Life Game In Other World
Chapter 548: Are You Afraid? (Super-sized - , seeking monthly votes)

Chapter 548: Chapter 548: Are You Afraid? (Super-sized Chapter, seeking monthly votes)

The floor was teeming with mercenaries, bathed in the glow of exploration lights that illuminated every space.

With the brilliance above their heads, these mercenaries flowed through every corner of the building like water.

One by one, makeshift and crude lamps were erected in the dark spaces.

These lamps were devices made of a combination of the mercenaries’ exploration lights and flashlights, propped up by the surrounding scrap rebar and wooden sticks.

Although such a contraption was rudimentary, it still cast light in all directions, dispelling the murky darkness and illuminating the ground covered in mud and filth.

Under the shine of these lights, it seemed as if no shadow could hide.

The mercenaries, passing by these bright lamps, found their courage bolstered and their pervasive fear dissipated by the light and comrades by their side.

The officer stood in the expansive hall near the staircase, observing everything around him.

A short mercenary stood by his side, looking at the surrounding lamps, "These lamps might be simple, but they’re truly useful. The brothers aren’t that scared anymore. You really have a way."

"Fear often stems from the dark and the unknown."

The officer smiled a little; solving the morale issue was also good news for him.

"With the extent of our search, even a target adept at hiding should no longer be able to remain concealed."

The short mercenary chuckled again, "Looks like we’re really going to get our hands on that bounty this time."

"Hm."

The officer nodded, about to speak, when a set of light footsteps approached from not far ahead.

These footsteps were utterly different from the heavy tread of the mercenaries’ military boots, coming instead from an ordinary pair of leather boots.

The officer, sensing something, looked up and saw a blood-soaked figure slowly emerging from the darkness at the edge of the makeshift lamp’s reach.

"Gentlemen, are you looking for someone?"

The figure had a mild smile on his face, like a helpful passerby who happened to be passing through and stopped to ask with a warm expression.

In that instant, all the mercenaries turned their guns towards the figure.

The officer scanned the surroundings of the bloodied figure, spotting exploratory mercenaries all around.

This meant that the figure in front of him had quietly walked past the exploring mercenaries and approached without any detection.

If he could pass by these mercenaries without a sound, he could also silently kill them.

"It seems the information I received was severely flawed."

The officer watched He Ao’s serene face, "You’re not like the report described – just an ordinary, powerless professor."

"People always grow."

He Ao simply smiled.

"Adversity often makes a person grow faster and undergo transformation, but most are killed by adversity before they can change."

The officer, with somewhat turbid eyes, stared at He Ao, "You showing up here must mean you’re ready to face death."

"Death is everyone’s ending,"

He Ao continued to wear a calm smile as he stepped towards the officer, "but my end isn’t here."

The officer’s expression turned slightly grave; he hadn’t gained the upper hand in this verbal confrontation. His gaze swept around to the mercenaries aiming their guns at He Ao, noticing that many of them were trembling slightly. Even the disguise of the exoskeleton armor couldn’t cover the fear in their hearts.

The mercenaries standing here were the first to start the search, as well as the comrades of those who had encountered He Ao and been killed by him.

They had witnessed the most comrades killed by He Ao, seen the most decayed corpses; shadows and fear had already enveloped their hearts.

And the scene the officer witnessed was equally reflected in He Ao’s seriousness.

He Ao had realized during the battle that although this group of mercenaries was larger and stronger, their psychological quality was no match for the smaller team that had ambushed him in the alleys of the West District.

The stench of carnage easily planted seeds of fear in the mercenaries’ minds.

To boost their morale, the officer had intentionally called them to his side, into the light, while letting the newly arrived mercenaries explore the unsearched areas. However, this had inadvertently made things easier for He Ao, allowing him to stand here calmly and composedly.

"You’re wounded."

The officer watched the wound on He Ao’s waist and said calmly.

He had to defeat He Ao, both verbally and in terms of morale.

Showcasing an invincible enemy’s decline was the best way to restore his comrades’ morale.

"Hmm, that wound was left by your deputy who had injected a C-level Gene Potion."

He Ao continued to advance, step by step, getting closer to the officer, while the mercenaries standing in front of him subconsciously cleared the way for him.

The officer’s words did indeed make many mercenaries notice the injury on He Ao’s waist, but He Ao’s calm and straightforward admission prevented them from entertaining any other thoughts.

The vicious deputy was dead, despite having used a C-level Gene Potion, and after his death, he had only left such a scar on this man, one that seemed to not affect his movement or even appear significant.

These mercenaries, all holding guns aimed at He Ao, watched him, but they began to step back slightly, clearing a space for He Ao.

"So you’ve come here to challenge me?"

The officer glanced at his subordinates, his gaze calm.

He knew if he gave the order, these mercenaries would still follow his command to attack, but under the strain of poor morale, they were more likely to collapse.

These mercenaries were purely hired guns, working for pay, and when faced with the prospect of certain death in battle, they weren’t necessarily willing to risk their lives.

Even elite soldiers felt the same way.

The nature of being a mercenary determined their way of fighting. Only a very few elite mercenaries would possibly fight to the last moment.

