Chapter 544: Scorched Earth (Part 2)

Chapter 544 -367: Scorched Earth (Part 2)

“Such a powerful residual will… Such astonishing explosive force…”

The other top hunters, a motley crew, arrived one after another. Seeing the gruesome state of Bone Breaker, they all drew a sharp breath.

“From the moment Bone Breaker sent the alert to the time we arrived, not even a minute passed,” a Beast Tamer controlling a mechanical hound said, his voice hoarse.

“One minute!” Night Owl’s deep voice held a trace of disbelief. “We all know how strong Bone Breaker is. To injure him this badly in such a short time… This Wu Liangchen’s power… I’m afraid it’s far beyond our estimations.”

Heart Net nodded. “The intel says this Wu Liangchen is a Martial Artist in the Divine Sight Realm, and also a Class-4 Adept. But from the power he’s shown, he’s far beyond any ordinary Divine Sight Realm Martial Artist.”

A heavy pall of gloom fell over the once-confident group.

This Wu Liangchen was far more of a handful than they’d imagined. The coming manhunt would require far more caution.

Meanwhile, Wu Liangchen had already navigated a series of twists and turns, entering a more complex network of underground tunnels.

That ferocious battle with Bone Breaker hadn’t put much strain on him. In fact, it was an exhilarating release for his body, which hadn’t seen proper action in a while.

The feeling of fist-on-flesh, of unleashing his power without restraint, made his blood boil with excitement.

—————–

「Underground Dark River.」

Liangzi stared at the miniature communicator in front of him, his expression grim.

“Damn it. The whole city’s under lockdown, and they’ve sent out a ton of experts. The Dome Group is really sparing no expense on this one.”

Liangzi was looking at the latest updates on the situation outside, acquired through his private information channels.

Meanwhile, in the shadows nearby, Song Ling’Er’s face was pale.

‘Right now, she desperately wanted to rush out, find Wu Liangchen, and fight by his side.’

‘But her rational mind told her that with her current abilities, she wouldn’t be a help. She’d just be a burden to Wu Liangchen, a distraction he couldn’t afford.’

Song Ling’Er bit her lower lip hard, her nails digging deep into her palms as she desperately suppressed the anxiety and impulse welling within her. She knew that the greatest help she could offer Wu Liangchen was to protect herself and avoid capture by the Dome Group.

Just then, a gentle hand tapped her on the shoulder.

Song Ling’Er looked up to see Alina.

Alina smiled at her. “Don’t worry. I have faith in his strength. He’ll be alright.”

“Mm!” Song Ling’Er nodded forcefully, compelling herself to believe it.

Nearby, Jie Nian placed his palms together and sighed softly. “Praise be to the Cyber Bodhisattva. I pray you keep Benefactor Wu safe.”

Jian Yi, meanwhile, simply leaned against the rock wall in silence, gently polishing his sword.

「Dome Group Headquarters」

Inside a medical lab filled with a cold, eerie blue light, Bone Breaker’s massive, broken body lay on a cold metal examination table. Several mechanical arms extended various precision probes, performing a comprehensive scan.

Streams of data cascaded down a massive light screen.

The massive figure of Butterfly, formed from countless two-dimensional lines, floated silently in front of the screen. Its iridescent wings beat gently, as if it were deep in thought.

“According to the wound analysis, the target Wu Liangchen’s instantaneous explosive force exceeds the peak values of a conventional Divine Sight Realm master. His bone density and muscle fiber strength both display extraordinary characteristics,” a cold, synthesized electronic voice emanated from Butterfly.

“Bone Breaker’s alloy drills can easily shred Class-A composite armor, yet they only left shallow marks on his skin. This means his physical defense has reached a horrifying level.”

Hearing this, the surrounding technicians in charge of data analysis all gasped.

“The intel from Night Owl, Heart Net, and the others confirms this. The target is not only physically formidable, but his combat intuition and willpower are also far beyond the norm,” Butterfly’s voice was devoid of any emotional inflection. “Conventional containment strategies will have little effect on him and will only lead to more casualties.”

Her compound eyes, constructed of light, flickered faintly, as if performing billions of calculations.

