Chapter 124: Gravely Wounded

The R3-type agile variants, known as "Breakers," are renowned for their speed and agility. They possess a terrifying burst capability, allowing them to push their speed to their physical limits in an instant, much like a cheetah. Xie Han was only able to kill one of these agile Breakers by using his own body as bait, creating an opportunity for a single, lethal strike.

However, Stalkers are different from Breakers. While their top speed is slightly lower and they lack the ability to burst forward instantaneously, they possess nearly fifty percent more raw power than a Breaker—a strength that is incomparable. Understanding this, Xie Han knew that the tactics he used against the Breaker would be fatal if applied to a Stalker. With the Stalker’s horrific strength, a single blow would be enough to leave him half-dead.

He must never be hit head-on by a Stalker. That was the rule Xie Han etched into his mind.

The distance between Xie Han and the two Stalkers was already short. As they closed in at high speed, Xie Han had the eerie sensation that he could smell the stench radiating from them. In the blur of the moment, he could clearly see their savage faces and the fine wrinkles on their skin. The two Stalkers, moving in from the left and right, used their momentum to lunge, jaws wide open, snapping toward Xie Han’s shoulders with razor-sharp teeth.

At the moment of impact, Xie Han felt his breath hitch. His mind seemed to sharpen, processing the trajectory of both attacks with crystalline clarity. He thrust his Tiger Tooth blade toward the Stalker on his right while simultaneously twisting his body, forcing himself through the narrow gap between the two creatures.

The teeth of the Stalker on his left tore through the high-strength ballistic fiber of his suit, grinding against the specialized metal of his micro-armor. The sheer force of their collision accelerated the impact, and with a violent tear, it ripped a massive chunk off the shoulder guard of his armor.

Simultaneously, Xie Han’s Tiger Tooth blade struck true, right in front of the mouth of the Stalker on his right. The Stalker’s cheetah-like, high-speed movement made it impossible for Xie Han to target its neck.

With their combined momentum, and bolstered by Xie Han’s Tier 3 strength, the blade flashed like a streak of light, slamming into the creature's maw. Xie Han felt a violent vibration travel through his arm, as if his entire limb were being shattered. The sudden numbness nearly caused him to drop the blade.

The force of the collision left Xie Han off-balance. After squeezing past the two monsters, he tumbled across the road like a car out of control. An agonizing pain radiated from his shoulder—a sensation as if his bones were cracking and pulling at his heart, leaving him gasping for air. His right hand was numb and twitching uncontrollably; he could feel moisture inside his glove, and he knew without looking that the impact had split the webbing between his thumb and forefinger.

"Woooo... Roar!" The Stalker whose mouth had been struck by the blade stood up, let out a heaven-piercing roar, and black blood gushed from its mouth as if it were endless. The sharpness of the Tiger Tooth, combined with Xie Han’s strength and the creature's own momentum, had sliced the left side of its jaw, a wound extending all the way to the base of its ear.

The second Stalker, emboldened by the roar of its wounded companion, halted its momentum and immediately pivoted, lunging toward the prone Xie Han.

"Damn it..." Xie Han didn't even have time to check if his bones were shattered. He scrambled up, abandoning the Tiger Tooth on the road. He grabbed his laser rifle, but his stiff, trembling hands were incapable of aiming. He could only wield it like a blunt weapon, swinging it wildly at the charging monster.

The searing pain and weakness in his left shoulder told him that the Stalker’s bite had likely crushed the bone while he had been focusing his strength on the right-hand attack.

The high-energy cutting beam of the laser rifle was powerful enough to slice through ordinary metal with ease, but Xie Han didn't think it would be more effective than the blade at this moment. It wasn't that he didn't want to use the Tiger Tooth; he simply couldn't control it with his trembling, numb arm. He had no choice but to use the rifle, as it required less physical exertion to swing.

His swinging arm was still faster than the Stalker. The laser blade cut across the creature's body, and a puff of smoke rose from the point of impact. A shallow mark appeared on the Stalker’s hide; the high temperature scorched the surface muscles, not even drawing a drop of black blood.

