The Steel Hunt

Night fell like a vast black cloth, mercilessly covering the ruined world.

Around the abandoned warehouse, a deathly silence was torn apart by the grating rumble of tank treads. It drew closer and closer, as though the Grim Reaper were driving a steel behemoth toward them.

A Jie, the hotheaded rookie who had only recently joined the Godslaying Legion, went deathly pale. His teeth chattered as he reported to Lu Chen in terror, "There... there's an armored vehicle!"

Before he had finished speaking, a rocket trailing the breath of death slammed into the warehouse roof like an angry firebird.

Boom! The deafening explosion drowned out everything. Flames shot into the sky, and shattered stone and rubble fell like rain.

The entire abandoned warehouse shook violently, as if the end of the world were truly upon them.

"Fuck their grandmothers! These sons of bitches are serious!" Old Lei roared. He was the team's heavy-weapons specialist, and he couldn't stand seeing them get beaten down like this.

Tie Dun, the taciturn giant of steel, was already armed to the teeth.

Clad in heavy modified armor and carrying a massive steel shield, he led a group of team members toward the warehouse like a moving tank, advancing step by step through the aftershocks of the explosion.

Boom! His enormous warhammer smashed into the warehouse's rust-covered main door, smashing it to pieces and sending wood chips flying.

"This place is ours now!" Tie Dun's voice was deep and oppressive, like an enraged lion staking his claim to its territory.

Lu Chen narrowed his eyes and quickly surveyed his surroundings.

The enemy was well equipped, and the intensity of their suppressing fire far surpassed that of the rabble he had encountered before.

This was definitely no ordinary force. It seemed they had run into a tough opponent this time.

He lowered his voice and said to Xiaobai and A Jie beside him, "Get behind cover. Don't act rashly. Remember, staying alive is what matters most."

With that, Lu Chen slipped silently up to an enemy soldier like a ghost.

The man was burly, dressed in camouflage and carrying an assault rifle. He was tensely searching for movement inside the warehouse.

You're the one!

Ding! Successfully copied C-rank talent [Impact Resistance]. Automatically upgraded to SSS-rank talent [Vajra Indestructible Body]!

A warm current instantly surged through his body. Lu Chen felt his skin become incredibly tough, as though covered by an invisible suit of metal armor.

He clenched his fists, feeling the power surging within him, and a confident smile touched his lips.

Tie Dun had already swung his giant hammer up and brought it down on the warehouse's main door again.

Under Tie Dun's immense strength, the heavy iron door groaned in protest and crashed to the ground.

Old Lei, the gunner, also quickly set up the vehicle-mounted rocket launcher, preparing to bombard the warehouse a second time.

"All of you, fucking die!" Old Lei roared and pulled the trigger.

At that critical moment, Lu Chen moved.

He flashed forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, charging straight at Tie Dun and Old Lei without the slightest intention of dodging.

"Brother Chen! Watch out!" Xiaoyu cried, her voice full of worry.

"You're asking for death!" Seeing that Lu Chen actually dared to charge him head-on, Tie Dun roared and swung his giant hammer fiercely at him.

Boom! With a tremendous muffled crash, the hammer struck Lu Chen squarely, sending sparks flying as if two pieces of steel had collided violently.

Incredibly, however, Lu Chen was completely unharmed. He didn't even break stride.

A faint metallic sheen spread across his skin, as though he had truly become an indestructible god of war.

Everyone was shocked!

They stared wide-eyed at the scene before them in disbelief.

That frail-looking young man had taken a heavy blow from Tie Dun's hammer head-on and come away completely unharmed?

How was that possible!

"Wh-what the fuck kind of monster is that?" an enemy soldier stammered, his voice full of fear.

Old Lei was dumbfounded too.

He stared wide-eyed at the unscathed Lu Chen, as though he were witnessing the most incredible thing in the world.

"I don't believe it!" Old Lei roared, frantically swinging the launcher around and laying down a barrage on Lu Chen.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Rocket after rocket screamed toward Lu Chen, exploding at the warehouse entrance and throwing clouds of dust into the air.

Explosions, flames, smoke... everything seemed ready to swallow Lu Chen whole.

But when the dust settled, a figure slowly emerged from the ruins.

Lu Chen was covered in ash, his hair disheveled, but he looked like a god of war returned from hell, radiating a chilling aura.

His gaze was cold as ice, as though it could pierce through anything.

"Your 'judgment' is nothing but the fantasy of the weak." Lu Chen's voice was deep and magnetic, yet carried a pressure that sent chills down their spines.

He slowly raised his head, a cold smile curling his lips.

"The real judgment... only starts now."

He slowly raised a hand and pointed at the soldiers, who had been cowed by his appearance.

The air seemed to freeze. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Lu Chen's next move.

Just then, Tie Dun, who had remained silent, suddenly roared. The fires of battle blazed in his eyes, which were as resolute as steel.

"I don't believe it! I don't believe anyone can withstand my attacks head-on!" Tie Dun said through gritted teeth. His mountain-like body began to tremble slightly, a sign that his strength had built to its limit.

He was going to charge, to use his absolute strength to utterly crush the monster-like man before him.

Tie Dun's eyes, as big as bronze bells, nearly spat fire.

He glared fixedly at Lu Chen, as though looking at a heretic who had blasphemed a god.

"I don't believe it! I don't believe anyone can withstand my attacks head-on!" he bellowed. Like an out-of-control heavy truck, he bore down on Lu Chen with an unstoppable force of destruction, the ground trembling beneath his feet.

Lu Chen's lips rose in a contemptuous smile.

How dare he flaunt mere brute force in front of me?

He planted one foot, and cracks spread across the ground like a spiderweb, as though it could not withstand the terrifying power within him.

He moved like lightning, closing in and grabbing the handle of Tie Dun's oncoming hammer.

Crack! Crack!

The grating sound of twisting metal echoed throughout the warehouse.

Under Tie Dun's horrified gaze, Lu Chen forcibly twisted the giant hammer, capable of splitting mountains and shattering stone, into scrap metal like a crumpled twist of dough.

"Did you say the fortress would never fall?" Lu Chen's voice was as cold as a wind from the deepest hell, every word drilling into Tie Dun's ears.

"Then I'll show you what true immortality is."

He casually tossed the twisted scrap in his hand to the ground. It landed with a loud clang, like the Grim Reaper's death knell.

Lu Chen raised his head, a chilling light flickering in his eyes, and slowly said to Tie Dun, "Now, the game..." His figure suddenly blurred and vanished from where he stood.

"Begins."