Chapter 89: Sudden Kill
Chapter 89: Sudden Kill
As Chen Chuan moved forward, a sudden sense of awareness gripped him. He glanced upward, and at the shattered gap above the fortress, a fleeting figure seemed to pass by.
At that very moment inside the fort, Tong Qianjiang had already positioned himself behind the entrance, brandishing a sword in readiness.
The entrance, though not short, was rather narrow, allowing only one person to pass through at a time. The walls were thick, and anyone rushing in would have no room to retreat. As soon as they entered, Tong Qianjiang could strike them down with a single blow.
Behind him, Fang Dawei and his group stood spread out on the open ground, forming a formidable defense. On the second floor, others aimed their guns at the entrance, equally prepared.
But as the clear footsteps approached the entrance, they abruptly ceased after three steps.
The group remained on high alert, and suddenly, the spider-like Lao Qi raised his head. A figure leaped down from the hole above, and the fort's interior dimmed. Lao Qi shouted, "Up there!"
Everyone quickly turned their guns upward and fired repeatedly, but it was already too late.
Chen Chuan landed on the circular second-floor platform, immediately crouching and rolling sideways. Several bullets whizzed past him.
He sprang up, pushing off with his feet, and charged towards a person not far away. His long sword, placed on the side, sparked against the wall.
The man fired two shots at him, but Chen Chuan's speed was astonishingly fast, almost skimming the ground, causing all shots to miss. Before the third shot could be fired, Chen Chuan advanced with a slanting slash. With a 'swish,' the man's head and shoulder flew off his body!
"Lao Ba!" someone below exclaimed in shock.
Chen Chuan's gaze turned cold as he continued his advance. The next person, not far behind, seemed hesitant to shoot, possibly to avoid hitting their teammate. Chen Chuan seized a heavy box beside him, his arms bulging with effort. With a 'ha,' he flung it towards his opponent.
Chen Chuan, his vision almost entirely blocked by the box, reached out and gently pushed it aside, unleashing his power. The massive wooden box, weighing several hundred kilograms, was effortlessly moved aside by him as if weightless. Mid-air, it burst open, showering its contents onto the floor below, creating chaos.
Chen Chuan, harnessing the momentum from moving the box, accelerated forward. A fierce sword gleam flashed, and the man's upper chest detached from his body, flying away.
As Chen Chuan glanced downward, he spotted a gun aimed at him. With a swift move, he deflected the half-body, using it as a shield. The bullets, pounding against the implanted body, were all blocked.
He extended his hand, and the half-body, imbued with force, slammed into the person below. Chen Chuan resumed his sprint towards the last person on this level.
The man, with a fierce gaze, discarded his rifle and drew a pistol, firing repeatedly. Chen Chuan's agile footwork, stepping left and right, dodged every bullet. After a few steps, he closed the distance and thrust his blade forward. As the sword pierced the man's chest, it encountered resistance, an invisible barrier. Though subtle in appearance, the man also possessed an implanted body!
The man, feeling the impact of the blade, involuntarily stumbled back two steps. But, brimming with courage, he roared and grabbed the sword with both hands.
Chen Chuan's expression remained unmoved. With a twist and a pull of his wrist, the man cried out in agony.
As the man attempted a counter-attack, Chen Chuan sensed something amiss and swiftly leaned back, firmly planting his feet on the ground. A black figure brushed past him, followed by a 'slap' as it stuck to the wall beside him, writhing like a spider, it swiftly climbed upwards and disappeared into a crevice.
Chen Chuan's body was almost at a forty-five-degree angle, like a taut bowstring about to snap. He felt an immense force pulling him forward.
Due to the brief pause, the man below and the bandits aimed their guns at him, creating a crossfire. Numerous bullet marks scarred the surrounding walls.
Chen Chuan felt something poke his ribs—a bullet had hit him, but it merely dented his protective suit, sliding off harmlessly.
Chen Chuan's eyes flickered. Although he had prepared to take the hit with his second self, the protective suit proved highly effective, even dampening the impact. So, abandoning caution, he covered his face with his hand and charged through the bullets.
The man, seeing Chen Chuan's approach, hastily retreated, firing repeatedly. But the bullets hitting Chen Chuan's body slid off harmlessly, causing the man to panic. He sidestepped, attempting to leap down to the first floor for escape.
