The man growled at Bai Ye, his voice a guttural roar. Fur sprouted from his body, his hands morphed into bear claws, his legs into leopard limbs, and two sharp, sabre-toothed fangs suddenly extended from his mouth.
Meanwhile, the woman's body emitted a metallic sheen, becoming like steel, faintly reflecting silver.
Bang, bang!
They both leaped towards Bai Ye simultaneously, lunging at him from either side.
Bai Ye narrowed his eyes, waiting until they were right in front of him...
Rokushiki, Soru!
Bai Ye vanished again. Before they could react, he reappeared behind them, grabbed their heads with both hands, and slammed them forcefully towards the ground.
With a resounding crash!
Their heads struck the ground, shattering a section of the surface.
The beast-transformed man, pinned to the ground, immediately swung his arm backward, his sharp claws slashing at Bai Ye. After dodging, Bai Ye braced himself on the ground, pushing against the man's hands, slowly forcing them up. The man struggled to break free, exuding a wild, untamed aura. His gaze was deep, as if he had truly become a beast after his transformation.
Bai Ye chuckled, "I like your eyes, ferocious and inept."
Bang!
Bai Ye exerted more force. The man, who had just begun to rise, was driven back into the ground with a brutal impact. The already broken ground caved in further, forming a small pit, and the man's head was embedded in the earth.
However, the other woman seized this opportunity. She twisted her body, slithering out from under Bai Ye's grip like a snake. Her hands quickly clasped Bai Ye's wrists, and her legs wrapped around his arm, applying a cross-arm lock.
The man, his face streaming with blood, still pushed himself up with his palms, attempting to rise again.
Bai Ye sighed, "A death rattle."
The next instant...
Flames erupted from Bai Ye's palm pinning the man's head, instantly engulfing it.
"Ah, ah..."
The burning man cried out in agony, flailing his arms in a desperate struggle, but unable to break free.
Then...
"Flame Burst!"
Boom!
A massive explosion occurred, and thick black smoke billowed outwards.
A moment later, as the smoke dissipated, the man's head was reduced to a charred, half-blasted mess. His body toppled forward, crashing back onto the ground.
Having dealt with one, Bai Ye turned his attention to the woman.
A cross-arm lock to restrain him?
Bai Ye curled his lips.
Both of their abilities seemed to enhance their physical attributes. The woman's strength was noticeably greater than before, but...
Bai Ye stood up directly. As he rose, the woman gripping his arm was lifted into the air along with him.
Her face contorted in horror.
Even with their abilities enhanced, their strength was still no match.
The next moment, Bai Ye swung his arm downwards.
Boom!
The ground resounded with a mighty impact, shattering once more. To Bai Ye's surprise, however, the woman did not release his arm.
"So that's how it is," Bai Ye quickly understood, looking at the metallic sheen emanating from the woman. "The primary function of hardening is to enhance resistance to damage, right?"
The woman gritted her teeth, "You can't escape!"
Cannot escape?
Bai Ye tilted his head. She used the phrase "cannot escape," not "will kill you"!
It occurred to Bai Ye that given the current situation, even a fool would recognize the vast disparity in strength and the futility of continuing the fight. The three of them stood no chance of killing Bai Ye.
So, there were reinforcements?
"Or perhaps..." Bai Ye looked at the woman, "you received a mission from Batman?"
The woman remained silent, her grip on Bai Ye's arm unwavering, attempting to stall for time.
Bai Ye sneered. No answer?
Then die!
Suddenly, the woman screamed and released Bai Ye, writhing on the ground in pain.
In that instant, her body was covered in a purple corrosive liquid. White smoke rose from her, and her flesh visibly dissolved at an alarming rate.
The hardening ability might have slowed the corrosion, but it couldn't stop it.
Bai Ye looked down at the woman, "Since you're in so much pain, let me send you on your way!"
Poison Dragon!
Bai Ye clenched his fist, and a large amount of corrosive liquid dripped from his body. He then unleashed a powerful punch, condensing into a dragon with its maw agape, which lunged at the woman.
In an instant, the woman's body was completely engulfed by the corrosive liquid. She trembled as she was rapidly dissolved.
"You have killed a participant (Ability World)."
"You have obtained a fragment of a God Stone."
...
Bai Ye did not linger. After dispatching the woman, he strode out of the office building.
However, Bai Ye remained cautious, scanning his surroundings to ensure there were no ambushes or tails before making his swift departure.
Why did they want to stall him?
Were other companions on their way?
Or had they received a mission from Batman?
Bai Ye considered it all irrelevant now. Since he had left successfully, it meant the enemy's objective had failed. They neither managed to wait for reinforcements nor to hold him until Batman arrived.
Bai Ye's Sin Value had reached 590 points after eliminating the three individuals.
He was speechless. Giving a bomb to someone yielded 50 points, yet killing three people only increased it by 25?
However, he reasoned that fights against individuals from the Order faction depended on their strength and Order Value. These three individuals, in his opinion, were not even a fraction of his own strength, so it was normal for them to have little Order Value. They were simply cannon fodder. Opponents like Adam, who could put him in a predicament, were rare. Bai Ye wasn't that weak.
Soon, after leaving the vicinity of the commercial district, Bai Ye found a coffee shop, ordered a coffee and a slice of cake, and sat in a corner, watching the wall-mounted television.
Bombs, firefights...
The media, always hungry for sensationalism, would not miss this. They would undoubtedly send their news crews to the entrance of the office building immediately.
Therefore, Bai Ye was confident that the television would soon broadcast the news. Indeed, as he was contemplating this, the screen suddenly switched, and a field reporter appeared. Behind her was the entrance of the office building, still emitting black smoke, and the reporter was holding a microphone, describing the scene.
...