A Night of Desperation-Chapter 109: The Harvest (1)

Just as Black Crow and Black Eye were quietly leaving toward a concealed vantage point—

Boom.

A dull thud echoed behind them. The nuclear Generator, resembling a giant freezer, was lifted off the truck and set down.

Hearing the sound, Black Crow immediately quickened his pace, dragging Black Eye along as they sprinted away.

Bang!

Before they could get far, gunshots rang out behind them. The trunk of a tree beside them exploded, leaving a fist-sized hole in its bark.

Splinters flew, making both men shudder in terror.

Black Crow no longer cared about his subordinate. With a swift roll, he evaded his previous spot and took cover behind another large tree. He peeked back to assess the situation.

If the enemy possessed high-powered firearms, running blindly like before would be suicide.

Pressing against the tree trunk, he scanned ahead, hoping to spot any of the four trucks his subordinates had taken. But none had returned.

Those so-called subordinates were nothing more than opportunists. At the first sign of danger, they had scattered like rats.

“Damn it!” Black Crow’s eyes turned icy cold. He swore to deal with those cowards once he got away.

He quietly pulled out his alloy staff from his back. With a sharp tug, it extended and locked into place.

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“That guy has a high-powered firearm. I can’t engage from a distance—I need to get in close!”

Though his opponent seemed incredibly strong, raw strength alone didn’t determine the outcome of a fight.

This was a battle to the death.

A ruthless glint flashed in Black Crow’s eyes. He took a deep breath, held it, and suddenly pivoted into a sprint.

He moved like a black python slithering through the underbrush, racing toward Yu Hong, who was checking the generator.

“First, use my staff techniques to probe the weak spots in his armored suit. Use his own strength against him to throw him off balance.”

A sharp plan formed in Black Crow’s mind as he fixated on the black-clad figure ahead.

He had a feeling—this fight would be the toughest of his career.

“If other combat specialists faced such a naturally powerful opponent, they’d be helpless. But my staff technique excels in leveraging an opponent’s force. Judging by his footwork, he’s not trained in close-quarters combat—my chances of winning are high!”

In the brief seconds of his charge, confidence surged through Black Crow. From subtle clues, he had deduced that Yu Hong’s fighting skills were inferior to his own.

So—

Black Crow suddenly leaped from the grass, his staff turning into a black crescent moon, smashing down toward Yu Hong’s face.

“Master Fu’s Staff Technique: Secret Art—Phantom Strike!”

This move was designed to bait the opponent into exerting force in a particular direction, setting up a counterattack.

It was the first step in Black Crow’s carefully planned assault.

The seemingly deadly black crescent was actually a feint. As long as Yu Hong reacted—whether by attacking or blocking—he would—

Thud!

The black crescent struck Yu Hong’s helmet and shoulder with a dull thud.

Yu Hong hadn’t even attempted to block. He simply stood there, letting the staff hit him.

Just as Black Crow expected, his attack felt as weak as a gentle breeze. The force dispersed upon impact, nullified by the buffering layers of Yu Hong’s reinforced Gray Lizard suit.

He felt nothing.

“I have a question,” Yu Hong said casually.

Before Black Crow could react, more staff shadows filled his vision, this time delivering solid, killing blows. Each strike was aimed at a vital point.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

In mere seconds, over a dozen strikes landed across Yu Hong’s body, creating a blur of black staff shadows.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Yu Hong suddenly reached out. Ignoring the attacks, his arm shot forward and clamped onto Black Crow’s shoulder.

“Struggling won’t solve anything. Let’s talk.”

Black Crow’s face twisted in panic. He struggled with all his might, but the strength gap was insurmountable. No matter how hard he fought, he couldn’t break free from Yu Hong’s grip.

Crack.

As he struggled, Yu Hong increased his grip. The bulletproof suit’s internal ceramic plating groaned under the pressure, on the verge of shattering.

“You bastard!!”

“Calm down.”

Smack!

Yu Hong slapped Black Crow across the face.

The impact shattered one side of his helmet, sending cracks spreading like a web. Black Crow’s massive, two-meter-tall frame was sent reeling. His mind blanked out from the sheer force of the hit.

Had it not been for the reinforced neck support in his suit, his spine might have snapped on the spot.

In front of so many people, including Lang Feng, he—Black Crow—the top-tier staff master among enhanced humans, second only to those freakish lunatics!

Since the outbreak of the Black Disaster, he had led his team rampaging across the surrounding areas, unstoppable! And now, he had actually been slapped into a daze by some unknown nobody who came out of nowhere!?

In an instant, as Black Crow snapped back to reality, a surge of indescribable shame and fury erupted in his heart.

“I’LL KILL YOU!!!!” He roared in rage.

Shh! A sharp blade protruded from the edge of his staff.

At the same time, ignoring the grip on his shoulder, he exploded with his full strength, swinging his staff ferociously at his opponent’s chest.

Pfft!!

The blade on the staff slashed viciously into Yu Hong’s suit, but it was forcibly stopped by the ultra-thick alloy plating inside.

