Urban Powers After the Apocalypse

"Ha! What a massive tiger skeleton! If I were outside, I'd be rich!" The soldier at the back of the off-road vehicle firmly gripped the lower jaw of the skeletal tiger with one hand. Determined, he hurled himself off the vehicle, dragging the heavy skeleton down with him. "Professor Mo, take care! I'll go ahead!"

The skeletal tiger had been intercepted by the soldier's sacrifice, but the other two skeletal beasts were closing in fast behind Xu Mo. The sharp horns of the antelope had already scraped against the rear fender of his motorcycle multiple times, producing an unbearable screech as bone scraped against metal.

There was nowhere left to run!

Xu Mo swiftly flipped open the fuel cap of his motorcycle and twisted the throttle to its maximum. In the same instant, he hurled himself sideways, rolling along the softened ground created by Gentle Touch, tumbling five or six meters before coming to a stop.

The motorcycle, thrown off balance, skidded forward under inertia. Sparks flew as its frame scraped against rocks, igniting the leaking gasoline. In an instant, the entire vehicle exploded into a massive fireball. The two skeletal beasts, unable to stop in time, charged straight into the inferno.

Xu Mo quickly scanned the flames, searching for any remaining threats. The explosion had momentarily blown the two skeletal beasts apart, scattering their bones all around. Some fragments had even landed right at his feet.

Acting swiftly, he smashed every bone fragment within his reach with Demon's Hand, not caring whether they belonged to beasts or humans.

Seconds passed. The shattered remains of the two creatures seemed to be drawn by some invisible force, rapidly converging. Amidst the flickering flames, the skeletal frames reconstructed themselves at an alarming pace.

However, Xu Mo's efforts had not been in vain. Among the bones he had shattered, one happened to be the antelope's hind leg. Now, the creature could only stand on three legs, significantly reducing its threat level.

Unfortunately, the leopard skeleton appeared almost unscathed, with nothing but soot darkening its bones.

"Come on then! I refuse to believe that a pile of bones is scarier than a living beast!"

Under the moonlight, in the desolate wilderness, two skeletal beasts stood before him—an ancient, primal confrontation. Xu Mo's enhanced body surged with an unfamiliar battle fervor.

Fight! No matter one's experiences or age, the instinct to battle had been carved into a man's very bones since the dawn of time!

Xu Mo roared with fury, his voice reverberating through the night. A thrilling sensation of unrestrained exhilaration coursed through him. He crouched slightly before launching forward at breakneck speed, reaching the very limits of human capability. The blue-white flames of Demon's Hand trailed behind him, leaving a two-meter-long streak of light, as he charged like a demon from ancient times!

The skeletal leopard twisted mid-air as it leapt aside, its fangs snapping toward Xu Mo's throat. Xu Mo shoved his left arm into its maw, gripping its throat from within. Without hesitation, he drove his right fist, ablaze with Demon's Hand, into the beast's left side. A resounding crack echoed through the air as its ribs and spine were shattered in an instant!

Two razor-sharp antelope horns suddenly lunged at him from behind. Xu Mo twisted, grabbing one of the horns mid-air, and with a roar, he swung the entire skeletal antelope—dozens of kilograms in weight—single-handedly into the ground. Before it could rise, he rained down relentless punches until its skull was reduced to mere fragments with only its two horns remaining.

Then, Xu Mo pried apart the skeletal leopard's jaw still clamped onto his left arm and delivered a final, crushing blow, shattering its false life once and for all.

The battle ended shockingly fast. Even Xu Mo himself found it hard to believe. Clearly, he had underestimated his enhanced physique while overestimating the true strength of these skeletal beasts.

With all nearby threats eliminated, Xu Mo collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. Despite his augmented body, the rapid, high-intensity battle had drained his stamina and mental energy. If he didn't rest now, he wouldn't have the strength for another fight of this caliber.

"Huh? What's this...?"

From the remains of the leopard and antelope skeletons, faint specks of light began to drift away. Soon, two small red glows coalesced before him. As the light dimmed, two enhanced Doomsday Fragments appeared in Xu Mo's view.

So these monsters in the Doomsday Mirage actually carried Doomsday Fragments? Just like farming gear in a game...

Just as he picked up the two fragments, the rapid thud of approaching footsteps echoed behind him. Without hesitation, Xu Mo dropped low and rolled forward. But he was still a step too slow. A ghastly white skeletal claw, brimming with terrifying force, slammed onto his right shoulder, shattering his shoulder blade instantly. The blinding pain nearly knocked him unconscious.

It was the skeletal tiger that had attacked the off-road vehicle!

Xu Mo had not expected it to catch up so quickly. The once-pristine white bones were now stained with blood—Professor Mo and his team were likely doomed.

Clenching his teeth, Xu Mo supported his limp right arm, his terror momentarily numbing the pain. He knew the soldier who had confronted this skeletal tiger was far from weak. If even he had failed to harm it, then this skeletal tiger was far stronger than the combined might of the previous two skeletal beasts!

Now, with his only effective weapon—the Demon's Hand—unusable, Xu Mo had no chance of winning even in peak condition, let alone now.

The skeletal tiger advanced with measured, predatory steps, its gleaming fangs growing larger in Xu Mo's vision.

No escape. No fight.

Xu Mo's heart pounded in his chest, cold sweat dripping from his jaw. Never had he felt so close to death.

Suddenly, an eerie clanking sound of dragging chains echoed from the valley behind him.

At the same moment, the skeletal tiger hesitated. It stopped just five meters away from Xu Mo, showing signs of anxiety—its bared fangs and extended claws trembling as if sensing an overwhelming threat.

Moments later, a towering figure, over two meters tall, emerged from the valley, moving with slow, heavy steps.

It was a hulking brute with iron-blue skin, a bald head gleaming under the moonlight, and grotesquely swollen muscles straining against what little remained of its tattered clothing. Thick, rusted iron chains were embedded deep into its flesh, leaking foul yellow pus as they dragged along the ground, clanking ominously with every step.

A zombie?! Xu Mo's heart pounded violently. No wonder the skeletal tiger hesitated—he had unknowingly entered a zombie's territory!

At about twenty meters apart, the two undead creatures stood motionless, locked in a tense standoff. From their cautious posture, it was clear that they regarded each other as formidable foes.

Yet, in this battle between monsters, Xu Mo—an insignificant human—was completely ignored.

A stroke of luck! Just when he had lost all hope, fate had handed him a lifeline.

Seizing the moment while the two undead creatures were fixated on each other, Xu Mo carefully retreated until he reached a steep rock wall.

Suddenly, he felt a chill on his neck. Turning, he noticed a deep fissure running vertically down the rock face—narrow at first but widening as it stretched inward, reaching over a meter in width at its broadest point—just enough for a person to squeeze through.

With no way of knowing when the standoff would end, Xu Mo immediately activated Gentle Touch, softening the rock as he quickly slipped into the crevice.