"Pah!"
Li Ruobing spat a mouthful of bloody saliva directly onto the now disfigured face.
Yu Weiwei lay sprawled on the ground, her body writhing faintly like a snake whose bones had been removed.
The earlier rifle butt strike had shattered her jaw.
Now she could only emit wheezing, gurgling sounds through the ruin of her mouth. Bloody foam bubbled from her lips, soaking the once-seductive, flimsy gauze dress meant to entice men a deep crimson.
"Not so capable now, are you?"
Li Ruobing held the assault rifle in one hand; the very weapon that had nearly turned Qin Yu into Swiss cheese was still warm, steam faintly rising from its barrel.
She raised her combat-booted foot and brought it down heavily on Yu Weiwei's meticulously maintained hand.
Crunch.
The sound of finger bones snapping was sickeningly clear.
"Ahhh—!!"
Yu Weiwei arched her body in agony, a distorted scream tearing from her throat.
"Did it feel good controlling me earlier?"
Li Ruobing ground her boot down harder, twisting her heel.
The sensation of bone fragments tearing through flesh made Yu Weiwei wish for unconsciousness.
"Let me return the favor."
Li Ruobing bent down, grabbed a handful of Yu Weiwei's seaweed-like hair, and forced her head up.
"Look over there."
Li Ruobing pointed towards Qin Yu.
Qin Yu was currently inspecting the bullet marks denting his chest plate.
Although the S-Class Nano Suit had stopped the rounds, the numerous pits and scorched marks were still a jarring sight.
"Because of you, I almost killed my man."
Li Ruobing's voice dripped with a bone-chilling hatred.
"This debt... just smashing your mouth in isn't nearly enough to repay."
Yu Weiwei shook her head frantically.
Tears, snot, and blood mingled on her face, making her look like a wretched demon freshly crawled from a trash heap.
She wanted to beg for mercy.
She wanted to say she'd hand over all her resources if they spared her.
She'd even reveal all her secrets, including control over the so-called "simps squad," offering it all up willingly.
But her ruined mouth could only bubble with blood, incapable of forming a single coherent word.
She could only cast her pleading gaze towards Qin Yu.
The man standing silently to the side, his expression detached and cold.
In her view, all men were greedy.
Valuable things, or beautiful women, could always buy back a life.
She struggled, writhing her body, trying to crawl towards Qin Yu's feet.
She exposed her long, pale legs—still strikingly white despite the blood—hoping to stir even a shred of pity or desire in this man.
Even if it meant becoming a slave.
Even if she was used merely as a tool for pleasure.
Just to survive!
Qin Yu looked down at the woman squirming on the floor like a maggot.
Not a ripple of emotion showed in his eyes.
It was the same look one might give a bag of rotting garbage.
"Ruo Bing."
Qin Yu spoke.
His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed in the vast hall.
"Stop playing around."
He pointed towards the far wall of the hall.
"Since she enjoys setting traps for people so much."
"Then let her experience that taste for herself."
Yu Weiwei froze instantly.
She turned her head in terror, following the direction Qin Yu was pointing.
There.
Exactly where Yao Xue and Yao Qian had nearly walked earlier.
Because the white light had dispersed the mist and illusions.
That so-called "trap" finally revealed its true form.
It wasn't an exit at all.
Nor was it any wall.
It was a massive, slowly rotating industrial shredder entrance.
Two steel rollers as thick as an adult's thigh, covered in spiral-shaped sharp teeth.
They meshed together, slowly rotating inward.
Without any sound.
Without any pause.
"Earlier, you wanted Xiao Xue and Xiao Qian to walk into this."
Qin Yu took steps, slowly walking up to the enormous shredder entrance.
He reached out and lightly tapped the metal guardrail beside it.
"Thud."
A dull echo.
"This thing is ingeniously designed."
Qin Yu turned around, looking at the deathly pale Yu Weiwei.
"Silent motor, high-torque gears."
"Just a corner of clothing getting caught."
"The entire person would be drawn in bit by bit like cabbage, then crushed, squeezed dry."
"What finally gets discharged from below."
"Is only flesh pulp and bone fragments."
Qin Yu smiled.
That smile appeared ten thousand times more terrifying to Yu Weiwei than any illusion she had seen earlier.
"You said earlier, just ten more steps?"
Qin Yu raised one finger.
"Then I'll give you a discount."
"Throwing you in will probably only take one step."
Yu Weiwei completely broke down.
The fear of being ground alive instantly shattered her last psychological defenses.
"Mmph! Mmph!!"
She frantically tried to shrink backward.
Her legs scrambled wildly on the ground, nails scratching bloody trails on the metal floor.
No!
That way of dying is too horrible!
Even a shot to the head would be better!
Why be so cruel?!
"Cruel?"
Qin Yu seemed to see through her thoughts.
He snorted coldly, the killing intent in his eyes instantly erupting.
"When you targeted my people."
"You should have thought about how you would die."
"Drag her over!"
