Chapter 97: Chapter 85: Melee, Slaying Enemies (Part 2)
He shouted a warning, but the newly launched grenades were faster than his voice.
BOOM! BOOM!
The deafening explosions erupted once more, and the entire plaza was engulfed in the fires of war.
Shallow craters were blasted into the plaza ground one after another, sending shrapnel and debris flying everywhere.
THWACK! THWACK!
In the blink of an eye, several more people were hit, collapsing into pools of their own blood, twitching and trembling.
Everyone scattered again, diving for cover. Even the Mechanical Violence Team’s armored vehicle was rocked by a massive impact. Its heavy chassis shook and swayed, nearly flipping over, forcing it to cease fire.
In contrast, it was as if the enemy had anticipated this exact moment.
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!
A group of warlord soldiers seized the opportunity to open fire again. Dozens of gun barrels swept the area in a dense barrage, their killing intent reaching all the way to the town plaza.
The rain of bullets was terrifying, and to make matters worse, grenades were being lobbed in from a distance.
’How ruthless.’
Lu Chao’s eye twitched. He quickly dodged to the side, pulling back to put some distance between them and retreating to a corner behind the barracks.
Flying debris and shrapnel grazed past his face.
After briefly steadying himself, he took the opportunity to scan the area. The concrete plaza was a chaotic mess of craters, and several vehicles had been swallowed by flames.
The supply escort team was completely scattered, making it impossible to find Chen Xiao, Yang Wangtao, or the others for the moment.
The roar of engines grew closer. All they could do was watch as the warlords’ vehicles rapidly closed in. Figures leaped from the moving vehicles, preparing to form an encircling cordon of suppressive fire to lock down the entire plaza.
At the critical moment.
"Shoot out the lights!"
BANG! BANG!
Yang Wangtao’s steady voice rang out from a corner, and two shots shattered the nearest two streetlights.
Lu Chao’s eyes lit up, and the others quickly understood.
A continuous volley of gunfire followed as the remaining streetlights around the plaza were shot out. Even the headlights of the warlords’ vehicles were targeted and destroyed.
In an instant, the blinding beams of light vanished one by one, and the town plaza was once again shrouded in darkness.
The previously dense gunfire immediately lessened. The warlord soldiers, now wary of hitting their own allies, were forced to reduce their rate of fire.
"Reinforcements from the Superpower Bureau will be here soon!"
"Kill!"
Someone roared from within the darkness and, using the shadows for cover, shot out like a cheetah, charging toward the warlord troops.
It was the commander-in-chief of the aid team, an Elite Level expert from the City Defense Department. In just two seconds, he crossed several dozen meters, circled around the armored vehicle, and plunged into the crowd.
BOOM!!
The air cracked. He could be faintly seen landing a punch on his target, sending a rifle-wielding warlord soldier flying off the ground and slamming into the door of the jeep behind him, which dented, twisted, and buckled from the impact.
He then spun into a side kick, narrowly avoiding a hail of gunfire, and struck a minor warlord leader.
WHOOSH!!
The figure flew backward like a broken kite.
A gap was torn in the forming encirclement. Several warlord soldiers along the path failed to dodge in time and were hit by the flying body, their ribs shattering as they cried out in agony.
Morale soared.
Witnessing his ferocity, the scattered members of the City Defense Department and the Mechanical Violence Team charged out from their hiding spots, following him into the fray.
Yang Wangtao and a few other patrol captains also led their team members forward, their roles clear and their actions perfectly coordinated.
Some drew military daggers and engaged in close-quarters combat, while others provided cover and support with their firearms from the shadows.
THUMP! THUMP!
In an instant, several more warlord soldiers were sent flying and killed on the spot.
The well-trained fighters were completely different from the disorganized rabble of the warlord troops. The situation shifted once more, gradually returning to its initial balance.
Seeing this, Lu Chao didn’t hesitate.
He understood that they were all in this together, and he also knew that the Superpower Bureau expert on this escort mission was nearby and about to arrive as reinforcement.
Seizing the moment, he charged out, vaulting over the low concrete wall behind the barracks and making a beeline for the nearest squad of warlord soldiers.
WHOOSH!
"Who’s there?!"
A cold wind brushed past. Someone sensed the disturbance and quickly turned around.
Under the cover of night, even a true fighter’s abilities would be limited, to say nothing of a mere rifle-wielding soldier who hadn’t even reached the Fighting Level.
Before he could react, two powerful hands reached out and grabbed his head.
Then, with a sudden exertion of strength from Lu Chao’s arms, he gave a sharp twist.
