Chapter 62

What precise aim!

The two crossbow bolts shot out almost simultaneously. The moment the triggers were pulled, Xu Dong felt a sudden, intense sense of danger, making his scalp tingle. Now, with the bolts in flight, he was still in mid-air, and he couldn't help but curse himself for his foolishness. However, the more critical the situation, the calmer Xu Dong became.

The face hidden under the hood pursed its lips. If anyone had seen this, they would have noticed the fierce determination in his expression. His empty right hand swept forward, and a triangular bayonet appeared in his grasp. A flash of cold light, and the air suddenly rang with a sharp "ding" sound, like a needle piercing the eardrums, making one feel as if they were about to vomit blood.

Using the force of the impact, Xu Dong forcibly shifted his body in mid-air. The next second, the second crossbow bolt hit his shoulder with a "thud," tearing through the coarse cloth of his cloak. However, the bolt was blocked by his external equipment, and the powerful force of the shot had nowhere to go, causing it to snap with a "crack."

The force of the crossbow bolt was immense, and Xu Dong's face turned pale. He felt like a bird with its wings broken, his body tilting and falling to the side. Losing his balance, he landed on his hands and rolled over twice, looking extremely disheveled. He glanced sideways and saw that the part of his external equipment that had been hit was now crumpled, and the skin underneath was bruised and black.

Xu Dong couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. The power of this crossbow was incredible! If it weren't for the external equipment blocking the initial penetration, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

In just a couple of seconds, not only had the two crossbowmen reloaded, but two sword-and-shield wielders also came charging at him like wolves. One of them, with blood streaming from his nose and mouth, looked as if Xu Dong had killed his entire family, his hatred running deep.

Fortunately, the cooldown for the "Quick Steps" skill had not yet expired; otherwise, Xu Dong would have had to flee.

This gave a clear indication of the strength of the patrol team, which was far beyond the capabilities of ordinary Awakened. It was no wonder that many Awakened had been captured alive at the Order Shelter earlier.

Xu Dong's expression turned fierce, and he charged headlong toward the crossbowmen.

The patrol team members, who had thought they had him cornered, were taken aback by this. The two sword-and-shield wielders behind him accelerated like their butts were on fire. But how could they catch up to Xu Dong? In just a few seconds, after withstanding two crossbow bolts, Xu Dong finally reached the crossbowmen.

These two crossbowmen were also fierce, discarding their crossbows and drawing their long swords, transforming into melee fighters. They roared and charged at Xu Dong. However, after experiencing numerous life-and-death battles, Xu Dong had honed his combat skills to the point where he could deliver a decisive blow and end the fight quickly.

In an instant, one of the crossbowmen was knocked unconscious, and the other was kicked in the chest and the stomach, causing him to roll his eyes back.

When two large, gleaming swords came slashing at him, Xu Dong, who was already in a rage, didn't even bother to dodge. He roared and relied on his tough external equipment to withstand the blows, one to his waist and one to his shoulder.

But he seemed unaffected, and his right hand, which had been holding the triangular bayonet, suddenly disappeared. He then delivered a swift hand strike to the throat of one of the sword-and-shield wielders. The force of the blow was so great that the man's face turned purple, and he clutched his throat, making choking sounds, before stumbling backward and falling to the ground.

The other sword-and-shield wielder, still in a rage, was willing to risk everything. Taking advantage of Xu Dong's defensive stance, he landed two more blows, causing Xu Dong to grunt in pain.

Suddenly, Xu Dong took a step back and then lunged forward, using his agile movements to dodge a slash and press against the opponent's chest. At the same time, he bent his body and kicked with both feet, delivering a powerful blow to the sword-and-shield wielder's abdomen.

It felt as if a red-hot knife had been plunged into his stomach, and the sword-and-shield wielder's face turned ashen. The intense pain made him lose control of his weapon and shield, which clattered to the ground.

After finally dealing with this sword-and-shield wielder, the "Quick Steps" effect finally wore off. Xu Dong scanned the area and saw that no one was standing in the alley. He took out a cloth and some rope from his storage space and methodically tied up the five patrol team members on the ground. Then he carried them one by one to a nearby residential building.

He had already observed that this route was only patrolled by this team, and the nearest patrol team was two streets away. The nearby residents, fearing the consequences of getting involved, would not likely raise an alarm.

