Bang!
A red shadow flew out in response, streaking across the Nightfall like a shooting star. The moment it landed, it sprang up from the ground and raced off in the southwest without looking back.
From the moment Lancelot kicked him in the side, Hogg knew he had lost the battle. So he decisively released his grip on the rapier hilt, using the powerful momentum from Lancelot's kick to fly dozens of meters away, and then fled despite the excruciating pain.
"This guy doesn't have any energy boost; he can't possibly outrun me with just his physical body. As long as I can break through..." Hogg's eyes were resolute. A temporary setback was nothing; as long as he could survive, he would find a chance for revenge sooner or later.
However, Hogg forgot a fatal flaw: Lancelot was not alone.
Although Rui's firepower was mostly directed at Burke, he didn't completely forget about Lancelot's side.
The moment Hogg flew away, Rui reacted and immediately turned his gun around. He had a mental Ability Energy and a highly developed brain, so with the help of a specially made electromagnetic scope, he could clearly see Hogg's every move.
Puff!
The magnetic bullet flew out, leaving a trail of blood.
"Too bad, it didn't hit the chest!"
Rui was somewhat disappointed; he had originally aimed the shot at Hogg's chest, but it ended up only hitting his side abdomen.
But that was enough. The kinetic energy contained in the bullet and the increased damage to Hogg significantly reduced his speed, and Lancelot seized the opportunity to catch up.
"Still trying to run?"
Lancelot remained expressionless, unleashing a charged attack, channeling all his power into a single point with Hadoken, which struck Hogg squarely in the temple like a black lightning bolt.
Pfft!
The sharp blade protruding from the fist pierced through Hogg's skull, and the subsequent bursts of force ripped his skull off, scattering blood and gore all over the ground in a gruesome scene.
Lancelot didn't care at all. He flicked his hand, sending the minced meat flying, and charged straight Burke the fray on Burke's side.
Burke and his companions faced three Ability Energy, all around the Tier Two. Although their Ability Energy potential was not as high as Burke's and Cole's, their development was far superior. Coupled with their rich combat experience and ruthless attacks, they forced Cole and Burke into perilous situations. Burke, as the front-line fighter, had already been wounded, with several crisscrossing cuts on his chest from sharp blades.
But this guy was not afraid at all, he was incredibly reckless. His Savage Physique enhanced his recovery ability even more than his Body of Steel, and he had the Ability Energy to get more and more into the fight. In addition, he had fire support from Rui in the rear, so he was not in any immediate danger.
Upon Lancelot's arrival, he did not immediately join the battle, but instead served as a Intimidation, coldly observing the situation.
For Burke and his two companions, the opponents before them were just right. If they could defeat them with their own strength, their fighting spirit would undergo a transformation.
However, even though Lancelot didn't make a move, the overwhelming murderous aura he exuded after killing a Tier Three martial artist was still terrifying. The three Ability Energy were somewhat desperate, and their emotions fluctuated wildly, causing their previously tacit cooperation to falter.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Rui pulled the trigger. The bullet struck the right chest of the Ability Energy on the left, piercing his lung. In the midst of the battle, breathing was already labored, and the rapid airflow forced through the ruptured pulmonary tube, causing blood to spill out and exacerbating the lung tear. In just one second, the guy collapsed to the ground, blood flowing from his nostrils and the corner of his mouth.
With one man dead, the remaining two were no match for Burke and his men and were quickly eliminated.
"Huff, huff, huff..."
Burke and Cole were hunched over, hands on their knees, panting heavily, sweat dripping down their foreheads. Strictly speaking, this was their first real combat experience.
Although ring matches are inherently dangerous, they are not battlefields where people can easily die. You can concede defeat, and your opponent will always hold back; very few people will go for the kill.
But this battle was different; it was a true life-or-death struggle, with the oppressive feeling of death constantly weighing on one's mind, keeping one's spirit taut like a steel wire.
During battle, the rapid secretion of adrenaline makes one feel nothing amiss. But once the battle ends, fatigue washes over one after another like a tidal wave, as if the mind is being tossed and ground in a millstone. The feeling is indescribable.
In comparison, Rui is in much better condition.
It wasn't that he was particularly strong-willed; the main reason was that the feeling of killing enemies at long range and at close range was completely different.
Some say that the invention of firearms has deprived humanity of the guilt associated with taking the lives of its fellow human beings.
This statement may not be entirely accurate, but the psychological trauma caused by killing with firearms is indeed far less than that caused by close combat.
"How are you? Can you adapt?" Lancelot walked over with his arms crossed, crouched slightly, and looked into his companion's eyes.
"Lan... Brother Lan, is this really your first time killing someone? Why do you seem so unaffected?" Burke asked, panting.
"Perhaps I was born to be an executioner!" Lancelot joked.
"Alright, there's not much time on the battlefield. More people are surging up. Same old method, you go east, I'll go west!"
Lancelot didn't say much, just gave a brief instruction, then leaped high into the air and appeared a hundred meters away in the next instant, moving like a rabbit and appearing like a ghost.
Watching his retreating figure, Cole sighed, "That's what genius is all about. It's not just about Ability Energy potential; even if we had A-level potential, could we achieve what Lancelot did?"
"So, he is Lancelot!" Burke chuckled, and Cole was speechless for a moment, then shrugged. "That's true!"
After a brief chat, the two remained focused and waited for the enemy to come to them.
The Nightfall was long, and only the occasional breeze brushing against my cheeks told me of the passage of time. Before I knew it, half an hour had passed.
During this period, Lancelot's team eliminated more than forty enemies, including nine Transcendent individuals.
In the first few minutes, there were the most enemies, but their numbers gradually decreased afterwards.
In the final ten minutes, the enemy had either been eliminated or gone into hiding, attempting to escape punishment.
The squads couldn't help but relax their guard, chatting and laughing in the public channel, talking about their squad's achievements.
Burke was one of the most active among them, chatting and mingling with the speakers from other teams—a true social terrorist.
Lancelot stood on a dead tree, occasionally listening to the public channel, his eyes scanning back and forth like a hawk, searching for traces of prey.
Just then, an urgent warning came through the public channel, "Attention! Attention! A Fourth-Tier Transcendent is rushing towards the eight o'clock direction! Teams there, please be aware! Give way immediately! Do not intercept! Do not intercept! Fourth-Tier Transcendent is not someone you can handle!"
Upon hearing this, Lancelot immediately stood up straight.
Eight o'clock direction?
That's... Windsor!