Chapter 109: A Cowardly Wretch, a Sticky Cling-Film

"Clang! Clang!"

Two crisp sounds of metallic impact rang out in succession.

The long blade collided with the dagger held in a reverse grip by Liu Luo, who was in the lead. A sharp sound echoed as a surge of blood-red energy surged from the blade, forcing Liu Luo back, before immediately clashing with the tip of the spear that followed.

It was then that the long blade’s movement shifted.

The horizontal strike stopped midway, as if the momentum had been exhausted. It looked ordinary, yet it demonstrated Chen Qi’s superb control over his blade—a feat that would have been impossible had his basic swordsmanship remained at level 3.

The tall, burly man watched this, his eyes filled with suspicion. The downward swing of his axe faltered slightly; he wondered if the man with the blade was ignoring him, or if this was a trap.

Fortunately, despite his hesitation, the axe did not stop. The dark-yellow, two-meter-long, two-handed axe was about to strike Chen Qi’s body, much to the man's growing bewilderment.

Suddenly, he saw Chen Qi’s left hand reach out with uncanny speed, landing a punch on the side of the axe head.

The burly man felt a massive force transmit from the tip of his weapon, nearly causing him to lose his grip. The axe tilted, missing its mark entirely.

"How does he dare? Is he not afraid of his hand being severed?"

This abrupt punch left him so stunned that his mind kept repeating the thought, causing him to freeze for a moment. Once the shock passed, it was replaced by infinite regret; had he put his full strength into the blow, the man’s left hand would certainly have been lopped off.

"But I’ll have another chance..."

The burly man quickly regained his composure. He had shifted to Chen Qi’s side and rear, the optimal range for his skills. Just as he prepared to activate his ability, he heard a piercing scream.

"Who?" The burly man felt his heart tighten. Though he knew the best course of action was to attack regardless of the situation, he couldn't stop himself from looking back—perhaps what he would see concerned his very life.

The next moment, he saw the spear-wielding contractor with a bloody gash in his chest, crimson blood flowing freely, and the spear he had been holding was nowhere to be found.

Utilizing a rebounding technique that shifted force in an instant, Chen Qi had successfully deflected the spear and followed up with a slash to the contractor’s chest.

By gauging the status of the three opponents, Chen Qi was executing his plan with precision.

According to his judgment, of the three people who had charged him, the female contractor named Liu Luo was undoubtedly the strongest; she would not be taken down in a few strikes.

The remaining two male contractors were evenly matched, but the burly man with the axe was far more cautious than his rugged appearance suggested, making him a poor choice for a quick kill.

Therefore, even at the cost of sustaining injuries, he had to take out the spear-wielding contractor. As it stood, the price paid was far less than he had anticipated.

Reflecting on this, Chen Qi bent his right hand, blood-red energy coiling around his taut muscles. As the next strike prepared to unleash, it would surely claim the life of the spear-wielding contractor.

At the same time, Liu Luo, who had been pushed back, reacted. Her figure vanished instantly, replaced by a thick black fog that enveloped both her and the wounded spearman, attempting to save him.

From within the fog came Liu Luo’s sharp cry: "Why aren't you attacking yet?"

The axe-wielding man snapped out of his trance. He quickly averted his gaze and activated his prepared skill. He leaped into the air, a massive surge of energy pulsating from his axe, and prepared to deliver a jumping strike upon Chen Qi.

Chen Qi’s blade finally descended. It seemed as if he had been deceived by the black fog, or perhaps he was wary of the crushing weight of the axe. Instead of hacking into the fog, his blade met the descending axe head-on.

"Clang!"

A violent collision erupted. Chen Qi retreated five steps, a flush rising to his face. Facing a skill with a basic, charged-up attack had put him at a slight disadvantage, and his health dropped marginally.

Little did he know, the axe-wielding man was even more shocked.

