Chapter 110: A Corpse, A Perilous Situation

Chen Qi had naturally spotted the spear-wielding contractor’s position long ago. With the massive boost to his energy-vision provided by his activated skill, the human blood aura within the black fog was as conspicuous as if it were under direct sunlight. As a seasoned warrior, he understood by instinct how to mask his true intentions, which was why he only turned at the very last moment.

Inside the black fog, the spear-wielding contractor, whose health had just recovered significantly, was hesitating: should he dash out of the fog to assess the situation, or struggle to fend off enemies from within it?

The next moment, while still caught in his dilemma, he felt a familiar shadow strike rapidly toward him, the shadow enveloped in a scent he knew all too well.

"It's him!" The realization dawned on him instantly. Before even a trace of despair could form on his face, he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

The next second, he felt his body take flight. A warm stream of blood poured continuously from his chest, and he could feel foreign blood auras rampaging through his body, yet his brain felt strangely lighter and more at ease.

"Is this... what death feels like? It’s not as painful as I imagined."

With these final words, the spear-wielding contractor’s consciousness dissipated completely.

[You have killed the contractor: Spear of Heavenly Fortune.]

"..."

Chen Qi remained silent for a brief moment. Before he could even scoff at the contractor’s name, he felt another chill directed at his neck from behind.

"That bitch," a nameless fire ignited in Chen Qi’s heart. The joy of having just killed an enemy vanished entirely, and he swung his long blade backward in a sweeping strike.

Not daring to engage Chen Qi head-on and seeing that her target for rescue was already dead, Liuluo wore an expression of shock and fury. Her charging form turned into a dark shadow and retreated rapidly. Chen Qi’s sweeping strike hit nothing but air.

Seeing the attack fail, Chen Qi did not pursue. Instead, he headed straight back to Yun Tianxin; she was the one he had sworn to protect at all costs.

Just then, Chen Qi noticed several small robots at his feet, buzzing as they rushed toward him. Not daring to let these mysterious devices get close, Chen Qi slashed at them from a distance, not seeking to destroy them, but merely to swat them away.

Seeing the axe-wielding brute moving to close in on Yun Tianxin, Chen Qi roared in fury:

"If you dare come near her, I will kill you!"

Chen Qi’s heavy footsteps followed his roar as he dashed toward Yun Tianxin, even tanking an explosion from one of the small robots nearby. With his aggressive stride, Chen Qi’s spirit and energy burned faintly; in that moment, he seemed to command his own blood, sending a dense wave of blood aura surging forward to force the axe-wielder to retreat.

Sure enough, seeing Chen Qi’s menacing approach, the axe-wielder dared not harbor any thoughts of abducting Yun Tianxin. He didn't even dare to linger in place, choosing instead to pull back and observe from a distance.

For a moment, Chen Qi was the only one within a ten-meter radius of Yun Tianxin. The thick blood aura almost solidified, deterring the three surrounding enemies from advancing.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Watching Chen Qi’s imposing presence, the man with gold-rimmed glasses grew furious. He fired his pistol repeatedly, but Chen Qi easily deflected every shot. Seeing this, the man jumped in rage, but with no other options available, the standoff reached an impasse.

Seeing Chen Qi return to her side, Yun Tianxin’s eyes curved into crescent moons with joy. She even leaned her head against Chen Qi’s shoulder, clearly relishing the feeling. Chen Qi, who was still fully on guard for enemies, felt his shoulder sink. His warrior’s instinct compelled him to strike back with his blade, but remembering where he was, he suddenly froze. He felt a frustrating, pent-up energy with nowhere to release.

After a while, taking advantage of this rare lull in the battle, Chen Qi used his left hand to stroke Yun Tianxin’s long, dark hair before helplessly saying:

"Senior sister, you scared me to death! You’re going to distract me like this!"

Listening to Chen Qi’s grumbling, Yun Tianxin smiled without a word, seemingly treating the battle as trivial and continuing to enjoy the comfort of Chen Qi’s not-so-broad shoulders.

Watching the two show affection, the man with gold-rimmed glasses was consumed by jealousy. However, the memory of his near-death experience flashed in his mind, and he hesitated, never daring to get close. He only fired his pistol occasionally, which Chen Qi deflected without even turning his head.

