Chapter Twenty-Eight

Legend of the Master Soldier

Ye Chong never imagined he would awaken to such a scene!

Without a moment's hesitation, Ye Chong immediately classified the person before him as an enemy. Since he was an enemy, mercy had no place in Ye Chong’s vocabulary. Even when hunting rabbits, he used the strength reserved for lions. This was a skill Ye Chong had learned from the mutated creatures of Garbage Star, ingrained deep into his very bones.

Without a hint of delay, Ye Chong’s left hand shot out like lightning, gripping the opponent’s outstretched wrist and pulling him close, while his right hand wielded a dagger, slicing toward the enemy’s throat.

Number Two was terrified. He felt his hand utterly powerless, and before he could react, his vision blurred, and a heavy blow struck his throat, forcing him to stagger backward uncontrollably.

Who is this person? Number Two’s eyes were filled with fear. Instinctively, he touched his throat, finding a deep gash on the previously undamaged armor. If it weren’t for the armor, his head would likely roll across the ground like a freshly fallen melon!

Ye Chong looked at his dagger in dissatisfaction. Things scavenged from the trash could never be guaranteed for quality—its blade had already dulled! He tossed it aside without a second thought.

Attacking without warning was another one of Ye Chong’s well-honed habits.

Ye Chong bent his calf slightly and then burst forth with sudden force, launching himself at Number Two like a cannonball.

The armor on Number Two was actually a miniature light suit, designed specifically for combat fighters. It didn’t have a power system; its movement relied entirely on the wearer’s own strength. The suit was made from lightweight yet remarkably tough materials, ensuring it wouldn’t significantly impede the fighter’s speed. To compensate for any shortcomings, it featured spring-loaded devices on the legs. Its most distinctive feature was the combat support system. Unlike standard light suits, this model boasted exceptionally advanced visual capture components paired with the latest micro-brain technology. Every movement of the enemy was recorded and analyzed, then relayed to the fighter for reference.

A trained combatant could harness this suit to amplify their strength several times over!

Rumor had it that only a few major conglomerates were developing such suits, with no reports of successful prototypes. Yet here it was, right before him!

Ye Chong’s eyes gleamed with excitement. However, his enthusiasm did not slow his attack in the slightest. While he was passionate about light suits, he was not about to risk his life for one—not to that extent.

Death—his lifelong adversary since birth—Ye Chong would never yield!

Perhaps eliminating the enemy first and then studying the suit would be a wise choice.

Number Two was horrified to find the information on his holographic screen cascading down like a waterfall from a great height, refreshing so quickly he couldn’t decipher any of it!

He, too, was decisive. Instantly, he ignored the data, adopting a defensive stance and focusing his attention.

But the gap in strength left him utterly hopeless. He couldn’t track Ye Chong’s movements at all. When by some miracle he did, he was unable to react—only able to defend on instinct. The opponent’s combat technique appeared crude to him, yet it was defined by two qualities: speed and force! Each of Ye Chong’s strikes was as swift as the wind; Number Two could only catch shadows, relying on intuition and experience to barely fend them off. Yet Ye Chong’s fists struck with the weight of mountains. His hands lacked thick knuckles, appearing slender, almost delicate. But as Number Two struggled under Ye Chong’s relentless assault, he knew the truth—those fists had transformed in his eyes into two massive iron hammers!

Thud, thud, thud—the muffled sounds of fist and armor colliding echoed like rain on plantain leaves.

Ye Chong, meanwhile, was thoroughly enjoying the fight. His opponent’s strength was barely more than that of a hundred-bite rat, and his speed was sluggish as an earthworm, but his technique was flawless. Such a weak and slow person could withstand him for so long! Challenging adversaries were rare. This was Ye Chong’s first real battle against a human; Garbage Star had only mutated creatures. Either they were like the hundred-bite rats, which he now found uninteresting, or terrifying beings like the Iron Python Lizard, which Ye Chong dared not provoke! As for Mu, Ye Chong didn’t even dare to entertain the thought—especially after witnessing Mu dispatch the Iron Python Lizard with ease. Besides, Mu wasn’t even human!

The opponent’s technique was truly remarkable, but his shell was tough as well. If it were ordinary metal, it would have been shattered long ago! Ye Chong knew this well. After Mu’s physical training regimen, Ye Chong’s strength had increased dramatically. Once, during a steel ball exercise, frustrated by his lack of progress, he struck the steel plate beneath him, and it shattered into seven or eight pieces. That was a long time ago, and Mu’s training never ceased. Now, Ye Chong wasn’t sure how strong he truly was!

Yet this guy’s armor was only dented in a few places. Clearly, his own strength wasn’t sufficient, Ye Chong thought to himself.

Number Two felt the armor, once snug against his body, being hammered inward. His fear grew—was this person even human?

Suddenly, Number Two leapt back and shouted, “Stop!”

Ye Chong paid no heed. He grabbed Number Two’s hand, pulled him close, and with a powerful tug, forced Number Two off balance. Ye Chong’s knee slammed mercilessly into Number Two’s abdomen.

Bang! With a dull thud, Number Two collapsed to the ground, limp as mud.

Only then did Ye Chong nod in satisfaction. He had heard the other’s words, but what did they matter to him? Keeping control of the situation was the only way Ye Chong felt safe, especially in this unfamiliar environment!

Ye Chong turned toward the youth who had been watching in stunned silence.

The boy’s black eyes reflected endless fear and dread. As Ye Chong approached, he trembled uncontrollably.

Ye Chong untied the fiber rope from his waist and noticed, for the first time, he was no longer floating in midair. Carefully, he removed the breathing nozzle of the life-saving box from his mouth. He tried breathing and, to his delight, found he could!

A voice sounded from behind, “Please don’t hurt him! We surrender!” Number Two clutched his abdomen, struggling to stand.

Ye Chong turned. This opponent, ensconced within his shell, was indeed tenacious!

“Surrender?” Ye Chong was taken aback. This was a first for him! The mutated creatures of Garbage Star knew no surrender—they fought fearlessly, biting back at their enemies even in death.

Surrender? Why surrender? Didn’t surrender mean resigning oneself to slaughter, a dead end all the same? Ye Chong had never seen a mutated creature let prey go simply because it ceased to resist. If death was certain, why give up? He couldn’t fathom it!

Number Two continued, struggling, “Yes, we surrender. Please don’t hurt him!”

Ye Chong glanced at the timid youth before him.