Chapter 72: Shadow Demon

Staring at the severed head rolling to his feet, the players ambushing Su Cheng in the underground parking lot were instantly chilled to the bone.

Kato swallowed hard, drawing a deep breath as icy air filled his lungs.

This was no hallucination.

Before his death, Yellow Hornet had sent him a battle log, warning that Su Cheng could use psychic skills to induce illusions. Kato had therefore equipped himself with a tool to defend against mental attacks, ensuring that no hallucination could affect him.

Because of this, Kato had been lulled into the mistaken belief that Su Cheng excelled only at psychological warfare, and was not particularly formidable in direct combat. As long as he protected himself against mental assaults, he thought Su Cheng would be easy to handle.

His gaze fell upon the grotesque, scarred face of the severed head—a face belonging to the thug who had spoken to him moments ago.

“Careful, everyone. This guy is no ordinary opponent,” Kato’s eyes flickered with deep apprehension, a chill creeping up his neck. If that man could silently eliminate those around him, it might be Kato’s turn next.

Yet, as a seasoned professional, Kato managed not to panic. He reasoned that Su Cheng had resorted to assassination only because he lacked confidence in a frontal confrontation; as long as they flushed him out, he would have nowhere to run.

“Dahe, take the lead. Everyone else, gather back-to-back. Don’t give that kid any openings.”

Though confident, Kato dared not underestimate his adversary. As long as they guarded against Su Cheng’s assassination and psychic attacks, victory was assured.

“So, it really is the Crimson Tide Adventurer Guild. That fiery middle-aged man must be their leader, Kato Akatsuki.” Su Cheng, while Little Bai was attached to the woman in black, had already uncovered the group’s background.

He hadn’t encountered them in the dungeon, but now, after leaving, they had come looking for him themselves.

Truly, they were tempting fate.

A figure emerged slowly from the darkness. Su Cheng’s lips curled in a faint smile as he strode toward the vigilant Kato Akatsuki.

“You dare show yourself, kid?”

Seeing Su Cheng appear before them with no sign of caution, Kato was momentarily stunned, then broke into a grin of wild delight.

He had dreaded Su Cheng lurking in the shadows and striking from afar. Who would have expected this fool to rush toward them so brazenly? Did the kid really believe he could take on so many players alone?

Utterly foolish!

Heavy footsteps echoed through the silent parking lot, each thud reverberating in the players’ hearts, tightening their nerves.

Su Cheng said not a word, advancing in silence. In Kato’s eyes, Su Cheng’s pace quickened, until all they could see was a shadow streaking straight toward them.

“Dahe, defensive stance!”

The burly man blocking Kato’s front bellowed, his muscles swelling like cotton. His massive hands were like impenetrable shields, slamming down toward Su Cheng.

Though Dahe was a tank-type player, his strength was terrifying; with a single palm, he could smash a van to pieces.

The enormous hand descended like a mountain. Su Cheng’s eyes flickered, yet he showed no sign of dodging—instead, he accelerated, closing the distance and striking with his blade.

An aura of menace radiated from Su Cheng like a thousand needles, making Kato’s scalp tingle.

In the next instant, the jet-black blade sunk into Dahe’s palm. Dahe’s expression twisted with pain.

A flash of steel erupted across the meaty hand, slicing up to his arm.

“Attack!”

Seizing the chance as Dahe blocked Su Cheng, Kato’s eyes blazed with ferocity, and a barrage of attacks rained down on Su Cheng.

In a flash, Su Cheng stomped on Dahe, using the tank as a battering ram to crash into the other players.

Their attacks were largely absorbed by Dahe. Meanwhile, Su Cheng, propelled by a surge of spiritual energy underfoot, shot through the air like a rocket.

A cold gleam pierced Dahe’s throat—if left alive, the tank would pose a significant threat to Su Cheng. To wipe out the group, Dahe had to be eliminated first.

A wave of murderous intent crashed over Dahe, his eyes wide with terror as visions of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood flashed before him.

After slaughtering countless infected in the Biochemical City dungeon, Su Cheng’s killing intent was potent enough to directly affect his opponents’ minds.

For an ordinary person with weak willpower, a single glance from Su Cheng would send them fleeing in terror.

The blade slid into flesh—a guttural sound as the long sword pierced Dahe’s throat.

The hefty body collapsed with a thunderous crash. Though players possessed remarkable vitality, a mortal wound meant inevitable death.

Witnessing this, Kato was as if struck by lightning, his face the picture of disbelief.

The Crimson Tide Adventurer Guild’s strongest tank had been dispatched in just two moves.

