(If you skipped the previous chapter, note: Jiang YunHan ordered total silence, and the vanguard team has split into two groups.)
On the other flank, Chen Xiao continued to shadow Jiang YunHan and his team of seven. This group, comprised of their stronger members, moved with significantly greater speed. They had only the final third of the ascent to the mountain peak remaining. However, the closer they got to the summit, the more frequently New Humans appeared—and the more intense the confrontations became.
Lü XingJi burned with the need to ask: why were such powerful New Humans concentrated near the peak? If a lesser squad had ventured this far, all seven of them would be at grave risk of being wiped out.
Crunch!
Lü XingJi's boot came down, obliterating a New Human's skull with a sickening finality. He glanced back to see Jiang YunHan dispatching another. He gestured sharply, his meaning clear: The higher we go, the tougher it gets. Do we continue?
Jiang YunHan responded with a firm, decisive nod and a gesture of his own: Advance.
No wonder Jiang YunHan became a major figure in my past life, Chen Xiao thought, raising an eyebrow. This kind of opportunistic intuition and sheer nerve was something few possessed. Chen Xiao even harbored a suspicion: had most people in Nancheng only ever heard of second-stage New Humans without actually seeing one? Could it be that Jiang YunHan himself had deliberately spread those rumors? What if, in reality, he had been the one to seize that "evolution opportunity" all along? The possibility seemed increasingly likely.
"Hehehehe."
A familiar, grating laugh pulled the team's attention to the path ahead. Another New Human? Dozens had assaulted them in this short stretch alone!
They turned as one to see a truly aberrant specimen. It stood barely a meter tall, but its movements were unnaturally swift, propelling it in bounding leaps. Its eyes, pools of solid white, gleamed with a terrifying light.
Jiang Yunhan didn't hesitate. Recognizing this creature's abnormal nature, he barked an immediate order. "All together! Take it down!"
Lü XingJi was the first to react, a blade flashing into his hand as he charged the diminutive foe.
The others surged forward, activating their talents—mostly strength-based. But they quickly found their efforts useless. The creature was simply too fast, outpacing even those with agility enhancements.
Chen Xiao watched from the shadows, having no intention of intervening. Two reasons held him back: First, Jiang YunHan had secured this "evolution opportunity" in the previous timeline; he shouldn't die here. Second, Chen Xiao doubted even he could catch the elusive creature.
The situation devolved into a frustrating stalemate. The small New Human's attacks were more an annoyance than a real threat, but the squad couldn't lay a finger on it.
Lü XingJi shot Jiang YunHan a look of pure exasperation. This inefficiency was maddening, and the silence rule was making it worse. Understanding the unspoken plea, Jiang YunHan relented with a sigh. "The rule is canceled. Speak!"
Released from silence, Lü XingJi's words spilled out like rapid gunfire. "Lang Fei, with me! Huang Shan, pair with Kui Jiang! Yu Zhu, you're with Xu Sheng! Boss Jiang, take the center! Four-point encirclement, now! Capture it in one move!" This was where he excelled—battlefield command.
The team moved with practiced efficiency, fanning out to trap the creature.
"Now!" Lü XingJi roared, his S-rank talent, [Ant God's Strike], flaring to life. Power surged through him, reaching its zenith. He launched himself into the air, a vengeful arc aimed at obliterating the thing beneath him.
But the creature was cunning. Seeing itself surrounded, it didn't try to fight. Instead, it darted forward in a blur, slipping directly between Lü XingJi's legs as he descended.
A confident smirk touched Lü XingJi's lips. "Third Brother! Your turn!"
Strange. There was no response.
"Lang Fei! I said you can talk now!"
The only answer was the sight of Jiang YunHan's face in the distance, contorted in pure horror—an expression Lü XingJi had never seen on his leader before.
What is he so afraid of? Lü XingJi could see Jiang YunHan gesturing wildly, his mouth opening and closing as if shouting, but no sound reached him. Only the howl of the wind and the crush of footsteps on dirt.
Thump!
A searing, violent pain exploded in his back. Something had punched straight through him. His legs buckled, and he crashed to his knees. Gritting his teeth, he managed to twist around, his gaze meeting the utterly cold, empty eyes of Lang Fei.
"Third... brother..." he gasped.
Bang. He collapsed, his final question forever unspoken.
