Night of Despair

Chapter 111: The Harvest 1

Just as Black Crow and Hei Mu quietly left towards a concealed viewpoint,

Boom.

A dull noise came from behind them; a nuclear-powered motor, as big as a giant ice chest, was being moved down from the carriage.

Hearing the noise, Black Crow immediately sped up, dragging Hei Mu with him as they sprinted into the distance.

Boom!

They had not run far when gunshots erupted from behind, and the tree trunks near them were instantly pierced, leaving fist-sized gaps.

...

Splinters flew, causing both men to shudder in fear.

Black Crow could no longer care for his subordinate; he flipped over and rolled on the ground, dodging from his original position and taking cover behind another large tree to check behind him.

If the opponent had high-power firearms, running like before would be suicidal. @@novelbin@@

He pressed himself against the tree trunk, looking forward, trying to find the other four trucks his subordinates had driven away, but no one came back.

Those so-called subordinates were nothing but fair-weather friends, who scattered as soon as things looked bad.

“Fuck!” Black Crow’s eyes grew cold as he thought about settling scores with those useless men once he had escaped.

He gently pulled out the alloy stick from his back; pulling it, the stick suddenly extended and locked.

“I can’t increase the distance with that guy’s high-power firearms; I must get in close!” Even though the opponent seemed very strong, strength was not the sole determinant of victory.

So…it was time to risk it all.

Ferocity flickered in Black Crow’s eyes. He took a deep breath, held it in, then suddenly turned and darted toward Yu Hong who was inspecting the motor amidst the bushes.

“First, I’ll use the stick technique to probe for weaknesses in his bulletproof suit, trying to use his own strength against him to unbalance him.” This thought flashed through Black Crow’s mind as the goggles over his eyes fixated on the dark figure not far away.

He had a premonition that this battle might be the toughest he had faced since he started his career.

“If it were any other type of expert facing such a naturally strong opponent, they would probably have no way to respond, but my stick technique specializes in using the opponent’s force against them…seeing his steps, he is definitely not adept at close combat…so…I have a great chance of winning!”

In the short sprint, Black Crow quickly gained confidence, deducing from subtle clues that Yu Hong’s combat skills were far inferior to his.

So…

Suddenly, he leaped from the bushes, his stick transforming into a dark crescent that smashed toward Yu Hong’s face.

“Master Fu’er’s Stick Skill·Secret Skill·Shadow Sweeping!”

This move was designed to induce the opponent to exert force in the desired direction, setting up for a counterattack using their force.

This was the beginning of Black Crow’s planned strategy.

That seemingly direct attack with the stick was actually a feint; as long as Yu Hong made a move, no matter how he attacked or blocked the dark crescent, he would…

Pfft!

Just then.

The dark crescent crashed down, striking Yu Hong’s helmet and shoulders with a dull thud.

Yu Hong surprisingly made no defense, letting himself be struck by the stick.

As expected by Black Crow, his stick felt light and weak. It hit Yu Hong’s reinforced suit, cushioned by buffer layers and natural scales beneath, and he felt nothing.

“I’d like to ask a question,” Yu Hong’s vision briefly blurred as a barrage of stick shadows came smashing toward him again.

This time, the cane was not a feint; each strike was aimed solidly at his vital points.

Boom Boom Boom Boom!!

In just a few seconds, over a dozen strikes hit various parts of Yu Hong’s body, blooming like a flower of black stick shadows.

“Don’t be afraid.” Yu Hong suddenly reached out, his arm ignoring the strikes of the stick and abruptly grabbing Black Crow’s shoulder.

“Resistance won’t solve this; let’s understand the situation.”

Black Crow’s face dramatically changed, and he struggled with all his might, but found that his strength was vastly inferior to the other’s. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t break free from his grip.

Crack…

As he struggled, his opponent increased the force, and his bulletproof suit started to crack under the pressure, as if the bulletproof ceramic beneath was about to be crushed.

“You fucking—!”

“Stay calm.”

Boom!

Black Crow’s cheek was immediately slapped.

The immense force caused his helmet to burst open with large cracks on one side, and he himself was dazed, with his consciousness blanking out momentarily.

His towering two-meter frame, in front of the opponent, was slapped so hard his head violently spun half a circle, and his neck would have likely been broken if it weren’t for the neck guard of the suit.

In front of so many people, including Langfeng, he, Black Crow, was nearly the top among enhanced humans when it came to wielding the stick—second only to some freaks and morons!

Since the Black Disaster had erupted, he had led his team across the surrounding area, unstoppable! And yet, now suddenly, he had been stunned by a slap from a nobody who had appeared out of nowhere!?

In an instant, after Black Crow had recovered, a wave of indescribable shame and anger surged in his heart.

“I’m going to kill you!” he roared, his mouth agape.

Hiss hiss. The edge of the long stick in his hand revealed a sharp blade.

At the same time, ignoring the grasp on his shoulder, he exploded with maximal strength, swinging the stick fiercely toward the opponent’s chest.

Puff!

The blade on the stick viciously cut into the outer skin of Yu Hong’s suit but was forcefully blocked by the ultra-thick alloy plate inside.

If it had been an ordinary gray lizard suit, it would have easily been breached.

