Chapter 73

(Thank you to all the friends who have supported me with donations. A new list of donors will be released soon. I'm asking for more recommendations.)

Although Chu Nan could maintain a much higher level of alertness even while sleeping compared to ordinary people, it still wasn't as safe as having someone take turns keeping watch.

Moving cautiously, his figure darted like lightning. When he encountered a group of zombies from a distance, Chu Nan did not alarm them but instead went around them.

Returning to the base where Xu Zhi and Su Hui were, Chu Nan suddenly smelled a strong scent of blood as he approached. He immediately became alert and stopped, not rushing in.

With a quick glance, he saw two bodies lying not far away. They were Erzi and Xiaohui, who were supposed to be on night watch. Chu Nan remembered them.

His figure flickered, and he saw that Erzi and Xiaohui's faces were contorted, their hearts seemingly ripped out by some terrifying creature's claws. Their eyes were wide open, as if they died with unresolved grievances.

Chu Nan's heart sank. Could they have encountered some terrifying mutant? From the injuries, it seemed to be a large, fierce beast with extremely sharp claws.

If the two on night watch were killed, what about inside the base?

A stronger scent of blood came from inside the base.

However, with Xu Zhi and Su Hui, two Level 5 Awakened beings, inside, could they have also met with disaster?

Chu Nan's vision and hearing were rapidly improving. In a flash, he was at the edge of the base. In the darkness, he saw the ground covered with bodies. From their injuries, some had their hearts ripped out, others had their throats slit, all killed by what seemed to be the sharp claws of a feline-like creature.

"Xu Zhi..." With his vision greatly enhanced, even in the darkness, Chu Nan clearly saw that the Level 5 Awakened Xu Zhi was also dead.

Xu Zhi's face was contorted, his eyes wide open, with a strange expression. He had been killed by an animal's claws that pierced his heart from behind.

However, with his superhuman hearing, what kind of mutant could sneak up behind him and attack without him noticing?

Such a terrifying mutant, could it still be here? Then what about himself...

Chu Nan's hair stood on end, his alertness reaching its peak.

Suddenly, a figure moved in the darkness.

"Who's there?" Chu Nan instantly raised the spider claws in his hand.

"It's me... don't attack!" A panicked voice called out from the darkness, and the figure that emerged was Su Hui.

In the base, including Xu Zhi, the other twelve people were all dead, only Su Hui was still alive.

"Su Hui?" Chu Nan was taken aback.

Su Hui emerged from the darkness, covered in blood. His face was filled with fear as he looked at Chu Nan, panicking and running over while shouting, "It was terrifying, just now... a dark shadow flashed in... they... they were all killed... I... I didn't even see the shadow clearly..."

Running to Chu Nan, Su Hui was clearly terrified, almost collapsing in front of Chu Nan.

Chu Nan reached out to help him.

Just as he was about to support Su Hui, Su Hui's mouth twisted, and he suddenly showed a sinister smile. His right hand's nails extended to a foot long, aiming straight for Chu Nan's heart, trying to rip it out.

The sudden attack was lightning-fast, and no one could have expected it, leaving no chance for reaction or evasion.

However, unexpectedly, Chu Nan seemed to have anticipated Su Hui's move. The hand that was about to support Su Hui suddenly changed direction, pressing down on Su Hui's right hand, while his golden right leg kicked heavily between Su Hui's legs.

This move was completely unexpected by Su Hui. He had not thought that Chu Nan could predict his attack. With a shrill scream, Su Hui felt his lower body explode into a bloody mess, the pain piercing his heart.

His entire body flipped backward and then fell heavily to the ground with a thud.

Chu Nan stepped forward and stomped on his head. After the scream, the injured Su Hui still reacted quickly, suddenly turning his body and extending all ten nails, each a foot long, slashing at Chu Nan's leg.

The golden right leg was almost invulnerable to swords. Although Su Hui's nails could cut through metal, they could not harm Chu Nan, only tearing his clothes and revealing the golden skin underneath.

"Level 6..."

Chu Nan grunted, and the spider claws in his hand swung out in the same instant.

Although Su Hui was strong, he had been kicked hard, his lower body a bloody mess. No matter how fast his reaction, he could not match Chu Nan. With the swing of the spider claws, blood splattered, and Su Hui screamed again as his left arm was severed and flew away.