Watching this with cold eyes, Liuluo shouted:

"Call that mechanical wolf of yours over, or I’m leaving right now!"

"Exactly, exactly!" the axe-wielder chimed in. In truth, he had already considered leaving, but retreating in such a pathetic state was hard for him to accept, especially when the enemy’s health was only at half.

Hearing the pressure from his teammates, the man with gold-rimmed glasses felt his triangular eyes flicker with shadow and light. Just as Liuluo showed signs of impatience, he finally nodded grimly, a look of resentment in his eyes.

"Fine! But you better not let that kid rush over!"

His burning jealousy ultimately overcame his fear of death. Following a few commands from the man, the mechanical giant wolf that had been guarding him finally stood up slowly and began approaching Chen Qi.

With every step, the mechanical wolf lost its lethargy and gained a bloodthirsty fighting spirit. Furthermore, a thin layer of frost began to form around it, looking exceptionally beautiful yet deadly under the sunlight.

Sensing a new, intense sense of crisis, Chen Qi could no longer afford to enjoy Yun Tianxin’s embrace. He stepped forward, raising his blade to guard once more.

From behind him came Yun Tianxin’s gentle warning:

"That strange wolf has the oppressive power of a sixth-grade beast, and it carries a biting chill. Be careful, Junior Brother!"

Chen Qi nodded slowly with an expressionless face, while quickly adjusting his breathing. His current state was not ideal; to wipe out all his enemies, he would have to gamble on something metaphysical.

He began to accumulate his rage, letting images flash through his mind: the lecherous gaze of the man with gold-rimmed glasses, the flippant, provocative words of the others, and Liuluo’s relentless, pestering interference.

After a few breaths, Chen Qi grew angrier with every thought. Bloodshot veins appeared in his eyes, his killing intent climbed incessantly, and his released blood aura surged violently, like a volcano of blood about to erupt.

As an agility-based contractor, Liuluo was the first to notice the subtle change in Chen Qi. Her assassin’s instincts prompted her to cry out:

"Attack now! Don't give him time to build momentum!"

As she spoke, she transformed into a dark shadow once again, darting toward Chen Qi. At the same time, the silver giant wolf turned into a streak of silver light, moving with the speed of thunder. Though it started later, it arrived simultaneously, racing alongside Liuluo’s shadow.

The axe-wielder, who had been watching tensely, noticed these two oppressive attacks immediately. His eyes lit up, and he activated a skill, his form turning into a streak of red light as he charged at Chen Qi. Whether intentional or not, he lagged behind just a moment, hanging at a distance behind the mechanical wolf and Liuluo, ready to strike when an opening appeared.

"Ha!" Chen Qi watched this, his fury toward the former growing, his disdain for the latter deepening, and his resolve to kill the man in gold-rimmed glasses at the back becoming absolute.

The next moment, these emotions collapsed into a single point. Gripping his long blade, his fingers feeling the texture of the hilt, Chen Qi struck like a dragon.

Regrettably, the moment he swung his blade, his hatred had not yet been fully purged. There was no sense of "no-thought, no-mind." Instead, the strike felt sluggish, as if burdened by an endless, lingering sorrow.

The mechanical giant wolf suddenly opened its jaws wide, its teeth glistening with ice-blue light, and caught Chen Qi’s slow strike in its mouth.

On the other side, Liuluo successfully closed in within three inches of Chen Qi. Her eyes flashed with resolve, and her right-hand dagger accelerated, stabbing three times in rapid succession toward Chen Qi’s chest and abdomen—clearly another powerful skill.

Seeing this, the axe-wielder behind them was overjoyed and prepared his leap-strike, aiming directly for Chen Qi’s head.

Feeling severe pain from several wounds, Chen Qi’s health dropped to 31%. His blade was held tight by the mechanical wolf, its entire surface permeated with an icy chill that turned his right hand bright red from the cold.

Liuluo’s next round of attacks was imminent, aimed directly at his heart. The situation was dire!

Even now, Chen Qi was struggling to empty his mind, but perhaps due to the intense pain or the looming shadow of death, he felt he was still missing that critical spark.

He had an inexplicable intuition: if he just pulled his blade out and slashed now, he would die!

"Death..."