After confirming the fat man was unharmed, Di Ping began to clean up the battlefield. Three mutated dogs lay on the ground, still alive with their stomachs heaving, possibly from the energy they were absorbing. Di Ping wasn't about to let them escape.
"Thud..." With sword in hand, he stepped forward and delivered a fatal blow to each one, ensuring they were all finished.
Three system notifications sounded in his mind, and three bursts of energy surged into his body, enhancing his strength. After a few seconds, the process was over. This time, however, the effects weren't as intense as before—he felt the energy within him, but it wasn't as powerful. He wasn't sure exactly how much strength had been added.
"Ding... Crystal core detected. Please collect, Host."
The system's voice echoed in his mind, reminding him to collect the crystal cores, as they were essential for the system's activation.
"Thud thud..." Despite the puzzled looks from the fat man, Di Ping proceeded to carve open the mutated dogs' heads and collect the crystal cores. Others might think he was desecrating the corpses out of vengeance, but he was simply doing what was necessary.
"12 cores, each mutated dog has one. Fantastic! Now I have enough to activate the system," Di Ping thought with joy. However, now wasn't the time to activate it. He didn't know what changes it would bring and preferred not to reveal it to others just yet. It seemed like he should wait for the right moment.
"Now, it's time to deal with you all!" He stashed the crystal cores and glanced coldly at the others.
The last survivors, a man and a woman, stood by the door. The man looked at Di Ping with near-worship, while the woman, clutching a child, had a blank, soul-deprived expression, her eyes unfocused.
The five-year-old girl, clearly traumatized, buried her face in her mother's arms, trembling uncontrollably.
Di Ping sighed, feeling a mix of helplessness and sadness. The man had sacrificed his life to protect his wife and child, but the woman had lost her will to live without him. It was as though she had lost everything, including her reason for survival.
"Di Ge..." The fat man, Chen Gang, seemed to snap out of his daze and ran up to him.
Di Ping didn't respond. He glanced through the doorway, only to find the room empty. The space was tightly barricaded with tables and chairs, suggesting that the survivors had hidden in the rooms. Di Ping couldn't help but admire their resourcefulness—within just a few minutes of fighting, they had managed to haul furniture from other rooms.
He re-entered the passcode to open the outer door. As expected, the barricade didn't hold. He kicked the door open, sending a few chairs flying.
"Bang!" A loud crash filled the air as the chairs shattered.
"Bang bang!" A few more kicks, and the tables splintered into pieces, scattering across the floor.
"Li Sheng?" As the debris settled, Di Ping and the fat man saw Li Sheng and Lao Luo lying unconscious in front of the elevator door, their bellies rising and falling, indicating they were merely knocked out.
"Li Sheng! What happened? Wake up! Lao Luo! Lao Luo!" The fat man rushed forward, shaking Li Sheng and pushing Lao Luo, his face filled with concern. It seemed the two had a good relationship.
"Ugh…" Li Sheng coughed a few times, groggily opening his eyes.
"Fat man, you're still alive!" Li Sheng saw the fat man and his face brightened, though his voice was weak.
"Spit, spit! You've got a face like a corpse, but I'm still alive!" The fat man spat in annoyance.
"Li Sheng, are you okay?" Di Ping stepped forward and asked with concern.
"I'm fine, just dizzy," Li Sheng replied, shaking his head.
"Why are you lying here? What happened?" The fat man was anxious.
"I was knocked out!" Li Sheng looked helpless.
"Who did it? I'll smash their skull in!" The fat man growled.
"That bastard Wang, and a few others. They wouldn't let me open the door, but I insisted. Who knew that bastard Wang hit me from behind!" Li Sheng suddenly recalled and spat in anger.
"Wang Delin?" Di Ping asked, puzzled. He had long suspected that Wang Delin wasn't a good person, but he hadn't expected him to be this malicious.
"Yes, that bastard! A bunch of them grabbed me and Lao Luo, and Wang hit me from behind!" Li Sheng rubbed his head, still fuming. Normally, he didn't speak much, but today he was clearly agitated.
"That damn dog! I'll smash his head in!" The fat man was furious, his teeth grinding as he stood up to charge.
"Calm down!" Di Ping's voice was low, commanding attention.
"Di Ge, these bastards nearly killed us! You…" The fat man looked confused, his voice full of urgency.
