Brutality

The gate creaked open.

A middle-aged man emerged, bald and imposing, with a fierce tiger tattoo etched across his chest. His presence was like an immovable boulder, radiating raw power and intimidation.

But what followed him was even more unsettling—two massive cockroaches, each as tall as a man and as wide as a grinding disc. Their triangular heads moved with eerie precision, and their large, luminous compound eyes, coupled with slender, twitching antennae, gave them an almost sentient malevolence. Their obsidian exoskeletons gleamed with an unnatural light, casting sinister reflections.

"Netherlight Cockroaches?"

Chen Feng's eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing as he took in the sight.

Cockroaches, those vile creatures, thrived in the shadows, unnoticed and despised. Yet, their resilience was legendary, surviving in the most inhospitable conditions, multiplying in damp basements and high-rise buildings alike. They were nature's tenacious survivors, evolving into something more grotesque, more formidable—a nightmare given form.

Netherlight Cockroach.

These were not mere pests. Netherlight Cockroaches were a rare and terrifying variant, their exoskeletons immune to elemental attacks, repelling fire, ice, and electricity with ease. Any force against them was instantly deflected, leaving them virtually indestructible. Such a mutation was exceedingly rare, appearing in only a fraction of their kind. Yet here, two of them stood, their mandibles clutching the bloodied remains of a torn-apart corpse, blood dripping grotesquely to the ground.

Chen Feng didn't bother to hide. The factory was already in chaos, his group advancing under his orders. Now, both sides faced each other, their gazes locking in an instant.

The middle-aged man, Wang Yong, surveyed Chen Feng's group with cold, calculating eyes, a shadow of contempt crossing his face. His voice, deep and resonant, cut through the tension like a knife. "Where did these rats come from, daring to attack my camp? Have you all grown tired of living?"

His tone carried the weight of certain death.

Silver Realm.

Wang Yong had reached the Silver Realm. His muscles bulged with unnatural strength, his eyes burning with murderous intent. Every movement was predatory, like a tiger stalking its prey, his aura thick with menace.

Before the apocalypse, Wang Yong had ruled the underworld of J City, a mafia kingpin who commanded fear and respect. With the world's descent into chaos, his power had only grown, awakening as an Insect Controller, a living embodiment of terror.

When the factory plunged into chaos earlier, he had unleashed his Netherlight Cockroaches with ruthless efficiency. They had torn through flesh and bone, silencing the screams of two women, leaving a trail of carnage in their wake. This was not a man who hesitated; his methods were as brutal as they were effective.

Wang Yong's gaze was cold, assessing the group before him. Wei Xun, standing defiant, could resist the oppressive weight of Wang Yong's presence, but the ordinary people around him quivered in fear, unable to meet Wang Yong's gaze.

Behind Wang Yong loomed a gang of hardened thugs, men who had followed him through the darkest corners of the underworld—loan sharks, brutes, kidnappers. They gripped their machetes with practiced ease, their mere presence a silent threat. The disparity between the two groups was stark, the air thick with the promise of violence.

Chen Feng stood at the forefront of his group, his presence unmistakably marking him as their leader. Wang Yong frowned, his mind racing. Ordinarily, his reprimands would leave people trembling in fear, even seasoned Professionals would show unease. Yet the young man before him, despite his youth, exuded an unsettling calm, as if completely untouched by the menace in Wang Yong's voice.

Then, Wang Yong's gaze fell upon the Dark Elf standing beside Chen Feng, and his eyes widened in disbelief. As a mafia boss, Wang Yong had indulged in every type of woman—students, young wives, mature beauties—his wealth and power allowed him to possess them all. Even second-rate celebrities had sought his favor. He thought he had seen it all.

But...

The Dark Elf before him made his heart skip a beat. Her face, her figure, that faint air of disdain and icy detachment—she was a forbidden allure, a dark elixir that ignited a consuming desire within him. In that instant, all he wanted was to throw her to the ground, strip away her clothes, and hear her cries of pain.

Yet the longbow in the Dark Elf's hands checked his lust, causing it to smolder beneath the surface. His eyes narrowed like a predator's, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. "Was it you who killed my men?" he hissed.

The Dark Elf remained silent, her expression as cold and unyielding as a frozen blade. Though they stood as equals in rank, she showed not the slightest trace of fear.

"You are Wang Yong?" Chen Feng suddenly spoke, his voice light, almost indifferent.

"Yes, that's me. Your people killed my men! Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? Do you understand the consequences of stirring trouble here? I'll tell you, even the gods..."

"Oh? So you are Wang Yong. That simplifies things..." Chen Feng interrupted, a grin slowly stretching across his face, exposing cold, white teeth that gleamed like a predator's fangs.

"What? Who the hell are you?" Wang Yong's face twisted, cold sweat beginning to bead on his brow. For reasons he couldn't explain, the sight of Chen Feng's smile sent a wave of dread slithering into his heart, chilling him to the core.

Chen Feng's grin widened into something far more sinister, a chilling expression that sent shivers down the spines of those watching from the shadows of the factory doors. "Who I am is irrelevant," he declared, his voice dripping with cold certainty. "What matters is that this place now belongs to me. And as for you—please die for me."

"Attack!"

The command was sharp, like the crack of a whip, and the Dark Elf's eyes narrowed to icy slits. With a single, fluid motion, she reached behind her, swiftly nocking three arrows onto her bowstring. She pulled back, the tension in the air palpable, and then released. The arrows shot forward, slicing through the darkness with deadly precision.

Swish!

The arrows tore through the air like meteors, their flight swift and unyielding.

Multishot!

Meanwhile, Wei Xun, ever the loyal enforcer, stepped forward. His body rippled as his skin hardened, scales emerging as he transformed into a towering lizard-like beast. His eyes glowed with a savage hunger as his tongue flicked out, tasting the air, before he lunged forward with a roar.

Brutality!

Pure, unrelenting brutality!

Kill without mercy!

From the very start, Chen Feng had no intention of negotiating. Wang Yong had ruled this territory with an iron fist, leaving his vile imprint on the people. But instead of worrying about earning their loyalty through submission, Chen Feng opted for a more decisive approach—destroy Wang Yong, sever his influence, and seize the resources for himself.

Silver?

A laughable rank.

He had three such warriors under his command.

Summon!

With two thunderous crashes, the Harbinger and the Dretch appeared beside Chen Feng. Their presence was like a storm of violence and madness, filling the air with the stench of death and destruction. They advanced, a force of nature, like molten lava inexorably moving toward Wang Yong, promising nothing but annihilation!