The black-haired, red-eyed teenager walked out of the dust, their bare upper body wrapped in bombs. "This is... an undying constitution?" Hovering above the forest, Xi witnessed this scene. At that moment, a bullet whizzed by.
Ping! Shards of crystal flew as a thick, transparent crystal wall appeared in front of Xi. A sniper bullet embedded within the crystal, her current position now a target. Xi was well aware of this.
Although she feared no long-range attacks, depleting too much energy before the battle could have been more wise. She retreated into the forest. In the third area's forest, numerous contracted individuals from Apocalypse Park gathered. They were all trying to observe a single person, the black-haired, red-eyed youth.
Standing before tens of thousands of orc soldiers, the black-haired youth exhibited no fear in his eyes. He was contemplating one thing—what his name was. "I've died too many times recently. I seem to be called 'Black Blood'. But then again, maybe not."
Scratching his head, Black Blood's confused gaze gradually regained focus. He advanced towards the charging orc army. Scimitars, longswords, and battle axes swung at him, yet Black Blood made no effort to defend himself. He didn't care about these attacks. What he feared were anaesthetics or skills that could hinder him.
Black Blood was of demi-human lineage, possessing an incredibly resilient constitution. This lineage granted him immense immortality; upon death, his body would reset, healing all injuries. This was beyond what artificial or engineered lineages could compare to.
However, the demi-human lineage had a fatal flaw—relatively weaker attacking capabilities. Black Blood was well aware of this. Hence, he compensated with bombs. He had mastered a skill—Random Esoteric Explosive Generation Lv.28, capable of randomly generating dozens of esoteric bombs such as psychic bombs, magic bombs, alchemical bombs, and more.
If another contracted individual had this ability, they might become a demolition expert. But Black Blood was different; the combination of demi-human lineage and random esoteric explosive generation made him a formidable player akin to a "Taliban."
Amidst the sounds of slashing weapons, Black Blood, having charged into the orc army, lost his head and an arm without making any defence. Yet he was utterly indifferent to these attacks.
Boom! Explosions ensued, with shockwaves spreading outward, killing hundreds of orcs within a hundred meters in just one round, creating a massacre. "Is it over?" A squad leader among the orcs nervously watched the explosion's aftermath.
"Hello, little orc friends." Black Blood, wearing a smile despite his charred body, emerged from the flames, bombs reappearing on his person. "Kill him!" The orc squad leader roared angrily, seemingly fearless, yet his pupils were trembling in reality.
The orc soldiers lunged at Black Blood, who looked up at the sky. "Weird, who am I exactly?"
Boom! Another explosion and another few hundred orcs died. In the third area's forest, many contracted individuals from the Apocalypse Park witnessed this scene, leaving some of them astonished.
"Our opponents... are all like this?" One contracted individual from the Apocalypse Park gulped, not fearing Black Blood's abilities but rather the numbness towards life and death.
"Probably not everyone. This might be an exception. Even among us, some can't handle the psychological pressure."
"Exactly. I don't believe the contracted individuals from the Reincarnation Park are afraid of death."
Boom, boom, boom... Explosions echoed as more than a thousand orc soldiers were killed or injured before they even reached the second area. As the dust settled after the final explosion, Black Blood lay on the ground, seemingly exhausted. In reality, he was trying to remember who he was.
Though Black Blood lay on the ground, no nearby orc soldiers dared approach him. The orc soldiers continued their march, and a hundred-meter-wide passage appeared in the army's formation, with Black Blood lying at its centre.
No one dared to get close to this self-exploding youth, who remained motionless, seemingly contemplating life—questions like, Where am I? Who am I?
In the elevated areas of the second area, a leader among the contracted individuals from Reincarnation Park observed this scene. He was a captain. "He's not bad. Brothers, get ready to welcome our orc 'friends'." After the captain's command, the contracted individuals under his command responded weakly.
"Hey, muster up some spirit."
"Got it, boss."
"We've killed too many orcs before. It's just not interesting anymore." The contracted individuals from Reincarnation Park were scattered within the maze of the second area. For them, this wasn't a maze; it was a naturally fortified terrain.
Occasionally, green phosphorus incendiary bombs fell from the sky, an unknown quantity acquired by Xi. "Attack!" The orc army charged toward the ruins of the second area, only to be met with rifles and explosives.
Pew, pew, pew... A contracted individual wielding a dark purple-grade pistol continuously pulled the trigger. The silencer on the muzzle effectively concealed his position. Every three bullets fired resulted in a fallen orc; his marksmanship was exceptional.
Reloading and continuing the barrage, this marksman resembled a precise and rapid machine. The long-range firepower of hundreds of contracted individuals countered the orc army. The Orc army, despite its severe casualties, surged forward with sheer numbers, employing brute force tactics.
Swoosh~ Green phosphorus incendiary bombs rained down as several contracted individuals scattered, but an orc soldier grabbed one. With a crack, the incendiary bomb shattered upon hitting the ground, releasing green flames.
"Ah!" A contracted individual engulfed in green flames screamed in agony, enduring burning pain worse than death itself. Given the adhesive nature of the green phosphorus, his fate was sealed.
Acknowledging this fate, the contracted individual aimed his gun at his head and pulled the trigger. Bang! Brain matter splattered, and as he collapsed, his body was instantly consumed by the flames, turning to ashes.
Several contracted individuals from the Reincarnation Park nearby witnessed this scene unperturbed, having grown accustomed to life and death. As the Orc army breached the second area, they had already suffered casualties exceeding 4,000, and nearly half of their forces were decimated.
Would Xi let these orcs die in vain? Absolutely not. She was using them as cannon fodder, reducing casualties among the contracted individuals from the Apocalypse Park by employing the orcs as a shield. With these orcs at the front, her contracted individuals could avoid over 90% of the long-range attacks.
The wise ones knew that over ten thousand orc soldiers would soon be eliminated by a few hundred contracted individuals. Xi didn't expect these orcs to break through the defences of the Reincarnation Park. She was merely reducing casualties among her contracted individuals.
Clearly, Xi succeeded. This wasn't a conspiracy; it was a strategy. Over ten thousand orcs had to be dealt with. If they weren't, the contracted individuals from Apocalypse Park would take advantage of the situation and rush in.