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Twenty-five meters!
Chen Mu's right hand, which had been shielding his face, suddenly pressed the activation button on the Wrist Device strapped to his left wrist.
Boom!
A gigantic, dark-red flame dragon suddenly appeared between the man and Chen Mu, its enormous head almost touching the man's face. Its dark-red eyes were as cold as ice, seeming to bore into his heart, while its body of surging flames coiled around itself. He felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on him, almost crushing him into immobility.
Heavens! What was that? Every trace of color drained from the man's face, and terror filled his eyes.
He recognized it. The colossal creature before him was the advanced manifestation of the three-star combat card Flame Dragon-the Red-Eyed Flame Dragon.
Before he could recover from his shock, a hand suddenly reached out through the flames of the dragon's head and seized his throat. His neck tightened under its grip. That hand was like an iron band; he could barely breathe.
Dazed, he watched a figure step out of the Red-Eyed Flame Dragon's head and slowly approach him. Wasn't this the little punk he had just beaten into such a sorry state?
In a flash, the terrifying Red-Eyed Flame Dragon vanished into thin air, as though it had never appeared.
Before he could react, a tremendous force suddenly surged through the hand around his neck, driving his head backward. With a dull thud, searing pain from the back of his skull engulfed him like a tide.
Looking at his unconscious opponent lying on the ground, Chen Mu felt not a shred of pity. He knew that if he hadn't reacted correctly, he would very likely have been a dead man by now.
In this era, chaos was everywhere. Living at the very bottom of society, Chen Mu understood that all too well. Unless you were rich or powerful, no one cared whether you lived or died. Public security in Dongshang Guard City was already considered fairly good, yet even here, the Security Department was little more than an empty façade.
The savagery in Chen Mu's eyes gradually faded. Looking again at the man he had laid hands on, he found that he was no longer breathing. A slight shock ran through him. He shouldn't have been that strong. On closer inspection, he saw that the back of the fellow's skull had shattered when it struck the wall.
Perhaps his strength had been greater than usual in the heat of the moment, Chen Mu thought.
Though he had just taken a life, Chen Mu wasn't afraid. During his childhood on the streets, he had been through all kinds of fights, large and small. Injuries and deaths were perfectly commonplace. His opponent had shown no regard for his life, so he felt no burden on his conscience now.
He tidied up the scene a little, but left everything on the man's body untouched. He knew that grabbing a petty gain would only leave clues behind. He had seen that happen many times.
Although this was his first time dealing with something like this, Chen Mu didn't panic. Throughout the cleanup, he kept a constant watch on his surroundings. Only after he had dealt with everything, especially his own bloodstains, did he leave, satisfied.
He had no idea who this man was, or what backing his family had. But with him dead like this, Chen Mu felt they would never trace it back to him. If he had survived, things would have been even more troublesome. His family would probably have used every resource at their disposal to dig Chen Mu out.
Chen Mu had a very clear understanding of his own position. He was just a little punk; even a single hair plucked from his opponent's body would have been thicker than him. If it really came to that, he wouldn't have the slightest chance of survival.
He carefully bandaged the wound on his arm and draped his clothes diagonally over his shoulder. Fortunately, he didn't encounter anyone as he left the alley. Rather than going straight home, he wandered around outside for a while before returning.
When Lei Zi saw Chen Mu, he called out, "I thought you'd gotten home ages ago. Who knew I'd be here first?" Then he noticed Chen Mu's complexion and the state of his clothes. Startled, he hurried over. "Blockhead, what happened?"
Chen Mu looked a little pale, but acted as though nothing were wrong. "Ran into a little trouble."
Lei Zi sniffed, and his brows involuntarily furrowed. "You're hurt?" He lifted the clothes draped over Chen Mu's left shoulder. Sure enough, the fabric underneath was soaked through with blood.
"Ran into a tough customer?" Lei Zi carefully removed the cloth Chen Mu had used to bandage the wound. It needed to be cleaned again, or the consequences could be serious. Fortunately, both of them had plenty of experience getting hurt in fights and were thoroughly familiar with treating wounds.
Without anesthetic, cleaning a wound was painful work. Chen Mu pressed his lips together and gritted his teeth, refusing to utter a sound. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled down his face, which grew even paler.
Lei Zi gave Chen Mu an admiring glance and worked a little faster. If he had been the one injured, his miserable howls would probably have carried far and wide. In Lei Zi's eyes, Chen Mu was sometimes just like a block of wood-cold, hard, and unyielding.
After applying fresh bandages, Lei Zi burned all the bloodstained clothing, leaving not the slightest trace.
"You'll probably need to rest up for a while. Don't go out much for now." Lei Zi pondered for a moment. "I'll buy the materials." He knew Chen Mu's temperament well. Chen Mu would never meekly let someone bully him. His opponent had probably ended up in an even worse state.
Chen Mu nodded and murmured his agreement. He did indeed need to lie low for a while until things blew over.
"The Legend of the Mecha Master seems to be selling pretty well," Chen Mu suddenly said, remembering the scene he had witnessed.
"Heh, of course it is." The moment Card Films came up, Lei Zi grew excited, his face full of pride. "Just look at who made it. Heh, you have no idea-when I went to those shops today, the owners immediately swarmed around me. Every one of them wanted to buy up all the Card Films I had. Heh, I had to give each shop a share. We need to pick up production. Heh, we're really going to make a fortune this time!"
But then Lei Zi's expression turned hesitant. "Blockhead, your injury..."
Chen Mu shook his head. "It's fine. My right hand is enough."
"Your health comes first. This won't be the only Card Film we make. There's no end to the money we can earn," Lei Zi couldn't help urging.
"Mm, I know." Chen Mu nodded. Suddenly, he thought of that mysterious card, and a surge of warmth rose in his heart. If he hadn't kept practicing that Body-Strengthening Exercise, he would surely have met his end there today.
Thinking back on the strength he had unleashed today, even he felt a little astonished.
But on closer reflection, he realized that luck deserved most of the credit for his survival. If his opponent had been just a little more experienced, if he hadn't practiced the Body-Strengthening Exercise, if he hadn't brought that Flame Dragon Illusion Card today...
The outcome might have been completely reversed.
Card Adepts really were formidable! The fellow he had encountered today was a complete novice, yet even so, Chen Mu had been badly injured.
Unfortunately, becoming a Card Adept was far, far beyond his reach...
(End of chapter)