Chapter 29: A Hero Amidst Chaos

Ahhh!!!

Pfft!

Its claws pierced through.

At the narrow mountain pass entrance, a truck lay overturned on the ground, and a massive mutant resembling a giant spider blocked the way.

Its nimble front claws, as deft as fingers, effortlessly tore the man clinging to them to shreds. After seizing the body, it greedily sucked up fresh brain matter with its mouthparts.

Slurp—slurp.

The man being sucked trembled violently; his eyes bulged, and moments later, his head shriveled like an empty milk bag.

Panicked screams and angry shouts erupted in alternation.

“Run! Get out now!”

“Open fire! Get behind cover!”

Amid the chaotic convoy, several burly men in ballistic gear stood atop an off-road vehicle, roaring as they squeezed the trigger of a heavy machine gun.

At their feet, panicked survivors fled for their lives.

At a sudden command,

the Fire Dragon roared, sending yellow-orange casings soaring high into the air. A continuous stream of bullets cascaded toward the mutant’s armored shell like splashing water.

“Ding-ding—ding.”

Flames erupted everywhere.

Bullets that could rip human flesh now clattered like toys against the spider mutant’s iron-hard shell.

Accompanied by a dull clash, the wounded spider mutant suddenly twisted around. Enraged, it raised its claw to shield its compound eyes and barreled forward like a runaway train.

Smack.

Its claw pierced through.

The razor-sharp claw stabbed straight into the chest of the nearest man, piercing his torso. The burly soldier who had been firing moments ago looked like a deflated water balloon, spewing blood as he struggled and glanced back at his panicked team with despair in his eyes.

Trembling, a few occupants in the rear vehicle froze upon witnessing the carnage; even the Fire Dragon in their hands sputtered to a halt.

It’s no use… not one bit!

They were merely an ordinary trading caravan, and to cut expenses, they hadn’t included any Awakened.

They thought that a route frequented by many trade caravans would be safe, yet they never expected to encounter mutants in the wild.

In desperation, the man glared bitterly at the machine gun in his hands.

This old machine gun alone couldn’t penetrate the monster’s defenses.

Looking utterly defeated, among the fleeing survivors, a heavily pregnant woman scurried into a car, desperate to escape.

However, just as she was about to start the engine, a claw burst through the car roof, impaling her from both sides.

On the off-road vehicle, the commanding captain watched his comrades fall one by one. With a bitter laugh, he pulled out a hand grenade.

There’s no time to run; at their pace, they couldn’t possibly escape this monster.

But if he must die, he wouldn’t go out while having his brain drained alive!

Just as the man activated the grenade, a cold, clear shout rang out from behind him:

“Keep attacking! Distract it!”

Stunned, the man turned to see a young lad in the distance, calmly staring at him after dropping his motorcycle.

When he noticed Yenir’s Combat Uniform, the burly man suddenly realized that the young boy before him was likely an Awakened.

He was overjoyed.

However, upon noticing the lowest-tier badge, his delight abruptly froze.

“Zero Stage?!” Seeing Yenir’s still youthful face, his elation turned bitter.

He cried out urgently:

“Little brother, I appreciate your help, but you need to run away!”

“Before the monster…”

Before he could finish his words, a punctured off-road vehicle was hurled by immense force in front of him. Dodging it just in time, the caravan captain, his eyes filled with sorrow and anger, gripped his grenade and charged at the monster. He saw the lifeless woman in the car—his wife.

He shook his head.

Yenir watched the doomed man’s retreating figure with a quiet sigh.

Although he wasn’t a saint, if he had the ability, he would lend a hand—especially since they were far off the beaten path, surrounded by wilderness.

Without hesitation, Yenir leaped onto the car roof, unleashing his powerful legs as he shot forward like an arrow from a bow.

Fixing his gaze on the target, he closed the gap of mere tens of meters in an instant.

The middle-aged man clutching his grenade heard the rushing wind and, before he could react, Yenir’s speeding silhouette overtook him as he charged toward the monster.

A cry of terror remained unspoken.

In an instant, a sharp ring of a sword sliced through the air.

Facing the massive claw, Yenir moved like a ghost, weaving past it effortlessly. In a fluid motion, he turned and leapt onto one of the creature’s jointed legs, then like a fleeting shadow, he jumped onto its compound eye.

With a quick turn, he drew his sword and delivered a swift downward strike in one fluid motion!

Accompanied by the blinding flash of his sword, a pained shriek burst forth.

“ShA!!!”

Foul, green blood splattered as the giant spider trembled in agony. Its sharp, jointed limbs flailed wildly, desperately trying to knock Yenir off its head.

Eyes narrowing fiercely,

standing atop the giant spider’s head with his sword firmly in hand, Yenir drew a deep breath and channeled all his strength before striking down once more!

