The Hellhound (Seven Thousand Words)

"Are you inviting me home for dinner?"

When Xiao Xiao said these words so easily and naturally in front of her, Yang Jia's face turned redder and redder. However, this was clearly not out of shyness, but out of anger. Her emotions had been distorted, but she still maintained the dignity of the master Black Hand Yang Jia. Being teased in front of her naturally provoked her anger. Her eyes turned icy, and she suddenly launched a deadly attack on Xiao Xiao.

Seeing Yang Jia's furious aura, Xiao Xiao felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

She was moved...

"..."

After all, Yang Jia now needs to be interpreted in reverse. Her hatred for him means she likes him; the fact that she blushed with anger at his words shows that she is deeply moved; and at this moment, she seems to desperately want to kill him...

... Well, in fact, she really did want to kill herself.

The moment she made her move, a door-shaped ripple instantly appeared in front of her.

The others dared not use the power of the brand for the time being, but Yang Jia did not hesitate. Although Xiao Xiao was confessing his feelings, he did not dare to be careless. As soon as the brand popped out in front of Yang Jia, he quickly took a step back. Then, the Butcher behind him suddenly let out a silent roar, and the bloodthirsty chainsaw slashed fiercely at Yang Jia in front of him.

The truer the feelings, the harder the beating.

With a whoosh, the power contained in the Butcher's saw teeth seemed capable of cutting the small mountain of corpses in two, exceptionally ferocious and terrifying. However, as the chainsaw passed through the wavy door, an unusual scene suddenly appeared. The chainsaw, which contained infinite power, gradually disintegrated as it passed through the wavy door frame, until it became weak and powerless.

On the other side of the door frame, Yang Jia slowly raised her slender left hand.

On his five fingers, wisps of blood-red patterns began to wrap around, each pattern possessing terrifying power.

"Not good..."

As an observer, Xiao Xiao immediately sensed something was wrong.

This door actually has the ability to absorb the opponent's power and then use it for one's own purposes in another form.

The Butcher's chainsaw is incredibly powerful, capable of cutting through anything below Class A. But now, facing the door, its power has been forcibly taken away by Yang Jia and wrapped around her five fingers. When Yang Jia strikes with her palm, won't she be torn to pieces?

Startled, he instantly retracted the chainsaw, and the huge black shadow behind him abruptly moved away from him.

In an instant, the chainsaw roared and whirred as it cut, then suddenly swung towards a group of people targeted by his perception power.

At the same time, Yang Jia's five fingers, entwined with blood-red patterns, also passed through the door frame and reached for himself.

Her power was already terrifying, and with the added strength of the gate and the Butcher's power, this grab gave Xiao Xiao a feeling that he had nowhere to hide. Xiao Xiao couldn't help but recall his previous encounter in Black Gate City. Back then, Yang Jia had already displayed a powerful force that left him at a loss. It was only because of the connection between the Unquenched Heart and Black Gate City that he was not captured by her.

But now, far outside Black Gate City, how can we resist this capture?

But at that same moment, from the dark shadows far behind him, the chainsaw had already swept across the battlefield. The Butcher had targeted several people who were in a cramped situation with no way to dodge. They were terrified as the chainsaw was swung at them.

As Branders, when faced with danger, they instinctively want to use the power of their brand.

Without even thinking, he raised his hands slightly, and a faint door-shaped ripple appeared in front of him.

The moment their ripples appeared, the ripples in front of Yang Jia were also affected.

When the Branders gather together, this problem arises: not only do they share their power equally, but when they unleash door-shaped ripples at the same time, they also attract and pull on each other. Yang Jia Xiao Xiao's outstretched hand, which originally contained enough power to shatter Xiao Xiao into four or five pieces and was completely unstoppable, suddenly became scattered.

The blood-red ripples on his fingers faded quickly, and his palm strike instantly became somewhat powerless.

