"Kill!"
Anirudh knew very well that the longer they delayed, the more zombies and mutant dogs would gather around them, and their chances of winning would diminish. In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that this might be their last chance.
The next moment, Anirudh roared and leaped forward. Taking advantage of the twisted monster's momentary daze, he swung the fire axe in his hand with all his might, aiming at the injury on the back of the monster's head, which he had inflicted with two heavy metallic statues earlier.
Clang!
Crack!
Although the twisted monster's defense was extraordinary, the previous heavy blows had caused significant damage, tearing the flesh around the wound and even slightly cracking the hard skull beneath.
Taking full advantage, Anirudh's strike with the sharp axe blade finally broke through the monster's skull amidst a deafening metallic clang, driving it into the monster's brain.
However, the fire axe's wooden handle, having endured several intense impacts, reached its limit. With a sharp crack, it broke in half, leaving only the axe head and part of the handle embedded in the twisted monster's skull.
This misfortune caused Anirudh to lose his chance to further wound or even kill the twisted monster!
"Aaaaargh!"
Despite its near-complete zombification and significantly reduced pain sensitivity, the twisted monster still howled in pain and fury as the axe blade pierced its skull and partly entered its brain. Instinctively, it swung its massive right arm and smashed backward toward Anirudh with immense force.
"Damn it!"
Having exhausted himself with the previous strike and shaken by the recoil, Anirudh couldn't escape the twisted monster's range in time. Seeing the tumor-covered massive arm sweeping toward him, his only choice was to raise both arms to shield himself and brace for impact.
Bang!
The combined effects of the virus and powers enhanced the twisted monster's strength beyond Anirudh's. Its furious blow sent Anirudh flying like a baseball hit out of the park, slamming him to the ground seven or eight meters away.
The impact sent waves of pain through Anirudh's raised arms, and he could faintly hear the cracking of bones. Landing heavily, his chest tightened, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Clearly, taking the hit had severely injured his arms and caused some internal damage.
Yet at that moment, a cool and gentle energy surged from within his body, quickly flowing to his aching arms and chest. The pain lessened significantly, and his strength began to return.
"Phew..."
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, determination flashed in Anirudh's eyes. Taking a deep breath, he charged at the twisted monster once again.
He had discovered earlier, after being wounded by the monster, that his "Ancient Body Tempering Technique" had gained powerful healing and recovery abilities after reaching a new level. This became his sole confidence to gamble his life against the twisted monster.
As long as the twisted monster didn't utterly destroy or kill him, the "Ancient Body Tempering Technique" would allow him to suppress his injuries, regain strength, and continue the battle until one of them died.
"Roar!"
The twisted monster, now almost entirely consumed by rage, saw Anirudh rushing at it again despite being sent flying. Its fury flared even hotter as it roared and prepared to charge at Anirudh, intending to tear him apart.
But just as it began to move, an indescribable coldness spread from its right leg, quickly numbing it.
Looking down, it saw the same man who had blinded its eye earlier now beside it, pressing a hand against its right leg. From that hand, waves of extreme cold surged out, freezing its leg and forming a thick layer of frost!
"Aaaaargh!"
The freezing of its leg enraged the twisted monster even more. It howled and swung a massive arm at Chandan, who swiftly pulled back and rolled away, putting distance between them and avoiding the blow.
However, the monster wasn't willing to let Chandan off easily. Missing its target, it roared again and limped after him. Its frozen leg, covered in cracks and shedding frozen flesh with each step, oozed blood and slowed its movements.
"Haha, let's see you survive this, you bastard!" Chandan laughed loudly, but his triumph was cut short by Anirudh's panicked shout:
"Look out!"
Four mutant dogs had surrounded Chandan and were charging at him from all directions.
Hearing the warning, Chandan turned pale. Although he managed to shoot one of the dogs, his gun soon clicked empty. With no time to reload, he threw the gun at one dog and punched another, freezing it into an ice sculpture.
Yet the fourth dog pounced, biting deeply into his arm and tearing away a chunk of flesh. Blood gushed from the wound as Chandan kicked the dog away. But the others, including the twisted monster, closed in, leaving him in mortal peril.
"No!" Anirudh roared, despair flooding his heart as he realized he couldn't reach Chandan in time.
Memories of Chandan's words flashed through his mind:
"I'm your assistant. Of course, I'll stay by your side!"
"Now it's my turn to protect you, big brother!"
"This life of mine is yours. I won't let anyone hurt you!"
Rage, regret, and desperation surged in Anirudh's heart, pushing him to his limits. At that moment, something deep within him shattered, and a new power erupted from his body…
The system once stated that the tide of spiritual energy is both an opportunity and a challenge for all living beings. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth doesn't become richer because you're human, nor does it diminish if you're a monster. With the continuous infusion of spiritual energy into the world, as long as you don't die prematurely, you will inevitably grow stronger. Even the most ordinary person will eventually awaken their supernatural abilities and rise to power.
The only difference lies in when that day comes!
Those with better aptitude awaken their abilities earlier, which allows them to gain self-preservation powers sooner, seize opportunities, and strengthen themselves ahead of others. This advantage snowballs, enabling them to surpass latecomers by a wide margin.
Of course, the prerequisite is survival. If you're unlucky, no matter how gifted you are, you'll perish midway.