Thwack!

Under force beyond human limits, his cold steel sword, as sharp as a needle, drove deep into the giant spider’s brain.

With a twist of his wrist and a sudden burst of motion, the shrieking giant spider went stiff as if its power had been cut off.

One second later,

Bang!

Dust and smoke erupted everywhere.

The enormous spider carcass crashed to the ground, lifeless.

The battle ended, and a heavy silence settled over everything.

Standing before the spider carcass, the grenade-wielding middle-aged man stared in shock as Yenir leaped down from the creature’s head.

The survivors, who had been scattering earlier, now watched in disbelief as their weapons dropped from trembling hands.

They couldn’t believe it—a Level-One mutant was killed so effortlessly!?

Their hearts raced.

The massive spider carcass juxtaposed with Yenir’s slight frame formed a striking contrast in their eyes.

It seemed surreal, as the lead burly man looked anxiously toward the approaching Yenir:

“You… you…”

He stuttered.

Only seconds ago, he had thought Yenir stood no chance against the mutant, even advising him against it. He couldn’t have predicted that, in the blink of an eye, Yenir would kill the monster outright.

Before he could utter another word, Yenir gave a light chuckle and said:

“Would you mind helping me move the carcass and the vehicle?”

“They’re blocking the road.”

In a gorge as confining as clenched fingers, Yenir spoke with calm composure:

Under his vastly enhanced power, even a Level-One mutant could be effortlessly dispatched without resorting to SSS-level skills.

In his past life, his talent was unmatched worldwide, and in the last seven months before the fall of China, he honed combat skills through life-and-death trials that defied ordinary limits.

They nodded hurriedly.

Nearby, the survivors scrambled to their feet, eyes filled with fear as they stared at Yenir’s retreating figure.

Once they regained their composure, heartfelt words of gratitude began to echo.

….

Six minutes later,

mounting his motorcycle, Yenir gave a slight nod before departing under the admiring stares of the onlookers.

A cloud of dust rose behind him.

The survivors left behind watched his receding figure with complex emotions.

Some had asked Yenir to join them and even offered supplies in gratitude, but he had flatly refused.

Among the group, a ponytailed girl gazed at him in awe:

“You’re truly incredible…”

“I thought I was a goner, but that man just jumped up and took down the giant spider in a single blow.”

A mix of admiration and regret flashed across her face.

She had wanted to exchange contacts with Yenir, but he only returned a faint smile.

In these dire times, everyone admired strength—and Yenir had even saved her life.

“Alright, kiddo, someone like me wouldn’t be interested in us commoners.”

“But I truly appreciate you. It’s my first time seeing such a young Second-Stage Awakened.”

Beside her, an older man sighed deeply and shook his head. Despite Yenir still bearing a Zero-Stage badge, he assumed the lad was just downplaying his abilities. With such strength, he was surely a Second-Stage who hadn’t held back.

“Yeah, insanely strong. I don’t think he’s your average Second-Stage. I once saw one in action, and he wasn’t nearly as clean and efficient—it took quite a while to subdue the mutant.”

Everyone was awestruck—Yenir’s swift monster-slaying had truly impressed them.

“Alright, let’s roll out.”

“If we ever cross paths with him again, we’ll thank him properly.”

He sighed and gave a bitter smile as he looked at the lifeless form of his wife in the vehicle, silently clenching his fist in grief.

Even though death was commonplace in these apocalyptic times, his heart brimmed with sorrow.

If only he were an Awakened himself…

….

Beep: Killed a Level-One Mutant Brain-Sucking Spider. Gained Spirit Energy Experience.

Beep: Acquired Level-One Mutant Material – Spider Compound Eye (White).

Beep: Acquired Level-One Mutant Material – Brain Threads.

Perched on his motorcycle, Yenir casually stowed the dropped materials into his tactical backpack. Seeing it stuffed to the brim, he sighed.

Without proper spatial equipment, it was a hassle. The system’s built-in inventory only had a meager four slots.

In his previous life, with full support from the Capital, he possessed a Space Ring—a blue-tier one that could easily store the contents of a vehicle.

It was an essential tool for chaos.

But now, that was just a distant thought.

Even the most basic spatial equipment costs at least 300,000 Credit Points—priceless in any market. For an Awakened, nothing beats lightening the load in battle.

Shaking off his scattered thoughts, Yenir decided not to dwell on it further and posted the materials for trade.

After checking the route on his map, he sped up again.

He was just 10 kilometers away from the Corpse Academy.

The vehicle emitted a beeping sound.

Beneath a sky laden with dark clouds, the black motorcycle thundered like lightning.

Its shadow weaving through the wasteland resembled that of a lone traveler.