Chapter 14: The Bone-Bladed Reaper Dancing in the Rainy Night

Chapter 14: The Bone-Blade Reaper Dancing in the Rainy Night

Boom—

Thunder roared, and lightning twisted like giant serpents writhing across the clouds. The torrential rain soaked the airborne city, filling the world with the relentless sound of rushing water.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Crimson bullets shattered the dense curtain of rain, leaving visible trajectories. Concealed beneath the storm's roar, the gunshots sounded muffled and heavy.

“Chase him!”

“There’s nowhere to run ahead—it’s a dead end!”

A large number of city defense soldiers sprinted forward, guns in hand. Overhead, several gravity skimmers hovered, locking onto the figure darting and leaping before them.

“How does he manage to jump four or five meters high?”

“It seems like none of our shots have hit him—does he have eyes in the back of his head? His reflexes are unreal!”

The soldiers aboard the skimmers whispered among themselves, all sensing that this Dustborn’s physical capabilities exceeded normal human limits.

“Report the situation!” Victor’s voice crackled through the earpiece of a city defense officer.

“He’s heading to Terrace No.1 in the West District. It’s a dead end. We’re about to initiate the arrest operation,” the officer responded.

Rocco halted his sprint and looked out over the railing into the endless darkness. “It really is a dead end.”

His soaked black hair was swept back, rainwater running down his prominent nose and splashing against his firm chest. His tight clothes outlined his tall, flawless figure.

“Is he really Dustborn? His physique meets or even exceeds the standards of the Upperborn,” one soldier murmured.

“Heh, if you still think he’s normal, I say he’s probably one of Dr. Carrie’s insane experiment subjects—definitely modified!” another asserted.

Facing the endless doubts around him, Rocco calmly climbed onto the railing, overlooking the crowd below. He muttered to himself, “Just a moment longer.”

“You have nowhere to run. Surrender immediately, or don’t blame us for being ruthless!” the officer ordered. Dozens of rifles aimed at Rocco, with explicit instructions to capture him alive first, and only then consider lethal force.

Amid the raging storm, Rocco stood unmoving, his gaze fixed on the distance. Far away, he saw the bustling Hunter’s Base—a sign that Mark and his team had begun their operation.

“General.”

Turning, Victor was already standing opposite Rocco.

“You’re not one of the Lighthouse people. Who are you?” Victor said darkly. With just a few glances, he sensed something unusual about Rocco. There was no trace of the Lighthouse aura on him.

Dustborn were weary and scarred, long oppressed, never daring to meet Upperborn eyes directly.

The members of the Light and Shadow Sect and the Law Institute wore expressions of false piety, instinctively crossing their arms.

The characteristics of the city defense forces were all too familiar to Victor.

But 4048—Victor had never encountered anyone like this. His manners and demeanor seemed to come straight from the peaceful old world.

“General Victor, until we meet again.”

Rocco waved his hand, then, in full view of all, leaned back without hesitation and vanished into the storm, swallowed instantly by the raging wind and rain.

Everyone was stunned, frozen in place.

Victor stared into the churning darkness, a chill running down his spine.

…

Whoosh—

The Lighthouse light in Rocco’s pupil grew smaller.

The engine’s hum emerged from the nearby clouds as a glider surged forth, catching the falling Rocco.

He settled down, wrapping his arms around the driver’s waist.

“Hm?”

Something felt off—and the altitude was much lower than expected.

Rocco focused and twitched his lips. “Wasn’t Feixue supposed to pick me up?”

“She’s not good at flying this thing, so it’s just me,” Mocheng said, pulling a face. “Damn, what are you thinking? Dare to set your sights on Feixue? You better watch out or she’ll skin you alive!”

“Let’s find a place to wait for the others,” Rocco said.

He had told them he would descend with them, either hiding within their ranks or jumping down to be picked up by Feixue.

The Hunter commander had stormed the Dawn Hall, so perhaps leniency was possible. Rocco, a Dustborn, had no hope of staying in the Lighthouse before Mark took power. Considering the relentless pursuit by the city defense forces, he had no choice but to take that desperate leap of faith.

