“Be careful. This Anomaly’s defense is high. Its attack points are likely its fangs and claws. The abdomen isn’t covered in ‘black,’ so that should be its weak point. From here on, proceed according to the original plan. Everyone, stay sharp.”
“Understood, Captain!”
“Got it, Boss!”
*Whoosh!*
Five Hunters simultaneously drew their weapons: a spear, two long blades, a hook chain, and a steel whip as long as half a man.
One Level 1 Hunter and four Level 2 Hunters—this was the lineup for hunting Gu Lian. They were a team specialized in hunting Anomalies. If not for the fact that the veteran Hunters in the TFV were all occupied with missions, the leader of this squad would have surely been an old Hunter—the kind capable of hunting SS-class Anomalies alone.
When dealing with a Singularity Class Anomaly, no amount of ruthlessness was overkill. If they didn’t pull the roots out now, the Anomaly would do the same to them the next time they met.
Faced with the five-man encirclement, Gu Lian decisively chose to flee. She pushed off with her legs, but the moment she moved, a shiny chain lashed out toward her.
*Clang!*
The crisp sound of metal echoed as the chain was kicked away. Gu Lian tumbled through the air, the hooked blade at the end of the chain grazing past her body.
The wind whistled around Gu Lian as she flipped. The red light in the depths of her eyes remained restrained. The moment she landed, the man with the spear rushed forward two steps, closing the distance to 2 meters. This was exactly within the spear’s striking range.
*Sizzle!*
The spear moved like a bolt of lightning. The dark red tip rubbed against the air with such intensity that it let out a piercing shriek.
As the spear blade descended, Gu Lian had no choice but to raise her arms to block her face.
*Clang!*
Sparks flew high into the air. The spearman let out a muffled groan; the counter-shock traveling through the spear was so strong he nearly lost his grip on the weapon.
Taking advantage of the moment the spearman was off-balance, Gu Lian stepped back with her right foot, preparing to run.
Suddenly, a chain wrapped around her ankle and yanked back. This sudden interference broke her balance, nearly sending her crashing to the ground.
“Ha!”
A burly man with a massive frame barked a shout as he swung his steel whip in a horizontal sweep.
The whip, accompanied by the sound of rushing wind, passed just over Gu Lian’s head. She was currently kneeling on one knee, her left hand tearing apart the chain bound to her ankle. That had been dangerous… if she had been just a second slower, her head would have been crushed.
“Yah!”
The whip-wielder took a step back and leaped low into the air, resting the whip on his shoulder. At the peak of his jump, he gripped the whip with both hands and brought it down in a brutal, vertical strike.
*Thud!*
Dirt exploded beside Gu Lian. She was in the middle of a side-leap, and the flying debris stung as it pelted her face.
She couldn’t escape…
The moment Gu Lian landed, she grinned, revealing sharp fangs. An instant later, the Level 2 Hunter holding the hook chain swung the steel cable in a circle before launching it.
*Clatter!*
The chain curved into a “C” shape in the air as it smashed toward her. Gu Lian kicked off the ground with both feet. With a sharp *snap*, the turf was shredded by the shockwave of her movement.
*Boom!*
A loud explosion rang out, and a large crater appeared where Gu Lian had just been standing. She charged under the chain, her left hand balled into a fist, but the chain above her suddenly dropped and wrapped once around her body.
‘Not good!’
Forcing back the strike she had been about to unleash, Gu Lian grabbed the chain with both hands, the veins on her arms bulging.
“Yuan Er, Yuan San!”
*Clang! Clang!*
Two black blades crossed in an “X” shape. Yuan Er and Yuan San ran past Gu Lian from both sides, their blades drawing trails of purple blood as they exited the wounds.
With a loud *crack*, Gu Lian tore the chain wrapped around her body apart. A sudden glint appeared before her eyes as a chilling gale blew her long hair aside, revealing half of a face that had turned pitch black.
The spear thrust past her face, severing a few strands of hair. Gu Lian arched her body backward, barely dodging the strike.
*Bang!*
The long whip swept out and slammed viciously into Gu Lian’s abdomen. As the whip-wielder stepped to the side, Yuan Er and Yuan San raised their long blades behind him and swung down with all their might, tracing silver crescent moons in the air.
*Screech!*
The long blades carved across the back of Gu Lian’s hand, making a sound like metal scratching against glass. A faint line of blood appeared on her arm before she was sent crashing heavily into the ground. Blood sprayed uncontrollably from her mouth.
The spearman flicked his weapon and lunged forward, thrusting the spear down. The sound of metal clashing was exceptionally crisp. Lying on the ground, Gu Lian grabbed the edges of the spear blade with both hands. The tip of the spear was a mere 1 centimeter from her throat.
The spearman’s jaw was clenched tight, his body pressing down as he tried to deliver a fatal blow. But for every action, there is an equal reaction.
With a *thud*, using the spear as a fulcrum, Gu Lian flipped her body up like a leaping carp. Her feet landed on the spear, and she lunged forward with her sharp claws.
*Whoosh!*
A powerful wind approached. Gu Lian’s purple-red eyes widened as she twisted her body to the right. The tip of a claw lightly grazed her neck. In the next moment, her outstretched hand collided with the incoming steel whip.
*Clang!*
Sparks flew high. Gu Lian’s body shuddered as her feet were forced off the spear. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared on her metallic, hardened black claws, and blood seeped from the split flesh.
