Chapter 350.1: The Battle Between Ability Users

"Boss, do you think they'll come through here?" asked the burly man, whose nose bridge was adorned with steel studs, excitement evident in his voice, as he repeatedly rubbed the rifle wrapped in tape with his index finger.

"They definitely will..."

In the midst of an abandoned building covered in moss and vines, a man in a leather jacket gripped his binoculars that was locked on the street ahead.

His name was Blake. He resided in the slums beyond the giant walls, serving as a bounty hunter fighting for his employers.

At the same time, he was an ability user.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Although he lived in the slums, it wasn't due to poverty.

For an ability user, moving to the outer city wasn't challenging. No mercenary group would refuse an ability user from joining, unless their ability was exceptionally useless.

However, Blake didn't want to live a life under someone else's control. While to others, the giant wall marked the boundary between barbarism and civilization, in his eyes, it was merely a useless concrete cage. Only cowards needed others to protect them.

The truly strong individuals rely on their own fists.

The night before, he received a mission from the Pirate's Bay Tavern.

The employer, unwilling to reveal their name, paid handsomely. Just the down payment alone, they handed him a chip with a denomination of 1000 and promised 2 more upon completion.

Such high-value chips were rare in circulation. They were mostly used by the nobles within the inner city. Regular stores simply couldn't provide changes for them; they needed to be exchanged at a bank.

Upon seeing the down payment, Blake practically only had the money symbols left in his eyes. Without hesitation, he accepted the mission.

Although, generally, the higher the reward, the more dangerous the mission, he wasn't very concerned.

Firstly, he had absolute confidence in his abilities. Secondly, the details of the commission didn't seem particularly difficult.

The New Alliance envoy was heading towards Boulder Town. For the future of Boulder Town, the mysterious employer wished for him to intercept these envoys midway.

He didn't need to kill everyone. All he had to do was to launch a sudden attack, giving those country bumpkins from the northern suburbs a profound lesson, teaching them humility and courtesy, and sending them back with that so-called friendly cooperation agreement to wherever they came from.

Blake licked his lips in excitement, but as time passed, his expression suddenly became unnatural.

"... Something's not right."

Why haven't they reached the ambush site yet?

Have they spotted us already?

Logically, that shouldn't be possible.

At this moment, he suddenly recalled a rumor circulating at the Pirate's Bay Tavern.

There was a mysterious Intuition type ability user in the northern suburbs, who once played a key role in the downfall of a group of mercenaries.

Blake's expression gradually became solemn.

If the rumor was true, perhaps the other party had already discovered them.

"Everyone, prepare for battle."

With a low growl, he signaled to his brothers nearby, then picked up an RPG launcher from the ground and loaded it with a high-explosive grenade.

It was something he bought from a weapons store.

Although its explosive and armor-piercing abilities were not as potent as the rockets produced by Boulder Town's Arms Industry, it was still superior to a compact Armor Fist Bazooka.

Most importantly, it was cheap and reloadable. Even though its mid-range accuracy wasn't great, not everyone needed that kind of equipment. Just like not everyone needed to deal with the Evolved Types.

His fellow comrades were also ready. Their submachine guns and rifles were loaded, and the heavy machine gunner hidden in the building chambered a round with a click.

The silent street was saturated with bloodthirst.

Although the battle hadn't begun, the scent of blood seemed palpable.

Blake waited silently, adjusting his breathing rhythm.

However, at that moment, from a window 200 meters away, there was a sudden explosion.

Boom!

He swiftly looked over, witnessing a figure being thrown out of the window, emitting a prolonged scream as they crashed into the tilted concrete debris.

That was the direction of their heavy machine gun!

The person being thrown down was his partner!

“Fuck! It’s Lute!” Blake's eyes instantly reddened with rage and fear.

How were they found?!

However, it was too late to ponder over this question. Without hesitation, he raised the launcher, aiming at that window, and pulled the trigger.

