The fat man leaning against the wall widened his eyes in disbelief at the scene before him.
As the small black war hammer struck the ghastly slender ghost, it let out a piercing cry and seemed to crumple under the force of the blow. It tumbled from the sky, shattering the escalator as it fell and leaving behind a trail of dark, viscous material as it plummeted to the layer below.
The sight of the small but mighty black warhammer left the two other survivors in awe.
They were astounded that a hammer of such small size could possess such incredible strength. Their mouths hung open, and they were so engrossed by the scene that they momentarily forgot what they were doing and stood rooted to the spot.
Xiao Song, the security guard who had been sent by Xia Ming to assess the situation, was even more terrified as he watched the events unfold from the rear.
From his vantage point, he saw Su Chen as a rather stoic figure, relentlessly firing at the monster while waiting for it to approach. Then, in a swift and seamless motion, Su Chen charged forward and hurled his war hammer at the creature, attempting to defeat it.
His movement was fluid and graceful, it displayed no hint of stiffness or hesitation.
At that moment, the two slender ghosts were not actually deceased. However, Xiao Song believed the fight had ended, so he hurried back to Xia Ming and recounted how Su Chen had vanquished the two creatures.
Xia Ming was taken aback by the news, but also pleased and filled with curiosity. He wondered about this individual's identity and why they were present there.
Meanwhile, the conflict in the secure passage was still ongoing. Su Chen remained vigilant and continued to fire at the elongated ghost shapes, being careful not to let his guard down.
The two ghosts couldn't cover each other, giving Su Chen ample opportunity and space.
He first took out the ghost that was still regaining its composure and had its head in its grasp. However, he maintained a safe distance while firing his weapon. With only two shots, he successfully obliterated the opponent's head.
Su Chen's magic-modified pistol was tremendously powerful, and its bullets possessed almost as much force as the explosive flying knife. They had enough strength to even lift the skull of an elongated ghost.
In retrospect, Su Chen realized that firing his weapon also depleted the energy unit in his body. In just a moment, he had consumed almost all of his remaining energy unit after firing seven bullets. It was done.
The magical modification of his pistol was not just limited to the equipment itself. The ordinary bullets fired from the weapon possessed astonishing power, partially due to the enhancement of the magic-modified gun, but also because they contained their own energy activation. Despite this, the firearm was still more efficient than using a gravity war hammer. Su Chen approximated that firing ten bullets would exhaust one unit of his energy.
Su Chen swiftly absorbed the energy of the elongated ghost on the 22nd floor staircase, instantly replenishing his energy unit. He wasted no time and proceeded to pursue the other elongated ghost that had fallen to the 21st floor.
Although the lower half of the elongated ghost had been nearly crushed by the gravity war hammer, it was still alive. The twisted matter of its body continued to entangle and support itself with its blade-like feet, slowly regenerating. As Su Chen arrived, the creature turned around and attempted to flee.
The sudden turn of events caught Su Chen off guard. He couldn't afford to let the elongated ghost escape, as it might seek revenge or cause further trouble. It would be quite troublesome for him, having to watch his back from then forth.
Su Chen decided not to waste time searching for his lost gravity war hammer. Instead, he focused on chasing the elongated ghost.
Since his magical weapon lacked its own energy and could only function when wielded by him, there was no use looking back.
The overweight man lying on the 23rd floor, observing the staircase, was astounded by what he saw. He couldn't believe that the terrifying elongated ghost had been defeated by a human and was now fleeing in a hurry. What was even more unbelievable was that the human was chasing after the creature without any hesitation.
In the midst of his disbelief, the disheveled-haired woman rushed past him and sprinted down the stairs.
...
Su Chen chased after his life, afraid that the lanky ghost would escape and return with a group of its kind. He caught up with it on the corridor of the twenty-first floor and stopped it with his gun. "Don't move..."
Su Chen was fearful that the elongated ghost might flee and return with a group of its kind, so he pursued it relentlessly. He chased it all the way to the twenty-first floor corridor, where he cornered the escaping creature and aimed his weapon at it. He ordered the distorted figure of the elongated ghost to freeze, saying coldly, "Don't move..."
Su Chen hesitated before firing his weapon, as he pondered the possibility of obtaining useful information from the elongated ghost. After all, if it was capable of escaping, it might possess a certain level of intelligence.
However, the creature merely twisted its body and glared at Su Chen coldly. It let out a piercing howl, engulfing the area with darkness and charging towards Su Chen with a fierce gust of wind, leaving him with no choice but to defend himself. He quickly abandoned his previous plan and fired a shot at the creature.