This command sounded like the King of Hell's death sentence.
"Gladly!"
Li Ruobing had been waiting impatiently.
She grabbed Yu Weiwei by the back collar and strode toward the terrifying shredder entrance, dragging her like a dead dog.
"Scrape—scrape—"
Yu Weiwei's body scraped against the metal floor.
She struggled desperately.
Her hands clawed fiercely at the floor seams, refusing to let go even as her nails tore off and blood flowed freely.
"Let go!"
Li Ruobing turned and delivered a fierce kick to her forearm.
"Crack."
The sound of breaking bone echoed again.
Yu Weiwei screamed in agony, her arm hanging limply.
Nothing could stop her slide toward the abyss of death now.
Ten meters.
Five meters.
Three meters.
As the distance closed, the oppressive feeling from the two massive spiral rollers became suffocating.
She could even smell the aged machine oil and metallic rust emanating from between the rollers.
"Mmph!!!"
Yu Weiwei's eyes bulged wildly.
Blood vessels covered her eyeballs, the corners of her eyes even splitting from extreme terror.
She stared at the slowly rotating sharp teeth.
Like looking into a gaping demon's maw.
She was begging for mercy.
She was confessing her sins.
She prayed to every deity in her heart.
But there was no response.
Only Li Ruobing's icy hands and that irresistible dragging force.
"We're here."
Li Ruobing stopped walking.
She stood at the edge of the shredder entrance.
Just one more step forward would mean eternal damnation.
She lifted Yu Weiwei up.
By now, Yu Weiwei's pants were completely soaked.
The pungent smell of urine streamed down her thighs, dripping onto the metal rollers.
Her body had gone limp; if not for Li Ruobing holding her up, she would have collapsed on the ground.
"Next life."
Li Ruobing whispered softly by her ear:
"Be a good person."
"If there is a next life."
After speaking.
Li Ruobing exerted force with both hands.
As if throwing out a bag of trash.
She shoved Yu Weiwei fiercely inside!
"Ah————!!!"
An extremely piercing scream instantly erupted through the hall.
Yu Weiwei's body traced an arc through the air.
Landing precisely between the two rollers.
In that instant.
Time seemed to slow down.
Yao Qian instinctively covered her eyes and buried her head in Yao Xue's embrace.
Though pale-faced, Yao Xue forced herself to keep her eyes open.
As a surgeon, she had witnessed countless bloody scenes.
But at this moment.
She still felt her stomach churn.
"Ah! Ah! Save... save me!!"
"Brother Yu! I was wrong! Kill me! Give me a shot! Please give me a shot!!"
She no longer begged for life.
She only begged for death.
This process of watching herself being devoured bit by bit was more terrifying than hell.
...
"Damn satisfying."
She wiped the blood splatter from her faceplate and turned back to walk to Qin Yu's side.
"Brother Yu, it's done."
Qin Yu nodded.
He didn't even glance toward the feeding port.
For such enemies, death was just death.
Nothing worth lingering over.
He walked over to Yao Xue and Yao Qian.
Though somewhat frightened, the two girls had already recovered.
Yao Qian peeked out from her sister's embrace, her small face pale but her eyes bright.
"Brother Yu..."
"Is she... gone?"
Qin Yu reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Gone."
"No one will ever be able to harm you with such dirty methods again."
Yao Qian nodded vigorously, tightening her grip on Qin Yu's hand.
In this apocalyptic world.
Mercy was a luxury.
Only such thunderous methods could ensure their survival.
Though afraid, she understood.
Brother Yu did it for them.
Qin Yu clapped his hands, his gaze passing over the still-operating shredder.
Looking toward the silver door at the end of the hall.
That door.
Was completely different from the bronze door outside earlier.
It was entirely crafted from an unknown silver metal.
Its surface flowed with light patterns like rippling water.
Even from dozens of meters away.
One could feel the pure energy waves emanating from the door seam.
"The real main event."
"Is inside there."
Qin Yu took a deep breath, adjusting the state of his battle suit.
"All that just now."
"Was merely an appetizer."
"The core rewards of this high-level dungeon."
"And that so-called 'Maze Lord'."
"Are all waiting for us."
"Ready?"
The three women simultaneously raised their weapons.
Li Ruobing pulled back the bolt of her gun, her eyes blazing with fervor.
"Couldn't wait any longer!"
Yao Xue checked the ammunition of her Poison Gun and gave a slight nod.
Yao Qian reactivated the exoskeleton's power system. Though her face remained pale, her expression was resolute.
"Let's go!"
Qin Yu took the lead.
His black combat boots stepped over the still-damp bloodstains on the ground.
Without the slightest hesitation.
In this post-apocalyptic world.
Death was the norm.
Only through continuous growth and relentless plundering.
Could one live with dignity.
As for those who stood in his way...
Be it gargoyles or Yu Weiwei.
They all shared the same fate.
That of becoming stepping stones beneath Qin Yu's feet!
Four figures strode directly toward the silver door.