In the sewer.

Chen Yuanshan held the white smelling salt, gasping heavily.

He looked back once more.

The pitch-black sewer was like a silent monster, silently devouring, with its mouth open wide.

No Mutant Walkers were pursuing.

Song Wen’s plan had worked.

"Uncle Yuan Shan, I have a plan, listen to me," Song Wen’s voice resonated in Chen Yuanshan’s mind, crystal clear.

"My talent ability is Paper Art." While speaking, Song Wen opened the briefcase he carried with him.

Inside the briefcase, there was a thick stack of white paper.

No wonder hitting people with it hurt so much.

Song Wen quickly continued, "While they are still far from us and can’t see us clearly, I intend to create confusion and mislead them."

Song Wen’s plan sounded simple.

Using his Paper Art talent, he would cut out a suitable silhouette, letting a paper figure pretend to be a real person to divert their attention.

But that was clearly not enough.

Dividing into two groups wouldn’t bother the Mutant Walkers at all, given their numbers.

So Song Wen had a second move.

Because both of them were being hunted, the surrounding Mutant Walkers were mobilized, coming out from their usual lurking sewer haunts and appearing on the streets.

In this way, the sewer had no more Mutant Walkers, making it safer than the main road.

Song Wen’s second move was to go the opposite direction, seizing the opportunity for Chen Yuanshan to enter the sewer.

The Mutant Walkers were far away at the moment, knowing only that they needed to hunt down two people who were just ahead.

By dividing into two, confusing the enemy’s conventional thinking, as long as Chen Yuanshan disappeared simultaneously with the paper figure going in another direction, they wouldn’t notice.

After hearing the whole plan, Chen Yuanshan instinctively asked, "What about you?"

If he escapes into the sewer, how would Song Wen get away?

Unexpectedly, Song Wen shook his head.

"I’m the bait," Song Wen replied indifferently.

He looked at Chen Yuanshan with determination, as if already prepared when setting up the plan.

"To see the dawn of victory, there must be sacrifices."

"Uncle Yuan Shan, when the sun rises, remember to take an extra look for me!"

The image of Song Wen smiling while saying these last words was etched in Chen Yuanshan’s mind.

"Xiao Song..."

Chen Yuanshan’s recollection halted there; he reflexively tightened his grip on the white smelling salt in his hand.

After resting, he forced himself to calm down and continue to run forward.

Less than a kilometer away from Chen Yuanshan, a manhole cover was lifted.

A fully beast-transformed Mutant Walker stuck its head in, sniffing the air intently.

A cruel smile appeared on his face.

"Clever little mouse, did you think you could escape the chase like this?"

"Trying to use smelling salt to mask your scent, but I can smell your human odor from three kilometers away!"

As he spoke, he casually crushed the manhole cover and quickly slipped into the sewer, disappearing!

After a while.

Chen Yuanshan, who was fleeing ahead, suddenly felt a terrifying chill from behind.

Instinctively, he rolled on the ground.

Bam!

A massive whistling wind swept over his head, followed by an explosive roar in front of him.

In the roar, Chen Yuanshan got up to find that the sewer path ahead had completely collapsed, blocking the way.

"Running?"

"Why not keep running, cunning Great Xia mouse?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

A scornful mocking voice echoed from behind.

Chen Yuanshan looked back to see a creature crawling out from the sewer shadows, its limbs flat on the ground.

A Mutant Walker!

A Mutant Walker was still chasing him!

In that moment, a profound feeling of helplessness surged in Chen Yuanshan’s heart.

But soon, his eyes grew resolute.

A spatula appeared in his right hand.

A ladle appeared in his left hand.

Chen Yuanshan fearlessly looked at the approaching Mutant Walker and shouted provocatively:

"Come on, Longevity Company scum."

"My son is a Combat Spirit Contract Master! As his father, how could I disgrace him!"

"No matter what, I’ll die standing!"

Chen Yuanshan looked somewhat comical, but the Mutant Walker from Longevity Company couldn’t laugh.

He was provoked by a mouse he could crush effortlessly.

It made him feel insulted.

The sarcasm disappeared from the Mutant Walker’s face, replaced by an extremely sinister killing intent.

"As you wish!"

He said, and the exaggerated muscles in his hind limbs suddenly powered up, pouncing toward Chen Yuanshan.

Chen Yuanshan didn’t try to dodge; he swung the cookware in his hands.

Sadly, he couldn’t fulfill the promise to Xiao Song.

In that moment, a final thought flickered through Chen Yuanshan’s mind.

He closed his eyes, ready to face his death peacefully.

The next second, a golden light suddenly shone, accompanied by the mixed sound of anger and surprise from the Mutant Walker ringing in his ears.

Instinctively, Chen Yuanshan opened his eyes and saw this scene:

A powerful sword light.

As if cutting through tofu, it sliced the pouncing Mutant Walker into equal halves.

Chen Yuanshan watched as the once-rampaging Mutant Walker split into two, inertia carrying its halves past him on either side.

Even the organs inside its body,

and even the flying droplets of blood were cut in half!

In the blink of an eye, there was a crash behind Chen Yuanshan, as flesh collided with the collapsed passage debris.

A graceful silhouette appeared in front of Chen Yuanshan.

Gongyang Jin withdrew the Xuanyuan Sword, turned to look at the middle-aged man free from the Dream Realm’s desires, and asked:

"Who are you, and why are you here? Are there any other survivors?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Facing the inquiry, Chen Yuanshan nodded without hesitation, knowing he was saved.

"I am the owner of a breakfast shop at Julu Pass, Chen Yuanshan, my Celestial Net ID is XWD686..."

"Along with me are two companions, one of whom is Shen Zheqi, Legion Commander of the Great Xia Fourth War Zone, and the other is an office worker, Song Wen."

"I ended up here because we discovered Longevity Company’s conspiracy and are being hunted down!"

"Commander, please, go rescue them!"

Chen Yuanshan spoke rapidly.

After hearing his words, a slight sternness flickered in Gongyang Jin’s eyes.

"Where are they now, take me to them!" she said without hesitation.

Chen Yuanshan immediately turned around, determined the route back, and started running again.

When he brought Gongyang Jin to the spot where he and Song Wen had split up, Song Wen was nowhere to be found.

Only a black briefcase lay on the cold ground.

White paper stained with blood was scattered all over the place.

On one piece of white paper, in square electronic font, were four bold words, as if expressing its owner’s wish:

"Retire soon."

In the distant sky, a faint glow of dawn descended.

Dawn quietly arrived at last.