purple-black internal force permeated the wound, instantly freezing the blood vessels and necrotizing the neural system.
the man collapsed, his body convulsing in pain then stiffening immediately. Thuong Sinh stood still, his gaze coldly looking at the corpse beneath his feet; he did not stop, his heel rotating lightly on the alloy floor, using the momentum to lunge toward that sonic ability user.
However, mid-way, Thuong Sinh sensed a wind-tearing surge from the left; he quickly changed direction. The position where he was just moving was hit by a black iron block. The pitch-black iron block tore through the wind as it lunged, carrying a thousand-kilogram pressure and slamming hard into the alloy partition behind, creating a shocking explosion. That leader, despite his exhausted body, grit his teeth to condense his meager remaining energy to control his ability and save his comrade.
Thuong Sinh flipped in mid-air, his silver coat spinning like a wilting flower, gently landing on the edge of a smoking machine pedestal. He did not look at the iron block; instead, his purple-black eyes glanced sideways toward the leader.
The sonic ability user, seeing he had just escaped death by a hair's breadth, immediately retreated, his face distorted with terror. He did not dare use sonic waves to attack again because he knew his speed could not keep up with Thuong Sinh. Simultaneously, the remaining soldiers raised their guns and quickly pulled their triggers toward Thuong Sinh's position, forcing him to move to dodge; his gaze turned cold.
He changed positions, gliding past those soldiers; Thuong Sinh did not want to waste more time with this rabble. His gaze was as cold as frost; his legs lunged powerfully against the ground, his body becoming a long black streak tearing through the gunpowder smoke.
"Phantom Steps" combined with "Blade Wind".
He glided past the first line of soldiers so fast their laser beams were still firing at the afterimages in his previous position. The Marsh-Blood Sword in Thuong Sinh's hand swung; there was no need to fully draw it from the canvas, using only the pure strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator accompanied by toxic internal force.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Jet-black sword lines were traced in mid-air. There was no sound of metal colliding, only the sound of alloy armor and flesh being sliced in two with sweet ease. The five leading soldiers hadn't even managed to release their triggers before their heads were separated from their necks, blood spraying out pitch-black due to being infected by the toxicity from the blade-force.
Thuong Sinh did not stop; he spun mid-air like a dark cyclone, stomping hard against the wall to gain momentum to lunge straight into the middle of the remaining soldiers who were frantically reloading.
"Die."
He snarled, one hand holding the sword hilt, the other hand swinging out a razor-sharp crescent of internal force.
Puk
A series of dry thuds rang out simultaneously. The dozen or so remaining guards collapsed like harvested wheat, their modern armor torn apart like paper. The room inside, which originally reeked of metal, was now filled with the pungent smell of blood and black aura from Thuong Sinh's internal force.
The entire guard squad was wiped out in less than five seconds.
Thuong Sinh stood amidst the pool of black blood, his silver coat still without a speck of dust. He slowly turned around, facing the two remaining intermediate-level ability users—the sonic-type and the leader—who at this moment stood frozen, their legs trembling without a shred of strength left to resist.
Behind the reinforced glass, the old doctor had tumbled from his chair, his aged eyes full of ultimate horror upon seeing his elite army slaughtered like weeds by a strange man. Thuong Sinh did not look at the corpses; his hoarse and cold voice rang out: "Your turn."
He suddenly disappeared from the spot; the alloy floor where he just stood fractured from the force of his stomp. The sonic-system user didn't even have time to open his mouth to emit an alarm sound before Thuong Sinh's hand had tightly choked his throat. The black star gloves he wore on the outside made the man only feel his neck being constricted without being infected by the blood poison within him.
Thuong Sinh's hand was like a steel pincer, lifting the sonic ability user high into the air. The man's legs kicked hopelessly, his face turning purple, his breath obstructed in his throat. The man wanted to emit a supersonic surge to resist, but the pressure from Thuong Sinh's palm caused every surge of energy within him to be smothered at the starting point.
The leader witnessed this scene; he knew full well he could not defeat the man before him—to face him was to die. Inside here, over a dozen guard corpses lay scattered; he understood the person before him was no ordinary individual.
Thud
He knelt on the cold alloy floor without a shred of hesitation, quickly kowtowing against the floor; a metallic sound rang out as flesh hit the surface: "Spare my life, I beg you, spare my life!"