Take Dog King Abhi as an example. He awakened his abilities no later than Chandan, and his power to control mutated dogs was exceptionally formidable. However, due to bad luck, he was severely injured during his awakening, turning into a half-human, half-corpse. Otherwise, with his abilities and the pack of mutated dogs under his command, he was destined to become a legend.
As for Anirudh, after achieving a minor success in the "Ancient Body Tempering Technique," he had already transformed his physique. Over time, through slaying zombies, he had accumulated a significant amount of spiritual energy, reaching the threshold of awakening. With the intense stimulation of Chandan's crisis, this pent-up energy erupted, and he finally broke through, awakening his supernatural abilities!
Upon awakening, Anirudh immediately felt two immensely powerful yet starkly contrasting forces surging within him.
One force was extremely cold and dark, violent and ominous. As it surged, he felt as if a beast born of darkness was rampaging inside him, making his heart race with fear.
The other force was gentle and warm, like a stream flowing through his body. Wherever it passed, his previously aching organs instantly recovered, becoming even more vibrant and full of life.
Boom!
The next moment, without Anirudh's control, the two opposing forces—like mortal enemies, yet strangely complementary—rushed to his heart and violently clashed!
In that instant, it felt like a thunderclap exploded in his mind, leaving him dazed.
He vaguely perceived the interplay of two energies within his heart—one dark as the deepest shadow, the other radiant like a blazing flame. These opposing forces clashed violently, as if locked in an eternal struggle to consume one another. Yet, neither could gain the upper hand. After what felt like an endless storm of conflict, the energies began to harmonize, merging into a single, unified entity—a swirling Yin-Yang, reminiscent of the cosmic balance.
Buzz!
As the energies stabilized, faint black and white sparks danced across Anirudh's fingers before converging at his palm. Slowly, they coalesced into a physical form—a black-and-white brush unlike anything he had ever seen.
The handle, milky white like polished shankha (conch), glowed faintly, casting a serene light even in the darkness. In contrast, the bristles were pitch black, emanating an aura of chilling malice, as if imbued with the destructive force of kaal itself. The duality of its nature was both mesmerizing and unnerving.
Host, let your intent guide the brush. Let it carry your wrath and unleash destruction upon those who stand against you!"
"KILL!"
Although the entire awakening process seemed lengthy, in reality, no time had passed in the outside world. Even the mutated dog about to bite Chandan hadn't yet sunk its fangs into him.
Trusting the system, Anirudh gritted his teeth, gripped the black-and-white brush tightly, and swiped it toward the three mutated dogs and the twisted abomination.
Buzz!
With his shout, the black tip of the brush emitted a dark light that left the bristles, transforming into four black shadows that streaked through the air. These shadows landed on the heads of the three dogs and the abomination, forming black "kill" characters that sank into their bodies.
Then, a terrifying scene unfolded before everyone's eyes.
Black mist surged from the three mutated dogs as if they were rapidly dehydrating or mummifying. Within the blink of an eye, they turned into shriveled corpses, collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
Similarly, the twisted abomination engulfed in black mist began to scream in agony. Its body shriveled and decayed rapidly under the mist's influence.
"Is it this powerful?!"
Even Anirudh was shocked by the terrifying lethality of his awakened ability.
However, just as he marveled, an excruciating pain suddenly erupted in his mind, as though countless needles were piercing his brain. He clutched his head, screaming in agony.
Buzz!
Fortunately, the jade pendant on his chest emitted a soft blue light, infusing him with soothing energy. The pain gradually subsided under its influence.
"Huff… huff…"
Though the pain lasted only a moment, Anirudh felt utterly drained, his body soaked in sweat, his face pale, and his eyes filled with lingering fear.
"What… was that?"
Shaken, Anirudh questioned the system.
"That was the backlash from overusing your abilities," the system replied calmly. "Your awakened power possesses a partial semblance of the Yin-Yang Life and Death Force. While far from its true form, it allows you to claim life or death over others.
"However, greater power comes at greater cost. While targeting the dogs alone would've been manageable, including the half-human abomination exceeded your limits. This resulted in energy overdraw and backlash. If not for the spiritual rain at the peak of the energy tide, which allowed the system to absorb external energy and suppress the backlash, you might have ended up as lifeless as the dogs."
The system's voice turned stern. "So, use your abilities cautiously, or the next time, the system might not be able to save you!"
"Why didn't you warn me beforehand?" Anirudh retorted angrily.
"Because this was the only way to end the fight quickly and avoid the approaching Tyrants and Lickers. As for the backlash, the system resolved it for you, and it serves as a valuable lesson about overextending your abilities."
The system paused before continuing, "Additionally, the half-human abomination is only gravely injured, not dead. You must seize this moment to kill it, or you'll face even greater trouble once it recovers."
"What?!"
Turning toward the abomination, Anirudh saw that, although its body was shriveled, it was still alive. The black mist around it was dissipating rapidly—it wouldn't be long before it regained its strength!
"Damn it!"
Gritting his teeth, Anirudh pushed his exhausted body to its limits and lunged toward the abomination to deliver the final blow.
Meanwhile, in the distance, the screams from the Cricket field were growing fainter and fainter, until they almost disappeared.