Chapter 72: To Eliminate the Root Along with the Weeds

With a thunderous crash, the massive body of the level-two werewolf chieftain lost all control, toppling heavily backward and hitting the ground with a dull thud. Its limbs flailed unconsciously, but as time passed, its struggles grew ever weaker until, at last, it lay utterly still.

At that moment, the light of life drained from its blood-red eyes. Its lifeless pupils stared blankly up at the sky, seeing nothing at all.

With the chieftain’s death, a surge of evolutionary energy poured forth from its corpse, traversing space and entering Zhang Ran’s body through every pore.

Compared to the energy gained from slaying level-one werewolves, the evolutionary energy from this level-two chieftain was far more refined and abundant. As it entered Zhang Ran, it brought a deeper, more pleasant warmth, making him feel perfectly at ease.

Once inside, the energy coursed through his veins, circulating throughout his body. Wherever it passed, Zhang Ran’s cells hungrily absorbed the energy, growing, transforming, and rejuvenating under its stimulus. Cell vitality, evolutionary potential, and the capacity for power all increased, steadily and surely improving Zhang Ran’s physique.

After completing a full cycle within him, about twenty percent of the energy was consumed; the remainder surged directly into his spine, settling at its base and condensing into the nascent form of his first evolutionary node, radiating a gentle warmth.

“Seven level-one werewolves slain, and one level-two werewolf chieftain defeated. Evolutionary energy absorbed. Evolution Point condensation increased by 1.89%. Current Evolution Point condensation: 1.89% (0/3).”

“Werewolves slain, evolutionary energy absorbed. Physical attributes enhanced: Strength +0.004, Constitution +0.003, Agility +0.003, Spirit +0.003.”

Two mechanical notifications from the chip rang in Zhang Ran’s ears. At the same time, he flicked the blood from his combat knife and sheathed it at his waist. With a thought, he drew an AM41 automatic rifle from his storage box, its black muzzle sweeping over the surrounding level-zero adult werewolves.

Seeing their chieftain fall, the werewolves were stunned, paralyzed by shock. In that instant, a hail of high-velocity bullets pierced their hearts, throats, or brains, punching fist-sized holes through their bodies. Blood gushed forth, and their corpses collapsed in heaps.

Against the level-two chieftain, an automatic rifle was of little threat, but to these level-zero adults, it became a weapon of terror. Paired with Zhang Ran’s impeccable marksmanship, it reaped their lives with merciless efficiency.

One magazine emptied, and of the thirty or so adult werewolves who had followed the chieftain, only five remained. Zhang Ran calmly exchanged magazines from his storage box and continued firing.

The gunfire rang out again, and the remaining werewolves fell easily before Zhang Ran’s onslaught. He then strode up to the fallen chieftain and cut away its twin fangs—trophies required to complete his mission.

With another thought, the three Bloodspike blades embedded in the chieftain’s body slid free, each bringing with it a mass of blood.

“Excellent, the radiation in this blood is low. I can extract the vital essence to restore my stamina.”

Zhang Ran’s eyes lit up as he regarded the blood. Channeling his will through the Bloodspikes, he began the process of purification. The blood in the air boiled and condensed, impurities turning to foul water that dripped away, leaving the remaining blood even more vivid in color.

In just twenty seconds, the essence within the three blood orbs was purified. With another thought, the Bloodspikes carried the vital essence into Zhang Ran’s body.

The moment the blood essence entered him, it transformed into pure energy, spreading through his body. Zhang Ran could feel his stamina rapidly recovering, and the injuries sustained in battle with the chieftain began to heal on their own.

Having absorbed all the essence from the chieftain, Zhang Ran walked to the spot where the ironwood club had fallen and activated his “storage box” ability, stowing it away.

This club was carved from the heartwood of a mutated “ironwood” tree, harder than many level-one alloys and a raw material for various level-two synthetic compounds. Each kilogram could fetch fifteen Black Eagle coins, and, weighing about eighty kilograms despite some wear, the club could be sold for over a thousand.

One by one, Zhang Ran then approached the level-one werewolves he had slain, using his combat knife to remove their fangs. He placed these, together with the chieftain’s set of blue fangs, into a small pouch and stored them away.

Finally, Zhang Ran strode toward the distant werewolf settlement. Though he had eradicated all the adult werewolves, he could still see, with perfect clarity, that many young werewolves remained hidden in the wooden huts.

From his mercenary days before crossing over, Zhang Ran had learned a hard truth: when rooting out threats, mercy is a luxury—one that only allows evil to return, stronger than before. Especially now, when his enemies were not even human, but savage mutants—werewolves, whose hearts would never align with humanity. Even if he spared these younglings, they would only grow up nursing hatred, returning to wreak vengeance.

Therefore, Zhang Ran had no intention of letting any of the young werewolves survive. He meant to finish them all.

Reaching the first hut, he kicked the door open, revealing a terrified young werewolf inside. Its eyes were wide with fear, its little body trembling as it tried to appear harmless.

“Die,” Zhang Ran said coldly, a chilling smile on his lips. With a single stroke of his level-two combat knife, he decapitated the creature.

The young werewolf’s head flew high, blood spurting from its neck as the body toppled, convulsed violently, then lay still, its muscles slackening as fear left its corpse.

A thread of evolutionary energy seeped from the young werewolf, entering Zhang Ran's body. Compared to that from adults, this energy was pitifully thin, not even amounting to a ten-thousandth of an evolution point.

Having dispatched the first, Zhang Ran left the hut and kicked open the door to the next, killing the young survivors within.

Minutes later, Zhang Ran had searched all the huts except those belonging to the central chieftain and the werewolf shaman. Every other hut had been cleared, and all twelve young werewolves hiding within had been exterminated—no roots left to grow.