At that very moment, Xiao Xiao suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Yang Jia's wrist. In the past, this action might have torn his entire palm apart, but now he firmly grasped her hand and pulled Yang Jia towards him with a sudden force. Yang Jia leaned forward and met Xiao Xiao's gaze, their faces almost touching, their breaths almost touching.

Even before, they'd never gotten this close...

Then, looking at Yang Jia's face so close to his, Xiao Xiao suddenly smiled, then twisted his body and lifted his back, giving Yang Jia a back throw.

"Snort!"

Caught off guard, Yang Jia was lifted onto Xiao Xiao's shoulder and was about to be slammed to the ground.

But her skills were astonishing. While still in mid-air, she twisted her waist, turned her body, and then placed her right hand on Xiao Xiao's shoulder. Before her body even landed, she used the momentum to bend her knees, pull in her abdomen, and slammed into Xiao Xiao's face.

Aside from the power of the door and other Enhancement Element, Yang Jia's physical attributes and combat skills are also top-notch.

In the entire Black Gate City, probably only Ruan Ruan is as good as her in this area.

Although Xiao Xiao had not received special training in combat skills, his performance was no less than Yang Jia's.

His Mind Burst and insightful abilities allow him to clearly perceive the opponent's power trajectory and even predict their next move. He can also accurately grasp the battlefield, anticipate the crises he is about to face, and even have plenty of free time to analyze his current situation and devise the best response plan. He can be described as a naturally gifted close-combat master with no weaknesses.

Faced with Yang Jia's fierce counterattack, he even felt calm and composed. He slightly raised his body, twisted his body to dodge Yang Jia's knee that was about to hit his face, then thrust his right hand forward, grabbed Yang Jia's waist, and pushed her forward, rushing towards the skeleton mountain.

But when she had rushed halfway out, he reached out and pulled her back to prevent her from actually crashing into him.

The hill of corpses was covered with sharp bones and thorns; if Yang Jia had actually fallen face-first onto it, he would have been disfigured.

They exchanged a few blows in a short period of time, and their movements were exceptionally sharp and beautiful.

Little Four, who was hiding in a trash can not far away, saw this and couldn't help but sigh with immense admiration:

"Brother Xiao is truly Brother Xiao; even at a time like this, he's still thinking about dancing..."

"... Let's dance a duet with Boss Yang!"

"..."

"..."

"This Chairman Xiao of Black Gate City is indeed very clever..."

At the same time, as the Black Gate City forces charged in, chaos erupted on the battlefield. Many of the Branders were in danger or even lost their lives. Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, an unusually calm man appeared. He was dressed in camouflage and even had a cigar in his mouth. His gaze swept over the people who were fighting each other and also saw Xiao Xiao, who was fighting Yang Jia in close combat.

But instead of immediately stepping forward to help, he pondered deeply:

"A person who could defeat the Hell Organization, and even defeat them so convincingly that they listed Black Gate City as a forbidden zone of Hell..."

"... Can it really be that simple?"

"The moment this group appeared, they immediately disrupted all our plans. Moreover, although they were few in number, they immediately targeted the strongest members of our group of Branders. This can't be a coincidence, can it? So they were prepared in advance?"

"..."

As he thought about it, he became increasingly certain of something.

Although it may seem like just a matter of who passes through that door first, determining whether the battlefield is in Black Gate City or the Mist Sea, in reality, the arrival of the people from Black Gate City threw the Branders into chaos. They were crammed together, rushing around like headless flies, unable to unleash their full potential. Besides being unable to use the power of the Mark, their other powers were also greatly affected...

After all, not every Enhancement Element can target everyone.

Most of the Enhancement Element are more like a chaotic mental field; once released, they affect an area.

There are too many Branders, and they are most affected by their own people.

Therefore, the man in camouflage can be almost certain that these people from Black Gate City, who seem brave and even brainless, are actually very cunning in every step they take, and there seems to be some unexpected plan they are carrying out.

Are they really just coming to kill us?

Or is it using the chaos as a pretext to secretly plot something?

