Branch: [Vengeful Fury]

"You really showed up at just the right time. In the usual novels and movies, people like you would only make your entrance at the very end, wouldn't you?" Zhuang Xiaolin placed his right index finger on the lever of Death's Revolver, spinning it with momentum before smoothly lowering the muzzle into the holster at his waist.

"As Lungmen's protectors, we will not stand by and do nothing while Lungmen faces any threat." Chen gave Chi Xiao a forceful swing, scattering the blood staining its blade onto the ground, where it merged with the blood already flowing there into a river.

"Mm, I can see that. You really care about Lungmen." Zhuang Xiaolin nodded, then slowly walked over to Chen's side.

Chen remained silent for a long time, merely gripping Chi Xiao. Zhuang Xiaolin sensed something unusual, but rather than point it out, he quietly waited, wanting to hear how this dragon woman would pour out her heart.

"Do you know? Lungmen City and Lungmen's slums are two different places. One is where only the elite and capable citizens can live. The other is where foreign bandits, gangs from other countries, and refugee Infected live." Chen paused for a moment before finally speaking the words she had long suppressed. "You may not know this, but I am an Infected."

Zhuang Xiaolin raised an eyebrow at that, immediately finding the situation more interesting.

"Do you know? I'm really happy. Really, really happy. Ever since I learned that my Oripathy could be treated, I've been incredibly happy." As Chen spoke, her tone grew increasingly intense, and emotions she could no longer restrain flickered in her eyes.

"Thank you very much. My visit that day may have come at a bad time. I've been looking for a chance to thank you, but work has been far too busy these past few days, so I never came to your pharmacy to properly express my gratitude." Chen even used an honorific. "I'm very happy that Oripathy can be cured. Mr. Zhuang Xiaolin, you understand, don't you...?"

"You can thank me later. You couldn't have come here without bringing others along, could you?" Having gotten the information he wanted, Zhuang Xiaolin interrupted Chen.

After all, with corpses piled up nearby, this was hardly a suitable place for a conversation.

"That is true. I'll find a time to visit you later, Mr. Zhuang Xiaolin." Chen spoke as she lifted Chi Xiao and walked forward.

"No need to be so formal. Just call me Zhuang Xiaolin." Zhuang Xiaolin shook his head slightly, then closely followed the person ahead of him.

The moment they emerged from the alley, a large group of mafia members swiftly surrounded them.

Zhuang Xiaolin showed no fear, and Chen, standing before him, paid them even less mind.

A blood-red blade flash swept out, followed by several crimson energy bullets exploding among the crowd.

The blade flash was incomparably sharp. Any mafia members it passed through were instantly either split in two or cut into several pieces.

The crimson energy bullets, meanwhile, were like raging floodwaters. Once they darted into the crowd, they inevitably stirred up a violent wave.

The densely packed enemies became a pile of dry kindling in an instant. With the slightest spark, they would all be reduced to nothing.

After dealing with this wave of enemies, Zhuang Xiaolin could feel the life energy within him becoming increasingly abundant. Death's Revolver in his hand kept trembling, and the energy within its "eye" seemed ready to overflow.

[Notice: [Death's Revolver] has broken through Level LV 10]

[The following two branches have been unlocked: [Vengeful Fury]/[Shadow's Wrath]]

[Vengeful Fury: The power of revenge can drive a person forward across countless steps. He will struggle for his goal, even if thorns fill the path ahead, even if the goal is beyond reach, even if his body is crippled. Yet the fury of vengeance burns him like blazing fire, driving him onward until his revenge is complete. Only then will that fury fade.]

[Effect: Each time an enemy is killed, or an ally is injured or dies, the damage of Death's Revolver increases once. The damage increase lasts 60 seconds. If no enemy or ally is subsequently killed, injured, or dies, this effect disappears. This effect can stack infinitely.]

[After activating Eye of Death, this effect is enhanced. Each enemy struck adds one stack of the effect.]

[Shadow's Wrath: The rage beneath the shadows is something to be feared. Like a cold wind across an ice field, it can pierce countless layers of defense. Even in the most tightly guarded places, it can come and go like the wind, delivering a fatal blow to its enemies.]

[Effect: Death's Revolver can imitate the surrounding environment, allowing its user to blend into it. If the imitation is touched or shot, it will be dispelled. Launching an attack will also dispel the environmental imitation. While under environmental imitation, Death's Revolver can deliver a fatal strike to one person who has not noticed the user.]

