Chapter 74: Demons of Hell (Part Two)

This filled him with wild joy. Truly, the path to heaven is open and you refuse to walk it; the gates of hell are closed and you force your way in. With that third-level magical beast and an inscrutable young girl, he had anticipated losing a few men before subduing that group. Yet now, this person dared to appear alone, brazenly standing before them and provoking them! Did he really think they feared him, or did he believe he could overcome so many on his own?

“Oh.”

Wang Feng nodded slightly. Although he had sensed a strong murderous aura from this man just now, he was, after all, alone, and they had a whole group on their side. No matter how formidable he was, what could he do? With this thought, Wang Feng relaxed, sneering at Kong Zhe as he eyed his equipment, determined to snatch something good before Han Ke did.

Kong Zhe could guess from their looks exactly what they were thinking, but he had no choice. If he hadn’t stepped forward just now, his last fishing opportunity would have been wasted.

For others, a fishing opportunity was like buying a lottery ticket—odds of winning were so low, its value wasn’t high. But for Kong Zhe, who possessed the Ripple Card, he was essentially holding a guaranteed winning ticket. This fishing hole likely meant a purple—or even higher—grade item for him, so he could not let it go.

Moreover, although he was facing a crowd, most here were ordinary people. In battles between ordinary people and Awakened, the power of the former was almost negligible.

So Kong Zhe really only needed to deal with the two Awakened opposite him. Two level-four Awakened weren’t enough to make him afraid.

“Here’s my advice: anyone who doesn’t wish to die should leave now, or later, don’t blame me for showing no mercy!”

Kong Zhe’s calm voice echoed across the garden, stunning everyone present.

A few seconds later, the whole crowd burst into laughter.

“Ha! Kid, haven’t you figured out the situation yet? Or have you forgotten how to run?”

“Is he crazy?”

“Come on, don’t say that—he’s clearly just a reckless fool!”

...

Even Han Ke couldn’t help but twitch his eye. He never expected that at this moment, the man would still be boasting. He sneered, threatening Kong Zhe, “Kid, you must be tired of living. I was just about to look for you! Listen, since you’ve come to die on your own, if you hand over your inventory and all your gear, I’ll make sure you get a whole corpse!”

Wang Feng sneered as well, then signaled to his men. They immediately spread out, surrounding Kong Zhe.

Kong Zhe sighed, watching their behavior, and pulled a plastic mask from his inventory to put on.

“Honestly, humanity is already at a disadvantage. If possible, I really don’t want to slaughter my own kind, especially with two valuable Awakened here.”

As he spoke, Kong Zhe drew a long blade from his inventory.

“Too bad you insist on provoking me...”

---

“What?”

Wang Feng wore a look of contempt. “Are you so scared you’ve gone stupid—”

He didn’t finish, because suddenly, the opponent vanished from sight. The next moment, he appeared at the edge of the crowd. Everyone saw a flash of white light, and three heads flew into the air. Crimson blood sprayed everywhere, starkly contrasting the snowy ground and shocking everyone’s nerves.

The crowd was terrified by the sudden violence. For a moment, they stood frozen, unable to react. They hadn’t expected him to attack without warning—and to claim three lives in an instant.

“What are you waiting for? Shoot! Shoot him, damn it!”

Han Ke shouted urgently.

The crowd finally snapped out of their daze. Those with guns hurriedly aimed at the figure wielding the blade and pulled the triggers.

Gunfire erupted, bullets raining down on Kong Zhe. He dodged to the side, but no matter how agile he was, he couldn’t evade all the bullets at once.

Soon, several bullet holes appeared across his body. Fortunately, as an Awakened, he wouldn’t die from a single shot like an ordinary person, and he had avoided the vital spots as best he could.

Though the bullets were fired by ordinary people, their power was considerable, converted to attack strength—each shot cost Kong Zhe about five health points. After so many bullets, a chunk of his health was gone.

Pain radiated from every wound, but the system reduced the sensation enough that it didn’t affect his ability to fight. Blue light flickered beneath his feet as Kong Zhe darted into the crowd like lightning, unleashing carnage—especially targeting those with guns.