Thus, there was a limited time these mercenaries could attack, and it had to be used at the most appropriate moment.

The officer’s hand was behind his back, quietly pressing the button to summon peripheral mercenaries back and another to inject a Gene Potion.

He had never underestimated He Ao. After learning about the annihilation of that super-elite mercenary squad, he had already regarded He Ao as the most dangerous enemy.

"Professor Jess,"

He watched He Ao with a smile and spoke slowly,

"I’ve always respected knowledgeable people. Judging by the force of your actions and your previous data, it seems you haven’t broken through C-level. Is your C-level strength achieved through some kind of Transcendent item?"

"As far as I know, all such items that enhance strength can’t last long, so your main target of assault has been on ordinary mercenaries, aiming to first weaken our morale and our strength before finding a way to escape."

"I’ve observed your battle traces, and when you killed mercenaries using D-level Transcendent items, you ended the fights very quickly but with cunning rather than an outburst of overwhelming power."

"This proves that indeed, your C-level strength cannot sustain for a short time and that if it weren’t for being cornered by us, I don’t think you would have come forward."

His calm and rational analysis caused He Ao to stop in his tracks, and even the hands of the surrounding mercenaries holding their guns steadied a bit.

At the same time, accompanied by a surge of intense pain, the Gene Potion was injected into his body, covering him in a faint red glow.

And beside him, the short mercenary who had been silent until now was also enveloped in a faint red glow. He looked at He Ao, his gaze filled with a bloodthirsty air,

"Professor, you can’t beat us. How much longer can your Transcendent item last after the several battles of last night and tonight? You’re also injured. If you surrender now, we can still leave you an intact body, or even help you buy a nice coffin."

As he spoke, his words carried a certain mockery, "Professor, I’m sure you don’t want to have lived a life of dignity only to have your body taken away by a municipal corpse cart after death, thrown into a rusting Incinerator along with those who froze to death on the streets."

After his words fell, his gaze lingered on He Ao, as if waiting for He Ao’s surrender.

At the same moment, the officer’s gaze also rested on He Ao, waiting for his response.

While he took He Ao very seriously, it was only to that extent. He didn’t believe He Ao could escape from under such heavy encirclement; the only path He Ao faced was a dead end.

Being able to kill some isolated mercenaries in a corner did not mean he had the capability to survive under an encirclement and the pincer attack of two C-level forces.

Standing in the shadows versus standing under the spotlight represented a fundamental difference.

"Sorry,"

He Ao lightly flipped his hand, revealing a cold alloy dagger in his hand as he looked at the two men before him with a smile, "I, Jess, have never surrendered to anyone in my life."

"You are a warrior!"

The officer watched He Ao calmly, and the next second, his body vanished suddenly.

He Ao swiftly raised the dagger in his hand, activated Super Memory, and took a half-step back.

A silver curved knife appeared in front of him almost instantly as he completed his movement, colliding with the dagger in his hand.

Boom—

A powerful force travelled along He Ao’s body and struck the floor beneath his feet, causing the aged and unrepaired concrete to shatter and cave inward suddenly.

At the same time, a degree of fear surfaced in He Ao’s heart, a fear influenced by abilities.

He looked up at the officer swinging a curved blade at his head, a name emerged in his mind.

Talent Sequences 98: Warrior.

It was a C-level Talent Sequence he had once obtained in Rock City, and up to this point, it represented the strongest C-level Talent Sequence in terms of physical prowess and combat ability that he had ever encountered.

The officer seemed to be a D-level Transcendent himself, whose strength as a warrior brought about by the Gene Potion wasn’t even at its full potential, but at this moment still surpassed He Ao’s physical quality after activating Super Memory.

Besides the extraordinary physical prowess, the Warrior also caused a certain degree of panic among enemies during combat, affecting their mental state.

Blood tinged with a faint yellow glow soaked his clothes, and the wound around his waist, which had barely stopped bleeding, was torn open again due to the recent impact.

It was then that a burning heatwave flew past He Ao’s side.

He glanced sideways and saw a scorching fireball smashing towards his forehead.

Following the fireball, the short Mercenary was raising his hand, conjuring another fireball within it.

He Ao was unsure about this Talent Sequence, but it somewhat resembled the C-level Talent Sequence ’Flame Master’ he had seen before.

The short Mercenary, who appeared bulky and muscular, turned out to be a Mage.

He Ao sharply retreated, and the flying fireball passed through the spot where he had just stood, streaking through thin air and hitting the wall at the far end, bursting into several spreading flames.

Some of the nearby mercenaries were too slow to dodge and were struck by these spreading flames. The terrifyingly high temperature instantly melted the Exoskeleton Armor wrapping their bodies and charred their flesh.

A terrifying power.

He Ao glanced at the short Mercenary.

The short Mercenary didn’t throw the next fireball in his hand; he seemed to be having trouble controlling the flames, causing him to be unable to shape the fireball properly.

Skills gained after advancing through Gene Potions have much lower proficiency compared to normal advancements.

And Mage’s skills often require a high degree of proficiency.

Seems like the short Mercenary didn’t choose his Gene Potion well.

