Chapter 41 - Innate Nature

Mantis Arm Bone Blade slashed through the air, decapitating the enemy before him.

The armed security guards, screaming in fear, pulled the triggers of their handguns, but Li Cheng had already grabbed the headless corpse, gushing fresh blood, using it as a shield.

The organizers of the banquet had never anticipated such a bloody, violent incident happening here; they had only issued small-caliber handguns to the armed personnel.

Li Cheng first used the corpse to block the first wave of incoming bullets, then loosed his hold, pushing the body forward to knock down one person while he surged ahead, his arms swinging in a perfect semicircle trajectory.

With his body tilted forward, his center of gravity shifted ahead, the Mantis Arm Bone Blade precisely slicing along the gaps in the gunmen’s bulletproof vests at the waist, cutting two men in half at the waist, while another had his belly slashed open, his intestines and organs spilling out onto the floor as he fell, issuing a pained wail.

Is this the feeling of killing…?

In many works of art, it’s said that ordinary people would feel intense discomfort the first time they kill one of their own, some would even vomit, scream, tremble or cry.

But Li Cheng didn’t; his eyes were like an ancient well without ripples, his consciousness seeming to have detached from his body, calmly and indifferently observing his own actions.

He stepped heavily forward, crushing the skull of the wailing security guard on the ground, putting an end to his suffering.

His left arm swung back in a reverse grip, plunging the knife into one person’s temple, and his right hand transformed into a palm, rising swiftly from below to strike the chin of another.

The brute strength with an eight-point force transmitting along the bones, caused the man’s jaw to dislocate and his neck to break, his feet leaving the ground, the Beretta M9 in his hands unconsciously dropping.

Click.

Li Cheng’s right hand precisely caught the gun, at such close range aiming was of no concern, he simply shot directly at the remaining armed security guards, suppressing their fire, then closed the distance, harvesting with the Mantis Arm Bone Blade.

Blood, brain matter, wails, running, screaming.

Li Cheng’s consciousness looked down from high above, overlooking the chaotic banquet, watching himself charging into the crowd, leaving dismembered limbs wherever he went.

The Swarovski crystal chandelier on the dome was stained red with blood, the expensive wines in the liquor cabinet shattered on the floor, the fragrant beverages flowing at will, while the speakers in the corner were still playing a prearranged song called “Free Bird.”

The nine-minute song had reached 4:36.

“lord help me, I can’t cha-ya-ya-ya-ange.”

Lord assist me, I cannot change

“lord, I can’t change”

Lord, I am unable to change

“won’t you fly high, freeeeee bird, yeh”

Fly high and far, free bird

As the lyrics ended, an unrestrained solo guitar echoed violently throughout the bloody killing field, like a torrent of melody rushing straight to the brain, touching the soul.

Li Cheng slowly pulled the Bone Blade from the mouth of a corpse, stood up slowly, stepping over the river of blood, walking toward the open terrace.

The image of a model student from school was merely a social disguise.

The portrayal of warmth and goodness was just a protective façade.

Even his casual and easy-going personality was not entirely genuine.

After peeling away layers of pretense, the true Li Cheng was finally exposed to the air.

The elevators leading downstairs were destroyed, and the only remaining fire escape had been blocked by him with a table, leaving the remaining twenty-odd survivors with nowhere to run, huddling on the edge of the balcony like quails, crying and screaming, issuing futile pleas for help to the high-rise building below.

Some had already called the police with their mobile phones, sirens wailing in the distance on the streets, police cars and even National Guard armored vehicles rushing in this direction.

The question is, can they make it in time?

“We can give you money,”

A beautiful blonde girl in a long evening gown, trying her best to keep a calm expression, stood in front of her younger siblings and shouted to Li Cheng, “One hundred million, five hundred million, a hundred billion!

Any amount will do!”

“Money doesn’t matter to me, and neither do you.

Without you, it’s very important to me.”

Li Cheng spoke slowly, lifting the Mantis Arm Bone Blade towards the girl, who turned pale with uncontrollable tremors.

It was only then that she realized that being a proud daughter of heaven with a noble title did not distinguish her from the unfortunate ordinary people brought in to participate in the escape game.

When people are killed, they die.

A handsome young man, ignoring his parents’ pulling, stepped forward.

He opened his arms and said with resolute expression, “If you’re going to kill her, you’ll have to step over my dead body.”

“Oh, as you wish.”

With a swing of his blade, Li Cheng cut them down as easily as eating and drinking.

Two corpses fell to the ground, the remaining survivors screamed and scrambled backwards until the balcony railing could no longer hold and shattered.

The Indian doorman with a top hat at the entrance of the building, who was originally yawning and chatting with a friend, only heard shrill screams above.

He instinctively looked up, only to see a figure plummet from the high-rise, slamming hard onto the roof of a luxury car parked by the roadside.

Splat.

Warm liquid splattered on his face, and he wiped his cheek with his finger, only to find it a mix of brain matter and blood.

Plop plop plop—

One after another, figures fell like dumplings, crashing onto car roofs or the ground.

The New York police officers who had just arrived at the scene got out of their cars, saw what was before them, and all muttered “Jesus Christ,” pulling out their guns with steely resolve and rushing into the building.

The rooftop of the skyscraper was howling with the wind.

Li Cheng turned to the last standing white-haired old man and calmly asked, “Anything else you want to say?”

The white-haired man straightened his suit, trying to maintain his last bit of dignity, “I’ll be waiting for you in hell.”

“Thanks for the blessings.”

Li Cheng swung his blade, shaving off the man’s skull, and subconsciously grabbed the collar of the corpse, opening his mouth to the exposed brain.

It wasn’t until his teeth were about to bite into the brain tissue that he suddenly realized something and violently threw the body down.

After the player restrictions were lifted, the Master of Insects’ infection was like a bone-deep abscess, a lingering ghost that entangled him again.

Li Cheng’s eyes were profound, silently retracting his horns and armor plates back into his body.

He then took out an alcohol swab from the Backpack, wiping the blood and grime off the Mantis Arm Bone Blade before finally clicking the Teleportation button visible in his view, vanishing from the spot.

A dozen seconds later, with a “ding-dong,” fully armed police officers burst out of the elevator, and then they saw an unforgettable scene.

The once-opulent hall had been turned into a blood-soaked slaughterhouse, strewn with corpses, none of which were intact.

Blood stains smeared the marble walls, faintly outlining the figure of an ant, its head tilted upwards as if gazing at the sky.