Opposite her, the Hunter holding the steel whip watched coldly. Electricity crackled across his left leg before he delivered a kick straight to Gu Lian’s abdomen.
*Bang!*
The electric light pierced through Gu Lian’s lower back. She was kicked backward, tumbling away. As she retreated, a look of confusion appeared in her eyes. Just now, he clearly had an opportunity to kill her!
*Drip… drip…*
The spearman clutched his throat with one hand as blood seeped through his fingers. He had nearly had his neck pierced just now—it had been a matter of half a second!
“Wangzi, be careful. You can’t judge a Singularity Class Anomaly by the standards of normal ones. They aren’t mindless beasts.”
The whip-wielder pushed the man codenamed Wangzi to the rear while simultaneously taking the spear from his hand.
Wangzi nodded and moved back of his own accord. His vitals were injured; charging forward foolishly now would only be throwing his life away and distracting his teammates.
With a series of *thuds*, Gu Lian rolled across the ground. Her black claws dug into the earth, dragging five claw marks several meters long before she stabilized herself.
They were wary of something. Gu Lian was certain of it. That last kick could have easily landed on her jaw. With that level of power, it would have surely left her semi-conscious, which would have meant her certain death.
A long blade swung out with a whistling sound. Gu Lian’s neck stung—it was a purely instinctive reaction.
Gu Lian split her legs and knelt on the ground, her body arching back until it was flush with the earth. Her grey hair drifted before her eyes as a black blade infused with bloodlust severed a section of it. The wind scattered the fallen strands.
With a *crack*, Gu Lian suddenly exploded into action. She reached out with both claws and accurately caught Yuan Er’s long blade. The moment she exerted force, the edge of the black blade began to warp.
*Puchi!*
A blood-stained blade pierced through her chest from behind. This was Yuan San’s strike. Gu Lian coughed up purple blood, and simultaneously, the long blade in Yuan Er’s hand shattered.
The whip-wielder strode toward Gu Lian. In that moment of life and death, she suddenly realized something. Yuan Er and Yuan San had previously been positioned to her left and right.
If that previous kick had truly hit her chin, it would have killed her quickly, but it wasn’t a guarantee. If she didn’t die instantly, Yuan Er and Yuan San’s situation would have become precarious, and she might have even gained a moment to breathe while being kicked into the air.
*Swish!*
The Hunter with the chains attacked again. The steel chain struck Gu Lian’s back, making her stumble forward uncontrollably. The whip-wielder stepped forward with his left foot as lightning crawled onto the steel whip. He swung it with all his might, drawing an arc of electricity through the air.
*Boom!*
An airburst erupted in front of Gu Lian’s chest. The bear hide she was wearing was shredded by the powerful pressure. Yuan San blocked Gu Lian’s path on the left. The wind pressure blew back her bangs as a sharp blade thrust toward her left eye.
‘Dead Silence…’
Gu Lian clenched both fists. The red patterns on her arms drifted with sparks like molten lava. Grey-white flames erupted from her palms.
‘Fire of Dead Silence!’
The world around them seemed to dim. Even the sunlight no longer felt warm. The grey flames licked the black blade. The metal, which had previously held a metallic luster, dulled rapidly. Red-orange rust quickly crawled across the blade. Starting from the outer edge, the entire long blade gradually turned to dust and was scattered by the wind.
*Squelch!*
Yuan San let go of the rotting blade to avoid contact. The strike missed, but at the same time, a spear crackling with lightning thrust toward her.
*Clang!*
Gu Lian raised her arm to parry, her entire body spinning in a circle. Her feet tensed, and five claw marks spun through the air. However, the target of this strike wasn’t the whip-wielder.
*Slash!*
Five sprays of blood erupted from Yuan San’s back. The ground cracked as Gu Lian landed, her claws digging into the dirt as the burning flames in her hands extinguished.
*Boom!*
Dust exploded, and lightning flickered within the smoke. Gu Lian raised her hand to guard her face.
*Clang! Clang!*
The whip-wielder moved with incredible fluidity, using the whip and spear in tandem. Gu Lian’s raised arm was pried open by the spear from a bizarre angle. A remnant of the Fire of Dead Silence touched the spear, and upon contact, fine rust appeared on the blade.
The whip-wielder decisively let go of the spear. His left hand reached into a pouch behind his back. With his cloak fluttering, he pulled a handgun from behind his clothes and aimed the dark muzzle at Gu Lian.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Following a rapid succession of shots, several bullets flew in a straight line. The moment the bullets left the barrel, Gu Lian twisted her body to the left with all her strength, yet four bullets still hit her.
*Puchi!*
The first three bullets sank into her flesh. A fountain of blood sprayed from the charred bullet holes. Gu Lian’s body fell backward and slammed into a tree with a heavy *thud*.
The whip-wielder stepped forward, intending to rush in and finish her off, but he saw a pair of eyes filled with a knowing smile. This made his heart tighten.
“Ah!”
A scream rang out from behind him. The whip-wielder’s foot slammed into the ground as he spun around to charge back. At the same time, he shot a vicious glare at Gu Lian, as if trying to memorize her scent.
“Cough, cough…”
Gu Lian coughed up a mouthful of blood, a knowing smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. It seemed… she had guessed right.