Feint East, Strike West

Lin Yun nodded slightly without explaining further.

With a wave of Zhou Lei's hand, the eight members of the bait team hunched low and circled toward the east side of the residential complex beneath the shadow of the broken walls.

More than ten seconds later, three muffled explosions rang out in succession. The booming blasts made the ground tremble slightly, and billowing dust rose from the abandoned buildings on the eastern side.

This was followed by dense bursts of rifle fire mixed with the deliberately amplified shouts of the soldiers, carrying far through the empty ruins.

The nest at the center of the complex instantly erupted into chaos.

Shrill, piercing beast cries burst out one after another as mutant beasts poured from the garden like a tide.

Peering out from behind the wall, Lin Yun saw a black mass of mutant beasts racing toward the east.

Dozens of Swift Mantises led the charge, their bodies bluish-gray and their scythe-like forelimbs gleaming coldly. They moved so fast with each leap that they left only afterimages.

Behind them came a black swarm of Bone-Cracking Centipedes, each as thick as an adult's arm. Their glossy, hard carapaces gleamed as their hundred pairs of legs rustled over the rubble, while their venomous jaws clicked sharply as they opened and shut. Several Shadow Cats followed at the rear, darting along the base of the walls, nearly invisible within the shadows.

There were far more of them than expected.

"Good Lord, there have to be over a hundred... And there are Bone-Cracking Centipedes too. If those venomous jaws touch you, your flesh rots..."

A mid-stage martial apprentice hunter from the support team swallowed, his face pale.

"Don't just stand there! Move!"

The bearded man barked and rushed out first.

They sprinted toward Building Three over broken stones and weeds.

Discarded furniture, shattered glass, and several long-dried skeletons lay scattered along the road. The air was thick with mildew and a faint stench of decay.

The entrance to Building Three was tightly blocked by wardrobes, chunks of cement, and security window grates, nearly sealing off the doorway. It was obvious that the people inside had piled them up to keep out mutant beasts.

"Move it, now!"

Everyone surged forward and worked together to drag at the outermost wardrobe.

The cabinet was absurdly heavy. Several of them strained until their faces turned red before they slowly managed to open a gap.

Hearing the commotion, the people inside first let out a panicked cry. Then someone shouted in a trembling voice.

"Who... who's outside?"

"We're the Qingbei City Defense Army! We're here to rescue you! Come out, quickly!" a soldier shouted back.

Suppressed sobs instantly broke out from inside.

The clutter was gradually cleared away, revealing a gap in the entrance large enough for people to pass through.

The basement's iron door was pulled open, and a damp, stifling gust of air poured out. Elderly people, women, and children filed out one after another, all of them waxen-faced, with cracked lips and eyes full of terror and confusion.

Some children trembled all over, burying their faces in their mothers' arms, too afraid to look up. Several elderly people had difficulty walking and had to be supported, panting with every step.

"Quickly, head west! It's safe outside!" The soldiers immediately stepped up to support them and guide the group out.

There were ninety-seven people, more than half of them elderly, weak, women, or children. The line stretched long and moved exceptionally slowly.

Lin Yun stood on the outer edge of the group with his back against the building wall, his gaze vigilantly sweeping the apartment buildings to the north and south, as well as the entrance to the underground parking garage.

He knew the bait could only draw away the main force from the nest. Scattered mutant beasts were very likely still hiding in the dark corridors and underground garage.

At a moment like this, just before evacuation, accidents were most likely to happen.

Sure enough, just as the group reached the middle of Building Three, a dense rustling suddenly came from the entrance to the underground garage on the south side, mixed with crisp sounds like metal scraping together.

"Watch out!"

At the same time Lin Yun shouted, more than a dozen Swift Mantises sprang from the shadows of the garage. Their scythe-like forelimbs slashed through the air with astonishing speed. Three Bone-Cracking Centipedes, each half a meter thick, followed close behind, racing down the wall with their venomous jaws opening and closing as transparent poison dripped from them, hissing as it corroded small pits into the ground.

"Stop them!"

