Chapter 16: Found You
Alex Mercer was in disbelief—he was evenly matched with this four-armed Hunter!
What kind of joke was this?
After the two separated, Alex, unwilling to back down, launched another punch at the four-armed Hunter. The Hunter roared in defiance and met his fist head-on once more. This time, the four-armed Hunter was pushed back several meters.
However, this result still fell far short of Alex's expectations.
He had to admit that he was no match for this unique Hunter in terms of sheer strength. But Alex Mercer was far more than just his current abilities.
Devastating Pain!
Dark tendrils of the Blacklight Virus surged from Alex's hands, forming massive appendages that shot toward the four-armed Hunter.
The Hunter was immediately invaded by the Blacklight Virus tendrils. Feeling its impending demise, it showed no fear, no cries of anguish—only a single act of transmitting Alex Mercer's information to Chang Wei through its signal.
The bioelectrical signal, conducted through the Blacklight Virus, spread rapidly across a vast range.
Far away on the bridge, Chang Wei instantly received the signal.
"Alex Mercer…"
Chang Wei's gaze, as though it pierced the distance, seemed to lock onto Alex Mercer. In truth, he had merely pinpointed the direction of the signal.
"So, you dared to devour my subordinate? Looks like you're unaware of the existence of pheromones."
Pheromones, also known as ectohormones, are substances secreted by an individual into the environment. These are detected by others of the same species via sensory organs like the olfactory bulb or the vomeronasal organ, causing changes in behavior, emotions, psychological states, or physiological mechanisms.
Pheromones serve as a means of communication, and their existence has been proven across nearly all animals.
Chang Wei had already anticipated the possibility of his four-armed Hunter encountering Alex Mercer and being consumed. Thus, he had prepared by granting the Hunter the ability to emit pheromones. With his abundant genetic points and ample Blacklight Virus energy, he could evolve even without the system's assistance—albeit with less direction compared to system-guided evolution.
Once Alex Mercer severed the signal from the four-armed Hunter, likely having completed the devouring process, he thought he was safe. But he was wrong.
Meanwhile, the bridge had been overrun by Chang Wei's Anubis units and four-armed Hunters. A massive number of these creatures were advancing toward the outside world. The Blackwatch organization attempted to detonate bombs to destroy the bridge but failed.
Chang Wei no longer needed to concern himself with the situation on the bridge. The United States wouldn't react fast enough. By the time they deployed fighter jets to bomb the bridge or used bombers to carpet-bomb the area, the Anubis units and four-armed Hunters would have already spread far and wide.
For now, the priority was Alex Mercer!
From Chang Wei's back, massive, demonic wings tore through his flesh. With a single flap, the surrounding windows shattered with a deafening roar. His body was covered in numerous tiny pores, a technique derived from Alex Mercer's mastery of energy waves and enhanced for flight acceleration.
By absorbing vast amounts of surrounding air and releasing it in an instant, Chang Wei created an explosive thrust that propelled him past the speed of sound!
The Blacklight Virus spread across his body, forming armor to shield him from the heat generated by breaking the sound barrier. This heat, caused by friction with the air, was one of the limiting factors in the advancement of modern supersonic weapons and vehicles.
In a matter of moments, Chang Wei arrived at the location where the four-armed Hunter had been devoured. With his superior senses, he tracked the pheromone trail with pinpoint accuracy.
"Found you."
Before Alex Mercer could react, his body was instantly shattered into pieces.
It was the result of a supersonic impact!
Not only was Alex Mercer torn apart, but the ground beneath him was left with a massive crater. The deafening explosion inflicted secondary damage on him.
"BOOM!!!"
Chang Wei burst into hysterical laughter, his madness evident. Grabbing Alex Mercer's head, he slammed it into the ground, dragging him across the surface at supersonic speeds. Alex's body disintegrated into particles so fine they were nearly invisible to the naked eye.
But Alex Mercer wasn't so easy to kill. The remnants of his body quickly reassembled, forming a new Alex Mercer.
"How enviable. No weak spot like a brain. It's almost like being digitized, isn't it?"
Chang Wei sneered, his pores venting excess heat. The surrounding air distorted visibly as the temperature rose.
Still, the envy Chang Wei expressed was only in passing. Now, with his ability to regenerate from a single drop of blood, he no longer felt any significant jealousy.
"Chang Wei!!!"
The recent assault had left Alex Mercer deeply shaken. Chang Wei's hostile attitude left no room for negotiation. Resolving to uncover the truth, Alex Mercer abandoned any attempt at communication and instead planned to extract answers from Chang Wei's memories.
Grave Spire Assault!
Without warning, massive spikes erupted from the ground beneath Chang Wei's feet. What was once a charged attack in the game requiring the Claw form had no such limitations in reality.