"Now, let's see where you fly!"

  Greg let out a feral laugh. His hand, as large as a wicker fan, ripped a thick pipe half a meter in diameter from the wreckage.

  He swung it in a massive horizontal sweep toward Kane!

  The pipe emitted a shriek as it tore through the air, sealing off every possible route for Kane to dodge left or right.

  Kane’s gaze sharpened. Without a second's hesitation, he activated [ Phase Burrow ]!

  His body instantly softened, sinking into the metal floor beneath his feet.

  Whoosh—

  The heavy pipe whistled past, grazing where his scalp had been a moment before, and slammed into the opposite wall with a deafening crash.

  Underground, Kane held his breath and moved rapidly.

  The duration of [ Phase Burrow ] was only ten seconds; he had to seize this chance to create distance.

  However—

  THOOM!!!

  A massive explosion of sound erupted from above.

  A terrifying shockwave instantly penetrated the thick ground!

  Kane felt a colossal force strike him. It felt as if he had been hit by an invisible sledgehammer.

  His [ Phase Burrow ] state was forcibly interrupted, and he was thrown back up, tumbling across the floor in a ragged heap.

  He looked up to see Greg slowly lifting the foot he had just slammed into the ground.

  "Trying to run through the floor?" The expression on Greg's face was pure mockery. "You think I haven't studied your combat style? 'Ghost'."

  He actually knew the weakness of [ Phase Burrow ]!

  This guy didn't just have power—he had a brain.

  Kane’s heart began to sink inch by inch.

  He knew this battle would be even more grueling than he had imagined.

  More importantly, he couldn't reveal his hidden trump cards.

  [ Earth Flash ], [ Vortex Slash ], and the most critical of all, [ Shadow Veil ]—not a single one could be used.

  He could feel it. In some corner of this base, there was at least one pair of eyes—perhaps several—watching everything through the surveillance feeds with cold indifference.

  He had to keep acting.

  He had to play the part of a "Ghost" who had been driven into a corner, struggling to survive using only his known abilities!

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Kane stopped hesitating. He began to leap and maneuver through the ruins, firing back continuously.

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  He pushed the flexibility of [ Aerial Step ] to its absolute limit.

  His body twisted and turned between jagged rebar and broken pipes like a specter dancing on the edge of a blade.

  Every shot was aimed with surgical precision at Greg’s eyes, joints, and other vulnerable spots.

  But Greg’s defense was practically airtight.

  He used his forearms to shield his face and his knees to block bullets aimed at his lower legs.

  Those bullets, powerful enough to pierce an armored car, struck his reinforced skeleton and did nothing but kick up a series of sparks.

  They couldn't inflict any actual damage.

  "Annoying bug!"

  Greg was thoroughly enraged.

  He gave up the chase, took a deep breath, and his chest ballooned outward.

  A second later, he hammered a fist into the ground!

  THUD—!

  With him at the center, the entire floor collapsed downward.

  Spiderweb-like cracks spread frantically!

  A violent shockwave, mixed with countless shards of stone and metal, swept out in all directions!

  An indiscriminate Area-of-Effect attack!

  Kane’s pupils shrank. He was currently mid-air from an [ Aerial Step ]; he had no way to find leverage!

  There was nowhere to dodge!

  He could only cross his arms in an instant to protect his vital head area.

  BOOM!

  The violent impact slammed squarely into him.

  Kane was thrown back like a kite with a broken string.

  He crashed heavily into the metal wreckage in the distance, letting out a dull thud.

  Pfft—

  A mouthful of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

  His internal organs felt as if they had shifted out of place.

  Intense pain instantly surged through his entire body.

  "It's over."

  Greg strode with heavy steps toward Kane, who lay collapsed among the ruins.

  His eyes were filled with the contempt of a victor.

  Kane struggled to stand, but he felt as though every bone in his body was about to fall apart.

  Watching Greg approach step by step, he quietly pressed his palm against the floor.

  Three seconds left on the cooldown for [ Phase Burrow ].

  He had to endure!

  Greg reached Kane and looked down at him from a height, his massive shadow completely engulfing him.

  "In your next life, remember not to provoke Kunlun."

  He slowly raised his right fist—a fist capable of smashing a light armored vehicle into scrap metal.

  The wind of the punch howled, carrying the scent of death as it drove straight toward Kane’s skull!

  Two seconds.

  One second.

  Cooldown—complete!

  At the hair-raising instant before the iron fist could land.

  Kane’s figure vanished from the spot.

  [ Phase Burrow ]!

  BOOM!!!

  Greg’s fist slammed violently into the space where Kane had just been lying.

  The entire floor shook violently, and a terrifying crater half a meter deep appeared in its wake!

  "Hm?"

  For the first time, Greg’s brow furrowed as his strike hit nothing but air.

  He could feel it—the bug was underground!

  He whipped his leg up, preparing to use another shockwave to force Kane out.

  But this time, Kane didn't give him the chance.

  A black shadow erupted from the earth behind Greg!

  The tactical dagger in Kane’s hand shimmered with a cold light as it lunged silently toward Greg’s lower back!

  There, the connection between cybernetic components and flesh was at its densest—a hub where the defense was relatively thin!

  However, Greg’s combat instincts were frighteningly sharp.

  As if he had eyes in the back of his head, he twisted his body at an unbelievable angle.

  Simultaneously, his left elbow became a heavy hammer, swinging backward with savage force!

  Puchi!

  The dagger pierced into the side of Greg’s waist.

  But it only penetrated less than three centimeters before being clamped tight by his rock-hard muscle and bone!

  In that same instant.

  Greg’s massive, heavy elbow strike slammed squarely into Kane’s chest!

  CRACK!

  The clear sound of bone snapping rang out!

  Kane’s body, hit as if by a high-speed train, was sent flying once again.

  This time, his fall was more pathetic than any before!

  He crashed through a thin sheet of metal plating and slammed hard onto the ground, unable to even roll to dissipate the force.

  At least three ribs in his chest were broken!

  The intense agony caused his vision to fade in and out of black.

  "Got you, little bug."

  Greg slowly pulled the dagger from his waist and tossed it aside.

  The blood flowing from the wound only served to make him more excited.

  Step by step, he approached the now powerless Kane.

  This time, he would not give Kane another chance.

  Kane lay on the ground, gasping violently.

  Every breath tugged at the broken bones in his chest, bringing heart-piercing pain.

  He watched the approaching mountain of flesh, but beneath the shadow of his hood, a weird smile crept across his face.

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