The engine of the dull gray sedan roared harshly, tearing through the curtain of rain pouring over the capital. The windshield was soaked with water and splattered mud, but the loudly squeaking wipers kept sweeping the view clear.In the driver's seat, Luna slammed the gas pedal to the floor. Her left hand gripped the steering wheel desperately, while her broken right arm, bound in a cast, could only rest stiffly against her chest. The former auditor's face was deathly pale, but her eyes radiated a terrifying determination."Hold on, Han! I am pushing through!" Luna yelled over the screaming engine.Up ahead, the final toll gate leading to the city outskirts had been blockaded. Two armored patrol cars belonging to the Hunter Association were parked sideways, their red and blue strobe lights flashing blindingly. Several guards armed with long-barreled rifles stood behind the barricade, gesturing for the sedan to stop."You are crazy! You only have one good arm, damn it!" Jihan shot bac

The rusted steel axe blade was still vibrating violently after embedding itself two inches deep into the concrete wall, positioned right next to Jihan's right ear. Fresh blood dripped from the scratch on his cheek, flowing down to soak the collar of his tattered black shirt.In the darkness of the old clinic, a massive shadow surged forward with heavy breaths. The man intended to pull his axe back out to launch a second attack.However, Jihan's combat instincts reacted far faster than normal human logic.Instead of stepping back to dodge, Jihan's right hand, still wet with the blood of his enemies from last night, shot straight forward. He caught the wooden handle of the axe bare-handed. His grip was so strong, locking the axe to the wall until his knuckles turned white."Take one more step, and this axe is going to split your head open," Jihan hissed quietly. His voice sounded incredibly hoarse, radiating a coldness that was more freezing than the morning air of Sector Z.The giant f

The once dull burlap sack was now soaking wet, dripping fresh blood onto the thick mud of Sector Z.Jihan and Luna froze behind the clinic's shattered windows. The air around them suddenly felt like it had been sucked into a vacuum. Jihan's heart, forced to age and heal repeatedly by the damned system, beat with an incredibly painful rhythm.Out there, in the middle of the muddy dirt road, a massive man with a glowing red cybernetic eye laughed out loud. His mechanical laugh was accompanied by the chuckles of his four heavily armed subordinates. The man lifted the bloody sack high in his hand, then slammed it into a mud puddle with inhuman force."Come on out, Hero!" the lead bounty hunter yelled. His voice was amplified by an implant speaker in his neck, echoing off the walls of the rickety shacks in Sector Z. "I brought a special gift for you!"The end of the sack tore open from the harsh impact.A human body covered in blood and filth rolled out of the sack, coming to a stop right

The shadow of a massive sledgehammer towered over Jihan, blocking the light rain falling from Sector Z's sky.Jihan's left foot was completely trapped in the asphalt, which had hardened like concrete. He couldn't jump. He couldn't even shift his weight. In front of him, the bounty hunter leader, his glowing red cybernetic eyes burning, reared his weapon overhead, ready to crush Jihan's skull like a ripe watermelon."I'm wiping you flat into the asphalt, you scumbag porter!" the giant roared, veins bulging wildly on his neck.In that frozen second, Jihan didn't close his eyes. Instead, he smirked."System," Jihan called out in his mind, his voice ice-cold. "Open your sale right now. I'm broke, so give me the cheapest, most lethal package you've got."The air before his face vibrated violently. The virtual screen of the Death Bank flared into existence, washing over his eyes with blood-red light. Rapid corporate keystrokes echoed inside his skull.[DEATH BANK: EMERGENCY CLEARANCE SALE]

Black smoke and concrete dust as thick as a desert storm filled the back room of the half-destroyed clinic. Jihan's ears rang violently, as if thousands of bees were trapped inside his eardrums."Cough! Cough!"Jihan coughed hard, spitting blood mixed with dust onto the floor. As usual, his numb tongue made the blood taste like bland, murky water. He shoved aside the wooden debris pinning his back, then crawled quickly to the corner of the room."Dian! Luna!" Jihan called out hoarsely.Behind an overturned iron desk, Luna was trying to protect Dian's face with her own body. The former auditor panted heavily, her face covered in soot. Her healthy left hand tightly gripped the edge of the rusted wheelchair where Dian was laid. His sister still had her eyes closed. The purple veins on her neck pulsed constantly, defying the apocalypse around them."We are still breathing, Han!" Luna replied, her voice raspy. She glanced toward the front hallway. The barking of mutant hounds and the heavy