18: Behead

“So you’ve already guessed?”

“So, you want to stop me?”

At this point, Alex Mercer’s gaze gradually turned cold, his eyes fixed on Li An. It was clear that if Li An’s answer didn’t satisfy him, he would make a move.

“Of course, your ideas are very dangerous!”

The atmosphere on the field gradually became oppressive, yet Li An seemed not to notice. Facing Alex Mercer, he nodded and admitted it without hesitation.

In Prototype 2, Alex Mercer transformed from a savior into a destroyer. A year after saving the world, he personally triggered the second blacklight virus outbreak, plunging the world into an even greater upheaval.

“Oh?”

“Since you’re an opponent, then go to hell.”

When words failed, Alex Mercer instantly vanished from his spot as Li An directly stated his position, even before his words had fully faded.

At the same time.

Li An suddenly felt his body tremble. At this moment, he almost instinctively sensed danger approaching.

In an instant, Li An subconsciously raised his arms to block in front of him, and then a fist appeared right after, striking his raised arms.

Boom!

The next second, Li An was sent flying backward like a cannonball, crashing into the flesh cocoon wall not far behind him. Alex Mercer, who had reappeared, stood where Li An had been standing.

“Weak, you are too weak. Although you are one of us, you are not my opponent!”

Alex Mercer stood still, raising an eyebrow, seemingly bored by Li An’s weakness.

“Cough, cough, weak?”

Li An, who had been blasted away, slid down from the flesh cocoon wall. Feeling the tremor in his internal organs, he uncontrollably coughed.

“Of course, as you are now, you won’t be my opponent.”

Alex Mercer raised his right hand, forming a fist, looking at Li An with a somewhat dismissive attitude.

“Then look again now, do I have the qualifications to be your opponent!”

Just then, as Li An spoke, his left hand suddenly shot out, pulling the Supreme Hunter’s corpse, which was already not far from him, directly in front of him. While Alex Mercer was still somewhat confused, the Absolute Devour ability immediately activated.

Pfft!

Countless tentacles instantly enveloped the Supreme Hunter’s corpse in the blink of an eye. By the time Alex Mercer reacted, it was clearly too late. Although he had devoured the Hunter Leader, greatly strengthening his attributes in all aspects, it should be noted that Alex Mercer’s attributes before devouring were already not as good as Li An’s. Even after devouring the Hunter Leader, he was only slightly stronger than Li An.

Prototype Alex Mercer

Title: Virus Prototype

Level: lv.7

Health: 4700

Strength: 79 (Attack Power)

Agility: 77 (Attack Speed, Movement Speed)

Stamina: 71 (Recovery, Defense)

Intelligence: 66 (Mental Power)

...At this moment, in terms of strength and agility, Alex Mercer had already surpassed Li An by a significant margin, but Li An could quickly make up for this gap.

“No!!!”

Alex Mercer, finally reacting, immediately lost his composure and let out an angry roar. But it was clearly too late, as Li An opened his mouth and swallowed the droplet that the Supreme Hunter had transformed into.

Rumble!

The next second, in Alex Mercer’s perception, Li An’s already powerful aura surged once again, instantly surpassing his own.

Name: Li An

ID: 940001997

Affiliated Paradise: Death

Level: lv.1

Health: 100%

Strength: 80

Agility: 79

Stamina: 79

Intelligence: 97

...“Damn it!”

At this moment, Alex Mercer, sensing Li An’s surging aura, instinctively thought of retreating. But as a gust of wind swept by, Alex Mercer suddenly saw Li An standing in front of him, looking at him with a calm expression.

“It seems I am more suited to be the Predator.”

Li An looked at Alex Mercer expressionlessly. In Alex Mercer’s shocked gaze, he directly punched towards Alex Mercer’s heart. At this moment, his strength had reached its current limit, and he didn’t believe Alex Mercer would still be his opponent.

Bang!

A terrifying air blast resounded. Li An’s fist was blocked by Alex Mercer, who reacted at the last moment, but despite this, Alex Mercer was not feeling well and was sent flying backward uncontrollably.

At the same time, Li An, having landed a blow, did not stop. Instead, he lunged forward, his right arm’s biological tentacles quickly gathering to form a blade. Li An then aimed at Alex Mercer’s heart, which was still in mid-air, and attacked again.

“No!!!”

Seeing this, Alex Mercer’s face twisted in a ferocious expression. He could not accept being defeated by Li An, nor could he believe he would die!

Just at this critical moment, as Li An’s blade gradually approached Alex Mercer’s heart, an anomaly… occurred!

Bang, bang, bang!

In an instant, countless dark tentacles suddenly erupted from Alex Mercer’s body, surging in all directions.

Thousands of Tentacles!

This happened too suddenly, even Li An was caught off guard. He subconsciously used his blade to block, deflecting an attacking tentacle. Then, without hesitation, Li An continuously retreated backward, creating distance.

“I will not lose, and I will not die here!”

“I am destined to become the new Creator, I will forge a brand new world!”

As countless tentacles bloomed, Alex Mercer stood motionless in the center of the tentacles, his eyes downcast as he spoke in a low voice.

At this moment, inside the Hive, with the blooming of countless tentacles, a strange silence fell, with only Alex Mercer’s low murmurs echoing.

“Creator?”

“It seems you have indeed changed. Your ideas… are extremely dangerous!”

Li An casually swung the blade on his right arm, looking at Alex Mercer with a cold expression. He didn’t believe that Alex Mercer was without any consumption at this moment. Although the release of Thousands of Tentacles in the game didn’t exhaust the caster, this was a real world!

“Dangerous?”

“Kill you, and no one can stop me.”

Alex Mercer suddenly raised his head, his crimson eyes instantly locking onto Li An, and a terrifying aura immediately pressed down on Li An.

“…”

At the same time, Li An no longer bothered to reply to Alex Mercer. He moved, disappearing from his spot, expressing his attitude through action.

Puff, puff, puff!

Li An charged directly towards Alex Mercer, and the numerous tentacles in his path were continuously severed by his blade. At this moment, Li An’s attributes had already surpassed Alex Mercer’s. A few mere tentacles simply couldn’t stop him!

“It’s over.”

Seeing himself getting closer and closer to Alex Mercer, Li An seized the opportunity while Alex Mercer was temporarily exhausted and immobile, finally plunging his blade into Alex Mercer’s heart, completely destroying it.

Li An showed no change in expression as he watched Alex Mercer fall unwillingly. As someone who already knew Alex Mercer’s information like the back of his hand, he naturally couldn’t give Alex Mercer any chance to evolve further. Therefore, he directly delivered a killing blow while Alex Mercer was exhausted!

Alex Mercer’s lack of struggle before Death was actually similar to Li An’s situation when he first released Thousands of Tentacles, entering a temporary state of exhaustion where even breathing required all of one’s strength.

“Ding! You have completed the trial mission and met the return conditions. Do you wish to return immediately?”

With Alex Mercer’s Death, as Li An expected, he finally met the return conditions. However, now was clearly not the time to return. He still needed to absorb Alex Mercer’s corpse to further enhance his strength.

Li An then ignored the Paradise’s prompt and immediately began to act. Countless tentacles surged towards Alex Mercer’s corpse, then enveloped it in a breath, and soon Alex Mercer’s corpse was transformed into the purest energy.

Gulp!

Without hesitation, Li An directly opened his mouth and swallowed the energy that Alex Mercer had become. Although he admired Alex Mercer, it was only the Alex Mercer from the first game. As for the Alex Mercer in the second game, he did not deserve sympathy, having already become a true Destroyer.