Another martial technique.
Luo Zhong quickly turned around in a completely unreasonable manner, kicking away the shadow blades while the mechanical claw on his right arm extended towards Alister's head!
What a hassle...
Alister immediately reacted and decisively abandoned the kicked-away shadow blades, activating Shadow Vanish and retreating several tens of meters just as Luo Zhong was about to capture him!
The martial technique missed, and the force of the punch caused the asphalt road to crumble!
And this was just the beginning!
In an instant--
Using the force generated by the martial technique, Luo Zhong stomped on the road, similar to an anti-material sniper rifle, raising his technology armament that was fully loaded with ammunition!
Accompanied by the buzzing of mechanical structures and the burst of high-temperature gas, it was like a dragon opening its jaws, compressing the energy to its limit and creating an irresistible gravitational field!
"Mode three."
Luo Zhong spoke indifferently, releasing all the restraints on his armament. The energy immediately reversed, and a large-scale barrage of crimson projectiles descended once again!
Steel melted, cement crumbled, and the night trembled as if a meteor shower had descended, leaving chaos in its wake!
At this moment, Luo Zhong's power had reached a level that surpassed ordinary D-rank players and entered the realm of dangerous destruction.
Faced with the exaggerated storm of crimson projectiles...
"Shadow."
Underneath the dark night in the distance, at the dimly lit intersection with flickering streetlights, the mysterious player in black stood at the pedestrian crossing. He raised his left hand and unleashed a massive tsunami of shadows.
It was a magnificent sight, even though Alister's psychic power was still affected by the S-rank "Shadow Monarch" reduction effect, it was instantly depleted!
In this form, he was the embodiment of the night.
Decree of the Monarch, countless shadows permeated the night of this world, embracing the mysterious arrival.
From a distance, the cityscape behind Alister was no longer the city and sea at night but a towering shadow beast hundreds of meters tall, overlooking the small figure of Luo Zhong!
The evening training of "Shadow" had come to an end.
The reason for this decision was that behind Alister was a residential area in the undeveloped zone, and under the rampage of the crimson barrage... there would likely be a large number of casualties.
Alister didn't want to see news notifications on his phone tomorrow about "Collapse of residential buildings in the undeveloped zone due to unknown reasons."
"Additional principle: My battles will not harm innocent people."
So, with Alister's will commanding it, the towering shadow of several hundred meters, which had reached its limit, opened its abyssal maw and emitted a low roar that seemed to come from the underworld.
"Devour."
In an instant, the words turned into action, and the shadows collapsed like a falling sky, engulfing everything in their path, annihilating any approaching crimson moment!
Like a giant whale plunging into the sea, the world resounded with a mournful cry.
Blood, crimson, Luo Zhong... Everything in Alister's perception turned into nothingness, struggling within the tsunami of shadows, with nowhere to escape.
But...
After seventeen seconds, the tsunami of shadows that covered the field of view came to an end, and the night returned to its light purple hue. The neon-lit world restored its normal view...
Although "Extreme Senses" had already confirmed Luo Zhong's death, the pale blue system data did not appear...
"Phew..."
From the depths of darkness, Luo Zhong bowed his head, exhaling a deep breath as if his soul was dissipating, then raised his scarred eye like a skull returning from hell.
The technological armament on his right arm was already damaged from overloading.
His coat was tattered, his body exposed, and even though all his vital organs had melted, with barely any blood or flesh left, Luo Zhong still did not turn into system data upon his player's death.
"It really hurts..." He resembled a skeleton returning from the underworld, his neck twisted.
Then, after a few seconds of silence, his remaining psychic power was rapidly depleted. The shadows intertwined, generating an incredibly sharp, slender blade in his hand. Luo Zhong stared at Alister, who was resisting the shadows.
Willpower, blood-locking tools, or his own player ability?
Alister contemplated the reason for Luo Zhong's survival.
...
...
Across the dark blue river, on one side of the view, the bustling neon lights of A City's downtown area reflected a vibrant glow, blurring the prosperous world. Luo Zhong's figure stood as a boundary between two worlds.
The bustling city area where various forces were at play and the undeveloped zone where lower-ranking players struggled—a sequence game characterized by extreme polarization.
"My game is over..." Luo Zhong spoke in a heavy tone.
The next moment, the sound of speeding vehicles echoed from the distant elevated bridge, a constant reminder that this was the world of ordinary people.
"So..." Luo Zhong took a heavy step forward, his wrist flicked, and a long sword appeared out of thin air. "Your game... must also come to an end."
With those words, in front of a non-functional traffic light, Luo Zhong staggered, his figure swaying, avoiding one parked car after another.
His pace quickened, then quickened again, and continued to accelerate!
Finally--
"This world is a struggle of the weak against the strong."
He suddenly surged forward tens of meters, exerting force with his arm, and delivered a deadly blow, slicing through an electric pole!
"I know."
Alister calmly responded while raising his slender shadow blade. The blade turned slightly, producing a crisp sound as it clashed with Luo Zhong's long sword!
"So," Alister's tone was unwavering as he looked directly into Luo Zhong's eyes. "I will change this world."
Luo Zhong's trembling arm holding the sword caused the road to shatter as he suppressed Alister again and again. "What makes you think you can change it? Are you a god? Chosen by destiny?!" Luo Zhong swung his sword faster and faster. "When people live in this world, they must recognize their own insignificance!"
Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!
"What is insignificant is you."
The outcome had already been determined, and with a single hand, Alister deflected Luo Zhong's weakening attacks, calmly announcing the conclusion. "Not me."
At a closer look, Alister had figured out why Luo Zhong had survived the Shadow Devour.
"... " Luo Zhong fell silent for a few seconds.
The prolonged battle had come to an end, and "Shadow" emerged as the ultimate victor.
Luo Zhong stared wordlessly at Alister, making no expressions or pursuing any further actions.
Then, the longsword in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.
He could no longer hold on and returned to death.
His body transformed into pale blue system data, dissipating into the void.
"This is your limit," Alister scrutinized the empty space before him and calmly retracted his shadow blade. "Do you understand?"
"Detection of D-Rank compatible ability - Power Exchange."
After death, Luo Zhong's player ability finally manifested.
Although it was a D-Rank ability, Alister had no reason to let go of an ability that could suppress him.
"Ability: Power Exchange."
"Rank: D."
"The ability holder pays a certain price to obtain a corresponding increase in power."
Just as he expected, the melting of Luo Zhong's body was not caused by Shadow Devour but by the price he paid to the system, using it as a sacrifice to resist Alister's full-power attack.
"A worthy opponent to learn from."
Power doesn't distinguish between strength and weakness. The true determinant of victory or defeat lies in the player themselves. Alister adjusted his perception of ability ranks.
Although tonight's hunt had come to an end and everything returned to calm...
There was still something unresolved.
Addressing the unfamiliar presence that had been observing the battle, "Shadow" turned slightly, his gaze profound as he calmly said:
"Have you seen enough?"
In his line of sight, he saw a pair of lively purple eyes, reflecting Alister hidden under the hood.
The woman with black hair, dressed in a black evening dress, hanging upside down from the streetlight, blinked her long eyelashes as if she were innocent.
Then, without a care in the world, she stood upright under the non-functioning traffic light, smiled playfully, and said:
"Not enough~"