Heavy Injury
Gatuso's eyes hid behind the visor, scanning the streets like an eagle.
The unicorn's hooves struck the ground, making a rhythmic clatter.
Gatuso glanced at the radar in his personal system, but there was no response. He guessed that the target that had escaped was probably in a non-combat state or had used some kind of concealment item.
In the team channel, teammates reported fruitless searches in various areas. Meine reminded everyone in the channel that the enemy was definitely trapped in this district by their group. They needed to search carefully and stay vigilant, notifying teammates immediately if they had any information.
Gatuso let out a sigh, feeling a sense of frustration building up inside him.
In fact, ever since that night when that guy, Shen, had broken into the main camp before this instance began, this feeling of frustration had been lingering in Gatuso's heart.
Repressed, irritated, angry!
And he wasn't the only one with these emotions.
But under Meine's authority, everyone still chose to obey the leader's decision.
Gatuso gently patted the unicorn's neck, as if even his mount beneath him was feeling uneasy, which made Gatuso feel a sense of alertness.
These sacred creatures always had the keenest sense of danger.
Having experienced countless battles, Gatuso hesitated for a moment and chose to continue forward on horseback. He noticed the position of the left intersection, which was a bend, and the row of old-style buildings nearby had a slight recess there, making it a perfect hiding spot.
Moving a few steps forward, Gatuso deliberately tightened the reins and smirked.
Right across the street at that alley entrance, a car was parked, and the car's windows happened to reflect the situation inside the alley.
The muzzle of a gun protruded slightly, precisely reflected in the glass window.
(This fool really wants to hide and ambush.)
Gatuso sneered inwardly, feeling no fear whatsoever.
Pretending not to have seen through the situation, he continued to slowly advance on horseback but maintained a deliberate speed while reaching behind him, gripping a small hand crossbow.
As the distance closed in, Gatuso was fully prepared, even considering how to make his move.
He decided to take the first shot at the opponent... his specially equipped armor would surely surprise them.
Then, he would deal with the opponent using the crossbow. If the opponent dared to resist, Gatuso didn't mind using his war hammer to splatter their brains.
Ten meters... nine meters... eight meters...
A cruel smile crept onto Gatuso's lips.
But just at that moment, a sudden change occurred!
With a crash!
The window on the second floor along the street suddenly opened, and a shadow descended from above!!
Gatuso was taken aback, but he still reacted quickly! He swung his war hammer fiercely at the looming shadow in the air!
With a resounding crash, Gatuso felt his arm grow heavy, the weight of the impact, combined with the falling momentum, caused the hammer to strike the shadow, shattering it into splinters with wood chips flying!
Gatuso had now identified what this thing was.
It was astonishingly a grand piano!!
The piano had been smashed by Gatuso's blow, but soon, his heart sank.
There was someone on the piano!
A seemingly fragile figure clung tightly to the piano, descending with it from the sky. Although the war hammer had shattered the piano, the person used the momentum to leap into Gatuso's arms!
Meanwhile, his war hammer had swung out!
Gatuso watched in disbelief as this person clung to him, feeling a tremendous force striking his chest!
The immense power caused him to flip off his horse!
The two of them had rolled into a tangled mess on the ground, and Gatuso hadn't even taken a breath before feeling intense pain in his chest and abdomen. Years of combat experience allowed him to make an immediate assessment!
His chest plate had been pierced!!
But how was this even possible?!
He roared loudly, kicking his legs fiercely in an attempt to push the person off him. However, before he could kick the person away, the person had already leaped to the side on their own.
Gatuso felt a lightness on his body as he quickly grabbed his war hammer and swung it.
His target was the person's back!
But soon, he witnessed a scene that made his blood boil!
The person who had ambushed him, after rolling away from him, acted with clear intent... they held a sword and thrust it viciously!
Thrusting towards... Gatuso's mount!
The magnificent unicorn!
This bastard!! This damnation-worthy bastard!!!
As a knight, how could he not cherish his own mount?
Moreover, this was an extremely rare and precious sacred beast, a unicorn!
How could Gatuso allow the person to actually harm his beloved unicorn, which he held as dearly as his life?
In desperation, he had to change the direction of his war hammer on the spot!
Clang!
The war hammer intercepted the path of the longsword thrust, and while it worked, Gatuso's heart sank once again!
He could already feel that the opponent's sword was barely using any force at all!
The collision between the war hammer and the opponent's longsword was evident. The opponent's sword was feather-light and exerted no pressure at all. Almost simultaneously, this adversary forcibly twisted their waist! Their core strength was astonishing, and what was even more cunning was that the opponent, using the tiny point on Gatuso's war hammer, leveraged the force to bounce back into Gatuso's arms once again, just like a serpent!
This time, Gatuso's eyes widened in shock!
Thud!
The hilt of the sword struck Gatuso's chest, and he saw a burst of golden light bloom in front of him!
The pain caused him to black out momentarily, and he spat out a mouthful of blood!
Based on his instincts and experience, Gatuso concluded that his sternum had been shattered!
