Chapter 19: Chase!
The massive wooden club slammed into the ground, blasting a crater as if explosives were buried beneath. The one-eyed giant's right leg ligament had been severed, causing it to lose balance, its entire body leaning against the energy shield.
Su Xiao suddenly withdrew the energy shield, and the giant's colossal body toppled toward him.
"Ring Break."
A blue light flashed, and a circular blade aura spread outward, appearing right before the one-eyed giant's throat.
The giant was already lunging forward, and with the incoming slash, its throat was cut open by a third.
It had to be said, the one-eyed giant's vitality was tenacious. Even with its throat slashed and blood spraying several meters, it remained lively.
The giant clutched its throat with one hand, trying to stand. Its speed was already slow, and the countless bullet holes covering its body only made it slower.
Su Xiao wasn't in great shape either. He had taken a direct hit from the giant's club. Though the energy shield blocked it, the impact still injured him considerably.
A faint metallic sweetness filled his mouth. Ignoring the dull ache in his internal organs, he gripped his blade and charged forward.
In a few strides, he reached the giant, which was propping itself up with one hand to stand.
Su Xiao held his sword with both hands, the Cyan Steel Shadow energy on it almost blinding. He aimed at that thick arm and slashed.
*Pfft!* The giant's thick arm was severed, and its massive body crashed to the ground.
After falling, fear filled the giant's single eye, which widened. As it struggled, its neck went numb, and its entire body lost sensation.
Terror enveloped the giant. It recalled its weak past, and tears welled up in its single eye.
A figure appeared before it. The giant recognized this human—the one who had wounded it.
"Spare... life (Dark Continent language)."
"Oh? So this thing can beg for mercy too."
Those were the last words the one-eyed giant heard. A long blade pierced through its mouth, straight through its brain.
[You have killed a Lord-level creature: One-Eyed Giant.]
[Detected that the Hunter has killed a leader-level creature for the first time. Reward: 5000 Paradise Coins + Soul Crystal (Small) x3.]
[The One-Eyed Giant is a Lord-level creature. Obtained World Source 13.5%. Total World Source obtained: 13.5%.]
[Your talent 'Soul Devourer' has activated. Permanently increases Mana by 15 points. Current Mana: 1658 points.]
...
A pale-golden chest dropped to the ground, its dazzling color captivating. The contractors around the basin swallowed hard.
Most contractors looked stunned, as if unable to believe what they had just witnessed. The one-eyed giant had been soloed! This shocked the contractors present, and none of the thirty-plus dared to step forward.
Though it seemed exaggerated to solo the giant, the difficulty wasn't that high.
If the giant had been at full strength, with its size, Su Xiao couldn't have won easily. But three of the ten previous shots had hit the giant's joints, severely weakening its close-combat ability and leaving it wide open.
Su Xiao pulled Dragon-Slaying Flash from the giant's brain, wiped it clean, and picked up the pale-golden chest. This chest was different from the one Kakashi had dropped.
[Lord Chest (Pale Gold)]
Undoubtedly, this item was highly valuable, especially when obtained solo.
He looked around, sensing countless greedy eyes.
"If you've got the guts, come and take it."
As he spoke, Su Xiao stored the chest in his storage space, wrapped the giant's corpse with Realm Severing Thread, and dragged it out of the basin.
Don't underestimate this corpse. The one-eyed giant came from the Dark Continent. To the people of the six continents, everything about the Dark Continent was mysterious. This corpse had high value for both collection and research.
On a hillside two kilometers away, the blue-haired, long-braided girl Weini lay in a patch of withered grass, holding binoculars.
"So this guy uses sniper rifles too. Looks like the caliber is under 20mm. Not my taste. Only a sniper cannon is romantic."
Weini thought for a moment but ultimately didn't set up her rifle.
On a hillside half a kilometer from Su Xiao, several cowering figures lay prone. These five were the ones who had planned to ambush Su Xiao earlier—the so-called "death-seeking squad."