SNAP!
The man’s head spun a full 180 degrees on his neck, and his body collapsed limply to the ground.
"Damn it!"
The three soldiers providing cover for him turned pale. They finally reacted, spinning around to aim, ready to open fire.
But...
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!!
Three steel nails shot out, piercing the air like bullets and trailing a cold gleam of light.
THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!!
The sound of tearing flesh rang out.
In the faint moonlight, one could vaguely see all three men staring wide-eyed, with blood slowly trickling from the center of their foreheads.
’As expected, this is the perfect environment for the Needle Throwing Skill.’
Lu Chao felt a surge of confidence. His talent with firearms was average, and his accuracy was low. The steel nails were far faster and much more flexible.
BANG! BANG! BANG!!
The thought had barely crossed his mind when more gunshots rang out.
The brief commotion had attracted the attention of other warlords. Another squad of soldiers opened fire, strafing his position.
At the critical moment, Lu Chao dove to the ground.
A string of bullets grazed past his shoulder, peppering his previous location and leaving a trail of craters in the ground.
After completing a full roll and steadying himself, he narrowed his eyes. With a slight flick of his sleeve, three more steel nails shot through the air.
THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!
The dull thud of the impacts was exceptionally clear. Three more warlord soldiers were struck in their vital points—their foreheads and temples. Their eyes went wide as they fell backward to the ground.
This scene brought a momentary hush to the immediate area. Both the supply team and the warlord soldiers who were exchanging fire were stunned.
Who is that sharpshooter? How are they so accurate?
"It’s a hidden weapon!"
In a flash, an expert-level warlord leader snapped back to his senses. His expression darkened as his eyes swept over the bodies of the dead soldiers, and he identified the key.
Immediately, he saw Lu Chao, not far away under the cover of darkness, preparing to repeat the same tactic to assassinate them.
"Move!"
The warlord leader’s face was grim. He violently yanked one of his subordinates up and held him as a shield.
THWIP! THWIP!
The sound of flesh tearing rang out. He clearly felt the soldier in front of him go rigid, his breathing stopped.
He then ignored the man’s eyes, which were wide with indignation even in death.
The warlord leader tossed the body aside, his face savage, and charged straight for Lu Chao.
The six or seven meters between them was closing fast.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!!
The piercing sound of something tearing through the air was heard again as more steel nails were thrown, heading straight for him.
"More of these cheap tricks!"
His eyes grew even colder. The warlord leader abruptly stepped into a low stance, ducking to avoid the nails.
The chilling projectiles grazed his scalp. He showed no fear; instead, his expression turned violent. The muscles in his legs tensed, and he stomped his military boot, launching himself forward with a punch.
"Die for me!"
BOOM!!
His whistling right fist shot out like a cannonball, the powerful force of the blow kicking up a shockwave of air.
The distance between them was completely erased. Lu Chao could clearly see the savage killing intent in his opponent’s eyes, as well as the other fist coiled at his waist, ready to strike.
It was as if some kind of cold, killing aura bloomed from the force of his punch, merging with his gaze to strike directly at the heart. It seemed capable of influencing a person’s will, making any opponent shrink back in fear.
And yet.
’You want to kill me?’
Lu Chao’s gaze was calm. He neither dodged nor retreated.
Instead, he also clenched his fist. The muscles in his right arm bunched up inch by inch, and blue veins bulged like coiling flood dragons.
He then stepped forward and threw a punch. A brown light seemed to flash across his body as invisible Martial Arts Power suffused him, and he instantly entered his Copper Flesh state.
BOOM!!
As their fists met, the expert-level warlord leader’s eyes were icy. He looked at Lu Chao as if he were already a dead man.
He was about to seize the opportunity to unleash the left fist coiled at his waist and end his opponent’s life.
But he never expected it.
CRACK!
A grating crack of breaking bone, sharp enough to set one’s teeth on edge, pierced the air and struck deep into his heart.
His right arm, which carried a surging power and killing intent, had bent at an unnatural angle, as if the bone had fractured and snapped.
Then, an even more savage force surged from the other side, tearing through his flesh and bone inch by inch, from his forearm, to his upper arm, and all the way to his shoulder.
"You!!"
His expression changed drastically, twisting into one of horror.
The expert-level warlord leader’s pupils contracted. He then saw the young man with the buzz cut before him, dressed in a black bulletproof vest and patrol uniform, his eyes cold, indifferent, and merciless.
And that straight punch, carrying its savage power, continued onward unimpeded, crashing violently into his chest!
