The man in the black cloak glanced at the unmoving trio in military uniforms, gave a slight nod, and then directly pursued the figure that had fled into the forest.
When the others saw the man in the black cloak preparing to strike, they had already run away.
"You arenât going to do anything?" Sequence Number 29 sneered at Wen Yu and Chu Ziling.
Wen Yu chuckled and ignored the idiotic question completely.
Chu Ziling, on the other hand, retorted, "If you think you can handle it, go ahead! Stop putting on that sanctimonious âI feel the worldâs painâ expression!"
"Hmph. The apocalypse arrives, and cold-blooded, heartless monsters like you gain such immense power. This world truly is unfair!"
"This power I have is something I earned by risking my life! *Thatâs* fairness! Do I need *you* to teach me how to act? Besides, given that uniform youâre wearing, *you* do nothing, yet you have the gall to lecture *me*? That uniform is wasted on you!"
"You..."
"What âyouâ? You want to fight? Letâs see whoâs really taking advantage."
Wen Yu, standing at a distance, saw Chu Ziling and Sequence Number 29 arguing more and more fiercely but showing no intention of actually fighting. He couldnât help but shake his head.
Damn it, theyâre actually bickering. They really have nothing better to do.
Wen Yu immediately dismissed their childish dispute about right and wrong and headed straight for the nearby corpses.
He picked up an E-Class steel saber from a corpseâs lifeless hand, found a spot in the shade, sat down cross-legged, and began to meditate.
A slight itchiness around his wound indicated it was healing well. Meanwhile, in Wen Yuâs mind, he was mentally analyzing the combat capabilities of the military trio. First, the sniper. His offensive power was terrifying. If Wen Yu hadnât reacted quickly, he would have definitely been shot in the head. If they fought again, that sniper would be the priority target! Judging by Monkeyâs weapons, he was a heavy-hitter. From Wen Yuâs past life experience, in a squad battle, someone like Monkey would provide suppression fire and prevent enemies from approaching key personnel. In their current squad, the sniper was undoubtedly the one to protect. Monkey could also launch a powerful assault. The sheer damage he could unleash in a short burst with his arsenal was something no one else present could hope to match! As for Sequence Number 29, he was likely a sharp bladeâa close-combat specialist! From their brief previous encounter, Wen Yu sensed he was a powerful close-combat expert. His role in the team would be to engage and control opponents. If a fight broke out, Sequence Number 29 would engage Wen Yu head-on, Monkey would provide fire support, and the burly man would aim for the kill! It was a near-perfect combat combination, and thatâs what troubled Wen Yu. This isnât going to be easy to handle.
Wen Yu narrowed his eyes, glancing at Chu Ziling and Sequence Number 29, who were still arguing, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Chu Ziling wonât be easy to deal with either. Once he gets the treasure chest, no one will be able to catch him. And that mysterious man in the black cloak from earlierâhis ability might even allow him to directly manipulate Pandoraâs Magic Box! All of them were major threats. For Wen Yu to try and claim the upcoming Pandoraâs Magic Box all by himself was pure fantasy. Unless...
Wen Yu narrowed his eyes, a plan forming in his mind.
I donât know if it will work, but itâs worth a shot.
"Hey, Chu Ziling, right? I have a proposal. Interested in hearing it?"
As Wen Yu spoke, Chu Ziling immediately stopped his argument with Sequence Number 29.
"Speak."
Chu Ziling spat out the single word, his face a mask of arrogance, making Wen Yu sigh internally.
Looks like this guy has made arrogance his default setting.
"How about we form an alliaâ"
Before Wen Yu could finish saying "alliance," an explosive sound drew everyoneâs attention!
The sound came from the nearby woods.
Following the first boom, a second, then a third echoed...
Until a figure stumbled out of the woods, shouting frantically before he even got close.
"Help me! Quick, help me!"
Wen Yuâs heart tightened instantly, because the person who had appeared was none other than Sequence Number 23!
The calm, slightly crazed look heâd had earlier was gone, replaced by sheer terror and a grim, contorted expression.
Just as Wen Yu was about to move, a massive Sword Light filled everyoneâs vision!
It shimmered with silver light, as tragically beautiful as a crescent moon!
But hidden within it was an unparalleled killing intent!
Itâs over for me...
Sequence Number 23 had barely turned his head when his vision was filled with an expanse of silver light.
Before Sequence Number 23 could react, he was struck directly by the massive Sword Light!
This time, there was no booming sound, only the sickening CRUNCH of bone and flesh being torn apart.
Sequence Number 23 was torn to shreds by the Sword Light!
Wen Yu, who had started to step forward, froze. He narrowed his eyes, silently observing the figure that rumbled forth from behind the dissipating blood mist.
He wore imposing heavy armor, wielded a massive two-handed sword that glinted coldly, and had a handsome face crowned with a full head of golden hair.
But what truly caught Wen Yuâs attention was the power of the skill he had just used.
This manâs physical stats were even higher than his own in combat mode. If his guess was correct, this man was a Third-Level professionist!
Behind this man was a figure Wen Yu knew very wellâSun Ruixing.
"Brother Wen Yu..." Sun Ruixing saw Wen Yu and greeted him, his expression somewhat awkward.
In Sun Ruixingâs mind, he and Wen Yu were allies, yet here he was, standing behind an enemy.
"Mm," Wen Yu nodded at Sun Ruixing, not dwelling on the minor details.
"Who is this?" Wen Yu quirked an eyebrow at Sun Ruixing in inquiry.
Before Sun Ruixing could speak, the man in heavy armor introduced himself.
"My name is William, and Iâm from Britain. My apologies. I just saw that brute indiscriminately killing innocents out there. The Knightâs code does not permit me to turn a blind eye to such acts. I hope I havenât caused any trouble for you all."
William performed a very standard knightly salute to everyone present. However, his words and archaic gestures made Wen Yu feel a sense of awkwardness.
"Er, actually, you killing him might cause a small problem."
Wen Yu hesitated for a moment. This William fellow was strange, but he seemed like someone they could reason with. So, Wen Yu decided to be direct.
"You see that guy over there, posturing on the tree?" Wen Yu pointed towards Chu Ziling, who wasnât far off.
"Iâm sorry, but what does âposturingâ mean?" William looked at Wen Yu, his bright eyes full of confusion.
This, in turn, left Wen Yu feeling rather awkward.
"Never mind that word, itâs not important. The point is..."