Dirty Sewer

"It's so dark in here. I wonder what kind of creatures might pop up?"

The sound of his boots scraping against the dirty floor echoed as Jiang Chen glanced around. This was his first time in the sewers. At first, the smell was overwhelming, but after a while, he had gotten used to it.

"Are you scared?" Sun Jiao teased.

"How could I be?" Jiang Chen swung the PK2000 assault rifle in his hand and grinned.

"I've never been scared of those guys, what's there to fear from these things?"

He shone the flashlight ahead, and a few large rats scurried into the shadows.

In the wasteland, the scariest thing wasn't the zombies or the mutants, but rather humans. Jiang Chen had come to understand this truth more deeply.

From the massive tremor earlier, he was sure the mercenaries were dead. A building that tall collapsing made it nearly impossible to escape. No one would have expected that a seemingly abandoned building could house such a trap.

The building's main support structures were rigged with explosives, radio-triggered fuses, and camouflaged. With just the press of a button, the whole building could turn into ruins.

At first, Jiang Chen had worried that the blast wave would affect the sewers, but now it was clear that was an unnecessary concern.

Aside from scaring off nearby creatures, the building's collapse had little effect on the sewer system. It was evident that the pre-war government had invested considerable effort into making sure these public facilities were durable.

"Do you think the leader of the Gray Gu Mercenaries would spit blood if he heard his entire raider team got buried?"

"Definitely. Once we show up in the Sixth District, he'll probably bring his men to hunt us down." Sun Jiao splashed some cold water on Jiang Chen, who had been getting a little too smug.

"Uh, this could be trouble." Jiang Chen froze, realizing that he hadn't anticipated such a consequence.

"But it doesn't matter. Many things can be bought elsewhere. Besides... we could always take the opportunity to wipe out the Gray Gu Mercenaries." Sun Jiao said it casually, as if suggesting something as simple as grabbing lunch.

This violent freak... Jiang Chen couldn't help but sweat. He hadn't even thought about eliminating an entire group. However, cutting off a threatening hand was something that had to be done.

He wasn't the type of person to take unnecessary risks for no reward. Even though the Gray Gu Mercenaries were irredeemable, Jiang Chen saw himself as a businessman, not a vigilante.

Yao Yao silently followed behind them, glancing nervously at her surroundings.

"What's wrong, Yao Yao? Don't be afraid. Just stay behind your brother, I'll protect you." Jiang Chen patted his chest shamelessly, feeling lighthearted after getting rid of the pursuers. But Yao Yao's adoring gaze clearly showed that she believed him.

"Mm!"

"So, how many bandits did you take down earlier?" Sun Jiao shot Jiang Chen an exasperated look and called out his boasting.

"Heh, maybe one or two." Jiang Chen scratched his head awkwardly. Seeing that Sun Jiao didn't believe him, he quickly corrected himself. "I wounded them, okay? As long as they're out of the fight, that's all that matters, right?"

Jiang Chen had to admit his shooting skills were pretty poor. After all, the feel of shooting real bullets was a far cry from playing FPS games with a controller. But he believed that with more practice, he'd become a qualified fighter.

"Pfft." Yao Yao covered her mouth and giggled softly, but then seemed to realize she shouldn't be "mocking" her master. She quickly closed her lips, looking embarrassed.

Her expression was quite amusing.

In the lighthearted atmosphere, the trio continued toward their "home."

"How much longer?"

"Should be nearby. There's an exit here that leads up." Sun Jiao glanced at the holographic map, furrowing her brows.

Suddenly, Jiang Chen felt a sharp, gut-wrenching sense of danger.

His heart started racing.

Sun Jiao seemed to sense something too and suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Bang! Bang!

Swoosh! Swoosh...

Gunshots rang out without warning!

Bullets sprayed from the shadows across the corner, heading straight for them. Sun Jiao reacted swiftly, shoving Jiang Chen back and knocking Yao Yao behind him.

But Sun Jiao herself wasn't fast enough to avoid the bullets.

"Ugh..."

She grunted in pain, clutching her shoulder as she collapsed to the ground, her weapon, the Skywolf, falling beside her.

"No!" Jiang Chen's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. He screamed in fury and within half a second, leapt up from the ground, pulling Sun Jiao back desperately.

Bullets slammed into the cement floor, kicking up debris. Nearby, he heard a monstrous scream echoing in the confined space, creating a chilling response.

Sun Jiao...

But Jiang Chen could hear none of it.

His gaze was fixed on Sun Jiao's closed eyes. Painful tremors ran through his body from his toes to his scalp, overwhelming him.

All the days they had spent together, all the moments... flooded his mind in an instant.

That slightly rough woman, that alluring woman... the woman who loved me...

She pushed me away...

And she...

He stared at her bloodied body.

Seeing the woman who had been so lively just moments ago now lying there so weak... Jiang Chen's heart felt like it was being ripped apart by a thousand knives.

Her eyes burned like flames.

"Can you bandage it?"

"I... I can!" Yao Yao, startled and horrified by the blood, almost cried.

It was the first time she had seen such a terrifying expression on Sun Jiao's face—an expression that had always been so gentle.

"I can't do it. Please..." Jiang Chen shoved the medical kit into Yao Yao's arms and then sprinted to the corner.

Boom! Boom!

The chaotic shouting and the sound of bullets piercing the air exposed hideous faces full of joy. These people were probably the residents of the sewers, used to the darkness and familiar with the shadows. Even without light, they could see clearly.

Anyone who passed by would become their next meal.

Whether mutant rats or humans.

"Ha! Animals!" Jiang Chen screamed in fury, his rifle pointed out from cover.

Bullets grazed his face, but he didn't feel fear. It was as though his nerves had been cut out, leaving only the desire for bloodshed.

He followed the flickering flames, and squeezed the trigger.

A strange sensation spread through him—his cells seemed to scream in wild agitation, yet it didn't cloud his mind. Instead, it sharpened his focus.

This clarity was only for killing.

Jiang Chen didn't even notice the faint glow of his EP, a yellowish light flashing subtly.

With a violent motion, he knocked out the empty magazine, slammed a new one in, and forcefully yanked the gun's bolt. Then, he raised his rifle and continued pouring bullets.

As time passed, his vision began to tremble and distort, everything around him felt like it was swirling in chaotic water. This strange disturbance made Jiang Chen roar in fury, but the rage only fed the spread of the anomaly.

As he struggled to refocus, the image in his retina began to mutate again.

Red dots, jumping like hearts, flickered in the dark, pulsing next to the flashes of fire.

Or rather... they were hearts.

Jiang Chen growled and fired at the red dots.

"Ahhh—!"

"Ugh!"

The incomprehensible screams made Jiang Chen's eyes turn even more savage. He left his cover, moving forward while firing at the targets.

The tactical flashlight was a nightmare for the sewer dwellers who had grown accustomed to the darkness. They couldn't see anything as they blindly fired their rifles.

However, their erratic shots couldn't touch Jiang Chen.

The PK2000's kinetic power easily tore through their flimsy cover. Even if they huddled behind it, it couldn't protect their hearts.

Each hit to the "red heart" exploded in blood, and then everything went silent. Jiang Chen didn't even know how many bullets he had fired. All he cared about was tearing apart every single red dot that made him furious.