Chu Nan followed up, his golden right leg lashing out like a whip, striking Su Hui's chest with a "slap."

Su Hui screamed as he flew through the air, crashing into the wall with a loud thud, then slowly sliding down, leaving a trail of blood on the wall.

The wall where he had hit was cracked like a spider web.

The bones in his chest were shattered, the attack of the golden power was truly terrifying.

Losing his left arm, his lower body shattered, and his chest bones broken, Su Hui's face was contorted, his forehead drenched in sweat. Realizing he could not escape, he glared at Chu Nan with hatred and screamed hoarsely, "Why... why did you know I would ambush you? Why were you prepared? It's as if you knew from the start that I was the killer?"

Chu Nan looked at him and said, "Every dead person's injuries were like those caused by a large feline's claws. But don't forget, your awakened power is those nails that can cut through metal. You could have caused such injuries."

Su Hui's face was filled with resentment as he screamed, "You guessed I was the killer based on that alone?"

Chu Nan shook his head and glanced at the dead Xu Zhi, then sighed slightly, "Xu Zhi was also a Level 5 Awakened, and his hearing was superhuman. Any movement within a kilometer would not escape his ears. If the killer was really a mutant or an undead, it would be almost impossible to sneak up on him and attack from behind. Therefore, the only possibility is that the killer who suddenly attacked him was unexpected, and Xu Zhi had no guard up, or did not expect the attack. The only person who fits this description is a companion."

"A companion who Xu Zhi did not guard against, with claws similar to a feline, and with the other twelve dead, leaving only you... who else could the killer be?"

Hearing Chu Nan's analysis, Su Hui fell silent.

"Previously, only your right hand's nails had mutated. Now, both hands have mutated. You must have reached Level 6. Why... why did you kill Xu Zhi and the others? We are all humans."

"Indeed," Su Hui sneered, sitting on the ground. "I have reached Level 6. Do you know why I evolved so quickly? I realized from the beginning that killing those zombie-like creatures or mutated animals was far less effective than killing my own companions, especially those of the same level. Each kill provided an unimaginable amount of primal energy. So... I killed Xu Zhi and the others to easily evolve to Level 6... heh... heh..."

"I originally planned to kill you too, but I didn't expect you to be so cunning."

Su Hui sneered, slowly supporting himself against the wall and standing up again. "What a pitiful guy. If you had attacked me just now, I might have been killed. But you gave me a chance to catch my breath. Heh... heh... You should know I have reached Level 6. Even with one arm lost, I am not comparable to a Level 5 Awakened like you. In terms of speed, reaction, and agility, you can't keep up with me."

Su Hui sneered, his right hand's nails extending like a monster. His figure flickered, and he was about to attack Chu Nan.

Suddenly, he felt dazzled, as Chu Nan's legs began to glow.

A golden glow.

In an instant, both of his legs turned golden, as if made of gold.

Su Hui's sneering face suddenly froze.

"Lev... Level 6..." Su Hui looked as if he had seen the most terrifying thing in the world.

With a stomp, Chu Nan left a shadow in his place. His golden leg, like a golden wind, kicked Su Hui with a whoosh.

The one who truly could not react was Su Hui.

With a wild howl, Su Hui's right leg made a sharp sound, and Chu Nan's powerful kick broke it, skin and bone together. Su Hui's body staggered, and just as he reacted, Chu Nan's spider claws swung out.

A bloody right arm flew away, and Su Hui screamed and fell to the ground, both arms lost.

When Chu Nan stepped on his chest, Su Hui's hands were cut off, his right leg bone twisted outward, and his left leg was still intact.

He finally felt the fear of death, his face contorted, his eyes scattered and mad, "Impossible, you... you are already Level 6? How is that possible? You were only gone for a while, how could you... reach Level 6? I don't believe it, how is this possible? How did you do it? Could it be... could it be that you also kill humans?"

Chu Nan looked at him, a hint of indescribable emotion in his eyes, and said calmly, "You don't need to know the reason."

With a heavy stomp, a large amount of blood spurted from Su Hui's mouth, and his chest, including his heart, was directly crushed by Chu Nan's foot.

Su Hui was dead.

For someone who would go to such lengths to gain power, even killing their own companions and humans, Chu Nan felt no pity.

A surging primal energy flowed from Su Hui's body into his, the amount of energy unimaginable, several times more powerful than the bone armor undead.

---

(End of the chapter)