The shadow was indeed James.
The pickup truck was parked nearby, and Ravenna was still sitting in the driver's seat, staring in disbelief as James charged out with a steel pipe. For a moment, she couldn't quite grasp what was happening.
That giant elephant, which Ravenna had just seen, couldn't even be harmed by high-caliber bullets. How could James, a mere human, hope to kill it?
"Has he gone mad?" Ravenna wondered.
"Captain Emma, the rocket launchers are no longer effective. A single rocket missed and destroyed a building, injuring many civilians," an officer reported anxiously.
Emma shook her head firmly, saying, "Continue using them. It will take at least thirty rockets to bring down this elephant. We cannot stop."
Was it even possible to stop this giant from killing if they didn't use rocket launchers?
"Yes, sir!" The officer straightened up, accepting the order. "Prepare the rocket launchers, prepare the rocket launchers."
Soon, three more rockets whistled through the air.
"Still using rockets?" James saw the rockets flying and raised an eyebrow. Using them in such a densely populated area could result in countless casualties with one misfire. They had already had one mishap.
"Emma, stop using the rocket launchers. I have a solution," James called out as he darted past Emma, who paused, turned, and saw him vanishing into the fog. Her eyes widened as she exclaimed, "It's Steel Pipe Man?"
For some reason, Emma instinctively trusted him and immediately ordered, "Cease the rocket launcher attacks."
In the official building of Lakeview City, the seven top leaders were intently watching the live broadcast. Suddenly, the rocket launcher attacks stopped. One of the leaders furrowed his brow and asked urgently, "Why did the rocket attacks stop?"
"Even if there are collateral damages, we must take down this giant elephant!" The highest-ranking leader was breathless, almost pounding the table. "Tremp, tell me who is in charge of this battle? Resume the attack immediately!"
Every second this giant elephant was alive meant more death.
Tremp was also anxious. He was about to speak when suddenly, a figure appeared on the screen. Tremp's eyes narrowed, and he exclaimed, "Is that him?"
The other leaders also saw the figure and were puzzled.
What was he doing?
James took a deep breath, his internal energy surging like a river. He picked up the steel pipe, took a powerful step, and threw it with all his might.
The steel pipe, one of James's most skilled weapons from his past life, flew through the air and struck the giant elephant's right side, precisely where a rocket had created a massive wound. The tough skin was already ruptured, and the steel pipe easily penetrated about forty to fifty centimeters.
The giant elephant roared in pain, becoming even more enraged.
James didn't slow down. He quickly removed several steel rods from his belt and launched them at the elephant, securing them firmly in place.
In the official building's conference room, the seven highest officials held their breath, their eyes glued to the screen.
"Last time, the security team mentioned a Steel Pipe Man who killed a wild boar without firearms. Is this him?" one middle-aged leader wondered.
"Using the same weapon suggests it's the same person, but how could one person kill a giant elephant?" another leader shook his head.
"Is James the Steel Pipe Man?" Tremp thought.
Meanwhile, James was now close to the giant elephant. Having fought similar battles countless times before, his blood was boiling with excitement. He roared, "Die!"
He jumped several times, avoiding the elephant's trunk swipe, pretended to bend down to grab a rock, but in fact, took out an iron rod from a mysterious space. Then James leaped onto the elephant's back, grabbed the steel pipe, and drove it deeper with all his might.
The elephant roared in agony. Despite its enormous size, it couldn't shake James off. James repeated the action, pushing the steel pipe all the way in.
Hot blood spurted from the pipe, spraying several meters away.
"It's dead!" James's eyes lit up as he saw his goal achieved. The steel pipe had pierced the elephant's heart, and the pipe, being hollow, acted like a blood drain, causing the elephant to bleed out rapidly.
In the conference room, the seven leaders saw the elephant finally collapsing and breathed a sigh of relief.
Due to the steel pipe piercing the heart, the elephant's blood shot out like arrows. Within seconds, the massive beast fell to the ground, dying slowly.
James stood up from the elephant, surveying the bloody scene around him. The area was covered in blood, and amidst the wreckage, limbs could be seen.
Sighing, James pulled the steel pipe out of the elephant's heart, cleaned it, and glanced at the distant cameras. His face was clearly visible to the seven leaders in the official building.
"Who is this person?" the leaders wondered.
Tremp decided to reveal, "He is Steel Pipe Man, the one who also provided me with the X virus cure."
"What!" The leaders were shocked.
"Tremp, you should have informed us of such talent earlier," the leader at the head of the table remarked casually, sipping from his cup.
Tremp smiled wryly, "Initially, I only thought he was a lucky guy. It wasn't until today that I realized he is Steel Pipe Man and didn't know his combat skills were so high. He must have more secrets."
"Since we're struggling with the drug analysis, should we invite him over to clarify some matters?" a leader suggested coldly.
The other leaders laughed at this, knowing the leader was known for his tough approach. If he invited James, he'd probably come regardless.
Tremp thought of the picture of Liam's death and quickly shook his head, "With his high combat skills, it's better not to force him. I'll approach him first."
The leader's expression turned cold, but he didn't say more.
Back on the battlefield, James leaped off the giant elephant, determinedly heading towards the pickup truck.
Nearby, Emma quickly emerged from the fog. This time, James had not concealed his face, and Emma instantly recognized him. She realized that Steel Pipe Man was James, and he was likely the one who had killed Liam. Emma gritted her teeth, determined to capture him, but James was already out of reach. She could only see his familiar silhouette in the distance, vowing, "I will catch you."
The battle with the giant elephant had shown the terrifying power of the apocalypse. The losses were severe, with hundreds of buildings collapsed and possibly over five thousand civilians dead.
The apocalypse had finally revealed its terrifying fangs. Meanwhile, James's display of terrifying power had firmly placed him in the top echelons of Lakeview City's leaders' radar.
Killing the giant elephant was an important step in James's plan. By exposing his strength, he intended to intimidate those who might threaten him. He knew that many people still believed in the power of conventional weapons and might underestimate him. However, he was not concerned about their opinions; his main focus was on Tremp's attitude. Tremp, as a fellow warrior, would soon become a powerful leader in Lakeview City.
James estimated that it wouldn't be long before Tremp contacted him. When that happened, he would have the opportunity to impart some of his ideas. For example, he would stress that thier country must avoid participating in international wars and that the nation should prioritize training its people in martial arts, among other things.