When they were just over ten meters from the ground, the glider’s headlight revealed a mass of grotesque heads—scores of snake-dogs raising seemingly friendly smiles toward the sky.

“They’re coming down!” Rocco looked up as two armored transport vehicles plummeted rapidly.

Boom—

Scorching flames spewed from beneath the vehicles, cushioning their fall. Unfortunately, several snake-dogs directly below were roasted alive—fully cooked in one fiery blast.

The core team for this mission consisted of Mark, Mocheng, Feixue, Jeff, Erika, Donny, and Afu. Alongside them were some Dustborn laborers and a handful of passing hunters.

The number was drastically reduced from the anime version. Since Rocco knew the drug’s location and its hazards, sending too many down was merely a death sentence—no need for needless sacrifice.

Ran Bing, Penny, and Rita had been strictly ordered to stay behind. If they’d all gone down, that would have meant three couples—living energy source locators, in essence.

Veterans like Xuefeng had wanted to join, but Mark was resolute, so the old timers gave up their dreams. After fighting all their lives, wasn’t it better to enjoy some tea and cards upstairs?

Of course, 4068 was also specifically left behind in the Lighthouse by Rocco’s order. Despite altering some events, vigilance was still needed.

Better to be safe than sorry.

“Captain, the snake-dogs are gaining on us!” Mocheng shouted, glancing back midair.

The convoy sped wildly through the canyon, pursued by hundreds of snake-dogs sprinting along the rocks and slopes.

Just then, a snake-dog leapt onto the armored vehicle’s roof, fiercely pounding the glass window.

“Turret in position,” Mark commanded steadily.

Donny and Afu leaned out one after the other as the vehicle-mounted machine gun began firing suppressive fire.

“Roar!”

The massive horde behind was catching up fast. Forced to open the rear doors, Erika and Jeff unleashed a furious barrage, temporarily easing the pressure.

“Captain, there are too many snake-dogs. If this keeps up, we won’t break through!” Mocheng’s voice was hoarse as he stared down at the beastly tide below.

Suddenly, Mocheng noticed the glider gaining speed. Turning, he saw Rocco was already close to the ground.

“No! Rocco’s fallen!” he cried.

Everyone in the vehicle was shocked. Mark immediately called out, “Rescue immediately!”

But Feixue, calmly piloting the vehicle, said, “Don’t worry about him. In the eyes of the Devouring Beast, he’s even more terrifying.”

Mark frowned, puzzled by the remark. Even if Rocco was strong, he was just a bit stronger and faster—he couldn’t possibly transcend humanity.

“What the hell was that thing that just jumped over?” Donny cursed from the roof.

At that moment, the snake-dogs’ assault suddenly eased considerably.

“What the…” Mark’s words caught in his throat as he stared at the illuminated scene ahead, his pupils trembling.

“Rocco… he’s not human?” Mocheng, flying overhead, had the clearest view, nearly crashing in shock.

“I’ll cover you. Just keep moving,” Rocco’s voice came through their headsets. “By the way, Mocheng, who exactly are you cursing?”

Only then did Rocco realize, strictly speaking, he was no longer human—more like a higher species wearing human skin.

The biting rain, the eerie lights, the dancing limbs, and the sharp bone blades formed a scene that stunned everyone.

That man was like the Grim Reaper harvesting lives.

The snake-dogs’ miserable cries echoed incessantly, their minds fixated on that porcelain-like, crystalline right arm—the white bone blade!

That was the gigantic scythe wielded by the Reaper!

Bloodied and fierce, Rocco had become the prime target for the snake-dogs. They sensed that this not-quite-human being was immensely powerful, containing life essence equivalent to hundreds of ordinary humans. Absorbing him would cover their rent for years.

Swoosh—

The white blade tore through the night, cleaving a muscular giant snake-dog in two, its tip piercing the core and shattering any hope of revival.

The rain continued to fall as the convoy pressed forward, the Reaper still dancing in the storm.

(End of Chapter)