Lei Zhengyang pushed himself to the limit, uprooting two stakes en route. Arriving, he saw Hua Yunyue teetering on the brink. Fortunately, her foe wasn't fighting seriously, toying with her like a lion with a rabbit.
Blood streaked Hua Yunyue's face—hers or another's, unclear. Her arm and leg bled profusely, yet she stood firm, channeling immense power through one hand and one foot.
The bald man, Tank, bore four wounds from Hua Yunyue's true qi-infused strikes during her desperate lunges. But his thick hide shrugged off such minor damage.
"Tank, finish her!" Urgent footsteps echoed nearby, followed by Lian Si's command. Saber Team's reinforcements had arrived, sharpening their assault. Lian Si opted to retreat.
Tank—aptly named—sped up at Lian Si's order, his fists surging with added force. Aiming for the faltering Hua Yunyue, he landed a brutal punch on her shoulder. The force cracked bone with a sharp snap, robbing her arm of strength. Only one leg remained.
Lei Zhengyang acted without hesitation, diving in and scooping Hua Yunyue into his arms. At that instant, an explosion rocked her former position—Lian Si, impatient, had lobbed a grenade. A second later, and she'd have lost limbs.
No matter how beautiful, a woman missing an arm or leg wasn't a beauty.
After all, there was only one Naais.
Lian Si hadn't expected another player. His eyes flashed with malice, and he sprayed bullets at Lei with his machine gun. Shots tore through branches, leaves falling like rain, but Lei had already vanished, carrying Hua Yunyue 50 meters away to a tree hollow.
His fingers flicked, sealing key acupoints to slow her bleeding. Otherwise, she'd bleed out fast.
Her resilience was astounding—she remained conscious. Looking at Lei, a gentle smile crossed her face. "I knew I wouldn't die. Someone would save me. Didn't expect it'd be you."
Lei had no time for chatter. Peering through the branches, he saw Lian Si's crew retreating, gunfire erupting behind them—they were surrounded.
"For saving my life, I'll forgive you for spying on me bathing," Hua Yunyue said. "But the secret of my mark—you can never tell anyone."
Lei found her timing absurd. Was she aware of the situation? Glaring, he hissed, "Shut up. It's not certain you'll get out alive. Here, take this gun, stay put, and don't move. I'll draw them off."
As he turned, she grabbed his sleeve. Her earnest gaze met his. "Come back safe. I'll wait."
Lei rolled his eyes—now wasn't the time for sappy nonsense. Kicking off a branch, he leaped six meters, then used another to catapult over ten meters, landing on a trunk like a gecko.
The movement alerted Lian Si's crew. Gunfire roared. Lei's hand rose, now gripping a military bayonet, a cold smirk curling his lips. Spinning from behind the tree, he faced a gunman about to fire. His bayonet plunged into the man's chest, killing instantly.
Using the corpse as a shield, Lei leaped to a second gunman, stabbing his neck. The man died, unable to fathom Lei's speed.
Two gunmen fell with only screams and a fleeting shadow. Lian Si's eyes narrowed, a veteran's instinct prickling. A true master had arrived—perhaps Knife himself.
"Knife, you're here! Finally!" Lian Si cackled. "I'm the Eagle—surprised I'm alive?" Taunting, he signaled Tank to encircle Lei's position.
"You think you're invincible? Hiding like a coward? Come out, let's settle this! I'm not scared!"
"Knife, show yourself if you've got the guts!"
Lei's danger sense was razor-sharp. A gunman appeared to his right, sights locked. Lei's bayonet flew faster than a bullet, piercing the gunman clean through as a shot grazed past. Yanking the blade free, Lei lunged at Tank, striking like a divine warrior, unstoppable.
"Roar!" Tank bellowed, his bald scalp sprouting yellow fur—not hair, but beastly bristles. Lei's bayonet carved a deep gash in his shoulder, but within seconds, Tank transformed into a feral gorilla.
He pounced with crushing force, like a mountain bearing down.
Lei's bayonet slashed, but Tank's hand seized it, impervious to steel. With a flick, he hurled Lei over ten meters.
Rolling to cover, Lei dodged a hail of bullets. He hadn't anticipated such a foe—not human, but a beast. A human-animal hybrid.
Memory told him beastification tech emerged a decade later, yet here it was, tangible and raw.
"Hahaha, kid, your master's too scared to show, so you die instead!" Tank jeered. "Didn't expect my gorilla form, huh? It's bulletproof! Come on, fight! I'll skin you for dinner!"
Beside Lian Si, only Tank and two gunmen remained, creeping toward Lei's position.
Golden Dragon power surged through Lei. He'd thought it unnecessary, but Tank's beastification—a secret weapon poised to dominate Western warfare—changed that. In his memory, the East suffered heavy losses before countering with Golden Dragon power.
The power glowed softly. Lian Si sensed it, halting. "Tank, rip him apart!"
Tank pounded his fur-covered chest, the thud-thud echoing, and charged fearlessly.
Lei vaulted, climbing a tree to a dozen meters. Dropping like lightning, his bayonet drove into Tank's nape. With a twist and a surge of Golden Dragon power—far surpassing the beast's might—he severed the head. It rolled to Lian Si's feet, eyes still open.
This wasn't true beastification. Tank was a prototype, far weaker than the future's perfected versions, Lei realized.
"Fuck!" Lian Si's face paled. Though a renowned mercenary, Tank was his trump card. With him dead, fear crept in. "Retreat!" he barked, fleeing with his two remaining men.
Lei didn't pursue. That strike had drained him. Two gunmen he could handle, but Lian Si added too much risk. Plus, Hua Yunyue's injuries needed urgent care.
When Lei reached her, she clutched the gun, unconscious. As he lifted her, footsteps approached—Lei Qiuping and Wu Xiaomin led the charge, soldiers fanning out to secure the area.
"Zhengyang!" Wu rushed over, spotting his blood-soaked form.
Qiuping, alarmed, asked, "Zhengyang, you okay?"
Lei shook his head. "I'm fine, but Hua Yunyue's critical. Call a chopper—she needs a hospital now."
Saber Team arrived, stunned by the scattered bandit corpses. Hua Yunyue's ferocity was staggering.
"I'm Cold Wind, Capital Saber Team leader," a man said. "Thanks for the rescue. Hand Hua Yunyue over." Seeing a bloodied stranger holding her, and her clinging tightly, Cold Wind bristled. Lei hadn't thought twice, but her grip was iron.
"Cold Wind, can't you see her injuries?" Wu snapped. "Moving her risks worse harm. We'll handle it." Furious at his failure to protect his team, she saw him as unfit for a Saber leader.
Turning to Lei, she said, "Zhengyang, the chopper's coming. Get Yunyue to a hospital fast. Please protect her. Third Aunt's begging you."
For the first time, she claimed her familial role, pleading as kin. To Wu, Hua Yunyue was family—irreplaceable.
Cold Wind's eyes glinted coldly, about to protest, when the chopper roared overhead, its blades thundering. A rope ladder dropped down.