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Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: The Burning Man

The stairwell was a death trap.

The emergency exit door at the bottom was blocked by a burning car, the flames casting a hellish orange glow on the walls. Jiang Yuan could hear the crackle of fire and the distant screams of more people.

[Danger detected: 5 meters below. Hostile entity: "Pyro Wraith." Weak point: core in the chest.]

The Pyro Wraith was a man, or what was left of one. His body was wreathed in flickering blue flames that didn't consume him, but made his skin bubble and blacken. He stumbled up the stairs, his mouth open in a silent scream, reaching for Jiang Yuan with burning hands.

Jiang Yuan's first instinct was to run, but the stairs were narrow. There was nowhere to go.

[Threat will lunge in 3 seconds. Dodge to the right and strike the core.]

Jiang Yuan side-stepped, the burning fingers swiping past his face. The heat was searing, singeing his hair. He countered, driving the knife into the glowing, pulsing core in the man's chest.

The flames died instantly. The Pyro Wraith crumpled, his body turning to ash before it hit the ground.

[Evolution points +15. Total: 25.]

The fire from the car was spreading. Smoke billowed up the stairs, stinging Jiang Yuan's eyes and throat. He covered his mouth with his sleeve and sprinted down the remaining steps, bursting through the front door into the apocalyptic street.

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