As his vision darkened, Gatuso fell backward, and his war hammer finally slipped from his grasp. However, before he fell, he still made the best reaction of a warrior.
His other hand's crossbow had already pulled the trigger in front of him.
The bolt from the crossbow was aimed with precision, but the result still left Gatuso disappointed.
After a successful ambush, the opponent didn't pursue their advantage but, after landing a blow, immediately dodged to the side once more!
This cunning fellow! He hadn't even considered pursuing his advantage!
Gatuso crashed to the ground, his head hitting the floor so hard that even the cobblestones cracked.
At this moment, his crossbow was empty, his war hammer was out of reach, his chest and sternum shattered, causing his body to go limp instantly.
As he attempted to roll over and get up, Gatuso felt the icy blade pressed against his throat!
Chen Xiaolian stood at Gatuso's side, adopting a somewhat comical half-crouched posture. However, although the posture seemed amusing, Gatuso didn't find it the least bit funny, because he could tell that the hand gripping the sword hilt was steady!
The blade rested against Gatuso's neck without any sign of hesitation. The tip of the sword had even pierced his neck's skin, causing a trickle of blood. Gatuso was acutely aware that any sudden movement on his part would lead to the sword puncturing his throat without hesitation!
He dared not underestimate this opponent any longer.
Because he had now realized that the protruding gun barrel at the alley entrance was a trap. There was only one gun mounted on a trash can.
This guy had deliberately set a trap to hunt him down!
First, he deliberately exposed the gun barrel to draw Gatuso's attention. Then, he ambushed from the second floor, descending from the sky using a grand piano to clear the path. Meanwhile, he stood on top of the piano himself.
This method of ambush was too audacious and ruthless!
Chen Xiaolian was also panting a bit. Although the process of dealing with Gatuso was brief, he had used that "Skyblade's Power" twice during it, especially the blow that shattered Gatuso's sternum.
Although he was catching his breath, his hand holding the stone sword was exceptionally steady as he stared at the armored knight on the ground.
"I'll ask you once, why were you chasing me? I have no beef with you," Chen Xiaolian's voice was deep and low.
Gatuso remained silent, locking eyes with Chen Xiaolian. Suddenly, the knight made a strange move.
He thrust his neck forward!
With a splatter, the tip of the stone sword instantly pierced through his throat!
Blood gushed from Gatuso's mouth, but his gaze remained fixed on Chen Xiaolian, and then finally, his head tilted to the side.
Chen Xiaolian was stunned.
This guy... was really motherfucking brave!
But in the next moment, Chen Xiaolian saw the body of the man on the ground suddenly erupt into a white flame, blazing fiercely!
In almost the blink of an eye, a silvery dust cloud rose.
"I can't believe it," Chen Xiaolian exclaimed in amazement as he watched the scene.
However, at this moment, he could already hear the rapid sound of hooves coming from behind on the street. The enemy's companions were rushing over. Chen Xiaolian was well aware that the man he had killed had likely used the team channel to alert his comrades.
With no time to spare, Chen Xiaolian made a quick decision. He turned and glanced at the magnificent white unicorn.
Just one look was enough to tell that this creature was no ordinary steed; it was undoubtedly a high-quality specimen.
Chen Xiaolian hesitated for a moment, then approached and tugged on the unicorn's reins. Unfortunately, the creature emitted a low growl in response, instantly dispelling any thoughts of claiming it for himself. Listening to the urgent sounds of approaching hooves in the distance, Chen Xiaolian acted decisively.
He suddenly turned and did something!
He raised and brought down the stone sword!
With a crisp sound and a mournful cry, the unicorn let out a pained neigh and knelt on the ground.
Chen Xiaolian had pierced the front leg of the unicorn's thigh with the stone sword!
Silver blood stained the blade as Chen Xiaolian turned and sprinted away from the encirclement.
This time, he used all his strength and speed, moving like a gust of wind.
Two minutes later, another unicorn galloped from the other end of the street.
Upon seeing the ashes on the ground that were once Gatuso's body, Meine's eyes filled with anger and fury!
She wanted to pursue, but upon seeing Gatuso's mount kneeling on the ground, bleeding profusely, Meine finally sighed in resignation.
She dismounted and approached the injured unicorn, placing her hand on the wounded area. She chanted a rapid incantation, and the blood began to flow back, and the wound slowly healed.
A few minutes later, Meine stood up, and several comrades had gathered around her. As she looked at the unicorn, which had now risen, Meine glanced in the direction where Chen Xiaolian had escaped and clenched her teeth.
"Lord Meine?" a comrade standing behind him asked in a low voice.
"Send two people back first," Meine sighed, "Gatuso is severely wounded, and someone needs to be there to welcome his return. The process of returning is quite perilous, and he must have someone present to guard him."
"What about the one who escaped..."
"Injuring Gatuso severely and harming a sacred unicorn, such crimes must not go unpunished! This instance has not yet ended, and we have plenty of time to find him!" Meine took a deep breath.