Apocalypse Circular

After ensuring Zhou Kai was settled, Lu Luo had much more room to maneuver.

With Zhou Kai around, he hadn't even dared to use Steam: Second Gear to its full extent, fearing that a single careless move might fatally injure Brother Kane. That was to say nothing of widespread destructive weapons like a toxic fog. But now that Zhou Kai was gone, Lu Luo's fighting style could become completely unrestrained.

HAA!~ Thick venom flowed from Lu Luo's mouth, quickly spreading through the cracks in the metal floor tiles and evaporating. He didn't know where the ventilation system's control panel was, but he could destroy as many of the ventilation fans as possible. As long as there weren't enough functioning ventilation fans, his toxic fog could still permeate the area!

Before long, a thick fog gradually filled the laboratory, and visibility dropped lower and lower. This was the home-field advantage Lu Luo had created for Zhang Tianyi and his group.

After sorting the research data they needed to take, Zhang Tianyi and his companions descended the stairs to the laboratory's lower level. But the gradually thickening fog severely reduced their visibility. If they didn't stay close to their companions, straying even a few steps could easily lead to separation.

Just as they were passing by the large culture vessels at the bottom...

BANG!

The sudden impact against the glass startled everyone. The White Orochi flicked out its tongue—which could no longer be called the simple forked organ it once was—licking at the glass.

HISS! HISS!

The White Snake!

It was the special Exotic Species raised by Song Hana. Like the Red Shell before it, it was a creature born from a further mutation of Life Energy. Unlike the Red Shell's second mutation, the White Snake had undergone many mutations by now. Its form hadn't changed significantly; after every Life Energy mutation, it still remained a white snake. The only two differences were that its former forked tongue had now become a true tongue. Also, above its eyes, a long white brow had grown, giving it a unique appearance.

No one knew what tier the White Snake had reached now. But Zhang Tianyi always felt a chill down his spine whenever he saw this Orochi.

Zhang Tianyi and the others desperately wanted to move away from the culture vessels; being stared at by such an Orochi was far too unsettling. But in this low visibility, if they didn't keep a hand on the culture vessels while walking, they could easily lose their bearings.

"Priest, what do we do? We can't see a thing now, and we didn't bring any night-vision equipment."

Zhang Tianyi narrowed his eyes; he hadn't anticipated this dense fog. However, he wasn't overly concerned about it, as the base's basic equipment could handle it.

"You, go over there and activate the ventilation system."

"Oh, okay!"

The guard didn't dare refuse Zhang Tianyi's order. He fumbled his way slowly towards the ventilation system lever.

Then... nothing happened.

Apart from the sporadic hissing from the White Snake, there were no other sounds in the room. The ventilation system hadn't been activated, and the man Zhang Tianyi had sent... vanished without a trace.

"Let's go together!"

"Yes!"

The ventilation system had to be activated; otherwise, the visibility was simply too poor.

The group moved forward slowly. Just as they could vaguely make out the lever on the wall, the color of the fog suddenly changed!

"It's toxic! The fog is toxic!"

"What's all the panic about?"

Zhang Tianyi was the calmest among them. He knew very well that they had to turn on the ventilation system at this moment. Otherwise, between the poor visibility and the toxic gas, they would be completely immobilized.

He drew his combat sword and walked straight towards the control panel lever. But just as his hand was about to touch the ventilation system control lever, a sharp pain made Zhang Tianyi taste sweetness in his mouth.

Poison Outburst! It was a very subtle Poison Outburst, controlled by Lu Luo. He needed Zhang Tianyi to hesitate, to pause! That single instant was all he required!

Lu Luo's figure appeared behind him like a phantom.

Fog Shadow Assassination—Throat Cut.

SHLICK!

The silent Qi Union Blade sliced open Zhang Tianyi's throat, sending a spray of blood into the air.

Zhang Tianyi's first reaction was, How can Lu Luo be so fast?

"HACK—! HACK—!"