Chen Chuan quickened his pace, and when within range, a curved blade glinted from below, severing the man's foot. The man shrieked in agony, losing his balance and falling.
Chen Chuan rushed forward, grasping the sword's hilt with both hands. He raised the long blade high, and with a shout, brought it down. A metallic 'clang' rang out as the man's head bounced from the ground, rolling towards Fang Dawei and the others.
At this moment, it seemed like everyone realized that firing their guns was futile, and the surrounding gunshots ceased.
Chen Chuan stood on the second floor, slowly turning around. With a horizontal sweep of his blade, he lightly touched the ground and looked down. Fresh blood gushed from the corpses below, dripping and splattering onto the floor beneath, creating a macabre display of bloodstained flowers.
In just a few breaths, he had made his way around the second floor, leaving a trail of death in his wake. The remaining people below couldn't help but stare at his figure, holding the sword, their breaths growing heavy, and their eyes turning red.
Fang Dawei's eyes flickered, and he shouted, "Lao San, guard the door and don't let anyone from below come up!"
He was well aware that most of the external shooting positions were on the second floor. Now that Chen Chuan had eliminated everyone above, they had lost control of the outside. If the patrol bureau officers seized this opportunity to charge in, they would be caught in a pincer attack, which would be disastrous.
Tong Qianjiang, the closest to the door, immediately drew his gun, fired a few shots outside, and then stuck close to the doorframe, keeping an eye on the outside.
Chen Chuan took this moment to regulate his breathing and survey the situation inside the fort.
Aside from the heavily injured lying on the ground, there were about five people standing within his line of sight. One of them, a doctor-like figure, stood in the corner with his hands in the pockets of his gown, his expression calm and detached.
Among the remaining four, the leader was undoubtedly Fang Dawei. The two-meter-tall giant beside him was likely Tong Baotao, and the one at the door, Tong Qianjiang, Chen Chuan had seen before, even though he had been wearing a mask. He could still recognize him by his build and gaze.
The last person was a small man with a fearful expression, wearing glasses, and a frail physique, unlike the others. He seemed to be a technical staff member.
The deputy of Guan Yuming had mentioned that Fang Dawei's group had six people with implants. Chen Chuan had killed one at the entrance and two more on this floor.
So, there should be three left.
Including the person crawling like a spider above, there should only be Fang Dawei and Tong Baotao left. Their abnormal appearances were evident from the outside.
Once these three were eliminated, the remaining individuals wouldn't pose a significant threat.
Chen Chuan slowly moved his blade to the side and took a step forward, jumping down from the second floor. With a loud thud, he landed steadily, and a cloud of dust rose, slowly spreading out and then dissipating as he straightened his body.
Fang Dawei and his men exchanged glances and slowly advanced towards Chen Chuan, forming a encirclement. At this moment, Lao Qi quietly climbed down from the second floor through a narrow gap, fixing his gaze on Chen Chuan's back and neck.
Tong Baotao discarded his gun and drew out two pure steel short sticks from his waist, his face contorted with ferocity. Simultaneously, the small man, who had been watching the technical staff, suddenly transformed from his initial fearful demeanor into a vicious one. He grabbed a sword with both hands and wildly hacked towards Chen Chuan's head.
Chen Chuan observed the situation with composure. With the "Second Me" overlapping, not only his strength but also his reaction speed had multiplied. In his eyes, everything around him seemed to move in slow motion.
He could sense the movements of people, even those outside his line of sight, through sounds and smells.
Although Tong Baotao and the small man approached simultaneously, there was a clear order to their actions. Chen Chuan took half a step towards the small man, extending his arm to deflect the small man's blade. The small man, along with his sword, was redirected towards Tong Baotao. To avoid a collision, Tong Baotao instinctively slowed his step.
Chen Chuan pulled his sword back, and the small man, having been pulled off balance, desperately tried to regain control of his sword. Chen Chuan's move caused the small man to lose his balance and stumble forward uncontrollably.
Chen Chuan sidestepped, and as the small man passed by, he lightly patted the back of the small man's head with the back of his hand. This action was reminiscent of his initial attempts to hit the sandbag when his blade force was in its infancy.
With a sharp slap, blood gushed from the small man's eyes and ears. Chen Chuan pressed down on the small man's chest to stop his movement and then gently pushed him, sending the small man flying towards Tong Baotao.
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(End of Chapter)
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