Chapter 133: First Intimate Encounter with Mu Ning

"Ah... I'll eat you!" The scale-like kagune transformed into armor, enveloping the right side of Yamori's body, creating a truly grotesque appearance.

Within just a few seconds, Yamori’s power had surged to a level capable of contending with Si Kongxu, who had unlocked the Gate of Opening.

"Roar... ah..."

Yamori lunged forward suddenly. His right arm, completely encased in the kagune, morphed into a massive claw made entirely of the same substance.

*Boom!*

Yamori swung his giant kagune claw downward with tremendous force, aiming straight for Si Kongxu. The intense pressure of the gale caused Si Kongxu’s eyes to sting.

"Hmph!"

Si Kongxu let out a cold snort. While the power of a half-kakuja was indeed formidable, he was no slouch himself with the Gate of Opening engaged!

Facing the ferocious descending claw, Si Kongxu leaped into the air and threw a punch, pouring all his strength into the strike against the giant kagune appendage.

*Boom!*

The moment Si Kongxu’s fist connected with the claw, a shockwave of raw power erupted, whipping up a violent gust of wind. The dust and debris within a ten-meter radius were instantly cleared away, a testament to the sheer force of their collision.

"Tsk, what a nuisance." After a split-second pause, Si Kongxu’s speed exploded once more. His figure flickered, and in the next heartbeat, he appeared beside Yamori, delivering a powerful kick.

*Boom!*

*Boom, boom, boom!*

After the muffled impacts, Si Kongxu’s form vanished again. A blink later, he appeared from another angle, landing a punch on Yamori’s body. He repeated this, landing dozens of strikes in quick succession.

"Ah—!" Yamori screamed in agony from the relentless barrage, his giant claw thrashing about wildly.

Nearby shipping containers and buildings were shredded to pieces by his frantic flailing. Fortunately, Si Kongxu had taken a moment during the assault to move Liu Mingming to a safer distance; otherwise, she surely would have fallen victim to Yamori’s indiscriminate destruction.

Although the half-kakuja transformation had granted Yamori immense strength, rivaling Si Kongxu’s Gate-enhanced power, he was nowhere near as fast. Furthermore, having lost his sanity, Yamori’s attacks were purely instinctual and lacked any finesse. Thus, by leveraging his superior speed and a bit of technique, Si Kongxu was able to crush him, leaving him with no room to counter.

Having used his physical strength for so long, Si Kongxu felt the source energy within him gradually replenishing. He immediately converted the small amount of recovered energy into internal force.

"This is... the final blow!" Si Kongxu stared coldly at the half-crippled Yamori, channeling the converted internal force into his leg.

In an instant!

*Whoosh!*

Si Kongxu’s body blurred into an afterimage, streaking through the air as he leaped upward. In a flash, he delivered a devastating kick infused with his internal force!

*Thud—!*

A sound like a muffled thunderclap rang out as the strike, charged with terrifying power, landed squarely on Yamori’s head. The kick was not only immensely strong but also carried the unique piercing quality of internal force. Because Si Kongxu had struck at a downward angle, the sheer impact forced Yamori to his knees.

The hard concrete floor cracked, forming two small craters where his knees struck the ground!

Yamori’s eyes bulged, and the veins on his temples pulsed with a terrifying intensity. He remained motionless on his knees; clearly, the force of Si Kongxu’s kick had pierced directly into his brain.

Yamori was dead.

"Whew..." Seeing that Yamori had completely ceased all signs of life, Si Kongxu finally let his guard down. The anger he had felt at seeing a ghoul slaughter and prey upon humans slowly began to subside.

Though this battle appeared effortless—a total rout—Si Kongxu was actually in great pain. His physical constitution was not yet up to the standard required for the Gate of Opening, and forced activation caused damage similar to opening the fourth gate, the Gate of Pain. Even though his "Giant’s Recovery" healed the damage almost instantly, the agony remained unavoidable. In other words, every second of the fight, Si Kongxu had been enduring the torment of his own body breaking down. Had it not been for his iron will, he would have collapsed long ago.

"Hiss... that hurts..." The moment he confirmed Yamori was dead, Si Kongxu deactivated the Eight Inner Gates formation. His eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead throbbed. If the fight had lasted any longer, he wasn't sure he could have held on.

Glancing at Liu Mingming, who was safe and sound not far away, Si Kongxu finally felt at ease.

"Man, I might have overdone it this time..." Looking at the blood and corpses strewn across the area, the scene was a living hell.

Si Kongxu stood motionless, offering a bitter smile. He wanted to lie down and rest, but his body ached so much he dared not move. Even twitching a finger felt excruciating.

"I wonder when the team Li Yang sent will arrive. They're so slow. If I hadn't come, things would have gone sideways long ago," he complained to himself.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the gate in the distance—at least ten people, by the sound of it.

Hearing the noise, Si Kongxu stiffened. In his current state, he couldn't use "Precision Perception," so he couldn't tell if the newcomers were allies or foes.

A moment later, the group rushed in, only to be stunned by the carnage before them.

"This is..."

There were over a dozen of them, all humans in uniform. They stared blankly at the ruined factory, then locked eyes with Si Kongxu, who stood amidst the rubble.

"Did you do all this?" asked the person in the lead.

When Si Kongxu didn't answer, the leader remained silent for a moment before ordering, "Surround him!"

The group immediately closed in on Si Kongxu.

"Hey, hey, wait, I'm on your side! Don't do this!" Si Kongxu said with a grimace; even speaking caused his facial muscles to scream in pain.

He didn't recognize any of these people, which meant they were likely second-year students from Dawn Academy.

"On our side? Do you have any proof? According to intelligence, ghouls don't look much different from humans," the leader stated.

"Wait, I know him, he's a first-year," a familiar voice spoke up. It was Mu Ning, who had arrived with them.

She was wearing the female uniform, the short skirt giving her a youthful air, though Si Kongxu still felt her previous "older sister" style suited her better.

"If you know him, Ning'er, then I suppose he is one of us," the leader said with a smile.

Mu Ning seemed slightly displeased by the way he addressed her, but she didn't say anything.

"Come... come help me, I'm dying here..." Si Kongxu whispered to Mu Ning.

"What happened to you? Did you do all this?" Instinctively, Mu Ning stepped forward to support him, letting him drape his arm over her shoulder while she held his waist.

"Ugh, I had no choice..." Si Kongxu inadvertently rested his other hand on Mu Ning’s waist. The sensation was quite pleasant.

Mu Ning noticed the small gesture, but Si Kongxu feigned complete ignorance, successfully fooling her.

"Just help me get to a place to rest first. I'll explain everything later..."

"Fine."

Though Mu Ning didn't mind the contact, to the onlookers, they appeared incredibly intimate. The leader’s expression, in particular, darkened significantly.