94: Clash in the Shadows

"Be careful, the target is inside."

Su Yuan's voice, transmitted through specially-made bone conduction earpieces, clearly reached the ears of every team member.

"His energy signature is very strong, and extremely bizarre. It's not any type we know of. Wu Qiong, what's your situation?"

"I've infiltrated the ventilation ducts and am moving towards the central area. There's... a lot of the smell of blood here." Wu Qiong's voice was very low, carrying a hint of gravity.

Wang Yi and Chen Hu exchanged a glance, then stepped into that profound darkness, one after the other.

Cold.

Bone-chilling cold.

It wasn't just physical low temperature; there was also a kind of sinister malice in the air, as if it could freeze one's very soul.

On both sides of the corridor were rows of massive freezer units, covered in frost. A thin layer of ice had formed on the floor, making a faint 'crack' sound when stepped on.

Everything seemed deathly still.

Too quiet.

Wang Yi made a hand signal. The team stopped, forming a back-to-back defensive formation.

Right then, a sudden change occurred!

A shadow on the left wall, which had been perfectly still, came to life without warning. Like a puddle of flowing ink, it silently peeled off the wall, transforming into a pitch-black blade that shot like lightning towards Zhang Wei, the team member responsible for logistics!

Too fast!

So fast that Wang Yi only had time to shout a warning!

"Squelch!"

Blood splattered.

Zhang Wei let out a pained cry. A deep, bone-revealing gash had been sliced open on his arm. A strange black energy, like a clinging maggot, was wildly eroding his flesh along the wound.

"It's Death!"

Wang Yi roared, lashing out with a backhanded Lightning Whip.

The shadowy figure, having succeeded in its strike, showed no desire to prolong the fight. It instantly melted into the shadows on the other side and vanished.

The Lightning Whip struck empty air, leaving a charred mark on the icy wall.

"Dragon Team?"

A hoarse, grating voice, like the sound of two rusty pieces of metal rubbing together, came from the shadows all around, carrying a hint of mockery and cruelty.

"So, you're Dragon Country's trump card for the arena. However, in the real world, your rules... don't apply here."

"Come out!" Chen Hu bellowed in fury, brandishing his battle blade. The blade's edge tore through the air with a sharp whistle, but it couldn't touch the enemy at all.

"Don't waste your energy."

Death's figure slowly materialized from the darkness at the end of the corridor.

His entire body seemed composed of shadow, his specific features unclear. Only a pair of eyes, glowing with a crimson light, appeared especially chilling in the dark.

"In this place, I am God."

Before the words had fully faded, his figure once again transformed into a blot of ink, merging with the floor and disappearing without a trace.

"Su Yuan! What the hell is this thing?" Wang Yi growled into the team channel, while remaining vigilant of his surroundings.

Back in the Command Center, Su Yuan's expression was also extremely grave.

On the screen before him, data on Death was being rapidly analyzed.

"His body has undergone deep modification! Those bastards from the Lighthouse Country illegally intercepted a portion of national fortune points that should have dissipated and used them on him!"

Su Yuan's voice carried a trace of anger.

"He has fused with a gene similar to that of shadow creatures from dungeons, gaining the ability to manipulate shadows and stealth! He's not an ordinary person; he's a monster!"

This news made the hearts of the Dragon Team members sink.

They had thought that with the enhancements from the t-virus serum, they would have no match in the real world.

They never expected the Lighthouse Country to also be hiding such a trump card!

"Everyone, stay sharp!" Wang Yi shouted. "No matter how strong he is, he's just one person! Chen Hu, protect Li Bingyao! The rest of you, watch the shadows at your feet!"

The battle erupted violently the very next second!

Death fully displayed the terror of a top-tier assassin.

Utilizing his shadow-shifting ability within the complex environment of the entire cold storage facility, he launched a textbook guerrilla war.

He might reach out a hand from the shadow at your feet, or drop a blade from the darkness above your head.

Every attack was cunning, vicious, and aimed at vital points.

Although the Dragon Team was powerful, in this environment, they were constantly on the defensive, their brute strength finding no outlet.

Chen Hu was so angry he was shouting incoherently. He swung his battle blade wildly, smashing the surrounding walls and floor, leaving the entire cold storage a complete mess, yet he couldn't even touch a corner of 'Death's' clothing.

"Have the guts to come out and fight me head-on! Hiding and sneaking around, what kind of man are you!"

"As you wish."

A cold voice suddenly sounded behind Chen Hu.

A pitch-black dagger, imbued with dense shadow energy, silently stabbed towards his heart from behind!

"Shadow Assassination!"

"Watch out!" Wang Yi's eyes widened in fury.

Chen Hu also sensed the deadly danger. He spun around violently, using his battle blade to block.

"Clang!"

Sparks flew.

Chen Hu was forced back several steps by the immense force.

And on his back, a shallow wound had been sliced open by the dagger's edge.

Black blood seeped from the wound.

Chen Hu looked down at the wound, then at the completely unscathed Death. For the first time, an expression of shock appeared on his face.

"Damn it, this thing... can actually break through my defense?"

His Berserker's Body had actually been injured!

"You are strong, like a stupid rhinoceros." 'Death' licked the black blood off his dagger, his crimson eyes full of mockery. "Unfortunately, no matter how thick the hide, it cannot block a blade from the shadows."

"Die!"

Chen Hu, thoroughly enraged, roared and charged forward again.

But Death's figure once again merged into the shadows and disappeared.

The entire Dragon Team was plunged into a bizarre and frustratingly difficult battle.

They were like a group of powerful beasts that had stumbled into a spider's web, full of strength but unable to use it.

"Your strength is great, but you are too clumsy."

Death's voice, like the whisper of a devil, echoed in everyone's ears.

"In this realm of shadows, your struggles are meaningless."

Suddenly, his ghostly figure appeared behind Li Bingyao, who was treating Zhang Wei!

His target, from the very beginning, was the most vulnerable healer in the team!

"It's over."

The pitch-black dagger, carrying an aura of Death, stabbed towards Li Bingyao's snow-white neck.