Chapter 682: The Chase
Chapter 682: The Chase
The explosion was sudden, and even those at a distance from the street could feel the scorching heat and the shockwave that followed.
The people nearby were deafened by the roar and the shattering sounds, and even the surrounding buildings trembled under the impact of the blast. Debris rained down everywhere, clattering and crashing.
In the center of the explosion, the smoke and dust parted, and Chen Chuan emerged unscathed.
His mask was now pitted and scarred, and his cover garment was almost torn to shreds. He ripped off the garment and removed his mask, tossing it to the ground.
Tiny fragments and debris continued to fall from the sky, and those that landed on him were shaken off, leaving a noticeable difference in the color of the ground beneath his feet compared to the surrounding area.
At that moment, he felt a rustling sound coming from the Dim Token, but both the sound and the image were blurry and unclear, likely due to the impact of the explosion.
However, the Dim Token had self-healing properties, and his customized version was designed to withstand powerful explosions. Although it was currently affected, it should recover soon.
He glanced at the ground, realizing that the larvae were not just digging tunnels but also creating underground locations to store explosives.
He could sense that the other party had planned this, and it seemed they were targeting him specifically.
Planting explosives along the entire street was a bold move. Even a powerful fighter would struggle to escape if they entered this area. Being caught in such an explosion would result in severe injuries, if not death.
However, Chen Chuan's situation was different. Even without the second self, he could withstand the blast with his cross-trained Heart Power.
As it was just now.
In fact, the reason the mental alert came a bit late was that the explosion posed a danger to him, but not a life-threatening one. If he had encountered a danger to his life, he would have sensed it before entering this area.
However, there were likely many residents on this street, and it was unlikely anyone could have survived such an explosion.
But search and rescue efforts were still necessary.
At this moment, Chen Chuan had already left the explosion zone. He looked up at Chao Ming, who was still circling in the distance, and made a gesture to continue.
Chao Ming let out a cry and continued the pursuit.
The Dim Token displayed a mix of clear and blurry images, and he could vaguely see the person trying to assess the situation. After glancing upwards, they continued running forward.
Although the person couldn't see Chen Chuan, they could deduce his current state from Chao Ming's actions.
Chen Chuan's gaze fixed on the front, and his figure suddenly accelerated, chasing after his target.
After a while, he felt the Dim Token becoming clearer, and he received a message from the rear. The team behind him had been startled by the explosion and was urgently seeking information about the situation.
He replied, then said, "An Shield, ask the city security to come up. But I need to remind you, Chen, that most of the residents in this area are non-citizens, and they don't have access to Central City's medical services."
"An Shield understands, but I must remind Chen that most of the residents in this area are non-citizens, and they don't have access to Central City's medical services."
At that moment, the person seemed to have confirmed that Chen Chuan hadn't been harmed in the explosion, so they increased their speed and continued running ahead.
This person seemed very familiar with the alleys and residences, navigating through them with ease. Sometimes, they would even run straight through the houses, making it difficult for Chao Ming to keep track of them from the air.
The residential area was filled with pedestrians and numerous obstacles, preventing Chen Chuan from increasing his speed. In contrast, the person ahead didn't seem to care about these obstacles, likely due to Chao Ming's aerial advantage, which made it hard for them to shake off their pursuer.
However, if this person continued to circle around the residential area, it would only be a matter of time before the security team arrived and set up a containment perimeter.
Chen Chuan focused on the person in the Dim Token, despite the numerous obstacles. With An Shield's analysis and advance warnings, he managed to choose the most reasonable and optimized route, gradually catching up.
As long as he reduced the distance between them to within a mile, his mental power could reach the person, and they wouldn't be able to shake him off again.
Suddenly, he noticed the person pressing a button on a nearby building.
This small action seemed odd, perhaps a signal or an attempt to trigger something, reminding him of the recent explosion.
He considered the possibilities. The person might be bluffing, or there might indeed be a problem.
However, he didn't know the cause of the explosion. If his presence triggered it, that wasn't what he wanted. So, he decided to take a detour, even though it might allow the person to gain some distance temporarily.
