Chapter 103: The Unyielding Strike
by xennovel“Don’t!”
“Hold your ground!”
In his haste, Wang Yangping had no time for extra thought.
Gazing at Yenir’s earnest expression, a strange unease washed over him.
This guy suddenly dashed over—could the mutant over there have already lost control!?
Before he could piece the two bits of information together, the barrier blocked his thoughts; he hadn’t even considered that the mutant on the other side might have been slain.
In the midst of the tense battle, Yenir suddenly appeared, distracting him just long enough for him to be crushed under the weight of a multi-legged insect.
Pfft!
The crushing force was so intense that even his third-stage physique couldn’t withstand it. A sharp pain in his chest made Wang Yangping cough up a mouthful of blood as he instinctively raised his giant war sword like a shield, trying to keep the creature from devouring him.
“Captain!”
Alarmed shouts rang out as a few third-stage fighters, disregarding Yenir’s sudden appearance, rushed to aid Wang Yangping. In the chaos, the three couldn’t find a proper angle to attack.
Sss-sss!
Corrosive saliva, heavy with acid, dripped steadily from the spiked maw.
Like concentrated sulfuric acid, it instantly sparked a wisp of white smoke.
Pinned to the ground, Wang Yangping’s face turned deathly pale as the stench of decay—reminiscent of fermenting corpses—assaulted his nostrils.
Damn it…!
In battle, distraction was deadly—and with Yenir’s meddling, he was nearly finished!
Staring at that meat grinder-like maw, he was convinced that one bite would crush his skull to dust.
Why mess up their timing!?
Furious, the remaining third-stage fighters readied themselves for a desperate fight. They’d settle the score for Yenir’s interference later!
The next moment.
“Get back!”
“Sky Rift Radiance!”
In an instant, an overwhelming, oppressive force converged.
A swift sword aura swept through at an incredibly cunning angle, slicing across the body of the giant-legged mutant. Like a scarlet death line, it precisely cleaved everything in its path.
Sss!
Boom!!
The intangible sword aura pierced the mutant and embedded itself into a nearby rock wall. Like a missile exploding, it pulverized large chunks of stone into dust.
The explosion was deafening. When the smoke cleared, a gigantic, crescent-shaped slash was etched deep into the rock—a bottomless wound.
Still thrusting forward, a third-stage Military fighter intent on helping managed to gulp hard as a stray lock of hair drifted slowly to the ground.
My head… feels so cold…
As the sword aura passed by, he felt every pore in his body scream—a visceral, instinctive reaction to dancing with death.
A lingering dread took hold.
It was just 0.1 centimeters away from having his head torn off…
That strike nearly finished him off in an instant!
Smack-clack–
The giant insect pressing down on Wang Yangping, which had been shrieking relentlessly, suddenly froze. Moments later, as its flesh was severed—the slick sound of peeling mingling with gurgling blood—it split into two like a slab of pork.
The two halves of the creature fell, their cut edges smooth as if they were meant to be this way.
Underneath him, Wang Yangping felt as if his heart had stopped, his mind completely blank.
Having witnessed that brilliant sword light in its entirety, he was profoundly shaken.
One strike… just one strike!
No obstacles—it was nearly an instant kill…
Such power?!
Instinctively, everyone turned their eyes toward the direction from which the terrifying sword glow had come.
All they saw was Yenir, his expression sincere as he smiled and nodded at them.
“No need to thank me.”
His smile faded; that attack was nothing more than an offhand strike—nothing to make a fuss about.
The battlefield fell silent, engulfed in an eerie hush.
At that moment, a single thought gripped everyone’s hearts.
Third stage… Intermediate! Or maybe even stronger!
The very third-stage fighter they had long dismissed as a clown turned out to be a super powerhouse!?
So the clown was me all along…?!
……….
The battle was over.
As Yenir’s team converged on the right flank, the Military’s astonishment only deepened.
No one spoke, no one questioned whose prowess had just exploded into being—but everyone knew it was Yenir.
In the awkward, eerie atmosphere, Wang Yangping looked between both sides with mixed emotions, momentarily at a loss for words.
In a way, Yenir had stolen their kill credit. Yet under his imposing power, no one dared mention it.
Beyond the shock, a trace of unease lingered.
Having a top-tier third-stage Intermediate fighter among them cast an invisible pressure that made it hard to stay calm.
Though third-stage junior and intermediate differ by only one level, their power is worlds apart—the gap even exceeds that between third and first stage.
It was simple: while junior third-stage fighters needed several opponents to challenge a same-level mutant, an intermediate could handle it alone.
The difference in strength was almost several-fold.
Eyes filled with awe and genuine respect.
Many Military awakened ones dared not even glance at Yenir, who casually sorted through the aftermath. Those who had previously spoken harshly were especially fearful of retribution.
They had all noticed that Huang Kai, who had clashed with Yenir earlier, had vanished without a trace.
Judging by the pile of equipment clutched by the Middle-Aged Man accompanying Yenir, they could easily deduce that the melee third-stage fighter had likely been taken out by Yenir.
That method was ruthless and decisive.
A third-stage fighter—killed on a whim…
With power reigning supreme and Yenir’s intimidation looming, no one dared bring it up. Especially after hearing the events just now, Yenir’s intervention seemed… “justified”?
A complex look played across his eyes.
An intermediate third-stage powerhouse could command any major Safe Zone; in the Military, he’d be fit to serve as a deputy commander.
In other words, he was the superior of Wang Yangping’s superior…
Where on earth had this big shot come from?
In their shock, people brushed off Yenir’s earlier actions as casual and low-key. No one dared doubt a third-stage fighter’s strength again—two strikes, two third-stage mutants down, plus an awakener…
After a brief hesitation, Wang Yangping took a deep breath and, with a heavy heart, stepped up to Yenir, his expression filled with remorse:
“Lord Ye Lin, I’m sorry… for what happened earlier…”
He couldn’t bring himself to finish; shame burned his cheeks.
It was disgraceful to have underestimated them—now, the slap in the face was all on him.
“It’s all right.”
Yenir nodded indifferently. He bore a measure of goodwill toward the Military—after all, in his past life, it was these very soldiers he fought to the bitter end, aside from the high-ranking officials who knew the truth about the Ruins Battlefield.
Curiously, Yenir casually asked Wang Yangping:
“Why are you in such a rush to collect Spirit Crystals?”
“Aren’t there plenty available on the trade channel? Why go on a raid to gather them yourself?”
He noticed that Wang Yangping and his men seemed to be on a mission—in fact, they had recently attached great importance to the ‘route’ they were following.
At his words, a chill ran down his spine.
After a moment’s hesitation, Wang Yangping, meeting Yenir’s curious gaze, finally decided to come clean.
This mission wasn’t exactly classified.
“Here’s the thing, Lord Ye Lin.”
“We need these Spirit Crystals to help upgrade the low-stage awakeners for the Seed Plan.”
“You know Spirit Crystals can absorb energy—almost as effective as slaying mutants.”
“The Military Department has already bought up all the Spirit Crystals on the market to boost their power, yet the numbers are still far from enough. So…”
With a dry laugh, Wang Yangping spoke before pondering how to convince Yenir to hand over some crystals.
They were just one of many squads sent out to collect Spirit Crystals, their mission binding them tightly. With the kill credit in Yenir’s hands, his only hope was that Yenir would yield his share. As for suspecting Yenir of knowing the mine route earlier, he now realized he’d misjudged.
With that kind of power, it was only natural.
Boosting power with Spirit Crystals?!
Yenir’s eyebrows shot up—a strange thought suddenly taking root.