Chapter 39: Hong Qiuqiao's Plea for Help

Lin Lei had previously chosen to fight with dual blades because they allowed him to dispatch low-level demi-demons more quickly. However, facing a Tier 3 demi-demon, while Lin Lei was unafraid, he knew he could no longer rely on such simple tactics. Naturally, he had to use his most suitable combat style.

He gripped his new bone sword tightly with both hands, licked his lips, and at that moment, activated [Boiling Blood]. Since he was operating at night, he was already benefiting from the [Nightwalker] bonus. Combined with [Demonization], he was effectively under the influence of a triple enhancement. At this moment, even Lin Lei himself did not know just how powerful he had become.

The two demi-demons, lacking reason and unaware of the terror that was Lin Lei, charged at him one after the other like phantoms.

"Well come!"

Lin Lei’s eyes flashed as he stomped hard on the ground. *Crack.* Fine fissures appeared in the marble floor as his body launched forward with explosive speed, taking the initiative to engage the two demi-demons.

*Clang! Clang!*

With two crisp metallic rings and sparks blooming in the darkness, Lin Lei streaked past the two demi-demons. He shook his head and turned around.

*Thud! Thud!*

Both demi-demons fell to the ground, their bodies severed. A trace of disappointment flashed in Lin Lei’s eyes. "I overestimated them and underestimated my own strength. Even without activating 'Boiling Blood,' killing them shouldn't have been difficult..."

It must be known that even before looting the "Hilt" and slaying so many demi-demons just moments ago, Lin Lei was already capable of taking down a Tier 3 demi-demon head-on, let alone now.

With the two Tier 3 demi-demons dead, the remaining ones were quickly wiped out by Lin Lei as well. As he accumulated enough gluttony energy, he began "looting" again, though he soon reached the limit of what he could harvest from demi-demons. His [Demonization] ability underwent a qualitative change; after transforming, his body no longer turned cyan but shifted to a faint red, and two distinct black horns sprouted from his forehead.

"The limit for a demi-demon should be Tier 4... they are merely the most common type of 'Demon-kind'..."

After clearing the plaza, Lin Lei’s gluttony energy had recovered significantly, though it only amounted to a little over two hundred units. While there were no demi-demons left in the square, many had fled into the surrounding area. Just as he intended to leave to continue hunting the stragglers, he suddenly raised an eyebrow.

"Someone is coming..."

He decisively faded back into the darkness. A fully armed Investigation Bureau squad rushed in, led by a Tier 3 investigator from his own team. "These people are way too late..." Lin Lei shook his head and quietly slipped away into the shadows.

...

Relying on [Source Energy Sensing], Lin Lei took down several more demi-demons, occasionally providing support to nearby source energy users. His gluttony energy grew by another two hundred units. However, as he had personally handled the majority of the demi-demons, the remaining ones no longer posed a threat to the Bureau or the Death-Gaze operatives. The encirclement and progress of the others accelerated, and the number of encounters dwindled.

"It should be ending soon..." Under the crimson moonlight, Lin Lei stood on a rooftop, sensing the diminishing source energy fluctuations and looking further into the distance. The few Tier 4-level energy signatures had moved further away; he could not tell if the battles had ended or if they had simply shifted locations.

Just then, an emergency distress signal sounded in his earpiece. "Xishui Street, a Tier 2 source energy user from the Blood Sakura Society has broken through the perimeter. Investigator Tai Chao is dead. I am reserve member Hong Qiuqiao, requesting support!" Chaotic gunfire and screams followed.

"Qiao'er?" Lin Lei frowned and checked his PDA. Seeing the map, he immediately sprinted toward Hong Qiuqiao's location. With the [Nightwalker] buff and the enhancement from his powerful source energy, his explosive speed was astonishing, moving like the wind. However, because his speed was so great, he naturally slipped out of the [Nightwalker] stealth state.

He hadn't run far before he smelled the thick scent of blood in the air. He could hear gunfire from a distance. Under the crimson moonlight, corpses lay scattered across the ground, blood flowing in rivulets. Lin Lei immediately saw Tai Chao, who had greeted him before the operation, now reduced to a corpse. Surrounding him were other bodies in tactical gear, clearly fellow investigators.

In front of the pile of corpses stood a figure in red, its skin peeled back to reveal a gruesome visage. It held a sharp long blade and was confronting a figure shimmering in blue light. The figure in the blue light was Hong Qiuqiao; her face was stained with blood and deathly pale. She held no weapon, clutching only a tattered page—likely some form of special defensive source artifact.

"Hong Qiuqiao actually has a source artifact? Did Tai Chao leave it behind?" Lin Lei narrowed his eyes, his gaze locking onto the blood-red figure. The situation was bizarre. Even the Tier 2 Tai Chao had died, yet a mere Hong Qiuqiao had managed to be the last one standing. "Is there something wrong with Hong Qiuqiao... or is this red creature intentionally letting her call for help to lure in more prey?"

Lin Lei studied the red figure. It looked less like a person and more like a monstrosity. Based on its speed, the ferocity of its attacks, and the source energy fluctuations it displayed, it was indeed a Tier 2 entity. But any Tier 2 capable of killing someone like Tai Chao—a "second-generation" source user—was certainly no ordinary foe.

At that moment, as if noticing Lin Lei’s gaze, the blood-red figure abruptly turned its head, their eyes locking.

"Another one!" Seeing Lin Lei, the creature let out a cruel laugh and turned away from Hong Qiuqiao. Its blood-red blade traced an arc as it charged straight toward Lin Lei.

"Seeking death!" A cold glint flickered in Lin Lei’s eyes. He held his blade horizontally and, utilizing the momentum of his charge, unleashed a fierce horizontal slash.

*Clang!*

Under the immense force, the blood-red blade in the creature's hand shattered instantly! The creature’s face filled with shock as it stumbled backward. This Tier 2 source user might have been a "Physical-type" with immense strength, but it was no match for Lin Lei.

As Lin Lei struck the weapon from its hand, he followed up immediately, his blade slicing through the air with a sharp whistle in a lethal arc toward the creature's body. The speed was terrifying. The creature’s gruesome, flayed arms rose to block, but they could not hold back the sharpness of Lin Lei’s bone sword.

*Crack!*

Along with its arms, the creature’s body was sliced into several pieces by Lin Lei’s blade.