Jiang YunHan's vision swam with a crimson haze as he stared at Lang Fei. A terrible power, born of pure, unadulterated hatred, surged through his veins. He was beyond fury; he was incandescent with rage. He rarely unleashed his talent so recklessly, but now, all restraint was gone.
SS-rank magic talent, [Xuan Turtle's Vitality]!
Instantly, waves of raw life force flooded Jiang YunHan's body, transforming into boundless, terrifying strength. Few knew the truth: his physical power was never inferior to Lü XingJi's.
A green aura wreathed Jiang YunHan as he charged, a torrent of vengeful energy. "Hehehehe," Lang Fei giggled, baring his teeth in a grotesque, unconcerned smile. He even brought his hand to his mouth, licking the blood from it—Lü XingJi's blood, scooped from the ghastly wound in his back. "Hehehehehe."
With an explosive roar, Jiang YunHan struck. His fist connected, and Lang Fei's body disintegrated into a fine mist of pulverized flesh and bone, splattering the surroundings. The small, elusive New Human was long gone. In that moment, the founders of the Nancheng Warehouse were reduced to one.
A heavy, prolonged silence descended upon the survivors. No one knew when Lang Fei had been replaced. They only knew one thing for certain: tonight, you trusted no one.
Jiang YunHan was gripped by doubt. Had leading his team to this deadly place been the right choice? Lü XingJi was his best friend. Sure, the man could be crude, arrogant, and had a habit of flirting with his sister… but he was gone. And Lang Fei… his college roommate, who loved architecture more than anything, who'd studied like a maniac to help them all build a better life in this hellscape… he was gone, too.
A hand patted Jiang YunHan's shoulder. Then came a sigh, and the figure moved past him. From the back, it was Huang Shan, apparently coming to offer comfort. But a fraction of a second later, Jiang YunHan's instincts screamed in alarm. That pat… something was off. It took his mind a moment to pinpoint it: Huang Shan had used the back of his hand.
An icy dread washed over him. He hurriedly looked ahead. Huang Shan was walking, his arms hanging unnaturally straight at his sides. And most importantly… his palms faced outward, the backs of his hands inward.
This wasn't Huang Shan.
Jiang YunHan possessed immense mental fortitude, betraying almost no outward emotion. He discreetly observed the others. Besides himself, only four remained: Huang Shan, Zhao Kui Jiang, Yu Zhu, and Zhang Xu Sheng. After what just happened, he was certain Huang Shan had been replaced. As for the other three… he could detect no obvious flaw.
But he trusted no one anymore.
The remnants of the team pressed on, moving faster after the brief, brutal fight. The peak was now within reach. As the area narrowed near the summit, they saw more figures converging.
Jiang YunHan spotted another team on a parallel path. He recognized the leader immediately—the second-in-command of the Tianyi Warehouse! The possessor of the S-rank talent [Electric Eel]! Lin Lao'er!
"Tianyi's people are here too. Just as expected," Zhao Kui Jiang muttered, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag.
Zhang Xu Sheng leaned in, whispering, "Boss Jiang, the flash is right up ahead. What's the plan?"
"Wait and observe. No rash moves," Jiang YunHan decided after a moment's thought. The situation was too volatile. With Tianyi's involvement and the unresolved threat of impostors within his own group—how many of the people around him were even real?
"Long time no see, Boss Jiang."
The voice was a reedy, nasal drawl, pitched in an unsettling, androgynous register that set teeth on edge.
Though Jiang YunHan hadn't initiated contact, the other side had. Lin Lao'er was dressed in a tight white tank top, his tall, gaunt frame suggesting malnutrition. He casually rolled two walnuts in one hand.
"Lin Lao'er," Jiang YunHan replied calmly. "Did your elder brother not come?"
"My brother is… swamped with weighty matters," Lin Lao'er said, his smile not reaching his eyes. "Such a trivial affair hardly warrants his attention. My presence here should signal our… commitment enough, hahaha!" His laughter was deeply unsettling. His eyes scanned the surroundings before his tongue darted out to wet his lips. "How about we… discuss cooperation?"
Jiang YunHan was taken aback. A cooperation proposal from Lin Lao'er defied all logic. The founders of Tianyi Warehouse were notoriously arrogant, and the Lin brothers were the worst of the lot. For him to suggest working together now meant only one of two things: something catastrophic had happened, or the Lin Lao'er standing before him… was also an imposter.