Once Kong Zhe plunged into the throng, gunfire quickly diminished. Shooting in chaos risked friendly fire, and Kong Zhe’s movements were so fast and erratic that the shooters couldn’t aim.

He showed no mercy, his blade weaving a blur of shadows. It must be said, the long knife crafted by Xue Feifei was not a magical item, but its sharpness rivaled any enchanted weapon. With Kong Zhe’s magic imbued into it, the blade became a death-dealing chain, like the executioners of the underworld, and no ordinary person could withstand a single strike—either losing their head or being cleaved in two.

Screams filled the air, merging into a chorus of terror. Those present were nearly paralyzed with fear, especially the gunmen, who, seeing Kong Zhe specifically targeting them, dropped their weapons as if they were burning coals.

In the blink of an eye, a dozen corpses lay around Kong Zhe. Now, the crowd was truly terrified, gazing at him as if he were a demon. His cold eyes swept over them, the murderous aura and the ghastly mask on his face making him seem like a fiend from hell, shattering their psychological defenses. No longer caring about anything else, they turned and fled.

Wang Feng and Han Ke were frightened as well. They’d thought that, however formidable he was, he’d surely be overpowered by so many, forced to surrender.

But they hadn’t expected such ruthlessness—a single man had scared over forty people into flight. His ferocity made them doubt whether the two of them, even together, could win.

Yet it was too late to run. After frightening the crowd off, Kong Zhe didn’t pursue the ordinary people. Instead, he charged straight at them!

With no choice, the two drew their weapons and faced him. The three clashed fiercely, the sound of battle echoing through the surroundings.

After the first exchange, the two realized how naive their earlier thoughts had been. Even together, they were completely outmatched, barely able to defend themselves, let alone kill him. In just a short time, half their health was gone.

---

What kept them from fleeing immediately was the fact that Kong Zhe’s health was also nearly depleted. After the earlier barrage of bullets, he’d lost a significant portion, and now, facing two level-four Awakened at once, his health was dropping rapidly. It was almost empty.

Wang Feng and Han Ke felt a surge of joy. Though their own health was falling fast, at this rate, the young man would be the first to die. Realizing this, they abandoned defense almost entirely and fought recklessly, trading blow for blow.

But just as hope dawned and they grinned viciously, ready to finish Kong Zhe off—

A golden light flashed across the young man’s body. Instantly, his depleted health and magic were restored to full.

“Damn!”

This scene nearly made them cough blood in fury. So he’d been holding back his level all along!

There was no time for shock. The situation had reversed: Kong Zhe was at full strength, while they were barely hanging on.

Despair washed over them in an instant. Their fighting spirit vanished. Rolling clear of the melee, they turned and fled, glancing back in hopes the young man might spare them as he had the ordinary people.

But they were quickly disappointed. Kong Zhe not only refused to let them go, he pursued them relentlessly. The long blade glinted coldly across his chest, as if he wouldn’t rest until they were dead.

Moreover, he was much faster than they were, quickly closing the gap.

“Damn it, are you seriously running in the same direction as me?” Wang Feng shouted at Han Ke, who had been sprinting right behind him. At first, Wang Feng hadn’t minded—panic made everyone run blindly—but he’d deliberately changed direction several times, only to find Han Ke purposefully following him. He cursed inwardly: if they split up, maybe one could escape, but running together only gave Kong Zhe a perfect chance for a double kill.

Han Ke ignored him, silently keeping pace. He knew that if he ran alone, Kong Zhe would target him first, ensuring his death.

From the corner of his eye, Han Ke saw Kong Zhe’s attack closing in—the long blade raised high, about to cleave him in two. Han Ke’s eyes grew cold. He grabbed Wang Feng ahead of him and flung him backward, then a red light flashed beneath his feet, and his speed surged.

It was his skill—Bloodthirsty Dash—granting an extra twenty points of movement speed for thirty seconds. He’d concealed it until now, saving it for a life-or-death moment.

“Damn it, Han Ke, may you never die well...”