Chapter 55 Half-Dead

Mu Chen ignored Pan Guang, who was half-dead on the ground, and turned his gaze to Pan Guang's few remaining subordinates, who were shivering uncontrollably.

The scar-faced man's chest was completely caved in; he was taking in far more air than he was exhaling, and it was clear he was beyond saving. The other two fellows, manipulated by Chen Jiahe into killing each other, lay motionless in pools of blood.

Only the last three unscathed thugs remained. Looking at the corpses of their companions around them and then at Pan Guang, whose hands had been crippled by Mu Chen, their faces turned ashen white, completely devoid of any trace of blood—indistinguishable from dead men.

"Anyone else want to try?" Mu Chen's voice was chillingly cold.

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

With three consecutive muffled sounds, the three thugs turned as limp as noodles and simultaneously dropped to their knees, their foreheads pressed hard against the icy ground, their bodies trembling violently.

"Lord... Lord Mu, spare my life! We... we were blind!"

"We'll never dare do it again! Please spare our lives, Lord Mu!"

"We're willing... we're willing to be your beasts of burden! Just let us live!"

Wailing and desperate pleas for mercy merged into a chaotic mess, saturated with despair and terror. Their guts had truly been scared out of them; not a shred of their previous arrogance remained anywhere to be found.

Mu Chen walked up to them and looked down from above.

"Lift your heads."

The three stiffened, hesitating for several seconds before timidly raising their faces. Their expressions were smeared with snot and tears, and they didn't dare make direct eye contact with Mu Chen.

"Want to live?" Mu Chen asked.

"Yes! Yes! In my dreams!" a sharp-featured fellow blurted out, nodding his head frantically.

"Then remember, from now on, your lives belong to me." Mu Chen's tone remained flat. "My word is law. Understand?"

"Understood! Understood! We all understand!" The three vied to pledge their allegiance, terrified that being a fraction of a second too slow would cost them their lives.

[Ding! Successfully subjugated Pan Guang's remaining forces (3 people). Loyalty: Fear.]

[Ding! Obtained low-level ability fragments * 5.]

The system's notification chimed in Mu Chen's mind. Too lazy to bother further with these weaklings, he turned and walked toward Chen Jiahe and the others.

Big Mouth let out a low growl, its four steady limbs following closely behind. Its beastly pupils locked onto the three kneeling men; if any of them dared show the slightest malicious intent, it would instantly pounce and tear them to shreds.

"Are you alright?" Mu Chen walked up to the three women and looked them over one by one.

Chen Jiahe shook her head. Having weathered more storms, though her face was still somewhat pale, she managed to keep her composure. "We're fine."

Chen Si took several deep, heavy breaths. The sudden outburst of power from moments ago still left her legs a bit weak, but her heart was filled with an indescribable surge of excitement. She looked at Mu Chen, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something, yet she had no idea where to begin.

Xie Youyou had initially hidden behind Chen Jiahe, cautiously peeking out with a fraction of her head. Her large eyes still held a lingering trace of shock, but the moment she saw Mu Chen standing there completely unscathed, her fear was instantly cast to the winds, replaced by undisguised adoration.

"Brother Mu... you... you're amazing!" she mumbled softly, her voice trembling slightly, yet brimming with utter sincerity.

Mu Chen raised a hand and gently ruffled the hair of both Chen Si and Xie Youyou. "It's all in the past now."

His movement was light, yet it carried an immensely reassuring strength.

Chen Si's face flushed red instantly. She lowered her head as that strange feeling deep within her heart grew clearer and clearer.

Mu Chen turned toward Pan Guang, who was still unconscious on the ground. "Where did you hide your ability fruits?"

Paralyzed on the floor like a pile of mud, Pan Guang convulsed violently upon hearing the question. Despair and resentment flashed swiftly across his face, only to be swallowed up by an even deeper, more crushing terror. With great effort, he pointed his chin toward an inconspicuous storage cabinet in the corner of the hall.

"They're... they're all in there... please... just give me a quick death..." Pan Guang's voice was barely a whisper, laden entirely with entreaty.

Without sparing him another glance, Mu Chen walked straight toward the storage cabinet, with Big Mouth dogging his every step.

The cabinet was unlocked. Mu Chen yanked the door open to reveal a scattered pile of supplies. At the very bottom of the pile lay a small box wrapped in thick cloth, resting quietly.

Mu Chen picked up the box, feeling its heavy weight in his hand. He untied the cloth wrapping and opened the lid.

In an instant, a pure and potent wave of energy radiated fiercely from within the box.

Three pigeon-egg-sized fruits, completely crystal-clear and emitting a faint luminescence, lay quietly on a velvet cushion. Two of them were a fiery crimson red, while the other was a deep, tranquil azure blue.

[Fire-type Ability Fruit (Intermediate) * 2]

[Water-type Ability Fruit (Intermediate) * 1]

"Good stuff." Mu Chen pinched a crimson fruit between his fingers; the violent energy contained within it sent a wave of warmth through his heart. These fruits were more than enough to propel his strength up to an entirely new tier!

Chen Jiahe and the others crowded around as well, staring with wide-open eyes at the ability fruits resting inside the box.

"This is... an ability fruit?" Xie Youyou muttered, blinking unblinkingly.

Mu Chen picked up a crimson fruit, the surging energy inside it heating his blood. These few fruits were enough to give his strength a massive leap forward!

Chen Jiahe and the others drew closer too, their eyes wide as they stared at the faintly glowing ability fruits in the box.

"Oh my god... Are these really ability fruits?" Xie Youyou murmured, her small mouth agape enough to swallow an egg.

Just at this moment of brief peace, when everyone thought the crisis had been completely averted and the fruits of victory were within easy grasp—

A drastic change occurred abruptly!

In the corner of the hall, the wisps of black mist left behind from Pan Guang's [Shadow Manipulation] technique, which had been slowly dissipating, suddenly began to churn violently without warning!

The black mist came alive, writhing and expanding wildly. Its color rapidly shifted from pale black to an inky, pitch darkness, and an eerie, chilling, and evil aura permeated the air, making one's hair stand on end.

"Hmm?" Mu Chen's grip on the ability fruit tightened sharply. He whipped his head around, fixing his gaze on the source of the shifting black mist.

"What on earth is that?!" Chen Si shrieked, involuntarily shrinking back.

The black mist spread at a terrifying speed, sweeping like a tidal wave toward the center of the hall. Wherever it passed, the light dimmed, the ambient temperature plummeted, and a heavy, oppressive weight slammed straight into everyone's chest.

The three surrendering thugs of Pan Guang kneeling on the ground were frightened out of their wits. They wanted to run, but their legs felt like freshly boiled noodles, refusing to obey them at all.

"What's going on?!" Chen Jiahe tensed up, quietly extending her mental awareness. The moment it brushed against the dense black mist, a sharp, needle-like pain stabbed through her mind.

"Watch out!" Mu Chen shouted in a low voice, pulling Chen Jiahe and Chen Si behind him to shield them.