22: Chapter 22 The wrist guard is stained with blood; it's looking at me.

The S-Class wanted poster for the Crimson Fugitive burned like a branding iron onto the retinas of every Order Enforcer.

That was not merely a rank; it was a declaration—a declaration that the man before them had been judged by the highest will of the World System as a 'stain' that must be erased.

The eight pursuers behind Iron Spine instinctively took half a step back. This was not fear, but the innate vigilance one shows when facing a natural disaster.

The Soul-Snatching Chains in their hands were no longer tools for hunting; they were the last barrier against an unknown calamity.

For an elite player, in a desperate situation surrounded on all sides, not only to kill one enemy but also to seize the 'Proof of Order' was an event beyond the scope of their understanding.

"What... what did you do?" Iron Spine's voice emerged from beneath his heavy armor, no longer just angry, but laced with a chilling astonishment.

The sparks around his joints hissed and crackled. The overloaded energy core made him look like a volcano about to erupt. "The 'Proof of Order' is an extension of the System's will. How dare a discarded 'Warrior' like you touch it!"

Chen Fan did not reply.

He merely slowly flexed his left hand, the one wearing the bracer.

The metal buckle fit snugly against his skin, and a cold, pure power surged into every inch of his body through his arm.

This power was completely different from the burning sensation of the critical hit system within him; it felt more like a rule, a form of authority.

[Equipped 'Iron Spine Bracer (Proof of Order)'. Passive effect gained: Order Suppression.]

[Order Suppression: Against 'Order' faction units whose level is not higher than yours, all your damage is increased by 5%, and all damage taken is reduced by 5%.]

So that was it.

A cold curve touched the corner of Chen Fan's mouth.

He raised his head, his gaze passing over Iron Spine to look toward the firmament shrouded in night.

Little Bean's words echoed in his ears—"It is watching you... It remembers you..."

He could feel that gaze.

Formless, intangible, yet omnipresent.

Cold and indifferent, like a deity looking down upon an ant that had jumped off the chessboard.

This gaze made the critical hit system inside him more restless. That burning sensation was almost boiling, as if resisting, yet also filled with dread.

"Form up! Soul-Snatching Net!" Iron Spine finally recovered his composure from the shock. He issued the most precise command. "Don't give him any chance! Wear him down! Pin him to the ground with the chains!"

The remaining eight pursuers reacted instantly. The chains in their hands rattled, coiling like eight venomous snakes, sealing off all of Chen Fan's escape routes from all directions.

A faint, ghostly blue light shimmered on the chains—the confining power specifically targeting the soul. Once entangled, not only would the body be immobilized, but the consciousness would also be dragged into a sluggish mire.

However, they were fast, but Chen Fan was faster!

In the instant before the chains converged, he moved!

He did not retreat; instead, he charged directly toward the two pursuers in front of him!

"You're courting death!" The two pursuers sneered, shaking their hands violently. The chains moved like living things, wrapping toward Chen Fan's neck and legs.

But Chen Fan's target was not them at all.

He stomped hard on the cracked ground with his toes, launching himself diagonally into the air like a cannonball, narrowly avoiding the lowest sweep of the net.

Mid-air, he exerted force in his abdomen, making an unbelievable turn. The broken spear he had picked up near Bone Breaker's corpse was thrown like a javelin toward a pursuer on the other side!

That pursuer was completely focused on controlling his chain and never expected an attack from above.

He only saw a blur, and the broken spear was already at his chest!

"Puchi!"

The spear tip pierced accurately through the gap in his armor, passing straight through his body!

[Defense Critical Hit Triggered! Damage Reduction x 2]!

The system prompt sounded again in Chen Fan's mind, but this time, he clearly felt that it was not him who had been attacked, but rather some kind of thorny backlash effect attached to the equipment of the pursuer he had just killed that had been triggered!

A faint amount of damage was transmitted back to Chen Fan, but it was instantly reduced by the Defense Critical Hit effect.

This system... could even reduce backlash damage via 'critical hit' reduction?

[Killed Order Pursuer, Experience Acquisition Speed x 3, Gained 150 Experience Points]!

[Player Level Up! Bronze Tier 3 -> Bronze Tier 4]!

The light of leveling up flashed and vanished. Chen Fan's Health and Stamina instantly refilled!

He landed on the ground, unharmed, while the pursuer he had killed stood stiffly for a moment before rapidly dissolving into data points.

The entire scene fell silent.

If killing Bone Breaker the first time was due to a sneak attack and accident, then this time, killing a fully armed Order Pursuer in plain sight was a naked crushing display of strength!

"Monster..." one pursuer mumbled subconsciously, the hand holding the chain beginning to tremble.

"Steady!" Iron Spine roared deafeningly. He saw the key. "His level is rising! Don't give him another chance to kill and level up! All of you, attack together! Kill him!"