This powerful jumping strike was his most damaging skill, balanced by a long wind-up and a tendency to miss. He hadn't expected to fail in both regards, yet he had caused no significant damage and had even been pushed back two steps himself.

As this thought crossed his mind, naked fear filled the burly man’s face. He had pushed the enemy back, but what would happen when the next strike came?

The outcome he feared most occurred. After shedding the force from the blade, Chen Qi shook his hand, bent his arm again, and prepared another strike.

The next moment, the blade swung out, shrouded in the same blood-red energy, exuding the same piercing intent.

Instantly, the axe-wielding man made a decisive choice. A red glow erupted from his body, and he accelerated—he had activated a dash-like skill.

However, he did not charge toward Chen Qi. Perhaps feeling that a retreat was shameful, he opted to charge sideways. The result was that he brushed right past Chen Qi’s blade, vanishing from his field of vision.

Chen Qi was stunned, completely unable to comprehend the burly man’s erratic maneuver. Seeing that the charge wasn't directed at Yun Tianxin, he decided to ignore him.

Stepping into the black fog, Chen Qi drew his blade once more, his next strike primed and ready.

In the distance, the man with gold-rimmed glasses, wielding a clearly superior black-gold pistol, tried to take aim several times. However, the high-speed movements of Chen Qi and his teammates blocked his line of sight, preventing him from firing a single shot.

Seemingly embarrassed, he activated a few skills on the spot. As magnetic fields generated around him, small, palm-sized robots appeared at his feet.

As soon as they were generated, the robots scurried toward the black fog. Suddenly, the man with the gold-rimmed glasses seemed to sense something, and his triangular eyes lit up with undisguised joy.

As soon as Chen Qi stepped into the black fog, several surges of lethal intent locked onto him. The next moment, several swirling concealed weapons were fired from multiple directions, targeting his groin, temples, and heart.

"This bitch, she’s like a leech!" Chen Qi cursed. He helplessly swung his blade, creating a web of steel that swatted away the incoming projectiles. At the same time, he kept his senses fully open, guarding against Liu Luo’s inevitable sneak attack.

Sure enough, the moment Chen Qi swatted away the last of the projectiles, a shadow emerged—rising directly from Chen Qi’s own shadow!

The shadow formed and lunged toward Chen Qi’s waist with extreme speed, without a moment's hesitation.

Liu Luo, now a shadow, finally showed a look of joy. This surprise attack was her highest-quality skill—a purple-grade technique that allowed the user to temporarily hide their body within the enemy's shadow while gaining a speed boost upon reappearing.

Used at this moment, the effect was bound to be devastating!

Chen Qi felt the killing intent from behind. Having no better option, he activated his key skill: Focus Burst.

He had originally intended to use this skill to finish off his enemies, but he had clearly underestimated their strength, leaving him unable to kill a single one until now.

As the skill activated, a familiar sensation washed over him. Without giving him time to think, his body moved instinctively, rolling away.

Feeling a slight sting in his waist and an alien energy invading his wound, paralyzing every nerve it touched, Chen Qi frowned, then continued to roll.

In this 2.6-second state of ultra-high-speed nerve reflexes, no poison could affect his movements.

Liu Luo’s subsequent attacks missed repeatedly. A look of surprise returned to her eyes, and she began to harbor grave doubts about the paralytic poison attached to her other skill.

"Why is there not even a hint of stiffness in his movements?"

Seeing where Chen Qi rose, she suddenly widened her eyes, an ominous feeling spreading through her heart.

As the creator of the black fog, it had minimal effect on her, allowing her to see that the spear-wielding contractor, who had just consumed a recovery potion, was standing only three meters behind Chen Qi.

"No way..."

Just as Liu Luo’s whispered words faded, she saw Chen Qi turn to face her, postured for a strike.

"He's fine," she thought, her heart settling slightly. She quickly assumed a defensive stance, preparing to block the blow and then activate a skill to continue the skirmish.

Then, she saw it:

Chen Qi turned back suddenly, a savage grin on his face.