When the first demonic beast with gleaming eyes appeared within Xiao Feng's sight, he couldn't help but curse, "Damn it... it's the six-legged black panther…"
"D-grade beasts... Brothers, stay alert! Conserve your ammunition and keep your fire continuous!" Tugu shouted the order, then opened fire first. The heavy automatic rifle in his arms rattled fiercely.
Following Tugu's lead, the dozen or so mech warriors immediately unleashed their gunfire without hesitation.
The mech soldier before Xiao Feng was half-crouched on the ground. Xiao Feng rested his Black Angel sniper rifle on the soldier's shoulder, then turned his body sideways. There was no need to deliberately aim through the scope at such a close range. Each slender sniper bullet struck precisely into the glowing eyes of the black panthers—
A direct strike to their weak points.
Moreover, the panthers' luminous eyes made targeting even easier. Though the Black Angel's power was insufficient to kill D-grade beasts with a mere shot, Xiao Feng's tactic of aiming straight for their eyes ensured instant kills.
The thunderous gunfire echoed relentlessly throughout the cavern, nearly deafening. Tugu and his comrades were clad in full armor, but Xiao Feng was the most unfortunate, forced to endure the barrage of noise and assault.
After demonstrating the assault technique, Xiao Feng led the mech warriors in aiming at the black panthers' eyes. Although their accuracy paled in comparison, their numerical advantage, abundant ammunition, and helmet-aided targeting systems made their collective attack devastating to the six-legged beasts.
By the time Xiao Feng emptied a full magazine, the panthers were nearly wiped out, their bodies blocking a long stretch of the tunnel. Had this battle taken place outside the cavern, Xiao Feng and Tugu might not have gained the upper hand. But within this confined space, the black panthers couldn't surround them. From another perspective, Xiao Feng and his group were like a lone warrior holding a chokepoint against countless enemies. Combined with overwhelming firepower, the black panther pack suffered a cataclysmic defeat. Any panther breaking through their fire would be met with Tugu's small missile launcher, bombarding them mercilessly.
The last six-legged black panther collapsed before Tugu, who removed his helmet and sighed deeply. "Damn, that was exhilarating. So many D-grade beasts—what a fortune."
Xiao Feng smiled faintly. "Now's not the time to collect the magic crystals. We must hurry to the next battlefield. Move out…"
Tugu and the others glanced regretfully at the accumulating bodies of D-grade beasts in the cavern before reluctantly following Xiao Feng toward the exit.
Suddenly, just steps away, Xiao Feng abruptly turned around and caught a shadow vanishing into the darkness.
A strange premonition had compelled him to look back—and he had made a discovery. Furrowing his brow, he muttered, "Damn it, there's a remnant. You all go on ahead. I'll deal with this one."
"Want me to come with you?" Tugu asked.
"No need. It's just a small pest. You guys hurry to resupply and head to the second battlefield. I'll catch up after I'm done."
Tugu could only caution him, "Be careful."
"Don't worry. I'm not so easy to kill," Xiao Feng replied before launching forward like a hunting leopard, darting into the dark cavern with greater agility than even the black panthers. With his level-8 psychic Rush ability enhancing his speed, he surged ahead with unparalleled swiftness.
In an instant, Xiao Feng vanished from Tugu's view. Without hesitation, Tugu and the others retreated swiftly toward the tunnel exit.
Running across the bodies of the slain panthers, Xiao Feng clutched his Black Angel rifle. His extraordinary vision adapted perfectly to the pitch-black surroundings—where others would see only impenetrable darkness, he moved with remarkable speed and clarity.
Suddenly, a pinpoint of light appeared before him. A smile curled at his lips. "Let's see where you run now." A flash of firelight erupted ahead—the enemy had fired. Xiao Feng dropped low just as a bullet whizzed inches overhead.
He flattened himself against the ground, then peered through the Black Angel's scope. The figure of an Evil Dragon cultist appeared sharply within his crosshairs.
Without hesitation, Xiao Feng squeezed the trigger. A thunderous shot sent the dark figure tumbling from the mount. The beast turned and lunged toward Xiao Feng, who sprang to his feet and charged, firing shot after shot into the creature's head. A final bullet struck its eye, and it collapsed with a howl.
Leaping over the fallen beast, Xiao Feng confronted the cultist, pressing the Black Angel against his temple. "Don't move…"
The bullet had shattered the cultist's shoulder, tearing flesh and bone. The man clutched the wound in agony. "No... don't kill me…" he begged.
"If you want to live, tell me why your group orchestrated this massive beast assault on Black Whale City."
"We had no choice. We followed the Black Dragon King's orders."
"The Black Dragon? Your leader? Where is he now?" Xiao Feng knew that unless this evil cult leader was eliminated, the beast raids would never cease.
"We don't know. Perhaps Duke Luke knows…"
"Looks like you don't want to live. If you can't tell me the Black Dragon's location, you'll experience what a Black Angel bullet to the head feels like. One shot is all it takes to blow your brains out—so completely you won't even recognize yourself."
"Please, I really don't know where the Black Dragon is. But I can tell you where Duke Luke is. If you find Duke Luke, you'll find the Black Dragon King."
Xiao Feng frowned, then activated his wrist communicator, pulling up a map. "Show me."
The cultist struggled to sit up, using his uninjured hand to tap the screen. He displayed Duke Luke's command vehicle location. "Duke Luke is here…"
Xiao Feng's brow tightened as he studied the spot. "Hiding here…" He leveled the Black Angel at the cultist's head. "Heh, I lied earlier. Even if you tell me where Duke Luke is, I'm still ending you. Go to hell and wait for your comrades."
Without hesitation, Xiao Feng fired. The cultist's skull exploded before he could utter a curse, blood splattering onto his own face.
Strapping the Black Angel to his back, Xiao Feng sprinted toward the exit while contacting K via communicator.
When K's image appeared, he asked, "Xiao Feng, what's the matter? Is Black Whale City falling? Do you need support?"
"Not yet. Black Whale City's holding up fine. I want you to move to a location…" Xiao Feng sent Duke Luke's coordinates. "Take a few people. Godo City's safety is vital. I'm coming shortly to capture someone."
"Who? Tell me so I can prepare."
"An Evil Dragon cult duke. I suspect he's orchestrating the beast raids on Black Whale City. If we don't kill him, the attacks won't stop."
"I see. Then we'll move immediately. Taking down the Evil Dragon duke will be a gratifying task," K said with a sly grin.
Xiao Feng replied, "Then I'll let you enjoy it thoroughly. Heh…"
Minutes later, Xiao Feng emerged at the cavern's mouth, swiftly ascending the slope. He saw Carrie waiting beside a modified sports car.
Xiao Feng dismantled the Black Angel and tossed it into the backseat before sliding into the driver's seat.
Carrie started the car, ready to speed to the second battlefield, but Xiao Feng interrupted, "Not there. We're going here." He showed Carrie the target on his communicator.
Carrie raised an eyebrow. "What's there?"
"To catch someone. Only a few hundred kilometers away—two or three hours if we drive fast."
"Why not fly?"
"No, too obvious. We'd be spotted immediately."
"Alright, buckle up. Let's go." The car roared as it sped toward the horizon.
Riding shotgun, Xiao Feng contacted Rice. "Boss Rice, I'm going after the mastermind behind this beast raid. The other two assaults are yours and Rush's responsibility."
Rice frowned but nodded, recognizing Xiao Feng's wisdom. "Good. Take care of it. We'll hold Black Whale City. As long as we stand, this city stays ours. We'll fight until the last soldier falls."