His voice trembled with fear: "I am the captain of Hunting Team 12, I have the access codes for this floor, I know Neos's underground defense schematics! Just spare my life, I am willing to be your beast of burden, your most loyal subordinate! Whoever you want to kill, wherever you want to destroy, I will lead the way!"
Thuong Sinh coldly glanced down at the man kowtowing like a falling star beneath his feet. His purple-black eyes held not a single ripple, so still it could drive one mad. He lightly tightened his grip; the sonic-system user in his hand widened his eyes then blacked out from lack of oxygen. Thuong Sinh tossed him aside like a bag of trash, then took slow steps toward the kneeling leader.
Every one of Thuong Sinh's footsteps on the alloy floor was like a hammer blow to the Metal-system user's soul.
"Subordinate?" Thuong Sinh's deep purple-black eyes stared intently at the bowing man before him.
"Alright."
Hearing the word "Alright" uttered from Thuong Sinh's mouth, the leader was like a drowning man catching a pole. He kowtowed several more times, the clanging sound echoing throughout the blood-scented room: "Thank you, sir! From now on my life is yours, I am your most loyal dog!"
Thuong Sinh did not look at him even once, his purple-black eyes still locked onto the old doctor trembling behind the reinforced glass. He spoke in a voice that was not loud, carrying no emotion: "Stand up. Open this glass."
The leader hurriedly scrambled up; his legs were still shaking but his hands moved quickly. He condensed his last remaining metallic energy—not to attack, but to create a special resonance pulse that struck directly at the glass's locking system.
Flash... Click!
The reinforced glass, originally inviolable, slowly slid to both sides, revealing the central control area. The old doctor retreated in horror, tripping over a chair leg and tumbling to the ground. He tried to crawl toward the secret escape exit behind, but Thuong Sinh merely flicked his hand; a streak of jet-black internal force transformed into a chain, tightly coiling around the man's ankle, dragging him roughly toward the center of the laboratory.
"You... you cannot kill me!" the old doctor screamed, his voice breaking from ultimate fear. "I am Dr. Aris! I hold all the data on the Divine Evolution project! If I die, Neos will hunt you to the ends of the earth!"
Thuong Sinh approached, his heel stepping on the old man's chest; the pressure made the man's ribs creak.
"I did not come here to run from you," Thuong Sinh leaned down, his purple-black eyes close to the old doctor's wrinkled face. "I came to wipe it out."
He glanced at the leader standing cringingly beside him: "Lead me to the central area. If any alarm sounds along the way, the first person I kill will be you."
The man swallowed, nodding repeatedly: "Yes, yes! I know a shortcut through the central district. This way, sir!"
Thuong Sinh hoisted the old doctor up by the collar like a chicken, then turned to look at that monster entity lying in the room's corner, its vacant white eyes still leaking jet-black fluid. He sensed deep within that surge of resentment-aura was a soul in ultimate pain—an entity that had been broken and molded into a bizarre form by human hands. Its soundless moans did not ring in his ears but spiraled directly into Thuong Sinh's spiritual sense, making him remember his brother's death.
Thuong Sinh released the old doctor's collar for a moment; the old man thudded onto the floor, gasping for air. He approached that monster. The creature seemed to also sense its fate; it no longer roared fiercely, but only quietly raised its vacant white eyes toward the pitch-black blade.
"Sleep. This world is not worthy of your pain."
Thuong Sinh raised his hand; the Marsh-Blood Sword did not need to be swung too high. He simply stabbed the sword tip hard through the center point of the murkiest resentment-aura, right at the position of the creature's dying heart.
Puk
Toxic internal force combined with pure killing intent transmitted through the blade, immediately destroying the entire mutated cell structure. No red blood splattered; only a plume of jet-black smoke rose then quickly dissipated. The entity gave a final slight shudder; its vacant white eyes gradually closed, and its body turned to ash before everyone's eyes.
Dr. Aris, witnessing the "masterpiece" he had spent so much effort building turn to ash, screamed tragically as if his own flesh were being cut: "No! My data! My specimen!"
Thuong Sinh turned back, his purple-black eyes without a single ripple; he again hoisted the old man by the collar, the strength of his grip turning the man's screams into gurgling sounds in his throat. Thuong Sinh glanced at the leader, making him startle; the man hurriedly bowed low, his shaking legs walking quickly toward the exit he had just broken through.
"Yes! This way, Great Lord!"