Zhang Tianyi clutched his throat as he retreated. Holy Radiance blocked Lu Luo's follow-up attack, while the other guards and female Exotic Species positioned themselves in front of Zhang Tianyi.

What a pity! I didn't manage to kill him in one strike.

Hidden within the fog, Lu Luo shook his head. A throat-slitting technique that would be incredibly lethal to ordinary people was no longer instantly fatal to Transcendents.

Holy Radiance continually manifested in Zhang Tianyi's hands, and soon, his severed throat was finally repaired. But his palms were now covered in blood, and Zhang Tianyi realized his vocal cords were damaged. Now, if he tried to speak, his throat throbbed with agonizing pain.

Enduring the excruciating pain in his throat, Zhang Tianyi pressed his palms to the ground.

"Bride!"

The female Exotic Species, who had gradually quieted down, suddenly became active again. The female Exotic Species from the laboratory also rushed over. They charged madly towards Zhang Tianyi, quickly surrounding him. These female Exotic Species weren't purely protecting him; their first reaction upon reaching Zhang Tianyi's side was to lick the blood on the ground, as if his blood held an irresistible attraction for them.

Concealed within the fog, Lu Luo took all of this in. What a peculiar symbiotic relationship! What exactly are these women now?

The fog severely hindered humans, but its effect on Exotic Species wasn't as pronounced. The female Exotic Species quickly followed Zhang Tianyi's orders and cranked the base's ventilation system to maximum power! With the ventilation system at full power, Lu Luo's fog likely wouldn't last much longer.

So, seizing the opportunity, Lu Luo snatched a short sword from one of them and began a silent slaughter of the remaining guards.

SHK! SHK!

The blade pierced one heart after another. Because he didn't want to make too much noise, Lu Luo abandoned beheading, his preferred method of killing.

As the fog dissipated, everyone gradually began to make out Lu Luo's figure.

"Fire!" Zhang Tianyi roared, his voice hoarse. Lu Luo's earlier throat-slitting attack had truly left him with deep psychological trauma. Zhang Tianyi himself was a man full of desires and a fear of death. Otherwise, he wouldn't have recklessly pushed himself to this point. He had no desire to experience the feeling of being on the brink of death a second time!

RAT-TAT-TAT!

These were enhanced bullets; Lu Luo didn't want to take them head-on, so he nimbly dodged them. Unimpeded, the bullets naturally struck the giant cultivation tank behind Lu Luo.

DING! DING! DING!

Under normal circumstances, ordinary bullets would never penetrate such a tank. But enhanced bullets were different; even the most primitive Dark Energy enchantment would increase a bullet's destructive power and penetration severalfold. Though these enhanced bullets didn't completely penetrate the tank, they became firmly embedded in the glass, creating several cracks.

"All of you, stop! Never mind this place for now! We have to go! If we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"

Zhang Tianyi glanced at the White Snake's cultivation tank with a guarded expression. Only after confirming the tank wouldn't shatter did he decide to leave.

Lu Luo once again concealed himself in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity. His speed allowed him to freely join the battlefield. The hunt had begun!

...

After everyone had left, the White Snake in the tank extended its tongue once more, beginning to lick the cracked glass. Its licking was not purposeless. Beneath its sharp tongue, certain structures within the glass began to fracture. After licking for a while, it retracted its tongue.

Fixing its tongue tip to one spot, then!

BZZT!

Threads of electricity began to spark at the White Snake's tongue tip. A bolt of lightning, not particularly thick, suddenly shot from the White Snake's mouth, instantly piercing the glass. Only then, looking at the damaged area, could one see that the glass of this cultivation tank was nearly 80 centimeters thick. Furthermore, the inside of the glass contained numerous special enchantments, which was why it had been able to restrain the White Snake. However, the recent enhanced bullets had damaged the enchantment nodes. The White Snake then used its tongue to further disrupt the enchantment's structure, allowing it to pierce the glass and escape.

HISSSSSS!

The White Snake looked up and saw Song Hana standing there, watching it.

"White Snake, take me away."

HISSSSSS!

...

