Chapter 18: The Ultimate Soldier King

Elsewhere.

Chen Hai closed the chat channel. He opened all the recorded videos of himself killing Scythe-Owl larvae and began to examine them carefully. Since a method for identifying the larvae's weaknesses truly existed, there had to be clues to follow. However, in the process of reviewing the footage, he couldn't help but think of his daughter's current plight. He only wished to beg the heavens for a shred of mercy, hoping not to be left with a lifetime of regret.

…

[Successfully decomposed Scythe-Owl larva carcass. Obtained: Specialized Crystal x2, High-Purity Xenoprotein x2.]

Collecting the remains of the final Scythe-Owl larva, Lu Ming let out a deep breath. This killing spree had been intense. He had taken down 407 of them before finally stopping, and the number of Specialized Crystals had reached a staggering 1,054. Along the way, he had replenished the larval clusters twice. Although the quantity hadn't decreased, the rate at which they gathered had clearly slowed. In fact, the final wave took two full minutes to arrive. This suggested that he had wiped out most of the larvae in the nearby alleyways. His straight blade's durability had also dropped to 160; the remainder would need to be saved for scavenging outside.

He opened the information panel and clicked on the "Specialization Level."

[Notification: Sufficient Specialized Crystals detected in the spatial bag. Would you like to consume 300 Specialized Crystals to upgrade your Specialization Level to "Ultimate Soldier King"?]

"Yes!"

*Whoosh!*

The crystals gathered into a pile, shattered, and a massive surge of specialized energy poured into Lu Ming’s body. It then violently swept outward from his heart, as if trying to force the blood right out of his veins. Every bone, blood vessel, and internal organ was wracked with excruciating pain!

"Hngh—!"

Veins bulged on his forehead, and he gritted his teeth until his gums turned white. Lu Ming’s handsome face twisted into a terrifying mask of agony.

"Urghhh!"

The sensation of being squeezed was suddenly compounded by the feeling of being torn apart! Unable to endure it any longer, Lu Ming collapsed to his knees. His muscles bunched up, his veins swelled, and his hardened fists slammed against the floor like steel hammers, creating a dull roar.

Finally, after ten seconds, a foul-smelling black mist seeped from his skin, rising into the air until it vanished against the ceiling.

*Huff—! Huff—!*

Drenched in sweat, Lu Ming’s breathing was heavy and ragged. He stayed where he was for several minutes to recover before slowly standing up, his chest heaving. Looking at his trembling hands, he couldn't help but curse. It wasn't for any other reason than the fact that it was just too damn painful! It felt like having his bones snapped one by one. He even started to suspect that those crystals were concentrated with the resentment of the Scythe-Owl larvae.

*Wait?*

"What is that smell?"

Sniffing the air, Lu Ming frowned deeply. It didn't smell like the putrid slime of the larvae; it was more like the filth from under a toenail. *Is that coming from me?*

Disbelieving, he raised his arm to his nose and took a whiff. *Holy hell!* He nearly retched up his previous meal. He rubbed his skin, and a layer of sticky, black sludge flaked off. *What the hell?*

He stepped forward to wipe his hands on the wall, but to his surprise, he stumbled and fell to the floor. It didn't hurt, but it was incredibly strange—after breaking through to a new level, he seemed to have forgotten how to walk. When he stood up again, he realized his 80-kilogram frame felt as light as a feather. A slight push from his palm sent him drifting into the air.

Recalling the pain, the stench, and the black sludge, Lu Ming suddenly understood. *Cleansing the marrow!* That foul-smelling black substance was all the impurities from his own body!

Realizing this, his surprise turned into delight. He held onto the wall and began a rehabilitation-like process of adapting to his body. First, he moved step by step to find his center of gravity. Then, he moved faster and faster, eventually sprinting around the room. If an outsider had seen him, their jaws would have dropped. He was completely ignoring the terrain, sprinting across the 20-square-meter shop as if it were flat ground. From the floor to the walls, then to the ceiling—it was as if he were immune to gravity.

After ten laps around the shop, he stopped in the center. He leaped straight up, his palm easily brushing the ceiling while his body continued to rise. He hovered against the ceiling for a second before drifting back down. Standing firmly on the ground, Lu Ming looked himself over and chuckled.

Powerful. He was just too damn powerful.

The stunts he had only seen in movies were now his own reality. His speed and jumping ability had far surpassed human cognition. As for strength, he looked at a glass display case and applied a bit of force, lifting it effortlessly. It weighed over a hundred kilograms—a heavy object that would be difficult to push even with wheels—yet he had hoisted it with one hand.

*Is this the level of the world Chen Hai and Jiang Ling inhabit? Can they even be called human?* Lu Ming couldn't help but feel suspicious.

He opened the information panel and clicked on [Ultimate Soldier King]. A window popped up:

[Ultimate Soldier King: Capable of hunting initial-stage larval xenotypes solo. You are only a step away from becoming a true Hunter Warrior. Consume Specialized Crystals to promote to Junior Warrior. Promotion Progress (754/1000).]

300 was followed by 1,000. For a normal person, this jump would be infuriating. Without his bug-like "Greed" skill, and assuming a 50% yield rate of Specialized Crystals, it would take at least 2,000 Scythe-Owl larvae to reach that goal. It would be impossible to achieve in less than three to five days unless they were supported by a team.

"Tsk!"

The stench still lingered in his nose, occasionally wafting into his brain, which was incredibly annoying. It seemed that aside from finding new clothes, stockpiling weapons, and gathering resources, taking a bath had become his top priority.

Thinking of this, Lu Ming picked up his straight blade, his brow furrowing slightly. He hadn't noticed it before, but with his increased strength, the blade felt light and flimsy in his hand, lacking substance. After playing with it for a moment, he let out a sigh of relief. He would have new ones soon anyway; if not, he could switch to a broadsword. That weapon was imposing, and as long as he had the strength, its lethality would far exceed that of a straight blade.

With that in mind, Lu Ming picked up his discarded tracksuit, tied the sleeves behind his head, and wrapped the hem around his neck. A perfect homemade mask was born, and the stench was suddenly dampened.

He opened the shutter, went shirtless and barefoot, gripped his blade, and strode swaggeringly onto the street. Looking at the sliver of sky between the residential buildings and feeling the warm, pleasant sunlight, he really wanted to take a heroic deep breath. However, because of the smell on his body, even with his mask, he didn't dare to act rashly. It would be quite embarrassing if, instead of being killed by a xenotype, he was taken out by his own stench.

He sighed, turned, and headed in the direction he had first come from. After walking for a distance, he passed a tobacco and liquor shop. He remembered that this shop had been packed with a dozen larvae earlier; by now, they had likely all been lured and killed by him. Xenotypes shouldn't have ruined the food, so there might still be some supplies left inside.

As he thought this, the entire shop was suddenly outlined in a blue glow. Seeing this familiar effect, Lu Ming narrowed his eyes, his head full of black lines.

*No way, this works too?*