The bearded man's expression changed. He drew his blade and charged forward.

Three late-stage martial apprentice hunters took the front, while five mid-stage hunters flanked them from both sides. The City Defense Army soldiers raised their rifles and fired controlled bursts.

Bullets punched bloody holes into the Bone-Cracking Centipedes' carapaces, but the creatures were incredibly tough. They still crawled forward, lurching crookedly.

The Swift Mantises were even more agile. They leaped left and right to evade most of the bullets, circling to the hunters' flanks in just a few movements.

One mid-stage martial apprentice hunter failed to dodge in time, and a scythe-like forelimb tore a bone-deep gash across his arm. Blood immediately gushed out. He groaned in pain and staggered backward.

"Old Zhou!"

His companion tried to help him, only to be entangled by another Swift Mantis, putting him in immediate danger.

The three Bone-Cracking Centipedes charged through the gunfire. The foremost one suddenly curled its body and slammed into the bearded man like a cannonball.

Gritting his teeth, the bearded man raised his blade to block. With a deafening clang, he was sent flying and crashed heavily to the ground, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

A late-stage martial apprentice hunter could not even withstand a single charge from a Bone-Cracking Centipede!

The mutant beasts broke through the defense line and lunged at the civilians behind them.

A little girl stood frozen in place, staring at the Swift Mantis right before her. She had forgotten even how to cry. Her mother lunged toward her, trying to grab her, but she was already too late. The mantis leaped high, its scythe-like forelimbs flashing coldly as they chopped straight toward the girl's head.

Everyone nearby shut their eyes. The soldiers wanted to fire, but feared hitting the girl by mistake. They could only watch helplessly as tragedy unfolded.

At that moment, a figure suddenly streaked out from the side.

Fast!

So fast that only an afterimage remained!

Lin Yun drove Wind-Treading Step to its limit, crossing several meters like a gust of wind. Just as the mantis's scythe was about to fall, he clenched his right fist and smashed it forward.

Bang!

The fistguards struck the Swift Mantis squarely on the head and thorax. A crisp cracking sound rang out as the mutant beast's torso caved in. Its body flew sideways like a torn sack, slammed into the wall, and slid down. Its legs twitched twice before going completely still.

Only then did the girl's mother rush over. Hugging her child, she collapsed onto the ground, trembling all over.

But Lin Yun did not stop.

The instant he dealt with that Swift Mantis, his feet shifted, and he was already facing the foremost Bone-Cracking Centipede.

Seeing someone block its path, the centipede suddenly raised its head. Its venomous jaws, dripping with corrosive poison, snapped viciously toward Lin Yun's shoulder and neck, a foul wind rushing into his face.

"Watch out!"

Clutching his chest, the bearded man shouted.

He knew all too well how toxic a Bone-Cracking Centipede was. Even a late-stage martial apprentice would rot to death within half an hour after a single bite.

Yet Lin Yun neither dodged nor retreated. Just as the venomous jaws were about to close, he shifted slightly to the side, barely slipping past their edge. He lowered his center of gravity and clenched his right fist. The force of Vajra Fist layered through his arm as he struck precisely into the gap between the centipede's head and torso—the weakest point of its entire exoskeleton.

Crack!

A dull shattering sound exploded as dark green fluid splattered everywhere.

The Bone-Cracking Centipede let out a shrill, piercing screech. Its massive body twisted violently, dozens of pairs of legs scrabbling madly, but it could no longer support itself. It toppled heavily onto its side, its venomous jaws opening and closing futilely as it could not even turn itself over.

One punch had crippled a Bone-Cracking Centipede!

The entire scene fell silent for half a second.

The hunters who had been about to charge froze in place. The soldiers holding their rifles forgot to pull the trigger. Even the crying civilians instinctively fell quiet.

Every gaze focused on the young man.

He stood amid the rubble and mutant beast corpses, dark green blood staining his Armybreaker Fistguards. His posture was upright, his breathing steady, as if he had merely done something insignificant.

"How... how is that possible?" The bearded man stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.