The elongated ghost was already wounded and its ability to recover while fleeing was slow, causing its speed and defense power to diminish. Su Chen's first shot blocked its momentum and significantly reduced its speed, while the second shot struck its neck. The creature's head was blown halfway off, causing its body to collapse. Nonetheless, it still had a sliver of life left in it. Its turbid, yellow eyes glared at Su Chen as it cursed, saying vaguely, "My god... descends... Your... demise is assured..."
Su Chen was left with unanswered questions as the elongated ghost breathed its last.
The black fluid substance on the creature's body gradually lost its vitality, and Su Chen activated the Anowal ring, draining all of its energy. With two monsters defeated, he managed to acquire two energy units. Perhaps this was the most efficient way for him to acquire energy, as hunting and defeating elongated ghosts yielded more results than his own hard work.
Su Chen felt nervous the first time he killed an elongated ghost, but this time, after defeating two creatures, he felt an extraordinary sense of calm. He even considered planning to hunt more elongated ghosts, as it would allow him to accumulate more energy units.
However, he realized that he was in a rush and needed to retrieve his gravity warhammer. While the weapon possessed incredible power, it had an obvious weakness. It was too short, and Su Chen did not have the body of a superhero. If he charged at an elongated ghost while wielding the hammer, he would likely be impaled by the creature's knife-like feet. Hence, for now, he could only use the weapon as a throwing instrument.
Although increasing his strength or creating an Iron Man-style suit of armor was crucial, Su Chen realized that his survival took priority over everything else.
As he returned to the stairwell on the 21st floor, he encountered the mad woman holding his gravity warhammer. She appeared disheveled, with her black hair in disarray, and her eyes were wild as she stared at Su Chen. She demanded, "Give me your gun, or you'll be dead!"
The woman had witnessed the power of Su Chen's warhammer firsthand, and had deliberately descended to this level while he was chasing the elongated ghost, hoping to seize the weapon for herself. She was also covetous of Su Chen's gun, sensing that it was not an ordinary firearm.
"I can live too".
As for others. what does it have to do with me...
This man, as long as he hands over the gun, I can survive too.
I would kill him.
The woman's mind raced with selfish and bloodthirsty thoughts. All she cared about was her own survival, and she believed that possessing Su Chen's gun and gravity warhammer would guarantee it. She was willing to kill him if he refused to comply with her demands.
Her face twisted into a sinister smile, revealing the extent of her mental distortion caused by the dangers and horrors of their situation. Meanwhile, Su Chen observed her with a sense of dread, as the corridor was filled with a foul stench and scattered flashlights of deceased humans only added to the cold and terrifying atmosphere.
Su Chen suddenly recalled that he was in a similar position moments ago, when he had rushed to the top floor and tried to lock the door. At that time, there were people in the corridor, but he had remained calm.
He knew the gravity war hammer in the woman's hands posed no real threat to him.
"Give me your gun!" the woman yelled frantically.
Su Chen sighed inwardly and asked calmly, "Do you think you're faster, or is my gun faster?"
The woman was momentarily stunned, but then realized that Su Chen did not feel threatened by her at all. She became even more angry and anxious, striking the wall next to him with the gravity warhammer in an attempt to intimidate him.
The woman's hammer lacked energy and was incapable of activating the gravity crushing ability. It was essentially just an ordinary hammer.
The woman's expression became dazed as she realized something was wrong.
Su Chen shook his head in disappointment, feeling a moment of hesitation. However, he quickly made up his mind and raised his gun, pulling the trigger.
A loud gunshot echoed throughout the corridor. The woman was caught off guard and was struck by the bullet. Her dazed expression froze on her face as her body fell backwards with a thud, ceasing all movement.
Blood spilled across the floor, marking the first time Su Chen had ever killed someone with a bullet. He knew that the experience came at a cost, as each bullet was precious, but he also understood that it was a necessary lesson.
With only twenty bullets remaining, Su Chen walked forward, retrieving his gravity warhammer as he passed the woman's lifeless body. His expression grew colder as he pressed on.
As he continued, Su Chen felt the tension and fear gradually dissipating from his eyes. He realized that he did not carry much psychological burden after going through these kinds of events. Although he was more afraid of death, he was also more open to certain things.
In this harsh environment, people will reveal their true nature. Some will turn hideous, some will stick to their moral principles, and some will do their best to help others. Human beings are complex creatures with various shades of gray.
There is no absolute right or wrong, good or bad in this world. It all depends on one's perspective and what they believe is acceptable behavior.
Su Chen knew that he might have to kill numerous monsters and people in the future, far more than he had to kill today.
However, he would always adhere to the moral principles he had set for himself. He wanted to survive, but not at the cost of becoming a monster himself.
As the environment and world around him continued to shift rapidly, Su Chen adapted and grew quickly. And now,
And now—
it was crucial for him to hunt and eliminate the lanky ghosts to accumulate more energy units.