Chapter 91 - 90: Coveting Her Dagger

The two hid behind the mutant armadillo, watching the battle from a distance. They didn’t dare approach until its tongue and abdomen were severely injured, throwing it into a panic. Only then did they find an opportunity to get close.

To catch it off guard, Sev Steele and Hayden Hanson deliberately wielded their Alloy Shovels, striking them together with force. The CLANGING produced a piercing noise that drew the creature’s attention, making it turn its head. Then, they threw out several Poison Potatoes. Out of habit, the beast opened its mouth, caught the food, and swallowed it whole.

Of course, all of this was just an appetizer!

A second later, Hayden Hanson shouted, "Everyone, fall back ten meters!"

Having spent years in The Azure Owl Mercenary Corps, he had accumulated deep-rooted authority. Upon hearing his command, the mercenaries instinctively chose to obey. Seth Jennings was no exception. Seeing Seth follow his orders, the Ability users from several other squads naturally fell in line as well.

In just three short seconds, everyone besieging the mutant armadillo retreated. They left behind a giant beast whose brain had been muddled by the Spirit Ability, standing there in utter bewilderment. Before it could figure out who to attack next, a piercing coldness enveloped its entire body.

It was Hayden Hanson. He had fired the final shot from his laser gun at it.

This shot utilized a premium-quality Second Tier Ice Crystal Core. The resulting Ice Mist was naturally thick, forming a substantially solid layer of ice. In an instant, the entire behemoth was frozen solid beneath a foot-thick block of ice.

Although this ice only temporarily restricted its freedom—given its forceful struggles, it would break the seal in merely a dozen seconds—for Seth Jennings and the others, this was more than enough!

Seth Jennings unleashed a ring of Earth Spikes to "help" the struggling mutant armadillo, shattering the ice layer around its neck. Suddenly gaining a bit of freedom, the beast subconsciously twisted its stiff neck, forgetting to struggle for a brief moment.

Seizing the opportunity, the young man in the black leather trench coat launched Wind Blades and Golden Blades, which spun and sliced rapidly around the creature’s neck. Because the rest of its body was still frozen and completely immobilized, the neck—the only part exposed outside the ice—became a stationary target. It had nowhere to hide!

Finally, its carotid artery was severed. Inside the subcutaneous blood vessels, which had been well-protected by its armored shell, fresh blood was still flowing steadily. The moment the carotid artery was cut, blood sprayed out from the severed ends.

The mutant armadillo’s body temperature was already dropping rapidly due to the ice. Now, coupled with massive blood loss, its body grew colder and colder. At that moment, its brain—doubly poisoned by the Poison Potatoes and the Spirit Ability—experienced a fleeting second of clarity. It suddenly realized that it was about to die!

A group of tiny humans watched its descent into death. They were all nervously on guard. Even though they knew it could not survive, they didn’t dare relax in the slightest.

The mutant armadillo took one last look at the crimson sunset before its massive body crashed heavily to the ground. As its consciousness blurred, it proudly thought that even in death, it could terrify them into keeping their distance.

Sev Steele felt a sense of surreal detachment as she watched the giant beast collapse not far away, its body twitching occasionally. She could hardly believe that this massive creature, which had easily devoured Scavengers as if they were ants beneath its feet just moments ago, was actually dead.

Seth Jennings took out a Space Button and stored the entire beast inside, then said decisively, "We need to head back immediately. I’m afraid they won’t be able to hold out much longer over there!"

This time, Sev Steele didn’t hide. She sprinted after Seth Jennings and the others toward the Mutant Potato Forest, because the palpitating sense of dread from earlier had vanished. She wasn’t sure where that feeling came from, but her intuition told her it was a warning of danger. Since the alarm had been lifted, she unhesitatingly went to fight alongside everyone else.

By the time Seth Jennings led the group back to the Mutant Potato Forest, the defensive perimeter was already on the verge of collapse. Their laser guns’ Energy was depleted, and over a dozen mercenaries had sustained injuries. However, they steadfastly held the line, fighting to the death to prevent the Mutant Marmots from breaking through and wreaking havoc upon the ordinary Scavengers.

