Chapter 669 20: Annihilation

The moment he finished speaking, Uteco unhesitatingly used his tongue to crush the potential-enhancing drug hidden in his tooth.

Spurred on by the danger, his two teammates didn't need to be told what to do and swallowed their own drugs as well.

In an instant, the skin of all three men flushed crimson, their eyes became bloodshot, and their breathing quickened as they grew extremely agitated. They felt their Power increasing, and their senses grew sharper than ever before.

Uteco stared at Chen Chuan, twirled the metal baton in his hand, and started toward him. His two teammates immediately followed suit.

A six-man assault has its own strategy, as does a three-man assault.

The three of them appeared to advance in unison, but the teammates on the flanks were actually a fraction faster. This would allow them to form a pincer attack the moment they accelerated.

Uteco's focus was absolute, his eyes locked on Chen Chuan's every potential move. As they closed in, just as his teammates were about to flank their target, he suddenly accelerated and charged ahead of them.

It was a tactical feint. If he could just tie up their opponent for an instant, his teammates could swiftly move into position. In Third Limit combat, being even a fraction of a second too slow to react or predict could put you on the defensive. This was a move they had perfected, one proven effective time and again.

However, all of this was predicated on the assumption that the power gap between the two sides wasn't too great.

The moment he accelerated, Chen Chuan moved in the same instant, but his speed was greater by more than a single measure. Uteco could only watch helplessly as Chen Chuan blew past him, his own forward momentum making it impossible to change course.

Chen Chuan instantly appeared before the teammate on the right. He used no technique to speak of, simply letting his momentum carry his hand in a light slash across the man's neck. Then, with a turn, he shot toward the other side.

Behind him, a spray of blood blossomed like a flower in full bloom.

Uteco frantically twisted his body around. By the time he turned, Chen Chuan was already on the other side, forcing his other teammate to his knees with a hand on his head. Chen Chuan's fingers closed gently. With a CRACK, the man's skull audibly caved in.

He froze mid-step, his breath coming in harsh, rapid gasps.

Chen Chuan released his grip, letting the corpse slump to the ground. "You're all worthless," he said, his voice flat.

The Power these men used was just a generic military type. This standard-issue Force Technique lacked any unique character; it offered him nothing of value. Uteco was no different. His strength was greater simply because his innate talent surpassed the others', not because he'd trained in any unique Dharma Gate.

Uteco's fists clenched involuntarily, his eyes turning crimson. But against such an overwhelmingly powerful foe, he knew he stood no chance. A desperate attack would only mean ending up like his teammates on the ground, yet there was no escape.

His expression contorted, and then his knees buckled. He dropped first to one knee, then the other. Lowering his head, he said, "Sir, I am willing to atone for my transgressions. Since arriving on this island, I haven't harmed a single one of your people. Could you spare my life?"

'He wasn't a soldier; he was a covert operative specializing in infiltration. He had no code of honor to uphold. There was no shame in surrendering when outmatched. Besides, the Lynx Federation had already abandoned him. Begging for his life cost him nothing.'

To prove his value, he looked up and added, "I'm a scout for the Lynx Federation. They're investigating these waters. I can help you hide what's going on here."

Chen Chuan looked at Tarlu. "What do you think?"

Tarlu said without hesitation, "I don't trust him."

Chen Chuan nodded.

Seeing this, Uteco knew they wouldn't spare him. But he had been gathering his strength ever since he knelt. Now, he instantly unleashed all his might, his Power surging as he tried to launch himself forward.

But he wasn't aiming for Chen Chuan—he was going for Tarlu.

'He knew the gap between himself and Chen Chuan was too great; a direct attack would be futile. But against Tarlu, he might be able to take her down with him.'

But just as his Power surged, before he could fully unleash it, a searing pain suddenly twisted through his body, and his leaping form collapsed back to the ground.

A terrible crackling echoed from within his body, as if every muscle, bone, and organ was being torn to shreds. He watched as his own skin split open, blood seeping from the fissures. It began to pour from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, quickly forming a pool on the ground.

'What...?'

'I was hit by a Power technique?!'

'When?'

Uteco suddenly remembered—when Chen Chuan had blown past him, he'd seemed to brush against him. 'Could that have been it?'

'What kind of Power is this?!'

