Chapter 256: One punch will do

On the six-lane highway, a black bear constantly dodges and leaps, displaying agility unbefitting its body.

Behind him, thunderous booms echoed.

Wrecked cars were flung high into the air, and the roadside guardrails were flattened like noodles under a foot.

Not far away, three mutants were swiftly chasing him.

Among them, the second-level mutant stood four meters tall, with two extra arms growing like deformities on either side of its body.

Its massive body moved slowly, like a building, inspiring fear from afar.

Another first-level mutant had terrifyingly long limbs, moving on hands and feet like stilts, swiftly pursuing him from behind.

The leading first-level licker used both hands and feet, its huge claws scraping gashes across the road.

"Lin Dui!"

"Damn it, save me quick!"

Zhang Tie bared his teeth and shouted, then in mid-speech he clutched his head and rolled to dodge the car howling behind him.

Damn it, how does this hairy four-armed monster behave just like a licker?

If they can't hit me, they throw shells!? Instead, the lickers, as if they'd changed nature, blindly chase after my ass!

If it were a lone mutant, he wouldn't fear it, but three together are truly a death sentence.

The first-level ones are okay, but the second-level mutant at the rear has truly terrifying attack power...

The black bear took a deep breath, and red light burst from its whole body.

He fixed his gaze on the road before the inn, directly activating Berserk Charge as a travel skill.

"Boom-boom-boom-boom!"

The earth trembled; the black bear, surrounded by red light, instantly charged to the front of the inn, then after briefly creating distance, panted heavily.

To lure the three mutants into chasing him together, he darted back and forth like a rabbit all along the way.

Unfortunately, the other second-level mutant that Lin Dui demanded was not found.

Two first-level, one second-level. I don't know if Lin Dui will be satisfied.

But if he really had to lure another second-level, he'd probably be done for.

Lin Dui! I, Zhang Tie, am only first-level, and still a damn B-rank talent!

Xiong Hanzi quickly caught his breath, looked up at Lin An on the second floor, then leapt three or four meters high in place.

"Boss! Here I come!"

"What's coming?!"

The crowd on the inn's second floor fell into panic, able only to faintly hear the continuous impacts.

Li Lei cocked his ear to listen; moments later his expression changed drastically.

"Damn it!"

As an Awakened One, he quickly realized what the continuous impacts and roars came from.

"You actually led the mutants here?!"

Shocked and furious, Li Lei trembled all over, pointing a single hand at Lin An, unable to speak for a moment.

From the frequency of this seismic shaking, at least two mutants are frantically rushing over.

Wang Kun took a deep breath, recalling Zhang Tie's earlier words, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He had thought Lin An and the others were just boasting, trying to intimidate them, but he never expected they'd actually lured the monsters here!

"What are they trying to do?!"

"Are they trying to use their power to jointly kill the mutants?!"

Without time to think, the fastest licker had already leapt to the road beneath the inn.

The crowd screamed, panicked and at a loss.

"Don't just stand there—go down quick!"

Wang Kun had no time for anything else; with the mutants already downstairs, he had to exert himself even if he didn't want to.

The monsters don't care who lured them; they kill anyone they see.

Once the monsters charge into the building, everyone present except the Awakened Ones will die.

Lin An ignored the two angry men; a blue mist flashed in his eyes, and his mental power spread out rapidly.

"Beep, detected first-level mutants: 【Licker】, 【Jumper Corpse】."

"Beep, detected second-level mutant: 【Rotten Titan】 (fake)"

"Two first-level ones?"

He tilted his head in thought, paying no heed to the licker right before his eyes.

"Why so few?"

"Isn't there another place with a suspected second-level?"

Zhang Tie looked at Lin An, feeling somewhat wronged; he really couldn't find a second second-level, so he could only use this first-level to make up the numbers.

As a tank-type Awakened One, going out to lure monsters and doing this well is already pretty good.

Lin An let out a light sigh, his gaze shifting slightly.

Should he fuse a second-level with a first-level, or spend some time looking for another second-level?

In the midst of his thoughts, Wang Kun and Li Lei had already hurriedly jumped downstairs, preparing to face the lickers.

After jumping downstairs, a nameless anger rose in Li Lei's heart:

"Come down quick and let's kill the monsters together! You …"

Before he could finish, Wang Kun nervously grabbed him, signaling to deal with the monsters first.

These outsiders clearly want to use their power to settle the monsters, obviously assuming their team consists only of ordinary people who can't flee easily.

Li Lei suppressed his anger, constantly cursing in his heart.

Damn pretty boy, if I weren't worried that the monster charging into the building would hurt Bing-Fourth Rank, Laozi would be the first to fucking kill you!

Both were fully on guard, ready to strike.

Not far away, another mutant could be seen rushing over.

"Damn it, these people deliberately lured in two mutants!"

Li Lei lowered his voice and spoke quickly, then focused his aim with his gun on the nearby licker.

In his opinion, the two mutants happened to be at the limit of their strength.

He and Wang Kun found it too strained to each face a mutant alone, so they needed this group of outsiders to act together.

