Chapter 104
Chapter 104
One man would guard seven fissures.
That was the limit of what Qin Lan could do.
His strength might have soared, but even he needed some time to dispose of a 3-Star anomaly.
The seven fissures he had marked were the closest together, minimizing his travel time.
He would do everything he could to ease the pressure on the others.
“Tang Qingqing,” Qin Lan suddenly said. “Stay with Sister Luo Yue. Wherever she goes, you go. Make sure nothing happens to her.”
Tang Qingqing immediately nodded.
“Understood!”
In truth, she did not understand at all.
As Tang Qingqing saw it, Qin Lan had bonded her to Luo Yue both to maximize the effectiveness of their Talents and to keep Luo Yue safe.
In reality, Qin Lan was ensuring Tang Qingqing’s safety.
He knew Luo Yue’s family background. If the situation reached its worst possible point, Lu Xingshan would certainly send her out of Safe Zone 088 to escape the bloody war.
His words had actually been meant for Luo Yue. When that time came, he wanted her to save Tang Qingqing and take the girl with her.
Luo Yue plainly understood. Their eyes met, and she gave him a grave nod.
Neither spoke, but both knew.
And Luo Yue understood the second meaning in Qin Lan’s words–he was not leaving.
If Qin Lan had intended to flee once the anomalies became unstoppable, keeping Tang Qingqing at his side would have been the best choice.
Instead, he had entrusted her to someone else. He was clearly prepared for the worst.
“Little Qin, what Director Lu told you…” Luo Yue could not bear it. She tried to persuade him, but Qin Lan cut her off.
“I know. I’ve made my decision.”
He gave her no chance to continue.
Qin Lan stamped both feet. The hard paving stones exploded beneath him with a deafening crack, and his body shot into the sky like a cannonball before vanishing from sight.
Luo Yue raised her head and stared in the direction he had disappeared.
A thousand things seemed poised on her lips, but in the end, all that emerged was a long sigh.
…
Qin Lan sensed the powerful curse energy long before he reached the first fissure.
This one had been specifically flagged for the appearance of a 3-Star anomaly.
From a distance, his gaze locked onto the enormous “tree” that had abruptly appeared.
It was an ancient tree so thick it would take three or four people linking arms to encircle its trunk. But the objects hanging from its drooping branches were not fruit.
They were withered skulls.
Human skulls.
[Skull-Bearing Ancient Tree (3-Star corporeal anomaly)]
It had already killed a 1-Star and a 2-Star Anomaly Hunter. Its branches had wrapped around their necks and ripped out their heads, spines and all.
The surrounding civilians had long since scattered. Only the Anomaly Hunters remained, doing everything in their power to fight it.
Qin Lan’s gaze turned even colder. In a flash, he appeared before the Skull-Bearing Ancient Tree.
Ghostly fire burned within its trunk. Qin Lan could even hear the tree spirit whispering.
Those whispers clouded the mind, leaving people dazed and confused. That was how the two Anomaly Hunters had let their guard down and lost their heads.
Qin Lan was entirely unaffected.
“You deserve to die.”
His face was as cold as snow in the dead of winter.
He drew Who Cares What You Are? Eat My Stick! and poured dense curse energy into it, setting the weapon ablaze.
Then came a full-force strike loaded with fury.
Qin Lan had grown accustomed to fighting with a staff, so he had never replaced his Telescopic Staff Secret Art. He had kept the skill until now.
It had once come from a 2-Star anomaly.
Now, it could kill a 3-Star anomaly in a single blow.
BOOM!
The violent impact unleashed a shockwave. The terrifying force nearly hurled several nearby 1-Star Anomaly Hunters off their feet.
Fast as thunder and wreathed in searing flame, the staff smashed straight through the Skull-Bearing Ancient Tree’s trunk and shattered the tree spirit at its core.
[You have drawn power from an enemy’s complete death.]
[Curse Resistance permanently increased: 7]
Standing atop the ancient tree’s trunk, Qin Lan beckoned without expression. Dense curse energy surged toward him and poured into his body.
After changing his Curse Codex, he could absorb curses several times faster than before.
Within a few breaths, he had completely absorbed the 3-Star anomaly’s curse.
[Maximum Curse Energy: 182 > 195]
The Anomaly Hunters who had witnessed the entire fight stood frozen. Some rubbed their eyes, wondering if an anomaly’s skill had trapped them in an illusion.
That rampaging 3-Star anomaly had just been beaten to death with one swing?
Its reeking trunk lay toppled on the ground, flames crackling across it.
As the curse dissipated, the corpse gradually crumbled into ash.
“Is that… Qin Lan? The youngest 3-Star Anomaly Hunter?”
“I’ve heard about him. Supposedly Senior Dong fought him to a draw…”
“A draw? Are you kidding? Qin Lan looks way stronger to me.”
“Beats me. Why don’t you ask Senior Dong whether he lost?”
“Forget I said anything. I’d like to live a few more years.”
They spoke in hushed voices, but Qin Lan’s keen ears caught every word.
He could not help feeling a little wistful.
When he first joined the Anomaly Hunter Bureau, he had looked up to these Anomaly Hunters. Now he had become the one they looked up to.
He did not have time to dwell on it.
Qin Lan moved again, heading for the next location where a 3-Star anomaly had appeared.
…
“Shoes! Shoes! So many shoes! Hahahaha…”
Shrill laughter rang with madness. An enormous Glass Slipper bounded wildly around, its translucent crystal body smeared with blood.
An Anomaly Hunter’s corpse was skewered on its long, slender heel.
Each leap sent more cold blood spilling from the body.
The pitiful hunter’s eyes bulged with fear and resentment. The heel had entered through his throat and emerged from his lower abdomen.
But he was only one example.
Most Anomaly Hunters died in battle against anomalies. Dying with an intact corpse was already an extravagant hope.
For the less fortunate, not even their souls found peace.
“This shoe is so ugly… So ugly!”
The Glass Slipper shrieked again in irritation. It leaped high, then crashed down.
The Anomaly Hunter it had targeted went cold all over, certain he would be crushed into paste in the next instant. His legs could barely move, let alone carry him away.
The blood-soaked sole rapidly expanded in his vision. The pressure of its descent made it difficult to breathe.
The battle had already drained too much of his strength. There was likely no escaping death.
Clang!
The sound rang like metal striking metal.
The 2-Star Anomaly Hunter squeezed his eyes shut, but the expected agony never came.
When he opened them, he saw a long, black staff braced firmly against the descending sole.
Brilliant flames burned along the weapon.
“We meet again…” Qin Lan said with a laugh that contained no friendliness whatsoever.
“Come to think of it, killing you once really wasn’t satisfying enough.”
He flicked the staff upward.
The enormous Glass Slipper flipped over and flew into the air.
“You! It’s you!”
“I remember you! You damned! Horrible! Little pest!”
Its voice held equal parts fury and fear.
Qin Lan closed the distance in an instant. His staff came crashing down with the howl of wind and thunder.
“Good memory.”
“Your prize is… my big stick!”