It was these thoughts that prevented the man in camouflage from acting as hastily as the others. Under the influence of the Mysterious Source's instructions, the desire to kill Xiao Xiao was just as strong in his mind, but his analysis and judgment of the situation allowed him to temporarily suppress this desire and not immediately attack Xiao Xiao, making the already somewhat unpredictable situation even more chaotic.

"Unfortunately, although you are clever, you still underestimate us..."

After a quick assessment, he understood immediately, gave a slight cold laugh, and then pulled a device out of his pocket.

It was a digital camera that looked a bit worn out.

He stood alone outside the battlefield, raised his camera, squinted one eye at the people fighting, and then smiled.

Crack...

The moment he pressed the shutter, the panicked, angry, and murderous crowd paused for a fleeting instant.

An invisible force instantly enveloped them, causing them to subconsciously stop their movements for a moment, turn their heads to look at the camera, and even though their hands were still gripping each other's necks, they strangely turned their heads and even revealed smiles.

Special item: Commemorative camera

[Rank: Class D]

[Purpose: When you press the shutter, no matter who the other person is, they will turn their head to look directly at the camera and show a reasonable smile. After all, no one wants to be left with an incomplete or sad face in a photo that will be used as a keepsake.]

[Note: This person never imagined that his life would be ruined by a camera. He had always tried his best to please her, being attentive and hardworking, and he could sense that she liked him quite a bit. He fantasized about confessing his feelings to her after graduation, working together to create a wonderful life, until graduation day arrived and they took a photo together.]

[But oh no! Why did I have to forget to wash my hair today? Why is my skin so oily and shiny from being in the sun? And why, of all times, just as I pressed the shutter, in my distraction of playing around with my classmates, did I show my two rows of big teeth!]

When he saw the photo, he almost cried. It was so ugly; it was the ugliest photo he had ever taken. But this photo would be kept by all his classmates, including her. Would every time she saw this photo, it reinforce her memory of this ugly picture? During the upcoming holiday, would this be the only image of herself she would see?

[The nightmare came true. After graduation, I tried to contact her, and as expected, she became cold towards me. I started to panic, trying to create opportunities, but I couldn't get her to go out with me. My desperate confession was met with a cold rejection.]

For countless years afterward, he kept thinking, "If only I had been more attentive when taking photos..."

[...]

This is a special item he bought on purpose; it serves no purpose other than allowing people to look directly at the camera.

After all, it's very cheap.

But he has always been good at using cheap things to achieve great results.

Now that's how it is. Taking advantage of the moment when the battlefield calmed down after being forced to turn around, he immediately shouted, "Everyone, stop using the power of the brand immediately, listen to my command, temporarily abandon the attack on them, and withdraw from the battlefield as a whole. Those who are entangled should not panic. Keep the opponents in place. They are actually few in number. Do not let their attacks affect our formation."

The Branders were indeed thrown into disarray by the sudden attack from Black Gate City.

Furthermore, the influence of the branded forces caused them to panic, resulting in them being able to utilize less than 30% of their abilities.

Now that they had been reminded, they were immediately alarmed. Some of the quick-thinking ones immediately stepped back to observe the situation.

The people of Black Gate City were startled, but it was too late to do anything about it.

Although the Branders were somewhat confused by the impact they brought, they were powerless to stop the other side from retreating.

"I told you, it was a foolish thing for you to bring people here!"

On the other side, Yang Jia had no intention of withdrawing, but he turned to look at Xiao Xiao and said coldly, "I know you must have something in mind, but the current strength of Black Gate City is still far inferior to that of the Branders. Although we have not experienced any coordination and do not know how to cooperate, as long as the formation is set up, everyone in Black Gate City will be trapped here because of you."

Her orders were only to kill Xiao Xiao, not to kill anyone else.

Therefore, at this moment, she still had normal feelings towards the other people in Black Gate City. However, her tone actually carried a hint of regret and worry for the others, as if she were blaming Xiao Xiao for acting too impulsively and implicating the other people in Black Gate City.

But Xiao Xiao looked at him intently and knew that once the Branders withdrew from the battlefield, their terrifying power would increase exponentially.

