Inside the cave, the violent air currents kicked up by the skill fusion gradually subsided.

  Crag remained immersed in a state of cognitive-shattering shock.

  His throat was bone-dry; he couldn't utter a single word.

  He stared at Kane as if looking at a monster wearing human skin.

  Kane, however, ignored his gaze.

  He forcibly shoved that soul-deep ecstasy back behind the gates of cold, hard logic.

  He stepped toward Crag and unfurled the map purchased from the info broker, Booker.

  Crag subconsciously leaned in.

  Kane’s fingertip didn't point to the location marked "Abandoned Military Base." Instead, he tapped lightly on the edge of the map.

  "Crag, don't you think this intelligence was a bit too convenient? A bit too detailed?"

  His voice wasn't loud, yet it caused Crag to stiffen.

  Convenient?

  Crag thought back. It did seem to be the case.

  They had found Booker and paid the fee.

  Without the slightest hesitation, Booker had handed over complete information on two of Commander Andrew Zoe’s top aces.

  He even knew details as specific as Greg staying in the base for two months.

  In the dog-eat-dog world of Blackrock Town, information was life. It was currency.

  Something obtained so easily usually hid the most lethal poison.

  Kane’s gaze was colder than the mountain winds outside.

  "A man like Booker doesn't do one-off deals. By selling me this intel, he’s taking the risk of retaliation from Andrew. Ten thousand Kunlun credits isn't enough to buy his life."

  "Therefore, there are only two possibilities."

  Kane held up one finger.

  "First: he wants to use Andrew’s hand to get rid of me—the 'Ghost' who killed Karl. That way, he clears his name and does Kunlun Corp a favor at the same time."

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Crag’s expression darkened, his fists clenching instinctively.

  Kane raised a second finger, the light in his eyes turning deep and unfathomable.

  "Second: there is a third party behind Booker. This faction wants to see exactly how strong 'Hammer' Greg is—or perhaps, they want to see if my blade is sharp enough."

  "So, they threw Greg out as bait, waiting for us to bite. They want us to fight Greg until both sides are crippled, so they can swoop in and reap the rewards."

  A chill ran down Crag’s spine.

  Though he wasn't well-versed in these convoluted schemes, he immediately understood the danger.

  "Whichever it is," Kane’s voice sounded like grinding ice, "that military base in the Silt Flats is now a trap, its bloody maw wide open."

  Crag rumbled, "Then we aren't going?"

  "We’re going."

  Kane’s answer was a single, decisive word.

  He looked up, a cruel arc curling his lips that made even Crag feel a pang of dread.

  "Why wouldn't we go? Traps are where the fun is."

  "Prey always dies the fastest—and with the most despair—when they think they’re the hunters."

  Crag looked at Kane and suddenly felt that the kid standing before him was the most terrifying monster in this entire wasteland.

  Kane began to map out his plan, his logic frighteningly clear.

  "Step one: we head to the Silt Flats. But we don't go straight for the military base. We’ll operate on the perimeter, intentionally making noise to let them think we’re searching for the target like headless flies."

  This was misdirection.

  It was meant to make any potential watchers lower their guard.

  "Step two: I need real combat." Kane flexed his fingers. "[ Earth Flash ] and [ Vortex Slash ]—I must master every point of energy consumption and every second of their cooldowns. I have to ensure that in a critical moment, these new tools don't become my death warrant."

  Crag nodded heavily; this, he understood.

  "If the trap is real," a calculating glint shimmered in Kane’s eyes, "then besides Greg, there will definitely be elite Kunlun Corp squads—perhaps even Booker’s people hiding in the shadows."

  "What I’m going to do is wait for the moment they all think I’ve stepped into the trap, the moment they prepare to pull the net..."

  Kane paused, every word dripping with lethal poison.

  "I’ll swallow them whole—the hunters and the net alike."

  He looked up, gazing toward Blackrock

  Town as if he could peer through the rock layers to see the enraged face of Commander Andrew Zoe.

  "This surprise... I think Andrew is going to love it."

  With those words, Kane stowed the map and pulled his hood back up, concealing those eyes that burned with inner fire.

  He was the first to step out of the cave that had witnessed his transformation.

  "Let’s go, Crag."

  "Time to hunt."

  Crag watched his resolute back, took a deep breath, and followed with heavy strides.

  The winds of the Darkwind Mountains continued to howl like ghosts.

  But to the two of them now, it was no longer a threat—it was a clarion call to war.

  Once they left the Darkwind Mountains, they were met by the vast, boundless Gobi wilderness.

  The scorching sun hung like a ball of fire in the dusty yellow sky, baking the earth until it cracked.

  The air was thick with the scent of sand, dust, and radiation.

  This was a forbidden zone for life; only the hardiest mutant creatures prowled these lands.

  This wilderness also became Kane's perfect training ground.

  He and Crag avoided all trade routes, choosing instead to travel through the most desolate, uninhabited reaches.

  Three days later, they encountered a group of troublesome hunters.

  Shh-shh-shh...

  From the sandy ground ahead, a sudden, dense rustling sound emerged.

  Crag stopped instantly, bringing his massive shield up to protect his front as he warily scanned the surroundings.

  "Kid, it’s Sand-Scorpions. At least a dozen of them. Watch out for their stingers—they're highly toxic."

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