Miscalculation

"That Mutant Human has to be dealt with." Mu Xiao's teasing carried another meaning. "You're the owner of this luxury villa district. Don't tell me you can't even think of a safe place to hide?"

Mu Xiao's words jolted An Rongru awake. Her panic eased slightly. If it had not concerned her and her daughter's safety, she would not have been so flustered that she overlooked the advantages of her own territory.

"There was a security system at the entrance just now. It could detect anything. There should have been a metal gate at the entrance, but it probably can't be opened now. However, there's a small elevated security station inside the landscaped garden. Even if it has lost all its functions, the station's defenses can withstand impacts of over fifty tons. I can hide inside. If you have time to repair the security system, we can monitor the entrance from the security booth. We might even learn in advance when that monster is coming." Once An Rongru calmed down, she quickly thought of a place to take shelter and preparations to watch for the Mutant Human.

"Then we'll go to the security station first." Mu Xiao did not hesitate and sped up the motorcycle racer.

Following An Rongru's directions, they found the security station, a cylindrical structure resembling wood. It covered more than a hundred square meters and stood three stories tall, like the trunk and branches of a towering ancient tree.

"Pure Dark Gold!" The moment Mu Xiao saw the dull, sunken-hued metal, fervor appeared in his eyes. "No wonder you said it could withstand a fifty-ton impact! This is exceptionally rare metal! Whether used to make weapons or defensive equipment, it's a top-tier precious material!"

"The Dark Gold handles the impact, and there are Soft-Gel Crystals inside to reduce the shock..." An Rongru was faintly proud. After all, she had put a great deal of effort into building this villa district, especially its defensive structures.

"You really are a rich woman..." Mu Xiao stopped the motorcycle racer and flipped off, a meaningful smile curving his lips. "But using this metal and these crystals here is truly a waste. When I have time, I'll dismantle all of them. I hope you won't be heartbroken when that happens."

Dark Gold and Soft-Gel Crystals were extinct materials that would become difficult to buy later on. This metal had been mined from Saturn, but after Earth fell into the Dark Age, who would still have time to mine it? It naturally became scarcer and rarer, and its value rose accordingly.

"Do whatever you like. Anyway, I'm..." An Rongru's lovely face flushed crimson, and she did not continue. She had originally wanted to say, 'Anyway, I'm your woman, so everything I have is yours,' but halfway through, she felt it was too blatant. Though it was already the truth, saying it aloud again was still too embarrassing, so she stopped.

Mu Xiao did not care what she had been about to say. Instead, he entered the security station, whose door had not been closed. The interior was clearly another bloody mess. A security guard had likely undergone a genetic mutation, resulting in a gruesome scene of cannibalism. Mu Xiao was already used to such sights.

After scanning the first floor with Mental Power and finding no zombies, Mu Xiao went up to the second and third floors. Finding nothing there either, he returned to the first floor.

"Next, let's see if I can repair only the entrance security system." Mu Xiao approached a large machine covered in metal buttons.

"This is our Security Optical Brain, but it looks like it truly can't be used anymore. Otherwise, she would definitely have appeared when I came in." The moment An Rongru entered, she shut the metal door, as though afraid the Mutant Human would come inside.

Mu Xiao knew that the 'she' An Rongru mentioned was a virtual figure generated by the intelligent Optical Brain, so he did not ask. Instead, he directly used his Mechanical Ability to connect with the large machine, seeing whether he could repair only the system at the passage entrance.

"As expected, with my current First Mechanical Realm data, I'm completely powerless against such a massive machine." The data Mu Xiao transmitted into the machine was instantly drowned by the enormous number of viruses within it. His mechanical data could not infiltrate the system, much less clear it out.

No matter what it was, once it reached a certain quantity, it became a troublesome matter.

"Give me the grenade backpack." Mu Xiao took the backpack An Rongru handed over, then put down the useless pack.

Taking his weapons and some food, he said to An Rongru, "Stay here and hide. Whether I succeed in killing that Mutant Human or not, I'll return in three or four hours. I won't drag this out until morning." "Mm." An Rongru was somewhat dejected. She knew there was nothing she could say, because she did not have the strength to help him.

After giving his instructions, Mu Xiao said no more and headed straight for the door. Just as he opened the metal gate and prepared to step out, An Rongru's gentle, sincere voice sounded behind him. "Be careful. And thank you."

The metal gate closed again.

Without replying, Mu Xiao had already gone outside. With Mu Xiao, her source of security, gone from her side, the silent room permeated with a faint scent of blood seemed to grow colder. She stood there quietly as though she had lost her soul and her pillar of support, her heart filled with an indescribable emptiness and chill.

The tree-lined path shaded the blood-red evening clouds. A breeze drifted in from every direction, stirring the leaves into a graceful rustle. Yet the beautiful surroundings could not conceal a strange aura, creating the illusion that living flesh was rotting away.

At this time, Mu Xiao rode the Thermal Motorcycle Racer back to a spot within the landscaped woods. His Mental Power scan found no unusual fluctuations nearby, proving that the Guard Mutant Human had not yet come here. But it was also possible that it had already arrived and was hiding somewhere nearby, waiting for an opportunity to launch a sinister ambush.

