Chapter 38: Sharp Saber · Demon's Blood · Devoted Man

Volume 1 “Year of Calamity”

If the two Purifiers killed by Medusa could be compared to mages, then this Purifier named Li Mu was a sinister assassin. His ability was partial sharpening, transforming parts of his body into sharp saber blades. Before his Sublimation, this fellow had been a barber – not the professionally trained hairdressing type, but the kind who set up stalls in streets and alleys to shave heads and faces. Consequently, he particularly favored sharp weapons like razors, always transforming his fingers into sharp razors to attack others. Unlike other Purifiers who used precious Deification Factor to enhance their Superpowers, he surprisingly chose to strengthen his physical body. This indirectly made his flesh as powerful as those Mutants. While such an approach seemed somewhat unorthodox for a Purifier, it granted Li Mu a combat style resembling that of an assassin.

Without any prelude, the battle between An Sheng and Li Mu erupted instantly. After being enhanced by Deification Factor, Li Mu’s speed exceeded An Sheng’s expectations. In An Sheng’s eyes, this slender figure instantly became a blur, appearing before him in the next moment. With several flashes of sharp silver light, fine blood lines appeared on An Sheng’s thighs – he hadn’t even had the chance to react or evade, the speed disparity was simply too great. Fortunately, An Sheng’s Talent Ability played a crucial role at this moment. The wounds inflicted by the razor healed completely in less than a second, thanks to his incredibly powerful self-regeneration ability.

An Sheng swung his saber horizontally at the Purifier before him, but the blade only cut through Li Mu’s afterimage. Li Mu’s true form had already reappeared five meters away from An Sheng. The first round ended in a stalemate between these two extraordinary beings. Though An Sheng appeared completely disadvantaged on the surface, his abilities made it difficult for Li Mu to quickly conclude the battle.

“Self-regeneration ability? Not bad, not bad at all. It seems your genetic talent is quite impressive, hahahahaha…” The same grating, dry laughter followed as Li Mu’s body again turned into a blur, while An Sheng simultaneously charged forward, swinging his saber at his enemy!

“An Sheng, An Sheng, please respond if you receive this, please respond!”

The walkie-talkie An Sheng had left on the windowsill now sounded with Nie Chong’s voice. Though he couldn’t see clearly from his position, the prolonged absence of anyone coming over had made Nie Chong concerned that something might have happened there.

The walkie-talkie’s sound snapped Xun Lili out of her stunned state. She first dragged the convulsing Uncle Wang to a corner, then picked up the walkie-talkie and pressed the reply button.

“Uncle Wang is dying! Please come quickly and save him!”Xun Lili’s voice trembled with tears. Since the apocalypse began, she had no news of her parents’ condition. Without Uncle Wang, a young girl like her could never have endured such pressure these past days. In truth, from the moment the catastrophe struck, this Uncle Wang who had cared for her since childhood had become her only family. She could fight zombies without flinching, and turn men who harbored ill intentions toward her after the apocalypse into eunuchs. Yet when her only family lay dying before her, she truly felt helpless. After all, Xun Lili was just a twenty-one-year-old girl.

“Don’t cry, stay calm, girl! What happened over there? Why isn’t An Sheng there? The soldier who went to rescue you – where did he go?”

On the other end, Nie Chong was equally anxious. The Corpse Horde on the streets kept growing, and soon they would surround their building. Most importantly, An Sheng’s current situation was critical – he was the key to their survival!

“That soldier turned into a Demon and started fighting a Freak! It was that Freak who injured Uncle Wang!”

A Freak? What kind of Freak? A Mutant or a Purifier? It seemed their worst fears had come true. An Sheng had warned from the beginning that if he transformed into a Demon inside the building, it might attract Advanced Mutated Creatures. They had gambled on their luck not being that bad, but clearly, their luck had run out.

“Girl, get over here quickly! It’s too dangerous to stay there!”

Whatever An Sheng encountered, getting the survivor away from there was the best choice.

Xun Lili cradled Uncle Wang’s head, her eyes filled with tears. Though this man shared no blood relation with her, he had treated her better than her own parents. She absolutely couldn’t abandon her family to escape alone!

Excessive blood loss had turned Middle-aged Wang’s complexion an unhealthy pale. Having no first aid training, Xun Lili could only imitate what she’d seen on television, desperately using towels and clothes to staunch Uncle Wang’s bleeding wound. But her efforts proved futile – blood soon soaked through the towels, dyeing the white fabric a glaring crimson.

“Lili… if there’s… a chance… tell… your mother… I’ve been… waiting… for her.” Middle-aged Wang’s voice was faint and broken, but Xun Lili understood every word.In truth, she had long known that Uncle Wang, her mother’s former driver, had feelings for her mother, though it was an unspoken understanding among them. Moreover, Xun Lili’s parents had been constantly occupied with their careers since her childhood, never having time to accompany her. From elementary school onward, it was this very Uncle Wang who took her everywhere, picked her up from and dropped her off at school, and even frequently treated her to snacks forbidden at home, treating her as his own daughter—closer than blood ties. This was an expression of loving someone along with all that pertains to them, a continuation of affection for another person. And this man was truly a devoted soul, never marrying, clinging to the fantasy that one day he could be with the one he loved. Yet, until his death, this remained an unattainable wish.

“Uncle, don’t speak. I know, I’ve always known. Don’t talk—I’ll find a way to save you. You’ll be fine, you will…”

Uncle Wang breathed his last, his life extinguished in agony, carrying his love for another woman. Perhaps after death, he and the one he loved would find love in another world.

Knowing that the relative before her had turned into a cold corpse, Xun Lili did not burst into loud sobs. She silently stood up, covered Uncle Wang’s pale face with a nearby piece of clothing, then slowly took off the Chanel backpack from her shoulders, pulling out a sharp Bone Blade from within. Resolutely, she walked out. She, Xun Lili, was going for revenge!

The battle between An Sheng and the Purifier had reached a fever pitch, or rather, it was a one-sided beating for An Sheng, as from the start of the fight until now, he hadn’t even managed to touch the hem of his opponent’s garment. Yet he himself had suffered countless slashes; if not for his freakishly powerful recovery ability, he would likely have been sliced to pieces by this Purifier named Li Mu. Although he could still tangle with the Purifier temporarily thanks to his own Talent Ability, An Sheng knew he couldn’t hold on much longer. As his stamina gradually depleted, his recovery ability was also weakening. Previously, his wounds healed almost instantly, but now it took up to five seconds—an extremely dangerous sign. Moreover, An Sheng’s speed was no match for this Purifier; escape was utterly impossible. The only way out was to kill his opponent! Yet, with such a disparity in strength, how easy could it be to kill this Purifier?

However, after enduring so many slashes, An Sheng hadn’t gained nothing. He realized that although his body’s reaction speed couldn’t keep up with his opponent’s, as the battle continued, his eyes could now track the other’s movements. This was the strength of a Mutant—the ability to grow rapidly in combat. Yet, being able to see didn’t mean he could strike, because An Sheng knew his body simply couldn’t keep up with his eyes. Though he could see clearly, his body couldn’t react immediately, leaving him to watch helplessly as the opponent’s Razor sliced through his skin, staining his entire body with purplish-black blood.