After the dungeon mission was completed, Roy did not return immediately. Instead, he headed toward Saeko Busujima's hiding place.
He needed to send this severely injured guide back. Although there was no deep emotional bond between them, if she were to die because of him, it would inevitably leave a knot in his heart.
As Roy approached the patch of grass, goosebumps rose all over his body—the sensation was exactly like when he had been targeted by a sniper rifle at the base gate.
No—this sense of danger was even stronger!
Roy's eyes swept the surroundings warily, but he couldn't find the source. Only that ominous feeling lingered in his mind.
When Roy cautiously parted the grass, what came into view was not Saeko Busujima—but a block of explosives, electronic components flashing with a sinister red light.
C4 explosive!
Roy's expression changed drastically. His body reacted instinctively, lunging toward the distance.
Boom!
At that very instant, a deafening roar erupted. The shockwave from the explosion slammed violently into Roy's body.
He crashed face-first into the ground. It felt as if his back had been sliced open by sharp blades, skin torn, muscles ripped apart.
A fierce burning sensation followed, as if a mass of fire were raging on his back—agonizing beyond measure.
The close-range explosion also ruptured his eardrums. A sharp ringing filled his ears as dark red blood flowed out, his brain feeling as though it were about to split apart.
"Hahaha, got him!"
Lying in the grass several dozen meters away, an old white man leaped up excitedly. Wearing a white lab coat and sporting a shiny bald head that reflected the moonlight, he was none other than the old professor protected by the American squad.
In fact, he had been in the monitoring room the entire time. From the moment Roy arrived at the base, he had been watching him. At first, he hadn't taken it seriously—until Roy displayed monstrous strength and slaughtered an entire American squad.
While Roy was dealing with Waylin and finishing things up by planting bombs in the armory, the old man had secretly used the base's hidden passage to come here.
Through the earlier surveillance footage, he knew Saeko Busujima was hiding in this spot.
He was gambling that Roy would return.
He took Saeko Busujima away in advance and planted explosives at the original location, detonating them the moment Roy approached.
Eric tossed aside the remote detonator—it was useless now—and rushed toward Roy, his excited gaze fixed on the boy's body.
He had come to the island nation to investigate the origin of the zombie outbreak. Roy's extraordinary physical abilities convinced him that something unusual had happened to this boy—awakening superpowers like in the movies wasn't impossible.
Roy struggled to lift his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Saeko Busujima had been moved to another patch of grass.
He finally let out a sigh of relief.
Immediately after, overwhelming fury filled Roy's chest, as if it were about to burn away his remaining reason.
"Don't worry, I'll make good use of your body—of course, in the laboratory!"
"First, draw a thousand milliliters of blood!"
"No, no, no, he's too weak—he might die. No, no, I must believe it. As a superpowered individual, he won't die that easily."
But Roy could no longer hear the old man's muttering. From Saeko Busujima being shot to his own near-fatal explosion, the accumulated rage inside him burned like a blazing furnace.
Adrenaline surged violently. Roy no longer felt pain. His eyes turned bloodshot as his hands struggled to push against the ground, like a maddened beast.
At this moment, only one thought filled his mind—to crush the enemy with the most brutal, overwhelming attack, so that no one would ever dare provoke him again!
"He can still stand? As expected of a superpowered individual. You're far more valuable alive than dead," the old man Eric said fanatically, pulling out a small pistol, aiming at Roy, and pulling the trigger without hesitation.
The injected dart pierced Roy's chest.
Yet the boy's body remained standing, unmoving.
Roy stared coldly at the old white man and walked toward him step by step, showing no sign of losing consciousness.
"Impossible! This anesthetic can knock out even a fully grown elephant!" Eric exclaimed in disbelief.
"An anesthetic that can knock out an elephant? You think that can extinguish my rage?" Roy said coldly. A surge of heat spread throughout his body, granting him power.
[Skill Awakened!]
Name: Blood for Blood
Effect: Accumulates all damage received and returns it to the enemy in a single burst. Damage is multiplied based on emotional intensity.
Note: Changing targets will reduce the damage.
…
Eric couldn't see Roy's golden status panel. He only recalled Roy's frenzied slaughter at the base. The boy before him was no lab rat—it was a true god of slaughter!
A faint blood-red glow emerged over Roy's body, like a demon king walking out of hell.
"No!" Eric turned to flee, but it was already too late. Roy pounced like a ferocious tiger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Roy discarded the Muramasa sword. In a single burst, he slammed Eric's head into the ground, his fists raining down like a storm. The dull, heavy impacts echoed without end.
"Please, just let me draw one tube of blood—just one! I'll pay any price!"
"I can't die! Losing a brilliant mind like mine would be a massive loss to all humanity!"
"Please, spare me!"
…
The old man's voice grew weaker and weaker. His pleas stirred not the slightest mercy in Roy.
Roy clenched his teeth, every punch thrown with all his strength, until the old man's body was literally beaten into a pile of flesh by Roy's fists.
Until he finally swallowed his last breath in despair.
"Huff… huff…"
Roy panted heavily and collapsed onto the grass. The blood-red glow faded from his body, his strength completely drained.
The nature of the skill Blood for Blood ensured that before all accumulated damage was returned to the enemy, Roy would never fall—even if he had suffered fatal wounds.
Roy took out three different low-grade potions, pulled the corks, and drank them all in one go.
Lights of different colors shimmered over his body.
A few seconds later, Roy exhaled deeply. Though he still felt terrible, the sensation of imminent death was gone. His mind was clear as he lifted his head and glanced around.
Fortunately, most of the zombies had been drawn toward the exploding base. Otherwise, in his current condition, things would have been troublesome.
Roy carried Saeko Busujima, made a detour, and entered the base barracks through a side door with fewer zombies, locking the iron door behind them.
Perhaps the old man had believed Saeko Busujima possessed some special constitution as well—that was why she had been spared.
Saeko Busujima slowly woke up. Her chest still ached faintly, but at least her life was no longer in danger.
"These are six potions—your payment. Use the red ones for injuries, the blue ones when you're exhausted. With your abilities, you can survive even on your own," Roy said. He didn't give her any mental potions; for someone who couldn't use magic, those were no better than two cups of coffee.
After doing all this, without waiting for Saeko Busujima's reply, Roy—his consciousness fading—clicked "Return."