The intense pain shot through her nerves, sparking every cell into action, ready to unleash her killer instinct.
That blade, it triggered Olivia's awakening ability called "Deadly Agony." Her aura surged, and on her right wrist, a bracelet displayed: Pain Level 10%.
"Huh?"
Leather Jacket dude sensed something was off. He tried to yank back his alloy dagger, but Olivia's grip was iron-clad, unmovable.
As he struggled, the blade sank deeper, and blood dripped through Olivia's fingers.
The pain level was still climbing.
15%.
"Snap!"
With a fierce jerk, Olivia broke the blade and, holding the jagged edge, lunged at the guy's temple!
"Thud!"
The dude didn't even see it coming, just felt a sharp pain in his head as warm blood trickled down his face.
His vision blurred...
"Is this... the gentle girl?"
His eyes dilated in shock, his last thought before he dropped dead, body thudding to the ground.
In that brief moment, Olivia had taken out a Core crystal awakener.
Song Yang and his crew's eyes widened, totally shocked by the fierce prowess of this seemingly delicate girl.
"Did she just off him that easily?"
"I got a bad feeling about her, man!"
"Watch out, this chick is dangerous!"
"...."
The gang suddenly tensed up.
Olivia, while killing, had been calm, her moves sharp and ruthless—a seasoned pro, no doubt.
She glanced down at the corpse, as if remembering something.
She crouched, pried open the dude's skull with the broken blade, and started digging around inside.
"What's she doing?"
Zane was curious, reminded of the days "mixing dumpling filling" back at the orphanage.
Soon, Olivia found the man's Core crystal and yanked it out, her hands covered in blood and bits of brain.
Then she turned and walked over to Zane, handing him the bloody prize.
"You gave me bread, I give you Core crystal."
"Oh..."
Zane nodded, realizing she was still as impulsive as ever.
But the sight of her blood-drenched, brain-speckled hand was a bit much.
"Kinda unsanitary, huh?"
"Fresh from the skull, still warm. Clean and sanitary."
Olivia knew about Zane's germophobia, so she reassured him.
To Zane, this was like 'soup-soaked rice'—messy and a bit gross.
So he stood there, hesitating.
Olivia glanced at him, puzzled.
"What's your beef now?"
"Not classy enough."
Zane remarked.
"....." Olivia rolled her eyes, mimicking his earlier tone.
"Take it or leave it!"
"Yikes..."
Song Yang and his crew gasped, shocked by how brutal the scene before them was. This girl was nothing like the gentle soul the guy in the leather jacket had described. Man, he totally had it coming!
At the same time, they wondered, could she really be from the official refuge?
She seemed even more ruthless than them.
Even though their Black Scorpion gang had dabbled in some pretty dark stuff, including cannibalism and torture, they lacked the nonchalance Olivia displayed.
"Hey, wait a sec..."
Suddenly, Song Yang spotted a serious issue—the headcount was off. His eyes darted from Zane to Richard, sizing everyone up.
No matter how he counted, there was an extra person...
"Yuan Yuan, didn't you say there were six of us? Why do I see seven?"
"I..."
The short-haired girl frowned, her expression grave.
"Bro Yang, one of them... doesn't seem human!"
"What?"
Song Yang's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
He generally trusted his psychic senses.
Not human?
Then what was it?
Following the girl's gaze towards Zane, who was now savoring the blood-soaked Core crystal as if it was the sweetest candy.
The answer was becoming clear.
Zombie!
His heart skipped a beat. People from the official refuge mixed with a Zombie!
Today's events were just too bizarre.
A strong sense of crisis welled up inside him.
He looked around.
Right now, their biggest advantage was their numbers.
"Let's not worry about the details, take them down, everyone together."
"Right."
His crew nodded silently.
Then.
The battle was about to erupt, as members of the Black Scorpion gang unleashed their awakened abilities.
They were fierce as tigers, their aura formidable.
Olivia turned her head, her expression still calm.
"Just stand here, don't move, I'm going to fetch some more Core crystals."
"Huh?"
Zane raised an eyebrow.
That statement sounded a bit off...
But by then, Song Yang and a few key members had already approached Olivia. Song Yang's awakened ability turned his skin metallic, making him extraordinarily strong.
His skin shimmered, covered in a bright silver hue, and he moved with the clank of steel, as if wearing a suit of metal armor.
Song Yang swung his fist, packed with the force of a thousand pounds, a whooshing sound cutting through the air, aimed straight at Olivia's face.
Olivia, unfazed, raised her slender arm to block.
"Bang!"
With a muffled sound, Olivia withstood the massive force, but slid back a bit, her arm numb, a sharp pain shooting through it.
Pain level: 17%
Song Yang's silver face twisted into a wicked grin, signaling his teammates: "Now!"
"Got it!"
Yuan Yuan responded from behind, launching a psychic attack, her mental force flooding into Olivia's mind like a tidal wave, initiating a 'brainstorm'!
Olivia felt as if her brain was doused in boiling oil, intense pain washing over her, her consciousness beginning to blur.
Song Yang seized the moment, his massive fist coming down again.
It seemed this blow would smash her head in!
At that moment, the numbers on Olivia's bracelet changed.
Pain level: 26%
Her gaze sharpened instantly, her eyes clearing, the pain making her even stronger.
With one hand, she punched at an almost imperceptible speed, landing squarely on Song Yang's chest.
"Buzz—"
Even with his metallic body, Song Yang's chest caved in, the immense force sending him flying back like he was hit by a truck.
Boom!
Song Yang crashed into a wall, buried in the rubble.
"How is this possible?"
Yuan Yuan's eyes were about to split open, her face contorted in rage, the Black Scorpion tattoo on her face seeming to come alive.
But with the situation urgent, she couldn't dwell on it, quickly turning to locate Olivia, ready to launch another psychic attack.
But.
A delicate, exquisite face was already in front of her!