The instance quest was completed. Roy did not return immediately, but instead headed towards Saeko Busujima's hiding spot.
He needed to bring the severely injured guide back. Although he didn't have any deep feelings for her, her death because of him would undoubtedly leave an unpleasant knot in his heart, like a spiritual demon.
As Roy neared the patch of grass, goosebumps rose all over his body. It was the same sensation he felt when he was targeted by the sniper rifle at the base gate.
No, it was an even stronger sense of danger!
Roy searched the surroundings alertly but couldn't locate the source. Only that feeling lingered in his mind.
When Roy cautiously parted the tall grass, his eyes fell not on Saeko Busujima, but on an explosive charge, its electronic components blinking with an ominous red light.
C4 explosive!
Roy's face changed drastically. His body reacted instinctively, lunging away from the spot.
Boom!
In that very instant, a roar sounded, and the resulting air blast from the explosion slammed fiercely into Roy.
Roy was thrown face-first into the ground. He felt as if his back had been slashed by a sharp knife, cutting through his skin and slicing into his muscle.
The intense burning sensation followed immediately. It felt as if a fire was raging on his back, causing immense pain.
The close-range explosion also ruptured his eardrums, causing ringing in his ears. Dark red blood flowed from his ears, and his head felt like it was splitting open.
"Hahaha, I got him!"
A white-haired old man, dressed in a white lab coat and sporting a large bald head that reflected the moonlight, leaped up excitedly from the grass patch dozens of meters away.
It was the "old professor" the American military squad was protecting.
He had actually been in the monitoring room, watching Roy from the moment he arrived at the base. Initially, he didn't pay much attention, until Roy displayed his monstrous power and slaughtered the American squad.
While Roy was dealing with Welin and performing the final cleanup—planting the bombs in the armory—the professor secretly used the base's secret passage to come here.
From the initial surveillance camera, he knew Saeko Busujima was hiding here.
He was gambling that Roy would return.
He had quietly moved Saeko Busujima, planted the explosives in the original location, and detonated them when Roy approached.
Eric threw away the remote detonator; it was useless now. He rushed towards Roy, his eyes fixed excitedly on the young man's body.
He had come to Japan to investigate the source of the zombie outbreak. Roy's superhuman physical abilities convinced him that something must have happened to the boy, that it wasn't impossible for him to have awakened superpowers, just like in the movies...
Roy laboriously lifted his head and caught sight of Saeko Busujima, who had been moved to another patch of grass in his peripheral vision.
A sigh of relief escaped his heart.
Subsequently, a burning anger filled Roy's chest, threatening to consume his reason entirely.
"Don't worry, I will make good use of your body. In the laboratory, of course!"
"First, draw one thousand milliliters of blood!"
"No, no, he's too weak, he might die! No, no, I must believe that as a super-powered individual, he won't die that easily."
But Roy could no longer register the old man's rambling. The accumulated rage from Saeko Busujima being shot and his own near-death from the explosion burned like a blazing furnace.
Adrenaline surged violently. Roy didn't seem to feel the pain. His eyes were bloodshot, and he struggled to support himself on the ground, like a maddened beast.
In that moment, he had only one thought: to strike down the enemy with the most brutal and powerful attack possible, ensuring they would never dare provoke him again!
"You can still stand up! Truly worthy of being a super-powered individual. Your value is greater alive than dead." Old man Eric spoke feverishly, pulling out a small pistol aimed at Roy, and pulling the trigger without hesitation.
A needle dart shot out and stuck into Roy's chest.
However, the young man's body stood firm.
Roy's cold gaze fixed on the white old man. He walked forward step by step, showing no sign of drowsiness.
"Impossible! That tranquilizer would knock out a grown elephant!" Eric looked utterly disbelieving.
"A tranquilizer that can knock out a grown elephant? Do you think that can quench my rage!" Roy said coldly. A hot current spread throughout his body, providing him with strength.
[Skill has awakened!]
Name: Blood for Blood!Effect: Accumulates damage sustained by the user and repays it to the enemy instantly, with a variable damage multiplier based on emotional fluctuation. Note: Transferring the target will result in reduced damage.
...
Eric couldn't see Roy's golden panel. He only recalled Roy's earlier frenzied slaughter in the base. This young man in front of him wasn't a lab rat; he was a true God of Slaughter!
A faint bloody light emanated from Roy's body, making him look like a devil king emerging from the depths of hell.
"No!" Eric turned to flee, but it was too late. Roy pounced like a tiger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Roy discarded the Muramasa Sword, lunged forward, and slammed the old man's head onto the ground. His fists rained down like a storm, pounding the white old man. The muffled sounds of impact were continuous.
"Please, let me draw one tube of blood, just one! I'll pay any price!"
"I can't die! The loss of my brilliant brain would be a huge loss for all humanity!"
"Please, let me go."
...
The old man's voice grew weaker and weaker. His pleas did not soften Roy in the slightest.
Roy clenched his jaw. Every punch thrown seemed to be delivered with all his strength. He literally hammered the old man's body into a bloody pulp with his bare fists.
Until the old man took his last desperate breath.
"Hah! Hah!"
Roy gasped for air, collapsing onto the grass. The bloody light around his body dissipated, and he felt utterly exhausted.
The nature of the "Blood for Blood" skill ensured that until the sustained damage was repaid to the enemy, he would not fall, even if mortally wounded!
Roy extracted three different bottles of low-grade potions, opened the caps, and drank them all in one go.
Different colored lights emanated from his body.
A few seconds later, Roy exhaled deeply. Although he still felt terrible, the dying sensation was gone. His consciousness was clear. He looked up and scanned the area.
Fortunately, most of the zombies had been drawn away by the exploding base. Otherwise, his current terrible state would have been a major problem.
Roy carried Saeko Busujima, circled around, and entered the base's barracks through a side door where there were fewer zombies. He locked the iron door behind him.
Perhaps the old man believed Saeko Busujima also had some special constitution, allowing her to survive.
Saeko Busujima slowly woke up, feeling a dull ache in her chest, but she was out of immediate danger.
"Here are six bottles of potion, your reward. Use the red for injuries, and the blue for exhaustion. With your skills, you can survive on your own."
Roy did not give her the Mind Potions; for those who couldn't use magic, they were no better than two cups of coffee.
Having done all this, and without waiting for Saeko Busujima's reply, the groggy Roy clicked
"Return."