Chapter 191: The Game

Dr. Kukki wasn’t focused on X-rank heroes because he feared he couldn’t beat them. It was about the long-term plan. After destroying Yinshuang City, they had plans to march on other cities. If their forces took heavy losses here, it would hurt their future campaigns.

But now, things had taken a sudden turn. This mysterious young guy was throwing everything off.

At this point, there was no time for more trash talk. Even Dr. Kukki didn’t have the patience for it, and Shi Ji wasn’t the type to put up with it anyway.

Though Shi Ji refused to admit he was an X-rank hero, his strength said otherwise. He’d wiped out the entire aberration army, and none of the Spirit rank leaders had survived. Dr. Kukki had thought that with Slayer Demon—a near Devil rank aberration—on the job, they’d be able to crush Shi Ji’s arrogance, if not kill him outright.

But when that red blur shot past, things didn’t go as expected. Slayer Demon was knocked back, just like that. 

Who was this kid, really?

Dr. Kukki wasn’t stupid. Shi Ji’s power was undeniable, and going one-on-one wasn’t the safest bet.

His face tightened, brows furrowing as he braced himself.

With a loud roar, he unleashed his full strength. His entire body tensed. Muscles bulged as his skin began to crack, revealing mechanical parts beneath. He stomped the ground, leaving a deep crater. With a loud crack, the floor beneath him shattered.

Shi Ji watched from the side, rubbing his nose, a bit curious about the scene. Seeing Dr. Kukki’s body bristling with machinery, he couldn’t help but wonder what he’d do next.

In a split second, Shi Ji was right in front of Dr. Kukki.

“So… looks like that power of yours needs time to charge, huh?”

Kukki froze. 

What the heck? Who goes around interrupting someone while they’re powering up?

He looked a bit rattled. He didn’t expect this. Still, he stayed put, continuing to gather his strength. He knew if he stopped now, he’d lose all the energy he’d built up and would have to start over. Without his full power, he was only at Nether rank strength. That wouldn’t cut it against Shi Ji.

“Listen, kid. I’m warning you, play fair. Don’t be so shameless.”

It was obvious he was scared. If Shi Ji attacked now, he’d be in serious trouble.

Shi Ji just smirked, a cold grin spreading across his face. 

“You’re one to talk about playing fair. Who’s the shameless one here?”

Without another word, he raised his fist and swung it toward Kukki.

Kukki felt his heart drop. 

“Hey, hey! Hold on! Don’t be so impatient! If you’ve got guts, wait till I’m charged up, and let’s have a real fight.”

But Shi Ji didn’t even blink. He just kept moving in for the punch.

Kukki couldn’t help but squeeze his eyes shut. 

“You little punk! How dare you—!”

Just then, there was a loud shout from the side. Slayer Demon, who’d been knocked away earlier, was now charging back in with a huge, blood-red sword. Right before Shi Ji’s fist landed, Slayer Demon swung his sword down, blocking the attack.

Thinking he’d forced Shi Ji back, Slayer Demon didn’t expect what came next. 

Shi Ji simply withdrew his fist, dodged the sword’s slash, and stayed firmly in place, without even stepping back.

Before Slayer Demon could react, a powerful punch landed right in his stomach.

The Devil Rank aberration was sent flying again. Same power, same direction, same spot.

He slammed back into the wall, deepening the crater left behind. Pain shot through his whole body. As his vision cleared, he saw Dr. Kukki also flying towards him, crashing heavily into him.

Kukki, whose body couldn’t handle even one punch from Shi Ji, lay crumpled on the ground. His face twisted in pain. He didn’t even try to get up.

Slayer Demon looked back at Shi Ji, noticing that he now held a silver greatsword. 

Where did this guy come from, with this kind of power?

Having been knocked back twice, Slayer Demon knew he couldn’t afford to underestimate Shi Ji anymore.

After glancing at Kukki, who was still lying there, Slayer Demon stood up and tore off his red cape.

“Kid, you’re going down today!”

His red body began to glow. Then, he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Boom!

A massive explosion rocked the area, sending shockwaves through the plaza. The whole place trembled. Cracks spider-webbed across the floor and walls.

Shi Ji was locked in combat with Slayer Demon again. This time, Slayer Demon’s speed was easily several times faster, almost like teleportation.

A red blur zipped around Shi Ji. The clash of their swords rang out nonstop, echoing through the hall in an unending rhythm.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Slayer Demon was all in now. Each strike was meant to kill. One wrong move, and it could spell disaster for Shi Ji.

Red flashes filled the air, but Shi Ji’s greatsword moved with ease, unaffected by its weight. As Slayer Demon’s rapid attacks came at him like a blur, Shi Ji kept up without missing a beat, matching his speed perfectly.

Sparks flew with each clash. Flashes of light shot out as their weapons collided up close. Yet, no matter how powerful Slayer Demon’s strikes were, Shi Ji’s sword blocked them all.

“Is that really the best speed you’ve got?”

A mocking voice broke through the chaos.

Slayer Demon hesitated mid-attack. “What?”

Before he could fully process it, he felt the impact in his hands growing stronger.

“This speed…”

White flashes appeared everywhere. Slayer Demon’s arms shook with the relentless power hitting him. On the surface, it looked like neither could land a hit, but he could sense the truth.

Shi Ji’s speed was faster than his, even with his full power unleashed.

In that moment of realization, a huge swing from Shi Ji’s sword came right at his chest.

Slayer Demon panicked. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. He moved his sword up just in time to block.

The red figure was sent flying back again by the sheer force of the hit.

Not ready to give up, Slayer Demon swung his sword wildly as he flew back, unleashing several massive red energy slashes in Shi Ji’s direction. But in an instant, he froze.

“What…?”

A blinding white light surged forward, swallowing up the red slashes entirely, erasing them.

Boom!!!