Not Elegant Enough

The intense, cutting pain stimulated her nerves. Every cell in her body came alive as the killing factor within her was about to bloom.

This strike triggered Cheng Luoyi's awakened ability, Deadly Pain. Her aura continued to rise, and there was a wristband on her right wrist.

It displayed: Pain Level 10%

"Hmm?"

The man in the leather jacket immediately sensed that something was wrong. He tried to pull back the alloy dagger, but Cheng Luoyi's hand was like an iron clamp. No matter how hard he tried, it would not budge.

As the leather-jacketed man struggled, the dagger cut deeper into her flesh. Blood streamed from between Cheng Luoyi's fingers.

Her pain level continued to rise.

15%.

Crack!

Cheng Luoyi suddenly exerted force, snapping the blade in two. She gripped the broken blade and stabbed it straight toward the man's temple!

Squelch!

The man had no time to react. He only felt a sharp pain in his head as warm blood ran down the side of his face.

His consciousness gradually blurred...

"Th-this is the gentle girl?"

The man's pupils dilated as that final thought arose in his mind. Then he breathed his last, and his corpse crashed to the ground.

In just an instant, Cheng Luoyi had dealt with a Crystal Core Awakened.

Song Yang and the others' pupils contracted in shock. They had never expected this seemingly delicate girl to be so fierce.

"She killed him that easily?"

"I feel like... there's something wrong with her!"

"Everyone, be careful. She's actually very dangerous!"

"..."

The group immediately grew solemn.

When Cheng Luoyi had killed the man just now, her expression had been calm and unruffled. Her strikes had been steady, precise, and ruthless. One look was enough to tell that she was a seasoned killer who had done this sort of thing plenty of times.

Cheng Luoyi lowered her gaze to the corpse at her feet, as if she had suddenly remembered something.

She slowly crouched down and pried open the leather-jacketed man's skull with the alloy blade. Then her pale, slender fingers reached inside and began to rummage around in his head.

"What is she doing?"

Lin Dong was somewhat curious. Watching her movements reminded him of the days at the orphanage when they had mixed dumpling filling.

Soon, Cheng Luoyi found the man's Crystal Core and forcibly pulled it out. Her hand was drenched in blood, and she even dragged out some red-and-white matter with it.

Then she turned and walked up to Lin Dong, holding out the thing in her hand.

"You gave me bread, so I'll give you a Crystal Core."

"Oh..."

Lin Dong nodded. So she had remembered that. Just like before, she was still so impatient.

However, bits of unidentified brain tissue still clung to the blood-drenched palm before him. Blood mixed with other fluids and continued to drip down.

"Isn't that a little unhygienic?"

"It's freshly taken from the skull. It's still warm—clean and sanitary."

Cheng Luoyi knew that Lin Dong had a cleanliness obsession, so she explained.

To Lin Dong, this was basically like rice soaked in soup, except the broth had splashed everywhere, making it rather unsightly.

So he stood where he was without moving for a long time.

Cheng Luoyi glanced at him with her beautiful eyes, looking somewhat puzzled.

"What are you still being picky about?"

"Not elegant enough."

Lin Dong said.

"..." Cheng Luoyi's face darkened as she mimicked his earlier tone.

"Eat it or don't!"

"Hiss..."

Song Yang and the others sucked in a breath. The person before them was far too brutal. She had nothing in common with the gentle girl the leather jacket had described! That bastard had not died unfairly at all!

At the same time, a question arose in their hearts. Was she really from an official shelter?

Why did she seem even more ruthless than them?

The Black Scorpion Organization had eaten human flesh and even tortured and killed people, but compared to Cheng Luoyi, they lacked one quality: composure.

"Hey? Wait..."

Suddenly, Song Yang noticed another serious problem. The number of people on the other side... seemed wrong. His gaze moved from Lin Dong to Chen Ming, examining them one by one.

No matter how he counted, there was one extra person...

"Yuanyuan, didn't you say you sensed six people? Why are there seven?"

"I..."

The short-haired girl frowned deeply, her expression exceptionally grave.

"Brother Yang, one of them... doesn't seem to be human!"

"What?"

Song Yang's eyes widened.

He trusted psychic perception quite a bit.

Not human?

Then what was it?

Following the girl's gaze, Song Yang looked toward Lin Dong. He saw him pick up the bloodstained Crystal Core and place it in his mouth, savoring it as though it were exceptionally sweet.

The answer became increasingly obvious.

A zombie!

His heart skipped a beat. The people from the official shelter were actually mixing with a zombie!

What had happened today was simply too absurd.

A powerful sense of danger rose within him.

He looked around.

Right now, his greatest advantage was their superior numbers.

"Forget everything else for now. Kill them. Everyone, attack together."

"Mm."

The people beside him silently nodded.

Then—

The battle was on the verge of erupting. The members of the Black Scorpion Organization each unleashed their awakened abilities.

They were as fierce as tigers, and their auras were indeed powerful.

Cheng Luoyi turned to look at them, her expression still calm.

"Stand here and don't move. I'll go get some more Crystal Cores."

"Huh?"

Lin Dong raised an eyebrow.

That sentence felt a little strange...

But by then, Song Yang and several other main fighters had already arrived before Cheng Luoyi. Song Yang's awakened ability was metallic skin, and his physique was extraordinarily powerful.

His skin shifted as a layer of silvery sheen covered his entire body. Every movement produced the clashing sound of steel, as if he were wearing a suit of metal armor.

As Song Yang threw a punch, it carried overwhelming force. A gust of wind tore through the air as the blow rushed straight toward Cheng Luoyi's face.

Cheng Luoyi remained completely fearless. She raised a slender arm and held it horizontally before her.

Bang!

With a dull thud, Cheng Luoyi blocked the tremendous force, but her feet slid backward for some distance. At the same time, her arm went numb as intense, jolting pain surged through it.

Pain Level: 17%

Song Yang's silvery face twisted into a grin as he called to his teammate, "Now!"

"Okay!"

Yuanyuan answered from behind him and simultaneously launched a psychic attack. Her mental power surged like a tide, squeezing into Cheng Luoyi's mind as she activated Brainstorm!

Cheng Luoyi felt as though boiling oil had been poured into her brain. Intense pain struck her, leaving her disoriented as her consciousness began to blur.

Song Yang immediately seized the opportunity. His massive fist came smashing down again.

It seemed that this blow would shatter her head!

At that moment, the number on Cheng Luoyi's wristband changed.

Pain Level: 26%

Her gaze instantly sharpened, and her eyes became clear again. The power of pain made her even stronger.

She clenched one fist and, at a speed too fast for the naked eye to catch, smashed it into Song Yang's chest.

Buzzz—

Even Song Yang's metallic body could not withstand it. His chest caved in and warped, and the immense force sent him flying backward as if he had been hit by a truck.

Rumble!

Song Yang crashed through a wall and was buried beneath the rubble.

"H-how is that possible?"

Yuanyuan's eyes nearly split open in fury. Cheng Luoyi had clearly suffered a psychic attack, yet she had sent their boss flying. Her face twisted into a savage expression, and the black scorpion tattoo on her face seemed to come alive.

But the situation was urgent, leaving her no time to think. She hurriedly turned her head to search for Cheng Luoyi, intending to launch another psychic attack.

But—

A delicate, pale face had already appeared before her!