Zhang Tianyi and his group had already reached the deepest part of the base. Several large, circular drilling machines—the kind used for excavating earth—were parked here. It seemed this underground base was still under construction. In the dark depths of this tunnel, no one knew what secrets lay hidden.

Zhang Tianyi had barely arrived when Lu Luo caught up to him!

Cornered, Zhang Tianyi's face turned fierce. He knew he couldn't shake Lu Luo. At this point, fighting was his only option. His voice completely hoarse, he said, "I was only following Song Hana's orders. Why must you push things to a mutually destructive end? Do you really think you can beat me?"

Lu Luo shrugged indifferently. Some people just couldn't grasp their own position. Still can't tell the difference between prey and Hunter, even now!

"The fish will die, but the net certainly won't break. From the moment I stepped into this place, I was prepared to wipe every single one of you out. Brother Kane's hand won't have been crippled for nothing!"

"Heh, I hope you can still talk so confidently later. Deal with him."

The nine Brides accompanying Zhang Tianyi charged at Lu Luo in unison.

Ordinarily, Lu Luo wouldn't fear such Second Tier Exotic Species anymore. But the situation with these women seemed more complicated than he had initially thought.

Across from them, Zhang Tianyi slit his own wrist, letting his blood flow freely onto the ground. Soon, numerous patterns resembling bridal bouquets lit up on the floor, gradually spreading towards Lu Luo's feet.

When Lu Luo stepped on these bouquet patterns, a distant, ethereal song began to echo in his ears.

This song?

[It's a common lullaby from the Wasteland Alliance, used by mothers to soothe children to sleep.]

Neither the patterns nor the song had any effect on Lu Luo. But for those nine Brides, they were the most potent stimulus imaginable!

"AAAH!~" The nine Brides shrieked in unison, the sound waves almost visible to the naked eye. The few remaining guards beside Zhang Tianyi clapped their hands over their ears and collapsed to the ground. These hate-filled shrieks affected even Lu Luo; the only one seemingly undisturbed was Zhang Tianyi himself.

"Kill him."

At Zhang Tianyi's command, the women suddenly seemed to be injected with adrenaline; their strength and agility increased dramatically. They lunged at Lu Luo, their mouths, no longer resembling anything human, gaping wide as they tried to bite him.

Lu Luo knew these women were merely former inhabitants of the slums, once belonging to the lowest stratum of Wasteland society. Perhaps their lives had been hard, but at least they had been alive. Now, they had become experimental subjects here.

Lu Luo had no choice. Humans, Exotic Species, or Brides—anything that stood in his way had to die!

My apologies!

Steam: Second Gear.

Watching Lu Luo, Zhang Tianyi's eyes filled with horror. His current state... it's so much like the Evil Holy Seal! But it doesn't seem to have the mind-affecting side effects of the Evil Holy Seal.

The female Exotic Species had just closed in when Lu Luo struck with even greater speed.

Qi Union Slash.

With a single slash, Lu Luo bisected the two women in front of him. But their necks began to elongate, coiling around his arm like snakes.

What in the world are these things?

Lu Luo ripped the two women off him, then drew his sword and beheaded them. Yet, even with their heads and bodies severed, these female Exotic Species continued to entangle him.

He glanced at the ground, now stained a bloody red. This vitality! Is it due to an environmental buff?

"They are all perfect Brides! In my eyes, utilized correctly, they are the finest weapons. Lu Luo, once I've dealt with you and sent Song Hana away, I'll be completely redeemed. I'll become the hero of the East Ring slums. Then, I'll move to the Western Ring, and not even Ludie will be able to touch me!"

Looking at the increasingly crimson floor, Lu Luo knew that the key to this situation was Zhang Tianyi, the Church Priest.

Zhang Tianyi stood there, appearing completely at ease. He picked up a rifle from the ground, imbued the bullets with Holy Radiance, and fired repeatedly at Lu Luo.

CRACK!

CRACK!

CRACK!

Surrounded and under fire, Lu Luo was hit by several shots. These nine Brides, even when dismembered, turned into chunks of flesh that clung to his body, making his movements increasingly sluggish.

