The headless body of the black-armored Bakatan captain remained standing for a moment before collapsing with a resounding thud.
Now, only two Bakatans remained—the final members of the original five-person squad.
The two exchanged a glance, their eyes brimming with terror.
This fear was a far cry from the excitement they had displayed when they first descended and began their massacre.
Then…
The squad leader roared, "Charge! Let's fight him to the death!"
With that, the two lunged forward, their spider-like legs moving at incredible speed as they crashed into the building's hallway.
Their desperate charge took Lin Qun by surprise.
He had just eliminated the black-armored captain and turned his attention back, only to find the two Bakatans nearly out of sight. They had been advancing the entire time and were now too close to the building's entrance.
Once they disappeared from view, Lin Qun's abilities were rendered useless.
He managed to snipe one of them, but the last Bakatan made it upstairs!
Given Li Xinghe's abilities, facing a Bakatan in the narrow corridor was a death sentence.
Damn it!
Lin Qun hesitated for a split second before gritting his teeth and bolting from his hiding spot to pursue the Bakatan into the building.
No matter whether it was for himself or for others, Li Xinghe had helped him. Without his distraction, Lin Qun could never have taken down thirteen Bakatans so effortlessly!
He couldn't let Li Xinghe die.
But before Lin Qun could get close, a deafening crash echoed from the third floor.
Lin Qun froze in astonishment.
The corridor wall on the third floor had collapsed, and the Bakatan had been punched straight down to the ground. Its body twitched violently before going still—it was clearly dead, its face and helmet smashed beyond recognition.
It looked like it had been killed with a single heavy punch.
Could Li Xinghe possess such power? Enough to instantly kill a Bakatan?
Lin Qun was dumbfounded and looked up. What he saw next shocked him even more.
"It's her?"
Standing on the third floor was the woman Lin Qun had noticed earlier—the only one with a physique surpassing 16 points.
She was clad in a white combat suit that accentuated her flawless figure. Her high ponytail and cold, elegant features gave her an aura of natural authority.
She was helping a dazed Li Xinghe to his feet. "Sorry I didn't act earlier," she said, her voice calm and composed. "My ability only works in close combat… I can only fight effectively when they come close. You're impressive, though. Killing so many of them… the average Bakatan physique is over 14 points."
Li Xinghe, lucky and agile enough to dodge most attacks, seemed relatively unscathed, though his body bore scratches, and his face was pale with lingering fear.
Down below, Lin Qun stood alone amidst the Bakatan corpses. His murmured words seemed to catch the woman's attention, and she glanced at him, frowning slightly.
She seemed to recognize him.
This woman was likely a master with an advanced melee talent.
Li Xinghe finally snapped out of his stupor, realizing that the nightmare was over. Still in a daze, he instinctively turned to see what the "big shot" looked like.
But by the time he looked, Lin Qun had already disappeared without a trace.
It was enough for Lin Qun that Li Xinghe was alive. He didn't care about taking credit.
Letting others believe Li Xinghe was the true expert worked in Lin Qun's favor.
After all, this battle had solidified his philosophy: to survive, one must be a "crouching tiger."
Strike from the shadows and never face the enemy head-on.
The only regret was that the Bakatans' equipment was unusable. Some form of tech-recognition system caused it to explode when used by non-Bakatans.
While Lin Qun wasn't interested in their oversized firearms, he had been tempted by the black-armored captain's suit. Alas, he had to let it go.
Back on the third floor, Li Xinghe stammered, "You… thank you… I'm Li Xinghe."
"Chu Youwei," the woman replied curtly, withdrawing her hand.
Meanwhile, Lin Qun had already returned to his apartment.
The neighborhood buzzed with excitement as news spread of the Bakatans' defeat. People were coming out of their homes, some weeping over lost loved ones, others simply relieved to be alive.
Fan Wenchuan, the scrawny man, was enthusiastically reassuring his companion. "See? I told you, stick with me, and we'll survive!"
Lin Qun ignored the commotion, slipping through the crowd and heading upstairs.
But he failed to notice a pair of eyes watching him intently from the shadows—eyes belonging to a woman with a "Hawk Eye" skill.
She seemed to have seen something.
Unaware, Lin Qun returned to his home.
Now at Level 4, Lin Qun's stats had undergone a significant transformation.
His strength had surpassed that of an average person. Tasks that once seemed impossible—like moving a heavy bed—were now effortless with one hand.
He also noticed an improvement in his agility. Testing it out by running around his apartment, he was noticeably faster.
He felt elated. Increased physical fitness meant a higher chance of survival.
He checked his leaderboard ranking in the regional war zone. Killing sixteen Bakatans had earned him 16 contribution points, placing him fourth in the entire Eastern District of Shanghai.
If he could maintain this position for 24 hours, he'd earn an additional six contribution points.
Currently, he had exactly ten contribution points left after spending six on stamina recovery potions.
Lin Qun had deliberately conserved enough points for one more card draw.
He took a deep breath, used a precious bottle of mineral water to wash his hands for good luck, and initiated the draw.
"One good card! Just one good card!" he chanted like a mantra.
A card materialized before him.
As Lin Qun got a clear look at it, his expression turned strange.
It's… this?