After witnessing the other party occasionally touching the houses on both sides in the same manner, it was clear that they were attempting to hinder him.
However, from a distance, Chen Chuan couldn't discern their intentions, but An Shield could provide him with preliminary analysis. If there was a certain probability of explosives, and the possibility existed, he would choose to avoid it. If the probability was small, he would ignore it.
It seemed that this method was ineffective in interfering with Chen Chuan, so the other party stopped and instead fled the larger residential area, emerging onto the street outside.
Chen Chuan didn't linger there or accelerate along the street; instead, he swiftly crossed it and darted into the tall buildings across the street.
Chen Chuan looked ahead, and if it were any other place, he would have already deployed his combat creatures and security personnel in advance at potential exit locations and on the street, setting up roadblocks and using combat creatures to block the way.
But here in Hong Sheng District, the area with the oldest and most outdated security facilities in Central City, none of that was present. Even the local city security, due to their poor treatment, was slow to respond, and they still hadn't arrived by now, making them completely unreliable.
So, he could only rely on continuous tracking for the time being.
Just as he arrived on the street from the residential area, he suddenly sensed something, and with a quick turn of his head, he dodged a bullet.
Then, with a few quick hand movements, he deflected the subsequent bullets, one after another. Looking across the street, he spotted a long-range gunman on the opposite building, and his aim was incredibly precise, each shot targeting Chen Chuan's face.
This indicated that the person ahead had planned his escape route, even setting up traps here, so Chen Chuan needed to be cautious.
In a moment of realization, he caught one of the incoming bullets with his hand and, with a swift motion, threw it back.
The gunman was clearly a fighter who had injected stimulant drugs, which allowed him to barely capture Chen Chuan's figure and rely on his instincts to fire extremely accurate shots. However, his battle-honed instincts also warned him of danger, prompting him to dodge to the side.
But with only a distance of three to four hundred meters between them, the bullet, when thrown back, was faster than when it was fired, and it drilled straight into the gunman's forehead. The man's entire body jerked backward, and the back of his head exploded, creating a hole. The bullet's momentum continued, and it left a shallow pit in the concrete wall behind him.
After quickly dealing with the gunman, Chen Chuan followed the escape route of the person ahead. However, after only a few hundred meters, he saw the person turn a corner and disappear, never to be seen again.
Within just two or three seconds, Chen Chuan arrived at the spot, and with a quick glance, he found a passage leading down to an abandoned water channel.
He looked at the pit below but had no intention of entering.
Based on the person's previous actions, he seemed to be someone who considered various scenarios. If Chen Chuan were in his position, to ensure his escape, there was a high chance that he would have planted explosives underground.
With good luck, he could trap Chen Chuan inside, and with bad luck, he could still hinder his path.
If this were indeed the case, then the correct assumption was that the person had successfully escaped this time.
However...
A vision flashed before Chen Chuan's eyes, showing a dense network of sewers, and his current location was marked on it.
With An Shield's information resources backing him, Chen Chuan could receive substantial support.
Moreover, the terrain here was much more open, and he didn't need to suppress his speed like before. After a quick glance, he abruptly increased his pace, following the path indicated by An Shield and sprinting forward.
Two or three seconds later, he sensed a powerful aura beneath him.
The owner of this aura seemed to have also noticed something and immediately retracted their field, but while the field could be shrunk, the momentary spiritual connection couldn't be severed, so he had to increase his speed and run.
Chen Chuan could feel that no matter where he went, the other person was always right above him.
So, after a brief pause, the person suddenly changed direction, choosing a different path, and in an instant, the distance between them widened.
Chen Chuan immediately realized that the person's turn was likely leading him deeper underground, as only there could such a feat be possible.
Ordinary sewers weren't this deep; the person was probably heading towards the lower city area.
The lower city area...
He tapped his Dimensional Token, and a map of the lower city area appeared before him, projected as a light screen.
Since he had been to this area when Fang Zhixin was rescued, he had already reviewed the information, which had been recently updated. The map included all the side paths and man-made tunnels, making it extremely detailed.
After a quick glance, a decision formed in his mind.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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