50: Chapter 50 My fault, I thought you were hired.

Seeing that the creature appearing was not a Shattered Steel Weaver, Zhang Zhenhai and the others breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Although this Prowling Hunter Cutter was also strong, they could still handle it.

Therefore, Zhang Zhenhai and his team didn't overdo things.

After Qin Lie came stumbling back, their squad moved almost simultaneously, quickly shielding him behind them and protecting him.

The five-man formation unfolded once more, broadswords and war hammers aimed at the Prowling Hunter Cutter that was slowly revealing itself.

Meanwhile, Gu Changming stood on a tilted metal plate not far away, hands shoved in his coat pockets, watching quietly.

The battle erupted in an instant.

Unlike when they dealt with the Rusted Hounds before, Zhang Zhenhai and his team were clearly struggling much more this time.

The Cutter's movements were startlingly fast; its pair of high-frequency vibrating monomolecular blades sliced through the air, every swing exerting a significant impact on them.

Their heavy armor seemed fragile before such blades; after a few exchanges, the armor on their bodies was more or less marred by split-open cracks.

Furthermore, the Prowling Hunter Cutter's body was exceptionally agile and fast, always sliding aside to dodge at the last moment. It was only thanks to Zhang Zhenhai's constant shouting and commands for the team members to provide alternating cover that they barely maintained the line.

The sharp clangs of metal colliding were as dense as rain.

Gu Changming watched for a while, discerning the habits and flaws of these individuals.

He didn't have any ulterior motives; it was just a habit.

Yes, that was it.

Before long, Gu Changming noticed the combat circle beginning to shift faintly toward his direction.

In the gap after parrying a diagonal slash, Zhang Zhenhai suddenly turned his head and roared toward Gu Changming: "Friend! Lend a hand! This thing is too troublesome!"

Gu Changming heard him clearly.

But he didn't move.

He remained in the same posture with his hands in his pockets, his stance not even changing. He merely lifted his eyelids slightly and glanced at Zhang Zhenhai.

Zhang Zhenhai froze for a moment, a hint of irritation appearing in the eyes he used to look at Gu Changming.

He thought the other party would at least step in to help maneuver, even if only for show.

But Gu Changming didn't even bother to make a show of it.

He just stood there, watching.

Noticing the anger in the other's eyes, the corners of Gu Changming's mouth curled up.

They were actually getting angry because he wouldn't fall for their trap?

Under other circumstances, he certainly wouldn't have minded helping.

But in this situation, the other party clearly took him for a fool. If he still stepped in to help them now, he really would be a fool.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhenhai didn't give up. He exchanged a glance with his teammates, and they understood each other implicitly.

Over the next few rounds, they fought while retreating, their formation intentionally or unintentionally tilting toward Gu Changming's direction.

Then, while parrying, one team member holding a broadsword seemed to slow down for a split second, his strength weakening by thirty percent.

This intentionally exposed flaw gave the Cutter an opportunity.

The high-frequency vibrating monomolecular blade traced a blinding arc of light, slamming hard against the broadsword. The massive force sent the sword flying, and the team member let out a muffled groan as he was knocked backward through the air.

The Cutter's strike succeeded, leaving a wide opening in the encirclement, and the first person in its path was Gu Changming.

It lunged forward with the momentum, its hideous form inevitably clashing with Gu Changming.

At this moment, a glimmer of a successful scheme flashed in Zhang Zhenhai's eyes.

If he wasn't willing to join, then being forced to join would have to do.

With Gu Changming involved, their squad could coordinate closely and shift the pressure onto him, allowing their side to minimize injuries as much as possible.

Finally, when the other party was about to be killed, they would step in to finish off this Prowling Hunter Cutter.

At that time, the guy would even have to thank them.

However, just as the Cutter's blade was about to enter the three-meter range in front of Gu Changming...

Gu Changming moved.

He didn't draw his blade, nor did he parry; he didn't even give the lunging Cutter a second look.

With just a light tap of his foot, his figure rapidly retreated. This was followed by a second and third graceful step as he used the momentum to maneuver away.

In a few leaps, he was already over ten meters away, completely outside their combat range.

The joy on Zhang Zhenhai's face instantly froze. He never expected Gu Changming to do this.

Simultaneously, the Cutter's lunge hit nothing. The next second, the panic and opening in Zhang Zhenhai's squad caused by their teammate being knocked away drew its full attention.

It swung its blades violently, letting out an even sharper screech, and turned to pounce once more on Zhang Zhenhai and the others, whose formation was already in disarray.

"Hold the line! Fast!" Zhang Zhenhai's expression changed drastically as he roared, trying to reorganize the defense.

But it was too late.

The flaw that team member had just sold not only put a significant distance between him and the squad, making it impossible to reinforce them immediately, but also disrupted the rhythm the squad had been struggling to maintain.

As the Cutter attacked ferociously, two of the team members grew anxious, their footwork faltering slightly, and the opponent immediately seized the opportunity.

Squelch! Squelch!

The dull sounds of blades slicing through armor rang out in succession.

A deep, bone-deep gash was ripped into one team member's arm, and blood gushed out instantly.

The other person fared even worse; his breastplate was sliced diagonally. Although he avoided vital organs, a long bloody trail stretched from his shoulder to his ribs, causing him to stumble back with a cry of pain.

In just a few seconds, what had been a difficult battle took a sudden turn for the worse, falling into a perilous state.

After a bout of brutal and intense fighting, the Prowling Hunter Cutter emitted a short electronic screech, the energy conduits within its body erupted in several clusters of sparks, and it crashed to the ground.

Zhang Zhenhai's squad had paid a significant price. Of the five-man team, four were injured and pale; the most severely injured one was nearly disemboweled.

Zhang Zhenhai's chest heaved violently, and he was drenched in sweat. Without even looking at the valuable wreckage of the Cutter on the ground, he strode directly toward Gu Changming.

His steps were heavy, seemingly carrying an undisguised anger.

Standing still in front of Gu Changming, Zhang Zhenhai looked up and questioned in a stiff tone: "What did you just do?"

Gu Changming looked down at him, the corners of his mouth slowly pulling into a very faint, almost imperceptible smile.

"What?" Gu Changming's tone carried a perfectly measured confusion, as if he truly didn't understand what the other was angry about.

Seeing his playing-dumb act, the anger in Zhang Zhenhai's eyes almost overflowed. He raised his hand and pointed at the previous battlefield, his voice rising: "You dodged! That thing rushed at you just now, and you fucking jumped away! We were caught off guard!"

"Oh." Gu Changming drew out the word, making an expression of realization and nodding. "You mean that."

"My bad," Gu Changming said with a smile. "I just thought you were the escort squad we spent points to hire."

As the words fell, the scene suddenly went quiet.

The atmosphere also became still.

The meaning behind these words was clear: if you are hired help, why should the boss have to step in?

The muscles on Zhang Zhenhai's face twitched. The question he had just asked got stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter another word.

That was indeed the situation, and the little tricks they played were another matter.

But if it was called out openly, then things were different.