Zhang Tianyi, across from him, grew more and more arrogant. "Keep up the act! Weren't you so high and mighty just now? I actually thought you were formidable, but you're just a somewhat unique practitioner of the Six Paths."

Lu Luo tried to shake off the clinging flesh, but the female Exotic Species continued to wrap around him. Elongated limbs and shattered pieces of flesh adhered to his body. The song echoing in his ears made him increasingly dizzy! If this continued, he would soon be overwhelmed by flesh and blood.

I didn't even use my full strength when fighting Ganmu. I didn't expect to be pushed this far in a place like this.

THUMP!

The powerful, distinct heartbeat that reached Zhang Tianyi's ears left him somewhat astonished. Then, Lu Luo's physique began to visibly expand, growing larger and more muscular. His tensed, powerful muscles slowly squeezed out the bullets embedded in his body. Dense steam erupted from him continuously. All his pores sealed shut. With all his attributes at 50, Lu Luo once again entered his most perfect combat state.

Steam: Third Gear!

Steam: Third Gear not only boosted his strength and agility by 2.7 times but also amplified the explosive power of his Steam Form.

[This person has been babbling for ages. I can't stand it anymore. Host, deliver a righteous judgment upon him!]

Tsk! It's rare to hear Observer say something agreeable!

Lu Luo tensed his body, then suddenly unleashed a burst of steam, scattering the flesh and female Exotic Species clinging to him. He plunged the Fusioner-modified alloy sword into the ground. Slash Strikes had little effect on these kinds of monsters, so Lu Luo prepared to pulverize them with a direct punch.

He squatted slightly, hands drawn back, assuming a horse stance.

Deliberate Bombardment Fist—Atmospheric Pressure.

BOOM!

Both fists struck out simultaneously. Everything before him was instantly blasted into smithereens. The penetrating shockwave tore through the entire corridor, even sending Zhang Tianyi, who was some distance away, flying.

Lu Luo's current state of power had far exceeded Zhang Tianyi's expectations. Is this guy even human anymore?

"Evil Seal!"

The energy of the Evil Holy Seal gradually enveloped Zhang Tianyi's entire body. He wanted to make one last desperate attempt, to fight Lu Luo to the death.

"Evil Seal my ass!"

The pressure of Steam: Third Gear was channeled into the Jet Belt. In Zhang Tianyi's eyes, Lu Luo's speed reached a horrifying level! He had no time to react. Lu Luo's palm was already pressing against his head, forcibly smashing him into the wall.

BOOM!

Due to his own past experiences, Lu Luo no longer fully trusted targeting the heart. Now, when he attacked, he always aimed for the opponent's head. The short sword thrust directly at Zhang Tianyi's forehead but was blocked by his evil aura. The evil aura crept up the blade, about to touch Lu Luo's fingers, but Lu Luo acted first, triggering another Poison Outburst.

Zhang Tianyi suddenly coughed up a mouthful of dark blood, and the evil aura around him faltered for an instant. Lu Luo's short sword plunged deep into Zhang Tianyi's chest.

And you think that's the end of it?

The Deliberate Bombardment Fist headed straight for Zhang Tianyi's face!

BOOM!

Lu Luo shook the bits of red and white from his hand, cursing under his breath as he began to search Zhang Tianyi's corpse. "'Like some kind of idiot! Just kept screaming and shouting,' Lu Luo muttered."

[Observer's evaluation of you can be summed up in one word: Awesome!]

A lighter—tossed aside. Several documents—secured. The sword wasn't bad, but its appearance would need to be altered.

Then, Lu Luo pulled a small box from Zhang Tianyi's chest. Inside the box lay a small fruit, resembling a winter jujube.

Fruit of Life—LV2

Effect: Extends a human's lifespan by one year.

Description 1: The intertwining of love and hate, the crystallization of death and life.

Description 2: The perfect fusion of human life force and Exotic Species life force; it can allow one to surpass their original lifespan limit.

Description 3: It has transgressed the ethical boundaries of biology.