38: Chapter 38 A chilling, penetrating force, a cure for all dissent.

The dust overhead hadn't even settled before that door-sized giant axe descended with a foul wind.

There were no flashy special effects, just pure gravitational potential energy combined with monstrous strength.

If this axe strike landed solidly, let alone someone at the Minor Achievement stage of Skin Refining, even a knight wearing plate armor would be split in two.

Lin Qi did not retreat.

To retreat was to die.

This type of heavy weapon had a large attack range; retreating would only result in getting swept by the edge of the axe blade.

He didn't even blink; his body, like a weightless piece of paper, slid half a step to the left the moment before the axe blade touched his hair.

This half-step distance was neither too much nor too little, just enough to graze past the surface of the axe.

Boom!

The giant axe smashed fiercely into the concrete floor, slicing half a meter deep as if it were tofu; gravel flew everywhere like shrapnel, striking the surrounding iron racks with a series of clanging sounds.

"Not bad aim," Lin Qi commented, looking at the axe blade right by his feet, "just a bit slow."

Red light flared intensely in the pupil-less eyes of the Berserker Chieftain.

He hadn't expected this insect-like human to not only not be scared witless, but also have time to make snide remarks.

"Roar!"

The Berserker didn't even bother pulling out the axe; his thick arms swung horizontally, utilizing the power of his waist and abdomen.

That battle-axe, still embedded in the ground, plowed straight through the floor, sweeping towards Lin Qi's waist with a large amount of gravel.

If this move connected, being cut in half at the waist would be the only outcome.

Lin Qi changed his footwork.

Not retreating, but advancing.

He slid in, keeping close to the giant axe handle, like a fish slipping into the embrace of a shark.

Baji Quan, close-quarters combat.

This is what they call the "darkness under the lamp."

Since he had entered the inner circle, it was now Lin Qi's home turf.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lin Qi's fists were so fast they left only afterimages, raining down on the Berserker's unprotected chest and abdomen.

Each punch was heavy and powerful, causing the muscles to tremble.

If it were an ordinary person, their internal organs would have long since shattered from these few punches.

But the Berserker Chieftain merely looked down at the little speck in his embrace, a ferocious and mocking expression appearing on his face.

He didn't even bother to block.

"Useless!"

The green-skinned merchant hiding behind the crate poked half his head out and laughed in a shrill voice.

"This is a Level 25 Elite Berserker! It comes with the [Skin Hardening] talent, with a physical defense as high as 800 points! Are your fists just scratching an itch for him?"

Lin Qi frowned slightly.

The feel wasn't right.

Striking the opponent didn't feel like hitting flesh; it felt like hammering a solid steel plate covered in cowhide.

The recoil traveled back along his finger bones, making his wrists feel somewhat numb.

This was the rule suppression of a digitized world.

As long as the defense value was high enough, low-Rank physical attacks would be forcibly judged as ineffective or only deal a mandatory 1 point of damage.

This is commonly known as "scraping."

"Human, die!"

The Berserker Chieftain finally spoke, his voice sounding like two rusted iron plates rubbing together.

He simply released the battle-axe in his hands and violently slammed his two fan-sized hands together in the center.

He intended to squeeze Lin Qi to death like toothpaste.

The distance was too close; there was nowhere to dodge.

The merchant's laughter grew louder: "Squash him into meat paste! If my cloud-pattern herb gets stained with blood, you will be held responsible!"

Lin Qi looked at the two large hands rapidly closing in, his eyes, on the contrary, becoming calm.

Since external kung fu couldn't break the defense, he would change his approach.

If he couldn't break through the skin, he would strike the inside.

Lin Qi took a deep breath, stopped throwing rapid punches, and instead turned his fist into a palm. Just before the two large hands closed, he lightly pressed his palm against the Berserker's chest, which was covered in thick chest hair.

This palm strike looked soft and weak, as if he were greeting an old friend.

The mockery in the Berserker's eyes was about to overflow.

He didn't dodge or evade, continuing to exert force to embrace.

The moment the palm made solid contact with the skin.

Lin Qi's wrist shook extremely abruptly.

The amplitude was very small, but the frequency was extremely high.

All the power no longer dispersed outwards but was compressed into an invisible needle.

Dark Energy: "Cold Through the Heart."

There was no sound at all.

The Berserker's arms, which were originally exerting force to close, froze in mid-air like a machine that had been unplugged.

The expression on his face, full of bulging muscles, changed from a sinister grin to bewilderment, and then to terror.

He didn't understand.

His chest didn't hurt at all, and his skin wasn't even red.

But why did it feel like a grenade had been shoved into his chest cavity and detonated?

That power bypassed the tough skin, bypassed the sturdy muscles, and acted directly on his most fragile heart valves.

At this moment, his heart stopped beating.

Blood supply was cut off.

Brain hypoxia.

"Urgh... ghk..."

A sound like a leaking bellows came from the Berserker's throat.

He looked down at Lin Qi, the red light in his eyes rapidly dimming, turning into a deathly gray.

"In your next life, train your heart to be tougher too," Lin Qi said calmly, withdrawing his palm.

Pfft!

The Berserker opened his mouth and spat out a large mouthful of black blood, mixed with broken pieces of internal organs.

Rumble!

That mountain-like body toppled straight backwards, slamming into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Even in death, his two hands remained in the embracing posture.

The whole area went quiet.

Only the sounds of fire burning and wood cracking came from the distance.

The green-skinned merchant had his mouth wide open, his jaw nearly dislocated.

The calculator in his hand clattered to the ground.

"Th-this... how is this possible?" the merchant stammered, "The System panel clearly showed full health... How did you do it? Are you a devil?"

He didn't understand.

In this data-supreme world, how could someone one-shot a full-health, high-defense elite monster with a single palm strike?

Lin Qi ignored him.

He walked to the Berserker's corpse, stepped over it, and picked up the transparent box containing the cloud-pattern herb.

The cloud patterns were clear, and the roots and stems were intact.

It was indeed a top-grade item.

"This thing belongs to me now." Lin Qi tucked the box into his chest and turned to look at the merchant.

Being stared at by those emotionless eyes, the merchant shuddered and scrambled backward, rolling and crawling.

"D-don't kill me! I'll give you all the money! The crates over there are full of money!"

"I don't lack money," Lin Qi patted his bulging chest, "I only lack medicine."

The merchant pointed a trembling finger behind Lin Qi: "Y-you... don't get cocky! My men will be here soon! This is the black market's territory; you won't be able to escape!"

As if to verify his words.

A series of chaotic and hurried footsteps suddenly came from the factory entrance.

Not just the two Berserkers who had been lured away earlier.

There were even more presences.

Judging by the sound, there were at least a dozen people.

And they were carrying firearms.

"Brother Qi! Run! Run!" Zhang Wei's heart-wrenching shout came from outside, with a crying tone, "There are people everywhere behind us! And some have Gatling guns!"