The three of them crashed into the tree trunk in a tangled heap.
Henry grimaced in pain from the impact but clenched his teeth and glared, grabbing Zhou Tianming's arms to push him against the tree.
Just before collision, Zhou Tianming's mind flashed—Mental Command [Bloodlust 20] activated.
His Mental Power surged like tangible currents, flooding from his mind throughout his entire body.
Pivoting, he planted his right foot and raised his left to brace against the trunk in a bow stance, arms extending overhead to press against Henry's chest.
The next instant, tremendous force struck—Zhou Tianming's arms and knees buckled as his entire body sank.
Henry, caught between them, wore an expression of disbelief. He opened his mouth to speak but only coughed up blood mixed with organ fragments.
Zhou Tianming's slender arms drove like steel pipes deep into Henry's ribcage under the crushing pressure.
As the initial wave of force passed, Zhou Tianming felt the weight lessen. His eyes flashed—power surged from his feet through his core into his arms.
With explosive strength, he shoved Henry and Tris backward.
Behind Henry, Tris staggered two steps, astonished. "What the—?"
Gritting his teeth, Tris stepped forward, muscles bulging as he pushed against Henry's body.
"Henry! Control that kid!"
Blood gushed from Henry's mouth, his ribs shattered and organs pulverized. Within moments, he went limp.
Seizing the moment of Tris' confusion, Zhou Tianming abruptly withdrew his arms, snatched Henry's slung rifle, and swung it toward Tris.
Unbalanced, Tris stumbled forward with Henry's corpse, crashing into the tree. His peripheral vision caught the rifle's muzzle—he gasped, shoving himself backward.
Zhou Tianming fired without hesitation. Bullets streaked toward Tris' masked face, aiming for his exposed eye.
At the last moment, Tris arched backward, crossing his left arm as a shield.
Clang-clang-clang!
Bullets ricocheted off a dented silver bracer revealed beneath torn fabric.
Zhou Tianming's eyes narrowed but his hands kept moving—the rifle swept across Tris' body.
Bullets thudded into tactical gear, tearing holes through the fabric.
Not right—bulletproof vest.
Kicking Henry's corpse aside, Zhou Tianming yanked the rifle strap free and retreated.
As expected, Tris straightened unharmed and charged.
Zhou Tianming kept firing, but Tris barreled through the gunfire, arms shielding his head. Shredded tactical gear revealed dark Bulletproof Plates beneath.
The two moved in a blur—one charging forward, the other retreating—until the distance between them narrowed to within five meters. Zhou Tianming raised his gun again, but Tris lifted his rifle with his right hand and fired blindly without aiming.
Zhou Tianming swiftly dodged sideways, taking cover behind a large tree as bullets shredded the bark and trunk into splinters.
Sensing the lingering effects of [Bloodlust] on his body, he pushed off the ground with explosive force, launching himself seven meters up into the tree.
Tris rushed beneath the tree, circling the trunk and firing upward—only to hit empty air. Frantically, he scanned his surroundings for Zhou Tianming's figure.
Then, a sound came from above. Tris immediately looked up and raised his rifle.
But in the next instant, Zhou Tianming descended with a flying kick that struck the rifle.
The sheer force tore the weapon from Tris' grip, sending it clattering to the ground. The sudden tug of the sling even yanked him forward, bending him at the waist.
Still airborne, Zhou Tianming twisted his body midair and delivered a spinning kick straight to Tris' temple.
A sickening crack echoed from Tris' neck as he was sent crashing to the ground at terrifying speed.
Dazed, he tried to push himself up, but his upper body swayed before collapsing again. Clutching his head, he wobbled unsteadily.
Zhou Tianming didn't wait to land—he raised his gun and took aim.
Just then, gunfire erupted from the side bushes. Dozens of bullets shredded through foliage, streaking toward him.
Still midair and with no time to evade, Zhou Tianming pressed the rifle's stock against his chest and pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Muzzle flashes spat fire as the recoil propelled him backward through the air. The incoming bullets whizzed past his chest, striking the rifle and knocking it from his hands.
