Chapter 86: Chapter 80: The Overwhelming Power of [Adrenaline]

BAM!!

A dull thud ripped through the air. A violent commotion suddenly erupted from the second floor of the unfinished building.

The building seemed to sway, the ground trembling and kicking up clouds of dust.

A continuous series of muffled impacts immediately followed.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!!

The sturdy, masked man was like a paper doll, completely helpless as Lu Chao grabbed him by the right leg and slammed him left and right against the ground.

Dust and debris flew from the concrete floor, which vibrated nonstop. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

CRACK! CRACK! The sound of breaking bones echoed as splatters of blood sprayed onto the support beams and floor.

A full few seconds later.

Lu Chao suddenly hurled him into the air. At the same time, he clenched his right arm into a fist and punched forward.

WHOOSH!!

THUD!!

Amidst a piercing whistle, a cloud of blood mist exploded in mid-air.

The masked man flew backward, bent like a shrimp, and crashed into a concrete wall. His clothes were covered in dust, his chest was caved in, and blood gushed uncontrollably from his mouth.

His black mask had been knocked off at some point, revealing an ordinary, middle-aged face, now deathly pale.

His eyes were wide. Though bloodshot, the coldness within them was gone, replaced by deep fear, astonishment, and horror.

"You..."

BUZZ!!

A figure shot through the air, trailing a cloud of white, steamy sweat.

The incoming fist was savage, like a roaring cannonball. It let out a piercing whistle as it smashed into his abdomen.

THUD!!

The wall the masked man was pressed against shook violently. Cracks seemed to spread rapidly across the surface layer of concrete.

With a GAG, he violently spat out a mouthful of blood and bits of internal organs.

His bulging eyes were filled with horror, as well as an irrepressible shock and agony.

He just couldn’t understand.

How could his opponent, who had only just broken through to the Professional Level, possess combat power approaching the Elite Level?

"Where are your accomplices?"

Lu Chao asked in a low voice, his thick right palm casually grabbing the man’s head and lifting him up like a rag doll.

The masked man’s face contorted. He opened his mouth, gurgling as blood spilled out and stained his neck red.

"Why were you targeting me?"

His eyes narrowing, Lu Chao asked again.

The man opened his mouth, as if to answer.

But soon after, Lu Chao’s expression changed, and he abruptly threw the man away.

BAM!!

The masked man’s body exploded, splattering blood and bone fragments everywhere.

An unnatural, scarlet mist drifted down, gradually staining the surrounding concrete walls and support beams blood-red.

’He’s dead?’

Lu Chao frowned, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

He had never seen this kind of self-detonation technique before.

He also recalled how the man had seemed about to answer him right before his death, as if he were about to reveal some secret.

’Is it a form of Magic used to control people?’

’Or maybe...’

His expression darkened. Lu Chao tilted his head slightly and looked outside the building.

He had keenly heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.

「...」

SHH... SHH... SHH...

Inside a dark study, a dim, yellow light barely illuminated a desktop.

A gray-haired figure in a black robe held a white feather quill, writing some kind of strange syllables on a sheepskin scroll.

The faint scent of blood mixed with ink filled the room.

Soon, his movements paused, and he turned his head to look at another corner of the desk.

A candle standing upright in a bronze dish suddenly went out. A cold wind blew in from the half-open window, seeming to let out a mournful cry.

’He’s dead?’

His face fell. The gray-haired old man’s expression was grim, and he felt a hint of confusion.

’With the blessing of Magic, how could he fail against a Professional Level who just broke through?’

’Even more, it seems he triggered a taboo and was killed instantly?’

「...」

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Amidst the sound of dense footsteps, one Patrol Department officer after another rushed into the unfinished building.

Seeing the splattered blood on the ground, the red-stained walls and support beams, and the floor littered with fresh bone fragments, many of the officers’ faces changed, turning slightly pale.

One rookie who had just joined the Patrol Department even turned abruptly, rushed to a corner, and with a GAG, vomited up his undigested dinner.

For a moment, many of them averted their gazes, subconsciously looking toward the young man with the buzz cut standing at the edge of the second floor.

Shock, admiration...

Although they had heard that the Third Squad had a newly minted Professional Level, this was the first time they had witnessed such ruthless methods.

"Are you all right?"

Unlike the others, Yang Wangtao, who had just arrived, went straight to Lu Chao, helped him up, and asked with concern.

"I’m fine."

Shaking his head, Lu Chao barely managed to steady himself. He reached out to lean on a nearby concrete support beam that wasn’t stained with blood.

Sweat trickled down his slightly pale face.

The weakness from exiting the Frenzy State washed over him. It was an incredibly uncomfortable feeling, as if his body had been completely hollowed out.

Fortunately, he hadn’t burned through too much time and still had some stamina left. The current debilitating backlash was still within a tolerable range.

"Here."

Yang Wangtao quickly ordered someone to bring over a drink-like nutritional supplement. Lu Chao thanked him and took it.

GLUG... GLUG...

He took several huge gulps, downing almost the entire thing in one go.

Only then did Lu Chao begin to recover.

Afterward, in his debriefing, he explained his encounter with the masked man on the street.

However, he omitted the part about his intuition and the previous incident on Factory Street.

"The man was acting suspiciously, which made me realize something was wrong."

"Also, back before I moved, when I was still on Factory Street, disappearances were frequent. I had a run-in with him on the street once, so he left a deep impression on me."

Lu Chao said, his breathing gradually steadying as he mixed truth with lies.

Not suspecting a thing, Yang Wangtao instead grew pensive.

Nearby, another Patrol Department officer taking notes for the report nodded lightly and speculated, "The last time we found someone from the God-Worshiping Church, it was also on Factory Street."

"If that’s the case, then it all lines up. There’s a ninety percent chance this guy was really with the God-Worshiping Church..."

BUZZ!!

As they were speaking, a sudden buzzing sound came from outside the building.