Thud!

Jashen Gonzales's corpse hit the ground heavily.

Everyone on the ground froze in shock, standing in stunned silence.

"Director Gonzales is dead?!" "Who shot him?!" "Damn it! Someone killed Director Gonzales!"

Sofie Barnes was initially startled, but her shock quickly turned into joy.

Good riddance! That man was finally dead!

Since Jashen Gonzales was killed while climbing about 10 meters up, Edgar Hughes, who was still above, couldn't see what had happened below. Frantic, he leaned out of the window and shouted down: "Who fired that shot?! Who fired?!"

Bang!

A bullet struck the top of his head, sparks flying as it ricocheted off his armor.

Clang!

The impact startled Edgar Hughes, who immediately covered his entire body with his metal armor, shielding himself completely.

From below, shouts of warning echoed up: "Colonel Hughes, be careful! There's a sniper!" "Director Gonzales is dead!"

James Lone frowned. "This guy's armor is tough. It's like a turtle shell."

Since he couldn't kill Hughes, he decided to target someone else.

Bang!

Another soldier's neck exploded in a spray of blood as he collapsed silently, his head dangling from his body by a thin strip of skin. Blood gushed everywhere.

The crowd panicked, abandoning their grief for Gonzales's death.

"Run!" "Don't run! He can see us! Take cover!" "Hide! Get down!"

Sofie Barnes immediately ducked behind a steel beam, trembling with fear.

Jashen Gonzales and the soldier's deaths revealed James Lone's approximate location. Most of the group understood to hide behind cover facing away from the sniper.

But a few slower individuals crouched behind random trees, leaving their backs exposed to James Lone.

James Lone had no intention of showing mercy.

Bang! Bang!

One bullet after another sliced through the air like the scythe of death, claiming lives.

James Lone continued firing coldly, prioritizing ability users.

In the apocalypse, there was no room for morality. Since they had stumbled upon his territory, they could only blame their bad luck.

With his precision talent and enhanced perception, James Lone never missed. Every shot hit a vital point, and whoever was targeted died instantly.

Even those hiding behind thinner trees were not spared—his sniper rifle's bullets pierced through and struck them dead.

In just 30 seconds, 10 people had fallen.

The rest were nearly insane with fear, scrambling for cover wherever they could find it.

Most of them managed to take positions that were difficult for James Lone to shoot through.

In his desperation, Edgar Hughes, fully covered in his iron armor, leapt down from 20 meters up.

Boom!

He landed heavily, the impact so intense it left his legs numb despite his high endurance.

As soon as he landed, Edgar Hughes saw the carnage—corpses were strewn everywhere.

The soldiers who had accompanied him were mostly dead, including the medic Alex Carter, who had also been brutally killed.

"Damn it! I'll kill you!" Edgar Hughes roared in fury, quickly identifying the general direction of the gunfire and charging forward.

James Lone remained calm.

He wasn't reckless by nature, but once he decided to act, he would leave no loose ends.

If the enemy had already guessed he was living upstairs, there was no point hiding—they all had to die!

James Lone tossed his sniper rifle into his personal space and pulled out a massive sledgehammer.

"Come on, you iron turtle!"

Bloodburst: 200%!

James Lone felt his strength surge as he pinpointed Edgar Hughes's location and jumped down from the tree.

The hammer descended like a black lightning bolt, aimed directly at Edgar Hughes.

"Die!"

Edgar Hughes, still charging in the general direction of the sniper, suddenly felt a fierce gust of wind above him.

It was too fast to dodge!

Startled, Edgar Hughes raised his arms to block.

DUANG!

The hammer slammed into his raised hands.

The impact sent James Lone rebounding into the air, but Edgar Hughes's armor absorbed most of the force, dispersing it into the ground beneath him.

Even so, the residual power that seeped into Edgar Hughes's body was beyond what he could endure.

James Lone's comprehensive physique of 211, boosted by 200% Bloodburst, reached a terrifying 633!

It felt like being hit by a speeding train. Edgar Hughes's hands burned with pain, and the shockwave reverberated through his body, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

"Pfft!"

A mouthful of blood spurted out, but his armor blocked it, covering his nose and mouth, leaving him unable to breathe.

Frantic, Edgar Hughes deactivated the armor over his face, coughing violently.

Cough, cough, cough!

James Lone's enhanced reflexes, now beyond comprehension with his physique at 633, spotted the opportunity.

Unable to strike directly, he immediately activated another ability.

Condense Water!

A large glob of water appeared and enveloped Edgar Hughes's nose and mouth.

As Edgar Hughes deactivated his armor to breathe, the sudden water attack caught him off guard, and he inhaled a lungful of it.

His eyes turned red.

Cough, cough, cough!

He coughed violently, choking on the water.

James Lone didn't relent. Landing firmly on the ground, he swung his hammer horizontally, smashing it into Edgar Hughes's abdomen.

DUANG!

Pfft!

Edgar Hughes spat blood as he was sent flying, crashing through two large trees.

"Damn, this iron turtle is tough!" James Lone thought as he hit the ground again, instantly activating his Qi Burst.

With a ghost-like movement, he dashed toward Edgar Hughes's falling body.

James Lone, moving like a streak of lightning, raised his hammer high and slammed it down, roaring: "Die!"

Edgar Hughes was horrified. Through the pain, he knew he couldn't withstand another blow.

His armor was intact, but his body couldn't take the strain anymore.

This enemy was like a humanoid dinosaur!

While still mid-air, Edgar Hughes desperately stretched out a hand toward James Lone and activated his third ability.

Crack!

In an instant, James Lone was encased in a massive block of ice, frozen solid.

Finally, Edgar Hughes let out a sigh of relief, glaring angrily: "I'm going to kill you!"

He took several deep breaths, stabilizing himself.

He knew the ice he created was incredibly durable—no one had ever escaped it before...

Huh?!

Edgar Hughes's eyes widened in disbelief.

The enemy walked straight out of the ice block, like a phantom, as if it didn't exist.

Edgar Hughes was dumbfounded.

As soon as he exited the ice block, James Lone deactivated his Phase Shift ability.

Mental Shock!

A terrifying mental storm swept through Edgar Hughes.

His entire body shuddered as his face instantly turned pale, as though he had been drained of life.

Pfft!

Another mouthful of blood spurted out.

No matter how bad he felt, Edgar Hughes instinctively reactivated his face armor.

This enemy was too terrifying!

But then, the most horrifying scene unfolded—James Lone extended a hand and reached for Edgar Hughes's chest.

The hand phased through the armor!

James Lone's hand wrapped around Edgar Hughes's heart and squeezed tightly.

Edgar Hughes's face turned ashen.

"Pfft!"

Blood sprayed from his mouth as he collapsed to the ground, motionless.