Chapter 349: Against Claymore Labs’ Perfected Super Soldier!

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In the next instant, the Soldier appeared behind Vladimir, swinging both swords with all his strength. There had been no warning, and not even Riven’s shadow had noticed him moving.

"Ugh?!"

CLAAAASH!

RUMBLE!

Vladimir was immediately pushed backward as a shockwave of spirit energy, mana, and psychic power erupted from the soldier’s dual blades. His boots carved long trenches through the ruined ground before he managed to stop himself, while the soldier’s entire body surged with increasing power.

His slender build grew larger and more muscular without becoming excessively bulky. His eyes gleamed with purple and pink light, then shifted to green-blue and gold as different energies circulated through his body.

"What is this guy?!"

Vladimir clenched his teeth as a disturbing sensation spread through him. This man possessed the same type of aura as Riven or... rather, the people who had injected themselves with that disgusting syringe. However, the soldier’s power felt far more complete, with none of the instability Vladimir had sensed from the others.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

At that moment, Vladimir was caught off guard. The soldier blurred in front of him, disappeared, and reappeared behind him as hundreds of cutting attacks battered his entire body. Each slash arrived from a different angle, too fast for his eyes to follow and too precise for his scales to completely block.

"K-KUAAAAAGGGH?!"

Vladimir screamed in agony as blood sprayed everywhere. Both of his legs were severed, and his left arm flew away before he could raise it. A deep slash opened across his neck, spilling even more blood as he crashed onto the floor. His regenerative abilities activated at once, but the wounds refused to close properly, as if the energy left by the katanas was interfering with them.

"G-Guuuaagh?!" he groaned, vomiting more blood as disbelief overtook him. "I-I’m dying...?! Already? What...! What is this...?!"

He couldn’t believe it. This seemingly random soldier was strong enough to overwhelm him completely and defeat him without any difficulty. Vladimir had not even managed to land a single proper attack before being torn apart.

Even though Vladimir was essentially A-Rank himself, the gap between him and this soldier was almost impossible to understand. It was not merely a difference in strength. The soldier had surpassed him in speed, technique, senses, and control all at once!

"Target eliminated." The soldier stared at Vladimir as he bled out, ignoring his groans and furious curses. His expression did not change in the slightest. "Where’s the second one? Huh?"

FLUOSH!

Shadows surged beneath him as dozens of arms and tentacles wrapped around his legs and arms, dragging him into the darkness. More shadows climbed across his torso and bound his swords, trying to stop him from moving before he could escape.

"That won’t work."

The soldier remained calm. He swung his blades and spun like a helicopter, unleashing a devastating cleaving attack that tore through the shadows and everything surrounding him. The cutting energy expanded outward in a violent circle, shredding metal walls, pipes, and defensive machines before erupting in a massive explosion.

BOOOM!

The slashing waves struck the surrounding reactor structures and blew apart entire buildings in a chain reaction of dozens of explosions. The soldier showed no concern for the weaker soldiers and machines caught in the destruction. Their screams were swallowed by the collapsing facility as fire spread across the ruins.

"Hm?"

However, the soldier’s eyes narrowed when he realized the shadow had vanished. It rapidly reformed above him, taking Riven’s appearance as Cagliostro’s gleaming spear emerged from the darkness first.

"I can’t believe it. They’ve already done it. It hasn’t even been that long..." Riven stared at the soldier. "You’re part of that Super Soldier Project Willheim was talking about?"

"...You know about Professor Willheim? Who are you?" the soldier asked, his swords gleaming in response as he tightened his grip. "And you are correct. I have nothing to hide. I am one of the first perfect soldiers. I was genetically engineered to obtain this power. Authorities? Classes? Levels? Skills? None of that matters now. Through the power of the Purified Genesis Cells, Human Evolution has finally reached its next step. And I am only among the weakest. Professor Willheim intends to genetically engineer the first L-Rank Hunter, and the chosen candidate is already showing signs of evolving beyond us..."

"Unbelievable," Riven muttered, tightening his grip on Cagliostro. "He really did it..."

As he spoke, the ground beneath Riven suddenly trembled and exploded, sending mud, water, trees, and stones flying everywhere. The soldier’s eyes widened as he leaped away and attacked, but Riven’s shadow dissolved before the blades could reach it. It reappeared beside Vladimir, grabbed what remained of him, and pulled him away while Cagliostro began healing him with the Healing Skill contained within her.

Holy light enveloped Vladimir’s body. Combined with his draconic vitality and regenerative abilities, it allowed him to rapidly regain consciousness. His severed legs were reattached before the wounds could worsen, but his missing arm had already been torn to shreds and could not be recovered. New flesh grew over the stump, stopping the blood, yet the humiliation he’d suffered hurt him more than any injury.

"Gaaaahhhhh! YOU DAMN FUCKER! I WON’T FORGIVE YOUUUUU!"

"Wait, Vladimir!"

Riven tried to stop him, but Vladimir refused to listen. Rage overwhelmed what little caution remained as he channeled his dragon bloodline to its maximum power and combined it with all his werewolf abilities. His muscles expanded again, and crimson energy erupted around him as the ground beneath his feet began to crack.

As both powers fused, he transformed into a massive, muscular hybrid of werewolf and kobold. Dragon wings burst from his back, while his tail grew longer and thicker. Horns extended from his skull, scales spread across his body, and his claws became large enough to tear through Magitech armor.

His missing arm no longer mattered. Materialized dragon energy gathered around the stump and formed a new limb made of spiritualized, burning fire. The fiery claws opened and closed as though they were real, responding perfectly to his movements.

RUMBLE!

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