“Go all out, or none of us will leave here alive,” Kato’s eyes were bloodshot as he swung a battle axe crackling with lightning toward Su Cheng’s head.

But Su Cheng ignored him, like a wolf among sheep, hunting down the other ambushers.

Blade flashes danced; several players who rushed Su Cheng, hoping to engage him in melee, were sliced into a dozen pieces.

Suddenly, a black hand emerged from the ground, gripping Su Cheng’s ankle.

A black monster radiating evil energy crawled from the shadows, lunging at him.

Shadow Demon!

Su Cheng’s gaze turned icy, and he severed the demon’s hand with a slash.

Shadow Demons, like evil spirits, were spiritual entities formed from the resentment of the dead.

This particular demon was not especially strong, and Su Cheng’s strikes, imbued with the Ghost Slash effect, perfectly countered its abilities.

His blade tore through the Shadow Demon, shredding it to pieces.

But then, a sinister and strange surge of spiritual energy pulsed; the torn Shadow Demon began to reassemble, as if glued together, and lunged again.

“There’s a summoner nearby.”

He hadn’t expected Kato to mobilize so many professionals against him. If Su Cheng hadn’t gained tremendous power in the Biochemical City dungeon, he might have been defeated here.

Once more, he destroyed the Shadow Demon, then suddenly veered as though he’d sensed something, charging toward a neglected corner of the parking lot.

As he approached, a black-clad figure darted out from what had seemed an empty corner.

The summoner had been hiding under a cloak of concealment, quietly casting spells and summoning Shadow Demons. If not for the surge of spiritual energy during his spellcasting, Su Cheng might not have noticed him so soon.

“Stop him!”

A pale, anxious young man brandished a skull-topped staff, unleashing waves of spiritual energy. Six Shadow Demons erupted from the darkness, blocking Su Cheng’s path.

“Out of my way!”

Su Cheng swung his blade, slicing through the air. The force on the blade became a raging swordstorm, tearing through the Shadow Demons.

The young summoner’s minions barely had time to impede Su Cheng before the swordstorm shredded them into fragments.

The summoner, fleeing, suddenly froze, his face twisted in shock and terror.

A cold blade pierced his back, emerging from his chest.

Summoners, focused on spirit and energy, were helpless without their creatures—easy prey for Su Cheng’s blade.

“This can’t be! Didn’t Kato say this kid was just a regular player? Why is he so monstrously strong?” The woman in black, who’d once sent Su Cheng lewd advertisements, now eyed him with deep dread. Had they known his true strength, they would never have dared provoke him.

But once battle began, only one side could leave alive.

Her gaze met Su Cheng’s, and she shivered, feeling the urge to flee. The ring on her middle finger glowed faintly, and her figure began to blur.

Moments later, the parking lot was strewn with corpses; only Kato remained alive, all others slain by Su Cheng’s blade.

Any player who dared ambush Su Cheng here should have been prepared for the possibility of being killed in turn.

“No way! You’re not even a professional, how are you this strong?” Kato’s expression was one of horror; he never imagined his recruited players would be wiped out by Su Cheng in less than ten minutes.

“Who knows?”

Su Cheng suddenly accelerated, appearing less than a meter before Kato, his blade flashing in a swift slash.

Kato’s battle axe crackled with lightning, his eyes wild with madness. The feud between him and Su Cheng was now one of life and death, with no possibility of reconciliation.

A flash of lightning struck, but Su Cheng evaded easily.

Kato’s profession was Executioner, his attack style savage. Combined with the Thunder Battle Axe’s paralyzing strikes, any hit would leave his foes immobilized and quickly chopped to pieces.

But Su Cheng’s reflexes were so swift that Kato’s wide, powerful attacks could hardly touch him—no matter their strength, they were futile.

In the next moment, Su Cheng’s blade sliced through Kato’s protective suit, carving a deep wound across his muscular chest.

Blood seeped from the gash, staining his suit crimson.

Had that blade landed on Kato’s neck, he would already be decapitated.

“You forced my hand.”

Kato’s lips twitched violently, his eyes filled with struggle. He pulled out a chunk of writhing flesh.

It looked stale, mottled with black mold. Strangely, the piece seemed alive, squeaking like a mouse in Kato’s hand.

Suppressing his disgust, Kato swallowed the chunk.

After consuming it, black spots erupted across his face and body, veins bulged on his forehead, and murderous intent blazed in his eyes.

“Kid, are you ready for hell?”

Kato grinned savagely as terrifying black arms sprouted from his body.