C16 In the Survival of the Fittest

Boom!

Liu Benfeng swung his fists with all his might, causing a blinding explosion of flames that instantly floored the encircling goblins.

Gasping for air, Liu Benfeng dashed back to the crowd. Despite having taken down a dozen goblins, more were closing in. Despair crept into his heart as he realized he was alone in protecting the vulnerable behind him.

The goblins halted, forming a tight ring. Their commander, wielding the formidable Jungle Blade, stepped forward with a crooked smile and locked eyes with Liu Benfeng, who was ablaze like a fiery specter. Without hesitation, he charged!

"Clang!"

The massive Jungle Blade struck Liu Benfeng's fiery arm, emitting a sound akin to metal striking stone.

Overpowered, Liu Benfeng stumbled back several paces, a deep gash marring his flaming arm. His heart sank; the goblin before him was clearly of a higher level. Trouble was brewing.

"Gua Guo!"

The commander, relentless, pursued Liu Benfeng, wildly hacking at him with the Jungle Blade.

Gritting his teeth, Liu Benfeng fought back desperately. But the disparity in strength was too much; the blows forced him to retreat involuntarily.

With a sickening "thud," a man too slow to evade met his end. The others, screaming, scrambled for cover beneath a large tree. Surrounded by goblins, escape was impossible.

The flaming arm shattered with a series of crisp snaps, burning tissue tumbling to the ground. Despair deepened in Liu Benfeng's heart. After two grueling days of flight, it seemed their fate was sealed. Unwilling to concede, his spirit cried out in protest.

"Boom!"

Out of nowhere, a golden Totem Staff arced through the air, instantly obliterating the goblin commander's head. Liu Benfeng and the goblins alike were dumbfounded, too stunned to react to the abrupt turn of events.

Lin Yuan descended from the tree with a graceful leap, twirling his wrist and flourishing the staff with a satisfied nod. The Totem Staff, heavy and unyielding, boasted a lethality surpassing that of the Jungle Blade.

"Gagugu!"

The goblins, snapping out of their daze, swarmed Lin Yuan in a fury, brandishing their clubs in a frenzied assault.

Gripping the staff's end, Lin Yuan channeled his energy and unleashed a powerful swing.

"Annihilate the Army!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

As if struck by artillery, the bodies of over a dozen goblins were blasted to pieces, their limbs scattering in all directions.

Lin Yuan didn't pause, nor did he switch tactics. He simply barreled into the thick of the goblins, swinging wildly and swiftly clearing a swath through the horde.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

One by one, the elite archers drew their bows, unleashing a torrent of arrows. Lin Yuan bent slightly and charged into their midst. A few powerful sweeps of his totem staff, and the elite archers lay dead or dying.

"Roar!"

A nearly three-meter-tall Goblin Vanguard charged from behind, bellowing a fearsome roar. With a powerful leap, he vaulted over a dozen of his kin and landed with a crash before Lin Yuan, his massive siege hammer thundering down!

Lin Yuan's lips quirked into a smirk. Summoning all his strength, he thrust the totem staff upward.

"Break!"

With a resounding crash, the iron-forged siege hammer shattered to bits. Lin Yuan followed through with a cleaving strike, and the Goblin Assailant's head burst apart.

"Gurgle, gurgle!"

The remaining goblins cried out, scattering in all directions. Lin Yuan tossed aside the totem staff and, with a swift motion, slung his rifle from his back, mowing down the fleeing figures.

"Ratatatata!"

A full magazine later, the ground was littered with more than ten goblins, wailing in agony.

Liu Benfeng and the others beneath the tree watched Lin Yuan emerge, swallowing hard, their faces etched with horror.

Standing at over 1.9 meters, his muscular frame was clad in ragged ancient armor, yet in his hands, he wielded a modern standard-issue rifle.

His shaved head was a tapestry of scars, scarcely a patch of unmarred skin to be found.

With his fearsome visage, amidst the carnage and the pained cries of the goblins, Lin Yuan seemed the very image of a demon risen from the depths.

After slinging the rifle back over his shoulder, Lin Yuan retrieved the totem staff and kicked a whimpering goblin into the crowd. He then tossed his chest-strapped combat knife their way.

"Finish him."

"…"

Everyone stared blankly at Lin Yuan, puzzled by his command.

Lin Yuan was at a loss for words. He turned to Liu Benfeng with a questioning look.

"Have they never killed any monsters?"

"...No."

Liu Benfeng gave a slight shake of his head.

"They're all civilians. It's our duty as police officers to slay monsters and protect them."

"Bullshit!"

Lin Yuan couldn't contain his laughter, though it was born of frustration. He pointed at the gruesome remains of the fallen officers.

"Do you realize how they died? Their blood is on your hands!"

"With so many people and guns, most could become superpowered if they only chose to."

"With twenty to thirty superpowered individuals, proper organization would ensure safety. But no, you lead a bunch of dead weight in a panicked flight, as senseless as a pig!"

Liu Benfeng's gaze fell upon the bodies of his subordinates and colleagues. His eyes twitched with grief. They had held on together for two days, only to perish here. He felt he had failed them.

"This..."

As Lin Yuan's gaze met his, Director Li struggled to swallow, his voice shaking.

"Esteemed hero, this isn't Captain Liu's fault. He did order us to fight earlier, but our ranks are filled with women, children, and clerical workers. We just couldn't bring ourselves to do it."

"If you can't bring yourselves to fight, then you might as well be dead!"

Lin Yuan's shout was fierce, his glare sweeping over the crowd before he continued.

"The world has changed. To survive, you must grow stronger!"

"The weak and those who run away hold no value in this new world. The opportunity is before you; the choice is yours."

With that, Lin Yuan scaled the tree, quickly packed his belongings, and descended. He strode away, leaving them behind.

It's human to offer help, but there's no point in assisting those who only depend on others without striving to improve themselves. In this perilous world, those who are mentally and physically infantile have no place.

Director Li remained silent for a moment, then bent down to pick up the Jungle Blade. He walked over to the goblin, crouched down, and with pursed lips, he drew the blade across the creature's neck, releasing a gush of dark green blood.

Shortly after the black mist had seeped into his body, Director Li examined his arm with a hint of astonishment before signaling to the crowd.

"Xiao Yu, come over here."

A young girl in a floral dress approached. Taking her hand, Director Li guided her to a goblin and placed an armed dagger into her grasp.

"Just replicate what I did earlier. It's quite straightforward."

The girl gazed at the goblin writhing and weeping on the ground, her voice quivering as she spoke,

"Dad, I'm scared. I can't do it."

Director Li shook his head, his voice grave and earnest,

"The man before was correct; in this world, the weak have no place. To survive, you must grow stronger!"

"Honey, you must transform yourself, or there will be no path forward."

Wiping her nose, the girl met her father's earnest gaze, gave a small nod, then crouched down. With hands shaking, she gripped the dagger and drew it across the goblin's throat.