WHOOSH... A dazzling beam of light pierced through Chen Pingchuan's left shoulder blade. If not for his sixth sense frantically warning him, he would have been dealt a fatal blow.

"Despicable traitor!" Chen Pingchuan roared, his voice filled with condemnation for Ren Fei's betrayal. He spun around, eyes blazing with rage. No longer caring about the damage to his Spirit, he uttered in an icy tone, "Master Thief!"

The icy tone sent a shiver down Ren Fei's spine. He suddenly recalled the man's overwhelming arrogance upon first breaking into the bank. Back then, Chen Pingchuan had been like a Demon God straight out of Hell. He could snatch parts from people's bodies out of thin air—be it internal organs or skulls. He was like a reaper with a cruel sense of humor, tormenting his chosen victims with such terrifying methods. Companions who died by his hand were drained of their lifeblood, reduced to nothing more than a pile of withered bones. In the next second, Ren Fei felt the weight in his hand vanish as his weapon disappeared.

Of course, taking advantage of the moment Chen Pingchuan attacked Ren Fei, the surrounding guards unleashed their strongest abilities. Despite his best efforts to dodge, Chen Pingchuan still sustained substantial injuries. One was a deep cut from a long blade that glinted with a chilling light. It nearly cleaved him in two, and even as he evaded, the blade grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep gash that instantly stained his shirt red. Another blow landed on his lower back, and it was the force of this impact that allowed him to dodge the fatal blade strike. His body flew through the air like a kite with a snapped string, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Chen Pingchuan scrambled to his feet. Seeing the guards running toward him with terror on their faces, a wickedly charming smile touched his lips.

WHOOSH...

A searing laser drew a white line through the air and instantly penetrated a guard's brain. No gray matter spilled out; it had been instantly scorched dry.

Chen Pingchuan was in bad shape, and Lilia and Wei Hao were no better. They, too, were accumulating wounds. Meanwhile, the bank guards besieging them had not suffered significant losses; only two had carelessly been taken out of the fight. As the fierce battle raged on, Chen Pingchuan's stamina began to wane. His wounds bled continuously, warm blood trickling down his arm and shoulder to form a growing puddle on the ground.

Porcupine, in contrast, possessed great strength but lacked speed. After taking down several of the less agile guards, he was pinned down by the remaining ones who exploited their speed advantage. The situation grew tense as both sides pushed themselves to their limits. Chen Pingchuan's heart sank. His vision began to blur, and the enemies before him seemed to be shrouded in a thick mist.

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to continue the fight, but a voice inside told him, This is probably it for me.

With each labored and rapid breath, every swing of his weapon felt like a battle against his body's limits.

"UGH... AH..."

Caught off guard, Ren Fei's right hand was pierced by Chen Pingchuan's laser. Yet, he showed no fear. Instead, he roared viciously at Chen Pingchuan, "Today is your day to die! Go down and join my uncle!"

Ren Fei's roar was heard not only by Chen Pingchuan but also by his newly recruited subordinates. Despite their frantic efforts, they couldn't break through the encirclement.

Just as the battle was reaching its climax, a series of eerie buzzing sounds echoed from the corridor opposite the bank vault—the same route the bank employees had used to escape. The terrifying noise was like an irregular vibration that made one's skin crawl. Everyone turned to look. At the far end of the corridor, several bank employees with horrified expressions were sprinting desperately in their direction. Behind them, a tide of Scythe Insects surged forward, accompanied by a swarm of fist-sized mosquitos. Their appearance was no different from ordinary mosquitos, only much larger. They were hideous and oversized, with eyes that flashed a vicious red and sharp mouthparts that glistened terrifyingly under the lights.

"Damn it!" was Chen Pingchuan's first reaction. But then, a hint of relief flashed across his face. "Forget it," he muttered, "let it all be destroyed."

So this simulation is a failure, he thought. Still, he decided to make an attempt, since he knew so little about the outside world this time around. What caused this city-destroying insect plague? Is there a safe way out? If I had retreated outside the city earlier, could I have avoided this swarm?

He had too many questions, but all his time had been spent fighting. His abilities were exhausted, making it impossible to even inherit his physical stats for the next run. While his other attributes might have grown, he didn't even need to check his Spirit; he knew it had already dropped to a freezing point.

"Kid, how about we stop for now and return to the vault?" Chen Pingchuan proposed.

However, there was no way Ren Fei would listen to his empty words now. His comrades had been reduced to just eight survivors; all the others had perished. If he stopped now, he knew an opportunity like this would never come again.

"Let's die together," Ren Fei said, his voice unprecedentedly calm. At that moment, it was as if he had found the meaning of life.

Chen Pingchuan looked at the resigned young man and found him suddenly interesting. Perhaps implanting the seed of parasitism in him next time wouldn't be a bad idea.

"AHHHH!"

Human screams of agony echoed through the hall. Lilia and Wei Hao, being closest to the swarm, were the first to be overwhelmed. The insects' razor-sharp claws tore bloody gashes across Lilia's body, staining her clothes crimson. Wei Hao was also drenched in his own blood. He collapsed helplessly into the growing pool, watching as the creatures crawled toward him.

The expressions on their faces puzzled Chen Pingchuan. It wasn't the fear and despair of a person facing death. Instead, it was a kind of inexplicable relief.

"Look!" Chen Pingchuan suddenly shouted. His pupils dilated as he pointed past the swarm, his expression the very definition of being pale with fright.

Ren Fei instinctively glanced in that direction. A realization flashed through his mind. Damn it! He's bluffing!

But he didn't immediately look away. He was genuinely shocked by what he saw beyond the swarm. So was Chen Pingchuan bluffing? Yes and no. The scene was indeed shocking, but at the same time, his subconscious was screaming at him, telling him what he needed to do.

Chen Pingchuan scrambled toward Li Yan. His steps were unsteady, but his resolve was firm. "I'm going to close the vault door," he said, forcing a smile that wasn't half-bad. "If I make it out alive, I'll open it for you. If I die, I promise I won't let your death be too ugly."

The words filled Li Yan's heart with a gratitude that felt like wine threatening to overflow its glass.

"No, I want to go with..."

"Listen to me," he cut her off. "Remember to activate all the protective shields for me. Just consider it my dying wish."

After speaking, Chen Pingchuan gave her a firm push.

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