Now, all five were drenched in cold sweat. Three of them were whispering.
"Big brother, what do we do? It's that guy."
"Maybe we retreat? We can't just go die, can we, big brother?"
"Mm, second brother and third brother have a point."
"Alright, we retreat. But big brother, won't retreating like this be embarrassing? How about we strike a pose first?"
"Second brother, great idea."
"Great my ass! Last time we posed at the Judicial Tower, we almost got chopped to death. You forgot?"
The conversation made the other two twitch at the corners of their mouths. Yes, this ridiculous trio was none other than the Three Brothers of National Football.
The eldest loved striking poses. The second's catchphrase was "Big brother is right." As for the third... let's just say he was a straightforward guy, a bit simple-minded.
"Big brother, in a situation like this, I feel terrible if I don't strike a pose!"
"Then... let's do one? There are plenty of people here, and that freak is dragging a monster corpse. He probably won't chase us."
"Go for it!"
Hearing this, the other two in the death-seeking squad were dumbfounded.
"National Football, what are you three doing?"
These two were also a pair, a brotherly duo, just as ridiculous as the National Football trio.
"We're about to do something big!"
The third brother glanced at the duo, a contemptuous smile on his face. If anyone else made that expression, it would feel insulting, but the third brother's smile just looked foolish.
"You know that guy?"
The duo were still eyeing the chest.
"We fought him once. My big brother got his ass kicked..."
The straightforward third brother started, but his eldest brother quickly covered his mouth.
"Draw, draw..."
The eldest of the National Football trio kicked the third brother hard. The third brother scratched the back of his head, looking innocent.
...
Su Xiao dragged the one-eyed giant's corpse to the top of the basin. The surrounding contractors were loosely encircling him.
Though there were many contractors, they were all solo players. No one wanted to be the first to act, so the situation remained deadlocked.
They were unwilling to let Su Xiao leave, but no one wanted to step forward to block him. They had all seen him slaughter the leader-level creature—every slash drew blood, clean and decisive. The first to step forward would be courting death.
A mechanical eye the size of a dragon's eye floated in the air, scouting the positions of the contractors. Su Xiao signaled Bubu Wang to move closer.
"One. Two, three..."
Su Xiao roughly counted the contractors: 37 in total, surrounding the area. There were three suitable directions to break through.
"Bubu, get ready."
Su Xiao held Dragon-Slashing Flash, cut off the giant's head in one stroke, grabbed the head, and mounted Bubu Wang. Bubu Wang bolted, running with unusual enthusiasm.
Just then, three figures burst out from a nearby hillside. Seeing them, Su Xiao was startled. Wasn't this the hammer-wielding combo, the National Football brothers—tough, durable, and healers?
Standing on the hillside, the eldest of the National Football trio looked at Su Xiao from a distance, seeming a bit nervous, but he had calculated the distance.
"Long time no see. We are..."
Just as they were about to strike a pose, a whistling sound cut through the air.
*Bang!* A bullet embedded itself in the second brother's chest, sending him tumbling several times.
"It's that blue-haired flat-chested woman! She's in the Hunter world too! Brothers, retreat!"
The eldest roared, grabbing the third brother by the hair with one hand and the second brother's belt with the other. Light flashed beneath his feet.
"Hey, big brother, wait! You're not going to use that, are you? Grab somewhere else... Oww!!"
*Whoosh!* The three brothers vanished in a blur, running faster than rabbits. The nearby contractors vaguely heard the third brother's scream, though they weren't sure if they misheard.
In the distance, Weini saw this through her scope and gritted her teeth in frustration.
This sudden commotion drew the attention of most contractors, while Su Xiao had already mounted Bubu Wang for a strategic retreat, getting far away.
"Chase him! Don't let him escape!"
"Kill that bastard! The pale-gold chest goes to whoever is fated!"
This time, all the contractors showed astonishing unity, charging after him in a massive pursuit.