Chapter6
1105 Words
His clothes were soaked with sweat. His breathing grew increasingly ragged. That burning fever—that searing heat—had returned. His vision began to take on a crimson tint.
Su Hongxiu rose to her feet, a syringe clutched in her hand.
"Qin Lie."
Qin Lie didn't stop. He swung his fist at the fourth dummy—but this time, he lost control. His power surged uncontrollably, and his strike went wide. His fist smashed into a nearby iron pillar.
It left a dent—two centimeters deep.
Qin Lie stared at his fist. His knuckles weren't broken.
"Stop," Old K's voice turned cold.
Qin Lie remained motionless. A low growl rumbled in his throat once again.
Su Hongxiu rushed forward, aiming a syringe at his carotid artery.
"Don't move!"
Qin Lie turned his head. His eyes were completely crimson—devoid of any whites.
Su Hongxiu's hand hesitated for a split second, but she plunged the needle in nonetheless.
Blue fluid coursed into his bloodstream.
Qin Lie's entire body went rigid. He collapsed to the ground, convulsing.
Just before darkness consumed his consciousness, he heard Old K's voice.
"Day Two. If you can still get back on your feet, you win."
...
He didn't know how much time had passed.
Qin Lie opened his eyes. The ceiling above him was made of rusted iron plates.
His body felt as if it had been taken apart and reassembled; every single muscle ached.
He sat up. A bowl of porridge sat beside him—it had gone cold.
Old K sat opposite him, sharpening a knife.
"You're awake."
Qin Lie picked up the bowl. His hands were no longer trembling.
"How many days?"
"The evening of the second day," Old K paused his sharpening. "You've been unconscious for thirty hours."
Qin Lie ate the porridge. It was tasteless.
"Get up," Old K rose to his feet. "Let's continue."
This time, there was no dummy. Old K held an iron bar in his hand.
"Hit me."
Qin Lie set the bowl aside and stood up.
"Don't rely on that brute force," Old K said. "Use your head. A werewolf isn't just a beast; it's a hunter."
Qin Lie nodded.
Old K moved—and he moved fast. The iron bar swept toward Qin Lie's shins.
Qin Lie shifted his body sideways, dodging the blow.
The second strike came next, aimed at his shoulder.
Qin Lie raised his arm to block; a jolt of numbness shot through it.
The third strike thrust straight for his throat.
Qin Lie recoiled, but his foot snagged on a loose wire, nearly sending him tumbling to the ground.
"Slow," Old K lowered the bar. "You rely too heavily on strength. Without your bloodline abilities, you wouldn't even be able to beat an ordinary demon hunter."
Qin Lie took a deep breath and steadied his stance once more.
This time, he didn't rush to make a move. Qin Lie observed the rise and fall of Old K's shoulders, noting the shifts in his center of gravity.
Old K swung his staff once more.
Qin Lie anticipated the move. He pivoted sideways, cutting into Old K's inner circle, and delivered a knife-hand strike toward Old K's wrist.
Old K raised an eyebrow. He withdrew his staff.
"Not bad."
The training continued until dawn.
Qin Lie was covered in bruises and cuts, but his eyes were now clear and focused.
On the third night...
Old K summoned Qin Lie to the center of the secret chamber. Runes were drawn upon the floor.
"The final test," Old K said, tossing Qin Lie a real blade—sharpened to a razor's edge. "Use your bloodline power. Keep it contained within a single second. Unleash the burst, then rein it back in."
Qin Lie caught the blade.
He closed his eyes, sensing the power coursing through his body.
It was still there. Like a river. Once a raging flood, it was now a controlled channel.
Qin Lie opened his eyes.
His pupils flashed crimson—for just a fleeting instant.
He swung the blade.
The air parted with a sharp, whistling shriek.
He reined in his power.
His pupils reverted to their natural black.
The blade came to a halt just one centimeter from Old K's Adam's apple—without even breaking the skin.
Old K remained motionless.
"Did he do it?" Su Hongxiu asked.
"He's crossed the threshold," Old K replied, gently pushing the blade aside. "He's still a long way from mastering full control over the release and suppression of his power, but it's enough to keep him alive."
Qin Lie sheathed his blade and let his arm drop to his side.
"The Sky Net Protocol," Qin Lie asked. "How much time do we have left?"
"Midnight tonight," Old K said, glancing at the clock on the wall. It read 11:40 PM.
"The Silver Cross Society will lock down the entire district—every single exit," Su Hongxiu said, scanning the data on her tablet. "Patrol vehicle deployments have tripled. Encrypted communications are spiking."
"We have to go," Qin Lie said.
"We can't," Old K replied, pulling a map from a drawer. Several red dots were marked upon it. "All the main roads are blocked. There is only one route left."
His finger tapped on the section of the map depicting the city's sewer network.
"Here," Old K said. "The underground labyrinth beneath the Old District. It lies beyond the reach of the Silver Cross Society's surveillance equipment."
"And then?"
"Then we find the Swordsmith," Old K said, his gaze resting on the short sword at Qin Lie's waist. "I forged this blade, but I am not its true master. The real master is still alive."
Qin Lie's fingers traced the contours of the sword's hilt. "The Sword Forger."
"A survivor of the Extinction Event a century ago," Old K said, pulling on his coat. "And the only person capable of helping you fully master your bloodline."
Su Hongxiu packed away the first-aid kit.
"Prepare to move out." Old K switched off the emergency light. "We move in ten minutes."
In the darkness, Qin Lie tightened his grip on his short sword.
The blade felt faintly warm to the touch.
Outside, alarms began to blare—shrill and piercing.
The Silver Cross Society's manhunt had begun.
Qin Lie looked toward Old K.
"Let's go."
Old K pushed open the hidden door. A damp breeze rushed in, carrying the scent of rust.
The three of them stepped into the darkness.
Behind them, the door to the shelter slowly closed.
Cutting off the very last trace of light.
- Writer
