Chapter 13 An Interesting Discovery

"They actually dared to show themselves?"

Doton narrowed his eyes, assuming Zhou Jing was the murderer who had slaughtered his companions and one of the last remaining pockets of resistance in the city.

He gave his comrades a signal. Immediately, seven or eight people jumped up, leapt onto the burning houses on both sides of the street, and scanned the surroundings to make sure there were no ambushes.

Seeing his comrades’ affirmative gestures, confusion appeared on Doton's face.

There was really only one person blocking their path. Was this guy a bit too arrogant?

Tired of breathing, wanted to retire early, huh?

Doton sized Zhou Jing up and down with interest, and said, "You're not a hunter from Deep Rock City, are you? I haven't seen you before."

"Funny, I haven't seen you either."

Zhou Jing casually twirled his twin blades, not rushing in immediately.

The speaker's characteristics matched the information from the prisoners. He was probably Doton, the leader who had undergone three enhancements, someone who could give him a good fight. Moreover, the enemy outnumbered them, with over twenty well-trained Different Blood Warriors, which wouldn't be easy to deal with.

He had been scouting the area and was some distance from the stronghold. Hearing the chaotic footsteps, he discovered the bandits' main force. Seeing that they were heading back to the stronghold, he showed himself to intercept them, planning to buy his teammates some time to move the hostages. So, he didn't mind chatting for a bit.

Although intercepting them alone was a bit reckless, Zhou Jing had considered it before showing himself. With his speed, he could at least make the enemy eat dust, if not come and go as he pleased. It would be even better if he could lure them away to chase him.

Of course, if these guys were too weak, he would have no choice but to kill them all.

Doton shook his head, not caring about Zhou Jing's origins, and asked curiously, leaning on his twin scimitars, "So, what are you doing here? Trying to take on all of us by yourself?"

"That's right. Stand still, you're surrounded," Zhou Jing said, raising an eyebrow.

Doton chuckled, finding the man in front of him truly amusing.

He didn't take it to heart, but instead found Zhou Jing to be courageous, and said with a smile, "I'll give you a chance. Join us."

Zhou Jing's eyes widened, staring straight at Doton, as if trying to see through his skull to check if the man's brain was malfunctioning.

They hadn't even started fighting and he was already trying to recruit him? Wasn't that a bit too ridiculous? Wasn't he afraid of a feigned surrender and a betrayal?

Was he that desperate, pulling in anyone he saw?

Seeing Zhou Jing's confused expression, Doton thrust his scimitars into the ground, then opened his arms and said loudly:

"We undergo arduous training, risking our lives to take Different Blood potions, and finally gain power with great difficulty. But in the end, this power is used to serve those who are much weaker than us… You've thought about it too, haven't you? We hunt异兽 (yi shou, strange beasts) time and time again, each time possibly the end of our lives, but the goal is only to protect those unfamiliar civilians. Why should we risk our lives for strangers?"

Zhou Jing raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Doton grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth, his tone rising and falling:

"We clearly possess power beyond ordinary people, but this world is still controlled by the weak. Those in power don't dare to personally risk gaining power, so they make others take the risks, and then set rules for us, controlling us to safely use extraordinary power.

We have the ability to subvert the world and enslave ordinary people, but in the end, we are bound by so-called order and morality, our claws dulled… The honor of the异兽猎人 (yi shou lie ren, strange beast hunters) is nothing more than a group of tamed strongmen, fed with other people's ideas. Join us, and you will understand how liberating it is to break free from all shackles."

"Heh, self-important," Zhou Jing sneered.

Although he was unmoved, the other thugs were excited, as if encouraged, and started clamoring.

Doton became more and more excited as he spoke, exclaiming:

"You know what happened in White Plains City more than half a year ago, right? That hunter named Jason was an example of this principle. He was the first to dare to assassinate a lord. It was breaking through the invisible constraints that power placed on him. Although he failed in the end, he proved to the world that the rules and morals created by the weak are nothing more than bubbles that can be burst with a single poke! We don't need to abide by them at all!"

Zhou Jing didn't expect to suddenly hear his "name" and his expression turned strange.

This thug was actually his "fan"?

'What the hell? What does it have to do with me?'

Zhou Jing's mouth twitched. His mentality didn't waver at all. Even if they used his past deeds as an example, he wouldn't feel the slightest bit of guilt.

