Volume 1, Chapter 25: Brutality That Makes the Scalp Tingle, A Formidable Deterrent!!

At this moment, on the roof of a building linked to the rear of the Golden Palace, twelve burly men stood along the edge, gazing toward the palace. Each of them radiated a chilling, murderous aura. They were Earl-level hunters, gathered from all corners of the globe.

"David, I heard the leader of tonight's mission is a High-level hunter!" a Black hunter said with a smirk.

"High-level? Hah. In a small city like Longzhou, the most we'd get is a Duke-level hunter at best!" David replied, puffing on a cigar with a relaxed tone.

"I don't know about that. The Godfather introduced him with such grandiosity; how could he just be a Duke?"

"He might even be a Prince!" the Black hunter speculated.

"Impossible. Why would a Prince come here for a mission? Any SSS-level mission in the Sandlands, the Eastern Triangle, or the Wuwang Sea would be theirs for the taking. Besides, the Godfather said he’s a local hunter from East Asia. How strong could he really be? The Cross Vendetta Association has only ever had one Prince-level hunter, and he’s in Southwest Asia—he never even returned!" David said with firm conviction.

"Heh, if the leader isn't high-ranking, then let's give him a taste of our power. That way, when it’s time to collect the commission, he won't dare ask for too much!" the Black hunter suggested. The others nodded in agreement.

Just then, a black armed helicopter flew overhead. The wind roared, and everyone looked up at the sky, their faces twisted into mocking expressions.

"Black Devil, when that guy gets off, test him. See what level of hunter he really is," David said, his eyes brightening with a laugh. "If he isn't even a Duke, we’ll kick him out of the team and split his share of the commission!"

"OK!" The Black hunter, looking thrilled, pulled a knife from his waist. As he crouched down, he seemed to blend into the darkness and vanish.

On the helicopter, the cabin door opened. Su Ming looked down at the crowd below, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Your Majesty, perhaps I should go down and greet these troublemakers first? I’m afraid they might challenge your authority," the Godfather said, looking worried.

"No need. I have my own way," Su Ming replied, shaking his head.

"Very well. You are the King, and your strength speaks for itself; they won't be able to stir up any trouble. Pilot, descend," the Godfather commanded.

But the next second, to the Godfather’s utter astonishment, Su Ming turned and leaped directly from the cabin door.

"Holy—Your Majesty, that’s over fifty meters down!" the Godfather roared in horror, signaling the pilot to descend rapidly. He watched as Su Ming’s silhouette turned into a dark shadow, plummeting in freefall.

Below, the crowd was still confused, looking up as they saw a dark object falling.

"What the hell is that?"
"Engine failure? Did a part fall off?"
"Damn it, that’s a man! Get out of the way!" David’s eyes widened in terror as he shouted at the men around him.

The crowd scattered quickly. In the center, Black Devil stood grinning, dagger in hand, enjoying the spectacle—but by the time he realized he needed to move, it was too late.

*BOOM!*

Su Ming slammed into the ground, sending concrete shards flying in every direction. The entire rooftop seemed to shake violently. The thunderous roar unleashed a blast of chaotic energy that swept across the deck. The terrifying shockwave sent Black Devil flying instantly. The others covered their eyes, their hair whipped upward by the gale. The wind howled, and faintly, the sound of a dragon’s roar echoed in their ears.

When the wind died down, everyone opened their eyes, staring in disbelief at the figure standing proudly in front of them with his hands behind his back. He stood like a sharp blade, the concrete beneath his feet pierced into a massive crater.

"Damn it!" Black Devil let out a shrill scream of terror as he was sent tumbling backward by the residual force.

*CRACK!*

Black Devil rolled and crashed into the edge of the rooftop nearly twenty meters away. The concrete wall cracked instantly upon impact.

*Pfft!*

Black Devil spat out a mouthful of blood. His dark skin turned pale, and he lay on the ground, his eyes rolling back.

On the other side, David and the others had also been knocked back, though they hadn't taken the brunt of the impact.

*CRACK!*

Su Ming pulled his foot out of the concrete, dragging out a cluster of debris. It was clear that the ground beneath him had collapsed, exposing the steel reinforcement bars. Su Ming raised his head, scanning the faces of the men.

"Perform your mission with your full capabilities," he said, his cold words ringing out across the night sky like an unquestionable imperial decree. "Remember, if there is a problem because of anyone, bring me your head!"

At that moment, everyone was stunned by the heaven-shaking murderous aura radiating from Su Ming. It was as if they were facing a Demon Lord crawled up from the depths of hell. It felt suffocating.

After Su Ming left the rooftop, the men finally snapped back to reality.

"A monster!"
"He must be a monster. Who else could jump from fifty meters and walk away unscathed?" a foreign man with a pale face said, tilting his head and speaking in broken Chinese.

David, still shaken, suddenly awoke to the truth. "A freak. He’s an absolute freak. Even the strongest bio-engineered soldiers I’ve ever seen aren't this terrifying!" David gasped, his heart still pounding. The thought of giving the newcomer a hard time vanished, replaced by a lingering fear.

"Close to a god!" another blond man cried out in horror, dropping to his knees.

In an instant, everyone rushed to the spot where Su Ming had stood. When they saw the ten-centimeter-deep crater, both the freaks and the normal men fell silent.

"Black Devil, are you dead? If not, get up—it’s time for the mission!"

"This mission is your fortune; you actually get to be led by a world-renowned King-level hunter. Just lie back and collect your money!" The Godfather jumped down from the helicopter and shouted. He had witnessed the god-like display, and while surprised, he could accept it. After all, he had personally experienced the "double pleasure" of the King’s fist the day before.

"Move out, move out!"
"Don't waste time! Snipers in position, 'Three-Eyes' has fully locked on—report coordinates at any time!"

Following the Godfather’s shout, everyone donned their gear and headsets, assembled their weapons, and fell into formation, quickly heading downstairs.