The Lawyer Building was not far from the villa district. At the speed Mu Xiao had driven earlier, it would take less than five minutes to return. Yet the Guard Mutant Human had not arrived, which Mu Xiao found rather strange.

Suddenly, Mu Xiao shuddered as he looked at the sky. "So that's it. This bastard intends to attack after sunset, once it's completely dark. Killing it then will be troublesome!"

Night was when all monsters were most active, and their savage, violent natures grew stronger as well. The sky was gradually darkening, and the Guard Mutant Human was waiting for this advantageous time. At the same time, Mu Xiao guessed that the Guard Mutant Human had likely mastered some ability that had locked onto him or An Rongru, which was why it was in no hurry to come after them.

When the Guard Mutant Human had chased Mu Xiao from behind earlier, Mu Xiao had needed to focus on dodging roadblocks while defending against attacks from the rear. He had no spare attention to determine how many Gene Resonances the Guard Mutant Human had undergone, so he could not accurately judge its strength.

But in Mu Xiao's estimation, the speed and attack power the Guard Mutant Human displayed during the pursuit meant that its number of Gene Resonances was definitely higher than his. With nighttime adding another advantage, its combat strength would become even more savage and violent. Therefore, he had to seriously consider how to kill this cunning Mutant Human.

"I just hope its ability isn't offensive. Otherwise, I may have to use Mind Force." Mu Xiao took out food to replenish his stamina while observing the surrounding woods, setting some traps and selecting an advantageous position to lie in wait.

This Greenway Passage was actually a lush forest.

Within the vast woods stood all kinds of towering trees, growing in a tangled arrangement and forming a canopy of branches and leaves that covered the sky. If anything hid above, it would be impossible to see it at night without illumination or the help of a detection system. Moreover, dense flowers and grass along both sides of the passage formed a roughly one-meter-high barrier of vegetation, making the ground an excellent place for an ambush as well.

In such densely flourishing woodland, it was easy for Mu Xiao to find a concealed spot.

Although the landscaped woods were an excellent ambush site, Mu Xiao understood that if the Guard Mutant Human had truly locked onto his location, then its ability was most likely from the Mental System. In that case, hiding in ambush would not be very useful.

All Mu Xiao could do was set traps.

Besides the Laser Pistol, Mechanical Inner Armor, Thunderbolt Cannon, and High-Vibration Electromagnetic Military Saber on him, he also had a backpack full of grenade bombs. One type was the Sensor Bomb, which could be placed among the surrounding trees and grass to form an explosive minefield.

After roughly assessing the terrain, Mu Xiao began installing Sensor Bombs one by one on large tree trunks. He also buried a Sensor Bomb and several High-Explosive Grenades in concealed patches of grass. Once a Sensor Bomb detonated, the High-Explosive Grenades would naturally explode with it, making the blast even more powerful.

He used an entire bag of bombs to form a defensive line, then sat beneath a large tree at its center. He was using himself as bait to lure the Guard Mutant Human into attacking. No matter which direction it came from, as long as it stepped into the defensive line of bombs, it would inevitably suffer a violent barrage of explosions. Then Mu Xiao would have an opportunity to grievously wound it.

As night descended, the swaying trees looked as sinister as ghosts entwined around one another.

From the boundless darkness came the strange, hoarse roars of zombies. A string of bone-chilling cries also rose from the villa district, surging like ocean waves, sometimes high and sometimes low. The miserable, piercing, unknown sounds filled the heart with terror, as though countless demons and vengeful spirits wandered through the night.

Mu Xiao sat beneath the tree with his eyes closed, unmoved. All the food he had brought had gone into his stomach. Now, all that remained was to see whether his approaching prey would take the bait.

His Mental Power spread like spider silk throughout a twenty-meter radius, moving through the night as it continuously scanned and searched. The blood and vitality in his muscles had been adjusted to their peak, while the demonic killing aura dormant within him had grown tranquil. If he did not move, he was nothing; once he moved, he would shock the world, erupting with a berserk aura beyond his own strength.

Boom!!

Suddenly, the sound of a tremendous impact came from behind Mu Xiao. The instant he heard it, he sprang to his feet as though someone had viciously stepped on his tail, fear flashing across his face. He hurried over the bomb defensive line, leaped onto the Thermal Motorcycle Racer, and sped toward the source of the crash.

The place where the massive sound had come from was the security station where An Rongru was hiding.

Clearly, the Guard Mutant Human had realized that Mu Xiao was stronger than An Rongru, making her its first target.

Devouring the weak first was a common tactic. Mu Xiao had simply overlooked it.

"Damn it! I underestimated the intelligence of early-stage Mutant Humans. I never expected it to evolve to this level of intelligence in such a short time..." Mu Xiao gritted his teeth inwardly. He understood that he had been careless this time, leading to such a low-level mistake. Or rather, he had underestimated the First-Generation Mutant Monster.