After a moment, Butterfly spoke slowly. “If a direct assault is ineffective, then we change our strategy. Relay my orders: Lock down all city blocks within a five-kilometer radius, centered on the underground waterway where the target was last seen. Cut off all food, water, and power supplies to the area. All surveillance devices will scan continuously, twenty-four hours a day. Report any and all anomalies immediately.”

“Is this… a scorched-earth policy?” a hesitant executive asked.

“Correct,” Butterfly’s voice was laced with cruelty. “A high-level Martial Artist consumes enormous amounts of energy in combat, especially food and water. Cutting off his supply line is like defanging a wild beast. No matter how strong he is, he still needs to eat. I refuse to believe he won’t surface.”

At Butterfly’s command, the entire Dome Group sprang into action.

「Two nights later.」

The city of Zhongjing seemed to have fallen into a deathly silence. The once-bustling streets were now deserted, the only sound the rustle of waste paper skittering across the ground in the wind.

Occasionally, a Dome Group patrol craft would skim past at low altitude, its searchlight beam a cold steel blade slicing through the darkness.

Wu Liangchen, dressed in a dark long coat he’d found in an abandoned clothing store and an old hat that hid most of his face, moved like a ghost through the city’s shadows.

‘He had to admit, Butterfly’s tactic was truly vicious.’

And Wu Liangchen was, in fact, getting hungry.

He had just found some pre-packaged food in an abandoned supermarket, but his body had burned through the meager calories the instant he ate it.

So he’d decided to venture out for more food.

Although he wasn’t sure who was orchestrating it all, Wu Liangchen could feel an unseen presence tracking his every move, gathering information through a thousand different channels.

That was why he’d changed his appearance—to avoid the cameras.

In the distance, he spotted a small cake shop on the corner, a sliver of light peeking from its window. Though the security shutter was pulled down, that pinprick of light stood out, stark against the dead of night.

His interest piqued, Wu Liangchen decided to go over and try his luck.

He approached the door, picked the lock with ease, and slipped inside without a sound.

Inside, a young woman, her back to the door, was busy at a workbench, humming a tuneless little melody.

‘Someone’s here?’

Wu Liangchen frowned. He didn’t want any complications, and he certainly didn’t want to drag an innocent civilian into his mess.

Just as he was about to retreat in silence, the girl seemed to sense something and spun around abruptly.

“Who’s there?!” Her voice was tinged with nervousness, and she clutched a frosting spatula in her hand.

When she got a clear look at the man in the hat at the door, only half of his face visible, the girl froze for a second. Then her eyes slowly widened, her nervous expression giving way to one of disbelieving surprise.

Wu Liangchen’s heart sank. ‘I’ve been recognized?’ He turned to leave immediately.

“P-please wait!” The girl’s voice trembled, but she mustered her courage and called out to him.

“Are… are you Mr. Wu Liangchen?”

Wu Liangchen stopped, his gaze from under the brim of his hat tinged with surprise. “You recognize me?”

Seeing that he’d stopped, the girl broke into a slightly shy smile. She pointed at herself, then gestured toward the empty street. “At this hour, the only ones daring to move about outside are the Dome Group’s lackeys… and probably you. Besides…”

She paused, a peculiar light glinting in her eyes. “Besides, you could have just burst in here to rob me of food or take me hostage, but you chose to leave instead, not wanting to get a simple girl like me involved. The only person I can think of who would do that is the legendary hero, Wu, the one who dares to stand up to the Dome Group.”

‘So that’s the kind of reputation I have among the common folk,’ Wu Liangchen realized.

“Er…” For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

The girl, however, took his silence as confirmation, and the adoration on her face deepened.

She quickly and efficiently packed a large bag full of bread and cake, even adding a canteen of water.

“Mr. Wu, take these!” she said, handing the bag to him, her face flushed with excitement. “It’s not much, but it should be enough to tide you over for a bit.”

Wu Liangchen looked at the tempting aroma wafting from the food in her hands, then at her sincere and worried eyes. He hesitated for a moment before accepting the food and water. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it! Really!” The girl waved her hands dismissively, then lowered her voice.

“Mr. Wu, if you need more food, you can come back here at this time every night. I’ll secretly leave some for you. They only search during the day; they’ll never think to look for someone here at night.”