The evolution of the Stalkers was strange. Their bodies appeared robust and muscular, but their pain threshold was incredibly high. Unless the injury was catastrophic, they barely reacted to damage. The laser had merely breached the surface skin, and the Stalker, letting out only a faint whimper as if it had felt nothing, lunged straight at him.

In his battered state, Xie Han’s movements and reaction time had slowed significantly. The GGT biological agent had already dampened the Stalkers' movements, but Xie Han’s injury had effectively handed that advantage right back to them.

The Stalker’s gaping, blood-stained maw suddenly filled his vision, and the stench piercing through his helmet made him feel like he was suffocating. In that split-second of hesitation, the creature clamped its jaws down toward his head. Before he could react, it bit down with bone-crushing force.

"Ah..." Whether out of terror or a final desperate stand, Xie Han felt death closing in. In a panic, he ripped the GGT biological grenade from his belt and shoved it deep into the creature's jaws.

The Stalker’s bite was unstoppable. Xie Han’s entire head was engulfed in its mouth. The total darkness and the sound of sharp teeth grinding against his helmet made his heart race. The only thing protecting his skull was the micro-armor helmet. He knew that if it cracked, his head would be crushed like a squashed watermelon.

In that moment, Xie Han didn't know if he was praying to any known gods, but the sound of the GGT grenade being crushed felt like music to his ears. A scent like nitric acid—mixed with a cocktail of other toxic chemicals—floated up, so overwhelming it nearly made him faint.

The screeching sound of metal against teeth vanished instantly under the influence of the chemical. The Stalker, highly sensitive to the substance that had caused it such agony, didn't bother trying to tear the helmet off. It released him and leaped backward.

"Roar!" The unfortunate creature shook its head violently, trying to expel the agent, but it wasn't a piece of meat that could simply be spat out. Staggering like a drunkard, it reeled across the road. The corrosive effects of the GGT agent on zombie tissue were perfected within the Stalker’s body. The excruciating pain reached an unbearable peak in seconds; it writhed on the road, black liquid erupting from its mouth, staining the asphalt.

The once ferocious Stalker now lay twitching like a frail old man. The internal corrosion was rapidly draining its life force. Though its brain remained active, the systemic damage left it unable to control its body, leaving it to howl in agony on the ground.

Xie Han hadn't expected the unfinished GGT agent to be so devastatingly effective against a creature as strong as an R3 Stalker. But the price of this victory was too high—it was a gamble with his own life. He didn't know if he would be so lucky next time, or how many more seconds his helmet could have held out.

While Xie Han was still dazed, the first Stalker—the one with the mangled face—had finally recovered from its pain and was silently creeping toward him.

The alert snipers had been intimidated by Xie Han’s ferocity, but they had kept their sights locked on the Stalker’s head the entire time. They hadn't fired earlier to avoid drawing its attention. Seeing it attempt a sneak attack, they didn't hesitate. Six beams of light erupted simultaneously, slamming into the creature’s body.

The sudden barrage knocked the Stalker over, jolting Xie Han back to reality.

Realizing the ambush had failed, the Stalker leaped up and charged again. Xie Han, still lightheaded, instinctively threw himself onto the ground, grabbed the Tiger Tooth, and slashed upward.

The Stalkers had no reason, only the instinct to kill and consume. Even after the heavy wounds it had sustained, the creature showed no fear. It didn't bother to dodge the blade, instead raising its razor-sharp claws to swipe at Xie Han’s chest—a suicidal, mutual-destruction tactic.

He felt the blade sink in, knowing it had struck the Stalker’s head, but before the thought could finish, a searing pain exploded in his chest. His micro-armor buckled, and the sound of his own ribs cracking, followed by a sensation of being launched into the air, told him the blow had been devastating.

He was swatted like a ragdoll, flying over a dozen meters before crashing into an abandoned car with a loud *thud*. "Cough... cough... damn it, I really pushed it this time..." The pain in his chest, combined with the impact, left his vision swimming in black. He tried to stand, but he was swaying violently, unable to find his balance or direction.

