Apocalypse Hunter

From initially ducking to dodge incoming arrows, to landing from a height unscathed and sprinting with superhuman speed.

Xia Leng could no longer attribute the leader's abilities to anything other than being a "Baptized One."

And a "Hunter-type" Baptized One at that!

Five years ago, the sudden Black Rain that blanketed the globe not only turned 97% of humanity into bloodthirsty walking corpses, but the remaining 3% of lucky survivors did not lose their will—instead, they gained genetic mutations and enhancements!

These lucky individuals who endured the baptism of the Black Rain and gained enhancements are known as "Baptized Ones."

As for people like Xia Leng, who neither got rained on, turned into a zombie, nor gained enhancements, they are known as low-life drifters.

In this current apocalypse, technology, culture, and everything else have been wiped out by that rain; only pure power can control everything, which is why this is an apocalypse ruled by the Baptized Ones!

The abilities gained by mutated humans vary greatly, branching into hundreds of types, but they have gradually been categorized into five major classes.

The first class, and the most common mutation among Baptized Ones, is known as the Apocalypse Warrior, possessing peerless super strength and indestructible muscles and bones.

The second class is the Baptized One known as the Apocalypse Hunter, possessing hyper-sensitive perception, abnormal reaction speeds, agile physiques, and bizarre, dazzling combat styles.

The third class is the rare brain-mutated Baptized One, known as a "Sage."

These "Sages" possess neither super strength nor astonishing agility, remaining on par with ordinary people.

The only difference is their high-level intellect, which allows them to orchestrate schemes that are difficult to unravel; they generally serve in leadership positions within high-level fortresses or mercenary companies.

The fourth type is the rarest and most formidable class of Baptized Ones; they possess super-control abilities that science cannot explain, such as elemental manipulation or telekinesis, and are known as Controllers.

The elite among Controllers are even powerful enough to trigger natural disasters!

It is said that when two rival mercenary companies were once fighting over territory, one side spent a fortune to hire a high-level Controller during a stalemate.

That Controller directly raised a massive, active volcano from the ground at the enemy company's base, and the erupting, scorching magma instantly submerged the entire headquarters, leaving no survivors...

Finally, there is the most controversial and perplexing ability—one that is both useless and useful, to the point where many do not even realize they belong to this class—known as the Mystic Scholar.

Among Mystic Scholars, some have better luck than ordinary people; some can predict future events during times of danger to escape disaster; and some are even rumored to be able to reverse time.

In short, it is an ability shrouded in legend, yet no one has ever witnessed it firsthand.

Beyond the diverse range of mutation abilities, the mastery level of each ability has been categorized by certain testing agencies into various tiers.

For instance, a Tier 1 Apocalypse Warrior can easily lift a 100kg weight with one hand, while a Tier 2 can lift nearly 200kg.

The higher the tier, the more the controlled power grows geometrically, with a total of nine tiers.

It is said that there are even more formidable stages beyond Tier 9, though no one has ever been seen surpassing them.

As for the method of increasing tiers, it is a serum rumored to be refined from crystals, and the refining technology is held by high-level mercenary companies, shelters, and other organizations; in the wilderness, it is a top-tier item that is essentially priceless.

Duels between Baptized Ones are not necessarily won by whoever has the higher tier.

For example, a Tier 4 Warrior might have the terrifying power to pull a thousand catties with a single punch, but they might not be able to catch a Tier 2 Agility-type Hunter.

Of course, a Tier 2 Hunter cannot break the defense of a Tier 5 Warrior; in short, there is a subtle relationship of mutual restraint among Baptized Ones.

The leader chasing Xia Leng can be inferred to be a Tier 1 Agility-type Hunter based on his running speed.

Although only Tier 1, in this desolate City of Ruins, he is a noble-like existence compared to ordinary people like them.

As for why this "noble" would deign to come and fight ordinary drifters for food, it is because in medium to large towns, fortresses, and shelters, a Tier 1 Hunter only holds the status of a commoner slightly above a drifter.

But in the wild, he can enjoy the treatment of a king, worshipped by hundreds of ordinary drifters.

Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix—everyone understands this logic.

This is where the nobility of abilities is distinguished; if one were a rare Tier 1 Controller, they could enjoy knight-level treatment within an organization.

Xia Leng watched the closing Apocalypse Hunter, knowing it was impossible to escape this calamity.

He did not believe he was a hidden Mystic Scholar, otherwise, how could a pile of unlucky events have followed one after another today...

The bit of stamina he had recovered by consuming the brain fluid of a Giant Armor Beetle had been mostly depleted in the successive battles just now, forcing him to slow his pace to conserve the remaining energy for combat.

Xia Leng heard the sound of running and cursing drawing closer behind him, roughly calculating that in less than ten seconds, he would be overtaken by the "noble" behind him!

"Is today the day I die? Perhaps..."

His right hand reached for the bone dagger at his waist, still stained with the venom of a Ghost-faced Spider; if he could just inflict a single scratch on the opponent, he might be able to turn the tables once more!

Though he knew the chance was slim, simply because the opponent was a Baptized One.

Over these five years, he had survived ambushes by biker gangs, swarms of Man-Eating Sparrows, and the betrayal of teammates, all by sheer luck.

His own survival skills had also undoubtedly improved in a straight line.

But in the apocalypse, "bloodline" represents everything.

Even if you were a veteran hunter with decades of experience living in the deep mountains before the apocalypse, your marksmanship would not compare to a current Tier 1 Apocalypse Hunter with enhanced vision.

Reality is inherently unfair, let alone in the apocalypse.

"Kid, keep running for all you're worth! This is your last chance to run, because in a moment, I'm going to rip the tendons right out of your hands and feet!"

The hideous-faced leader chased madly behind Xia Leng, emitting a bone-chilling, sinister laugh to exert psychological pressure on his prey.

"Five seconds left."

Xia Leng ignored the threat from behind, roughly gauging the sounds approaching from the rear while silently counting down the time remaining until the opponent entered his attack range.

In truth, he had already caught a glimpse of the crossbow hanging at the leader's waist; the man could have simply raised it to fire at him, but he chose not to.

This was because Apocalypse Hunters possessed a twisted psychological desire to toy with prey they considered already within their grasp.

And Xia Leng was exploiting this very contempt to deliver a counterattack that would catch his opponent completely off guard!

One second!!

A distance of about one meter!

For a First-Order Speed-type hunter, that was a distance covered in the blink of an eye!

Xia Leng made his move, spinning around with a sudden, fluid motion without a hint of hesitation, swinging his venom-coated dagger through the air!

At the same time, just as he had anticipated, the leader lunged behind him within that very second, raising his steel blade to deliver a vicious, wind-whipping strike toward Xia Leng's neck!

However, Xia Leng's preemptive strike was something he had never expected; no matter how fast he was, being predicted meant he was essentially throwing himself onto the blade!!

The leader's eyes widened in disbelief as he caught sight of the green-glowing tip of the dagger; it was already too late to pull back, which was one of the drawbacks of moving at such high speeds...

Swoosh~

The dagger, coated in the venom of the Ghost-Faced Spider, sliced across the back of the hand gripping the steel blade...