Chapter 43 Born a Natural Killer

[Prompt: You have killed a Level 2 Crimson Lurker (Elite)]
[Prompt: Your Polearm Specialty level has increased to Level 3]

Ye Mingqiu glanced casually at the system prompts, shaking the blood spear as the residual black residue on the tip scattered across the ground. Although there was no spiritual realm prompt, it was evidently clear that the boiling blood of these crimson monsters—the Crimson Lurker—seemed to have some sort of enhancing effect on the blood spear.

Hunting, begin!

A fierce glint appeared in Ye Mingqiu's eyes.

Witnessing the tragic deaths of their companions, the feral fierceness remaining in the eyes of the surviving Crimson Lurkers was replaced by boundless terror. They were even roaring inwardly: What the hell kind of monster is this! He is more of a monster than we are!

The two Crimson Lurkers turned abruptly, scrambling on all fours to flee desperately toward the deeper, denser darkness of the assembly workshop. Their speed was terrifyingly fast, visually estimated to be at least 15 points in agility. On the other side, Changfeng, who had been wielding dual swords, fled right along with them, completely devoid of any courage to linger.

'Mere leveling material, and you want to run?'

Ye Mingqiu's icy gaze locked onto one of the frantically escaping Crimson Lurkers. The muscles in his right arm violently tensed, and the sharp blood spear was hoisted with a single hand, its tip pointing straight at the fleeing enemy.

Immediately afterward, his arm pulled back fiercely, resembling the drawing of a giant bow, channeling all his strength into the shaft of the spear, and then... it instantly erupted!

"Whoosh!!"

The blood spear shot forward at extreme speed, transforming into a crimson lightning bolt that tore through the night air, emitting a piercing sonic screech as it instantly nailed the Crimson Lurker firmly to the ground.

Following that, he turned his gaze to the other fleeing Crimson Lurker, activating [Furious Pursuit].

Furious Pursuit: Charges toward a designated target. During the charge, speed progressively increases up to a maximum of 35%. Movement speed reduction effects are immune during acceleration, and attacks deal an additional 0.25x strength damage.

Possessing an astonishing 17.1 agility, Ye Mingqiu sprinted under the augmentation of Furious Pursuit. His speed grew faster and faster, charging forward like a speeding heavy-duty truck with unmatched momentum, hurtling all the way across the moderately spacious assembly workshop.

"Bang!"

Ye Mingqiu delivered a violent downward slam, grabbing the Crimson Lurker by the skull and pinning it hard to the ground, rendering it completely unable to rise no matter how frantically it struggled.

This was the suppression of absolute strength.

Possessing a legendary class, multiple talents, and having his strength enhanced by the RE-cell genetic master serum, his strength attribute had now reached a staggering 24.8. When facing Level 2 elite units, he exerted an effect of absolute devastation.

He did not crush the target's skull not because of insufficient strength, but out of fear that doing so would prevent the blood spear from receiving a complete amplification when absorbing the boiling blood.

Subsequently, gripping the Crimson Lurker by the head, he walked step by steady, powerful step toward the blood-stained war spear that had pinned the other Crimson Lurker.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'll do whatever you want me to do, anything at all!"

The Crimson Lurker being dragged along by its head wailed in agony. It thrashed and struggled continuously, attempting to launch an attack, but the pain radiating from its head paralyzed its capacity for thought, reducing it to flailing blindly like a beast, leaving several blood-stained trails across the floor.

It can speak?

Ye Mingqiu paused for a moment, but quickly realized he had been misled by their monstrous true forms. In daylight, before revealing their true forms, Crimson Lurkers could disguise themselves as humans, only exposing their genuine appearances when feeding or fighting.

Therefore, not only could they speak, but they could also transform into human shapes whenever necessary.

Sensing his hesitation, the Crimson Lurker mistook it for being captivated by her voice. After all, within human society, many people willingly played the dog for the sake of a woman's voice and appearance; some males were simply like that.

Thus, clinging to this as if it were a straw to grasp for life, the Crimson Lurker continued, "Don't kill me, I'm a girl! A girl! I'm very pretty!"

Ye Mingqiu ignored it, walking silently up to the blood spear that impaled the other Crimson Lurker and pulling it out. The remains of the Crimson Lurker, pierced and drained of all its boiling blood by the spear, disintegrated into pitch-black fragments scattered across the ground, and the kill prompt rang out accordingly.

[Prompt: You have killed a Level 2 Crimson Lurker (Elite)]

"Don't! Don't kill me, I'm very pretty, very clean, I'll do whatever you want me to, I'll do anything..."

"Thud!"

The blood spear descended.

[Prompt: You have killed a Level 2 Crimson Lurker (Elite)]

Ye Mingqiu looked down at the Crimson Lurker whose throat had been pierced by the blood spear, his gaze indifferent and calm, completely devoid of any abnormal fluctuation.

To him, this was merely witnessing an enemy frantically struggling to grasp at a possible chance of survival right before death—a very common phenomenon. There was no need for mockery, nor for excessive attention, just as one need not pause on a battlefield simply for killing a single soldier.

As for the question of gender...

In true, pure combat, there is no distinction between male and female. Treating individuals differently based on gender is inherently an act of infidelity and impurity toward combat.

Combat is combat; an enemy is an enemy. To kill or be killed—only by maintaining the utmost purity can one grow stronger faster. To him, this was a matter of course.

Ye Mingqiu also understood that he was a born butcher. The moment he first stepped onto the battlefield, he was able to suppress his discomfort and kill the enemy, overcoming that unease in a very short time. He fought with greater efficiency, rapidly elevating his specialty level and growing ever stronger.

Could this be considered a special, hidden talent?

Perhaps.

Subsequently, he turned his gaze toward the depths of the workshop, continuing forward with heavy footsteps while summarizing the intelligence gathered from the combat in his mind.

Combat Intelligence: Crimson Lurkers possess extremely high speed and sharp claws and fangs, but their physical strength is not high, and their physical defense is low. Suspected of having life-reinforcement capabilities with rapid natural recovery rates, they can display stubborn vitality under extreme conditions. The blood within their bodies is suspected to possess a certain special energy; upon losing this energy, they disintegrate into black fragments.

Summary: High attack and high speed, low defense with thick health and fast recovery. The blood spear holds a certain restraining effect against them, and their blood possesses special value.

...

Deep within the darkness stood a massive, blood-stained iron door. As Ye Mingqiu approached, heavy breathing gradually echoed from within the iron door, and small wisps of crimson vapor slowly drifted outward from the other side.

The massive iron door slowly creaked open, accompanied by a low chuckle.

Behind the door, a man wearing white work clothes sat holding a notebook, looking with keen interest at Ye Mingqiu who had arrived, and spoke, "Impressive. To think someone actually dares to find their way here. I wonder if you are brimming with confidence, or... just another clueless greenhorn who knows nothing."

Ye Mingqiu remained silent, quietly assuming a battle stance. Beneath his grim-faced, fanged appearance, his eyes stared fixedly at the man. He could sense that this ordinary-looking man radiated a power far greater than those Crimson Lurkers outside, possessing boiling blood of a much higher quality.

The crystalline patterns on the blood spear flickered, breathing greedily like an evil ghost before a feast, eyeing its prey.

"No answer?"

The man smiled. His body underwent a rapid distortion within moments; crimson muscles burst through his clothes, and the scattered blood qi surged like towering waves, transforming him in an instant into a gigantic, ferocious blood beast. His scarlet, vertical pupils emitted a dangerous glow.