It's Me

Leaning against the wall, Li Changan panted heavily, his strength recovering rapidly, but his injuries healed extremely slowly. He even hazily saw a figure shrouded in a black robe standing to the side, still holding a large scythe.

"This is really bad," Li Changan said with a self-deprecating laugh. Standing up straight, he walked towards the upstairs, with only one left.

The final four people emitted the light of their lives coming to an end. Each person fought desperately to counterattack, but only the last Parahuman with the "Steel Transformation" ability caused serious injury to Li Changan.

His knife was ineffective against this person. In the end, after making contact with his gloves multiple times, parts of his body could no longer maintain the steel transformation, and a stab through the head finished him.

Li Changan also had three broken ribs torn out, taking a large piece of flesh with it.

Beside the stairs, the walls were covered in incomprehensible graffiti. It seemed to depict a devil with two horns on its head wreaking havoc on the human world. Li Changan leaned against the wall, walking upstairs step by step, and finally stood outside the only door on the third floor.

Standing outside the door, Li Changan shakily took out a syringe from his pocket and carefully inserted it under his ribs, injecting all of the pale blue liquid inside.

His whole body's fatigue was swept away in an instant, and all the pain disappeared as well. The "Stimulant" developed by the Empire was now a controlled substance, but one could still buy it on the black market if paying an exorbitant price.

It was useful even for S-Rank Parahumans, although the side effect was heart failure two hours later.

The vast majority of people died from the side effects. This was Li Changan's last resort, something he would never use unless absolutely necessary. For him, now was that desperate time.

Kicking the door open, Li Changan strode in.

The empty room contained a coffee table and a game table. In the center was a large bed with a blonde young man and several women lying on it, unclothed, with a peculiar smell lingering in the air.

But Li Changan's gaze fell only on the corner radiator, where a corpse was tied up.

It should be said it was a partial corpse. Judging from the remaining parts, it seemed to be a sturdy man whose skin had been flayed off, seemingly cut into pieces multiple times, with some skin remnants still on the flesh.

Everything below the waist had been severed, placed to the side like meat at a butcher stall. The corpse had no eyes, no nose, exuding the stench of urine. Only the two mechanical arms covered in blood remained relatively intact.

Li Changan's Adam's apple moved slightly, his legs shaking as he slowly walked towards the corpse. Every step he took was as exhausting as using up all his strength, even lifting his foot taking great effort.

After a seemingly endless, long journey, Li Changan finally stood by the corpse's side.

"I...I..." Crouching down, he didn't dare touch it. Li Changan knew just how fragile the muscles under the skin were, that even a light touch would bring unbearable agony.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry..."

Unknowingly, Li Changan's face was covered in tears. He didn't know why he was crying, nor what the rising feelings in his heart were called, this guilt.

"Hey kid, who the hell are you?" The blonde young man on the bed sat up, putting on clothes from the side and picking up a revolver from under his pillow.

Li Changan slowly stood up, keeping his head lowered as he stepped towards the blonde young man.

The blonde let out a cold laugh, firing his gun. The bullet grazed past Li Changan's ear.

Three consecutive gunshots rang out, but each one only brushed past Li Changan's body without hitting its mark.

The blonde looked at his revolver in astonishment. He was confident in his marksmanship, not to mention the distance was less than five meters.

So this guy could dodge bullets?

"Haven't seen someone like you in a long time," the blonde said with a cold laugh, actually feeling more vigilant as he started backing away.

"To actually dare provoke my Tiger Gang."

Glancing at the corpse behind Li Changan, the blonde let out another cold chuckle. "You've come to avenge him? Then you're too late. I understand now, you're the one who wasted my underling."

"My subordinates suffered thanks to you, so of course I didn't neglect this old geezer." The blonde gestured with his hand, and a 50-inch television on the wall lit up.

Li Changan turned his head to look and could no longer draw his eyes away.

Displayed was video footage with the restaurant owner as the protagonist, but he had been tortured beyond recognition. The one wielding the knife was none other than the blonde before his eyes.

