Hero Shoots Fourth Order

Drip, drip.

Dense stalactites hung from the ceiling of the cave. Droplets continuously gathered at their tips and fell one by one into the Cold Pool, sending ripples across its surface.

Bearded Man Dai Jun was bound to a cross. His left hand had been severed, and his tattered clothes concealed countless wounds. One of his eyes had also been gouged out, leaving behind a gruesome bloody hole.

"Mr. Dai, have you still not made up your mind?"

Ig, the Myriad Poison Snake Person, walked up to Dai Jun with a faint curl at the corner of his lips and spoke in flawless Imperial Language:

"I value your abilities greatly. As long as you are willing to join my Serpent Tribe and properly train the Serpent Warriors, I can secure a portion of Life Spirit Liquid for you."

"Life Spirit Liquid can not only help you regrow your severed hand and eye, but also alter your physique, allowing you to progress more smoothly in Psionic Cultivation."

At those words, Dai Jun slowly raised his head. His hollow eye socket faced Ig, while his remaining eye brimmed with hatred. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Snake bastard, remember this: I am an Imperial soldier, a Combat Hero. In this life, I will only kill Orcs. I will never surrender to them."

"Tsk, tsk. Mr. Dai, this is the first time I've encountered someone as stubborn as you."

With an effeminate smile on his face, Ig lightly placed his snake-scaled palm on Bald Head's skull and said, "Mr. Lin Chao, go persuade him. My patience is limited. If he still refuses, then I can only grant him the most painful death."

"Alright! Alright!"

Bald Head scrambled over to Dai Jun, rose to his feet, and said with reddened eyes, "Brother Dai, surrender. Your body..."

"Da Chao!"

Dai Jun suddenly barked, cutting off Bald Head's words.

"Brother Dai."

Bald Head grasped Dai Jun's right hand. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, and his voice trembled.

"Surrender... Everyone... everyone has surrendered."

Hearing this, Dai Jun slowly lowered his gaze and sighed inwardly. After a long while, he finally said in a low voice, "Da Chao, I told you before that my father was an Imperial soldier. He died in battle when I was still very young. The ones who killed him were Orcs."

"My mother died only a year later, unable to bear the grief."

"Because of the Orcs, I lost both my parents as a child and became an orphan. The Empire raised me and trained me into a Psionic User."

"After joining the army, my squad leader, who treated me like a blood brother, was killed by Orcs. One comrade after another around me died beneath Orc claws."

"Da Chao, anyone in this world can surrender to Orcs, but I, Dai Jun, cannot."

Dai Jun raised his head and stared straight at Ig. Flames of hatred burned within that single remaining eye.

"My parents and my brothers were all harmed by Orcs. In this life, I have only one wish—to kill every Orc under heaven."

"Brother Dai."

Bald Head tightly gripped Dai Jun's hand, pain and guilt relentlessly twisting within him. He did not even dare raise his head to meet Dai Jun's eyes.

Not far away, Qin Tian watched the scene below with a complicated expression. Before this, he had held a poor opinion of Dai Jun, believing him to be a corrupt old soldier who used alcohol as an excuse to act crazy.

Yet now, faced with this scene, he had to admit that Dai Jun was the most unyielding man he had ever seen, truly worthy of the title Combat Hero.

"Mr. Dai, it seems we cannot reach an agreement."

Ig slowly approached, regret coloring his tone. "I greatly admire you, Mr. Dai. Your willpower is like steel, worthy of everyone's respect. Unfortunately, the hatred in your heart runs too deep."

"Since that is the case, I can only send you on your way. Before you die, I will let you experience the most extreme pain in this world."

"Pah!"

Dai Jun spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm and said disdainfully, "If I so much as cry out, I'll be your grandson."

"Heh. Stubborn fool."

A chill flashed through Ig's eyes as he raised his hand to grab Dai Jun's face.