The moment he landed, Zhou Tianming backflipped several times, swiftly vanishing into the undergrowth.
The forest fell silent.
Seconds later, the crunch of dead leaves announced Smith's arrival as he burst from the trees.
Keeping wary eyes on his surroundings, he grabbed Tris by the collar and dragged him into the bushes.
"Little Zhou Tianming, how about we call it quits?"
Smith's voice echoed, shifting unpredictably between left and right, making it impossible to pinpoint.
Frowning, Zhou Tianming pondered. The situation was clearly in his opponents' favor—they had all the time to hunt him down.
Why propose a truce now?
Shifting positions continuously, Zhou Tianming tested a theory: "My reinforcements are coming, aren't they?"
The woods plunged into dead silence.
A smirk curled his lips. He had his confirmation—the tides had turned.
Zhou Tianming spoke again, "Tell me who's behind this, and the fight ends here."
Even as he spoke, his eyes darted, searching for anything usable as a weapon, while his ears strained for the slightest movement.
...
Behind his mask, Smith's expression darkened.
He hadn't expected a mere kid like Zhou Tianming to be this formidable.
Kneeling, he lightly patted Tris' cheek and whispered, "You alright?"
Tris shook his head groggily. "I'll live."
With effort, he gripped a tree trunk and staggered to his feet.
Nodding, Smith pressed a finger to his earpiece. "Bonnie, where's that group now?"
"I'm jamming their hacker, but I'm outmatched. They'll locate us in under a minute. What's the plan?"
Smith pondered for a moment before saying, "Keeping this Zhou Tianming around is too dangerous. We—"
Just then, Bonnie suddenly spoke up, "Captain! Command is ordering us to retreat."
Frowning, anger flashing across his face, Smith cursed under his breath, "What the hell is going on?!"
"Someone got caught by Alia-Sisley's tail. Command wants us to clean it up immediately—we can't let her discover the secret of the Hammer of God."
"Aren't there any other squads available?"
"Right now, we're the only ones in February City."
Smith glanced unwillingly at the forest. "Letting him go this time might bring unforeseen consequences."
"This is a direct order from above."
Smith punched the tree beside him. "Retreat."
"Captain!" Tris snarled as he stood up.
"I said retreat!" Smith's expression turned stern.
"Damn it!" Tris smashed his fist into a tree trunk, sending bark flying, then stormed ahead.
Smith followed closely behind, and the two soon disappeared into the woods.
...
Hiding behind a tree, Zhou Tianming felt his strength fading, a wave of mental exhaustion washing over him as his thoughts began to scatter.
Just then, a dull thud sounded not far ahead, followed by faint rustling.
Listening carefully, the noise gradually faded away.
They left?
No way. Absolutely no way.
Two of them died—there's no chance they'd give up now.
This must be a diversion!
Zhou Tianming made his judgment, crouching low and moving cautiously.
Ten minutes later.
No new movements, no attacks. Zhou Tianming frowned in confusion.
Testing my patience?
Suddenly, realization dawned on him.
So that's their plan—wait for me to let my guard down the moment I reunite with reinforcements.
How cunning.
Zhou Tianming grew even more vigilant.
Half an hour later.
The reinforcements arrived. After cautiously verifying they weren't enemies, Zhou Tianming stepped out from the woods.
His first question, laced with bewilderment, was, "Did you capture the two I was fighting?"
The leader of the rescue squad looked blank. "We confirmed there was no one else around when we arrived."
Zhou Tianming's expression froze. "No one else?"
"Correct."
"Heh." He smiled, eyes crinkling and lips curling, though his teeth ground audibly. "Great. Just perfect!"
The rescue team members shivered involuntarily, a chill running down their necks as they instinctively reached to rub them.
Afterward, the team treated the wound on Zhou Tianming's chest before quickly escorting him to the spaceport and boarding a shuttle.
Sitting in the shuttle, Zhou Tianming couldn't help but think—if they were attacked now, he wouldn't survive.
The desire to acquire his own starship burned stronger than ever in his heart.