Traps and Cages

The horrific scene before them was like a bucket of ice water poured over their heads, instantly extinguishing all the joy Lin Mo and Wang Keke had felt from their recent gains and breakthroughs.

Fear, anger, disgust... a tangle of emotions made Wang Keke's body tremble uncontrollably, and she had to bite her lip hard to keep from crying out.

Lin Mo's heart also shook violently, but his human soul forced him to calm down quickly. Don't panic! You absolutely cannot be exposed!

He immediately nudged Wang Keke with his head, signaling her to retreat. Man and tiger moved like two shadows, carefully shrinking back into the depths of the scrap heap's darkness, not daring to even breathe loudly.

"Communication... right! The tactical watch!" Wang Keke, as if grabbing a life-saving straw, hurriedly raised her wrist to operate the military-issued tactical watch, which was said to have special signal coverage within the trial zone.

However, the glaring red "X" and the "No Signal" prompt on the screen made her heart sink to the bottom of the abyss.

"No... no signal?!" Wang Keke's voice was choked with sobs, all color drained from her face. "How can there be no signal? The instructor said that in the trial zone, it should..."

Lin Mo's heart sank as well. He understood in an instant! This was no accident! This was a premeditated ambush! The enemy must have brought some kind of Signal Jammer to completely cut off their ability to call for help from the outside!

Damn it! It's a trap! Alarm bells rang in Lin Mo's mind. This Blood Wolf Mercenary Group was incredibly bold! And their methods were far too professional!

Must leave immediately! Take the news back!

He let out a low growl and nudged Wang Keke with his paw, signaling her to return the way they came and retreat at full speed.

Wang Keke realized it too; now was not the time for fear, the news had to get out! She nodded vigorously, turned around, and prepared to follow Lin Mo in sneaking back along their original path.

However, the very moment they moved their feet—

"Hee hee hee... heh heh heh..."

A voice, sounding like the cry of an Owlman and grating like metal grinding against metal, rang out abruptly behind them, filled with mockery and triumph.

"Boss, didn't I say so?" the voice continued. "If we make a little noise near these main roads leading back to the assembly point, these pampered little brats, full of curiosity and thinking their families have their backs, will definitely be attracted like cats smelling fish. Look, didn't we just hook two more?"

"And one of them is... a white one, a pretty rare big cat. If we catch a few more, we can squeeze even more ransom out of the Wang Family and the Li Family later, heh heh heh..."

The voice drilled into their eardrums like a venomous snake, making the blood of Wang Keke and Lin Mo almost freeze instantly!

They had been discovered long ago!

The two (man and tiger) whipped their heads around to see a thin, monkey-like man crouching atop the scrap heap where they had just been hiding. He wore an unsettling fake smile, his eyes darting around with cunning and cruel light. The blood-dripping wolf head on his armband was particularly eye-catching.

At the same time, footsteps echoed from the shadows of the surrounding ruins. Over a dozen figures in dark red combat uniforms emerged like ghosts! They held various modified firearms and cold weapons, wearing the cruel grins of cats playing with mice, completely sealing off all escape routes.

In the open space surrounded by them, the one-eyed giant with a hideous scar on his face and an aura like a prehistoric beast—Scarred Blood Wolf—let out a deafening, wild laugh:

"Hahaha! Good! Lone Wolf, you brat are cunning and treacherous, worthy of being the strategist for our Blood Wolf! This method really works!"

His single eye flashed with fierce light as he scanned Wang Keke and Lin Mo like he was appraising merchandise, lingering for a moment on Lin Mo's magnificent white body and wings before licking his lips: "Tsk tsk, the girl from the Wang Family, and this mutated Winged Tiger... we've caught a big fish this time! Brothers, take them!"

"Run!"

That was the only thought left in the minds of Wang Keke and Lin Mo!

Almost the instant Scarred Blood Wolf finished speaking, Wang Keke unleashed her full Spirit Reader power, and two Flying Daggers shot like lightning toward the two mercenaries blocking the nearest exit! At the same time, she turned to break through in another direction!

Lin Mo activated Power Burst, his massive body charging with unstoppable momentum like a white bolt of lightning toward a gun-wielding mercenary on the side! He had to open a gap for Wang Keke!

However, the gap in strength was utterly despairing!