But…

So, even this desperate last strike failed to penetrate…

“Forget about cooperating then.” Yu Hong felt nothing as he only observed Black Crow’s furious resistance. Although these attempts felt heavy, they were all blocked by the suit.

“Remember to be a good person in your next life,” he said as he pulled out the Wolf Fang Club from behind him.

Observing the metal Wolf Fang Club, nearly as thick as a human thigh, Black Crow’s eyes widened, and he desperately tried to break free. But…

Suddenly feeling weightless, he was already being gently tossed up, hanging in mid-air.

Bang!!!

A black flash, like a cannonball, ferociously struck his chest.

A force much greater than he could have imagined bent the alloy plate of the suit, breaking it along with his breastbone, instantly crushing his entire chest cavity into a bloody pulp.

Ahh!!!

Black Crow’s screams abruptly ceased as he was thrown like a rag doll toward a large tree, crashing midway and then sliding down, never to make a sound again.

Yu Hong turned around, looking at the shell-shocked Hei Mu on the ground and Langfeng and a few others who were frozen in place nearby.

“Hi, could you guys help me out? The motor’s quite large, and it might not fit well in my car.”

“…..” Langfeng swallowed his saliva, his scalp tingling. Watching the now lifeless Black Crow, he felt his earlier confrontation with his friend against Black Crow was like a dream.

So arrogant but… in front of that man, utterly powerless.

Now hearing Yu Hong’s request, he unconsciously nodded, understanding what he should do.

A moment later.

Beside the stone bridge, with everyone’s help, they placed the nuclear motor on top of Yu Hong’s jeep, then they tied it down with ropes, wrapped it with tape, and placed several friction-increasing pads between the motor and the roof.

“Okay, this should definitely hold now,” Langfeng said as he clapped his hands and politely greeted Yu Hong.

“Thank you so much; you’ve really been a huge help.” Yu Hong nodded appreciatively. “Being out and about, mutual assistance is really fundamental. The world is becoming more dangerous, and there are fewer and fewer living outside the cities. If we don’t help each other, surviving is only going to get harder.”

“You’re too kind, Mr. Yu. You helped us handle that thug; this little help from us is nothing,” Langfeng said earnestly.

Langfeng, the team leader, spoke well, but to tell the truth, I didn’t know Black Crow was such a terrible and brutal guy. I initially intended to have a proper talk with him, but unfortunately, his reaction was just too abnormal,” Yu Hong sighed. “I heard he had accomplices?”

“Don’t worry about that. These days, everyone just looks out for themselves, especially those thugs who are even more selfish,” Xiao Feng, standing beside Langfeng, couldn’t help but interject.

He was very curious about Hong and since he saw him about to leave and found his demeanor quite amiable, he finally couldn’t resist joining the conversation.

“I have a question, and it’s all right if you don’t wish to answer, Mr. Yu.”

“Go ahead,” Yu Hong smiled. These people hadn’t just helped him with the motor but had also brought him extra food supplies. They were kind and righteous. Although he had only spoken with them for half an hour, he could see that they were genuinely nice and easy to get along with.

“Are you fully enhanced?” Xiao Feng murmured.

“Enhanced? I don’t know,” Yu Hong shook his head. “But I have been in contact with luminous stones . I haven’t had professional instruments to check.”

“Okay…” Xiao Feng seemed to have received his answer without a disappointed expression. “You came from Baiqiu Village, and to get there, you have to pass through Huafeng City, which has significant problems. Please be very careful. Did you encounter any danger or trouble on your way here?”

“So far, so smooth, although I came across a kind of monster I’ve never seen before. It hasn’t been mentioned on the radio either,” Yu Hong described the human-shaped monster made up of black gelatinous material he had encountered.

“Thanks for the information; we’ll be cautious,” Langfeng said solemnly, bowing slightly. “The situation in Huafeng City has worsened a lot, with the outbreak spreading to nearby areas. The joint forces have sent three elite teams there, all of whom have vanished without a trace. I received a notice that the post system’s strongest team might be called over.”

“Mr. Lang has contacts with the joint forces?” Yu Hong asked, surprised.

“Sometimes we receive messages that require coordination. It’s not just us; all bases here get them, regardless of whether they are hostile or not. We all have to cooperate with the investigative teams sent by the above because helping them is helping ourselves,” Langfeng explained.

“Huafeng City… I’ll be careful on my way back,” Yu Hong nodded.

“That gel-like person, we call them Black Oil Men. They are highly toxic, and it’s not safe to touch them. Even being near them too long can cause lung problems. The best way to deal with them is with long-range fire attacks. They’re very afraid of fire,” Langfeng kindly advised.

“Understood,” Yu Hong nodded.

“There’s one more thing. Near Huafeng City lives a fool called Du Chengtao, an enhanced human with full body enhancement; he’s very strong. Be careful on your way back,” Langfeng said.

“Du Chengtao… Yes, I understand,” Yu Hong nodded. “Speaking of which, they say full body enhancement is the strongest level, but just how strong can it be? Does it only enhance strength?

He completely lacked knowledge in this area, so taking advantage of the conversation with someone knowledgeable, he took the opportunity to inquire further.