Just Waiting for You to Come and Die

Inside the drainage pipe, it was damp and dark, and a foul stench of decay hung in the air.

Lu Chen carried Old Lu in his arms as he trudged unevenly through the sewage.

The icy wastewater soaked through his shoes and socks, sending waves of bone-deep cold through him, but he paid it no mind. He simply quickened his pace, eager to get out of this hellhole as soon as possible.

"Lu Chen, wait for me. I... I can barely keep up."

Xiao Lu's voice came from behind him, sounding a little weak.

She was, after all, just a support-type girl who had only recently awakened her talent. Compared to a cheat like Lu Chen, her stamina was pathetically low.

Lu Chen stopped and sighed helplessly. Sure enough, bringing a burden along was a hassle.

"Old Zhou, how much farther?" Lu Chen asked in his mind.

"Almost there. Two more turns and we'll reach the exit. But... things don't look good." Old Zhou's voice was grave.

"What is it?" Lu Chen asked with a frown.

"The exit's surrounded. There are at least a few hundred people, and... there's a big one in the sky, too."

"A big one?" Lu Chen paused.

"A drone, the kind equipped with a high-energy particle cannon. Its firepower is fierce. It won't be easy to deal with."

"Fuck!" Lu Chen couldn't help swearing.

It looked like that old bastard Professor Zhao was determined to kill him.

"Don't panic yet. Old Zhou, can you take care of that drone?"

"Give me some time. I can try to hack its system. But... I'll need you to hold them off."

"No problem." Lu Chen's gaze turned cold, and a powerful fighting spirit surged in his heart.

Before long, the three of them reached the exit of the drainage pipe.

Just as Old Zhou had said, soldiers surrounded the exit in dense ranks. The dark muzzles of their guns were aimed this way, a chilling sight.

A massive drone circled overhead, its crimson light sweeping back and forth as it locked onto targets below.

Professor Zhao stood at the front of the crowd, a cold smile on his face.

"Lu Chen, we meet again," he said slowly. His voice wasn't loud, but it reached Lu Chen's ears clearly.

"Professor Zhao, I trust you've been well," Lu Chen said expressionlessly, holding Old Lu.

"Heh, thanks to you, I'm doing very well. But... I'm afraid you won't be so lucky today." Professor Zhao's smile grew colder. "Did you think you could escape with the results of my research? What a pipe dream!"

"Your research?" The corner of Lu Chen's mouth lifted slightly. "You mean that so-called 'Talent Fusion' technology? I thought it was something impressive, but it turns out to be nothing but crooked tricks."

"Crooked tricks?" Professor Zhao reacted as if he'd heard the biggest joke in the world. "Lu Chen, what do you know? This is a power that can change the world! With it, I can create a brand-new world!"

"Is that so? Then let's see what you've got that lets you create a new world." As Lu Chen spoke, he secretly copied a sniper's D-rank [Eagle Eye Vision] talent.

His vision instantly became incredibly clear. He could even see the antennae of an ant hundreds of meters away.

He quickly pinpointed the source of the drone's control signal and said to Old Zhou in his mind, "Old Zhou, do it!"

The battle was about to erupt!

Professor Zhao seemed to have lost his patience. With a sweep of his arm, he shouted, "Open fire! Kill them on sight!"

"Ratatatat..."

Deafening gunfire rang out all around them. Countless bullets poured down like a storm, cutting off every escape route.

Lu Chen had been prepared. With a thought, a powerful torrent of flame erupted from within him, instantly forming a thick wall of fire in front of him.

SSS-rank [Flame Manipulation] was terrifying indeed!

The scorching flames melted the bullets and seared the air, forming a natural barrier that effectively blocked the enemy's assault.

"Xiao Lu, help me!" Lu Chen said in a deep voice.

Xiao Lu didn't dare delay. She hurriedly activated her [Life Link] talent.

A gentle light connected her to Lu Chen, transferring some of the damage he suffered to the enemy soldiers.

"Ah..."

"Ugh..."