This residential building housed a family of four. When they saw Xu Dong carrying the patrol team members inside, they had thoughts of reporting him. However, a gold coin and a large, gleaming sword quickly persuaded them to remain silent and give up the first-floor room and living room.

Xu Dong first dragged a sword-and-shield wielder who couldn't stand up into the room and casually threw him on the ground. He then stared down at him from above and said coldly, "It will take about 23 minutes to go through this alley and return to the Order Shelter. In other words, no one will know you've been captured for the next 23 minutes. If I were you, I would answer my questions honestly."

To his surprise, the sword-and-shield wielder showed no intention of resisting and answered smoothly, "I'll answer any questions that don't involve the important secrets of Blood Helmet City."

"Hmm?" Xu Dong was taken aback by this response.

He tried a question, "First, I want to know how many candidates have not passed the initial test or are planning to take it."

The sword-and-shield wielder answered without hesitation, "There are 109 in total."

Xu Dong frowned and continued, "How many candidates have passed the initial test, what is their strength, and where are they staying?"

The sword-and-shield wielder answered fluently, "Thirty-four candidates have passed the initial test. Ten of them are at least three-star Awakened, three are one-star Awakened... " He glanced at Xu Dong. "The rest are all two-star Awakened."

After a pause, the sword-and-shield wielder recited the official information about their accommodations.

This response made Xu Dong's heart race. To be safe, he brought each patrol team member into the room and questioned them thoroughly.

Sure enough, all the answers were identical.

Xu Dong pursed his lips and muttered to himself, "Unless they have a unified understanding, it's impossible for everyone's answers to be the same. In other words, the candidates' attacks on the patrol team to obtain information are part of the authorities' plan?!"

Several thoughts raced through his mind, and the next moment, Xu Dong felt his scalp tingle with fear, and he instinctively wanted to run as far away as possible!

He suppressed the deep-seated fear and panic in his heart, did not untie the ropes, and carefully left the residential building. After leaving, Xu Dong had a thought and, after turning a corner, suddenly leaped up, grabbing the eaves of a house with one hand. Like a nimble monkey, he climbed onto the roof and then returned to the roof of the residential building, waiting patiently.

After about ten minutes, a furtive figure appeared from the other side of the corner. From the person's clothing, it was clear that this was the Awakened who had failed the initial test that morning.

He moved like a hunting cat, silently and quickly approaching the door of the residential building, then disappeared from Xu Dong's sight.

Soon, muffled groans and the sound of leather being cut came from inside the building. Xu Dong's face changed, and he felt a chill, "This guy is ruthless!"

About five minutes later, the Awakened emerged from the building, carrying a burlap sack. A corner of the sack showed fresh blood. This detail indicated that the ruthless and greedy Awakened had indeed killed all the patrol team members and looted their external equipment!

The value of this external equipment was significant, and the Awakened must have felt very pleased, walking with a light and satisfied step, reminiscent of a victorious tyrant.

However, before he could leave the alley, a long eagle's cry echoed from the sky!

The next second, the air was filled with a strange vibration, as if the air itself was boiling, producing a buzzing sound.

Suddenly, a blood-red arrow shot through the air! In a fleeting moment, Xu Dong clearly saw that this arrow was not an ordinary one but a specially made arrow with the power of flesh and armor, like external equipment! The moment he saw the arrow, Xu Dong felt like a small animal struck by lightning, filled with fear.

His mind was in chaos!

The speed of the arrow was like lightning, and by the time he noticed it, it was too late!

The Awakened realized the attack, but the arrow had already pierced his back, the sound of tearing flesh and muscle suddenly appearing. The powerful kinetic energy pushed him forward, and with a "buzz," he was pinned to the wall.

Only then did the piercing whine of the arrow's flight reach his ears.

Upon hitting the target, the arrow suddenly sprouted countless blood-red threads, which grew wildly like living things, wrapping the Awakened like a mummy.

The next moment, the Awakened's agonized scream echoed, and even though the sound was muffled by the blood-red threads, it still made one's hair stand on end.

In just a second, the scream abruptly stopped, and the alley returned to a deathly silence.

Xu Dong swallowed hard, lying on the roof, his heart pounding with fear and shock.

"Once the use of force exceeds the authorities' limits, hidden guardians will attack."

His gaze swept over the two streets and finally settled on a figure in black armor several hundred meters away.

The exaggerated bow, the blood-red arrow, and the eagle perched on the arm—all these elements combined to create a chilling presence. This person's strength must be at the peak level!

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