Chapter 117: Meeting Again

Ji Cheng had never expected to run into Yao Lun right at the entrance.

Fortunately, he had already reached a relatively open area. Had he not reacted in time—even just ten seconds later—he would have been cornered. Ji Cheng felt immensely grateful that his mind remained sharp and that he hadn't relied on wishful thinking.

"Run for your life!"

Driven by the desperate need to survive, Ji Cheng channeled every ounce of his remaining stamina. Like a streak of black light, he vaulted from the doorway to the window in an instant.

"Trying to run? Stay right where you are!"

Yao Lun, caught off guard by Ji Cheng’s sudden appearance, froze for a split second before letting out a wild roar.

"Like I care."

With only two minutes left until the nuclear missile launch, Ji Cheng had no time to waste on a confrontation. Without looking back, he smashed through the window. Instead of heading for the manor's main gate, he sprinted straight toward the nearest perimeter fence, intending to climb over. He was no match for Yao Lun, especially after being injured by his explosive strikes; this was hardly the time to engage.

Whoosh.

Ji Cheng had no intention of fighting; he simply kept his head down and ran.

Yao Lun, preparing to give chase, sneered upon seeing Ji Cheng’s speed. "Your stamina is failing, as I expected."

In reality, given the cellular activity boost from the "Ghost Vine" genetic progenitor, Ji Cheng’s endurance was not necessarily inferior to Yao Lun’s. At the level of a Tier 2 ability user, sprinting a few kilometers—or even dozens—would not typically be an issue. The problem was that they had recently engaged in a brutal fight, and the cost of combat was far higher than mere running.

Yao Lun, shielded by his energy barrier, had focused entirely on offense, preserving his stamina well. Ji Cheng, however, had been forced to constantly dodge, avoiding the corrosive dead branches, and had repeatedly used "Remorse." His energy reserves were nearly depleted.

"Hmph."

Yao Lun shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, pursuing Ji Cheng.

He chased, and Ji Cheng ran for his life. Yao Lun, relentless in his pursuit, acted like a catalyst; whenever the gap threatened to close, Ji Cheng—already exhausted—would squeeze a final shred of strength from the depths of his muscles in the face of crisis.

Between life and death, adrenaline surged, and his core genes underwent transcription and expression at maximum speed. It felt as if countless thin needles were piercing his muscle cells, causing his body to heat up with sharp, tearing pain. His physical condition, which had lagged behind his assimilation level, began to strengthen incrementally. It was only through this desperate squeezing of his potential that he managed to avoid being caught.

His tactical boots slammed into the ground, causing the stone path to ring out as he vaulted away.

"There’s less than two minutes until the missile launch. There’s no way to escape the blast radius in time. I have to shake off Old Yao as fast as possible and find an underground safe house to hide in."

High grass, boulders, and tree branches could not stop Ji Cheng; the air current he generated simply swept them aside. He tore through the tangled, wooded grove like a storm, arriving and vanishing in a heartbeat.

Along the narrow forest path, dense cypress trees were shattered by his impact. At full speed, he had no time to dodge, so he focused his Tyrant Serum into his arms to shield his head and face, charging through everything in his path.

Sturdy gazebos, plaques embedded in corridors, and benches decorated with brass engravings offered no resistance; with ear-piercing cracks, everything collapsed in his wake. Even the occasional mutated animal failed to impede him. He dispatched the low-level ones casually and leapt over the larger ones without breaking stride. Despite the visible fatigue on his face, his movements remained as swift as a cheetah.

"Huff... this isn't working."

"What do I do? Old Yao won't stop tailing me..." Ji Cheng lamented inwardly. "If I hadn't used 'Remorse' so much during our fight, I would have shaken him off long ago."

Behind him, Yao Lun, eyes burning crimson, pursued him at full speed.

Ten meters, nine, eight... the distance between them was closing.

*Sss!* Corrosive, rotting branches and blinding electric arcs struck from behind.

"Again?"

Ji Cheng’s kidneys tightened, and he lunged to the side. The stimulation to his muscles intensified, and the pain grew more pronounced. He could not afford to be entangled; he couldn't stop even for a moment.

*Thud.*

Ji Cheng kicked a rockery, and with a low, explosive sound, the two-meter-high structure shattered, scattering into countless fragments of gray-white stone, debris, and dust. Using the momentum, he twisted his body desperately, changing direction and darting diagonally to the left.

Trees were snapped in half as they passed, and the leaves beneath their feet crunched violently. The lawn, meticulously tended by the groundskeepers, was churned up by the sheer force of their footing—it looked as if a herd of wild oxen had plowed through it, with soil and roots churned to the surface.

"Go to hell!"

In a flash, Yao Lun struck again. The dead branches traced a murderous arc through the air, aiming for Ji Cheng’s left shoulder. Electric arcs danced along the grim, withered wood, reflecting flashes of light, and corrosive liquid sprayed out like a miniature waterfall.

Ji Cheng had nowhere to hide and was forced to turn and strike a defensive pose. He had to block.

He held his dagger in his right hand while his left hand flicked up in front of Yao Lun. As the "Remorse" lattice activated, golden contact points flickered across his palm.

"What on earth is that thing?"

After a brief exchange, Yao Lun flexed his fingers—and the dead branches at their tips—asking with a voice full of hatred. This intangible form of attack had caused him no end of trouble.

"None of your business." Ji Cheng took off running again.

"But just running like this isn't going to work... My stamina is almost spent, and I can't shake him. This is going to end badly."

*Beep—*

Since Yao Lun had already found him, he simply opened his wrist-mounted computer.

"Shana, help me analyze how to handle this!"

Adrenaline had pushed Ji Cheng into a state of high mental and physical arousal, but even running at full capacity, a human brain could not compete with a Data Ethereal. Upon his command, Shana rapidly processed all available information, displaying it in different zones on his tactical visor.

*Clang!*

He parried another strike from Yao Lun, finding a split second to glance at the semi-transparent data.

*Enemy pursuit speed...*
*Current physical status...*
*Predicted enemy actions... probability...*
*Evasion possibilities...*
*Counter-attack plans... success rates...*

Shana had listed everything she could think of, thoughtfully using a small font.

"Ah! That’s not what I meant!" Ji Cheng finally couldn't help but shout. His momentum faltered, and his speed dropped slightly.

*Shana still lacks experience. If Chen Qian were here, her professional expertise would definitely be able to help me...*

In that second, Ji Cheng couldn't help but miss his little secretary.

The analytical and computational power of a Data Ethereal was indeed far beyond that of a human. Although Shana hadn't systematically studied the relevant fields and the combat module was something Ji Cheng had written himself, she usually provided significant help. She could compensate for her lack of experience with analytical capabilities that were accurate enough to be predictive.

But right now, the issue wasn't how to fight; he was about to be blown to bits.

Seeing that the nuclear missile would launch in just one minute, Ji Cheng finally came to a halt.