Dirk immediately activated his skill, and a bright yellow flame surged more than half a meter high, scorching at temperatures exceeding a thousand degrees. The series of incidents had thrown the ordinary members of the team into a state of panic. Arnold, hearing the chaos behind him, couldn't help but become enraged and cast a ferocious gaze upon the red-haired man.
Provoked by Dirk's murderous intent, the red-haired man couldn't bear it any longer and began to curse to conceal his recent embarrassment.
"You have a problem, don't you?"
He feigned launching the flames into the crowd, causing a panic among the old, weak, and sick.
"I swear, I'll burn you to death, you bunch of trash!"
"Transformation into a Bear!"
Arnold roared in anger, fully determined to eliminate this guy and deal with the consequences later. These arrogant individuals who looked down on everyone made it necessary to teach them a lesson.
A strong gust of wind roared as Arnold's body instantly grew, transforming into a black bear, and he swung a powerful paw towards the red-haired awakened individual!
The red-haired awakened individual suddenly found himself in darkness, and an enormous paw was instantly before him. Under the double effect of Arnold's one-rank strength and his own underestimation, his speed was far beyond his reaction time, leaving him no time to unleash his blazing flames.
The tall, skinny man's heart was filled with fear. Another awakened individual? Ignoring Dirk's lock-on, he desperately extended his right hand in an attempt to protect the red-haired awakened individual.
Snap!
The arm broke, and the irresistible force shattered his right arm in an instant.
"Ahhh!"
"My hand!"
The red-haired awakened individual let out a horrifying scream, unable to offer any resistance. His once-proud transformed arm now lay in a bloody, mangled mess at his side. He could only watch in helpless horror as the colossal paw continued its assault on his comrade.
The flames were violently extinguished as the enormous paw came down, emitting a pungent odor of burnt fur. The once-fiery flames were snuffed out in an instant.
The red-haired man's face turned ashen, and a single, brutal blow obliterated half of his shoulder. He was sent flying under the tremendous force, his body broken.
Thinking of escaping?
"Rampant Charge!"
Arnold grinned with malice as a burst of red light enveloped his body. His skill was activated, causing the earth to tremble.
The colossal bear form chased after him in the blink of an eye, and Arnold launched a mighty stomp aimed at the lower body of the red-haired man.
"You thought you were hot stuff, didn't you?"
"Ahhhh!"
His wailing scream echoed through the air as the charge pressed forward. Arnold's foot crushed the man's lower body into a bloody pulp.
"Stop!"
"Armor Transformation!"
A furious shout. Suddenly, a robust man dashed out from the school gate, frantic and eager to activate his skill.
His entire body was clad in silver-white armor, resembling the knights from a bygone era. He wanted to intervene and halt Arnold. As the leader of the two, he couldn't imagine how he would explain the loss of two awakened individuals to their superiors.
Damn it, everything happened too quickly! Arnold didn't even turn to look at him; he treated the intervention like a fart in the wind. In the beginning, when the red-haired awakened individual tried to threaten ordinary people, why didn't he stop him? Arnold clenched his right fist and struck again.
"I told you not to act so cocky!"
"Boom!"
The ground instantly erupted into a deep crater, and with that punch, the red-haired man's head was brutally slammed into the pit's bottom.
"Bang!"
Like a violently crushed egg, the bottom of the pit was a mess of red and white, with no recognizable shape. The body, now missing its head and half a shoulder, bore no resemblance to a human. "Oh my, why couldn't he take a hit?"
Arnold grinned widely and then turned his head to the sturdy man who was charging towards him. His formerly feigned smile instantly turned cold. "You too..."
"Do you want to die?"
The fierce killing intent released by the black bear made the man halt in his tracks. His originally unfiltered scolding was stuck in his throat.
"You... you guys!"
Frustration, anger, and fear coursed through the trembling lips of the sturdy man. He had never imagined that Arnold would directly take a life. Even during the most heated disputes between the two factions in their academy, no one had died.
As a hothouse flower, the bloodiest thing they had ever encountered was clearing the zombies within their academy. The current scene was so brutal and savage that, despite his confidence in being no weaker than Arnold, he instinctively refrained from taking action.
"How dare you kill an awakened individual from our academy!"
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
Sparks flew. Before he could regain his senses, a continuous barrage of dagger strikes came from his lower back. He felt a pain in his organs as the force passed through him, making his very lungs ache.
"Splurt!"
An involuntary mouthful of blood was spat out, his lack of combat experience causing him to turn his head in panic, but he didn't even catch a glimpse of his enemy. Black mist rose and dissipated.
Who?! Who on earth was it!?
"Behind you!"
The man with the beastly arms shouted in alarm, trying to warn his companion. But this time, he dared not approach to help.
The warning was futile. The man in the suit of armor suddenly felt his vision darken. An icy killing intent emerged before him.
His throat went cold, and Dirk, with a trace of mockery at the corner of his mouth, precisely placed his dagger at the man's neck through the gaps in his armor.
Daring to make a move? If it weren't for everyone's desire to minimize bloodshed, according to Clark's style, they might have already secured everyone inside the academy, preparing for dinner! How could they be refused entry and ridiculed like this?
"Shut up, it starts now. I ask, you answer."
The man in the armor reluctantly nodded, his heart filled with horror. The man in front of him had the strength of a mere 0th level, but why was his speed so fast, and his movements so ghostly? If he wasn't purely a defense-oriented talent, that blow to his back just now could have been fatal. He couldn't even see it coming, how could he continue to fight?
Dirk paid no mind to the man's astonishment. He calmly began his questioning.
"First, the accurate number of awakened individuals in the academy, who is the strongest among them?"
"Second, the current number of survivors, are there any trapped survivors?"
"Third, how large is the safe zone you've cleared, and are there any other dangers nearby?"
"Fourth, are there any zombies left inside the academy?"
With his background as a reconnaissance scout, Dirk possessed excellent battlefield judgment and a quick-thinking nature. His questions were precise and essential, each aimed at gathering the most critical information.
Clark, who had been keeping a close eye on things, nodded slightly, relieved that Dirk had performed his role well. He had been concerned about whether Dirk would be influenced by their recent experiences. It seemed that with more time to grow, he would undoubtedly become a valuable asset.
The man in the knight's armor had a confused mind and couldn't help but glance deeply at Dirk. He was so professional, with a strong sense of purpose. Could he be a military operative?