[After activating Eye of Death, this effect is doubled, allowing fatal strikes against two people who have not noticed the user at the same time.]

Zhuang Xiaolin looked over the two panels and chose [Vengeful Fury] without the slightest hesitation.

There was no other reason. After obtaining Illusion Field, Zhuang Xiaolin felt that aside from the ability to instantly kill a single unaware target, everything else had no effect.

To put it simply, [Shadow's Wrath] was meant for assassinating people with relatively weak combat ability but heavy protection. It suited assassins better. Without Illusion Field, Zhuang Xiaolin might have chosen it, but with it, choosing this would be like farting after taking off his pants—pointless busywork.

After choosing [Vengeful Fury], intricate golden patterns spread out around the lever of Death's Revolver.

Zhuang Xiaolin could not understand what they were. The golden patterns intertwined like complex threads, giving him the strange impression of a cat's tangled ball of yarn.

Ignoring the changes happening to Death's Revolver, Zhuang Xiaolin followed closely behind Chen while also checking Eye of Death's upgrade progress.

Eye of Death was leveling up more slowly than expected.

[Eye of Death LV8 (219020/240000)]

Although each level required thirty thousand more experience than the last,

Death's Revolver leveled far faster. Even when the two were not used together, it still gained experience much faster than Eye of Death.

As Zhuang Xiaolin considered this, a strange noise nearby snapped him back to attention. He and Chen both turned their gazes in that direction.

On a broad main street, a large group of mafia members in suits was advancing toward them step by step, showing no fear whatsoever of the Lungmen Guard Department.

The two of them frowned as well. Since when had Lungmen's slums become so full of hidden powerhouses? A gang of several thousand people could emerge at any moment.

Not counting earlier, Zhuang Xiaolin and Chen had already killed more than seven hundred mafia members in this battle alone.

Looking carefully at the mafia members, there were roughly seven hundred and fifty walking along the street, with many more concealed in the shadows.

Chen's brow had not relaxed once. She had never imagined something like this would happen in Lungmen's slums. Why had the Rat King of the underground world not acted?

A gang from Siracusa had been allowed to establish itself in Lungmen's slums, and its numbers had continued to grow. Chen did not know what they were thinking, but she was furious now.

Normally, the Lungmen Guard Department could not interfere in the trivial matters of the slums. Even if gang conflicts here killed dozens of people, they would only come over symbolically to take a look.

Chen was furious. The bodies lying on the streets of the slums did not belong only to mafia members. There were also the corpses of countless innocent civilians.

All of this was merely because of their revenge.

At that thought, Chen's grip on Chi Xiao tightened further and further. A blood-red blade flash appeared on Chi Xiao, ready to fly out at any moment.

However, at that moment, steady and orderly footsteps sounded behind Zhuang Xiaolin and Chen.

One Lungmen Guard Department member after another, clad in black armor and carrying large shields, stood behind them. At the front of the formation stood a blonde Feline and a green-haired Oni holding a triangular shield.

"You idiot! Something this big happens, and you rush out on your own? Are you trying to get yourself killed, you rice noodle dragon?!" The instant Swire saw Chen, she charged over and berated her with a face full of fury.

Chen wanted to say something, but no words came out. She could only stand there silently and let Swire scold her.

"Enough, Swire. We still have business to deal with." Hoshiguma raised the huge triangular shield Hannya and stepped between Chen and Swire.

At the same time, a voice came from Zhuang Xiaolin's communicator.

"Commander, Glaz is out of danger. Tachanka has recovered his full combat capability. Rook's squad is fifty meters to your right flank. Tachanka, Frost, and I are one hundred and twenty meters to your left flank." Doc's voice came through the communicator, reaching the ears of the three people present.

The three looked around curiously, only to suddenly realize that several figures had appeared on the previously empty rooftops at some point.

They wore heavy body armor and held all kinds of weapons, waiting on the rooftops in preparation.

"Don't be nervous. They're our allies." Seeing how tense the three were, Zhuang Xiaolin offered an explanation.

Zhuang Xiaolin's squad and the Lungmen Guard Department members had now joined forces, while more and more mafia members continued to gather on the other side. The two sides were like opposing waves, ready to crash together at any moment.