Burning, killing, and looting were all driven by desire, which was a personal problem. He wouldn't take the blame for that.

At this moment, Doton reached out to Zhou Jing, hooked his mouth, and said solemnly:

"Come on, be our brother and feel the breath of freedom together."

Zhou Jing looked at Doton's outstretched hand and couldn't help but complain in his heart.

Was this guy overacting?

Did he really think that after giving a speech about his principles, and then shaking his body, others would immediately kneel and worship him?

"Speaking of freedom, I think it's more free to chop you all to death."

Zhou Jing wasn't even interested in arguing with such nonsense and strode forward.

"What a pity. Since we can't be brothers, I can only send you to your death."

Doton shook his head, pulled out his scimitar and waved it casually. The twenty or so eager Different Blood bandits immediately charged towards Zhou Jing with their weapons.

The two sides gradually accelerated, getting closer and closer in the burning street.

Bang!

Zhou Jing's feet landed lightly on the ground, then suddenly his leg muscles exerted force, and the ground cracked with a bang.

His whole body suddenly increased in speed, as if disappearing from sight, instantly closing in on the leading bandit.

The sudden burst of speed surprised everyone, and their reactions were half a beat slow.

The leading bandit hurriedly parried, but the cold blade was like a stream of light, instantly occupying his vision.

Puchi!

The blade pierced through the skull from the jaw.

Zhou Jing exerted force with his right arm, directly picking up the corpse and throwing it out, hitting two people on the side.

Then, Zhou Jing shifted his steps, spun around to avoid two thrusting weapons, and another blade drew an arc.

The lightning-fast blade speed made it difficult to react, instantly passing through the necks of two approaching bandits.

Without any resistance, extremely smooth.

Swish, swish—

Two heads soared into the sky!

In the blink of an eye, three people were beheaded.

What fast blades!

Everyone was shocked, and a sense of crisis arose, finally putting their minds at ease.

Doton had originally maintained a relaxed attitude of watching a gang fight, but now, seeing this scene, his face suddenly changed, and he immediately couldn't sit still.

"Get out of the way, I'll do it!"

Doton roared and strode forward, the scimitar bringing a whooshing wind pressure as he slashed diagonally.

Clang!

Zhou Jing blocked the incoming scimitar.

A surge of power attacked, his arm sinking slightly, and he couldn't help but grin:

"Not bad strength."

Doton's face was ashen. Without saying a word, he waved his scimitar in a fierce attack.

He didn't expect this guy who blocked his path alone to be so fierce, chopping up Different Blood Warriors like cutting vegetables. If he didn't take action himself, he didn't know how many more of his comrades would die.

The scimitar slashed down again and again. Zhou Jing didn't show any weakness, clashing against it with a series of clangs, sparks flying everywhere.

He now had no difficulty fighting a one-time enhanced person, and could probably kill them instantly. Fighting a two-time enhanced person might take a dozen moves, but his physical strength completely overwhelmed them, allowing him to use force to overcome skill.

Although a three-time enhanced person was at the same level, his innate strength was extraordinary, and he had many breathing techniques and high-quality potion enhancements, his physical attributes had reached the level of a four-time enhanced person, higher than Doton by a notch.

Swift as lightning, each blade heavy, Doton's expression changed repeatedly, and he was extremely strained.

The two figures intersected again and again, their footsteps crisscrossing, stepping out shallow pits on the ground.

They also crashed into the houses beside the street from time to time. The powerful blade light could collapse a house in ten seconds, as if demolishing it.

Before long, Doton was at a disadvantage, nearly being hit several times, and he was shocked.

'Where did this guy come from? He probably has the physical qualities of a four-time enhanced person. I've clearly flipped through the Deep Rock City hunter roster, and the highest is only a three-time enhancement!'

Doton's heart was in turmoil. He blocked the incoming consecutive slashes again, his arms feeling sore and numb.

Although Zhou Jing's static strength was strong, it wasn't exaggerated among those of the same level. What was terrifying was the power bonus brought by his speed. Every blade was extremely heavy, completely mismatched with the slender and light twin blades. Every time he parried, Doton felt like he was blocking a heavy knife as thick as a door!

Doton's hands were shaking so much that they were bleeding, and the hilts were slippery from being soaked in blood.

He was no match!

He subconsciously had this thought.