"We'll deal with it later," Di Ping said coldly, his tone brokering no argument.
With that, he turned and began heading upstairs, his mind set on retribution. He wasn't the type of person who'd turn the other cheek after being attacked. Whoever crossed him had better be prepared for the consequences.
The group of four ascended the stairs, the middle-aged man still holding the lifeless woman's hand. She walked mechanically, like a zombie, her vacant stare fixed ahead.
On the third floor, Di Ping stopped and listened intently. A cold smirk crossed his face. The enemies were here. It was time to settle the score.
"Knock on the door!" Di Ping ordered softly.
"Bang bang… Open the door!" The fat man, furious, charged ahead and smashed the door.
"Who is it!" A trembling voice came from within.
"It's your fat grandpa! Open the door!" The fat man shouted impatiently.
After a few seconds of silence, the door finally creaked open. To their surprise, the person standing in the doorway was none other than the pale-faced middle-aged man. Upon seeing Di Ping, his face turned red, and he stuttered, "Oh… oh… Di… Di Ge, please… please come in!"
"Move!" The fat man shoved the man aside and yanked the door open for Di Ping to enter.
Di Ping stepped inside, his gaze sweeping the room. Sure enough, all the culprits were there, along with Wang Delin. Upon seeing Di Ping, Wang Delin's face soured, but he quickly stood up, putting on a forced smile. "Di Ge, you're safe! That's a relief!"
Wang Delin eagerly extended his hand, trying to shake hands with Di Ping. But Di Ping just stared at him coldly, hands still gripping his sword. There was no hint of intention to reciprocate the gesture.
"Haha! Di Ge, please don't misunderstand! At the time, I was against blocking the door, but everyone else was too scared to listen to me!" Wang Delin awkwardly withdrew his hand and rubbed it, continuing to smile.
"How dare you close the door? Now, you won't even look at me?" Di Ping said coldly, scanning the others with a sharp gaze. Their eyes darted away, filled with fear but no remorse. Di Ping's anger flared; he had hoped for some sign of repentance, but there was nothing. These people were unworthy of saving.
Wang Delin seemed irritated by the disregard but quickly reined in his anger, especially after seeing the blood-soaked Di Ping, who looked like a beast ready to strike. His anger subsided rapidly.
Di Ping noted Wang Delin's restraint and gave a mocking smile.
The others turned away, not daring to meet Di Ping's gaze. A young woman in the back quietly began to cry, her face showing deep sadness.
"You ungrateful bastards! After Di Ge saved your lives, you tried to kill us!" The fat man was beside himself with rage, pointing at the group and cursing.
"Enough!" Di Ping raised his hand, signaling for the fat man to stop.
"Di Ge! These people need to be punished! They're not worth keeping alive!" The fat man reluctantly backed off, still muttering.
"All of you, you were part of the group that barricaded the door, right?" Di Ping's voice was calm but piercing, his eyes sharp as he leaned on his sword, radiating a killing intent.
"I'm fair," he continued, his gaze sweeping across the room. "Get out of here. Now."
"Where are we supposed to go?" One of them, a young man, asked, thinking Di Ping had forgiven them.
"Leave this building. I don't care where you go, but you're not staying here," Di Ping replied coldly.
"Why? What gives you the right to kick us out?" The others seemed incredulous, some even daring to question him.
"Why? Heh," Di Ping sneered. He suddenly raised his sword, and with a flash of cold light, swung it.
"Ah! My hand!" Wang Delin screamed in agony.
Everyone froze, staring in shock as they saw Wang Delin's severed hand fall to the floor, blood spurting out from the wrist. Di Ping's swift action left them all in stunned silence. No one could believe what had just happened. Even the usually composed middle-aged man seemed shaken.
The fat man and the others were taken aback but soon relaxed. Given how these people had acted, their fate seemed deserved.
"You knocked Li Sheng and Lao Luo unconscious, so I've taken one of your hands. Isn't that enough of a gesture? You should be thankful I didn't kill you." Di Ping's tone remained emotionless.
"Now, get out."
The others exchanged fearful glances, but none dared to oppose him. Wang Delin, clutching his bleeding stump, was forced to hobble away, the others following suit.
As the door slammed shut behind them, Di Ping looked around the room. It was time to move on.