Chapter 50: Dragon Bone Barrier, New Side Quest
The elevator doors slid open without a sound.
A wave of damp, stifling air rushed toward him.
Following the dark, narrow passage, he felt his way forward for more than a dozen steps before the view suddenly opened up before him. A massive underground cavern was revealed in its entirety.
Inside the cavern, several low-powered spotlights swayed, casting mottled and uneven shadows. The air was thick with the pungent smell of machine oil.
The harsh whine of drills, the dull pounding of hammers, and the clamor of various machinery blended together into a deafening symphony.
At the center of the cavern, dozens of Hand ninjas dressed in sleek, pitch-black combat uniforms were drenched in sweat as they operated heavy tools—power drills, pneumatic hammers, and more—furiously striking at an area that glowed faintly green.
No matter how hard they worked, the jade-like green barrier—about a meter thick—remained completely still, not even the slightest ripple forming.
Harder than divine steel, utterly immovable.
Beyond the green barrier, the vague outline of a massive creature lay sprawled on the ground, stretching for dozens of meters.
Even in death, its remains radiated an awe-inspiring, ancient majesty that made one's heart tremble.
It was the legendary dragon bone.
This emerald barrier had been formed by the dragon itself in its dying moments, condensed from its very life essence to guard its eternal remains—untouched for tens of thousands of years.
The Hand had been here for months.
Even high explosives and specially made giant alloy drill bits had been used in turn, but none could pierce this supernatural defense.
They dared not use anything more destructive.
After all, this place lay deep beneath the heart of New York City. If they caused too much disturbance, the ground above could collapse, exposing the dragon bone to the world.
When that happened, the powers it would draw could not be controlled by the Hand.
"Lord Alexandra!"
"Lord Botu!"
The deafening construction noise abruptly stopped. The ninjas working with single-minded focus all froze.
Seeing the arrivals, they immediately straightened, bowed deeply, and greeted them with reverence.
The Hand was a strictly hierarchical organization, and respect for the leaders was absolute.
However…
When their eyes moved past the two leaders and fell on the terrifying metallic monster behind them, their expressions involuntarily shifted to shock and suspicion.
A closer look revealed the two leaders' clothing to be slightly disheveled, their faces grim, and blood still flowing from their arms. Could it be…
That thing was the enemy?!
These elite ninjas, veterans of countless battles, reacted swiftly.
Almost simultaneously, a wave of deadly danger surged toward them—but it was already too late.
Jiang Feng's gaze swept across the room.
Looking at these living bundles of experience points, he pondered,
"I triggered a side quest by killing story antagonists before… so what if I wipe out the entire Hand?"
Practice was the only test of truth.
Buzz!
Weapon modules on the shoulders, hips, and back of the Iron Man suit deployed, revealing an array of barrels and launchers.
The auto-targeting system instantly locked onto every ninja present. Even those hidden behind rocks or machinery could not escape infrared vision and dynamic tracking.
Before the ninjas could dodge or counterattack, a dense flurry of piercing sounds erupted.
Special needle-type armor-piercing rounds, gleaming coldly, shot from every part of Jiang Feng's armor like the scythes of death, slicing through the air with sharp, wailing screeches.
In the next instant, the sound of blood spraying and skulls bursting filled the cavern.
Each round drilled precisely through a ninja's forehead.
Against the high-speed, spinning projectiles, their hardened skulls were as fragile as paper—offering no defense at all.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of elite ninjas lay dead, unable to even cry out, their faces still frozen in shock and unwillingness as they collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Witnessing the one-sided slaughter, then looking at their own battered wounds, Alexandra and Botu's teeth chattered uncontrollably.
The shadow of death hung over them like a tangible weight, heralding the inevitable end.
"This dragon bone barrier can only be broken by the power of the Iron Fist?"
Jiang Feng's gaze fell upon them, his tone calm yet carrying an unquestionable authority.
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Hearing this, neither dared hide anything. They nodded frantically like pounding garlic.
The life-sign scanner built into Jiang Feng's armor recorded their heart rate, pulse fluctuations, and even the smallest changes in their pupils.
The data analysis module instantly returned a conclusion—
They were telling the truth.
"Good."
Jiang Feng nodded lightly, his voice without emotion.
But to Alexandra and Botu, those two words sounded like a death sentence whispered from the depths of hell.
Before the echo faded, killing intent descended.
Jiang Feng wasted no time—his icy focus fixed directly on the two leaders.
"Let us go! Killing us won't benefit you in any way!"
Panic-stricken, Alexandra and Botu retreated.
Their last survival instinct flared, pushing their battered bodies to unleash whatever strength remained, seeking even the slimmest chance.
But it was useless.
Jiang Feng had no interest in a pointless close-quarters fight.
His arm lifted slightly, the muzzle on his armored arm flashing faintly.
Pew! Pew!
Two short, quiet shots rang out.
Bullets pierced their hearts, ending their final struggle.
On the cold ground, two more corpses lay—still warm, still wearing expressions of fear and unwillingness.
"It's not useless. I get stronger by killing."
Stepping over their bodies, Jiang Feng spoke casually.
"Ding! You have successfully killed Hand ninjas ×53, Five Fingers: Alexandra, Botu. Mechanic and Warrior classes gain 1,200 experience points."
"Ding! Reincarnator: Jiang Feng, killing Hand ninjas ×53, Five Fingers: Alexandra, Botu, gains 1,000 Reincarnation Points."
At the same time, another prompt from the Reincarnation Space sounded in his mind.
"Ding! Host has severely damaged the Hand's core forces—side quest triggered: Wipe Them Out."
"Objective: Completely eradicate all remaining Hand forces. Reward: One selectable secret art related to the Hand."
The corners of Jiang Feng's mouth lifted ever so slightly.
As expected.
The operation to hunt down the Five Fingers had smoothly unlocked the next stage of the hunt.
Though all the Five Fingers had fallen to him, the system had not yet declared the mission complete.
Clearly, this vast organization that had lurked for so many years still had significant remnants.
"Looks like I'll have to make a trip to the island nation… and I can fulfill a childhood wish while I'm at it."
A glint flashed in Jiang Feng's eyes—his mind already made up.
The Hand's roots and headquarters lay in the island nation. The remaining survivors would likely retreat there.
"Linglong, gather all intel related to the Hand. I want them wiped from this world."
Jiang Feng's voice was cold and firm.
"Yes, Master. Linglong will clear all obstacles for you."
The AI assistant responded immediately.
Then, Jiang Feng turned his attention to the mysterious dragon bone barrier.
He stepped forward, standing before the shimmering green light, a strange feeling rising in his heart.
"This should be my first time coming into contact with a purely supernatural power outside the realm of technology."
The Hand's ninjas and the Five Fingers had been nothing more than small fry to him—unworthy of notice compared to this relic imbued with the legacy of the dragon race.