Just then, Bald Head, who had stepped half a pace back, suddenly sprang into action. Crimson Psionic Energy gathered around his fist as he punched toward the back of Ig's head.

Smack~

A thick snake tail shielded Ig's head like a barrier. He turned around, his dim yellow snake pupils fixed on Bald Head, and said eerily, "It seems he is not the only fool. Since you want to die, I will send you on your way as well."

"I'll fight you to the death!!!"

Bald Head's eyes were bloodshot as he roared. Every trace of psionic energy within his body converged into his right fist, turning it into a blazing fireball that smashed toward Ig.

Smack~

Forest Green Light shimmered across Ig's palm as he caught Bald Head's fist within his grasp. His other hand shot out like lightning and seized Bald Head's entire face.

Purple Mist burst from his palm and sprayed across Bald Head's face.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle~~~

Bald Head's face looked as though it had been splashed with sulfuric acid, hissing as it corroded.

"AAARGH!!!"

Bald Head let out a shrill scream and struggled in agony, but Ig's hand was like an iron clamp, gripping his face tightly.

"Da Chao! Da Chao! Fuck your mother!!! Come at me if you've got the guts!!"

Dai Jun's eyes bulged as he roared in fury, his body twisting wildly. The chains rattled violently, scraping against the cross with a sharp, ear-piercing screech.

Yet no matter how fiercely Dai Jun struggled, the chains seemed to have grown into his body, remaining utterly immovable.

With every struggle, the chains only dug deeper into his flesh. Blood wound down his arms and calves, pooling beneath his feet into an ever-growing puddle.

The stalactites on the cavern ceiling continued dripping rhythmically. Drip, drop. The sound seemed like a merciless mockery of his futile resistance.

"Don't rush. You'll be next soon enough."

A cold smile rested on Ig's face as the purple vapor in his palm grew denser.

In the blink of an eye, all the flesh on Bald Head's face had corroded away, exposing chilling white bone.

"Da Chao! Da Chao!"

Dai Jun cried out in anguish. Though he had always been as strong as steel, he could no longer suppress the despair and grief in his heart. Tears streamed freely down his face, streaked with blood and sweat, washing trails through the grime.

Dai Jun knew that what he had said earlier had affected Lin Chao.

Lin Chao had surely known that, with his strength, he had no chance of hurting the Myriad Poison Snake Person.

But Lin Chao had still launched his attack without hesitation.

The moment he made his move, Lin Chao had not intended to survive. He had wanted to die alongside him.

Smack~

Ig released his grip, and Bald Head's corpse fell to the ground.

What was utterly horrifying was that his lower body remained intact, but above the neck, only a skull was left. Every bit of tissue and flesh had been corroded away by the poison. It was hard to imagine how much pain he had endured during the process.

"Next, it's your turn."

Ig slowly approached Dai Jun, Purple Mist rising from his palm.

"You snake bastard, even if I become a ghost, I won't let you off!!"

Dai Jun roared loudly, his voice overflowing with hatred and fury.

"Then I'll be waiting for you."

The corner of Ig's mouth curled into a cold arc. He raised his hand, about to seize Dai Jun's face and repeat the same trick.

BOOM!!!

At that moment, an explosion suddenly rang out. Ig instinctively turned toward the sound.

But the instant he turned his head, an immense sense of danger surged through him, and the scales on his neck stood on end.

His body reacted before his mind could. Psionic Energy automatically circulated and surfaced across his body.

A rapidly spinning bullet shot in from behind, carrying unstoppable penetrating force. It pierced through the Psionic Energy barrier and struck the back of his head with perfect accuracy.

Bang!

That arrogant, cold face exploded right in front of Dai Jun. Viscous fluid sprayed all over him. His pupils contracted sharply, and after staring blankly for a moment, he turned toward the direction from which the bullet had come.

At the small cave entrance, a figure slowly rose to his feet, tall and straight, holding an absurdly oversized Sniper Rifle in both hands.

And when Dai Jun saw the man's face clearly, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.

How could it be him!