However, Doton still had many comrades around him. Although he couldn't beat Zhou Jing in a one-on-one fight, they could play a huge role by providing support from the side.

The other Different Blood bandits fought around Zhou Jing, constantly harassing him, forcing him to expend energy to deal with their attacks and interrupt his battle opportunities.

Whenever Zhou Jing wanted to attack someone else, Doton would increase his strength, forcing Zhou Jing to continue to entangle with him… but not every time was successful.

Zhou Jing's speed far exceeded the level of a three-time enhanced person. As long as he activated the 【Internal Discharge】 state, and then used the Hunter Breathing Technique·Speed, relying on his physical trait 【Agile Body】, he could move through the crowd like lightning, incredibly slippery, making it impossible for the enemy to surround him. He could attack or retreat as he pleased, taking the initiative.

As long as there was a second of opening, Zhou Jing could seize the opportunity to launch a quick knife attack on a bandit. If the other party didn't react in time, he would have a chance to kill them in one set.

In the back-and-forth chaotic battle, three more first-time enhanced bandits met their deaths under Zhou Jing's blades.

Zhou Jing's powerful lethality made the remaining dozen or so bandits nervous, and they could only band together and help each other, afraid that someone would be isolated and killed again.

Rumble rumble—

The two sides moved constantly in the fierce battle. The destruction caused by the twenty or so Different Blood Warriors was astonishing. Houses collapsed, streets shattered, and the force generated by the weapons could almost extinguish the flames.

The battlefield quickly ran through four or five streets, dragging a path of ruins through the town.

The commotion here also attracted the attention of the lone bandits scattered throughout the town, and bandits arrived one after another, rushing to join the battle.

"I just killed six, the seven left behind at the stronghold are dead, and there's a corpse in the lord's castle… Nearly forty bandits, almost half of them dead or injured, and most of the rest have gathered over…"

Zhou Jing observed the situation while fighting.

Suddenly, a few nearby bandits raised their hands and threw out a few pieces of purple powder.

Whoosh!

Zhou Jing's body was faster than his thoughts, quickly dodging to the side. Only some of it landed on his clothes, but corrosive white smoke came out.

Swish!

With a flash of the blade, the area of clothing that had been touched by the powder was cut off and fell to the ground, quickly corroded clean.

"Corrosive poison powder? If it touches me, I don't know if elemental resistance can withstand it… Feels like the wrong profession."

Zhou Jing narrowed his eyes, suddenly his twin blades spun, forcing the bandits away, and he broke through at high speed.

Then, he jumped onto the eaves, used his blade to pick up the burning thatch, and threw it backhand at the bandits below.

嚓嚓嚓 (cha cha cha)——

A sound of blades cutting through straw, broken burning thatch fell to the ground, like fireballs.

Doton and the others looked at the eaves again and found that Zhou Jing had disappeared.

"That guy ran away!"

Everyone made to chase after him.

"Don't chase! This guy is too fast, chasing him will only exhaust us to death." Doton hurriedly stopped his comrades.

As soon as he finished speaking, the many bandits stopped their steps, vigilantly looking around, afraid that Zhou Jing would suddenly turn back and attack.

After a while, the surroundings were silent. The villains carefully checked their surroundings, and only then did they confirm that Zhou Jing was temporarily gone, and they all breathed a sigh of relief, but their hearts were very heavy.

"What's the origin of this person? He's a bit too powerful."

"Feels like a four-time enhanced hunter, it's impossible that he's not famous!"

"When did Deep Rock City have such a character? He's probably from outside, maybe he just arrived."

Everyone was nervous and uneasy.

They decided to act after figuring out the military strength of Deep Rock City. They didn't expect a strong man to suddenly pop up.

The excitement of breaking through Deep Rock City disappeared, and everyone's mood was heavy.

"Let's not worry about him for now, let's go back to the stronghold and take a look." Doton had a bad feeling. He didn't bother to relieve the soreness in his arms and quickly led everyone on their way.

Before long, the bandits returned to the bunker stronghold and found that it was empty. All the guards had turned into corpses.

The captured craftsmen and hunters had disappeared, and even the supplies they had looted had been reduced by a lot.

"He has companions!"

Seeing this scene, everyone immediately realized why Zhou Jing had blocked their path alone, and they were immediately shocked and angry.

Doton's face was ashen.

