I Will Teach You How to Hunt Gods

Chapter 586 155: Betting Lives (4,100 Words)

Mokaka also felt something was wrong. Although she was not an Apprentice Death God and didn't know about Lu Jiufeng's surprise attack, she knew that the blue light meant Sur Particles, and it also meant the Apprentice Death God had used his biggest trump card—his Talent Ability!

These abilities are often stronger and more lethal than simple Sequence Skills...

She wanted to directly communicate with Ashraf, urging the soldier to forfeit and save his life, but it was already too late...

Sur Particles quickly transformed into a crimson energy entity, surrounding Lu Jiufeng, and formed a giant spectral wolf head three zhang tall. In Ashraf's shocked gaze, it bit down onto him!

Crack—!

The sharp energy fangs tore through the synthetic skin and deformed the alloy skeleton.

Gigantic force compressed the internal organs, instantly destroying those high-precision electronic components, along with tearing apart the neural network and blood vessels.

Ashraf couldn't react in time; his entire upper body was torn in half by the wolf's fangs, and the expensive prosthetic body inside him was completely destroyed. Even the only humane part left—his brain—was crushed into a mush during the metal's deformation.

There was no smell of blood, and no overly violent scene, just a highly mechanized person being crushed.

Yet cheers erupted from the stands surrounding the battlefield; even the big shots seated on the throne of the Supreme Heaven slightly leaned forward, watching the arena with interest.

Finally, they saw "death" again.

In the previous three battles, Colonel Grigory was quite restrained, merely knocking the opponent out of bounds or rendering them unable to fight.

They hardly saw a drop of blood, so how could they create death?

And now, although Ashraf was a cyborg, with even his blood replaced with nano-repair fluid, his brain was human, making him essentially "biological" and a "living person."

As long as a living person dies, there's value in appreciating it.

"Round four, Lu Jiufeng wins! The right Main Combatant loses a Chess Piece!"

Cheers instantly filled the Supreme Heaven Purification Field.

Tang Yue's expression was somewhat grim.

Although in all of Nest City No. 3, a lieutenant colonel is quite common—there are at least hundreds within a single corps—cyborgs like Ashraf are still quite rare.

Due to the lack of channels for mass purchasing prosthetic bodies, every cyborg in the military is extremely precious. If injured, at least there's a possibility for repair, but if dead, it's an enormous loss.

Frankly speaking, Tang Yue was prepared for casualties.

Choosing to side with Mokaka inevitably means sacrifices, and both he and the other two cyborgs are well aware of this.

However, such a valuable cyborg only exchanged for Lu Jiufeng's Talent Ability, which from a broader perspective is still too much of a loss...

The ancient figures of the Apprentice Death Gods said that battles between Death Gods fundamentally boil down to battles of intelligence, and whoever holds more intelligence has an absolute advantage.

And some intelligence indeed requires people to exchange their lives for.

But the problem is...

In this Supreme Heaven Purification Field, all the abilities of Death Gods can be used only once.

In other words, every move the opponent makes is the first and only time; even if collected, it holds little significance.

"Sigh..."

Tang Yue looked at Ashraf, who died in the arena, and let out a soft sigh.

"I will arrange for someone to take good care of your mother and brother. Rest in peace, Lieutenant Colonel."

In the sound of sighs, Ashraf's body was carried down by the Duel Arena staff and sent to the morgue.

Here, the fate of warriors after death is only one thing—to be uniformly sent into a meat grinder for decomposition into supplies and energy needed in the Supreme Heaven Purification Field.

Lu Jiufeng remained in the Duel Arena, arms wide open, indulging in the cheers and praises from all directions.

He signaled with his eyes to the middle-aged Main Combatant behind him, who immediately understood and placed his "Chess Piece Card" in front of him again.

Clearly, Lu Jiufeng was demanding a "continuous battle."

He provocatively gestured at Mokaka, his mouth moving as if saying something, likely...

"Bring on your ace card, don't fob me off with such useless things."

Mokaka furrowed her brows tightly, repeatedly looking at her ace cards—the two cards engraved with the portraits of Tian En and Yun You, contemplating whether to play them.

Ultimately, reason prevailed over impulse.

"Apprentice Death God, we only have two, and they must not be played unless absolutely necessary."

"Moreover, Lu Jiufeng has not yet shown any other abilities, especially the crucial Death God Sequence. I've heard he's a once-in-a-century genius of the Lu Family. If he hides some ultimate move, capable of defeating the Apprentice Death Gods you have, or perishing with them, the situation would become irreparable."

"So, better use our people first. Although it may sound inhumane, you as a superior must use us as handy 'tools.' This is the mindset a leader should have."

"Death is never what we fear. As long as dying is meaningful, we have no regrets."

This was Tang Yue's original words.

One might think, this general, who commanded countless battles, perhaps once loved his soldiers like his own children.

But as his perspective broadened, he also realized that small-scale love cannot save anyone; only by being sufficiently ruthless and always considering the bigger picture can he save more soldiers' lives and grant them a better life.

Therefore, if the price requires him to die, he wouldn't hesitate.

Mokaka was silent for a long time, eventually deploying Colonel Grigory.

The fifth round of combat lasted significantly longer than the previous "instant kill" battles.

Colonel Grigory was much more cautious than Ashraf, activating overload mode from the start, and throwing various firepower suppression weapons like machine guns, rocket launchers, and grenades.

But Lu Jiufeng wasn't a pushover; after activating the Mad Dog Sequence, he was surrounded by a crimson glow, as if clad in an indestructible armor. Individual weapons, even small-caliber tank gunfire, could not penetrate his protective shell.

Grigory soon found himself in close quarters and had his arms disabled.

There can be many opinions about the strength of Sequences—such as Guards being more suited for defense, Shaman and Tuner for long-range combat, Cyber Wanderers for durability, etc.

But there's no dispute about which is the strongest in melee combat—it's the Mad Dog!

All Sequences, including those adept at close combat like the Guard, should avoid engaging the Mad Dog in close-quarters unarmed combat.

Because the Mad Dog's melee abilities are just too strong, in terms of speed, strength, skill, and close-range Perception Abilities, they are unrivaled by any other Sequence.

A cyborg in this situation naturally stands no chance of recovering.

Grigory did have an opportunity to escape. If he had actively left the Duel Arena, he might have had a slim chance of survival.

But this cyborg soldier did not do so.

He chose, with his last ounce of strength, to clamp Lu Jiufeng's arms with his broken hands and fix him firmly in front of himself, then executed the self-destruction command of his nuclear reactor.

In the final moments, he turned his head towards Tang Yue and gave a faint smile amidst the dazzling nuclear glow, his mouth shaping words seemingly saying...

"Father, was my life worthwhile?"

And only then did Mokaka and her two companions realize that Grigory was Tang Yue's adopted son. This Lieutenant General had never married but adopted many children in the Nest City Lower City, giving them the best education and stern fatherly love, while teaching them the meaning of honor and loyalty.

"..."

Tang Yue never spoke a word, only silently buttoned his coat and saluted his adopted son.

On this soldier's face, Yun You saw no confusion or hesitation, only a steely resolve.

After the salute, Tang Yue turned and said to Mokaka...

"Lu Jiufeng isn't dead yet; that guy still has a trump card."

"In the next round, let me fight."

"I'll find a way to draw out that guy's final card, then make it easier for you to win."