The two mercenaries targeted by the Flying Daggers were not just high-level warriors; their reaction speeds were terrifyingly fast! They didn't even dodge, simply thrusting their uniquely shaped Alloy Shields forward!

"Clang! Clang!"

Two crisp sounds, and sparks flew everywhere! The Flying Daggers, driven by Wang Keke's full power, were actually blocked cold! The material of those shields was special; they were clearly no ordinary items!

As for Lin Mo, his sure-fire charge was about to land, but the gun-wielding mercenary showed a sneer of disdain, not dodging or evading, just throwing a simple punch!

That punch, though thrown later, arrived first, carrying a shrill whistle as it tore through the air and landed precisely on Lin Mo's shoulder blade!

"Bang!!"

A terrifying, irresistible Giant Strength surged through him! Lin Mo felt as if he had been hit head-on by a speeding truck; his Tough Skin and reinforced bones seemed so fragile in the face of this pure power! Agonizing pain swept through his entire body, his forward momentum was brutally halted, and he was even sent tumbling backward, slamming heavily into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust!

"Mimi!" Wang Keke cried out in horror.

Before she could react further, the thin man known as "Lone Wolf" appeared at her side like a ghost, his fingers hooking toward her neck like iron pincers! His speed far exceeded her reaction time!

Wang Keke instinctively condensed her spirit power into a shield to block, but Lone Wolf's fingers seemed to carry some kind of armor-piercing energy, and her spirit shield shattered like paper!

The next moment, her neck was gripped tightly, all the strength in her body seemed to be drained away in an instant, and her two Flying Daggers clattered to the ground.

"Little girl, a Spirit Reader? Good talent, but a pity, you're too green." Lone Wolf smiled sinisterly, lifting her up like a chick.

"Roar—!!"

Lin Mo struggled to get up, and seeing Wang Keke captured, his eyes nearly split from rage. Ignoring the pain throughout his body, he roared and charged at Lone Wolf again!

"Beast! Still daring to act fierce!" A mercenary nearby snorted coldly and kicked Lin Mo hard in the abdomen!

"Ugh..."

Lin Mo felt his internal organs shift, his massive body kicked away once more, and he curled up in agony. The other mercenaries swarmed him, their fists and feet falling like raindrops, specifically targeting his thick-muscled areas while avoiding his vitals.

Bang, bang, bang!

Dull thuds echoed incessantly. Lin Mo's Tough Skin could withstand claws, but it couldn't fully dissipate this pure force of impact, and the pain was so intense he nearly blacked out. He struggled desperately, his claws raking, but he could only leave shallow white marks on the mercenaries' hard combat uniforms, unable to cause any effective damage.

Absolute suppression of strength!

Scarred Blood Wolf, a War General level powerhouse, hadn't even needed to make a move himself!

Wang Keke watched as Lin Mo was beaten by the mob, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably as she struggled desperately, yet it was all to no avail.

Soon, Lin Mo was beaten to the brink of death, his entire body wracked with pain, leaving him with no strength left to resist. Several mercenaries pulled out specially crafted alloy ropes laced with the tendons of a Black Tendon Python, binding him tightly, with extra care taken to secure his wings and mouth.

Wang Keke's spiritual power was also sealed, and she was fitted with specialized handcuffs.

Man and tiger alike were dragged roughly like discarded rags to the center of the clearing and tossed into one of the empty iron cages.

"Clang!"

The heavy iron door was locked shut.

Inside the cage were several other captured members of the Wang Family and Li Family. Seeing Wang Keke and Lin Mo thrown in with them, the flicker of hope that had just risen in their eyes was completely extinguished, leaving behind only a deeper sense of despair.

Wang Keke slumped onto the cold floor of the cage, looking at the scarred and weak-breathing Lin Mo beside her, then at the three-headed trophy and the scattered limbs outside the cage. A crushing sense of fear and helplessness completely overwhelmed her.

Lin Mo lay prone in the cage, every inch of his body aching, but the pain in his heart was far worse. Since transmigrating, this was the first time he had felt such profound despair and humiliation.

Strength! It was still a lack of strength!

He stared fixedly at the cackling Scarred Blood Wolf and the sinister Lone Wolf outside the cage, burning their faces deep into the depths of his soul.

Blood Wolf Mercenary Group... this grudge shall be settled in blood!