"He was stubborn. No matter how I tormented him, he refused to reveal your whereabouts, never saying anything even when dying. I truly admire that kind of person." The blonde gave a faint smile before abruptly thrusting out his hand, a shallow red ray of light shooting from his fingertips towards Li Changan.

The ray of light pierced through Li Changan's shoulder, but that was just the beginning. The blonde fired continuously, beams of light shooting out from his fingers.

Yet not a single one managed to hit its mark.

"My name is Li Changan," Li Changan said, twisting his body to dodge the beams. Compared to Charles, this kind of attack was far too weak.

"Oh, are you introducing yourself?" The blonde gave a cold laugh, actually feeling more vigilant as he started backing away.

Ignoring the mocking, Li Changan continued, "There were some things I originally wanted to tell him, but now he can't hear them anymore. So I can only tell you, please pass along the message."

Li Changan, who had been dodging unsteadily, suddenly charged forward like a hunting leopard, crossing the distance of several meters in an instant to appear before the blonde youth.

The blonde had just raised his hand when he saw a flash of the knife. Four of his fingers fell to the ground, unable even to cry out before seeing the blade stabbed into his mouth, stirred lightly, and half of his tongue along with shattered teeth dropped down.

"I'm actually just a useless person."

Li Changan swung down, severing half of the blonde's palm.

"I don't even have a Parahuman ability."

The knife entered the knee, effortlessly separating the lower leg from the blonde's body.

"I fear people having expectations of me, fear being unable to meet those expectations."

Speaking between strikes, Li Changan once again severed one of the blonde's arms.

"But I really am happy that someone was still encouraging me."

The blonde's eyes emitted a red glow, but Li Changan moved faster, stabbing two fingers into the eye sockets and crushing the eyeballs.

"Thank you for letting me know that even people like me can do something."

The blonde couldn't even scream. The final strike severed his head.

"You added too much oil when cooking the stir fry, but it really was very filling."

"I came back alive. You won't be lonely anymore either."

Li Changan raised his knife, hacking down repeatedly on the blonde's already lifeless body. Flesh and blood spattered onto his face like elegant makeup.

Setting down the knife, Li Changan picked up the revolver from the bed. The few women who had already awakened were huddled trembling in the corner. With each gunshot, one would fall.

"I'll send some more people down to accompany you." Li Changan stood before that ghastly corpse, pouring down the high proof vodka.

"Before I can face you again, I won't die. I will live well to prove that even people like us can make them fearful!"

The flames rose up, instantly engulfing the entire floor before spreading downstairs. Li Changan walked step by step towards the exit. The grim reaper holding the scythe was no longer before his eyes, but from now on, he had taken up the scythe.

Sensing the black smoke rising from the roof, the gang members still outside rushed anxiously into the building, only to be met by a blood-drenched youth.

"You wha..." The leader had just opened his mouth when he felt the world spin. His final sight was his own beheaded body.

"Just perfect. I won't need to start a second fire," Li Changan murmured, walking forward.

Despite taking many detours, Lin Yubai finally found the person she had been longing for, only to see him walk into the Tiger Gang's territory. Lin Yubai froze.

Could he have some connection with the Tiger Gang? This thought had just arisen when it was immediately and ruthlessly strangled by Lin Yubai. She couldn't believe Li Changan would be that kind of person. She could only wait outside, wanting to ask clearly in person.

This wait lasted three hours until black smoke billowed from the roof and the gang members outside surged towards the building. Then came the screams, one after another.

Ultimately, Lin Yubai could not restrain her curiosity and raced towards the small building. Just as she reached the entrance, her eyes met an icy, sharp gaze. It was like her entire body's blood froze, icy fingers caressing her neck.

Was this the person who liked me? The ghost-like figure made Lin Yubai doubt herself.

"It's you, huh," said Li Changan as the killing intent dissipated. He smiled faintly and tilted his head and fainted.

"Hey!" exclaimed Lin Yubai instinctively as he stepped forward to prop him up, at the same time looking toward the room.

If not for the sweetheart in his arms, this scene would have become Lin Yubai's nightmare for life.