They were all very experienced individuals. In just a short time, they would be able to utilize their Enhancement Element and advantages, aside from the power of the brand, to engage in close combat or provide ranged support. At that point, the people from Black Gate City would be instantly separated into different battlefields, surrounded and attacked. No matter how strong they were, they would be nothing more than fish on a chopping board...

But in his state of Mind Burst, he didn't react with panic.

Instead, he calmly looked at Yang Jia and said softly, "Don't worry, Black Gate City is very powerful now."

"I am also very powerful."

"And all of this is thanks to you..."

"..."

"You..."

Before Yang Jia could say anything, Xiao Xiao whispered, "Thorn Hound..."

In the blink of an eye, before the battlefield was truly divided, a series of barks suddenly rang out. Three tall, ferocious dogs covered in dark red markings and looking like menacing demons appeared behind him. The moment these three dogs appeared, they wanted to pounce on Xiao Xiao's opponent, but they were surprised to find that the person standing opposite Xiao Xiao was actually Yang Jia.

Its tail instantly tucked between its legs, and it stared blankly at Xiao Xiao:

"Are you really going to fight her?"

"..."

Previously, when Yang Jia escaped from Black Gate City, the Thorn Hound had already been summoned to deal with her.

It's useless.

Xiao Xiao had naturally thought of this long ago, so he made his decision as soon as he summoned the three Thorn Hound.

An invisible screen appeared before my eyes, displaying lines of text:

[Special Dangerous Item: Thorn Hound]

[Rank: Class B]

[Three upgrades cost: 10,000 points]

[Yes/Enhance]

[...]

Having already prepared himself mentally, Xiao Xiao made his decision without the slightest hesitation. "Strengthen!"

It's just 10,000 points, nothing to worry about.

As he made his decision, an invisible force surged from the other side of the door that the Branders had previously built together, at the location of Black Gate City. It was as if a terrifyingly powerful gaze was looking through the door at the three Thorn Hound. These three Thorn Hound, who were not quite sure of the situation, suddenly began to writhe rapidly.

They were startled themselves and let out terrified and painful cries.

The next moment, within a radius of several dozen meters centered on them, everything was wrapped in a chaotic and twisted blood-red thread, resembling a clump of blood vessels picked from a body. They danced in mid-air, and one could vaguely see that in the center of this large clump of blood vessels, the bodies of three Thorn Hound were being pierced back and forth, as if stitched together with needle and thread...

In this process, those Branders trying to leave were also affected.

Painful memories kept surfacing in my mind, causing my mood to fluctuate wildly and creating a chaotic situation.

They are under the control of mysterious instructions, preventing these painful memories from affecting their actions. However, the appearance of these painful memories has affected their rational thinking, and their actions have naturally become somewhat chaotic.

"Enhancing special aspects on-site?"

Even the camouflage-clad man next to him, who had been calmly thinking, was taken aback by this scene.

Is this guy insane?

Or is it a deliberate attempt to enhance this area, using special items as bombs?

In that fleeting moment of thought, he gradually saw that the floating blood vessels were slowly dissipating, revealing a tall monster crouching on the ground covered with severed limbs and corpses. It was a monster that sent chills down one's spine. It was a tall monster, about seven or eight meters high, with a dark red body and thick limbs, and blood was constantly seeping into the ground.

The most terrifying thing is that this monster has three heads.

The one on the far right is quick-witted and wise, observing calmly; the one in the very center is fierce and terrifying, seemingly ready to tear a person apart.

The one on the far left... was staring wide-eyed, looking around wildly, and yelling loudly.

It's as if it's saying, "Holy crap, what happened? Why did I become like this? Someone save this dog..."

"Congratulations, the enhancement was successful."

At the same time, a piece of information flashed through Xiao Xiao's mind:

[Special Dangerous Item: Cerberus]

[Danger Level: Class A]

[Note: The legendary Cerberus is the guardian of Hell. Therefore, when it appears, a corner of Hell will be summoned and voluntarily descend upon the battlefield. If any living person is fortunate enough to witness the sight of Hell, it will be a truly wonderful experience!]