The damage inflicted by the Tiger Tooth was limited; without his momentum and with his arm numb, he hadn't been able to put any real force behind the strike. It had only added a minor scratch to the Stalker.

The monster didn't pause. Having landed its blow, it lunged again at the swaying Xie Han, covering the ten-meter distance in a blur.

"Fire!" Zhao Bai'an roared. Six beams of light fired silently, knocking the Stalker to the ground as it prepared to strike again.

Perhaps in the Stalker’s mind, Xie Han was the ultimate threat. Despite being hit by the beams, it didn't abandon him, instead leaping up with even more ferocity. Ignoring the sniper fire, it raised its forelimbs to strike once more.

*Boom!* Xie Han was tossed like a kite with a broken string, flying another dozen meters and smashing into the roof of a car. The metal roof buckled under his three-hundred-pound impact. Shattered glass rained down, and as he rolled off the roof, he crushed the remaining shards into dust.

Xie Han felt as though every bone in his body had been pulverized. He coughed up blood. If not for the protection of the micro-armor, he didn't dare imagine if he would have been dead long ago. The burning sensation in his body made his head swim; he couldn't find his balance, and no matter how he struggled, he couldn't stand.

The Stalker screeched as it leaped onto a car, crushing the roof, then vaulted again, landing on another vehicle. In a few jumps, it not only reached Xie Han but successfully dodged two more rounds of fire from Zhao Bai'an’s team.

Xie Han shook his head, trying to clear the fog, but his brain felt congested, unable to focus. He leaned against a car, struggling to pull himself up. Looking up, he saw several blurred silhouettes of the Stalker. It loomed over him like a predator inspecting its prey, saliva and blood dripping from its jaws. The stench was so foul it nearly made him collapse again.

Xie Han offered a bitter smile. The searing pain in his chest left him with no strength. He reached his functioning right hand to his belt. *Thank god.* The GGT grenades were still intact. He pulled one from the four he had left, silently thanking his own foresight for attaching them to his belt instead of leaving them in the box. Without this, he would have no chance left today.

The Stalker stared at the blue liquid in the grenade with a hint of fear, hissing softly.

"You... you bastard... cough... cough... come and get me if you've got the guts!" Xie Han’s voice was slurred. He leaned against the car door, roaring at the Stalker on the roof. The exertion made his knees buckle, and more blood bubbled from his lips.

The Stalker, smelling the thick scent of blood, became increasingly agitated, emitting frantic, whining sounds.

Seeing the Stalker hesitate on the roof, and seeing Xie Han struggling to remain upright, Zhao Bai'an shouted with joy: "Everyone, aim for the beast's temple! If anyone misses, you'll answer to me when we get back!" The five snipers grew solemn; they knew their commander was at his limit and desperately needed their help.

"Ready... fire!" Zhao Bai'an screamed. Six beams of light fired simultaneously, striking the Stalker’s head.

The precise, concentrated fire hit the creature's temples perfectly. The attack was devastating, especially against the already-wounded weak point. Even its tough hide couldn't withstand the barrage, and it was torn open, revealing the pulsating neural tissue beneath.

The Stalker tumbled to the ground, disappearing from the snipers' line of sight. But Xie Han sensed an infinite danger looming. The Stalker scrambled up, showing no more fear or hesitation, and charged at him with jaws wide open.

The distance of a few meters took less than 0.1 seconds. As death closed in, Xie Han’s mind suddenly cleared. He stared into the charging maw, raised his hand holding the GGT grenade, and thrust it forward with every ounce of his remaining strength.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

Xie Han’s entire arm was forced into the Stalker’s mouth. Under the force of his explosive thrust, the grenade ruptured, the fluid pouring deep into the creature's gullet.

*Snap.* The crazed Stalker clamped its jaws shut. Even with the protection of his micro-armor, the force of the bite snapped the bones in his arm. Xie Han’s chest took another brutal impact, slamming him into the car and crumpling the frame.

Xie Han looked at his right arm with a dazed, nervous expression. "Still... still there... the arm is still there..." As he muttered this, his head felt like it was exploding. The world turned black, and he collapsed onto the road, losing consciousness.