Chapter 51 The Battle Begins! (Second Update) Please Vote and Add to Your Favorites

Swish! Swish!—

Just as the two henchmen beside “Brother Huang” were about to swing their rifles around and pull the triggers, two crisp sounds split the air. Twin 8mm steel balls shot out from Liang Jing’s left hand like lightning, striking both men on the right wrists with a sharp crack—

“Ah!” “Ah, it hurts—!”

The two men, still riding the high of adrenaline, were suddenly overwhelmed by searing pain. They could no longer hold their rifles, let alone fire at Liang Jing and his companions. Clutching their wounded hands, they howled in agony.

“You… you actually dare attack us? Do you have a death wish? We serve Master Tu, do you hear me? Master Tu is—” Only now did “Brother Huang” realize something was amiss. As he looked at Liang Jing and the others, each exuding a fierce aura and gripping short blades, he noticed their bulging waistlines—surely hiding firearms! For the first time, he took in the sight of Jia Yujin, clad head to toe in steel armor, and Liang Jing, his face obscured by a grotesque mask and a massive weapon slung across his back. The group stood silently, radiating a chilling murderous intent. Brother Huang’s pupils contracted violently—these people were cold-blooded killers, the sort to murder without blinking.

Seeing his opponents were strong and outnumbered, and noting that his own four men were now wounded and useless, Brother Huang knew that confronting them head-on was futile. Perhaps these strangers didn’t understand the power behind him. Falling back on habit, he began to bluster about his backer, Master Tu, warning of the consequences of defiance. If he could frighten them, all the better—after all, anyone among the migrating crowds who heard Master Tu’s name would shrink away in terror.

Liang Jing was happy to listen, gleaning information about the infamous Master Tu, a man of ruthless cruelty and vindictive fury—truly, a madman in every sense. Even Liang Jing, who fancied himself a butcher and a god of slaughter, involuntarily drew a sharp breath. Compared to such a maniac, he realized he was still too soft-hearted, too gentle; his eyes narrowed in contemplation.

“Ha! Afraid, are you? Now you know what it means to be trapped between life and death, don’t you?” Brother Huang, mistaking their reaction for fear, became even more arrogant.

“Sigh… For you to have prospered under such a monster, you must have plenty of blood on your hands. That being the case, I won’t feel the slightest guilt in killing you,” Liang Jing said calmly. Of course, he didn’t fear Master Tu’s retribution; with a man so vindictive, he would inevitably become a target regardless. Watching Brother Huang gloat, Liang Jing shook his head in silent disdain—such low intelligence, even as an awakened one, he was fated to be a mere pawn. Did he not know of silencing witnesses?

He glanced over at Old Jia, and the two exchanged a nod—no words needed, each understood the other’s intentions.

“He’s an awakened one. Judging by his appearance, his ability is likely physical enhancement, with strong defenses,” Liang Jing remarked.

“Let me handle him. It’s been so long since my awakening, and I haven’t had a proper fight.” Jia Yujin’s eyes gleamed at the mention of an enhancement-type ability, excitement written plainly on his face.

“Alright, I’ll cover you. If possible, try not to kill him.” Liang Jing, fingers poised over two large steel balls, was ready to intervene at any moment—both to prevent mishaps and to seize the chance for “experience.”

Buzz!

Old Jia said no more, understanding that his brother’s caution was for his own safety. He pressed his elbows to his sides, fists clenched, and activated his innate talent. A surge of energy drained nearly half his reserves, and with a resonant hum, his body flashed with golden light. He grew visibly larger and more robust, his entire frame exuding an indomitable, metallic sheen.

—Vajra Transformation: reinforcing the hardness and strength of the body.

Boom!

Jia Yujin stomped forward, the ground shuddering under his feet as he charged at Brother Huang like an iron behemoth. In prison, Jia Yujin had risen to power through relentless training, forging a body that was formidable even before awakening—stronger than Liang Jing himself before the apocalypse. Now, with his power awakened, his injuries and old wounds had healed, and the faint energy within him continued to nourish and fortify his physique. The weight of his self-fashioned metal armor, over a hundred pounds, barely hindered his speed or agility.

He launched a direct punch at the dumbfounded awakened one, his fist shimmering with a metallic luster—brutal and domineering, the sort of move that, in a duel, would be seen as both bullying and contemptuous.

Ah!

Brother Huang had not anticipated such a response, so contrary to his expectations that it stunned him. Luckily, he wasn’t entirely a fool; his earlier bravado was born of old instincts and the habits developed under Master Tu’s command. Now, as he snapped back to reality, Brother Huang instinctively raised his arms to block the blow, while simultaneously activating his own gifted ability.

He had absolute faith in his power: a rare defensive type, it hardened his skin with a thick brown keratin layer. Unless riddled with continuous gunfire, ordinary rifles could barely harm him—his safety was all but assured. That was why Master Tu sent him out hunting, for while others might boast stronger attacks, in the wild, survival trumps all.

Crack!

“Ah—!”

But his reaction was a fraction too late. In battle, each moment counts; caught off guard, his ability was not fully deployed when Jia Yujin’s iron fist crashed into him. A sharp crack signaled a broken bone, and Brother Huang cried out in pain. Yet, agile as he was, he used the force of the blow to stagger backward several steps, buying enough time to complete his transformation.

Now his physique too was mightier, his entire body encased in a thick brown keratin shell. He glared at Jia Yujin, pain flaring in his arm, his expression venomous.

Whoosh!

But Jia Yujin did not pause. Seeing his opponent retreat to buy time, he pressed his attack, fists whistling through the air like solid iron bars aimed squarely at Brother Huang.

Courting death!

Seeing his relentless pursuer close in, Brother Huang’s rage was boundless. Since awakening, his defensive power had never failed him—even if he’d been an ordinary man before, now, in close combat, no one could best him. In his mind, with such defense, the rest would inevitably fall before his blows. He let out a furious roar, his face twisted with bloodlust. Come, then—let me show you what it means to be a tank, what it means to be powerless.

He charged forward, meeting Jia Yujin head-on, eschewing all defense for a wild, reckless brawl, fists flying.

Jia Yujin, seeing this, felt a surge of excitement. He had long wanted to test his Vajra Transformation in a true fight, relishing the raw, visceral clash of flesh and bone—this was combat at its purest, its most exhilarating…

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Only now do I realize it's the New Year—wishing all readers great fortune, health, and wealth! And, to be practical, I humbly ask for your support—click, favorite, vote red if you enjoy. Thank you…