The air seemed to freeze at that moment. In the dimly lit corridor, the scent of killing intent filled the space.
Li Chuan's gaze remained steady, the muzzle of his gun locked onto the executor wearing a tactical mask. Meanwhile, Su Man and Cheng Mo slowly moved from either side, forming an encirclement.
"Who are you?" Li Chuan's tone was calm, but his eyes were as sharp as blades.
A low chuckle came from beneath the mask, laced with mockery. "Does it matter?"
The next second, his figure suddenly vanished from sight!
"Careful!" Su Man pulled the trigger instantly, but the opponent's speed was astonishing. With an eerie flicker, he dodged, the bullet grazing the edge of his clothing.
In a split second, the masked man closed in on Li Chuan, his short blade drawing a deadly arc, aiming straight for Li Chuan's heart!
Li Chuan reacted swiftly, rolling backward while swinging the butt of his gun at the man's wrist. The trajectory of the blade was forcefully diverted, narrowly skimming past his shoulder.
At the same moment, Cheng Mo launched his attack. His military knife, as swift as a viper, slashed toward the enemy's neck!
Clang! The blades collided, sparks bursting into the air. The masked man blocked Cheng Mo's full-force strike with a single hand. With a slight twist of his wrist, he countered with a lightning-fast backslash!
Cheng Mo quickly stepped back, barely avoiding the attack, but his sleeve was torn open, revealing a thin red gash on his arm.
Su Man seized the moment and fired three precise shots—targeting the enemy's chest, shoulder, and leg. Yet, his reaction speed was inhuman. He sidestepped twice in rapid succession, and with a flick of his short blade, he even deflected the final bullet!
Su Man frowned slightly. "This guy… is way stronger than those other executors."
Li Chuan felt the same shock. He had already anticipated the executors' strength, but this man was clearly in a league of his own.
But Li Chuan was not just a combatant—his strength lay in strategy and adaptability.
"Shen Qiu." Li Chuan spoke quietly while retreating swiftly.
A voice came through his earpiece. "Ready."
Su Man and Cheng Mo immediately understood the plan and shifted their approach, deliberately herding the masked man deeper into the corridor.
The man sensed their intent and sneered. Just as he prepared to strike again, a sudden burst of static noise crackled in his earpiece.
"Signal disruption?"
Shen Qiu's interference system was online, and they were now in an area with naturally weak wireless signals.
A split-second of distraction was all Li Chuan needed. He raised his gun abruptly and fired—not at the enemy, but at the glass panel at the end of the hallway.
Crash! The glass shattered, revealing the high-voltage power switch hidden behind it.
Electricity surged across the metallic floor instantly!
The masked man reacted with inhuman speed, leaping off the ground just as the current reached him. Kicking off the wall, he flipped midair, barely escaping the deadly shock.
But the moment he landed—a cold gleam was already slicing toward his face.
Cheng Mo's blade struck with lethal force!
Still airborne, the masked man had no footing to dodge. He was forced to block with his short blade, but Cheng Mo had predicted this. At the last second, he twisted his wrist—his blade shifted angles and drove straight into the man's shoulder!
Shhk! Blood splattered. The masked man grunted in pain as he stumbled back.
Li Chuan and Su Man closed in immediately, surrounding him from three sides.
The masked man took a deep breath, suppressing the pain. His gaze grew even colder. "Interesting… but do you really think this is enough to win?"
In the next instant, he slammed his palm onto the ground—thick smoke exploded outward!
A high-concentration smoke bomb!
"After him!" Su Man was about to charge forward when Li Chuan grabbed her arm.
"Don't." His tone was steady. "That's the trap he left for us. His escape route is already planned—if we chase, we'll only fall into his ambush."
Cheng Mo sheathed his blade, frowning. "Then what now?"
Li Chuan lifted his gaze toward the top of Tianmu Tower, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Somewhere in this building… the answers we need are hidden."
Shen Qiu's voice came through urgently. "You guys need to move fast. The fight triggered the security system—I'm stalling it, but I can only buy you five minutes."
Su Man quickly scanned the surroundings. "We need to find the source of this intel."
Just then, Cheng Mo noticed a half-open door at the end of the hallway. There was no sign on it, but a faint light seeped through the gap.
Li Chuan made a swift decision. "Go."
The three of them rushed forward. Cheng Mo pushed the door open—
Inside was a hidden archive room.
Shen Qiu's voice carried a hint of surprise. "This… isn't listed in Tianmu Tower's official blueprints."
Su Man's sharp eyes swept the room before locking onto a computer at the center. The screen was still on, displaying a list of encrypted files.
Li Chuan stepped forward, his gaze drawn to a particular filename—
"Experiment File: S-01"
His stomach sank. He had a feeling that they had just touched on something far more sinister than they had imagined.
Just as he reached out to open the file, Shen Qiu's voice suddenly rang in his earpiece—urgent and alarmed.
"Watch out! Someone's coming!"