[...]

"Hell?"

Xiao Xiao was slightly taken aback. "Hell again?"

Why do both Butcher and Cerberus appear with the name "Hell" after they are upgraded to a certain level?

Is it a coincidence, or is there an underlying inevitability?

However, even with his Mind Burst ability, he knew this was not the time to ponder this question. He didn't know in advance that the three Thorn Hound would be strengthened to their current state; he was only certain that his strengthening would be successful. This would allow the three Thorn Hound to advance to a level sufficient to participate in this battlefield, and also successfully attract attention to himself.

Only in this way can the most crucial arrangements be completed.

Of course, even if the enhancement fails, given the characteristics of Aberrant Creature, this goal can still be achieved.

"Whoosh!"

Thinking through each step of the plan, Xiao Xiao moved with lightning speed, leaping onto the back of the three-headed hellhound. Two of the hellhound's heads immediately reacted, moving their bodies to support Xiao Xiao while fiercely glaring at the others around them. Only the leftmost head whimpered and tilted its neck back as if questioning something.

"This Cerberus is still not perfect..."

Xiao Xiao thought to himself, "If I could just cut this one down, it would be perfect..."

At the same time, he drew Silver Revolver, and the Butcher's black shadow slowly appeared behind him. Three Eye of the Seer split from his body, pointing in different directions and looking down at everyone present.

"Why do you have to quit the game Mingming we've just started playing?"

He looked down at the crowd with a smile and said cryptically, "Have you ever seen hell?"

The Branders around him were staring blankly at him, and before they could react, they suddenly saw dark red flames burst forth from the mouth of the three-headed hellhound, instantly engulfing the entire surrounding area. As soon as they were touched by the flames, they felt an indescribable pain, which was the painful memories of the past, viciously roasting their brains.

Their rationality collapsed, and only a very small number of them withdrew from the battlefield ahead of time.

Most people lost control, their eyes instantly turning bloodshot, and they rushed madly towards Xiao Xiao.

"The time has come..."

At the same time, Red Eyes Ling Ping, Old Zhou Under the Bridge, and the others also felt a chill in their hearts. They knew that according to Xiao Xiao's plan, when he attracted everyone's attention, it would be time for them to carry out the incomprehensible order. Now they were also full of questions about the appearance of the three-headed hellhound, but they did not delay. They took the opportunity to quietly hide their figures.

"Not good..."

On the other side, the man in camouflage noticed something amiss.

The guild leader of Black Gate City is being far too high-profile.

At first, he seemed to be only eyeing Yang Jia and wanting to take Yang Jia back, but just as the Branders regained their composure, he resolutely abandoned Yang Jia and made himself the center of the battlefield. He knew Mingming that Black Gate City was at a disadvantage in a war of attrition, but he acted as if he was going to put all his strength into fighting alongside everyone.

Where did the others from Black Gate City go?

He quickly realized a problem; his gaze swept across the raging flames, and it seemed that a few people were missing.

We must allocate some manpower to investigate the whereabouts of those people.

This vague sense of unease gave him the intuition to make arrangements immediately.

But just then, Yang Jia's angry voice suddenly rang out. It was as if he had seen Xiao Xiao ascend to the Cerberus form in front of everyone, and even saw him standing atop the Cerberus, dominating the entire battlefield with a certain air of power. A surge of hatred welled up within him, and he shouted fiercely, "Everyone, follow me! Kill this show-off!"

"We are all Branders, are we really going to be suppressed by this newcomer?"

"..."

She was originally the designated commander, and her strength is among the most outstanding of the Branders.

Upon hearing her words, the Branders, who were already in a semi-mad state, immediately rushed forward.

On the contrary, the camouflage-clad man who was about to give the order was suddenly ignored.

He was both angry and anxious, cold sweat pouring from his forehead, and he looked at Yang Jia with a mixture of anger and helplessness:

"Has this woman always been this reckless?"