Although his master's soul was parasitic in the necklace, he wasn't worried about his own safety.

But his master's soul was weak and couldn't act rashly.

Thus, no matter how angry he was, he actually couldn't offend Zhang Tie and the others who lured the monsters.

These outsiders could just pat their butts and run anytime, but if they fled, all those following him behind would die; at most he could only escape with Fan Bing.

Moreover, he and Wang Kun had long treated the hospital as their own supply point.

After painstakingly killing the nearby mutants, fleeing in such a sorry state is truly unwilling.

Wang Kun, looking anxious, rushed to the dazed Zhang Tie's side, speaking rapidly:

"You hold the monster's attention frontally! I'll go around back to find a chance to kill it!"

"The other one Li Lei will restrain—quickly tell your people to act!"

The licker's damage is too high; its iron‑cutting‑like‑mud claws make nobody dare to meet it head‑on.

In the past, he and Li Lei killed lickers by kiting, then finding openings to strike during the attack intervals.

Moreover, he thought it through clearly.

These outsiders are so ruthless, actually dragging us into the fray to do the work—but I'm no pushover!

At most he could contribute the final blow; the most dangerous task of bearing the brunt head‑on must fall to Zhang Tie.

Otherwise, we'd be working for nothing.

Although I don't know why, that bald big guy is actually standing there in a daze.

No time to think, Wang Kun's hand flashed a full set of white light, he stared tensely at the howling licker and shouted without turning back:

"If you don't act now, we're leaving right away!"

"You want us to kill the monster for you? Don't even think about getting a free ride!"

"I tell you, after the monster dies, we get first pick of the loot!"

Wang Kun thought it clearly: if these people refuse to act, or wait until they fight the monster to the death, he'd rather just run!

Taking Fan Bing with him, when fleeing he could follow the monster's attack on these outsiders—maybe even save the Manchineel Flower!

If it weren't for the high risk and the monster's indiscriminate fury, he wouldn't have planned to act at all.

On the spot, Zhang Tie anxiously listened to Lin An's orders, unable to stop scratching his head.

Captain Lin wants to capture the 【Jumper Corpse】 alive, and kill the licker...

How is this supposed to be a live capture...

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The gunfire boomed.

Li Lei could no longer hold back, directly opening fire on the licker.

The white‑light‑shining spirit‑energy bullet let out a piercing whistle, heading straight for the licker's head.

Although I don't know why the licker hesitated a few seconds on the spot, as if wary of something, he couldn't help but roar loudly:

"What are you waiting for? If you don't pitch in, don't even think about relying on me alone to kill the monster!"

"Ding‑ding"

The bullet infused with spirit energy had extraordinary power.

As the licker howled, its claws crossed to shield its head, and a burst of blood mist exploded from its shoulder.

After being attacked, the monster was completely enraged and instantly lunged at Zhang Tie.

Seeing this, Wang Kun's heart jolted and he instinctively wanted to flee the spot.

What the hell is that bald brute up to now!

Is he trying to commit suicide standing there!

In the flash of lightning, Zhang Tie seemed to ignore the licker behind him, his face full of impatience as he turned and snapped at Li Lei:

"How the hell do you have so much bullshit to say!"

"Who the fuck asked you to act!"

This bunch of good‑for‑nothings is really being overly sentimental...

Xiong Hanzi looked at Li Lei like he was looking at an idiot, while behind him the licker had already leapt high, its huge claws slashing toward his head.

Li Lei's face instantly turned ashen, the hatred in his eyes nearly spilling over.

He stared fixedly at Zhang Tie, whose head would be cleaved in the next second, a sense of satisfaction rising in his heart.

We don't need to act? Then let's see how you die...

In that instant, the curse in his mouth hadn't yet been spoken.

"Boom!"

"Bear‑form!"

"Heavy punch barrage!"

In that instant, Zhang Tie threw a left punch with a blank expression, striking backward.

With the weakness information provided by Lin An, he could strike the monster even with his eyes closed.

An awkward, casual posture, yet it burst forth a sharp sonic boom.

Bang!

The suturer's left hand instantly shattered the licker's claws, then unimpededly smashed toward the monster's head.

Like a watermelon bursting.

The skull, strong enough to withstand bullet sweep fire, exploded; the sky-full of bright red brain fell like rain, drenching Wang Kun's head.

One punch killed the licker...!?

Li Lei strained to open his mouth, unable to speak for a long while.

The panicked crowd behind him was as if hit by a pause button.

Wang Kun, his head smeared with white brain matter, foolishly watched Zhang Tie retract his fist, and with some difficulty squeezed out a question:

"You are... how did you do that!?"

Zhang Tie expressionlessly gazed at the approaching 【Leaper】 not far away, suddenly recalling the first time he saw Lin An.

When Captain Lin sliced the licker to death with one blade, I seemed to have asked this line too...

Suddenly, he seemed to understand something.

The black bear grinned, instantly activated the charge skill and slammed into the second monster, his casual words thrown behind, falling into Wang Kun's ears:

"Mm."

"Just throw a punch."