Seeing Seth Jennings return with reinforcements, the mercenaries’ morale instantly soared. But when they noticed the bloodstains at the corners of her mouth, they couldn’t help but feel concerned. Seth Jennings was originally the third-in-command of their group. Ever since Hayden Hanson suffered a genetic collapse and withdrew, she had become the second-in-command, a powerhouse second only to the leader.

For a Mutant Beast to injure her, it had to be at least Third Tier or above. They began to worry whether there would be High Tier Mutant Beasts waiting to take advantage of the situation after they wiped out this pack of marmots. They wondered if they were playing the hunter, completely oblivious to the apex predator lurking behind them.

But there was no time to overthink things now. They could only fight!

Seth Jennings clearly had the same thought. She hesitated no longer, unleashing ruthless attacks as she aimed to end the battle quickly. The young man in the black leather trench coat, who had cooperated so seamlessly with her earlier, remained by her side. Seth Jennings found him somewhat familiar and guessed they might have met before, but they hadn’t even exchanged names. He was simply a familiar stranger.

At this moment, she brandished her Triangular Spike and charged into the besieging pack of rodents. The young man drew a spiked long whip, clearing away the Mutant Marmots that tried to swarm her using their sheer numbers.

Hayden Hanson and Sev Steele did not charge out, but they guarded the weak points of the defensive perimeter. The Mercenary Guild had quite a few First Tier Ability Users, including many with non-combat-oriented powers, such as the Water Element, Wood Element, and Power Type. Hayden Hanson swung his Blade, striking with precision at the marmots trying to breach the circle.

Sev Steele gripped the S Level Dagger gifted by Doctor Jenkins in her Left Hand, while holding her own Blunt Dagger in her right. Worried that the S Level Dagger might be recognized, she only used her Left Hand when two marmots attacked simultaneously. To the eyes of others, her Left Hand appeared clumsy, as if she wasn’t skilled in wielding weapons.

However, when she swung her Left Hand for the third time, the last glimmer of the setting sun happened to reflect off the blade. Cannon Caldwell, who wasn’t far away, caught sight of this exact scene.

Although he was merely a First Tier Power Type, he had an uncle who was a Second Tier Ability User. His uncle had once educated him on alloy levels. Coupled with the fact that when Sev Steele swung her Left Hand, the dagger effortlessly pierced a marmot’s skull, he immediately determined that the weapon in her possession was an S Level Dagger.

For an ordinary person to possess an S Level Dagger—the flames of his jealousy were instantly ignited.

In truth, the reason he noticed Sev Steele in the first place was, firstly, because she was with Hayden Hanson, and secondly, because his lover, Miss Crowe, had previously suffered a loss at Sev Steele’s hands. He didn’t really take Miss Crowe’s grievances to heart; he would just casually coax her with a few sweet words. But Hayden Hanson was the person he used to envy and resent the most. He had always harbored a secret desire for Seth Jennings, yet Seth had never paid him any mind.

On the contrary, Seth Jennings had always been close to Hayden Hanson in the past. At that time, Cannon figured that since Hayden Hanson had a Second Tier Ice Ability and strong combat power, it was only natural for her to admire the strong. But later, Hayden Hanson suffered a genetic collapse and left the corps. He was no different from an ordinary person, left to scrounge as a Scavenger while waiting to die. Yet, despite this, Seth still visited him frequently.

Not only did she bring him medicine and supplies, but she even went out of her way to protect his lover. For that woman’s sake, Seth had bullied Cannon’s own lover, thoroughly rubbing his pride in the dirt.

The more Cannon Caldwell thought about it, the angrier he became. Looking again at the dagger in Sev Steele’s hand, a wicked and bold idea suddenly sprouted in his mind. If he killed Sev Steele amidst the chaos and took her dagger, as long as no one found out, he could bring the weapon home to his uncle and sell it in another safe zone for a hefty price.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible the plan seemed. So, taking advantage of the chaotic melee, he inched closer and closer to Sev Steele.

Both Sev Steele and Hayden Hanson were entirely engrossed in the battle and failed to notice his approach. Wielding his weapon, the Wolf Fang Club, Cannon Caldwell fended off the charging marmots while waiting for his opening.

Soon enough, his opportunity arrived.