He Ao withdrew his gaze from the short Mercenary, and at that moment, the officer wielding the curved blade pressed forward again.

He held a silver curved blade in his hand, sweeping toward He Ao like a hurricane.

That alloy curved blade seemed to be made of the same material as the dagger in He Ao’s hand, both capable of harming C-level entities, and there was a sheath-like external port on the back of the officer’s Exoskeleton Armor, which suggested he’d been concealing the blade there until now.

The officer’s mastery over his physical strength also seemed lacking, and hence he relied on a more brute force and direct approach in combat.

Yet this very brute force assault was more than He Ao could withstand without mobilizing his energy.

This time, He Ao didn’t charge head-on but dodged to the right rear, avoiding the officer’s assault. At that instant, the short Mercenary hurled another fireball, which soared toward the direction He Ao was moving.

With no other choice, he reached out with his hand not holding the dagger, closer to the wall, and grasped a nearby pillar. His fleshly fingers sunk into the cement, altering his evasive path, and he tumbled into the midst of the mercenaries.

The mercenaries quickly surrounded him, pointing their Gauss Guns at his body.

"You can make another choice," the officer said, stepping toward him with the curved blade.

"The same question doesn’t need to be answered twice," He Ao replied, slowly standing up from the ground; the fingers that had grabbed the wall were bloody and mangled.

He hadn’t activated Super Memory when he twisted away, and Jess’s fragile body’s defensive capability was also not strong enough.

"Then I can’t guarantee to leave you with an intact body," the officer said, looking at He Ao with a somewhat ferocious smile.

At this moment, the surrounding mercenaries had regained some semblance of morale, encircling He Ao with their fingers poised on the triggers.

"Fire!"

The icy command rang out again.

The mercenaries, without any hesitation, pulled their triggers.

Bright red blood splattered onto the cold exoskeleton armor.

In the horrified gaze of the two mercenaries closest to the officer, He Ao, with a dagger in hand, walked past them and rushed toward the officer.

"Bring it on!"

The officer grinned and raised his curved sword high.

He had never felt such a fulfilling sense of power in his body as he did now. He felt he could easily destroy the building, that the whole world was in his hands.

The sharp curved sword clashed with the icy dagger, sparking a shower of fiery sparks.

He Ao, gripping the dagger, summoned all his strength into his arm and then forcefully swung, deflecting the officer’s curved sword.

He quickly spun his body around, pressing close to the officer’s chest, while the dagger in his hand slashed toward the officer’s neck.

The officer’s expression changed, and he suddenly sidestepped to retreat, but the upward slicing dagger still managed to cut through his exoskeleton armor.

He Ao, swiftly changing his move, turned the slash into a stab, aiming the dagger at the officer’s heart.

But at that moment, another billowing flame came flying towards He Ao.

The officer, with a curved sword in hand, immediately responded by slashing at He Ao’s neck.

He Ao had no choice but to parry the officer’s curved sword with his dagger. As the blades met, a mighty force sent him flying backward.

The flames from the airborne projectile grazed his shoulder, the intense heat igniting his clothing and searing the flesh of his entire shoulder in an instant.

But he looked at the officer, a smile spreading across his face.

"Not good!"

The officer frowned as he watched He Ao’s retreating figure and abruptly lunged forward with his curved sword.

He Ao, following the direction from which the fireball had come, landed in front of the shorter mercenary.

Both he and the officer moved too fast, and while the shorter mercenary was attacking He Ao, he had been distracted controlling the flames. His own physical qualities were not as high as those of the others, and his alertness not sharp enough, he hadn’t realized He Ao was flying towards him.

By the time he noticed, it was already too late; He Ao was only a step away from him.

"Boss, save me!"

As he gathered flames in his hands, he quickly retreated, trying to widen the distance between himself and He Ao.

At that moment, he also noticed that the officer had already reached behind He Ao, raising his curved sword to strike at He Ao’s back, which was now turned towards him.

A smile of relief spread across his face as he watched He Ao turn to face him, sneering, "You’re dead, you bastard······Gurgle······"

His final words were cut short as the sharp dagger pierced his throat.

Drip-drop——

The blood, shrouded in a hazy red glow, flowed out and fell onto the filthy ground covered in sand and mud.

He Ao didn’t bother with the officer behind him but took a step forward, directly stabbing the short mercenary in the throat.

The once sturdy body visibly withered at a speed visible to the naked eye. He Ao pulled out the dagger, leaned forward slightly, and staggered as he turned to face the officer behind him.

At this moment, a diagonal wound that traversed his entire back was filled with He Ao’s blood, dripping down his wet clothes onto the ground.

To kill the short mercenary, he had just taken the officer’s attack full on, only avoiding the vital areas.

The officer stared in shock at He Ao’s standing silhouette. He stepped back half a step, and the fresh blood dripped from his curved sword onto the ground. "You maniac!!!"

This guy was actually willing to risk being killed just to take out one of his teammates.

He Ao, with a blood-dripping dagger in hand, gazed at his face, revealing a small smile,

"Are you afraid?"

Wantonly bullying the kindly lambs, arrogantly abusing their bodies, thinking you control life and death, but feeling fear because you face a mad beast in the night.