Chapter 143: Biding His Time

In the Central Garden, Cheng Xianglong hung up the phone and let out a sigh of relief.

He was in no condition to act now. All he could do was conserve his strength and wait for everyone else to arrive.

Nearby, Yi Lin stood in a daze, fretting over where Yi Chen and Lu Yu had gone.

A few minutes earlier, Yi Chen had swept his sword across the room, blasting a huge hole through the thick wall.

Amid the chaos of flying rubble and the collapsing stage suspended overhead, Lu Yu had concealed his presence and vanished.

Yi Chen lost track of him for a moment, but soon concluded that his opponent was no longer there.

The Central Garden was like a cylindrical sealed chamber. Before this, there had been only one entrance, and there was hardly any cover anywhere. Now that a large hole had been opened in the wall, if Lu Yu had managed to leave quickly, the most likely explanation was that he had used it.

Yi Chen immediately pursued him.

He was searching for clues when two dull thuds sounded overhead, followed by the screech of twisting metal.

Lu Yu was clinging to the outer wall of the main building and had already climbed to the second floor.

There was a European-style lattice window there. He had smashed away the cement around its edge with his fists, then used both hands and teeth to wrench and bite apart the ornamental metalwork until he had made an opening large enough for a man to pass through.

The moment Yi Chen saw Lu Yu squeeze inside, he began working out his next move.

This was the second time he had undergone complete zombification, and he had gained a certain understanding of his own abilities.

The first time, he had easily cleaved a Crawler in two. Later, he had tested himself against several weapons of war wielded by the human forces. All of that had been part of his effort to probe and explore his own strength.

Those victories had come far too easily to reveal his true limits. Lu Yu was no ordinary opponent, and the fight had awakened Yi Chen’s interest. Perhaps this time, he could arrive at a more accurate assessment of his power.

The second floor was roughly fifteen or sixteen meters above him.

Yi Chen gauged the height. It was within his capabilities. The difficulty lay in the cylindrical structure itself. The wall had been built with finely crafted bricks, whose shallow joints offered little purchase.

From his earlier memories, he knew that a broad, curved French staircase on one side of the Central Garden led to the second floor. But reaching it would take some time.

That amount of time might mean little to other people, but Lu Yu moved at nearly the same speed as Yi Chen. It would be more than enough for him to set a simple trap upstairs and lie in wait.

Yi Chen could not give him that opportunity.

He took several steps back, then hurled the sword in his hand—Evilbane.

With a ringing clang, the great sword sank into the outer wall halfway between the ground and the lattice window.

He bent his knees and sprang upward, catching the hilt with precision. His body swung through the air, and using the momentum, he yanked the sword free and leapt toward the lattice window above.

He swung the sword again, driving it into the wall beside the window to anchor himself.

After swaying twice through the air like a pendulum, he sprang up and caught the windowsill. With a heave, he reached his destination.

Passing through the gap Lu Yu had made in the latticework, Yi Chen found himself on the second floor, among the exhibition hall and the concentrated souvenir sales area.

Row upon row of display cabinets and showcases stood in perfect order. The place looked as though no one had ever passed through it.

But Lu Yu had still left traces behind.

He had lost too much blood earlier. Blood stained his clothes and shoes, leaving scattered crimson flecks across the polished white marble floor.

Yi Chen was about to follow the trail when, without warning, all the bright fluorescent lamps overhead went out with a series of sharp pops.

He heightened his guard. In the darkness, his perception, sense of smell, and hearing remained unaffected. But his eyesight—which was scarcely better than an ordinary person’s to begin with—had been completely cut off.

He had fought Crawlers and Stalkers several times before, and this body had developed a certain resistance to their attacks.

He knew what his opponent was capable of, but he had no way of knowing when that opponent would strike.

A flash of electricity split the darkness. Crackling current transformed into a long whip like a maddened serpent and lashed toward him.

Yi Chen retreated swiftly, but crashed into a rack. A deafening clatter rang out as its contents went flying.

The current plunged straight down, gouging a deep crater into the marble floor like a bolt of lightning from the heavens.

While Yi Chen’s feet were tangled among the scattered debris, Lu Yu vanished once more.

Yi Chen was no stranger to this hit-and-run style of combat. That was how the Stalkers had fought in the past. But Lu Yu was not a Stalker.

He had only just transformed, fusing the abilities of the Crawler and the Stalker. His memories were still in chaos. It was only through direct combat with Yi Chen that he had begun to discover what he could do.

In other words, he was adapting even as he fought.

He continued testing his strength, but he had realized that he was at a disadvantage in a direct confrontation with Yi Chen. He had to capitalize on his own strengths.

The Crawler was reckless and direct. The Stalker was sly and furtive. Lu Yu, meanwhile, was an opportunist skilled at creating diversions and striking where least expected.

He had gradually grasped Yi Chen’s rhythm in battle. While concealed, he analyzed Yi Chen’s strengths and weaknesses.

Yi Chen was terrifying after becoming a zombie. His speed, strength, and explosive bursts were all astonishing. He also possessed an outrageously powerful weapon. His advantages were numerous and obvious—too many to list.

He had only one weakness.

He feared electricity.

And Lu Yu was more than capable of bringing him down with that one advantage alone.

He needed to create an opening without arousing suspicion, to make Yi Chen lower his guard. All he needed was a single instant.

Lu Yu controlled the electricity once more, using the display racks as cover as he launched attack after attack. Yi Chen dodged every one.

The currents struck the floor, carving deep scars and craters into it.

Yi Chen seemed not to realize the true purpose behind Lu Yu’s actions. He swung his great sword and destroyed the exhibition hall with complete abandon.

In the darkness, Lu Yu could conceal his presence and retain the initiative. Yi Chen’s attempt to defend himself and counterattack was therefore far from easy.

Evilbane was a mighty weapon, but when it could not strike its target, it seemed little more than an outlet for its master’s frustration, slashing wildly without purpose.

Their battle soon transformed the surrounding area into a ruin. The floor was pitted and mangled, and in some places it had grown loose enough to creak beneath their feet.

Yi Chen’s reckless attacks were exactly what Lu Yu wanted. This was the second floor, and both the floor and the walls had borne the full force of the destruction.

If the floor collapsed, Yi Chen would have no way to climb back up. Whatever other abilities he possessed, he would at least lose his defenses while falling.

If Lu Yu could time it correctly and draw him into a place where he could unleash his electricity, he could win with a single strike.

Crack!

Yi Chen’s foot broke through the floor, and his body lost its balance.

Lu Yu charged out from the corner.

This was his chance.

Purple currents erupted along his arm, restless and violent, straining to be released.

In that split second, Lu Yu saw Yi Chen’s red-glowing eyes.

They resembled the eyes of a demon from hell—cold, savage, and lit with something almost like delight.

Delight?

Lu Yu suddenly understood.

His opponent had been waiting for this moment too.

Yi Chen had seen through his intentions long ago and had turned them against him.

A strange sensation burst through Lu Yu’s consciousness. He suddenly felt an exhilarating thrill in fighting Yi Chen.

Across from him, Yi Chen let out a savage roar. To meet a worthy opponent was a joy, and he was delighted to fight.

Boom!

Purple lightning struck Yi Chen squarely in the chest, while Evilbane pierced through Lu Yu’s body.