37 Drawing to a Close 7

The surging, roaring flames swallowed everything in their path.

Inevitably, not only myself but also Agent Kong was swept up in the tide of fire, and he couldn't help but let out a cry of terror: "Ah!"

Only then did I remember I had forgotten to warn him, so I hurriedly added, "Don't worry, my flames don't hurt our own people."

In fact, not only did it leave my allies unharmed, but even the ground and the nearby greenery remained untouched. Whether it was the heat that destroyed everything or the blinding light that could cause temporary vision loss, both effects were directed solely at the enemy. As long as I willed it, the flames would exhibit this special, selective effect.

But it wasn't over. The moment the three demons were annihilated, two more crawled out from the shadows in the distance, where the fire and light could not reach.

Through that brief clash, I confirmed one thing: their combat prowess was inferior to the fallen demon hunter from last night.

While they were just as massive, their speed was significantly lower, and their mobility was not even in the same league. At the very least, when they charged, I had enough time to move my arms and perform a symbolic attack, even if my feet remained planted. I wasn't sure if their attack power was the same, as I had disposed of them before they could even land a strike.

As for their defense... honestly, the flames I used earlier would have had a similar effect on last night's fallen demon hunter, so there was no discernible difference there either.

In short, the fallen demon hunter from last night must have been an elite among them, while these were merely fodder.

The two demons let out deafening roars and charged as if they held no regard for their own lives. Doing so would only lead to the same outcome as the previous three.

Considering the demon from earlier that had used its companion as a shield, while they appeared to be mindless beasts, they at least possessed intelligence. I did not believe they were foolish enough to commit such meaningless sacrifices. Was this frontal charge, which emphasized their presence so heavily, meant to distract me?

I did not turn around; instead, I sensed my rear through the surrounding flames.

Sure enough, a shadow had already crept silently along the ground to a distance behind me. It was technically still within reach of the firelight, but the shadow was unaffected by the illumination, and from within it, another demon emerged.

At that moment, the demon approached me while avoiding the flames on the ground. Aided by the roaring sound of the fire and the charging roars of the two demons in front, it was able to execute this stealthy assassination tactic despite its massive, lumbering frame.

Initially, I intended to burn it to a crisp immediately, but then I thought, isn't this a perfect opportunity?

Zhu Shi and Agent Kong believed my only merit was my attack power, so I would use this moment to demonstrate my margin of error when facing a sneak attack. I had originally planned to use the evil spirit for this demonstration, but unfortunately, the spirit hadn't shown itself. Now, this was exactly what I needed—an opportunity I couldn't miss.

Since these demons were not as agile as the fallen demon hunter, I could protect Agent Kong even with this added complication.

I raised my right hand toward the two demons in front, and the flames on the surrounding ground immediately surged toward them under my command, reducing them to ash.

Seeing the obstructive flames on the ground shift away, the demon behind me immediately stopped hesitating and accelerated toward me. Its arms transformed into mantis-like bone blades, which it crossed in a scissoring strike aimed at my torso.

I feigned ignorance, not even turning my head.

Agent Kong, however, noticed the demon. His expression shifted instantly, and he shouted, "Look out!"

Simultaneously, he pulled the trigger on that demon.

If it had been the fallen demon hunter from last night, it would never have been caught by human-level reflexes. Even if Agent Kong’s brain could react in time, his physical movements would definitely have been too slow.

But this demon couldn't manage it. A gunshot rang out; I didn't know what kind of special ammunition was loaded in that revolver, but the demon's massive body was knocked off its trajectory, grazing past me.

As Agent Kong himself had said, it was, after all, an emergency weapon. While it managed to disrupt the demon's charge, it couldn't inflict any significant damage.

Realizing its sneak attack had failed, the demon let out a frustrated roar. If only it had possessed the sense to continue the attack, but unfortunately, it didn't linger; it turned and fled into the distance.

I could only sigh, then cast a glance at the back of the retreating demon.

As my gaze fell upon it, a flash of fire, brief as lightning, ignited, and its body instantly turned to ash.

The battle ended, and all the surrounding flames and abnormal disturbances dissipated. Aside from the scattered ashes on the ground, it was as if nothing had happened.

According to Agent Kong, this was undoubtedly a case of "killing that was too simple."

Because of the precedent set by the fallen demon hunter, I couldn't fully conclude that those demons weren't human. I simply felt they didn't look human, which allowed me to kill them without any psychological burden.

However, if the enemies who appeared before me were truly human, and I were forced to kill them—setting aside the internal resistance of overcoming a psychological barrier—the practical difficulty would be no different. They would be killed by me just as easily.

In the face of this power, life was so fragile... I simulated that scenario in my mind, experiencing an indescribable emotion.

"You scared the life out of me; I thought we were going to be taken by that monster," Agent Kong said from beside me, exhaling in relief. "Zhuang Cheng, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

The thought of Agent Kong intervening made me feel speechless, and the reflection I had just been lost in was replaced by a sense of futility. Truly, eight or nine out of ten things in life do not go as planned. It seemed it would be better to find other opportunities for field demonstrations, or perhaps, instead of forcing a combat scenario, simply demonstrating the skills I possessed right in front of them would be a reasonable compromise.

Of course, if possible, I still hoped for a more dramatic opportunity to prove myself.

I set aside these messy thoughts for a moment and walked forward, wanting to touch the ashes on the ground.

I wondered, how would the ashes of a burned anomaly differ from ordinary ashes?

But I had only taken two steps when I involuntarily stopped.

Agent Kong should have been standing behind me, and his shadow, cast by the sunlight behind him, stretched out in front of me. Yet, the arms of this human shadow on the ground had somehow changed shape, looking like a pair of long blades.

I turned around reflexively.

However, before I could bring the person into my field of vision, the sky and the earth suddenly spun. My vision plummeted to the ground, and shortly after, a headless body, both familiar and strange, fell beside me.

I struggled to lift my gaze, wanting to see the one who had attacked me.

Following that, a heavy, powerful slash mercilessly cleaved into my eye socket, shattering my brain...