He roughly understood what was going on. This group of people definitely wasn't hiding in the city in advance. Maybe they were outsiders who had only recently arrived in Deep Rock City, but they had accidentally disrupted their plans!

It was too damn unlucky! Doton was furious.

Spending so much effort to attack a fortress city wasn't just for supplies, but also to capture a large number of workshop craftsmen… Doton had a wish. He was no longer satisfied with small-scale operations and wanted to build a base and do some big things.

So, there had to be blacksmiths, apothecaries, and other technical trades to take back and force them to work… Other than towns, there were no workshops anywhere else, so they could only attack cities.

And with those prisoners released, their actions of breaking through Deep Rock City had almost become a waste of effort.

"What do we do now?"

Many comrades turned to look at Doton, their expressions hesitant.

They were both wary of Zhou Jing's existence and unwilling to return empty-handed.

Doton's face was uncertain. He gritted his teeth: "It's only been this long, the 麻痹 (mabi, numbing) potions are still in effect, those town hunters haven't recovered their combat power yet, so don't worry about them joining the battle… Those prisoners must have been hidden. We won't search for other supplies, as long as we find these guys, we'll leave immediately!"

"What about that guy just now?"

Hearing this, Doton thought of Zhou Jing's combat power just now, and couldn't help but feel wary.

But the many comrades around him gave him confidence. Doton calculated for a while, and was still unwilling to be scared back empty-handed by one person. His eyes suddenly turned fierce:

"Let's not be isolated anymore, if he dares to come, we'll fight him again. Although he's powerful, it's not like we don't have a chance of winning!"

……

"These guys should be scared by me, I wonder if they'll withdraw."

In the burning streets, Zhou Jing ran through the streets, his mind racing.

There were too many enemies, and they had some strange props. It was stressful to fight. He temporarily withdrew because he didn't want to keep fighting to the death. After all, he had a speed advantage, so kiting and guerrilla warfare were more effective.

It was best to show up from time to time to sneak attacks, kill a few people each time, and then immediately slip away, slowly eroding and exhausting these people, and it could also bring mental pressure to the enemy. This was more proactive than entanglement.

"I've blocked the enemy's main force for so long, I should have bought enough time for the team. Let's find them to join forces first, more help is better."

Zhou Jing stopped, jumped onto the top of the alley wall, and looked around.

First, he had to find his teammates. He didn't know where they were hiding…

It was a pity that he didn't bring Ross with him this time, leaving the笨比 (ben bi, idiot) to practice hard at the royal capital's garrison. Otherwise, following the team would be like a guiding eye.

But Zhou Jing thought about it and felt that it was a blessing in disguise. This time, he actually ran into an acquaintance from White Plains City. Fortunately, he didn't bring Ross, otherwise it would be difficult to explain…

His face could barely be explained as a brother or just looking alike, but if Ross showed up, it would be too recognizable.

But even so, there was still a risk of exposure… It was just that Webber probably wouldn't think that "Jason" was resurrected, which was beyond the common sense of the异兽 (yi shou, strange beast) world.

"I have to talk to Webber afterwards. When we were together as Jason, we were partners. Even if someone recognizes my appearance, they shouldn't have bad intentions," Zhou Jing thought to himself.

Just as he was about to distinguish the direction and prepare to find his teammates, he suddenly heard a burst of rapid footsteps not far away, accompanied by strange whistling sounds.

He followed the sound and looked over. In the street not far away, it seemed that there were two figures chasing and escaping.

One was dressed as a bandit, very fast, chasing behind. It should be a lone wolf who hadn't been attracted to the main force by the commotion of the battle just now.

The person who was running away looked like an ordinary civilian, and his physical fitness was not much different from ordinary people.

It seemed like there was nothing strange, but Zhou Jing stared intently and was slightly stunned, discovering a wonderful phenomenon.

He saw that the ground the escapee ran over constantly rose up with earth spikes, shooting at the bandit chasing behind him.

But the bandit was prepared, waving his weapon to block the incoming earth spikes.

The man running away was covered in sweat. He suddenly turned around, raised his hand and grabbed in the air, and an earth wall rose from the ground, blocking the two.

Bang!

But the next moment, the earth wall was smashed to pieces by the pursuing bandit, his footsteps only paused slightly.

Seeing this scene, Zhou Jing's eyes showed a surprising gleam.

"Yo ho, looks like I've discovered an interesting fellow…"