Screams erupted from the crowd. Several unlucky soldiers were struck by the power of Life Link and instantly collapsed, foaming at the mouth and convulsing.

Meanwhile, Old Zhou successfully hacked into the drone's system.

"Done!" Old Zhou shouted excitedly. "Control of the drone has been transferred. The rest is up to you!"

The corner of Lu Chen's mouth lifted in a cold smile.

"Drone, turn around!"

His voice wasn't loud, but like a command, it was instantly transmitted to the drone's control system.

The next moment, the drone that had been aimed at Lu Chen suddenly swung its cannon around, pointing it toward Professor Zhao.

"Not good!" Professor Zhao's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly backed away.

"Boom!"

A dazzling beam shot from the drone's cannon. Carrying terrifying energy, the high-energy particle blast instantly struck Professor Zhao's main force.

"Help..."

Screams, explosions, and the roar of burning flames intertwined into a movement of death.

Professor Zhao narrowly dodged the blast wave, his face ashen.

"Lu Chen! You... how dare you..." He pointed at Lu Chen, his voice trembling, unable to finish a sentence.

"What wouldn't I dare do?" Lu Chen sneered. "Professor Zhao, your end has come!"

"You... you think you've won just like that? How naive!" Professor Zhao suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, as though he'd lost his mind.

He pulled an exquisite pocket watch from inside his clothes and slammed the button on it.

"Since you won't cooperate, let's die together!" he said with a mad laugh. "This is the ultimate form of 'Talent Fusion'-the 'Immunity Talent'!"

Before he'd finished speaking, the entire base suddenly began to shake violently, as though an earthquake had struck.

A pillar of blue light rose from the underground laboratory and shot straight into the heavens, dyeing the entire sky an eerie blue.

Lu Chen felt an unprecedented sense of danger, as though something terrifying was about to descend.

"Wh-what is that?" Xiao Lu asked in horror, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"I don't know, but it's definitely nothing good," Lu Chen said, his gaze grave.

A suffocating pressure filled the air, as though some sleeping giant beast was about to awaken.

Lu Chen's gaze turned cold. He stepped forward, heavenly fire engulfing the heavens, and roared, "Whoever controls power makes the rules!"

SSS-rank flames poured out as if they cost nothing, and the heat instantly warped the air. The smell of roasted meat filled it.

The Zhao family's private soldiers had never seen anything like it. They screamed for their mothers and fathers, wishing they'd been born with two extra legs. Those who ran too slowly were swallowed by the flames and reduced to piles of charcoal before they could even scream.

Xiao Lu clutched the hem of Lu Chen's clothes, her little face deathly pale. She frantically cast [Life Link], trying to share the damage Lu Chen was taking.

But her meager strength was a mere drop in the bucket compared to Lu Chen's.

"Holy shit, this fire... burns my mouth!" Feeling the heat of the flames, Lu Chen couldn't help complaining.

He was like a human flamethrower now. Wherever he went, the place turned into a sea of fire.

Old Zhou's voice rang out in Lu Chen's mind. "Kid, take it easy. Don't roast me too!"

Lu Chen grinned. "Don't worry. Even if I'm grilling skewers, I won't grill you."

Suddenly, the blue pillar of light began to contract, gradually gathering into a huge blue sphere.

The sphere gave off heart-stopping fluctuations of energy, as though it might explode at any moment.

"Hehehe..." Professor Zhao's voice came from within the sphere, tinged with madness and triumph. "Lu Chen, this is the power of the 'Immunity Talent'! No attack, no talent can harm me! Hahaha..."

Lu Chen narrowed his eyes and stared fixedly at the blue sphere, a powerful sense of danger rising in his heart.

He knew this was the real trouble.

A firestorm swept across the battlefield, but amid the chaos, Lu Chen quickly pinpointed Professor Zhao's position. A wicked smile curled his lips. "Old bastard, whatever you're relying on... is nothing before me!"

Before he'd finished speaking, the blue sphere suddenly burst apart, erupting in a dazzling light...