Chapter 96: Fierce Battle with the Tyrant

"Level-four Tyrant! Chip, scan its attributes!"

Looking at the Tyrant in the distance, Zhang Ran’s mind stirred, and he ordered the chip to probe it. At the same time, the Tyrant also spotted Zhang Ran. A crimson gleam flashed in its eyes as it wildly brandished its razor claws and mutated blade-arm, surging toward him like a darting arrow.

"Target Name: Tyrant
Target Type: Walking Corpse (Special Mutant)
Hunting Level: Level 4
Special Abilities: Advanced Self-Healing, Enhanced Mutant Blade, Mighty Slash, Claw Rend, High-Speed Charge
Strength: 11.3
Constitution: 9.8
Agility: 9.7
Spirit: 2.4
Weaknesses: Exposed Heart, Brain"

At Zhang Ran’s thought, a silver light suddenly flashed before his eyes, and a data panel appeared.

On the left side of the panel was a three-dimensional model of the Tyrant, with its weaknesses clearly marked. On the right, the attributes and special abilities of this level-four Tyrant were listed one by one.

"Eleven points of strength is already comparable to some level-five ability users. Truly formidable! A Tyrant walking corpse really is a special mutant that emerges only once in ten thousand walking corpses!"

Looking at the Tyrant’s attributes, Zhang Ran’s pupils could not help but contract, and a grave expression appeared on his face.

As a rule, among ten level-zero ordinary walking corpses, only one would evolve into a level-one ordinary mutant corpse. Even then, the chance of mutation among level-one ordinary mutant corpses was only one in ten, and among those mutants, only one percent would undergo special mutation.

Although the odds of a special mutant walking corpse appearing were extremely low, they were terrifyingly powerful. Once such a creature was born, it would begin at level three, possess the potential to evolve beyond level ten, and its combat power would rank among the best of its level.

While using the chip to observe and analyze the Tyrant, Zhang Ran also activated his "Boiling Blood" ability. Within the tree of evolution in his sea of consciousness, the third crimson rune, shaped like a tongue of blood-colored flame, lit up.

As the Boiling Blood rune blazed to life, the pulse of Zhang Ran’s heart quickened, pumping streams of searing blood through his entire body. As that heat spread, his attributes rose rapidly. At the same time, he raised Warbreaker in his hand and charged toward the Tyrant in the distance.

In less than five seconds, driven by full-speed acceleration, Zhang Ran and the Tyrant met head-on.

Staring at Zhang Ran, murderous intent also flickered in the Tyrant’s eyes. Its right arm, mutated into a blade-like weapon, suddenly flashed silver. Then, with a trace of chilling light, it slashed toward Zhang Ran’s waist!

That silver flash was the manifestation of the Tyrant’s special ability, "Enhanced Mutant Blade." For a level-four Tyrant, the sharpness of its mutated blade-arm was already approaching that of level-three alloy, and after activating Enhanced Mutant Blade, the sharpness of this Tyrant’s blade-arm was comparable to some low-grade level-three alloy weapons!

"Still as a mountain!"

Seeing the mutated blade-arm slash toward him, Zhang Ran immediately leveled his heavy sword. The blade stood before him like a shield as he planted his stance, drew all his strength into Warbreaker, and met the attack head-on.

At the same time, Zhang Ran once again focused his mind and activated the "Blood Plunder" ability rune.

Within his sea of consciousness, the first crimson rune on the tree of evolution, shaped like a drop of blood, flashed bright. In the next instant, the blood within Zhang Ran’s body condensed into five blood-thorn spears, which shot out of his body and streaked toward the Tyrant’s heart and face.

Clang!

With a clear metallic crash, brilliant sparks sprayed from the point where Warbreaker and the Tyrant’s mutated blade-arm collided. A tremendous force surged through the sword, and Zhang Ran was driven back several steps, his arms turning slightly numb.

Looking at Warbreaker, a hollow about half a finger deep had already appeared on the sword’s blade, and four or five faint cracks had spread around it. The weapon had suffered no small amount of damage from the clash.

As for the level-four Tyrant, although its mutated blade-arm had damaged Warbreaker, in terms of raw strength it still could not match Zhang Ran, who had activated Boiling Blood. Even though Zhang Ran had only taken a defensive posture, he still sent the Tyrant reeling backward.

And at that very moment, the five blood-thorn spears Zhang Ran had unleashed shot forth like bullets, crazily driving toward the Tyrant’s heart and head.

Seeing the five blood-thorn spears, the Tyrant swept its still only partially mutated left arm forward in a violent grab.

Under that claw strike, four of the blood-thorn spears were abruptly crushed into a spray of crimson droplets and vanished into the air. The last spear, however, escaped the Tyrant’s claws and went straight for its exposed heart.

The Tyrant’s constitution was as high as 9.8, comparable to high-grade level-two alloy. Even at point-blank range, automatic rifle fire would be unlikely to cause a fatal wound. Only sniper rifles, heavy machine guns, or psionic field abilities could effectively injure it. It was, in a word, monstrously strong.

Against such formidable defense, if Zhang Ran were still a level-two evolver, his blood-thorn spear might not even have been able to pierce the Tyrant’s skin, much less draw out its blood and weaken its power.

But after advancing to level-three evolver, Zhang Ran’s Blood Thorn ability had been baptized by the source power of evolution and undergone a transformation. Its speed, power, and piercing force had all increased. Faced with the enhanced blood-thorn spear, the Tyrant’s tough skin resisted only for an instant before being pierced.

After penetrating the Tyrant’s skin, the blood-thorn spear immediately plunged into its body, driving straight for its heart. Then, at Zhang Ran’s will, it began madly siphoning away the Tyrant’s blood.

Roar!

The heart was the Tyrant’s most important and most vulnerable point. Struck by the blood-thorn spear, it let out a furious, pained howl. Brutality flared in its eyes, and a crimson glow suddenly flashed across its right arm!

Then, with a swift movement, the Tyrant charged at Zhang Ran again, its right arm blazing red as it hacked toward Zhang Ran’s chest at terrifying speed.

This was the effect of the Tyrant’s ability, "Mighty Slash," capable of unleashing a devastating blow far beyond its own strength, powerful enough to injure even level-five mutated beasts.

"So fast!"

Watching the Tyrant’s Mighty Slash bore down on him, Zhang Ran’s eyes flashed with caution. He then frantically gathered all the power in his body, concentrating it upon Warbreaker in the center, and once again unleashed Still as a Mountain!

Clang!

With a thunderous boom, the Tyrant’s mutated blade-arm slammed savagely into the blade of Warbreaker! In an instant, a crack nearly a centimeter deep appeared on the sword’s body, with fine fractures spiderwebbing around it, and Zhang Ran himself was sent flying, crashing down ten meters away.