As he bled more and more profusely, he felt his consciousness fading, but he refused to give up. He tried to stand again, desperately rallying the power within his body.

He knew he was no longer a threat to anyone, but he refused to simply collapse. As his Mutated Organization activated once more, and he finally managed to muster a surge of Power, he suddenly clapped a hand to his head, his face a mask of terror. He could feel that Power spiraling out of his control, about to erupt from within him.

The next instant, with a wet SPLAT, his head exploded, showering the ground with gore and tissue.

The headless corpse swayed for a moment before toppling to the ground.

Chen Chuan withdrew his gaze. He had just been testing Chen Bitong's String Void Power. This kind of Heart Force was a fusion with Spiritual Power, so when he combined it with his own, the result was different. He considered the experiment neither a success nor a failure.

Still, Uteco's final moments had been both expected and unexpected. He mused for a moment; it seemed there was something of value to be learned there.

Tarlu, who had watched the entire battle from the side, wore an expression of awe. She wasn't focused on the bloody, tragic aftermath, but on Chen Chuan's control over his Power and tempo. Even though the sheer disparity in strength meant she couldn't follow all his movements, the glimpses she did catch revealed a profound beauty in his power and technique.

She gave Chen Chuan a salute in the Single Stream Hall style and said earnestly, "Thank you, Mr. Chen."

Chen Chuan said, "It's nothing. I told you, as long as I'm here, I'll face any outside threats alongside you."

He walked a few steps to Uteco's headless corpse. The men resembled the First People, and indeed, the Lynx Federation was fond of using them to infiltrate Dashunhe and the Outer Ocean.

He then noticed a waterproof document pouch on the man's waist. He bent down, unfastened it, and picked it up. After opening it, he took out several documents.

He flipped through them and found records and reports on the surrounding waters. They detailed the biological environment around Feiguang Island, the frequent anomalies, and the existence of the Single Stream Hall. The reports concluded that a stable Rift was located here.

'It seems these men came for the Rift,' he thought. 'The documents are fragmented, though. They don't look like official intelligence briefings, more like data compiled from various other sources.'

He continued to read, lost in thought, but then his eyes caught something unnatural on Uteco's body. He crouched down to inspect it and soon found an object hidden beneath a patch of implanted skin.

The object was wrapped in some kind of special biological material. He wiped away the bloodstains and unwrapped it. Inside were documents written on special paper. The script was tiny but clear. He flipped through them and discovered they were records pertaining to Uteco's identity and mission.

Comparing these documents with the others, he came to a conclusion. He looked up at Tarlu. "These men are from the Lynx Federation, no doubt about it. But from the looks of things, this wasn't an officially sanctioned mission. It's highly likely they were on a private job."

Tarlu asked, "Then will the Lynx Federation send more people?"

"Hard to say, but it's unlikely."

Chen Chuan explained, "With the Ferris Wheel Company destroyed, the Lynx Federation has lost its biggest foothold in the Outer Ocean. Even if they covet this Rift and manage to seize this place, it's doubtful they could hold on to it. So after this group, no one else should be coming.

"However, it's best that their identities and the news of their deaths don't get out. We should treat this as if it never happened. Otherwise, it could cause unnecessary trouble."

Tarlu didn't understand all the intricate relationships, but she knew what she needed to do. "Alright," she said. "If you don't have any other plans for these men, Mr. Chen, I can hand these items over to Elder Gan. He'll know how to handle them."

Chen Chuan nodded. "Then let the elder handle it." Even as the Investigation Chief of Central City, his authority didn't extend to the Outer Ocean. Besides, he was in the middle of his training and had no desire to get involved.

"Mr. Chen," Tarlu said, "I need to go back up and check on things."

Chen Chuan nodded. "I'll go up with you."

He and Tarlu emerged from the Rift, returning to the clifftop platform. Fortunately, everything was normal topside; the village had not been attacked. Following the men's tracks, they found their equipment stashed by the seashore.

This confirmed that no one else was involved in the operation besides these six.

It made sense. An ordinary person couldn't possibly keep up with six Third Limit Fighters. Even if they tried to force it, their actions would be completely out of sync.

Seeing that everything was under control and that Tarlu could handle it alone, Chen Chuan didn't linger. He turned and headed back. However, the moment he re-entered the Rift, he discovered that the six bodies had vanished.

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