Amidst the roar, Iron Spine's massive body finally moved.

He moved like a charging siege tank, each step leaving a deep pit in the ground. The mechanical warhammer in his hand dragged along the ground, leaving a streak of dazzling sparks.

He intended to use the purest force to crush this 'stain' that kept creating miracles!

Simultaneously, the remaining seven pursuers mustered their courage again. Their chains intertwined into a vast net, shrouding Chen Fan from a higher and wider angle.

A true desperate situation!

"Chen Fan! The formation is about to break!"

Just then, Su Shuang's urgent and weak shout came from inside the Teahouse.

The Fox Fire barrier, which had originally resembled a blue crystal dome, was now as thin as a cicada's wing. The web-like cracks on its surface were dense, as if it would completely shatter the next second.

The firelight inside the barrier had also changed from bright blue to dark red, symbolizing the exhaustion of power.

Now was the time!

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Fan's eyes. This was the moment he was waiting for!

He abruptly turned around, his back to Iron Spine, and charged toward the broken wall of the Teahouse.

To everyone else, this action looked like he was giving up resistance and trying to flee back into the turtle shell that was about to shatter.

"Trying to run? Too late!" Iron Spine sneered, the muscles in his legs bulging. The power system of his heavy armor roared deafeningly. He leaped up, raising the mechanical warhammer high with both hands, carrying immense force, and brought it down fiercely on Chen Fan's back!

He put all his strength into this single strike, determined to smash Chen Fan and the half-ruined wall into dust together!

The seven Soul-Snatching Chains also caught up from behind, sealing off Chen Fan's last path to turn back.

The shattering barrier ahead, the inescapable heavy hammer and net behind. Nowhere to go up, no way to go down!

However, a thousandth of a second before the warhammer descended, Chen Fan's figure suddenly ducked low, executing an extreme slide tackle, rushing toward the corner of the broken wall close to the ground.

Iron Spine's warhammer smashed down!

"Boom—!!!"

The earth trembled violently. The spot where Chen Fan had stood moments before was smashed into a terrifying giant pit, sending dirt and gravel exploding outward in a ring.

The massive shockwave caused even the seven pursuing chains to momentarily pause.

But at that very moment, the Fox Fire barrier, under Su Shuang's tearful whisper, finally reached its limit.

"Break!"

"Boom!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion. The barrier shattered silently, like a giant water bubble that had been punctured.

But the immense Fox Fire power accumulated within it was instantly released from its restraint, transforming into a violent crimson tidal wave that swept outward!

This fire wave had almost no effect on Chen Fan; he seemed to carry some aura of the Fox Demon.

But for those Order Enforcers, this was scorching soul and gnawing bone flames!

"Ah—!"

The pursuers at the very front were instantly swallowed by the fire wave. Their armor burned bright red, and clusters of inextinguishable crimson flames erupted on their bodies as they let out piercing screams.

Iron Spine's heavy armor had astonishing defense. The fire wave only managed to redden the surface of his armor, but it successfully obstructed his vision and halted his pursuit.

Chaos erupted in an instant.

"Go!" Chen Fan's low shout reached Little Bean's ears.

He snatched up the child, who was standing frozen in shock, and without even glancing at the carnage behind him, turned and rushed into the Teahouse.

Su Shuang was leaning on Xiao Tao for support, her face pale as paper, but her eyes were exceptionally bright.

She had already kicked away the loose floor tile concealed by the remains of the offering table, just as Chen Fan had subtly instructed.

A deep, damp opening, just large enough for one person to pass through, appeared before the three of them.

"You... you knew about this place a long time ago..." Su Shuang gasped, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Chen Fan didn't have time to explain. He shoved Little Bean into the hole and turned back to Su Shuang and Xiao Tao, urging them urgently, "Quick! Follow!"

He stayed behind to cover the rear, turning to look outside the hole.

Amidst the firelight and dense smoke, Iron Spine's massive and ferocious silhouette had already broken through the flame blockade. He shook off the residual sparks on his body, and those electronic eyes burning with rage beneath his helmet locked tightly onto the tunnel entrance.

"You think you can escape by hiding in a rat hole?!"

His furious roar pierced through the flames, causing the entire space to hum.

Chen Fan met his gaze, a cold, provocative smile playing on his lips.

The next second, he unhesitatingly flipped over and leaped into the tunnel, simultaneously pulling back and slamming the heavy wooden floor tile shut.

"Rumble!"

Almost at the very instant the floor tile closed, a deafening roar came from above—the sound of the mechanical warhammer smashing heavily onto the floor.

Wood chips and dust rained down, accompanied by Iron Spine's enraged roaring, muffled and trapped above ground.

The entire world instantly plunged into pitch-black darkness and silence.

Only the scent of damp earth and a strange, decaying odor drifted into their nostrils, announcing that they had entered another unknown domain.