With a swoosh, a white flame streaked toward the opposite window.

The blast wave and flames surged from the dark rubble, even scorching the moss on the wall.

Simultaneously, Blake shouted with red eyes, "Tear them apart!"

On the other side, behind the window hit by the RPG, an agility type player staggered to his feet.

His ID was Peril Point, entering the game during the Alpha 0.5 version. As both "Peril’s" and "Point" didn't roll off the tongue easily, those familiar with him called him Peepo.

As a LV15 agility type player, his ability converted half of his reflex nerves into environmental perception.

While in the current version, the strength of the perception-types were gradually weakened like the intelligence types, for a stealth-focused player, this talent was just perfect!

The composite material bulletproof panel of his lightweight exoskeleton absorbed most of the shrapnel, but the shockwave still almost displaced his internal organs.

However, not feeling pain, he was more concerned about his equipment and the spoils of war that had been blown away.

"Damn it! My original armor!"

And that heavy machine gun!

It was right there for the taking, but then a rocket came and sent it flying.

It’s definitely a scripted kill!

I’m targeted by the game developers!

While he was cursing, Old White's voice came through the communication channel. "... How's it going on your end?"

"I'm fine... They've got heavy firepower."

"Need backup?"

"No need, no need," Peepo grinned, "Leave it to us!"

The reconnaissance team consisted of 3 people. Besides him, there were Kidney Warrior and Dog Good Names, whom they also gave a nice nickname to, as Doggo.

One was a strength type, the other a perception type, at LV15 and LV14 respectively, all veteran players entering the game during the alpha version 0.5 together.

Before joining the Burning Corps, the 3 of them had been teaming up to clear maps and complete missions.

Peepo tapped twice near his helmet, communicating the situation with his teammates while moving towards the half-collapsed staircase.

"Kidney, Dog, what's the situation on your end?"

Soon, a response came through the comms channel.

"... Peripheral defense is down; we're pushing upstairs. How about your side? I heard something explode earlier."

"Took an RPG, but I'm fine... I'm heading to the support position; ETA one minute."

"Copy that, stay safe."

"Let’s end it ASAP!"

Gunfire echoed in the ruins, flames flickered.

Releasing a small drone from their shoulders, the players in exoskeletons with rifles in hand pushed forward, maneuvering swiftly on the damaged concrete debris.

Lightweight exoskeletons excelled in urban terrain, especially in complex ruins where ordinary people couldn't reach, making it easy for those in light exoskeletons to climb.

From downstairs, there were continuous cries of their subordinates.

Listening to the gunfire growing closer, Blake's eyes were filled with fear and anger.

All the accumulated emotions culminated into a furious roar as his muscles began to expand outward, resembling entwined serpents. His eyes, bloodshot and emitting a piercing red, conveyed an unsettling aura.

“Bring it on! All of you!"

After stabbing a syringe on his thigh, Blake, roaring angrily, departed from cover. He grabbed a rust-covered steel plate and charged toward the flickering muzzle flashes at the end of the corridor.

Every cell in his body had swelled to its limit, turning him into a raging tank. With his rapid and forceful strides, the tiles along the entire corridor seemed to wail in protest.

Bullets hitting the steel plate only left dents, and even 7mm full-power bullets couldn't penetrate it!

At such a close range, using a rocket launcher would be too slow, and the reconnaissance team couldn't carry such equipment.

"Damn it! Is this guy crazy?!" Doggo looked surprised, but having played the game for so long, he had seen everything.

Before he could even exchange a glance, Kidney Warrior beside him put down his assault rifle, pulled out an entrenching tool, and let out a low growl.

"Frenzy mode!" His entire body surged with strength as he advanced instead of retreating, charging toward that muscular aberration.

A hint of surprise flashed across the face piled with muscles, but quickly transformed into mad laughter.

"Wanna die? I'll grant your wish!" Blake roared, facing the charge with his steel plate.