If it were a standard Gray Lizard suit, the attack would have easily pierced through.

But…

This last desperate strike still failed to break through.

“If you don’t want to cooperate, forget it.” Yu Hong remained unfazed. Though Black Crow’s frenzied resistance looked fierce, every attack was completely absorbed by his suit.

“Remember to be a good person in your next life.” He calmly drew a metal spiked club from his back.

Seeing the club, which was as thick as a human thigh, Black Crow’s eyes widened in terror. He frantically struggled to escape, but—

Suddenly, his body became weightless as he was effortlessly thrown into the air.

BOOM!!!

A black blur shot forward like a cannonball, slamming into his chest with a deafening impact.

The terrifying force crushed his alloy chest plate, bending it inward, snapping his spine, and instantly flattening his entire ribcage into a bloody pulp.

“AH—!!!”

Black Crow’s scream was cut short as his body flew like a ragdoll, slamming into the trunk of a large tree before sliding to the ground, lifeless.

Yu Hong turned around, looking at Black Eye, who was scared stiff on the ground, and Lang Feng’s group, frozen in place not far away.

“Hey, can you guys help me out? The generator’s too big—I don’t think it’ll fit in my car.”

“…” Lang Feng swallowed hard, his scalp tingling. Staring at the crushed and lifeless Black Crow, he suddenly felt that his earlier struggle against him alongside his friend had been nothing but a dream.

That arrogant bastard… had been as helpless as a child before this man.

Hearing Yu Hong’s request, Lang Feng instinctively nodded, realizing what needed to be done.

Moments later—

By the stone bridge, next to Yu Hong’s Jeep, the group worked together to place the nuclear generator on the roof, securing it with ropes, wrapping it with tape, and adding friction pads between the generator and the car’s roof.

“All set. This should be fine now.” Lang Feng clapped his hands and politely turned to Yu Hong.

“Thanks a lot, this really helped.” Yu Hong nodded in satisfaction. “When traveling, mutual aid is the only way to survive. The world is getting more dangerous, and fewer people are living outside the cities. If we don’t help each other, it’ll only get harder to survive.”

“You’re too kind, Mr. Yu. You helped us take care of that thug—helping you with this is the least we can do,” Lang Feng said seriously.

“Well said, Captain Lang. Though honestly, I didn’t expect Black Crow to be such a ruthless and violent guy. I originally wanted to talk things out with him, but his reaction was just too abnormal.” Yu Hong sighed. “I heard he had companions?”

“No need to worry about that. These days, people only look out for themselves, and criminals are even more selfish,” a young man named Xiao Feng chimed in.

Xiao Feng was extremely curious about Yu Hong. Seeing that he was about to leave and noticing his friendly demeanor, he finally couldn’t resist speaking up.

“I have a question. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Go ahead.” Yu Hong smiled. This group had not only helped him transport the generator but also given him extra food and supplies. They were friendly and just, and after talking for half an hour, he could tell they were genuinely kind people.

“Are you a fully enhanced human?” Xiao Feng asked in a low voice.

“…Enhanced human? I’m not sure.” Yu Hong shook his head. “But I have had a lot of contact with Luminous Stone. I’ve never had a professional examination.”

“I see…” Xiao Feng didn’t seem disappointed, as if he had already guessed the answer. “Since you came from Baiqiu Village, you’ll have to pass through Huanfeng City. That place is a huge problem right now, so please be very careful. Did you run into any trouble on your way here?”

“It was fine, nothing too serious. Though I did encounter a strange creature I’ve never seen before. The radio never mentioned it.” Yu Hong described the humanoid monster made entirely of black gelatinous material that he had encountered.

“Thanks for the intel. We’ll be on guard.” Lang Feng cupped his hands in gratitude. “The situation in Huanfeng City has deteriorated badly. The infection is spreading to the surrounding areas. The Joint Army has already sent elite forces three times, but none have returned. I received word that they might be sending their strongest unit—the Blood Lead Division.”

“You’re in contact with the Joint Army?” Yu Hong asked in surprise.

“Sometimes we get cooperation requests. Not just us—every stronghold in this area does, whether friend or foe. Everyone has to assist the investigation teams they send. Helping them is helping ourselves,” Lang Feng explained.

“I’ll be careful in Huanfeng City,” Yu Hong nodded.

“We call those gelatinous creatures ‘Black Oil Men.’ They’re highly toxic. Don’t touch them lightly, and even being near them too long can cause lung problems. The best way to deal with them is fire—they’re very afraid of it.” Lang Feng warned.

“Got it.” Yu Hong nodded.

“There’s one more thing—near Huanfeng City, there’s an idiot enhanced human named Du Chengtao. He’s a fully enhanced type and extremely strong. Be careful if you run into him,” Lang Feng added.

“Du Chengtao, huh… Got it.” Yu Hong nodded. “Speaking of which, they say full-body enhancements are the strongest. Just how powerful can they get? What’s their limit? Is it just about strength?”

He had no understanding of this field. Since he had met someone knowledgeable, he figured it was a good chance to ask.

(End of Chapter)